M. Norvel Young was a godly, faithful, well-known leader
among God’s people in the 1970s. Having served as the effective preaching
minister for the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock ,
Texas , he left that position to become the
president of Pepperdine University in Malibu ,
California
His life story is told in the book Forever Young: The Life and Times of M. Norvel Young & Helen M.
Young, written by Bill Henegar and Jerry Rushford. It was
published by 21st Century Christian in 1999. While the entire book is worth
reading, the following excerpt regarding Young’s bout with alcohol is used with
permission from the publisher. It is presented here in two parts.
Part One
POISON STRESS
Beneath the seemingly glamorous life of the
Youngs in a paradise setting, something terribly troubling was stirring. The
stress of knowing that raising the funds for the new campus was primarily on
his and Bill Banowsky's shoulders was taking a heavy toll on Norvel. His doctor
prescribed Valium to help relieve the pressure. Though the tranquilizer quieted
his nerves, it also took away his upbeat attitude and made him depressed. But
he found a new "friend." For more than fifty years, Norvel had never
touched a drop of alcohol, but now he convinced himself that taking "a
little wine for thy stomach's sake," as Paul advised his young friend,
Timothy, in the New Testament, might be helpful. Maybe a cocktail now and then
would ease the stress and bring back his optimistic spirit.
Months went by and the drinking became regular. But somehow,
Norvel was able to keep his new habit hidden. Only a few people saw the
telltale signs. Once, he was arrested for driving under the influence, but a
friend was able to keep it quiet. Looking back now, it may have been better
for Norvel to "take his lumps" at that point, because what happened
next was a tragedy of the first magnitude.
On an evening in mid-September of 1975, news reached the Youngs
that a young professor at Pepperdine, Dr. Charles E. Wilks, had been riding his
motorcycle on the university's rain-slick campus drive and somehow had lost
control while heading downhill. He struck a light pole and was killed. Norvel
was responsible for bringing the young man to the university -he was sure the
new professor would be a wonderful addition. Now the young man was dead. And as
Helen went to be by the side of the man's wife and daughter, a depressed Norvel
turned to alcohol.
To add to his grief and stress, he was concerned about an upcoming event - the largest one the university had ever seen - which was to take place
in about three days. President Gerald Ford was to visit the Malibu
Then Norvel was notified that those running the
main frame computer had just discovered that the student accounts-receivable total was about $5 million, which meant that the university was owed $5 million
of uncollected tuition and other student costs. In addition, they found that
the University's accounts payable total was up to about $3 million. The news
was a disturbing surprise. Everything seemed to be closing in on Norvel Young's
dreams. There was so much to do. Too much. And now the death of a promising
young professor ...
The next day, Norvel began work in his Beach House office, going
about his usual routine. At about eleven o'clock, he got into his car, drove
out the gravel driveway and headed south on Pacific Coast Highway Los Angeles
As his car sped by the backs of the houses that lined the ocean,
he was not feeling well at all. The death of the professor and his grieving
family were on his mind, along with financial concerns and the anxiety over the
biggest event of Pepperdine's history, hosting a sitting president. But he had
also consumed some alcohol to "comfort and calm him." As he drove,
his mind began to fog over. Then, as he neared Pacific Palisades, he began to
experience blurred vision. He tried to clear both his mind and vision ... he
shook his head ... then there was blackness. A few hours would pass before he
realized what happened next.
Near the J. Paul Getty Museum, his car struck another car that was
waiting at a signal light. The violent collision drove the trailer hitch on the
front car into its fuel tank, and the gasoline ignited. The car was soon in
flames. Then Norvel's car also caught on fire.
The driver of the other car had her mother and
her aunt in the back seat of the small two-door car. There was no escape. Both
of the older women were killed. The other driver and Norvel were both injured
and were transported to the hospital. In fact, a man in a nearby home ran and
pulled Norvel from his burning car, probably saving his life.
The Wednesday, September 17, 1975, the Los Angeles
Pepperdine
University Chancellor M. Norvel Young was jailed on suspicion of manslaughter
and felony drunk driving after being involved in a traffic accident in which
one woman was killed and two others were critically injured, the California
Highway Patrol reported.
