USA > Kansas > A history of Methodism in northwest Kansas > Part 12
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Dr. McGurk is the only surviving instructor of the first faculty of the Kansas Wesleyan. Dr. Sweet served the Northwest Kansas Conference in the ca- pacity of pastor, district superintendent, and the col- lege as a member of the Board of Trustees for many years and later as financial secretary.
After graduation Dr. Daniel McGurk served the institution for a short time as a teacher of elocution, later becoming a member of the Northwest Kansas Conference, from which he took up work as a mission- ary in South America. Later he returned to Kansas, serving as pastor until he was transferred to an Iowa conference. He followed Bishop Quayle as pastor of the Grand Avenue Church, Kansas City, Missouri, and has since filled some of the largest pulpits in Eastern churches. At present he is occupying a pulpit in Cin- cinnati, Ohio.
The commercial school has grown from a one- teacher department to a great business college, per- haps the largest in the central states. It has a faculty of twenty-one teachers and an enrollment of several hundred. Prof. T. W. Roach, who later took charge of the commercial work, was responsible for the great expansion and development of the business college.
The music school has become one of the leading music colleges of the state, employing six teachers and enrolling more than one hundred and fifty students.
Rev. William F. Swahlen, A. M., Ph. D., served as acting president of the institution from 1886 to 1887. Later he became professor of Greek in DePauw Uni- versity, Greencastle, Indiana, which institution he served until his death in the winter of 1915.
Aaron Schuyler, A. M., L. L. D., served the Kansas Wesleyan as vice president and acting president from 1887 to 1890, when he became president, and continued in that capacity until 1894. He devoted his life to the
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cause of Christian education and continued with the Kansas Wesleyan as a teacher of mathematics and philosophy until failing health compelled him to cease active work in the college. Dr. Schuyler's name is honored by the alumni above any other name connected with the history of the school. As a mathematician, the world has produced but few, if any, equals to Dr. Schuyler, and as a philosopher he ranks with the world's best. He was a writer of much note, his text books having been used in every quarter of the globe. He bequeathed to posterity a very valuable series of text books on mathematics, complete from arithmetic to calculus. Among his writing on the subject of philosophy are text books on ethics, logic, psychology and a critical history of philosophy.
Rev. Edwin W. Mueller. A. M., S. T. B., served as president from 1894 to 1896, when he re-entered the ministry, and is now serving the Congregational Church as pastor of Whitneysville, Connecticut.
Prof. George J. Haggerty, A. M., was president from 1899 to 1900, giving up educational work because of ill health and moved to Riverside, California, where he engaged in the orange business.
Rev. Milton E. Phillips, Ph. M., D. D., served the institution as president from 1901 to 1902. Upon severing his connection with the institution, he took up Y. M. C. A. work and was located at New Haven, Connecticut.
Thomas W. Roach, A. M., Ped. D., who had been for many years in charge of the commercial depart- ment, and who had made such a success of this work, was elected to the presidency of the school in 1903, and served the school in that capacity until he re- quested to be released from the work, because of fail- ing health, in 1897.
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When he took charge of the school it was in a critical condition financially. Dr. Roach, if for no other reason, deserves the everlasting applause of the Northwest Kansas Conference for giving the school a financial administration that relieved it from its em- barrassment and planted it on a good sound business basis.
He saw many improvements during his term as president. One in which he probably takes the most pride was the building the ladies' dormitory, concern- ing which he still shows a very deep degree of interest, having given it much personal as well as financial assistance. The building has a rooming capacity for one hundred girls. His efforts were rewarded with the beginning of a third building, Science Hall, which was made possible through a gift of Andrew Carnegie. The addition of an athletic park, fenced with an eight- foot board fence, was also secured through the untir- ing zeal of President Roach. There were many im- provements made on the old building, such as install- ing an electric lighting system. The plotting of the campus and beautifying the grounds with driveways were done under his administration. A handsome be- ginning of an endowment ($25,000) from Mr. Car- negie was the result of Dr. Roach's work.
