Lubbock Christian University

LCU Associates

Infront of the Arnett house looking west with historical signs

Associates of LCU

Are you a graduate of LCU? Have you attended LCU or another church affiliated university? Do you support Christian education?
We would love to have you join the hard working fun-loving group raising funds to support Lubbock Christian University!

Our Heritage

The purposes of the Associates of Lubbock Christian University:

  • To unite Christian women of the South Plains in a genuine spiritual fellowship.
  • To support LCU in all her needs.
  • To help promote the highest advantages in physical, social, intellectual and spiritual education of every student of LCU.
  • To promote a clear understanding of Christian education.

We participate with the University in Changing Lives.

Membership

  • Membership in the Associates is one the most vital, yet easiest ways to support the Associates in fundraising efforts. Annual dues are an important source of revenue.
  • Anyone interested in the purposes of the Associates may become an Associate member upon payment of dues.
  • Annual dues are $25 for regular members, or $50 for professional members. Professional members are not active participants but receive all mailings.
  • Dues can be paid in any of the following ways:
    • Online at Associates-of-LCU.square.site
    • At any of our events
    • By check payable to and mailed to Associates of LCU, 5601 19th St., Lubbock, TX, 79407. Please include your name, address, city, state, zip code, email address, and phone number.
  • Dues are accepted any time, and they run for one year from the day you pay.
  • Please email us at associates@LCU.edu with any questions.
Woman talking with others around a table eating

Calendar of Events for the 2023-2024 School Year

  • September 11, 2023
    Let’s Get Started & Involved!

    Come and Go during a time option that works best for your schedule.

    Option 1: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm (light lunch fare served)

    Option 2: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (pie and coffee served)

    Arnett House

  • September 21-30, 2023
    Fair Booths
    South Plains Fairgrounds
  • October 16, 2023
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • November 6, 2023
    Executive Meeting
    10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Arnett House
  • November 13, 2023
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • December 4, 2023
    Christmas Tea
    10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Arnett House
  • January 22, 2024
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • February 5, 2024
    Executive Meeting
    10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Arnett House
  • February 12, 2024
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • March 25, 2024
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • April 9, 2024
    Spring Luncheon
    9:00 am: Open for silent auction
    11:30 am – 1:00 pm Luncheon and Program
    Baker Conference Center
  • April 15, 2024
    Executive Meeting
    10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Arnett House
  • May 6, 2024
    Executive Meeting
    10:00 am – 11:30 pm
    Arnett House
  • May 13, 2024
    Monthly Luncheon
    11:45 am – 1:00 pm
    Arnett House
  • May 30 - June 1, 2024
    Partners for Christian Education Conference
    hosted by LCU Associates

Monthly Luncheon Dates and Information

11:45 am – 1:00 pm
At the Arnett House on the LCU Campus 5515 22nd Street

$15.00 per person per luncheon

  • Monday, October 16
  • Monday, November 13
  • Monday, January 22
  • Monday, February 12
  • Monday, March 25
  • Monday, May 13

Reservations are required no later than Wednesday BEFORE each Luncheon. RSVP by call or text to Sandra Blackwood at 806.786.8468 or by email to Sandra.Blackwood@LCU.edu or associates@LCU.edu.

Monthly luncheons can be paid at the door by cash or check for a single luncheon or several at a time. They can also be paid in advance in one of two ways:

  • Online at Associates-of-LCU.square.site
  • By check payable to and mailed to Associates of LCU, 5601 19th St., Lubbock, TX, 79407
  • Please include how many lunches you are paying for and if you are paying for guests.

Our Hearts at Work

Officers & Committees

Officers for the 2023-2024 School Year

  • President: Sandra Blackwood
  • President-Elect: Sheila Dye
  • Vice-President – Membership: Christi Hadley
  • Secretary: Jeannie Jones
  • Treasurer: Christi Hadley
  • Reporter: Jan Crockett
  • Historian: Beverly Crossnoe
  • Parliamentarian: Paula Gannaway

