Meet Your BSU President

Helen Green Galloway

HELEN GREEN GALLOWAY attended SIU and was an active member of the Baptist Student Union during the years of 1945-1949. She worked at the Baptist State Offices (BTU) from 1949 to 1966 and in 1966-67 became a guidance counselor at Johnston City High School. She retired in 1982 and now lives in Collinsville, Illinois where she is a current and active member of Meadow Heights Baptist Church (www.meadowheights.org) in Collinsville. She became your current president in 2002 when Maurice Swinford asked to be replaced. Helen says she was "drafted"! Helen spends hours on BSU work maintaining an active e-mail list with nearly 70 former BSU students located in 19 different states. She also keeps an up-to-date address file. If you want to know what is going on with the BSU members (of the 40s and 50s) write to Helen. She keeps us informed as to illnesses, deaths, and anything else that she hears about. Helen's e-mail address is HELENGALLOWAY@sbcglobal.net

The question is often asked, "What does BSU stand for?" Well, it stands for Baptist Student Union students who attended Southern Illinois University in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. During these years hundreds of Baptist students were enrolled at SIU Carbondale, IL. Many were preparing for the ministry, denomination work, or waiting for the Lord to call them into foreign, home or state mission work. The Baptist Student Union was very active at this time. The Baptist Student Union was our church away from home. A bond of love and fellowship developed that remains even today (50 or 60 years later). We shared our dreams, our hopes, our plans for the future. The BSU sponsored many activities: Prayer Partners, Noon Day Prayer Meetings, Nursing Home ministry, Youth Revivals, as well as local church functions. Our weekends were spent serving small churches in the area. We helped in Vacation Bible Schools, Youth activities, taught study courses, served in Campus Revivals, etc. A BSU reunion was held in the fall of 1993. Maurice Swinford, Harold Spencer, and Russell Davis and Helen Ruth Dillow (she is still serving) served as our officers for 11 years. They kept us together! Today, we have an active mailing list of 233. This includes many couples. We have 144 e-mail addresses. Our membership is scattered all over the United States with 23 states represented. Most of our membership is made up of retired pastors, pastor's wives, missionaries, denomination workers and many, many active church members. Our 2004 reunion was held September 29-30 at the Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville, IL. One of our goals for the year was to have 100 in attendance. We made that goal. 2006 Reunion will be held Sept.28-29 at the Walnut Street Baptist Church in Carbondale IL. Many of our BSU members were members of this church during their college days. I hope this explanation will help you to understand what BSU stands for. It is alive and active today in our memories!! HELEN GALLOWAY, PRESIDENT ELECTED IN 2002 -