USA > Indiana > History of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana > Part 25
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EVELYN EVANGELINE FRANK
Born in 1910, to Herman and Amelia Fox Frank at Portland, Evelyn united with the church at Sugar Ridge, Michigan, 1921, along with her father, mother, and sister. She graduated from the Portland High School in 1928 and spent the next year in Manchester College. She spent several years at home till she entered Nurses' Training at Bethany Hospital in 1933. She graduated in 1936. After further prep- aration and some experience as a public health nurse, she went to the African mission field in 1938. She had dreamed of this kind of service since she had come into the church at eleven.
In Africa Evelyn entered into her work with all her heart and was rendering a great service to the needy people. It was discovered that she had contracted tuberculosis and would have to give up her work. She returned early in 1940. For eight years she struggled to regain her health at sanitoriums and elsewhere but to no avail. She passed away at her home July 26, 1948. This untimely departure of one so highly
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trained and so deeply consecrated is a challenge for others to step into the place which she has had to give up.
MISSION ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
The following from Indiana served on the board that at any given time was responsible for missions, five different names of boards hav- ing been used since 1880.
Joseph Leedy, 1880-1883 Lewis W. Teeter, 1897-1910
Otho Winger, 1911-1942 V. F. Schwalm, 1945-1948
Stanley Bittinger, 1949-1951 E. Paul Weaver, 195I-
Clyde Culp
Edwin Grossnickle
Since 1920 an Indiana man has been the guardian of Brethren Funds at Elgin. The first of the two treasurers was Clyde Culp, born in 1890. He took a degree in accounting at Manchester in 1913, taught and worked in a bank till 1919, and then spent a year as bookkeeper in the Elgin office. In 1920 he became treasurer and was forced to retire in 1943 because of health. He has been living in St. Petersburg, Florida. His early home was at Nappanee.
He was succeeded by a promising young member of the faculty at Manchester College, Edwin Grossnickle. Born in 1913, at North Man- chester to Gorman and Lena Grossnickle, he was educated at Man- chester College, the University of Iowa, and Ohio State University. He taught economics at Manchester College, 1938-40, and two terms, 1942-3, after he had taught in the local Chester High School, 1935- 1938. Within about a half year after he became Assistant Treasurer, Bro. Culp had to retire and Brother Grossnickle has been treasurer since November, 1943. His wife was Fern Dilling, of Pleasant Dale.
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As young people, both were very actively interested in the church. Brother Grossnickle had practically worked out a Ph. D. degree in Economics at Ohio State University when he was diverted from his research by taking the place at Elgin. Both he and Bro. Culp have been very efficient treasurers.
CHAPTER VI
MANCHESTER COLLEGE
For many years there was little sentiment among the Brethren in Indiana for higher education. There had been some talk of a College at Andrews under the leadership of Elder Samuel Murray, which never materialized. There was a small college in existence at Bourbon, Indiana, called Salem College, about 1870, which soon came to naught. Later educational sentiment was promoted by L. T. Holsinger who raised some money for a college which presumably was to be located at Ladoga, Indiana.
The first successful effort at establishing a college was at North Manchester, Indiana. What later came to be Manchester College had its beginnings at Roanoke, Indiana, under the auspices of the United Brethren Church. Because of inadequate facilities and an unpromising outlook at Roanoke, the College was moved to North Manchester in 1889. Several towns competed for the college, including Elkhart, Kendallville, Churubusco, and Columbia City. The town of North Manchester having raised the required funds got the College. The cornerstone was laid on August 1, 1889 and College work began in November.
Bumgerdner Hall, 1889
D. M. Howe was President for five years and built the first build- ing and literally carved a place for it out of the forest. After five years, difficulties arose and Dr. Howe resigned. After another year the United Brethren were ready to dispose of the College.
