Jacksonville – He wasn’t hard to spot. MacMurray College President Lawrence D. Bryan strode to the pitching mound prior to the Cards/Cubs game in St. Louis this past Sunday, July 24th.

     And, he proudly threw the first pitch…right over the plate.

     Dr. Bryan is a member of the local Jacksonville chapter of Rotary International which is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. Former MacMurray Vice President, Keith Lape, was recently sworn in as the Governor of Rotary District 6460 which includes Jacksonville.

     The local Illinois chapter had sold tickets as part of a statewide contest among each of the six Rotary districts for its second annual Rotary Day at Busch Stadium featuring a Cards/Cubs game. Several rotary districts from around the state had members and family attending.

     For each group of 25 tickets sold, a district received one entry in the drawing. The winning district was given the opportunity to select a member who would have the honor of throwing out the first ball at that night’s game.

     The Jacksonville chapter sold the most tickets – 105. The person selected was then chosen in a drawing of those chapter members who had bought tickets.

     A stout Cubs fan, he has several pieces of memorabilia collected over the years including a cherished 1984 World Series /National League (Eastern Division) Champions pennant among his favorites. The Cubs lost the 1984 N. L. championship series to the San Diego Padres, three games to two.

     In winning the drawing he said, “I’m still amazed and excited.”

     By the way, a sellout crowd of over 49,000 watched as the Cubs beat the Cardinals by a final score of 8-4. And, for President Bryan, that made for a rather fine evening of baseball.

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.