Thomas L. Neely of Ridgecrest, N.C., 95, former president of North Greenville University when it was a two-year college, died at his home on Dec. 23, 2010.
Thomas L. NeelyNeely came to North Greenville Junior College in 1958 as administrative assistant to president M.C. Donnan. He became president in 1962 and served until 1970.
Neely brought the keynote address for North Greenville’s December 2002 commencement. “I love this hill,” he said at the time. “I spent 14 years of my life here – two years as a student and 12 years in administration. Many changes have occurred at North Greenville, but one thing has not: its love for Jesus.”
Born in Greenville on Sept. 11, 1915, Neely was the oldest of nine children. He was a graduate of Spartanburg High School, North Greenville College, Wofford College and Southwestern Seminary. He received an honorary doctorate from Furman University and an honorary doctor of divinity degree from North Greenville College in 2002. He also did graduate work at the Central University of Venezuela.
Neely pastored in Texas for three years and in South Carolina for seven years. He served as a foreign missionary in Colombia, South America, for six years and was the first Southern Baptist missionary to Venezuela, where he served for four years.
Neely was president of the Southern Baptist Convention in Colombia in 1947, vice president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 1957 and president in 1968. He served six years as a trustee of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board.
He traveled extensively in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America as a missionary evangelist. Neely and his wife, Audrey Reasbeck Neely, were licensed by New Life Ministries Inc., in Middlebury, Ind., and served in Israel for three years.
In addition to his wife, Neely is survived by two sons, one daughter, two stepsons, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The family requested that memorials be made to North Greenville University and designated to the Tom L. Neely Scholarship Fund. Gifts may be sent to North Greenville University, P.O. Box 1892, Tigerville, S.C., 29688, or online at https://www.ngu.edu/donations.php.
A celebration of Neely’s life will be held at North Greenville University at a time and date to be determined. – NGU