Haymaker Histories: Highlighting Mary Moore, Class of ’80

Recently, many Phillipians shared their stories with us as part of the PU Oral History Project. The following is one of these special stories from Mary Whitfield Moore, a 1985 graduate.

When I think of Phillips University, it’s probably where I met some of the best friends of my life. I’m still in touch with a lot of people from there, including all of my roommates, and that means a lot to me. I was there for four years in the dorm, had three different roommates, and the last year I had a private room. Every one of those experiences was good for me. It was my first time away from home, and it was really beneficial to get away and be on my own for a while.

One of my favorite people there was Annabelle Russell. She recently passed away, but up until then, I had her as a friend on Facebook. She was like a second mom to so many students – if we were having a bad day, we’d go sit in Annabelle’s office, and she’d take care of it. I miss the people from Phillips often, but the memories always make me smile.

I got involved in a lot during my time there. I worked for the Union Board for two and a half years, helping to bring in entertainment to the university. At Phillips, I think my first concert might have been Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul and Mary. He even invited us backstage to chat with him. My first live concert, outside of Phillips, was seeing John Denver in Oklahoma City, which was amazing. I attended many plays and musicals, thanks to a good friend in the drama department. I had a great experience working for two years as an assistant for Dr. Snodgrass.

I was a sports reporter for the Haymaker newspaper during the fall of my freshman year, using skills I had developed in high school. I covered the Haymaker and Phillies basketball teams. I’ve always loved sports, especially football, which I’ve followed since I was a toddler. I also played intramural volleyball while there. In my junior year I was elected editor of the Phillipian yearbook of 1979. I feel like I learned as much outside of the classroom as I did in. The connections I made there have lasted, and I wouldn’t change any of my experiences at Phillips University.