He disappeared in the middle of the school year, in the middle of a semester, in the middle of a Monday morning, three weeks before Christmas, without any job prospects — he was gone. After 20+ years of Kool-Aid-drinking loyalty to all things Douglas Wilson, he had to start anew. In his 60s. And no recommendation from New Saint Andrews College on his résumé — not that it would do any good.
Remarkably, NSA has never disclosed what Dr. Atwood did to suffer such a humiliating termination. But the so-called “Joint Public Announcement” suggests that someone wanted Roy to feel it:
At the same time, a resignation mid-year is not a trifle. Because of other recent administrative staff changes, the Board felt it needed to advance its timetable for appointing a new chief executive prior to Roy’s planned retirement at age 67. Unfortunately, because Roy is 62 and not yet in a position financially to retire at this time, he thought it best to resign, allowing the board to seek new leadership while he pursues other employment opportunities. (Presidential changes at NSA, December 1, 2014)
NSA didn’t reveal Dr. Atwood’s sin for this reason: Roy knows where Douglas Wilson buried the bodies because he helped bury them. This was his sole leverage that morning: “I won’t talk if you won’t talk.” And it worked. So far both men have kept their word. Honor among thieves, etc. A few months later NSA replaced Dr. Atwood with Douglas Wilson’s son-in-law, which gives opportunity to mention his plagiarism issues. Honor among thieves, etc.
In 2015 Morthland College (a TRACS school) hired Dr. Atwood for a year. Then Dr. Atwood found work at Nehemiah Gateway University in Albania (another TRACS school, though sans football program). Like NSA, neither school represent the zenith of academic excellence. But if not for his TRACS connection, he’d still be on food stamps.
Dr. Roy Atwood is Lot’s wife to all Kirk elders and all NSA faculty. It doesn’t matter how much you gave in the past or how much prestige you may enjoy at the moment, when it happens it happens fast. Roy never saw it coming and you won’t either. Then, like Roy, you’ll have to find your way in an academic universe that looks nothing like Moscow. But unlike Roy, you won’t have TRACS as a safety net.
One last thing: Hope you enjoy singing those carols tonight.
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Other posts:
This is quite a mystery. My father was a long time friend of Dr. Atwood’s during our time in Moscow, and we spent a lot of time with his, when I was growing up in Moscow. “Kool-aid drinking loyalty” is quite humorously (as well as tragically) appropriate.
The kookiness of Wilson’s Kool-aid drinking loyalty post is made even kookier by the comments. It’s like reading a Monty Python script.
There is plenty of “British absurdist humouresque” material to go around. From my waning recollection, a lot of it was present during my tenure, at Moscow but I must give credit, the plot definitely thickened after I left (apparently so it seems at least), and credit should be given to the current contributors to this. This whole website is full of rather kooky things, however very believable, based upon my insignificant experience.