Although professors come and go, this semester a piece of Ouachita no one ever expected to leave is saying good-bye after 42 and a half years of service.
Rosemary “Mom” Chu is the dorm mom for Frances-Crawford, but her face and friendly spirit are recognized across campus by students and staff alike.
“She was one of the first people I met when I came to Ouachita and frankly I don’t think OBU will be the same without her,” said Lindsey van Sicklen, the periodicals librarian. “I eat lunch with her almost every day. She just has a heart of gold.”
Mom Chu’s dedication to Ouachita starts with the story of how she got here. At 18, Chu’s parents sent her from communist China to America. She never saw the country or her parents again.
Mom Chu attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where she graduated with a degree in Biblical studies. She also met her husband, Finley Chu, there. Together they came to Ouachita in 1963.
Four years later Finley died, leaving Mom Chu and their 9-year-old daughter, Jane, behind. Francis Crawford opened a few months later, in January 1967, and Mom Chu has lived and served there ever since.
“People do something great to lift you up and you can never repay it,” Chu said. “Ouachita is my life and I would do anything I can to serve the people here and witness for Christ.”
In 42 years Mom Chu has seen a lot change on campus as buildings came and went and rules changed. She watched Perrin be built, Mitchell Hall torn down and Cone Bottoms become the administration building.
“There’s no comparison to the change,” Chu said. “We used to have one telephone in front of my door. If you wanted to call you had to wait in line.”
What has stayed the same are the love and care Mom have for each other. In the 80s a group of students raised more than $3,000 to send Mom Chu and Jane to Japan, Hawaii and Manila, though China would not let them in.
“The girls really give their hearts and love and care,” Chu said. “They are all my favorite memories. The faculty and staff are wonderful. It’s a great honor to come here and be highly respected and loved and cared for.”
Mom Chu laughed, still amazed, when she repeated she’d been at Ouachita for 42 and a half years. She said she’d never expected to be working so long, even though she’s enjoyed it.
But Mom Chu is finally retiring to the John Knox Village near her daughter in Kansas City, Mo.
“They have all things I need, I can’t ask for better,” Chu said. “There are many classes I want to attend, churches, I can visit people, do volunteer work. I just want to participate in all of them.”
The active retirement community offers activities from dance lessons and stained glass classes to concerts, croquet and cards.
The Village’s Web site at jkv.org indicated its mission is to “enrich the lives of older adults through community living.” It will undoubtedly benefit from Mom Chu’s presence there.
Although Chu’s service at Ouachita is done, she knows Ouachita will always stay on her heart.
“I do not know about visiting,” Chu said. “If I have a chance you know I’ll be there. Because of Ouachita I have today, and I will never forget what Ouachita has done for me.”
