Lipscomb University - Backlog Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

Page 32 text:

DAVID LIPSCOMB. JHYUSS - PHoro, “NO MAN’‘S LAND” The Old Campus with its great trees and lush blue- grass has always been a charming picture in the mem- ory of every student since the school moved to its pres- ent site in 1903. For many years it was reserved for the girls except on special occasions. Elam was a man of striking appearance, rather large, with blue eyes, and a prominent nose and forehead. He was a graduate of Burritt College and had taught school in early life. He had developed into one of the best preachers in the brotherhood. He had done ‘‘located”’ work at Lebanon, Franklin, and Gallatin, and had trav- eled extensively as an evangelist. At this time Brother Elam lived on his farm near Lebanon. He was a pract- ical man with a high sense of honor. At chapel services he often warned the students against extravagance and dishonesty. He believed in thrift, economy, and fair dealing. He had been called upon time and again to intervene in the settlement of church troubles. He was successful in making peace. No man could have been more fair in his dealings with others. From the time Elam was selected to head the school, he showed great enthusiasm and wrote constantly in behalf of its progress. In 1907 hardly an issue of the Gospel Advocate was published that did not contain upon its front pages a plea for the school. His articles were headed ‘’Help the Nashville Bible School.’’ Some got the impression from the constant appeal that the school was in dire financial distress and that it was about to close its doors. This was entirely false. Lips- comb published a statement of the school’s financial condition in which he said that the ‘’school is not in a financial strait, it has never had a debt mature that it was not able to meet.’’ He explained that Elam’s appeals were for the school’s expansion. More buildings were needed. A number of people sent small gifts, but few who were able to give large sums responded. As a con- sequence no new buildings were in sight and the en- largement of the old ones had to be postponed with the exception of an addition of six rooms to the girls’ dormitory. Less than $1,000 was raised by Elam’s ap- peals and this was used in making minor improvements and in purchasing badly needed equipment. The lack of enthusiasm upon the part of the brother- hood was due to a lack of understanding of the nature and aims of the school. Elam said that more people

Page 31 text:

usage, extemporaneous speaking, and debating. Al- At the commencement exercises which followed the though the societies served well their day, their sun has reunion, nine persons received degrees — the largest set never to rise again. up to that time. The graduates were: Ethel Blackman, At the close of the fourteenth session, which marked Henry Leo Boles, Mary Elizabeth Bourne, Lyde Dallas the end of the Anderson administration, there was only Bowers, James Edward Boyd, Samuel Henry Hall, John one graduate—Elizabeth Kittrell of Maury County, who Thomas Lewis, David Willomine Shepherd, and Jessie received the B. L. degree. At this time the school was Lander Wells. conferring the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of THE WARD ADMINISTRATION Literature, and Bachelor of Science. At commencement it was annuonced that E. A. Elam, THE ELAM ADMINISTRATION a member of the Board of Trustees, one of the editors Anderson was making preparation to move his family of the Gospel Advocate, and a preacher of the highest to Nashville in order to devote himself more assiduously rank, had been elected superintendent. to the work of the school. About a month of the vaca- The Elam adminstration covered seven sessions, ex- tion had passed when teachers, students, and friends of tending from the sixteenth through the twenty-second. the school were shocked to hear that he had died sud- denly from a heart attack. This was the first death within the faculty. Class of 1907. Left to right: Lester Morrow, Maude Newsome, Aura Burcham, Byron Cook, Laura Pepper, There was no available man in sight to succeed him. Florence Birdwell, and Jessie Wells. While on the look-out for a successor, the president of . the Board requested Dr. J. S. Ward to take the over- : , bi ee oh sight of the school. Dr. Ward and wife had had ex- perience in supervising the girls’ dormitory before the school left Spruce Street. With the assistance of Mrs. Blackman they continued in this capacity at the new lo- cation. In addition to his work here, Dr. Ward was on the faculty of the medical and dental departments of the University of Tennessee. During this year of transition the school flourished. There were 181 students enrolled, the largest enrollment thus far. Brother Lipscomb in the Gospel Advocate commented favorably upon the success of the Ward ad- ministration. The Ward administration marks the beginning of th- traditional alumni reunions. Several weeks before com- mencement a call was made for all former teachers an“ students to assemble May 23, 1906, the day before the final exercises. Much enthusiasm was manifested. About one thousand attended the reunion. Among the principal speakers was James A. Harding. A group banquet in April, 1906. Left to right: Mary Bourne, Jessie Baxter, Aura Burcham, Laura Pepper, Byron Cook, Ethel Blackman, Edward Boyd, John T. Lewis, Jessie Wells, . ce | Effie. Anderson, John T. Gleen. Seat- rr ' a: ed: D. W. Shepherd, Lyde Bowers. : ; is SHVILLE BIBLE SCHOOL = iA

