The etymology of the word “gospel” is from Old English and Greek, literally meaning “good news.” How fitting is it that in the College of Communication we have had a faculty member whose name literally means “good news.” Dr. Mary Gospel, a constant presence in our Speech, Language and Hearing Science department has been a source of positivity to virtually everyone she has encountered at Butler.

You cannot talk about Mary without first talking about her students. Mary has the special knack of being blunt, realistic, and kind all at once, often giving students hard advice in a way they can absorb and respond to. She also has a skill reminiscent of another recent CCOM retiree, Scott Bridge, where she remembers everything about her students long after they walked across the stage in Clowes. Most amazing, however, is what one SLHS graduate recently told me, which is “we all think we are her favorite.” It is impossible to count how many students she has prepared for graduate school, how many she has encouraged to work in a field desperate for support, or how many she has helped steer and nudge in the right direction when they needed it most.

Mary also has been a source of good news to her colleagues. She has twice taken up the mantle of department chair for SLHS, and helped steer the department forward through some challenging times. She has had the unique opportunity of advising a young student only to see that student return to be mentored by her as a new junior faculty member (Dr. Rachel Arkenberg). In college leadership meetings, and quiet conversations in the office, Mary has been a source of direct comments, deep thought, and boundless joy at being able to get up every morning and engage with people on a college campus. She simply makes the place and people around her better.

I could stop there, but I would be leaving out perhaps—no absolutely—the best of Mary. Mary’s specialty is aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage most often from a stroke, tumor or injury and which impairs speaking, understanding, reading and writing. Mary took this clinical expertise and created the Butler Aphasia Community for people in the Indianapolis community experiencing aphasia, which became a class where students majoring in SLHS had the opportunity to work with her in helping these community members. I had the opportunity to attend BAC one fall evening, and it was one of the most moving experiences in my career—seeing students, led by Mary, helping a group of about 25 community members through their aphasia challenges was simply incredible. Although Mary may be retiring this spring, the work she did and the BAC class she created will endure.

To know Mary and to work with Mary is to learn Mary’s Gospel—students come first, and we need to be both tough and caring for them to help them succeed. Butler, CCOM, and SLHS will be very different places when Mary walks off the stage at Hinkle after she delivers this year’s university faculty commencement address and begins her next adventure. I will miss seeing her in the hallway everyday, but will always remember her humor, counsel, and care. Butler is better for having had her here, and in the end that’s what we all strive to do: leave the place better than we found it.