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At the same time a committee of Brethren were looking for a favorable place to establish a college. The locating committee which had been authorized by Annual Conference consisted of E. S. Young and S. S. Young of Mt. Morris, Illinois, L. T. Holsinger of Ladoga, Indiana, L. H. Eby of Summerville, Kansas, and D. Hollinger of Pitts- burg, Ohio. In the spring of 1895 they met a committee of the town of North Manchester. The town agreed to turn over the College property and $5,000.00 in cash if the Brethren would raise $5,000.00 and invest in the College. The town committee bought a farm and sold it out in lots to raise money for the college. The money was soon raised and the college, consisting of one building and ten acres of campus, was turned over to the Brethren.
The purposes of the College were said to be "to promote the inter- ests of education in general and especially among the children of Ger- man Baptist Brethren. The object of the Bible School is to promote Biblical instruction particularly on the denominational line of the Ger- man Baptist Church."
The Bible School, 1895
The trustees were to be "Brethren." The first Board consisted of L. T. Holsinger, S. S. Young, G. B. Heeter, E. S. Young, David Hol- linger, L. H. Eby and G. L. Shoemaker. E. S. Young was to be Pres- ident of the College.
They operated the college in the name of the church and took full responsibility for financing the school, but provided that the church could assume control of the college whenever it chose. During these
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Manchester College
E. S. Young
E. M. Crouch
years from 1895 to 1902 the church took no responsibility for financing the school and many of the trustees sacrificed heroically to keep it alive.
The first faculty consisted of President E. S. Young, A. B. Ulrey, Science; H. W. Ward, Language; E. M. Crouch, Mathematics and English; W. H. Oyler, Commercial and Business Course; Margaret Bixler, Music; and Millard Myers, Elocution; H. J. Beachley, Short- hand and Penmanship.
One of the truths which our generation has learned but which was not so well understood fifty years ago, is that a college is not self-sup- porting. While the church gave some funds for the maintenance of the college during the period from 1895 to 1902 it was not enough to keep the school from running hopelessly in debt.
This became evident in 1901. It was then that Elder I. D. Parker from Goshen, Indiana, offered to turn his share of the college over to the church if the church would take it, and he was sure the other trustees would do the same. He then went to various District meetings of the church and asked if they would take over the college if it were turned over free of debt. The Northwestern Ohio, Southern Illinois, Northern Indiana, Middle Indiana and Southern Ohio districts of the Church of the Brethren agreed to do this.
I. D. Parker, assisted by Otho Winger and others, then went out and raised $27,000 to free the college from debt and on May 6, 1902, the college was turned over to trustees who had been elected by the church. They then entered into articles of agreement to operate the col- lege themselves, but leased it to a group of men who operated it. It seems the buildings and equipment were put at the disposal of these "Brethren" who then took the risk of operating the college and accept- ing whatever profit or loss resulted from the enterprise. This period of
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lease extended from 1902 to 1910, during which time E. M. Crouch was president, L. D. Ikenberry was treasurer, I. B. Book was secretary and at intervals T. S. Moherman and M. M. Sherrick shared in the lease.
These men found it hard going, and at times had very little income to show for their efforts. Educational sentiment was but slight in the church and the financial support was meagre. Year after year they labored on, hoping that the next year would be better. Students were few at times, financial conditions were stringent and the outlook dis- couraging. Teachers taught at salaries that make present day teachers gasp for breath.
Despite these conditions some progress was made during this era. The Boys' Dormitory was erected, the college was accredited for teacher training in Indiana, practice teaching facilities were provided at the college and a summer Normal school was started.
But despite these achievements the income was insufficient to con- tinue the plan for leasing the school and some change seemed inevitable. So on June 1, 1910, the school was turned over to the trustees who were to assume the general management and control of the institution. The new plan was presented to the church districts and, while some hesitated, a plan was devised by which teachers' contracts should be- come void if not paid within thirty days. This plan is said to have been presented by Otho Winger. In after years President Winger often re- ferred to this ingenious idea by which the college could operate without fear of debt.
The trustees of the college now took direct control of the college. They elected the officers and employed the teachers. In their name all the money was raised and all the property held. Since trustees were not educators, and were scattered afar, they elected an executive committee which was to operate the college in harmony with general policies out- lined by said Board of Trustees. It is at this point, in 1910, that Otho Winger as vice-president becomes an active agent for the promotion of the college.
