John Theodore “Ted” Sanders, former trustee and distinguished alumnus of Wayland Baptist University, died Sept. 8 in Angel Fire, N.M. He was 82. He was born Sept. 19, 1941, in Littlefield to John “Jay” Duff Sanders and Phyllis Sanders and grew up in Friona. A basketball scholarship enabled him to attend Wayland, where he met Beverly McSwain at a hayride. They married during their senior year of college. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wayland, he went on to earn a master’s degree from Washington State University in Pullman and his doctorate from the University of Nevada at Reno. His career spanned several significant roles, including senior leadership positions in the New Mexico Department of Education, and as state education chief in Nevada, Illinois and Ohio. He also served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush and was president of the Southern Illinois University system. “Dr. Sanders was a visionary leader whose passion for education was matched only by his dedication to serving students and educators across the nation,” Wayland President Donna Hedgepath said. “His remarkable journey from a student athlete at Wayland to a national leader in education exemplifies the transformative impact of lifelong learning and service. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions to our university and his enduring legacy.” He is survived by his wife Beverly of Frisco; daughter Audrey Sanders Wright of Texarkana, Ark.; son John (Drew) Andrew Sanders and wife Angie of Overland Park, Kan.; daughter April Sanders Helm and husband Matthew of Deforest, Wisc.; son Anthony (Tony) Sanders of Elgin, Ill.; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brothers Thomas and David Sanders.
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