Rev. Robert P. Smith, A. M., D. D., was called from the head of the Montana Wesleyan in 1907 to assume charge of the Kansas Wesleyan. What Dr. Roach did for the school financially, Dr. Smith did for it educationally, viz .: He standardized it and placed it on the educational map with other institu- tions which now accept the work done in other similar institutions.
There were many improvements made during Dr. Smith's administration, viz. : the enlarging the faculty, the completion of Science Hall, the building of a pres-
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ident's home, the beginning of a gymnasium. Also the endowment was greatly enlarged, making a total of about $119,000 in actual endowment, with about $40,000 more in good pledges.
Dr. Smith served the Kansas Wesleyan eight years as president, and during that time it was elevated to rank A among Methodist colleges. This ranking was secured largely through the influence of President Smith. His ability to inspire faith and loyalty among young people made him an ideal college president. Upon his resignation of the presidency he returned to the ministry and located at Bozeman, Montana.
President John F. Harmon, D. D., came to Salina in June, 1915, as Dr. Smith's successor, having served McKendree College as president for several years, where he made a remarkable record in giving McKen- dree a new life and saving it from a death which con- fronted it at that time. McKendree being the oldest college in Methodism, there is something peculiarly significant in the fact that the Kansas Wesleyan, one of the youngest colleges in the church, should secure the president from the oldest college in Methodism.
Dr. John F. Harmon was formally inaugurated president of the Kansas Wesleyan University October 21, 1915, in connection with the laying of the corner stone of the gymnasium. The inaugural ceremony was in charge of Bishop W. O. Shepard, assisted by Pres- ident A. W. Harris of the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. These exercises were attended by many of the church officials and leaders of education of the state and nation.
The financial history of the school shows many difficult and trying problems which the board has had to solve. An endowment was undertaken when the school was organized by selling scholarships. Per- petual scholarships were sold for $200 each, and many
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for a lesser sum were sold valid for three, five and seven years. Only sixteen of the perpetual scholar- ships are at the present time outstanding. Hence, but little endowment was realized through the sale of these scholarships. Other futile attempts were made toward creating an endowment, but little headway was made until 1905, when Dr. Don W. Nichols, a re- turned missionary from China, was secured through the efforts of President Thomas W. Roach in connec- tion with the gift proposed by Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie offered to build a $25,000 Science Hall if the Board of Trustees would raise $25,000 endowment and pay off an indebtedness, which was about $20,000.
The next endowment campaign was begun under the leadership of President Smith in 1912. The cam- paign proper had been preceded by the work of two or three educational or financial secretaries. Rev. J. W. Snapp was made educational secretary for the uni- versity in 1909 for the purpose of securing students and financial assistance. Dr. W. H. Sweet followed him in 1910 in the same capacity. Both of these men labored with untiring zeal and did much in laying a foundation for the promotion of a future campaign, and their efforts were crowned with victory in a very few years. Rev. J. W. Bates was made financial secre- tary in 1911, and with much enthusiasm undertook the difficult task of creating an endowment. In the late fall of 1911 President Smith, Rev. Bates as financial secretary, Dr. J. W. Hancher of the Board of Educa- tion and others launched a campaign in Salina for $56,000, of which sum $25,000 was to be endowment. This was completed after much heroic giving had been done, particularly in the Wesleyan addition among the members of the faculty and Board of Trustees.
Again in 1914 a forward movement campaign was undertaken under the direction of President Smith
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to complete the necessary $200,000 endowment as re- quired by both the Methodist Senate and the State Board of Education. During the summer of 1914 Dr. Smith, almost single handed, secured pledges for about $40,000. Later, when President Smith's relationship with the college had been severed, the plan was reor- ganized with Dr. Thomas W. Roach at the helm. He had full charge and lined up the entire conference, assigning a definite work for practically every man in the conference. Assistance was secured through such men as Dr. John W. Hancher of the Board of Educa- tion, Dr. S. S. Murphey, Rev. H. A. Church and others. The organization was so complete and carried out in such detail as to come in close and vital touch with practically every Methodist home in the conference. When the smoke had cleared from the battle field the books showed $130,000 had been pledged in this effort. More than one-half of this sum has now been paid to the auditor.