THE COMING OF WINTER
When Norvel woke up, he was in a hospital. He had facial
lacerations, a brain concussion and internal bleeding. As the haze in his mind
lifted slightly, he could see the face of Helen close by his side. He asked her
what had happened and she told him he had had an accident and was injured. The
awfulness of the situation was beginning to descend on him. li was like having
a nightmare, somehow forgetting it, then remembering it again -only to discover
that it was stark reality.
He later said, "I turned my face to the wall and cried. It
was the worst day in my life. I knew I was completely at fault because I had
been drinking, but I didn't know how disastrous my mistake had been." As
the details unfolded, he began to gradually recall parts of the accident and
the things that led to it.
Norvel Young was absolutely crushed by the
guilt. He wondered why he hadn't just been killed in the accident. He kept
thinking of the two older women and the driver. Then he thought of his family.
And he pictured the hundreds of thousands of Christians in the fellowship of
which he was a part. The university campus on the hills in Malibu
News of the accident traveled fast. All the local media covered
the story because of its sensational nature. Even Paul Harvey mentioned the
story on his national report. And Norvel had no one to blame but himself. He
knew he deserved whatever punishment came his way, even imprisonment. Perhaps
as never before, he threw himself on the mercy of God. He prayed for the driver
of the other car, and he prayed for the families of the two that perished.
Again and again he prayed that God would heal the wounds of this unbelievable
ordeal.
He entered the winter of his soul.
AFTERMATH
Certainly, the Los
Angeles
Within minutes of the news, Norvel's three daughters, Emily,
Marilyn and Sara, were at his bedside, along with Emily's husband, Steven
Lemley. Norvel's son Matt was in medical school in Houston and he immediately
caught a plane for home. The family surrounded Norvel with love. And they
prayed. They knew that his soul would need more healing than his body.
Publisher Ralph Sweet, a longtime friend of the Youngs, grabbed a
plane and flew in from Austin ,
Texas
Amazingly, Dr. Paul Davis, the education editor
of Reader's Digest, simply arrived with his suitcase from San Francisco
Calls began to come in from across the nation. And more than 2,000
letters, cards and telegrams poured in to Norvel and the family. Remembering
the comfort the communications provided in the terrible aftermath of the
accident, Norvel said, "We received thousands of letters that were
supportive and helpful. Helen still has all the letters."
He continued, "We began to get checks from people like George
Elkins, David Packard and Tex Thornton. Leonard Firestone told us he had a
similar thing happen to him." Suddenly the truth was apparent: for years
Norvel Young had taken great pains to be kind to every person he met; now that
kindness was returning to visit him.
Although everyone at 20th Century Christian Publishing was
supportive, an emergency meeting was held in Abilene , Texas Broadway
Church in Lubbock , Texas
As for Norvel Young, the days following the accident were filled
with terrible bouts with despair and desperation. The feelings would leave for
awhile, then return with a vengeance, overwhelming him. Some family members and
friends were afraid of leaving him alone. As they observed his mental state,
they wondered if he might try to take his own life. But they were not as afraid
as Norvel himself. His entire world had shattered. Everything he was,
everything for which he stood, went up in the flames of the accident. He simply
did not believe he could endure the shame. He repeatedly read the book of
Psalms, especially Psalm 51, and prayed over and over for forgiveness.
On October 30, 1975, there was a preliminary
hearing for Norvel in the Santa
Monica Court
The December 4 date for sentencing was delayed until January 27,
1976, to allow the judge time to study the large number of letters he had
received from interested people. The vast majority of the letters asked for
leniency for Norvel Young because of his great contributions to society
throughout his life.
When January 27 finally came, a frightened Norvel Young stood
before the judge for sentencing. He had no defense. He was at the mercy of the
court. The judge sentenced him to one year in jail - but immediately suspended
it on the condition that Norvel take a six-month leave of absence from his
duties at Pepperdine and perform public service. Specifically, he was to
conduct courses for drivers who drink and do research on the kind of stress
that contributed to his use of alcohol. He was fined $2,000 and his driver's
license was suspended for four years.
Part two may be found here:
http://coryhcollins.blogspot.com/2013/12/just-little-wine-one-mans-story-part-two.html
http://coryhcollins.blogspot.com/2013/12/just-little-wine-one-mans-story-part-two.html
Cory Collins
