Creative Research Paper

On account of a life-long interest in Evangelist Billy Sunday, I was pleased to be asked for resource materials for a senior paper on Ma Sunday. Johanna Huebscher graduated from Bob Jones University this spring with a B.A. in history and a B.S. in Multimedia Journalism. The research into the life of Mrs. Sunday was part of a graduation requirement for her history degree.

Billy Sunday died in 1935. His wife outlived him by several years, and during that time she became involved in the work of Bob Jones University. “I chose her as a research project,” writes Johanna, “because I wanted to study the life of a woman involved in the beginnings of BJU.”

The research paper is titled “Ma Sunday, What Did It Mean to be Her?” Johanna draws some comparisons between the parental choices made by Nell Sunday, Mary Gaston Jones, and Ruth Graham. Each of the husbands, Billy Sunday, Bob Jones, Sr., and Billy Graham, traveled in evangelism, but the decisions concerning child-care varied. One of the strongest lessons learned from her study is contained in the following statement. “I learned from her life that there is no substitute for spending time with your family.”

Johanna plans to work in the area of journalism as a reporter. I found her paper to be quite fascinating. Based on what I have seen of her research and writing on this project, I believe she will do well.