Mr. W. L. Nesmith, a merchant of Salina, but for- merly of Wilson, Kansas, a man who has served the university for many years as a member of the Board of Trustees, as president of the board and as a mem- ber of the Executive Committee, a man who has been and who still is very deeply interested in the welfare of the school, particularly in the religious life of the school, donated $15,000 as part of a $25,000 endow- ment for a chair of Bible. The first occupant of this chair was an alumnus of the institution, Dr. W. D. Schermerhorn, who after returning from the mission field was engaged to give instruction in the Bible dur- ing the year 1911 and 1912.
With only a little more than a quarter of a cen- tury's history to the credit of the institution, it has a plant and an endowment together amounting almost to a half of a million dollars valuation. This has come
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almost entirely from and through the loyalty and de- votion of the Methodists living within the bounds of our conference territory.
During the quarter of a century since the college was planted two hundred and forty-nine young people have received degrees from it, many of whom are occupying places of influence and importance devotedly striving to further the interests of the kingdom and to help mankind to a higher plane of living. The alumni of the institution include such men as Dr. D. W. Scher- merhorn, president of the Dakota Wesleyan, who served in the mission field at Hyderabad, India, five years, a year in the faculty of his alma mater and five years in the faculty of Garrett Biblical Institute; Dr. B. O. Peterson, a leader of the church in the Philip- pines ; Rev. W. H. Blair, another leader in the foreign field, Korea. Also a score or more of men and women scattered throughout the foreign field engaged in mis- sionary work. Prof. B. J. Morris, who is a member of the faculty of the University of the Pacific; Prof. W. G. Medcraft, who is serving the University of Arizona, at Tucson, as head of the department of mathematics, and many others who are leaders in the educational work in many of the states. In the legal profession might be mentioned such men as C. W. Burch and F. D. Blundon of Salina, O. E. Collins of Colorado and D. E. Blair of Joplin, Missouri, and many others who have achieved prominence both in legal matters and in constructive political work. In the ministry the graduates of the Wesleyan may be found occupying leading pulpits throughout the land, but they have received attention in another portion of this volume. In the medical fraternity and in the busi- ness world there are many leading members who are to be numbered among the alumni. This paragraph should record a few additional names of men and
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women who have done credit to the institution through service as instructors in their alma mater, such as Miss Caroline Matson, Miss Ida Bohannon, Rev. A. L. Semans, Prof. W. G. Medcraft, Prof. A. W. Jones, Prof. C. O. Marietta. It would be a pleasure to the writer and, I am sure, gratifying to all who love and honor the Kansas Wesleyan University, if space would permit a brief statement concerning the work of each of the two hundred and forty-nine graduates who have passed out into active service from the halls of Wesli. Such a record is being made for another volume to appear at a later date.
The institution has surely justified its establish- ment and the efforts and sacrifices of its founders through this long line of honored alumni.
The school began with one building located on a campus of about fifteen acres. This building now con- tains the offices, seven recitation rooms, the chapel, two large well furnished halls belonging to the four literary societies, the Delphian, the Athenaeum, the Ionian and the Zetagathean; two rooms occupied by the art department, one room occupied by the printing plant, and a rest room fitted up by the Y. W. C. A. for the girls.
The ladies' dormitory, built in 1903 and 1904, con- tains rooms which will accommodate about one hun- dred girls, offices, parlors, reception halls, and associa- tion room where the Y. W. C. A. holds its meetings, a large dining hall which will seat about two hundred people, a laundry and a kitchen. The dining hall is named in honor of the chief donor of the building, Mr. F. D. Kimble of Long Island, Kansas, and the building is named in honor of the beloved Dr. Aaron Schuyler.
