Union University president known for remembering names

JACKSON, Tenn. — A local university president has earned a reputation for learning students and faculty members’ names.

Going to college can be intimidating. There is a big campus, thousands of students and a new world you have to get to know.

Union University’s president, Dr. Dub Oliver, however, is working to make it feel a little smaller.

“If you’re going to demonstrate being people-focused, you really need to know individual people, and one of the most basic things you can know about a person is their name,” Oliver said.

In fact, the students claim he knows everyone’s name.

“That’s not quite true,” Oliver said. “I tried to learn as many as possible. Sometimes people say I know every student’s name, but I don’t know everyone just yet.”

But he does make a point to remember those he meets.

“Every student who comes in has an admissions certificate, so I sign all of those and pray for them before they come, so I’ve already become familiar with them,” Oliver said.

He says there are three key steps to putting a name with a face.

“Almost all of memory is repetition. So when I meet someone — your name is Julia — I will repeat your name in my mind as I’m talking to you,” Oliver said. “Typically when we meet someone, we’re asking them questions about themselves, and if you’ll just add their name to a couple of their questions.”

“When you typically meet someone and leave for the first time, you’ll say, ‘Nice to meet you,'” Oliver said. “When you add their name to the, ‘Nice to meet you,’ then you’ll confirm that even more.”

Oliver says there are a little over 3,000 students on campus, and he likes to know the new students’ names by the end of the first semester.