Dr. Lola B. Dawkins died at her residence on Friday the 18th of March 2016. She was born on Monday the 29th of December 1913 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. She was valedictorian of her high school graduating class in Odessa, Texas in 1930. After graduation, she attended only one year of college at Texas Christian University. (Go Horn Frogs!) Not until she was married did she venture back to finish her degree. She and her husband stopped off in El Paso on their way back from an interrupted attempt to go north to Alaska where he intended to find work. Texas Western in El Paso was her next stop on her storied road to academic excellence. Her husband, Nathaniel T. Dawkins, encouraged her to aspire to attend "big college", and by that he meant the most major Texas university at the time in Austin. (Hook 'Em Horns!) She did and graduated with such ease and renewed vigor and thirst for learning, that she stayed until she completed her Master's Degree, and then a Doctoral degree. She accepted a job at Arizona State University with her dissertation still unfinished. Of course, she finished her dissertation in a timely manner, and was then granted tenure at Arizona State University pending completion of her dissertation within three years--which was unheard of at that time.
Lola and Nathaniel Dawkins moved back to her home state Texas, and eventually settled in El Paso where she was a professor at Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso. (Go Miners!) She enjoyed her students--that joy not always reciprocated by students, but always respected. She had a reputation for disciplined academic standards from which she never wavered. Her students found quickly that her standards were no higher for them than for herself. You will not likely find one of her former students who will complain of what they learned in her class. Priceless life lessons were free--tuition just covered the curriculum.
Lola was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Nathaniel T. Dawkins, formerly of Louisiana, her parents James Bridges and Drudie Priscilla Rowe Beasley, four brothers: George, Jewel, Earnest, and Marvin Beasley and one sister, Mary Beasley Swift. Several nieces and nephews also predeceased Lola Dawkins. She is survived by four nephews, Jim, Michael, Brian, and George Beasley and two nieces, Beverly Beasley Middle, and Carol Ann Swift Olachia, who has lived with Lola since 2013, and beloved family friend, Cuca Perez, and all of Lola's extended surviving family who are members of First Baptist Church of El Paso.
The family will be honored if you can join us to celebrate the accomplished life of Lola B. Dawkins on Saturday the 26th of March 2016 at the First Baptist Church, 805 Montana Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79902 at 1:30 pm. Visitation will be the two hours immediately preceding the service (11:30 to 1:30).
Flowers are lovely, but Lola's heart, and ours, are with the needs that are best met by the church and The University of Texas at El Paso. Kindly direct contributions made to
First Baptist Church: or The University of Texas at El Paso:
Lola B. Dawkins Seminary Scholarship Fund or The Lola B. Dawkins Scholarship Fund
First Baptist Church of El Paso UTEP Development Office
805 Montana Avenue Kelly Hall, 7th Floor
El Paso TX 79902 500 W University
El Paso TX 79968
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of
Martin Funeral Home Central, 3839 Montana Ave, El Paso TX 79903
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