As Remembered by Dr. Connie Mitchell, Professor of Education
Dr. Ruth Camilla Haycock was born in Lakeville, Minnesota on October 17, 1912. Upon completion of high school, she entered the University of Minnesota from which she was graduated summa cum laude with majors in science and mathematics and then taught in a Minnesota public school. Dr. Haycock was born again in 1932 while reading a tract picked up in a street car terminal, and then was influenced at a weekend missionary conference in 1939 to attend Baptist Bible Seminary in Johnson City, NY. Upon graduation from Seminary in 1942, she became a full-time faculty member. In 1953 Dr. Haycock was awarded her master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Syracuse University. She earned her Doctor of Education in AudioVisual Education from Syracuse in 1956. Dr. Haycock retired from full-time faculty status in 1978 from the school which had relocated to Pennsylvania and was renamed Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania, later changed to Clarks Summit University. She moved to Winston-Salem, NC, working on a part time basis with Piedmont Bible College (Carolina University), continuing her consultant ministry, offering conference presentations, and writing. Dr. Ruth C. Haycock died October 18, 1985, at age 73.
While at the Baptist Bible Seminary (Clark Summit University), Dr. Ruth Haycock initiated several new programs, including the Christian Day School Program in 1967, and filled teaching needs in psychology, science, English, Christian education, and Bible. She served eight years as librarian and six years as Director of the Instructional Materials Center, which she established in 1968. She is cited in 1975 as Alumnus of the Year. In her early years of teaching at the Seminary, Dr. Haycock was Director of the Bible Club Movement in the Southern Tier of New York State and was responsible for supervising some 70 Bible clubs for children. She was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Evangelical Teacher Training Association and contributed to several books, including An Introduction to Evangelical Christian Education (1964), Adult Education in The Church (1970), and Childhood Education in the Church (1974). She continued her later ministry working with Piedmont Bible College (Carolina University) and writing her best known work published by Association of Christian Schools International in four volumes that are now also available as Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects (1980, 1993). Dr. Haycock became a recognized authority in the field of Christian education, presenting at many national organization conferences, including the National Institute for Christian School Administration held at Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, from 1973 through 1985.
It was Dr. Haycock’s Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects (1980, 1993) and her participation as a faculty member at the International Institute for Christian School Educators that most directly impacted CIU’s College of Education.
The 30+ sessions that Ruth Haycock presented at the IICSE demonstrate her scope and depth of understanding of issues related to the preparations of Christian School educators—Bible study methods; Christian philosophical principles; and practical education issues, such as setting admission policies, guiding student teachers, writing course objectives, and making transparencies (a media form that preceded PowerPoint production).
About a third of her sessions were about teaching biblically. The discussions concerning teaching biblically embodied years of her devotional study during which she always applied the Word to her professional pursuits. This passionate labor resulted in books that are still used today in Christian classrooms.
As a young Bible college professor, I (Connie Mitchell) heard Dr. Haycock speak at the American Association of Bible Colleges (now ABHE) on teaching biblically. I was impressed with her passion, strength of conviction, and tenacity, especially since these continued long after her retirement. She was obviously revered as the room quickly filled to overflowing with administrators and presidents of Bible colleges. At one point, she discussed the process of putting together her “Bible Truths” books. I was amazed at her perseverance since this was before the common use of personal computers. Dr. Haycock had painstakingly reread the Scriptures many, many times, and every verse she came upon that fit with a school subject, she wrote on a note card and then filed in a box. I think I recall her mentioning a multitude of shoe boxes. She then organized the note cards according to supporting principles that eventually were published as the Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects. The principles related to each area of a curriculum became the “go to book” for what today we refer to most commonly as biblical integration. Dr. Uecker remembers using her books when taking a principle or truth from within a discipline and then using the Encyclopedia of Truths to refer to a related biblical truth to complete the process of integrating the two into one larger integrated concept — a biblically integrated truth in which the truth from a discipline remained part of a concept to be learned, but which also included the impact of God’s truth. The process sometimes found a “truth” from a discipline in error and then subject to dismissal. Dr. Haycock’s lecture was the first time Dr. Uecker and others considered the work and discipline involved in teaching the whole Truth. Integration is a process that moves well beyond a verse in every lesson.
Dr. Haycock wrote in her books that Christian schools must have two basic prerequisites for educating biblically. “First, the Bible must be thoroughly taught at each grade level as the inerrant Word of God, whether it deals with evangelism or economics. Second, Christian aspects of a subject must be included as part of that academic discipline, not relegated to Bible class alone.”
Perhaps another aspect of Dr. Haycock’s legacy is what we refer to as being a life-long learner. When examining her dedication to serving her Savior, the centrality of God’s Word, and the cause of Christian education, we too are encouraged to continue growing and serving passionately throughout our lives. May we also finish well.
Information from articles on Dr. Haycock’s Alumnus of Year award and on her retirement.
- “March 1975 (Vol. 47, No. 6)” (1976). .
- “June/July 1978 (Vol. 50, No. 9)” (1978). .
Books authored
- Haycock, Ruth C. A school in your church. Baptist Bible College Press, 1974.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Bible truth for school subjects: Book set, volumes I, II, III, IV. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1982.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Encyclopedia of Bible truths: Fine arts/health. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1993.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Encyclopedia of Bible truths: Language arts/English. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1993.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Encyclopedia of Bible truths: science/math. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1993.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Encyclopedia of Bible truths: social studies. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1993.
- Haycock, Ruth C. Encyclopedia of Bible truths for school subjects. Association of Christian Schools International/Purposeful Design Publications, 1993.
- Haycock, Ruth C. God’s truth in school subjects. Piedmont Bible College, 1978.