Up to this time Manchester was really not much of a college in the modern sense. Very few students who came to Manchester were of collegiate standing. Most of them were listed as Preparatory Students, Normal English (a teachers' preparatory course), Commerce, Elocu- tion or Bible students. Only a very few ranked as college students. In 1898-99, the college had five Liberal Arts students, eighty-three Prepar- atory, thirty-one Business, thirteen Shorthand and Typewriting, twenty-four Music, twenty-four Bible and twenty-three School of Music students. In fact, Manchester College graduated only two stu- dents from the Collegiate department in 1900, none in 1901, one in 1902, one in 1903, none in 1907, one in 1908, one in 1909, one in 1910, none in 1911, three each in 1912 and 1913 and eight in 1914. From
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Manchester College
As Manchester College Appeared in 1907
that time on college graduating classes grew rapidly.
The first building on the campus was Bumgerdner Hall built in 1889. The Bible School building was built in 1895 containing a chapel, offices, classrooms, a library room, and commercial hall. The girls dormitory and dining hall was erected in 1898. In 1906, the first Men's Dormitory was built. When Otho Winger became President in 1910 these four small buildings constituted the college plant. The library was housed in a small room in the Bible School building and could not have had more than a few thousand books. There were no intercollegiate contests and even no organized athletics.
The writer well remembers that when college opened in the fall of 1909 he, with some other students, and Dr. P. B. Fitzwater stood on the campus between the Bible School Building and Bumgerdner Hall, talking about enrollment possibilities. I think then only about sixty- five students had enrolled at the moment, whereupon Dr. Fitzwater ex- pressed a concern as to whether we would have enough students to op- erate the college that year.
It was apparent that the method of leasing the college was not sat- isfactory. The church itself felt too little responsibility for the school. The lessees were carrying the load too largely themselves. It had be- come apparent that something needed to be done that would serve as a 'shot in the arm' if the institution was to survive. The outcome of this discussion was that the trustees took over the college and took respon- sibility for its operation.
A new organization seemed necessary. Some alumni and others
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Cofage Grand ole
College Plant by 1920
felt that the new president should have a Ph. D. degree. So Dr. M. G. Brumbaugh, veteran Brethren educator, was consulted and he recom- mended Dr. E. C. Bixler, who had just taken his doctor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. So we find in the minutes of the Board of Trustees for January, 1910, this item: "By ballot the follow- ing Executive Board was elected : President, E. C. Bixler ; Vice Presi- dent, Otho Winger; Secretary, L. D. Ikenberry." Dr. Bixler was 33 years of age when elected President of Manchester. He was a clas- sical scholar having given much of his time to a study of the ancient languages. In his "Memories of Manchester," President Winger says, "By the close of the year both he and the trustees felt they wanted to make another change." So on January 10, 19II, the trustees elected Otho Winger, President; L. D. Ikenberry, Secretary-Treasurer. The trustees participating in this election were Frank Fisher, D. B. Garber Jacob Coppock, Manly Deeter, and G. A. Snyder.
Up to this time Manchester College had had several Presidents. E. S. Young was President from 1895-1899. Then H. P. Albaugh, a business man and a layman, was President for a year. Professor L. D. Ikenberry from Daleville, Virginia, was elected as chairman of the faculty for the school year, 1900-01. In 1901, Professor E. M. Crouch who had been on the faculty from its beginning was elected President
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Manchester College
and continued until 1910. President Crouch was a strong teacher, at first of Mathematics and of English, but later he taught mostly Latin. He was a man of great personal dignity, and during his administration there was some strengthening of the institution but there was not suf- ficient popular support of the program to guarantee its future.
During this early part of the life of the College there are some whose contribution was invaluable. The Young brothers rendered a valuable early contribution as President and Treasurer in the begin- ning years of the College. One of the early science teachers of unusual ability was Professor A. B. Ulrey who had a large following in the earliest years of the College. Other early teachers whose mem- ories linger with many were M. M. Sherrick who later returned to the college and rendered a valuable period of service; E. B. Hoff of Bethany fame; T. S. Moherman who still lives; W. I. T. Hoover, later at La Verne as Dean. Marguerite Bixler, the first music teacher, still lives and her name will carry on in some of our hymns. One of the strong Bible teachers during President Crouch's administration was P. B. Fitzwater who has taught at Moody Bible Institute for many years.
