Chapter Thirty One

ORIGIN, GROWTH AND HISTORY OF OUR COLLEGES.

PENN COLLEGE.

Everything good originates in the heart of some beneficent person who is not living wholly for him or herself. This is especially true of our institutions of .learning. There is heavy toil arid anxiety all along the pathway of all kinds of unselfish labor. But back in the beginning years there is a distinct character which grows .brighter with passing time, whose faith and hope outreached his fellows, and gave birth 'to the new idea. Such a man was Thomas Stafford, whom everybody knew in the earlier days. His father came originally from North Carolina. The household goods were hauled in a one-horse wagon, and the family walked to Richmond, Indiana. Mr. Stafford was a devout member of the Friends' church, and was the head workman who built the historic Friends' church at Richmond, Indiana. Having accumulated a small fortune, he went with a number of friends to southern Missouri with the thought of building up a colony. The country "was not to his liking, and through the influence of his friend, Samuel Coffin, he came to Iowa in the summer of 1843, locating in Spring Creek township. Through his influence other members of the Friends' church becarne his neighbors, until there was quite a community of his own sturdy faith. A house of worship was built. This modest building is now doing service as the Friends' Mission Chapel, in West Oskaloosa.

Thomas Stafford lived to be eighty-seven years old. He sleeps in the pioneer cemetery, in Spring Creek township, which he himself helped to found.

Later, largely through Mr. Stafford's persistent labors and influence, the Friends established a school two and one-half miles east of Oskaloosa. The building was a substantial frame three and half stories high, and the school was opened November 27, 1860. It was known as the Spring Creek Institute, and was placed in charge of Prof. David Morgan, of Friendsville, Tennessee. This village was located not far from Knoxville in east Tennessee. The town had been built up and named by Mr. Morgan, who had charge of a flourishing academy in the place. The breaking out of the Rebellion paralyzed all educational efforts in the south, and Mr. Morgan and his brother, Dr. J. W. Morgan accepted an invitation to take charge of the new Friends' school, which had been established in this county under the care of the Friends' Yearly Meeting.

Those who knew Prof. David Morgan, the head of the school, say that he was a man of broad culture, possessing unusual force of character. He was a mathematician and taught these branches in his school. Dr. Morgan says that he preceded his brother some weeks, and when he opened the now historic institute seventy-five young men and women enrolled as students. Among the first graduates from the school were Prof. Jesse Macy, of Grinnell College, and Prof. M. Stalker, state veterinarian. At the end of three years the building took fire and was wholly destroyed.

After the destruction of the Spring Creek Institute by fire in 1863, steps were taken by the Iowa State meeting of the Friends' church to establish a college to be located at Oskaloosa. This organization was first called the "Iowa Union College Association of Friends." Under this name grounds were purchased from J ohn White, north of Oskaloosa, and work was begun on the foundation. As usual in the beginning of every good and useful work, many difficulties were in the way. The foundation for the west wing of the present building was first undertaken. It was partly destroyed by a storm, but persevered in and completed in 1872, at a cost of $17,000. A school was opened in the fall of that year under the management of Prof. J. W. Woody, who was president of the institution for four years.

At the Friends' annual meeting in 1873 the name of the school was changed to Penn College. The first term of collegiate work began September 9, 1873. On the retirement of Prof. Woody, the presidency was held by William B. Ira Morgan for two years. In 1879 Benjamin Trueblood became the head of the school and ably filled the office of president until 1890, when he was invited to become secretary of the American Peace Society; and editor of The Peace. Advocate, which office he still holds. President A. Rosenberger, the present incumbent, was chosen by the board of' trustees to succeed President Trueblood. The first class to graduate from the school was in 1875. Since that time there has been a graduating class each year. In the year closing 1905, the graduating class numbered thirty-two, the largest in the history of the institution.

The school is growing rapidly, both in a broader usefulness and in larger equipments. Seven years ago the endowment fund was $20,000; now it is $106,000. But $75,000 of this fund, however, is productive, the balance is in the shape of bequests and gifts which are not interest-bearing- at present. The above sum does not include the generous gift to the school of $10,000 by the late James Callahan, of Des Moines. The institution has been favored by a number of gifts in recent years. Through the subscription and influence of David Skull, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, $10,000 endowment has come to the chair of English Literature, which has for some years been filled by Prof. Rosa E., Lewis. Other friends of the college have given generously to its support.

The number of students enrolled during the year just closed was 354. The management calculate that the school brings annually to this city $45,000. The cost of the buildings and grounds as they now stand is $64,000, and the institution is free from debt. The library is valued at $1,000; the laboratories and museum, $4,000; and the art collection, $2,000.

The school is essentially Christian, and the Bible is one of its text-books with which every student must be familiar before graduation. In a recent summary of its alumni, we notice forty-two ministers and eighty-seven teachers who are filling important places from New York to Oregon. It is difficult to estimate the local value of such a school to this city and county, as well as to the general cause of higher education.

The present faculty and instructors of Penn College are as follows:

Absalom Rosenberger, president; Professor of Economics and Sociology.
Rosa E. Lewis, Professor of English Literature.
Stephen M. Hadley, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy.
William L. Pearson, Professor Of Biblical Literature and Exegesis.
David M. Edwards, Professor of History and principal of the preparatory department.
Edwin Morrison, Professor of Physics and Chemistry.
Ella H. Stokes, Professor of Philosophy.
Walter J. Meek, Professor of Biology and Geology.
Ethel C. Rosenberger, Professor of the German and French languages.
William E. Berry, Professor of Greek and Latin.
J. Emory Hollingsworth, Professor of Latin.
Lola Irene Perkins, Elocution and Oratory.
B. A. Wright, Instructor in Bookkeeping and Stenography.
Louis F. Burnett, Instructor in Vocal Music.
Elmer H. Gifford is the present financial agent.