Another building, known as Carnegie Science Hall, contains the library, the museum, a lecture hall, now occupied by the department of public speaking; the
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recitation and laboratory rooms for the department of biology, the department of chemistry and the depart- ment of household arts. This last department has one of the best equipped kitchens in the state. There is sufficient room for twenty girls to work, each having a table fitted up with a tile top, a gas stove and an oven and all the utensils needed in the kitchen of a well- equipped modern home. There is also a very tastily finished dining room for the use of those taking work in domestic science. This department also has a large room furnished with numerous individual lockers, sewing machines, work tables and a fitting room where the girls may make their own graduating gowns.
The president's residence is a very beautiful build- ing located at the corner of Santa Fe and Claflin ave- nues. It was the gift of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Roach and is known as the Roach Home. This build- ing, situated as it does adjoining the campus, is very conveniently located to serve the president of the university as a residence. The donor of this building again exercised wise judgment in erecting the home with large and well arranged rooms suitable to accom- modate the president of the institution in holding re- ceptions.
The business college is housed in a large three- story brick building located near the business section of the city. It has a large chapel capable of seating several hundred students, offices and a score of recita- tion rooms.
The college of music occupies the second floor of a business block in the heart of the city. The studio has a small music hall where recitals are held, several recitation and practice rooms, together with offices for the dean and his assistants.
The gymnasium, which was completed in the spring of 1916, has a large gymnasium floor 60 by 90 feet,
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with a running track in the balcony of about eighteen laps to the mile. This floor is said by various physical and athletic directors who have seen it to be the best lighted gymnasium floor found in the state. It has two offices each for the women's and men's physical directors, locker and shower bath rooms for both men and women. The girls' shower bath room has twenty private dressing rooms, each of which has a needle shower bath in connection with the dressing room. This gives the girls perfect privacy for taking a shower bath and dressing. There is also a swimming pool 18 by 40 feet and eight feet deep located on the first floor. Five hundred ladies make use of this swim- ming pool during the summer months. On the second floor is a large roo mfurnished for the use of the Y. M. C. A., where they hold their mid-week meetings. In the basement is located a central heating plant.
A fine cut-stone entrance gateway, the gift of the class of 1912, faces Santa Fe avenue. This is the most beautiful entrance gateway found on any campus in the state of Kansas. The campus is covered with a beautiful grove of maple and forest trees, plotted out with a driveway circling the main building, in front of which stands, on a circular lawn, a beautiful fountain, the gift of the class of 1914. In the tower on the gymnasium is a tower clock, electrically lighted by night, the gift of the class of 1915. The gymnasium floor is equipped with a thousand dollars worth of ap- paratus, the gift of the class of 1916.
If to the plant were to be added the business college and the music college buildings and equipment, to- gether with the new church edifice recently erected on a corner adjoining the campus, it would increase the valuation of the plant to more than a half million dol- lars, the accumulation of only a little more than a quarter of a century.
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An institution having passed the quarter of a cen- tury mark by only a few years, having an enthusiastic student body loyally supporting every phase of educa- tional work possible in a small college, a faculty de- voting their lives to the cause of Christian education, sacrificing much in order to aid in building up the . school, a president with a vision of the future and a faith to attain the almost impossible, a Board of Trus- tees devoting time and money and energy to make the school become efficient to the highest degree possible, a united ministry of the conference upholding the cause of Christian education and the Christian col- lege, a unanimity of opinion and effort of the entire conference gives a background and a faith in the future of an institution of learning so fortunate in having such valuable assets. All these forces converg- ing in the Kansas Wesleyan University as they do at the present time should insure its fulfilling the dream of its founders, and cause it to become a blessing to humanity.
THE SUMMER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY.
Until recent years the Summer School of the North- west Kansas Conference was a unique thing in Meth- odism. Indeed it is doubtful if, even at this time, there is anything just like it in the church. The boards of examiners in other conferences have meetings for lectures and examinations, but this conference has a school, with a program for recitations, with definite hours. This is rigidly adhered to. The tap of the bell indicates the close of the recitation, and all are gov- erned by it. The purpose of the recitations is the re- view of the books of the course. One rule of the school is that no one shall attempt to pass examination on a subject at the close of the school unless he has pre- viously studied the subject.
