W.H. Free served as a charter member of the Board of Trustees of Abilene Christian University. He was one of five Christian business leaders in Abilene who applied for the charter of Childers Classical Institute.
From 1906 to 1947 he served as a member of the Board, then as secretary, and later as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He is often remembered for leading "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" at the official opening of the first session of the College on Sept. 11, 1906, and in a distinctive way, led the same hymn at the official opening of each session of the college for more than 40 years.
Free and his first wife, Eula Bonner, had two daughters, Loraine and Dorothy. Eula died in 1928 and Free later married Vera Jewell High. Free died on March 19, 1969.
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