Committee Chairs for the 2023-2024 School Year

  • Archives: Paula Gannaway
  • Arnett House: Paula Gannaway
  • Arnett House Monthly Luncheons: Sandra Blackwood
  • Arnett House Rentals: Beverly Crossnoe
  • Christmas Coffee: Pat Stumbo and Bennie Raney
  • Cookbooks: Carol Dahlstrom
  • Foodless Food Sale: Sharla Huddle
  • Hospitality: Linda Durbin Willis and Hoycille Valentine
  • Let’s Get Started & Involved: Sandra Blackwood
  • Mailing and Correspondence: Sharla Huddle
  • Membership: Christi Hadley
  • Memorials and Honorariums: Jeannette Tidwell
  • Partners for Christian Education Conference: Sheila Dye
  • Publicity and News and Notes: Jan Crockett
  • Quilting: Shirley Brawner and Lois McClure
  • South Plains Fair: Linda Durbin Willis
  • Spring Luncheon: Maxine Stutler and Shirley Bobbitt

Any woman of the Associates may serve on a committee and/or be nominated to be an officer. We are always looking to get more members involved. Serving on a committee or holding an office is a great way to be more involved.

If you have any questions or would like to get contact information for any of the officers or committee chairs, please email us at associates@LCU.edu.

Fundraising Projects

The Associates have various fundraisers throughout the year. Each year they vary a little but here are some of the main fundraisers this school year.

  • Membership Dues: Payable at any time. Please see our section on Membership (above) for more information.
  • Monthly Luncheon Attendance: $15 for each luncheon. We have six luncheons throughout the school year. Please see our section on Monthly Luncheon (above) for more information
  • South Plains Fair Booths: Sales of corn on the cob, corn in a cup, and homemade pies. This is our largest fundraiser each year! Volunteer to bake a pie and/or work a shift at one of our booths. The 2023 fair is September 21-30. Please email us at associates@lcu.edu for more information.
  • Christmas Silent Auction: This auction is held at our Christmas Tea. Please see our events calendar for more information.
  • Spring Luncheon with Silent Auction: This fabulous event is always the highlight of our spring calendar! Sign up to be a table hostess and decorate a table. Or volunteer to help in a variety of other ways. For more information, please see our events calendar or email us at associates@LCU.edu for more information.
  • Foodless Food Sale: Don’t buy the supplies. Don’t slave away in the kitchen. To participate, just send us some money. Can it get any easier?
  • Cookbooks: Our 50th Anniversary Edition Treasured Recipes cookbooks are available for purchase throughout the year. Please email us at associates@LCU.edu or contact Carol Dahlstrom (Carol.Dahlstrom@LCU.edu or 806.441.0370) for information on how to purchase one.
  • Quilting: A group of women quilt for the public every Monday in the Arnett House Annex quilt shop. For information on commissioning a quilt to be made for you or on getting involved as a quilter, please email us at associates@LCU.edu or call Shirley Brawner (806.795.2007) or Lois McClure (806.799.4585).
  • Arnett House Rentals: Consider hosting your next party or family get-together at the historic and charming Arnett House. Rental fees are reasonable. Email us at associates@LCU.edu or Beverly Crossnoe at beverly@crossnoe.com to book your event.
  • Memorials and Honorariums: Remember and honor special people in your life through donations to the Associates in one of two ways:
    • Online at Associates-of-LCU.square.site
    • By check payable to and mailed to Associates of LCU, 5601 19th St., Lubbock, TX, 79407. Please include the following information along with your payment:
      • The name of the person being honored or remembered
      • The names and mailing addresses of any of that person’s loved ones you want us to notify about your donation

The organizational meeting for the Associates was April 29, 1958, in the LCU cafetorium barracks. One of the first projects was to sew curtains for the windows. By October of that year there were 900 charter members. Many are still active participants. The organization has raised more than $3 million for LCU.

Some of the contributions were: construction of the home economics building (currently Behavioral Sciences), renovation of the Arnett House, remodeling of Johnson Hall, refurbishing Katie Rogers Hall, painting the President's home, landscaping, furniture, office renovations and parking lots.

Each year the Associates fund unbudgeted items for departments and offices. Our ongoing project is providing funds for the library to purchase books and other media requested by the faculty. Funds were also raised to convert the library card catalog to an online catalog.

