Prickly Pear, 1977 Max Lucado was a student at Abilene Christian University from 1973-1977. Pictured at bottom right with Max is his roommate Steve Green, who became Max’s agent when he began writing. While at ACU Max was involved in campus clubs, student government, and was a columnist for the Optimist.
Abilene Christian University. Prickly Pear, Yearbook of Abilene Christian University, 1977, yearbook, 1977; Abilene, Texas. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.
Diploma, 1977 Max graduated with a Bachelor degree in Mass Communication in 1977 and a Master’s in Biblical and related Studies in 1983. His wife, Denalyn (Preston ’79) and two of his daughters, Jenna (Lucado ’06) Bishop and Andrea Lucado (’08) also are ACU alums.
Max Lucado’s diploma. Box 106 of 151, Series III. A Box 13 of 14, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Church bulletin, April 11, 1982 Max’s first full-time ministry was at Central Church of Christ in Miami, Florida. Some of his weekly bulletin columns, such as this one, Anvil Time, became his first book On the Anvil (Tyndale House, 1985).
Page 1 of “The Central Concern” bulletin, April 11, 1982. Box 1 of 151, Series I. A Box 1 of 1, Folder Bulletins (Max), Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Page 2 of “The Central Concern” bulletin, April 11, 1982. Box 1 of 151, Series I. A Box 1 of 1, Folder Bulletins (Max), Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Page 3 of “The Central Concern” bulletin, April 11, 1982. Box 1 of 151, Series I. A Box 1 of 1, Folder Bulletins (Max), Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Page 4 of “The Central Concern” bulletin, April 11, 1982. Box 1 of 151, Series I. A Box 1 of 1, Folder Bulletins (Max), Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Photograph, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mission Team, circa 1984 Denalyn and Max Lucado are the second couple from the right. Among Max’s classmates in this team are current ACU professors Drs. Ron and Janine Morgan (at far left). The Lucados served in Brazil until 1988. Upon their return to San Antonio, Max became the preaching minister at Oak Hills Church of Christ. His Oak Hills sermons became the basis for his books.
Photograph, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mission Team, circa 1984. Box 115 of 151, Series III. B Box 8 of 15, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Handwritten letters, 2000, 2011 The Lucado Papers contain thousands of letters from Max’s fans responding to his books. Below are two such letters with the books they respond to. A reader from Japan responds to Just the Way You Are and a child responds to You are Special.
Excerpt from a letter from a reader in Japan to Max Lucado, 2000. Box 82 of 151, Series II. A Box 13 of 24, Folder August 2000–2 of 2, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, and Toyoko Holbird. Sonomama no kimi ga suki. 2000.
Letter from a child to Max Lucado, September 26, 2011 [personal information redacted]. Box 91 of 151, Series II. A Box 22 of 24, Folder September 2011–2 of 2, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. You Are Special. 1997.
Typescripts of He Chose the Nails, 2000 The heart of the Lucado Papers are the many drafts of his books: from sermon, to manuscript, to successive edited drafts, to the final published book. These materials offer a window into how Max disciplined his gifts and practiced his craft in community.
“He Chose the Nails 1st Draft with Edits.” Box 15 of 151, Series I. C Box 13 of 21, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Language editions of He Chose the Nails Top to bottom: Workbook, German, VHS Live Television Special, Chinese, Finnish, and Afrikaans. Lucado’s books have sold over 97 million copies in 43 languages around the world. When Max gave his collection to ACU, he included over 500 copies of his books in over 20 languages.
Lucado, Max. 2000. He Chose the Nails : An in-Depth Study of the Cross : Participant’s Workbook. Nashville : Word Pub., c2000.
Lucado, Max. Weil du es ihm wert bist, wählte er die Nägel. Holzgerlingen: Hänssler, 2001.
Mills, Ossie, Max Lucado, Rick Eisleben, Mark Byers, Jeff Dayo, Natalie Grant, Wes King, Kim Hill, Twila Paris, and Jennifer Langford. He Chose the Nails. West Monroe, LA: Here to Him Music, 2001.
Lucado, Max. Yong bao shi jia: tie ding xia de ying xu. Xianggang: Fu yin zheng zhu xie hui, 2001.
Lucado, Max, and Eeva Kallinen. Hän valitsi naulat. [Keuruu]: Aikamedia, 2003.
Lucado, Max, Steve Halliday, and Monica De Vries. Hy het die doringkroon gekies: dit het Hy gedoen om jou te red. Vereeniging: Christelike Uitgewersmaatskappy, 2001.
“Laws of this Office” frame. Box 110 of 151, Series III. B Box 3 of 15, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Dillard, Annie. The Writing Life. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.
Hensley, Dennis E. How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2000.
Jenkins, Jerry B. Writing for the Soul: Instruction and Advice from an Extraordinary Writing Life. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 2006.
L’Engle, Madeleine. A Circle of Quiet. New York: Seabury Press, 1979.
L’Engle, Madeleine. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art. 2016.
Shaw, Luci. Writing the River: Poems. Vancouver: Regent College Pub, 1998.
Stein, Sol. How to Grow a Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Overcome Them. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2002.
Stein, Sol. Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies. New York: St. Martins Press, 2000.
Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books, 2004.
This exhibition was curated by Mac Ice and was on display in the ACU Library Learning Commons from September 2017 to March 2018. This digital exhibit was prepared by Amanda Dietz, September 22, 2018.