Emory University in Atlanta has announced a $3 million gift from the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation to establish an endowed chair in biblical studies in the Candler School of Theology.

The Rev. Dr. Donald Allen Harp, Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Biblical Studies Endowment will support an outstanding expert in biblical studies. The professorship is named in honor of the late Don Harp ('66T), a Candler alumnus and former pastor/theologian-in-residence at the school who served as an ordained elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church for more than forty years. Harp also served as a supervising pastor for Candler's Teaching Parish program and as the school's inaugural pastor/theologian-in-residence from 2008 to 2019. In 2008, he received the Candler's Distinguished Alumni Award in Service to the Church, and in 2014 he was awarded Candler's Centennial Medal.

"Don was with us through the good times as well as the bad," said Pam Rollins, granddaughter of O. Wayne Rollins and a trustee of the Rollins Foundation. "There was never an event in my family that we didn't look to him for religious support. He was always kind, caring, and loving. His humor was an additional plus for our family since we love to laugh. We loved Don like family and could think of no greater way to honor him than by gifting to Candler, where he taught and believed in educating students. We love that generations to come will benefit from the impact he's had on so many."

"It would be hard to overstate Don Harp's impact on Candler School of Theology," said Jan Love, the school's current dean. "He was an active ambassador for the school, a generous and wise advisor to students and leadership alike, and a reassuring, clear-headed, and witty presence in any arena. He represented so much of the best of Candler."