Close call for Hogans on recent trip to London

     When Derek Hogan and his wife Stacie planned to celebrate their 10th anniversary in Europe, they had no idea that their 12-day vacation would coincide with the July 21 failed terror bombings in London. Mr. Hogan, theological reference librarian at Carrie Rich Library and a New Testament instructor at the Campbell Divinity School, and his wife had just arrived in London by train from Paris when the bombings occurred. Terrorists tried to explode four bombs, only one of which was detonated and one person killed.
     “We knew something had happened when we arrived,” said. Mr. Hogan. “All they were saying was that a bombing incident had occurred, but they weren’t giving out many details.”
     The couple tried to travel by bus from Waterloo Station to a Bed and Breakfast in the Belgravia section of London. They had just boarded one bus when it was taken off duty. A second bus was stopped when it reached a major intersection that had been closed down for security reasons and the subway system was shut down completely.
“The situation was tense, but the Londoners appeared very calm and reassuring,” said Mr. Hogan. “They are used to attacks, having endured so many by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). We weren’t really nervous about it, but transportation was somewhat unpredictable.”
     After a 30-minute wait on the second bus, the Hogans were able to continue on to their accommodations. They arrived home safely to the United States on July 26.
“It was tense, but still a great vacation,” Mr. Hogan said.
     Derek Hogan has been the theological reference librarian and a New Testament instructor at Campbell since 2002. His job is to ensure that Campbell’s Carrie Rich Memorial Library has the resources needed for graduate theological education and that the Divinity School students know how to use those resources effectively.
     A graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., Mr. Hogan received a Master of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School, graduating Magna cum Laude. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Biblical Studies at Baylor University.

Photo Copy: Campbell librarian Derek Hogan and his wife Stacie in Paris before they arrived in London the day of the July 21 bombings.

Bulletin 0038-7/28/05