Loretta Fulton, creator of Spirit of Abilene, and a longtime Abilene journalist, has written a biography of the late Dr. Robert Barnes, Dr. Bob: The Remarkable Story of Dr. Robert Carroll Barnes–A Life of Meaning, Resilience, Courage, and Inspiration. Published by Hardin-Simmons University, the book is available at Texas Star Trading Company, 174 Cypress St.
https://texasstartrading.com/product-category/texas-books/our-recommendations/

By LORETTA FULTON

Dr. Robert Barnes, better known as “Dr. Bob” to his students and friends, began life with two strikes against him.

His mother died less than a month after he was born. At age 13, in 1950, he contracted polio. But even at that early age, Bob displayed the indomitable spirit that would be his trademark until his death at age 84 on July 6, 2021. A quotation from Bob underneath his baby picture in a family album describes his outlook on life:

“This picture was taken when I was four months and eighteen days old. I think there is already a sparkle in my eyes (maybe the early sign of the rascal I became), but the sparkle to me is evidence of what I think became an indomitable spirit–the spirit with which I have always tried to face life and challenges it brought to me.”

That he lived to be that age is a testament to his perseverance, medical teams, caregivers, endless streams of students who assisted him, and of course his wife, Dorothy Barnes, known as “Dr. Dorothy” to her students. Dorothy is retired and living at Lyndale Abilene Senior Living. 

Loretta Fulton, creator of Spirit of Abilene, and a longtime Abilene journalist, has written a biography of Barnes, Dr. Bob: The Remarkable Story of Dr. Robert Carroll Barnes–A Life of Meaning, Resilience, Courage, and Inspiration. It is available at Texas Star Trading Company, 174 Cypress St.,
https://texasstartrading.com/product-category/texas-books/our-recommendations/

The biography was published by Hardin-Simmons University, where both Bob and Dorothy taught for many years. Dr. Lanny Hall, president emeritus of Hardin-Simmons, wrote the Foreword for the book. 

“Enjoy this book. Share it with others. May the pages that follow remind us all that we are to serve others and enjoy God’s blessings while we live meaningful lives,” Hall wrote. 

Bob’s life began on April 8, 1937, in Adrian, Michigan. He met Dorothy Kraft at Tyler Street Methodist Church in Dallas, and they were married there on Dec. 23, 1966.

They made their way to Abilene in 1968 when Bob was hired as director of Christian education at St. Paul United Methodist Church. They left in 1972 when both Bob and Dorothy were accepted into doctoral programs at the University of Georgia. After a stop at then-West Texas State University in Canyon, Bob was hired at Hardin-Simmons University and eventually Dorothy joined the faculty there, too.

Besides creating the Department of Counseling and Human Development, Bob served for 28 years as president of the international Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, a meaning-based form of psychotherapy. According to former colleague Dr. Chris McNair, Provost & Chief Academic Officer at Hardin-Simmons, Bob and was destined to discover logotherapy and be the face of the institute for so many years. 

“He was living it before he knew what it meant,” McNair said.