USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 50
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In response to a widely-extended written call issued by J. G. Francis, of Oaks, Pa., to meet at Reading, November 29, 1898, to discuss the advisability and feasibility of start- ing a new college in eastern Pennsylvania, there met in - the Church of the Brethren in Reading on said date twelve Sisters and twenty-two Brethren. The meeting was called to order by Brother Francis and the following organization was effected : Elder John Herr, of Myerstown, Moderator; Elder G. N. Falkenstein, of Germantown, Secretary. After devotional exercises conducted by Brother Wm. Howe, of Norristown, the object of the meeting was stated by the moderator. Brother Francis then read some correspond- ence from a number of prominent Brethren expressing fav- orable sentiment for a school in Eastern Pennsylvania and tried to show the need of a school in our District that was of a higher standard. Brother Francis then moved that we in the fear of God proceed to establish a school in Eastern Pennsylvania. This motion was seconded by Bro. F. F. Holsopple, of Parkerford, Pa. At Elder Falken- stein's suggestion this motion was not put to a vote in order that there might be a fuller discussion of this important movement. Brother Francis then argued the necessity of a school by presenting statistics of members' children at other schools, chiefly schools outside of our church, and said there was need of facilities for preparing ministers in our church. Elder J. H. Longenecker, of Palmyra, said that he was in favor of education, but our State District was not united on this question and this was shown by the small representation at this meeting. He said that much prejudice exists against higher education in our Church. Elder H. E. Light, of Mountville, expressed himself favorable to the movement of starting a school. He said we do not have too many schools and cannot educate too much, but our children need to be educated in our own schools and especially in a school that is loyal to the Church. There was considerable pres- sure in the meeting to decide at once upon the building of the proposed school. Brother Francis read a paper from
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Ephrata inviting the school to locate here. Brethren E. B. Lefever and Samuel Kulp, of Ephrata, were representing the people of that town and stated a number of advantages that the place offered for the new school.
This meeting had both a forenoon and afternoon session, and after considerable discussion, a motion was passed that a committee of five be elected by ballot to take preliminary steps for finding a location for establishing a Brethren, school in this District and report at a future meeting. The committee elected by ballot was as follows : John Herr, J. H. Longenecker, H. E. Light, G. N. Falkenstein, Elias Lefever. The meeting instructed this committee to decide a time and place for the next public meeting. This committee organ- ized by electing John Herr, Chairman; G. N. Falkenstein, Secretary.
The locating committee appointed by the Reading meeting underwent some important changes. The chairman, John Herr, resigned on account of ill health. In his stead the committee elected S. H. Hertzler, of Elizabethtown. J. H. Longenecker also handed his resignation to the committee, but the reasons seemed insufficient to grant it. The com- mittee agreed to meet at Mountville on March 6, 1899, the object being to visit school sites. Four members of the committee met there and organized as follows: Chairman, H. E. Light; Secretary, G. N. Falkenstein; S. H. Hertzler and E. B. Lefever being the other members present. Mount- ville, Columbia, Pottstown, Ephrata, Norristown, and about a month later Elizabethtown, were visited by this committee. Permission was given by Elder S. R. Zug, of Mastersonville, to have a public meeting of the Brethren interested in this movement in the Brethren Church in Elizabethtown on April 5, 1899. All churches of the District were notified of this meeting on March 23. The meeting convened at the time and place stated at 9: 30 A. M. and was opened with devotional exercises by the Secretary. A committee of five Brethren offered the following nominations for officials for this meeting which were ratified by it : Chairman, S. R. Zug; Secretary, G. N. Falkenstein; Treasurer, S. H. Hertz- ler. Elder Zug made a brief address and then called for the
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report of the locating committee which was read by the Secretary. Representatives of the following places pres- ented sites for the new college : Mountville by H. E. Light, Columbia by H. E. Light and B. G. Musser, Ephrata by A. W. Mentzer, Norristown by letter, Pottstown by J. G. Francis, Elizabethtown by F. H. Keller who read a paper from the town council.