Page 33 text:

The faculty and students of the session of 1907-08. The girls appear in the uniform worn on the campus during the spring. would support and patronize the school when they came to understand it. He endeavored to clarify the situation when he wrote, ‘It is a literary school—college—a char- ter institution which confers the different degrees of a college. It is a Bible school because the Bible is taught daily to all.” It was difficult to get people to under- stand that other things besides the Bible was taught. The idea was abroad that since it was a Bible school nothing but the Bible was taught and that it was de- signed for preachers. Frequently a taunt was made to one contemplating attending. The question was asked, “Are you going to be a preacher?’’ Girls were asked, “Are you going to be a missionary?’’ It took years to enlighten people concerning the true status of the Nash- ville Bible School. The enrollment, an average of about 175 -during Elam’s administration, remained practically stationary. The faculty remained about the same from year to year and there was little change in the curriculum. Elam admitted however, that while most of the students did good work there was some who were undutiful. Batsel Baxter, a student from 1908-11, wrote that ‘The pace was set in almost every class by a group of enthusiasts for the subject, and the work was hard.” At the close of Elam’s first administration there were seven graduates. During his entire administration the graduating classes ranged in number from four in 1909 to eleven in 1911. IMPORTANCE OF GLENN The administration might properly be called the Elam-Glenn administration since John T. Glenn was des- ignated as Elam’s assistant and as supervisor of the boys’ dormitory. Glenn understood boys. He was ‘‘one of them’’ and yet firm in discipline. If a boy slipped away and went to town, when he got back at night Glenn was at the door to greet him, it mattered not how late the hour. The boys wondered how he cou ld be in so many places at the same time, and some cynically remarked that it took a thief to catch a thief. If one broke over and visited a theater, Glenn spotted him there. Not often would the boys come out ahead in their tilts with Glenn. | remember Glenn’s dog. Everybody remembered her. She was an imported airdale and her name was Jesseth— not ‘‘Jessie’’ Glenn frequently explained. good to his dog. Glenn was One morning at the breakfast table he announced that his dog’s pan was missing. The ex- planation was that some of the boys had broken into the kitchen the night before and had feasted on what was intended for Jesseth. Well, ‘boys will be boys’’ and so they frequently got into mischief. Paper sacks filled with water were thrown from the upper windows and lighted on the head of a boy who happened to be stick- ing his head out of the window below. It was difficult to catch the offender but woe unto the one who was caught. One of the favorite ‘indoor sports’’ was to take one of the zinc bath tubs to the top of the steps on the third floor and while the lights accidentally (2?) went out the tub would take its journey down and not stop until it reached the bottom floor. The question still unanswered was “Who did it?” Of course we ordered the boys to have good table manners. Dr. ward Jectured on table ‘’ethics,’” showing them how to use knife, forks, and spoons but the boys did not always observe the regulations. When the fuse was blown and all was a darkness, biscuits sailed from table to table. We dodged them as best we could. Brother Elam was a very busy man. Besides home responsibilities and carrying on his farm in Wilson County, he was frequently called away from the campus to conduct funerals and perform marriage ceremonies in addition to his regular preaching appointments. THE ARK In 1910, in the midst of the Elam administration, the first school annual was published, with Batsell Baxter as editor in chief. This was called the ‘‘Ark,’’ an ap- propriate name, for it was a rendezvous for ‘’man and beast.’ The history of the school up to that time was recorded in Biblical language. Only one volume of the “Ark’’ was produced. It was 1914 before an attempt was made to bring out another annual, and then the name was changed to ‘’Zenith.’” The yearbook with the name “Zenith’’ came out again in 1916 and in 1920.