Houghton University Athletics

Bonnie Ellison (induction in 2024 alongside her husband Keith Gr first came to Houghton when she was three years old. Her family had moved to Vetville -- where the Academy is now -- when her father pursued his degree at the college until his graduation in 1951. She then transitioned to the Philadelphia area where she grew up until she decided to pursue her own education at Houghton in 1964.
 
As a child she was encouraged to pursue athletics, primarily competing in track and field as a high school student. “My dad boxed in the Navy, started a church softball league, and always had us playing something,” Bonnie recalls.
 
When she transitioned to college, Bonnie started playing field hockey, tennis, basketball, track and even dabbled in swimming.
 
“Sports were just plain fun,” says Bonnie. “I loved the sense of community and the chance to compete. It is hard for those who never experienced intramural sports at college to understand the intensity of intramural competition.”
 
Aiding in that intensity on campus was the support of the student body… as all games were home games in the Purple and Gold era. She majored in sociology, but would have chosen physical education had it been offered at the time, and appreciated the impact of Whitney Shea, Doug Burke, Claude Ries and Besty Samuelson.
 
“The life and witness of the professor at Houghton as a whole were instrumental in wanting me to grow as a Christian,” Bonnie says.
 
Following Jesus was important to Bonnie.  She accepted Christ as a three-year-old with her mom, grew closer in her walk with the Lord at camp as a teenager, and then renewed that commitment at Houghton when she and her future husband, Keith, prayed together “Anything, anytime, anywhere Lord.”  He is still in the process of teaching us how to follow Him, says Bonnie.
 
Keith met Bonnie Ellison on Sadie Hawkins Day. The couple shared a love for sports and a passion for pursuing Christ. This shared passion has grown into a life of ministry and impact for Christ’s kingdom.
 
“I was a kid who loved to play, was blessed with some natural athletic ability and am so thankful for what sports added to my life,” shares Keith. “But, my oh my, what the LORD, who gave me life and then gave me life eternal, has done is something else!”  
 
“The greatest thing about my story is that the LORD caught me up into His story and Houghton was part of that story and a place where we could properly stack up some stones of remembrance,” adds Keith.
        
After leaving Houghton, Keith and Bonnie were married, moved to New England for seminary at Gordon Conwell, ministered in Schenectady, New York, and then returned to Massachusetts where they spent the next 35 years as a pastoral family of six in Carlisle.
 
Their church allowed them to visit missionaries and attend field conferences and that later led to work with missions organization Barnabas International.
 
While Keith served as a pastor, Bonnie was able to pursue her other passions in physical education, teaching and coaching.
 
Today, Keith and Bonnie enjoy staying connected to Houghton friends, spending time with their four children and 10 grandchildren. Bonnie has just completed a book for children. The couple currently live in Landisville, Pennsylvania, where they still work with Barnabas International.