Hayden Kobza, Editor-in-Chief
Nyah Jackson, Reporter
Benjamin R. Wygal, a beloved and long-time community member, passed away at age 88 on Feb. 8, after serving as assistant to the president of Southern Adventist University for 23 years. According to Ken Shaw, current Southern president, Wygal passed from a brain bleed while surrounded by his family.
“Ben will be remembered for his gentle spirit, kind heart, engaging personality and deep love for Southern,” Shaw stated in an email to Southern employees last week. “His presence and influence will be greatly missed. I invite you to keep his wife of 69 years, Reika, and their family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Early Life and Career
Wygal was born on July 16, 1937, in Childress, a rural town in north-central Texas, during the end of the Dust Bowl. He began his educational journey in a one-room schoolhouse, with a single teacher for multiple grades.
According to Academic Administration at Southern, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Speech/English from the Texas Tech University in 1958. Wygal then obtained his Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Public Address from the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 and earned a PhD in Education Administration from the same university in 1966.
Following his education, in 1969, Wygal became the vice president for planning and development at the Florida Junior College, now called the Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) and the after the departure of J.W. Wilson became the president in 1970, according to the FSCJ website.
“At the July board meeting, I was named president on a regular basis,” Wygal said in a 1989 interview with lay Robert Gentry, a former professor at FSCJ. “I’ve always not used the word permanent president, because nothing’s ever permanent these jobs.”
Later in his career, Wygal served as the president of Union Adventist University during the 1985-1986 academic year, according to Adventist Archives. He also served as president of Life Care Centers of America and later as vice president of Health and Wellness at Adventist HealthCare in Maryland.
Tenure at Southern
Wygal’s favorite role came later in life, according to his obituary. For 23 years, he served as assistant to the president at Southern Adventist University, where he promoted the university throughout the greater Chattanooga community.
He worked with presidents Gordon Bietz, David Smith and Ken Shaw before retiring in 2025. He also shared his time and wisdom as a member of Southern’s Board of Trustees from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Bietz said Wygal was originally hired to work in Advancement, but it became apparent that he would do well as associate to the president.
“He was probably the most gregarious, outgoing, friendly man I’ve ever known,” Bietz said in a recent interview with the Accent. “He could go into a crowd of strangers and just feel right at home. So, when I was president and would go down to Rotary or some other event downtown, I would have him with me, and he would kind of lead the way, and I’d follow along.”
Bietz also remembered their many conversations about theology and religion, as well as his skillful ability to calm down people who were upset. Wygal often assisted in Southern’s presentation to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, due to his previous experience in higher education.
He loved mentoring, encouraging and supporting Southern’s faculty, staff and students. This love for Southern led Wygal to win the Honorary Alumni Award in 2023.
As assistant to the president, Wygal spent a great amount of time with President Shaw and worked to introduce students to opportunities, connect faculty with new partnerships and take Southern’s vision to a broader world.
Shaw gave the Accent a written copy of the tribute he paid to Wygal during his retirement celebration last year.
“For more than two decades, Ben has been a steady, thoughtful presence at Southern, a trusted guide, a wise counselor, and a passionate advocate,” Shaw stated in the tribute.
Vice President for Student Development Dennis Negrón spoke highly about his former colleague.
“Mr. Wygal was the type of man all of us should want to emulate,” he said. “No matter who he was talking to, you were who mattered at that moment. A sharp dresser, his perpetual smile only enhanced the look and presence on campus.”
Bietz also remembered Wygal as a positive role model on campus.
“He was the ideal person to represent, I think, Southern Adventist University in the community and to other people because of his kindness and his abilities to represent the university in a very positive way,” he said.
A memorial service for Wygal will be held Sunday, March 1, at 3:30 pm at the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church, 4829 College, Dr., Collegedale, TN.
Kyla Wetmore contributed to this article.