At the afternoon session, Elder George Bucher called for information by what authority this meeting is called. J. G. Francis stated that it originated in his mind. The Secre- tary, G. N. Falkenstein, spoke of the sentiment for a school throughout the District. The meeting then was declared open for further discussion of the following questions : first, Shall we have a school? second, What kind of a school do we want to establish? A number of speeches were made on these questions. George Bucher said: "I am in favor of a Brethren school on Gospel principles, but it must be subject to the Church and located in a loyal congregation." S. H. Hertzler said if some schools are improperly managed, we need one that is properly managed. After further discus- sion George Bucher moved that we have a school. This was seconded by Elder Jesse Ziegler, of Royersford and passed unanimously. The next question to be decided was What kind of a school shall it be? S. R. Zug said " coedu- cational for young people." George Bucher said "for the old ones too. We want a higher school. A college to com- pare favorably with any in the country. A safe school." J. G. Francis said : "We want a school in which the Bible is the text book, also offering scientific and classical courses." L. M. Keim said : "The new school shall have an agricultural department." Jesse Ziegler favored this also. G. N. Falk- enstein said a commercial department was also needed. After further discussion G. N. Falkenstein moved that we establish a school of such a character that compares favor- ably with any of our schools including Bible, academic, and collegiate departments,-a school to be at the same time a home and a church. The motion was passed by the meeting.
The meeting then decided that a committee of ten be
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appointed to be fully authorized to select a site for the loca- tion of the school. This committee consisted of H. E. Light G. N. Falkenstein, S. H. Hertzler, George Bucher, Jesse Ziegler, S. R. Zug, J. G. Francis, Abram Royer, Benjamin Hottel and William Oberholtzer. The committee named was also to draft a Constitution and By-laws for the new school and present the same at a future meeting. The com- mittee decided to meet at District Meeting for organization on April 20. The organization resulted as follows : Chair- man, H. E. Light; Secretary, G. N. Falkenstein; Treasurer, S. H. Hertzler. All towns offering sites were to place their proposals in the committee's hands not later than May 10. Meantime the offer of Lititz was to be investigated.
The locating committee met again at the Annual Confer- ence at Roanoke, Virginia, May 24, 1899. Of the commit- tee of ten the following were present: H. E. Light, S. R. Zug, George Bucher, S. H. Hertzler, G. N. Falkenstein, and J. G. Francis. William Oberholtzer resigned. H. B. Hol- hinger was elected in his stead. After devotional exercises and the purpose of the meeting having been stated, it was moved and seconded that sealed offers for the new school be read, and that a majority of the committee be required to decide its location. There were only two offers presented; namely, Ephrata and Elizabethtown. The advantages offered by these places were considered with reference to the following points : drainage, railroad facilities, money, church, water. Three ballots were cast without any deci- sion. The places voted for were Mountville, Elizabethtown, and Pottstown. Following some speeches made in favor of Pottstown and Elizabethtown it was unanimously voted to locate at Elizabethtown. The following subcommittee was appointed to prepare a Constitution and By-Laws for the school: G. N. Falkenstein, Jesse Ziegler, J. G. Francis. The committee decided that the next public meeting shall be at Elizabethtown on June 7.
The committee on Constitution and By-laws met at Royers- ford, Pa., June I with all present. This committee recom- mended that the name of this school be Conestoga College. After a day's work, the work of the committee was com-
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pleted. The locating committee met at Elizabethtown, June 6, at noon, the following being present : H. E. Light, Chair- man; G. N. Falkenstein, Secretary; S. H. Hertzler, Treas- urer ; S. R. Zug, George Bucher, Jesse Ziegler, Abram Royer and J. G. Francis. A formal protest was received from Ephrata in regard to locating the school at Elizabethtown and an informal protest was made in behalf of Pottstown. It was then moved and decided to reconsider the location. It was also decided not to admit new offers for the school unless open to all upon due notice. Three minutes' time was allowed each representative for presenting each site. H. E. Light spoke in favor of Mountville, S. R. Zug for Elizabethtown, Abram Royer for Ephrata, and J. G. Francis for Pottstown. On the third ballot eight votes were cast in favor of Elizabethtown.
