Lt. Carl Douglas

Does this gentleman look familiar to you? If you’ve been to campus lately (like sometime in the past 30-plus years), he probably does. You may know him as one of the friendly faces greeting you as you pass the Welcome Center of Methodist University’s campus, but there’s a lot more to Lt. Carl Douglas than what meets the eye.

Douglas served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 1986 before making his way to Methodist University in 1989, a place he has remained loyal to for 35 years. Currently, as Lieutenant of Security for MU’s Public Safety & Security, Douglas oversees a lot more than the entrance of visitors to campus. He also performs security checks, escorts, background checks, and more to keep the University a safe place.

“Even though we have to enforce the policies and rules of the University, we’re just like everyone else on campus,” Douglas said. “We go out to eat, shop at the grocery store, go to movies, and have families – just like everyone.”

In fact, Douglas can claim fellow Monarchs as family. His wife, Donna Douglas, serves as the vehicle dispatcher/officer manager of Housekeeping & Maintenance at MU and his son, Carl Douglas Jr. ’23, recently graduated from Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minor in Criminal Justice. But for Douglas, he considers all of the students on campus as part of his family.

“The people here make it so special,” he added. “I love seeing the students mature during their time here, and I love it when they come back for Homecoming. They’ll typically bring back their families and sometimes even their children. It’s one of my favorite parts about the job.”

Douglas’ love for Methodist University can be seen through his actions. On top of his many roles in security, Douglas also gives part of his treasure to MU. He made his first gift in 1995 and started payroll deductions in 2012 before beginning a recurring gift in 2017.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Douglas said. “As I like to say, it’s the Monarch way. As long as I’ve been here, this place has grown on me so why not give back? We’re a community, so we have to look out for one another.”

Whether showing loyalty through time, talent, or treasure, Douglas said it is important for all Monarchs to come together for the benefit of students.

“Big or small, you can give,” Douglas said. “Even if you can’t give monetarily, you can give of your time and talent. When you give, the students at Methodist University see you in a different light. They are our future, so we should pour into them every chance that we get.”