OSKALOOSA COLLEGE.

At the first state convention of the Disciples of Christ in Iowa, held in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in June, 1855, a resolution was passed to establish a college in Iowa, the location to be decided at a future time. Oskaloosa, Marion, Winterset and Mount Pleasant were desirous to secure the location. A. S. Nichols, of Oskaloosa, offered to donate ten acres of ground for such an institution, and the citizens of Oskaloosa raised a subscription of $30,050 and secured its location. This decision was reached at an adjourned meeting of the state convention held in Oskaloosa, October 10 to 13, 1856. The charter members of the board of trustees were the following: Aaron Chatterton, Richard Parker, Dr. C. G. Owen, J. Atkinsy, W. T. Smith, J. H. Bacon, A. S. Nichols, Matthew Edmundson, C. Hall, J. M. Berry, W. A. Saunders, J. Swallow, S. H. Bonham and S. H. McClure. At a board meeting in November, Aaron Chatterton, W. T. Smith and A. Johnson were appointed a committee on articles of incorporation. At a later meeting the report of the committee was adopted, and on motion of Aaron Chatterton, the institution was named Oskaloosa College. On June 27, 1857, the contract for the building was let to J. J. Adams for $24,500 and Aaron Chatterton and J. F. Rowe were employed as soliciting agents to raise an endowment fund. The work was begun with energy and earnestness, and in a short time they had secured in endowment notes the sum of $20,000. Everything looked auspicious for the beginning of regular college work in I858. But when everything seemed promising the financial crisis of 1857 burst upon the country. Contractors failed, subscribers were unable to pay their pledges, debts were incurred, and mortgages and leins were followed by law suits. It seemed as though all was to be lost, when, with the help of a few friends, Richard Parker saved the enterprise from absolute wreck. He was treasurer of the college board and it became the passion of his life to see the work completed. By great self-sacrifice he raised enough money to save the property from sale, and made some progress upon the building of the walls. After four years of patient effort, one wing was enclosed. On June 9, 1860, the stale convention of the church voted to raise a relief fund of $10,000. Two young men, George T. and W. J. Carpenter, recent graduates of Abingdon and Eureka Colleges, were secured to open a school in the fall of 1861. The first annual catalogue was issued in 1863. The building whose contract was let in June, 1857, was not completed until ten years later. The first students to finish the college course were Finley L. McGrew and George W. Seevers, who graduated in 1867. Those who acted as college president in the years that followed were: B. W. Johnson, F. M. Bruner, George T. Carpenter, G. H. Laughlin, R H. Johnson, J. A. Beattie, A. M. Haggard, J. M. Atwater and A. J. Youngblood. A. F. Ross and S. P. Lucy acted as presidents pro tern for a short time, and J. M. Stoke conducted a normal school in the building for one year.

At the close of the normal school the halls of the old college were silent for a year. It was impossible to keep up the regular college course without a larger endowment fund, and the board decided to dispose of the building and grounds. Charles J. Burton, of Canton, Missouri, was prevailed upon to move his correspondence school, which he had built up in connection with Canton University, to Oskaloosa. Having purchased all of Oskaloosa College belongings, July 17, 1902, he re-chartered the school under the name of Iowa Christian College. He has advertised extensively through advertising agencies, and has students in all parts of the world, wherever the English language is spoken. Last year the number of his correspondence students reached 700 and averaged throughout the year 600 students. He has been gradually building up a local school, which numbered last year 117. There were eleven graduates in the year just closed from the various departments. The study of the Bible is strongly emphasized in the correspondence work. Under the head of the business department, bookkeeping, shorthand and telegraphy are thoroughly taught. Regular college courses or parts of courses may be taken entirely by correspondence.

CENTRAL HOLINESS UNIVERSITY.

A third school of higher learning in Oskaloosa has been organized within the last year which bids fair to have a most promising future. Friends of the institution first purchased 220 acres of land southeast of the city in 1905.

Later a portion of it was platted, and by the sale of lots and subscriptions, over $40,000 have been realized to be used in the erection of the main building. The name of the new institution is to be the Central Holiness University. It is to be auxiliary to the growing interdenominational movement amongan earnest body of Christians known as the Holiness people. They have no desire to form a new sect, but simply to cultivate a higher and purer spiritual life, both for themselves and for those whom they may be able to win to Christ. A contract has been let for the main building, and the campus will be connected with the city by the street car line. Every effort is being made to be ready to open the institution on September 11, 1906.

Rev. L. Milton Williams is financial agent. The following are the board of trustees with their offices: C. W. Moore, president: Ephraim Smith, vice-president; Ella C. Coffin, secretary; W. R. Gilmore, treasurer; L. Milton Williams, D.F. Brooks, George A. McLaughlin, Dr. D. S. Bunce, William C. Carpenter, Ella C. Coffin, George Ramsey, Mrs. George Ramsey, William Crosson, Ephraim Smith, C.W. Moore, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Gilmore, Edgar Ellyson, Wesley Shoemake, H. A. Beal and J. H. Shroyer, trustees.

At this time but three members of the faculty have been chosen, viz.: Prof. A. M, Hill, president; Prof. B. W. Ayers, Ph. D.; and Prof. D. F. Brooks. Other members will be added later. A large wooden tabernacle will be built during the summer for the accommodation of their state gatherings, camp-meeting and Chautauqua purposes. The management
confidently look forward to the establishment of a great institution of learning and religious influence. The Bible will be one of the textbooks of the school.