Two other names stand out in the first decade of this century : L. D. Ikenberry and I. B. Book. L. D. joined the faculty in 1901 and con- tinued until about 1943, during most of which time he was Treasurer and Business Manager. He held these positions during the thirty years of Otho Winger's Presidency and built all the buildings then added to the campus. His service to Manchester College has been invaluable.
I. B. Book came to Manchester in 1900 from Pennsylvania and was one of the men who joined in leasing the College. He served as Secretary for some years. He rendered most valuable service to the College. His manly bearing and calm even spirit won the admiration of all. His kindness to needy students was unusual !
During these early years of the College, the Bible Society, and Lit- erary Societies played an important part in the life of the college. In fact they took the place, in part, that our intercollegiate program now takes. In the first two decades of the College especially, the Bible Soci- ety provided opportunity for ministers and missionary candidates who had much opportunity for participating in programs of music, ora- tions, essays and debates. These meetings were usually held on Friday evening and drew good audiences. On Saturday evening, the Lincoln and Adelphian Literary Societies, which met in adjoining halls, pro- vided most interesting programs and social occasions and fulfilled in part, the functions now filled in some institutions by fraternities and sororities. There was much competition between literary societies for membership and for public audiences at their programs. An occasional banquet or social affair added to the spirit of the literary societies !
Otho Winger was elected President of Manchester College in Jan-
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Otho Winger, President, 1911-1941
uary of 1911. He was then 33 years of age. Before entering college, he had taught three years at Indian Village, Grant County, a one-room school made up mostly of Indian children. From 1898 to 1902 he at- tended Manchester completing his high school work and some college work. From 1902 to 1907 he was in Indiana University at intervals but also served as High School Principal at Sweetzer, Indiana, two winters, and was Superintendent of Schools at Hope, Indiana, for two winters. During these years he managed to earn both an A. B. and an A. M. degree from Indiana University.
When elected President of Manchester College, Otho Winger was a strong, energetic young man of great vigor and boundless energy. He seemed to have a clear idea of what he wanted to make of Man- chester College, and set about at once to bring it to pass. He gave him- self to the building of a college with all the vigor of his marvelous per- sonlity. No man ever gave himself to his task with greater self-aban- donment and devotion. No task seemed too hard, no duty too exacting, no burden too heavy. His dedication to his work was the marvel of his friends and the college began to grow, and, as it grew, it seemed to become the fulfillment of his dreams.
It is a fact that the period of his Presidency coincided with a period of great educational growth and sentiment in the country at large, a
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period when college attendance greatly increased throughout the United States. But it is also true that many smaller colleges declined or were static during this same period. It seems evident that the growth at Man- chester was in no small part due to the vigor of his administra- tion. Soon after his election to the Presidency things began to happen at the college. Field men were employed, buildings were remodeled and improved, additional lots were purchased, new buildings were erected, a demonstration school was set up on the campus and a spirit of progress pervaded the campus.
As indicated above when Otho Winger became President there were four main buildings on the campus. The first built had been Bum- gerdner Hall, then the Bible School Building, the Ladies' Dormitory, and the Men's Dormitory. The first building erected in his Presidency was a frame gymnasium built in 1911. The money was largely raised among students and faculty, and the students did most of the work. It served the immediate needs for athletic events and has since been put into use as a Biology Building.
A central heating plant was erected in the summer of 1913. It was modern and well-constructed with two boilers to heat the entire plant. In the summer of 1915, a greenhouse was constructed for the use of the Biology department, a gift from the class of 1914.
In 1915 the college also constructed what was at first known as a Science Hall, a four-story brick building 50 x 75' which has since been converted to a library and class room building ; an addition was built to it later to make room for library stacks. At about the same time the Ladies Home was enlarged practically doubling its capacity.
