Dr. Bernhard T.W. Sedate

He was born in October, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York - the child of recent German immigrants. His early years were spent on a modest dairy farm in upstate New York where the values of faith, hard work, and thrift were deeply instilled.

Under the tutelage of his Pietistic parents and grandparents, his faith in Jesus Christ was established and encouraged – a trust in God that continued to mature, guide, and sustain him through the many challenges ahead.

At 4 years of age, he began his schooling at a one room country schoolhouse. At that time, he was a poor farm boy unable to speak English. A quick learner, 12 years later he graduated 3rd in his class of 103 students from Owego Free Academy. In the yearbook, his classmates called him “Mr. Einstein.”

At age 16, he began attending Houghton College aspiring to become a minister. While at Houghton, he pursued the rigorous ministerial program concurrent with a liberal arts degree, majoring in religion with minors in history and philosophy. Homesick during the early years, he hitch-hiked home the 300 mile round trip journey each month to get back to his roots. He graduated with an unremarkable “B” average (but we don’t talk about that). He also worked in the Blue Spruce Inn during this time, the only restaurant in the tiny village. Despite the ardors of his degree program and part-time employments, he found outlets for his youthful enthusiasm, once releasing a dozen live bats hidden in the pockets of his jacket into the school library on a dare.

At age 21, he graduated from Houghton and began pursuing his Master’s degree in History at Baylor University. One day, while crossing the street in Waco, he was struck by a speeding car miraculously escaping with mere bruises. He always recounted this event as one of God’s miracles in his life.

During this time, once again demonstrating his strong work ethic, he simultaneously held as many as three part-time jobs: one in the library (they must not have known about the bats); another delivering medicine for a local pharmacy; and another one at a cement factory outside of Waco (from midnight to 8AM one week per month).

Never one to shirk a challenge, Bernie chose a particularly challenging and time consuming topic for his master’s thesis: the congressional debates over the immigration literacy test device intended to restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe. This required following the debates from 1897 – 1917. Since his own parents were immigrants, he was very sympathetic toward other immigrants affected by this prejudicial policy. He successfully graduated with his Master’s in 1961.

However, in the meantime (while continuing his conscientious work on his long and boring thesis), he received an “emergency” conditional teaching certificate and began teaching 6th grade in Corpus Christi, Texas. He chose this location because it was the home of his fiancé – Martha Sue Wilkerson (later Martha Sue Sedate).

Unexpectedly at age 23, he was diagnosed with throat cancer during a routine check-up at home in New York – a cancer that was, at that time, diagnosed to be terminal. However, a brilliant young research physician challenged that diagnosis and proposed surgery and extensive radiation treatment. Bernie survived these treatments but lost 50 pounds in the process (down to only 135 pounds on his 6 feet 2 inches frame).

Since coincident cancer and aggressive radiation treatments were apparently not sufficiently challenging, he also pursued and completed the remaining education requirements for his permanent teaching certificate from Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, and via correspondence courses from Sul Ross University. The cancer never recurred and he counted this as God’s second life-saving miracle on his behalf.

In August 1957, he married Martha at her parents’ home in Overton, Texas. After moving to Odessa, Bernie secured a position teaching 9th grade World History at Crockett Junior High. While continuing to teach at Crockett, he also started teaching classes in European History and German at Odessa College. Then in 1961, he accepted a full-time teaching position at Odessa College in American History.

He also began pursuing his PhD in Austin during the summers – where he experienced his 3rd life-saving miracle. In August 1967, Bernie was in the main building at the base of the clock tower on the University of Texas campus when he arbitrarily stopped to read the campus newspaper. Suddenly shots rang out – there was a sniper in the tower. He was confined within the tower rather than outside due to the “chance” reading of the paper.

Faced with a growing family, Bernie applied for and received an internship at Odessa College for an administrative position. In October 1968, Odessa College appointed Bernie as “Dean of the Evening College”. In the same month the fifth of five children were born to Bernie and Martha.

After the death of Martha in 1979, Bernie became a true “Mr. Mom” – caring for his children while continuing to advance his career and generously volunteer at church (as adult Sunday school teacher, deacon, food pantry volunteer, and on various church committees) as well as at many non-profit and academic councils.

After completing his PhD in Community College Administration at the University of Texas at Austin, Bernie’s career continued to progress at Odessa College. He eventually advanced to the position of chief academic officer as Vice President for Instruction.

In 1980, he found love a second time – marrying Jayne Davis (now Jayne Sedate), beloved artist and forever the joy of his life. Their blended family now included seven children with five of them enrolled in various Universities around the state at the same time.

He held numerous leadership volunteer positions – some of which include serving as President of: the Rotary Club; the Ector County Cancer Society; the Permian Basin Rehab Center; the West Texas Social Studies Council; and the Texas Council of Instructional Administrators (and he also served as Vice-President of the National Council of Instructional Administrators). He served on the board of directors for Permian Basin Better Business Bureau, the Ector County Fair (which later became the Permian Basin Fair and Exposition), and St. John’s Episcopal Church school – to name a few. He co-founded the United Campus Ministry at Odessa College and UTPB. He was deeply touched and intensely proud of the honor of having a building named after him on the Odessa College campus (Bernhard T.W. Sedate Hall).

Bernie retired from Odessa College in 1994. His retirement years were spent caring for his aging German mother, adding to his collection of crystal paperweights, and traveling extensively with Jayne, both domestically and abroad. Of course, he also continued his many volunteer activities at church and within the community.

He is survived by his precious wife Jayne as well as his seven children: Cheryl & Scott Butler of Arizona, Missey & David Head of Prosper, Sonny (Bernhard Jr.) & Tiffany of Oak Point, Shawn & Julia Sedate of Dallas, Jana Davis & Mende Mays of Odessa, Shane & Niki Sedate of Frisco, and Ralph Layne & Kristin Sedate of San Antonio as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

If he could share one last word, he would assuredly name his favorite four “Remembers”

• Remember who you are.

• Remember that you are never alone.

• Remember that you are loved.

And most importantly –

• Remember Whose you are.

Those wishing to make a contribution in his memory may make a donation to his favorite charity: the Odessa College Employee Scholarship fund.