When he was five years old, Mel Sayes arrived on the campus of Olivet Nazarene College with his parents, Dr. J. Ottis Sayes and Delia (Melton) Sayes, and his sister, Deena ’75. Dr. Sayes later became chair of Olivet’s Religion and Philosophy division. Mrs. Sayes taught at Bourbonnais Elementary School.
Mel’s childhood was filled with Olivet connections. “We lived in a two-story white house on Main Street in Bourbonnais, at the entrance to Olivet,” he recalls. “Our family lived on the first floor, and Dr. Harlow and Mrs. Harriet Hopkins lived on the second floor. The president, Dr. Reed, and his wife lived across the street from us.”
Mel was a student at Robert Frost Grade School, which is now the home of Olivet’s Department of Art and Digital Media. The population of Bourbonnais was about 10,000 at that time. He recalls the configuration of Olivet’s campus, too. The street going into campus made an O, went in front of Chapman and Burke, and went around the tennis courts located in the middle of the O.
“College Church was in the same location,” Mel says, “but the building was only the sanctuary with the meeting rooms on the lower floor. And there was no air conditioning. Dr. Nash was the pastor.”
Mel vividly remembers when he was a sophomore at Olivet and a ministry team from Asbury University came to campus. On a Wednesday night at College Church, the team gave their testimonies. “Chapel the next day was very different,” he says. “Students came forward to pray together. Chapel lasted all day long. We experienced a spontaneous revival.”
While he was a student at Olivet, Mel met Judi Tucker ’73, and they married after graduation. They are now the parents of two sons: Jay ’06, who is married to Cyndi (Rucker) ’08; and Josh, who graduated from Southern Nazarene University in 2008. They are the grandparents of two granddaughters. Their family attends Brockington Road Church of the Nazarene in Little Rock together. Mel serves as a Sunday School teacher and a church board member.
Mel treasures the advice of Professor Harvey Humble, one of his favorite Olivet professors, when he was uncertain about what to do after graduating from Olivet. During one of their conversations, Professor Humble encouraged him to go to law school and pursue a career as a lawyer. After he graduated from Olivet, Mel enrolled at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Little Rock. He worked during the day and took classes at night.
After receiving his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, Mel went into practice with another attorney and then later joined his current firm. Today, his son, Jay, is also a member of that firm — Matthews Sanders & Sayes in Little Rock.
“Olivet gave me a good education and equipped me well for law school,” Mel says. “I am a trial lawyer, and I’ve practiced law for 48 years, trying 25 or 30 cases a year. Through Professor Humble, God guided me to a successful career. God has faithfully taught me and led me and provided for me in everything I have done.”
Mel serves as chair of The Olivet Foundation, helping to make sure the mission of Olivet continues into the future. He is also an ex-officio member of Olivet’s Board of Trustees. In 2011, he and Judi established Olivet’s Young Alumni Award to honor two alumni — one male and one female — and to be presented annually at Homecoming. Recipients are chosen by vote of the Alumni Board and must have graduated from Olivet within the last 10 years.
“During my days in Bourbonnais, I always had solid Christian people who cared about me,” Mel says. “The people in our Olivet community helped my parents raise me. Olivet helped me channel my competitiveness into a successful life of service.”
Learn more about how you can become part of Olivet’s mission for many years to come. Contact campaign director Susan Wolff at swolff@olivet.edu or call 815-928-5776 to schedule an appointment with a member of our team.