During the school year, 1918-19 an anonymous gift came to the College for the purchase of a large house one block south of the main campus to be used as a College Hospital. This building still serves this purpose, and is also used as a practice house for the Home Economics department. In 1922, a Chemistry building, the gift of the Goshorn brothers, of Ladoga, was erected. It was later enlarged and has served to train many chemists who are now famous for their researches.
During the summer of 1920, the College built a large addition to the Administration building, uniting the old Bible School Building and Bumgerdner Hall, thus making one large administration building in which are housed administrative offices, the Chapel, classrooms, the bookstore, the postoffice and other useful facilities.
In 1926, funds were raised among alumni and friends of the Col- lege to erect a new gymnasium. Plans finally resulted in building a combination gymnasium-auditorium under the direction of Professor L. D. Ikenberry. This contains a full size basketball floor, an auditorium seating 1700 people, dressing rooms and showers. This is a most use- ful building, and was built for $65,000.00, about half the cost it would
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have required by commercial builders. Also in 1926, the girls' dormi- tory was again enlarged and improved. It now could comfortably house more than 200 girls. It contained a large kitchen, storerooms, two din- ing halls, and a social room.
In 1938, President Winger and his associates erected a girls' gym- nasium to provide for the girls' physical education program and for roller skating activities. In the summer of 1940, the heating plant was enlarged and a new boiler was installed.
By the time Otho Winger's Presidency came to an end the college had at least ten buildings, a few of them very large and quite substantial, in place of the four small buildings existing at the time of his election.
L. D. Ikenberry
The building program of the college was made possible by L. D. Ikenberry, the Treasurer and Business Manager, who was also a prac- tical builder. Without benefit of a professional architect or of building contractors and with but small amounts of money, he drew the plans, employed the labor and supervised the construction of all the buildings erected during his period as Business Manager from about 1901 to 1943, when he retired. Without his unique ability it would have been impossible to erect the buildings needed. Although plain and cheaply
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Manchester College
Manchester College, 1930
constructed, they nevertheless served their purpose for the time being. His wisdom in the management of the finances, and his ability as a builder have made him the complement of President Winger who en- visaged the goal and secured the money while Professor Ikenberry brought dreams into reality in the form of buildings.
The faculty of Manchester when Otho Winger became President was small and not very highly trained; albeit, they were good teachers. Up to that time there were but few college students to teach, so advanced training for the faculty did not seem so important. Upon becoming President, he went out into the high schools and found former students who had not completed their college work, and persuaded them to teach in the Academy while completing their college work, thus providing a cheap teaching faculty and at the same time giving these men opportu- nity to continue their study. Those brought in under this plan were Edward Kintner, Herbert A. Studebaker, W. W. Peters, Lawrence Shultz, V. F. Schwalm, and perhaps others. Later he gave financial assistance to some of these while they completed their advanced courses in the University. Most of these men gave many valuable years of ser- vice to the College.
President Winger soon strengthened the faculty by bringing in additional strong teachers. Among these were such as John Martin in Science, M. L. Sandifur in Education, Julie Willkie in English and German. Many were brought to the faculty from among the alumni, others were added to the faculty from without. It will be impossible to give even the names of all of these. Of those who remained with the College for a number of years, and became active leaders in the fac- ulty, one would need to include the following :
Edward Kintner, Professor of Science
Sadie Wampler, Dramatics and Speech
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History of the Church of the Brethren
L. W. Shultz, Principal of the Academy, Librarian
V. F. Schwalm, Professor of History, Dean, President
A. R. Eikenberry, Professor of Agriculture, of Psychology, Dean of Men
D. C. Reber, Professor of Latin and Greek
J. R. Schutz, Professor of Sociology, Public Speaker
Carl W. Holl, Professor of Chemistry, Dean
J. E. Dotterer, Professor Mathematics
C. S. Morris, Professor of Physics
O. S. Hamer, Professor of Education
S. L. Fleuckiger, Professor of Music
F. E. Reed, Professor of French and Spanish
Nettie Leasure, Elementary Education
Max Allen, Art
Alice Doner, Education, Dean of Women
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