December 4, 2000

Archeologist, professor Vardaman dies in Mississippi at age 73
___STARKVILLE, Miss.--Jerry Vardaman, 73, died in Starkville, Miss., Nov. 18 of cardiac arrest.
___Vardaman was a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary. He also did postdoctoral studies at Oxford University and Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
___A native of Dallas, his family was a member of First Church in Dallas during the tenure of George W. Truett.
___Vardaman was Baptist Bible chair teacher at Tarleton State College; adjunct teacher of Old Testament at Southwestern Seminary from 1956 to 1958; assistant professor and associate professor of New Testament archeology at Southern Seminary from 1958 to 1972; and founding director of the Cobb Institute of Biblical Archeology and professor of religion at Mississippi State University from 1972 until 1992.
___He was also a veteran of World World II, serving as a Marine in battles that included those for Okinawa.
___"He was my friend and associate for over 50 years. He was a remarkable combination of biblical archeology, chronology of biblical events and coin collecting," James Leo Garrett, retired Southwestern Seminary professor, recalled. "He was a wonderful teacher and preacher--a very unique person.
___"He established the Cobb Institute at MSU, and took many groups to biblical lands."
___Vardaman was scheduled to deliver a lecture in April at the British Museum in London, Garrett said. He was preparing for that lecture the night before his death.
___Among Vardaman's notable archeological excavations was a site in Jordan where John the Baptist was imprisoned.
___He is survived by his wife, Alfalene; daughters, Celeste Moore and Carolyn Tingle; sister, Ann Miller; brothers, George and James; and two grandchildren.
___Memorials made be made to Truett Seminary at Baylor University.

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!