John Combs

Dr. John Combs

Emeritus Professor of English

Born in the Methodist parsonage at Stafford, Oklahoma, on December 9, 1929,  John Combs grew up in small Oklahoma towns. In 1947 he finished high school at Leedey, Oklahoma, and entered college at Oklahoma A and M. He earned his BA degree at Southwest Oklahoma State, his BD at SMU, his MA at Texas A&M, and his PhD at the University of Texas. For several years he worked as a United Methodist minister,  serving churches in Coalgate and Newkirk, Oklahoma, and Wesley Foundations at Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M, and the University of Texas. After completing his doctoral studies, John taught British Literature and writing at McMurry College for two years and at Kentucky Wesleyan College for 42 years. At KWC he chaired the English Department for several terms. Though he cared more about teaching than he did publication, John published several articles in professional journals, several poems, 75 reviews of scholarly volumes for CHOICE magazine, five editorials in the Owensboro newspaper, and three books (one co-authored with his wife Vicki). KWC awarded John a couple of teaching awards, the Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education named him as a finalist for the Acorn Award, and the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church named him first runner-up for its Distinguished Teaching Award. John participated in a sizable number of local and state civic and professional organizations. He especially enjoyed his work with the Kentucky Humanities Council and its speakers bureau, his term as president of the Kentucky Conference of the AAUP, and his work on the Institute for Children (commissioned by two different Governors). A mediocre athlete, John nevertheless enjoyed playing public school and college intramural baseball, basketball, softball, tag football, volleyball, swimming, and, especially, golf. In his second childhood, he now enjoys reading, fooling around with oils and acrylics, communicating with his family, and visiting with friends.