Charlie Olson practically grew up in Southwestern's backyard. A Waco native, his family has lived in the area for several generations. Olson came to Southwestern because of the University's stellar academic reputation and to play basketball.

Olson left Southwestern after only three years with a degree in political science and entered Baylor Law School. His law school experience involved the application of knowledge in a way different from his undergraduate studies, but he remembers feeling that Southwestern had fully prepared him for furthering his education. Even today Olson draws on what he learned while at the University. He explains, "I find myself drawing on lessons learned about really comprehending information by reading the written word and then learning about the context in which the word was written. I also draw on lessons learned about persistence and hard work."

One professor from Olson's time at the University still stands out in his mind today. "Dr. Suk-Soon Suh, at the time, was the chair of the political science department. He had a broad range of extraordinary life experiences from which he drew and incorporated in the classroom. He had a great ability to combine the academic with the practical."

Beyond the classroom, some of his best memories are of the great friendships he formed within his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, and through his job as a Resident Assistant in the Moody-Shearn dormitory. "As I look back, I remember the conversations during and after class where we would discuss the great issues of the day. I vividly remember that I hated to leave when my time at Southwestern came to an end. It was tough to part with those great friends," says Olson.

Olson plays a very high value on education and has donated much of his time to this cause. For the past six years, he has served as one of two "members at large" on the Waco ISD Board of Trustees. Last year, he served as its president. He has also been a member of the Board of Regents of the Texas State Technical College system. From 1995-1997, Olson served as the national president of Parents For Public Schools, an organization working to reform public education in the United States through the inclusion of parents in the decision-making processes of schools.

He also believes that institutions of higher learning should encourage students to find their own path through open and critical intellectual exchange. During his time at the University he says, "students were taught about a wide range of ideas and philosophies. They were also taught how to critically analyze ideas and to determine for themselves which of the concepts made sense." Continuing, he notes, "I am concerned today that some institutions of higher learning are moving away from the free exchange of ideas and are tempted to become institutions of indoctrination rather than true education. I hope that Southwestern will stay the course and continue to be a place where the broadest range of ideas can be shared and understood."

Olson and his wife, Kris, have two daughters. Their oldest daughter, Beth, is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in government. Anne, their youngest daughter, is a first-year student at Southwestern. He practices law with the firm, Haley & Davis, P.C., in Waco. His wife is executive director of Parents For Public Schools of Waco.

To current students, Olson offers one piece of advice, "Appreciate your time at Southwestern. Once you graduate, work and family commitments, as wonderful as they are, require your constant attention. There is much less time to think about the big picture and study the world around you. Most of us do not realize what we had at Southwestern until we are long past graduation."