Combine music, science fiction, higher academics, and postal history. Somewhere between
these interests – and a host of others – is Jim Colman, the new senior vice president for academic affairs at OBU. As to how he arrived in Oklahoma? “Moving a lot,” he says. Born in Florida to a salesman and his wife, his family moved to California when his father decided on photography as a second career. The next move took Jim and his family to Nevada, where his father opened a studio. Here, in the middle of the desert, “our family came to Christ,” Jim says. “I was 9 and I had never attended church regularly. Shortly after accepting Christ as his Savior, my father began taking me to church and it was there that the testimony of a godly Sunday School teacher led me to Christ.” His father, sensing a call into the ministry, moved the family two more times, to Iowa and to Indiana, before Jim left to attend college at a small school in Indiana.

In college, Jim met his wife (now of 20 years). After graduation, he began teaching junior and senior high school band and choir. He move on to graduate studies in music and, eventually, into higher academics as a professor and administrator. “I am a pianist,” he says. “Piano is my background since the age of 8. I actually started college as a biology major, but couldn’t break away from music. The administrative part began taking shape in the early 1990s when I took on additional leadership roles and experienced a progressive chain of opportunities.”

How does a pianist become an administrator? “While it’s hard to categorize musicians, they frequently lean toward one of two categories,” Jim explains. “On one side are the musicians who focus on the joy of making music. This group usually practices long hours, finds great pleasure in performing, and has a very high level of creativity. On the other side are the musicians who focus on the beauty of musical construction. Musicians in this group find pleasure in the complexities of
music theory and composition and are generally better at organization.” Somehow, Jim ended up with characteristics from both groups, a mix that has proved helpful in working with a variety of different personalities.

“OBU attracted me because it’s a place that seeks to meet the needs of students while maintaining a commitment to its call as a Christian institution,” he says. “I recognized the strengths of OBU academics – the school’s faculty and students, and certainly I was drawn to OBU because of the people I met when I visited.

“One of the things about the OBU faculty that impresses me is that their superb qualifications would allow them to teach at any institution in the country. They are nationally known in their fields, and I am excited to work with such a high caliber faculty – a faculty committed to OBU as demonstrated by the number of professors with 10, 20, 30, or more years of service.”

Jim understands the demands that an administrative role places on his available time, and how this translates into meeting students. “I want to be involved,” he says, “because I love mentoring students. So, I’m always searching for ways to be with students – in the cafeteria, at athletic events, fine arts events, and in chapel.”

Now, with music and higher academics connected, how do science fiction and postal history correspond to Jim’s life?

“As a kid, I loved reading science fiction books,” Jim says. “I was fascinated by new and unusual things, and sci-fi reading fed that fascination. Some of my favorite books are the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Through the years, the writings of these two authors have continued to inspire and challenge me.”

Not only did Jim avidly read sci-fi as a child, but he also collected stamps. A hobby shelved for years, he uncovered it in a fresh way when he explained to his wife one day, “I need something to do that’s not music and not teaching.” As a result, he began to collect postal history – letters (and envelopes) carried through the mail. “I have in my collection a 1918 letter from the battlefront of World War I,” he says. “The soldier is writing home to his mom from Bastille, France. ‘Dear mother,’ reads the letter, ‘this is to let you know I’m okay. We’ve lost some guys due to the gas and artillery shells the Germans are dropping.’ The letter continues in more detail and ends this way: ‘This is to let you know I’m safe and that my destiny has been determined by your prayers.’ It’s just an amazing spot in history.” Jim notes, among other items, his collection includes an envelope signed by Eleanor Roosevelt.

So, combine music, science fiction, higher academics, postal history, along with many other interesting characteristics, and find Dr. Jim Colman, new senior vice president for academic affairs.