With profound sadness and heartfelt remembrance, we honor the life of Tabor College’s 10th president, A. LeVon “Lee” Balzer, Ph.D. He passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Tulsa, Okla. His memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, in the Cathedral of the Ozarks at John Brown University.
“As an important part of God’s Kingdom and an arm of the church, Tabor College is to continue following God’s call with a vision and maintain a clear evangelical identity in Christian higher education. God provides a beam into the unknown future. As we respond to His will, we move along within that beam, and His will becomes realized in the lives of His people. We press forward, be future-oriented, and be persistent.”
A. LeVon “Lee” Balzer, Focal Point, Tabor’s alumni magazine, 1988
A visionary leader and lifelong educator, Balzer’s career spanned 44 years, including his time as Tabor president (1988-94).
“Dr. Balzer combined warmth and approachability with professionalism and class,” said Tabor President David Janzen (g’90), Ph.D. “He was distinguished, but not aloof. He led the campus by example, valuing and embodying rigorous academics with an authentic love for Jesus and love of people. As students, we knew we would be held to high standards and loved through our challenges.”
Balzer’s ties to Tabor predate his presidency as his mother, Helen (Hamm g’26) Balzer, and brother, Robert Balzer (fs’47), both attended. He grew up within five miles of Larry Nikkel (g’64), President Emeritus and the 12th to lead the college’s highest office.
His career in education brought him and his wife, Alice (Zielke), to three different states before coming to Hillsboro in 1988. Just before Tabor, Balzer served 13 years at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Wash. He held numerous educational and administrative roles in the sciences, including professor of biology, education coordinator of environmental education, dean of instruction, and dean of arts and sciences.
“His time in Seattle gave him a tremendous boost for the rest of his professional career,” Nikkel said. “He ushered in a new perspective of higher education at Tabor and his expertise greatly benefited the college during and after his presidency.”
Inaugurated as Tabor’s president in October 1988, Balzer’s drive for the classroom included a new honors program, work in psychology, communication, history, and athletic training, and an increased focus on spiritual distinctives. Off-campus, he oversaw the start of musical groups such as Harvest Crew, a sports ministry team, a testimony team, and a service workday in Wichita for new Tabor students.
“Lee brought a love for academics with him to his presidency,” said Former President H. David Brandt, Ph.D. (1995-98). “It showed in the planning efforts that he did, but also in his relationship with faculty and with students.”
The Wohlgemuth Music Education Center (1989) and Campus Recreation Center (1992) were built and funded during Balzer’s presidency. Jefferson Street, which once ran north and south through campus in front of the library and what is now the Kliewer Plaza, was closed during his presidency and the college’s landscaping was given high priority. Tabor began fundraising for the Solomon L. Loewen Natural Science Center under his leadership, and it was completed in 1998.
The Balzers helped the goal of enabling young people at Tabor “to achieve their highest potential as developing leaders who love God and want to serve people.”
“Lee and Alice were so hospitable when I was invited to return to Tabor’s campus as a Bible conference speaker during his presidency,” said former Tabor president Vernon Janzen (1980-87). “I saw how well Tabor continued under his gifted and God-given leadership.”
After his tenure at Tabor, Balzer spent 10 years as president at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. Established in 2013, the Balzer Family Endowed Scholarship was named at John Brown University. He earned his B.S. in education and a minor in biology from the University of Oklahoma in 1957. He later earned his M.N.S. in biology, history, and philosophy of science in Norman, Okla., in 1960. He completed his Ph.D. in biology and science education at Ohio State University.
“When Tabor celebrated its Centennial in 2008, Lee helped me understand the role of the president in the institution,” President Emeritus Jules Glanzer (g’74) Ph.D., said of his time in office (2008-21). “He was a person who was thoughtful, dignified, focused, and understood academics and the role of a college president.”
** The Center of Mennonite Brethren Studies (CMBS) provided biographical information for Balzer’s career.