The committee then adjourned to view several sites about Elizabethtown, after which they met at the home of S. H. Hertzler at 2:30 P. M., where the citizens' committee also met the locating committee. Many speeches were made in favor of two sites, one at the east end of town and the other at the west end. After some balloting which did not decide the location, many warm speeches were made and the matter was left undecided until the public meeting on the following day. The committee then took up the report of the com- mittee on Constitution and By-laws. The name proposed by the Committee on Constitution and By-laws provoked con- siderable discussion. The name Mack College was pre- sented by J. G. Francis. George Bucher opposed this name on account of it being the name of a man, but liked Con- estoga College. H. E. Light thought that Conestoga Col- lege was too local a name for the school. Jesse Ziegler presented the name East Penn .College. A motion to adopt the last name failed to pass. Finally the name Conestoga College was passed by the locating committee. There were slight changes made in the statement of the object of the school, but in the main the Constitution and By-laws were adopted by the locating committee. On Wednesday morn- ing, June the seventh, the locating committee had another session prior to the public meeting which convened at 9:30
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in the Brethren Church. Devotional exercises were con- ducted by George Bucher. The minutes of the former pub- lic meeting having been read, the decision of the locating committee as to the site of the new school was announced. The Constitution and By-laws were also presented for the consideration of the meeting. After an extended discussion on the name question, the meeting decided to adopt Eliza- bethtown College instead of Conestoga College as the name for the proposed college. Each section of the Constitution and By-laws was then taken up and after considerable discus-
sion it was adopted. The meeting proceeded to elect trus- tees, Brethren and Sisters voting by ballot. The following persons were nominated by the locating committee to serve as trustees : from Lancaster County, S. H. Hertzler, J. H. Rider, H. E. Light, George Bucher, C. R. Gibble, I. W. Taylor, T. F. Imler ; from Berks County, P. C. Nyce; from Montgomery County, Jesse Ziegler; from Lebanon County, F. L. Reber ; from Chester County, Nathan Hoffman; from Philadelphia, T. T. Myers, G. N. Falkenstein; from Mary- land, L. R. Brumbaugh, J. Y. King; from Dauphin County, M. R. Henry, John Landis. While the votes were being counted for trustees, George Bucher moved to insert a clause in the Constitution and By-laws prohibiting instrumental music. The meeting, however, decided to leave this matter in the hands of the trustees. The By-laws were then read and adopted and the tellers made the following report of the election of trustees : for three years, G. N. Falkenstein, Jesse Ziegler, S. H. Hertzler; for two years, J. H. Rider, Nathan Hoffman, M. R. Henry; for one year, P. C. Nyce, T. F. Imler, and L. R. Brumbaugh. It was then decided by motion that the trustees be authorized to call a meeting of the contributors whenever deemed necessary.
After adopting the Constitution and By-laws as a whole unanimously, the meeting closed at five o'clock. The com- mittee on location, Constitution and By-laws was then for- mally discharged and the meeting closed with devotional exercises. The writer is indebted to Elder G. N. Falken- stein of Elizabethtown for the minute details setting forth how Elizabethtown College was founded, he having been
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Secretary of all the committees and of the three public meet- ings that were held until the school was formally established.
Elizabethtown had two good locations for the school but the spot where the newborn college was finally to rear its walls was on a beautiful elevation at the eastern end of the borough on the farm of Brother B. G. Groff, a business man. The deal for ten acres of land as a nucleus for a campus was made by Royer S. Buch. He secured the land for the college at $150 per acre by the following proposi- tion : Royer S. Buch and his brother J. Harvey Buch guar- antee to pay for 1/3 of this tract, their father Addison Buch guarantees another third and B. G. Groff donated the remaining third. This original tract was increased later by the purchase of four acres from Bro. Groff.
The first board of trustees held its first meeting at Potts- town at the home of Nathan Hoffman on June 16. The organization of the board resulted as follows: President, Jesse Ziegler, of Royersford; Vice President, T. F. Imler of Lancaster; Secretary, G. N. Falkenstein of Germantown; Treasurer, S. H. Hertzler, of Elizabethtown. Elder Imler soon resigned and Brother J. H. Rider, a hardware merchant of Elizabethtown, was elected Vice President in his stead.
On September 23, 1899, a charter was secured. The in- corporators were : S. H. Hertzler, J. H. Rider, S. P. Engle, J. H. Eshleman, Jos. G. Heisey, all of Elizabethtown. The. trustees at once set out to raise funds for the erection of a building. The ground was broken for the first school building on July 10, 1900.
Arrangements for a Faculty preceded the erection of the first building. Elder I. N. H. Beahm, of Lordsburg, Cali- fornia, was elected the first head of the school with the title of Principal. Elder G. N. Falkenstein, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, appeared second on the Faculty as pub- lished in a blue sixteen-page catalogue issued in August, 1900. Miss Elizabeth Meyer, of Bareville, was the first lady in the faculty and had charge of the lady students.
