Dr. Robert Spence served the Evangel University campus for 40 years from 1974 until he retired in 2014. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-tenured college president in the state of Missouri and the second-longest in the nation.
In an interview conducted at that time, he said, "This was my greatest opportunity — to work with young people in their formative years and prepare them for lives of achievement."
That tenure and his impact on athletics at Evangel did not go unnoticed, not only in the local Evangel and Springfield community but nationally and globally.Â
With the help of athletic director Dr. David Stair, Evangel saw multiple mission trips organized by the athletic department. Overseas opportunities and service trips included the football team traveling to China and Kyrgyzstan, the baseball team to Mexico, and several teams to Guatemala.
Among his many great achievements and highly significant for the Evangel athletic program, Dr. Spence developed the idea of adding football. Since the inaugural season in 1977, football has gained national attention as a highly competitive program.
In addition to football, he also championed the reinstitution of men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, softball, and track and field.
Numerous building projects were also completed during his tenure as well, with the renovation of the baseball and softball fields, the completion of the baseball and softball field house. In total during his career, 14 projects were overseen by Dr. Spence that also included the Mabee Student Fitness Center, two residence halls, the Cantrell Student Union, and most recently, the Riggs Administration Building.
Athletically, Evangel enjoyed success capturing the 2002 NAIA-II national championship in men's basketball, the 1986 NCCAA national championship in women's basketball, advancing to two national semifinals in football, two NAIA-II national semifinals in women's basketball, and two individual national champions in track and field.
During Spence's 40-year tenure at Evangel, he has guided the transformation from a college campus of mostly WWII-era barracks to a state-of-the-art University. The institution has doubled enrollment, gained university status, completed 12 major building projects, and expanded its academic offerings to include more than 100 undergraduate degree programs and 10 master's programs.
In October 2013, during Homecoming, Evangel commemorated Spence's legacy as university president and revered spiritual leader, by formally naming the chapel building The Robert H. Spence Chapel.
