2000 Service Award Recipient
Mrs. A. C. Donath

Wife of pioneer missionary to Africa (Dr. A. C. Donath) Mrs. Donath was a former High School Bible, English teacher and Girls Auxiliary Director at Ricks Institute during the period of 1970 to 1973.

Dr. and Mrs. A. C. Donath were appointed missionaries to Nigeria on October 16, 1935. Dr. Donath was assigned evangelistic work and Mrs. Donath was given a medical assignment in her field of nursing. After several years of service among the Yoruba speaking people in various areas of that country, they returned to the United States because of a serious tropical illness contracted by their oldest child.

Mrs. Donath (Christena Breazeale Donath) received her B.A. degree from Baylor University in 1928. Between her junior and senior years at Baylor, she moved to Dallas, Texas, where she attended and graduated from the Baylor School of Nursing. She and A.C. were married August 22, 1927. During their years in Waco and Mart, two children were born (Elaine and Jack) who were 6 and 3 years of age when they sailed for Africa. During the latter part of their first term of service, they had their child (Joyce) who was born in the Baptist Hospital in Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

After the death of Dr. Donath in December of 1969, Mrs. Donath contacted the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board requesting to return to the mission field as a volunteer missionary. At that time, Nigeria was not receptive to additional missionary personnel and the Board asked her if she would be willing to teach at Ricks campus during the summer of 1970. She willingly accepted and arrived on the Ricks campus during the summer of 1970. She lived in missionary housing on the campus and taught Bible and English classes in the high school grades until 1973.

Mrs. Donath worked diligently for Ricks and the students of Ricks. She was instrumental in helping many Ricks students further their education in the United States. Two of those students are Skirvin Johnson and T-Max Davies.

The Ricks Alumni Association has selected Mrs. Donath as their 2000 Reunion honoree. Members and friends of the Donath family are attempting to establish a Ricks Scholarship in the names of A.C. and Christena Donath for two deserving students of Ricks.

For your time, effort, dedication, your graceful presence, we are very thankful. We love you! Our hearty congratulations and a big THANK YOU to the FAMILIES and FRIENDS OF THE DONATHS from the Officers and Members of the Ricks Institute Alumni Association.