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This school developed from an Itinerants' Club which was organized at the conference of 1891.
Since John Wesley, no man has contributed so much to the culture of Methodists, both of the ministry and laity, as Bishop John H. Vincent. During the 80's he was making much of Itinerant Clubs, with two objects in view: First, to help the young preachers to get more benefit from the conference course of study; and second, to incite those who had completed that course to further systematic effort for culture. Up to that time no effort had been made to inspire men to study, or to help them in their endeavor. Here and there were men who took up the conference course with a determination to master it, and having done that, to go on to other attainments. By diligent and persistent application, they came to be men of letters in no mean degree. But those who did not thus re- solve got little out of it, and scarcely attempted further culture. Many times there was little in the examina- tion to inspire the student to desire a knowledge of that text, or to incite to general knowledge. The ex- amination was oral, and if the examiner was a fluent talker, many times he spent more time exploiting his own knowledge of a subject than in finding out what the student knew.
Years ago the writer, realizing that his own con- ference examinations were largely a farce, and that he himself had not gotten from the course of study what he ought to have obtained, began to ask himself whether some plan might not be devised whereby the college graduates who came to us might be quickened to continued effort, and the young men who enter the ministry without proper literary qualifications might be helped in their preparation for their life task.
The Itinerants' Club, organized and fostered by Bishop Vincent, presented a method of solving the problem.
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It so happened that in my journey to Norton, the seat of the annual conference in 1891, I was delayed nearly all day at a little station on the Rock Island, waiting for their west-bound train. Being alone, it was a good opportunity to concentrate my thought on the question I had been pondering for some days: What can be done to increase the efficiency of the members of our conference? I determined to draw up a constitution for the Itinerant Club, and, if oppor- tunity offered, to present it to the conference for adop- tion. The following constitution was prepared and adopted by the conference without change. (See Ap- pendix L.)
After the adoption of the constitution, officers were elected and the writer was chosen president of the club. At the next session he was appointed to a dis- trict. Previous to that time a Presiding Elder was never appointed on the Board of Examiners. The writer having been so appointed, his name was omitted from the board.
In the minutes of 1893 the following appears in the proceedings of the first day: "On motion of L. O. Housel, W. H. Sweet was added to the committee on Itinerant Club, as chairman." At the close of the session Sweet, feeling that, being in charge of a dis- trict, he ought not to act as chairman of the Board of Examiners, declined to serve longer in that capacity, and L. O. Housel was elected chairman. Dr. Housel, being in full sympathy with the aim of the organiza- tion, took hold of the work with vigor and, through four quadreniums, managed the school with diligence and efficiency.
The founding of this school was, in a sense, a pre- sumptuous thing to do. The Board of Bishops has control of all matters pertaining to the course of study and examinations. Annual conferences had been con-
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tent to follow their directions. But here was a young conference, a mere stripling of eight summers, launch- ing out for itself, directing how the Board of Exam- iners should be chosen, and providing for their or- ganization and procedure, for none of which was there a shadow of authority. But the aim was so worthy that it did not occur to any of us that we had no authority for our action, or to any one else to find fault with us.
Immediately following the General Conference of 1892, the bishops took action in reference to the course of study and examinations which so fully accorded with what we had mapped out for ourselves that we did not need to change our plans in the least.
The constitution adopted aimed to accomplish four things: First, to incite the students to earnest and diligent study of the books of the course; second, to lead examiners to fit themselves to give creditable ex- aminations; third, to provide for the keeping of a permanent record of grades; fourth, to provide a graduate course of study, which would tend to hold young men to definite and continuous study after the conference course had been completed. To accom- plish these ends definite and strenuous requirements were laid upon both students and examiners, require- ments which could be met only by most diligent effort. Failure to measure up to these requirements led the committee on Itinerants' Club, at the Conference of 1892, to report as follows :
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