Who was Lois Craddock Perkins?
Exploring the Life of the Woman who Inspired the Chapel
Lois Craddock Perkins, after whom this chapel is named, was born in 1887 in China Springs, Texas. She attended Southwestern University from 1908-1911. As a student, she was a part of the Youth Women’s Christian Association, or Y.W.C.A., and was involved in the Bible study and finance portions of the club. She was also a member of the “volunteer mission band,” the purpose of which was “evangelization of the world in this generation.” (Sou’wester Yearbook 1909, p. 177). This involvement indicates her passion for Christianity and mission work, which can be seen later in her life as well. She was also a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.
According to a Megaphone article from February 11, 1910, Lois Perkins was taken to a sanitarium in Temple, and was noted as having returned in the February 25 article of that same year, although there is no further information given on this event. She was given a distinction in her studies in a Megaphone article from January 13, 1911, and while Lois did not receive her degree from Southwestern, she is a notable alumna from the university due to her numerous financial and cultural contributions.
In 1918, Lois married Joe J. Perkins, a prominent Texas businessman and philanthropist, and had two daughters. Elizabeth, the only daughter who survived into adulthood, eventually married Charles Prothro and the couple became prominent benefactors of Southwestern. There is a major building and multiple spaces named after the Prothros across campus.
In the early days of the university, chapel services were held in the auditorium in Cullen. April of 1882 brought the construction of a chapel on the southwestern corner of the campus, but this was a project of the local Methodist church rather than that of the University. The original idea for Southwestern’s own chapel came from Lois sitting on the creaky pews in the old building, and commenting to her husband that she wished Southwestern could have a “‘a nice chapel’” (Jones 369). Later that evening, Joe reportedly called President Score and offered funds for a new chapel. Lois’ status as an alumna, and her initial urging for the new chapel, led Joe to insist that the building be named after her. To this day, it is one of the few stand-alone buildings named for a woman. The name “Lois Perkins” is, in the life of a Southwestern student, synonymous with the Chapel, and leaves a legacy that does not exist apart from this building.
Throughout the course of her life, Lois and her husband donated millions of dollars to organizations throughout Texas, particularly those with Methodist affiliations. She served on the Executive Committee of the World Methodist Council, was inducted into the Methodist Hall of Fame for Philanthropy, and was awarded Southwestern University Outstanding Alumna’s award in 1970 (Vernon). While she is remembered largely in conjunction with her husband and his wealth, Lois Craddock Perkins was an accomplished woman of her own right, and made significant contributions to Methodism and Southwestern University.