The house, designed in 1915 by Ft. Worth architect M.L. Walker, was built as a wedding present for Mr. and Mrs. J. Lanhan Higginbotham of the Higginbotham lumber family. The house was purchased in 1918 by Mr. and Mrs. Sam C. Arnett, Sr., a pioneer rancher and banker of the South Plains. The house served as their residence until 1956 and later it became one of the first pioneer Lubbock homes to be restored.

Originally located at 1214 Avenue L in downtown Lubbock, the gabled, bungalow house was given to Lubbock Christian College along with twenty acres of land on west 19th by Dr. and Mrs. Sam Arnett, Jr. It was moved to the campus property in 1957 to coincide with the opening of the college and soon became known as the Arnett House. It served the college as the first Administration building, and later was used for housing, offices, a counseling center, print shop, photo lab and the psychology/sociology department.

By 1975 the house had fallen into disrepair and with the growth of the college, was no longer in use. The trustees of the college gave the house to the Associates of LCC in February 1975 Groundbreaking ceremonies for the relocation were conducted on December 9, 1977. Those participating were Dr. and Mrs. Sam Arnett, Jr and their children, Sam Arnett III and Mrs. John Flygare; Mrs. Otis (Naydiene) Cannon, chairman of the Associates’ Arnett House committee; and Dr. Harvie Pruitt, president of Lubbock Christian College. In 1978 the house was moved for the last time, from west of the education building to its present location on 22nd street.

C.R. Billingsley of Billingsley and Stracener, Architects and Engineers worked with the Associates in planning the renovation. Claude Martin and Sons were the contractors with Byron Martin as an advisor and C.B. Martin as supervisor of the actual work. Lucille Melcher, of Cagle Brothers Interiors was the decorator.

Restoration was done in three phases: excavation of a basement, pouring a foundation and relocating the house; restoration of the roof, exterior sides and porch; and interior restoration. The reopening of the Arnett House on August 26, 1979 coincided with Dr. Sam C. Arnett Jr.’s 71st birthday.

This lovely eight room, two-story house serves as home for the Associates of LCU, an organization begun in May 1958 “to support Lubbock Christian University in all her needs.” Original features and furnishings include: glass knobs, windows and bookcases in the living room, sliding solid wood doors between the living and dining room, serving ledge and built-in china closet with beveled mirror in the dining room, butler’s pantry and cabinets, and the Arnetts’ original bedstead in an upstairs bedroom. An original oil still life, painted and donated by local artist, Toni Arnett, hangs in the reception room.

A permanent standing committee of 7 women was established in 1975 to be responsible for the operation, renovation and maintenance of the Arnett House. Mrs. Otis (Naydiene) Cannon served as the first chairman followed by Mrs. Don (Lynnita) Hufstedler and Mrs. Bob (Jan) Crockett.

The house was designated a Lubbock Historic Landmark in February 1984. In 1987, the kitchen was restored and in 1993 an annex was constructed to house a gift shop and quilting room. Renovations in 2013 included installation of new carpeting and kitchen flooring for the main floor, carpet removal and staining of the stairway, and installation of a low-maintenance floor for the front porch. In 2014 the Lubbock Historic Society made application for the house to be designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, recognizing that the property is of local, regional or state significance. In 2014-2015, the Associates celebrated the 100th birthday of the Arnett House with various Centennial events, culminating on April 6, 2015 when members of the Arnett family were honored at a special LCU chapel ceremony and later at a brunch held in the Arnett House.

The Arnett House is located at 5513 22nd Street in Lubbock, Texas.

LCU gratefully acknowledges Jan Crockett for submitting this historical account.
December 12, 2013

Partners for Christian Education Conference

The LCU Associates are hosting the 2024 Partners for Christian Education Conference on the LCU campus. Conference dates are Thursday, May 30 through Saturday, June 1, 2024.  

Christian women of the South Plains and from across LCU’s sister universities who are in support of increased fellowship and unity while raising funds for Christian higher education are welcome to participate in this special, on-campus, retreat-like experience. Come experience fellowship with like-minded women who share your passion for service and who love to encourage, share, and learn with each other. 

Housing is available in Gullo Hall, the newest campus housing complex that opened to students in January 2024. Each suite features two or four private bedrooms with in-suite shared living space, private shower, restroom facilities, and shared double sink. 

For more information, contact Associates@lcu.edu.