November 13 had been set and announced as the time for the dedication of the first building, since called Alpha Hall, but the building was not completed by that time. Neverthe-
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less school was formally opened on November 13, 1900, in the Heisey Building, corner of Market and Bainbridge streets, Elizabethtown, with six students and three teachers. The students were all boys as follows: Kurvin Henry, of York County, Warren Ziegler and Walter Kittinger, of Mont- gomery County, Rufus P. Bucher, John Boll and Willis Heisey, of Lancaster County. Professor Beahm was not able to assume his duties when school opened, being con- fined to bed with nervous prostration. The principal's du- ties were performed the first year by Professor Falkenstein. The other teachers were Elizabeth Meyer and J. A. Seese, of Virginia.
The first week school work was conducted in the Heisey Building, third floor. Then for two months school was held in J. H. Rider's private dwelling on Washington Street, which was bequeathed to the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren at Brother Rider's death. On January 2, 1901, the school was moved to College Hill in Alpha Hall which was not yet fully completed at the time. On March 4, 1901, the building was dedicated with appropriate exercises.
II. EXPERIMENTAL STAGE.
The educational work so auspiciously though modestly inaugurated was not without trials, difficulties, and obstacles. The fate of the institution so untried and young was un- known and its future success not fully assured as yet. It passed through a period of development that may well be characterized as its experimental stage. In this critical period, who were the makers of Elizabethtown College? These may be classified as consisting of certain staunch trustees, some sacrificing teachers, and numerous fast friends.
A brief record of the early trustee meetings will furnish the names of the leading trustees who have been found true and tried in this educational project. At the first meeting at Pottstown, P. C. Nyce, of Reading, resigned his trustee- ship. George Bucher was elected in his stead. At this meeting the following were appointed a committee to secure a charter and also a seal for the new institution: Jos. H.
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Rider, S. H. Hertzler, and T. F. Imler. The Secretary, G. N. Falkenstein, was instructed to have Constitution and By-laws of the Board of Trustees printed. At this meet- ing the Eastern District of Pennsylvania was divided among the different trustees for the purpose of soliciting funds to erect a school building. The following reported success in their work: Geo. Bucher, Jesse Ziegler, J. H. Rider and S. H. Hertzler. The total pledged was $4,815, of which $3,150 was subscribed by Elizabethtown and community. This report was given at the second Board meeting at Ridgely, Md., at District Meeting on August 15, 1899. The third meeting was held at home of J. H. Rider, October 3, 1899, seven trustees being present. Here a petition circu- lated by J. G. Francis to change the location of college from Elizabethtown to Ephrata was presented but not favorably considered. A committee was appointed to secure an archi- tect. This committee consisted of T. F. Imler and S. H. Hertzler. The fourth meeting of the Board was at John Herr's home at Salunga October 18, 1899. The following building committee was appointed: T. F. Imler, S. H. Hertzler and George Bucher. At the fifth meeting held at S. H. Hertzler's home in Elizabethtown on Dec. 14, 1899, T. F. Imler was excused from building committee at his request. At the sixth meeting on April 12, 1900, at J. H. Rider's home, A. A. Richter of Lebanon was employed as architect. At this meeting steps were taken to elect the first principal. I. N. H. Beahm was provisionally elected to this position. At the seventh meeting which was held at the Middle Creek Church in West Conestoga Congregation on May 2, 1900, there were seven trustees present. Nathan Hoffman's resignation was received, but not accepted till a later meeting. On June II, 1900, at S. H. Hertzler's the eighth meeting convened when I. N. H. Beahm and Elizabeth Myer were formally hired as members of Faculty. Also G. N. Falkenstein was elected as teacher. B. G. Groff was awarded the contract to build the first build- ing, the price to be $14,250. J. G. Heisey, of Elizabeth- town, was appointed on Building Committee instead of T. F. Imler, resigned. At the ninth meeting held August 16,
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1900, the officers of the board were reelected for one year. The following were elected trustees for three years : George Bucher, T. F. Imler, D. Kilhefner. L. R. Brumbaugh was elected for one year. Isaac Royer of Reistville was elected a trustee but refused to accept. The following were ap- pointed a committee on catalogue and also to prepare a pro- gram for Opening Day : G. N. Falkenstein, Jesse Ziegler, Elizabeth Myer and I. N. H. Beahm. Sister I. N. H. Beahm was elected as matron.
At the tenth meeting held October 2, 1900, a vault was purchased. Ed. Wenger was elected a trustee. The Open- ing Day occurred on November 13, 1900, at which time the IIth Board Meeting was held. At S. H. Hertzler's the twelfth meeting was held January 8, 1901. Trustees Kilhef- ner and Bucher resigned. The first Bible term was ap- pointed for March to be conducted by J. Kurtz Miller. At this meeting a loan of $9,000 was made with the Lancaster Trust Co. Total cost of Alpha Hall, the first building was $14,318.71. Other trustees of the earlier history we're M. R. Henry, Benjamin Hottel, Isaiah Musser, S. P. Engle, B. G. Groff (did not accept), A. S. Kreider, S. G. Graybill. In addition as trustee, S. H. Hertzler served as business manager in 1902. I. N. H. Beahm was business manager in 1903-04. Mrs. Beahm was matron from 1903-07. The management of the school was assumed by an administra- tive committee consisting of I. N. H. Beahm, President; D. C. Reber, Vice President and Registrar ; H. K. Ober, Secre- tary and Treasurer in 1904 for three years.
The faculty for the second year's work consisted of G. N. Falkenstein, Principal; Elizabeth Myer, C. F. Weaver, J. H. Keller, Mrs. G. N. Falkenstein. In 1902, D. C. Reber and H. K. Ober entered the faculty. Professor Falken- stein resigned as Principal in October, 1902. For 1903-04, D. C. Reber was elected as acting Principal. Elizabeth Myer and H. K. Ober also remained in faculty. J. M. Pittenger, of Ohio, an A.B. graduate of Juniata College be- came teacher of Latin and Science, in 1903. In 1904, Prof- essor Beahm was elected the first President of the school, and D. C. Reber, Vice President. Besides Professor Ober
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and Miss Myer, the following were employed to teach in 1904: P. S. Davis, W. H. Sanger and Flora H. Good, the latter as the first instrumental music teacher. In 1905, B. F. Wampler, J. G. Meyer and J. Z. Herr, the latter two being Alumni of the school, were employed as teachers. In 1906, E. C. Bixler, A.M., was employed to teach Greek and Latin and continued with school two years. Luella G. Fogel- sanger, after completing the Pedagogical Course in 1906, en- tered the faculty as a full teacher and remained till 1910. In 1907 the first regular Bible teacher was secured in the person of E. E. Eshelman of Waynesboro. He taught in the institution three consecutive years. In the earlier period to the close of the active administration of President Beahm, the following served as assistant teachers in the school: M. Alverda Stayer, S. B. Kiefer, I. E. Shoop, Luella G. Fogel- sanger, Nathan Martin, L. Margaret Haas, L. D. Rose.
Of the teachers of the earlier experimental period, five may be mentioned for their efficient and faithful services, which laid a strong foundation for the permanence of the school. Professor G. N. Falkenstein, a graduate of Breth- ren's Normal College in 1882, and a student for two years in Mount Morris College and the University of Michigan, acted as chief executive during the first two years of the school's existence. Under many trying and discouraging circumstances, he conducted the school while the principal- elect, Professor I. N. H. Beahm, was ill and unable to teach. His health necessitated a change of occupation and the Vice- principal, D. C. Reber, a graduate of Juniata College in 1897 and of N. Y. University in 1902, performed the duties of acting Principal the third year and was eleced Principal of the school the fourth year.
In 1904, Professor I. N. H. Beahm, a graduate of Bridge- water College in 1889, formerly Principal of Prince William Academy, Va., and President of Lordsburg College, Cal., was able to assume the duties of President of Elizabethtown College and remained actively in charge of the institution for three years, a part of the third year of his administration being devoted to travel in Palestine and Egypt. During his term of office, the instrumental music department was
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opened. Also a two year's course in agriculture was out- lined. During his trip abroad Vice President Reber pre- sided over the institution. In 1905, need of a second build- ing became apparent. This was completed in 1906 and dedicated on March 4 of that year.
H. K. Ober entered the faculty as commercial teacher in 1902 after graduating at the Millersville S. N. School in 1898 and from Penna. Business College at Lancaster in 1902. In 1903 he was elected Vice Principal of the school in addition to his duties as commercial teacher. In 1904 he became one of the administrative committee, filling the responsible position of acting treasurer of the institution. He also served as the first business manager of our College Times, and as Principal of the Commercial Department from 1904-1907. As chairman of the Physical Culture committee he was largely instrumental in shaping the future policy of the institution regarding athletics.
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