Oakwood University - Acorn Yearbook (Huntsville, AL)

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N9 1' ww ips Professor Boydls Old Testament History class 1917 In the summer of 1907, we built the cement block chapel. Those were the days of wagons and harness, wood stoves, oil lamps, lanterns, and wheel barrowsvyes, wheel barrows. We had a fine group of exceptional students. They worked hard and studied diligently. They took a deep interest in building up the school and extending its interests and influence. They were devoted to their teachers and loyal to the institution. We added to the school curriculum from time to time. It was but little more than an eighth grade school in 1907. By 1918, the first two students finished our Junior College course. We conducted summer normal sessions for our church school teachers and colporteur institutes for our book workers near the close of each school year. We published Gospel Herald. We purchased the Ford land, the 618 acres immediately across the road from the campus. After months of negotiating I was a happy man when Elder W. T. Knox, Treasurer of the General Conference, placed a draft in my hand for 524,500 with which to close the transaction. We added some rare personages to our faculty. Among them I would mention Elder H. jeys and later his son, George, both with fertile minds Hlled with original ideas, the diligent Mae Hollingsworth and Etta Reederg the practical Dr. Iviartinson and his wife Stella, Cecil Corkham with a frail body but strong mind, and Isabel Cartright Cunningham, whose faithful devotion to the institution has been well known these many years. Now I have written you about the days of small things. More than a quarter century of achievement has brought its greatnessjsince I saw the place. May I plead with you, despise not the day of small things. It was July 18, 1918, when the writer took his def parture to blaze another slightly dim educational path into Valiant corps of boolqmeri i' gf at w . fi if s ,.., il A XA Ax Q My 6 MN-, l i iii 1 I 'si l il? Q gp 5 JH Jia- l l Fail . . y wg p g,AV If N Q. ,.... L, . .......f:...-uu..mn'- -.-.... kg Mitsical ensemble Central America and the West Indies. But Oakwood is the pet project of my career. When I was a boy, a great statesman in closing an address to the Congress said, My country, may she ever be in the right, but right or wrong, my country. May I indulge by partly using the same language: 4'My Oakwood, may she ever be in the right but right or wrong, my Oakwood. May the great God grant that the spirit of this same institutional patriotism may characterize the life and motive of every teacher and student that connects with that good work. C. J. Born Vista, California, March, 1946 1 It was in the summer of 1920. Professor W. E. Howel was Secretary of Education in the General Conference3 Elder J. L. McElhany, now of the General Conference, was President of the Southern Union, and Professor I. Beardsley, President ofO. J. C. These three men endeavored to solicit my interest in transferring from the position of Educational Superintendent in the Michigan Conference, to the needy Southland, for the purpose of organizing and establishing the teacherftraining work on a more sub' stantial basis. September of that year found me on the beautiful campus of Oakwood. The early impressions of the massive grand old oaks and the profusion of flowering shrubs never faded. More than once, to my sorrow, did I then learn, that what looked like solid turf, when stepped upon, let the individual down into the red clay almost to the top of high shoes, which were then the fashion. The cotton fields, with the big, fluffy white bolls were fascinating to one not accustomed to such a scene. The shagbark hickory nuts were delicious. The towering cedars were proving a boon to the school when turned into those gorgeous and expensive cedar chests. Professor Corlqirnfs class in Modern History 1917

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. . , - , .... SPEAK Ready for work 1909 P on a mission of seeking a location of such a school. After examining numerous prospective sites in the South, they finally purchased a plantation of 358 acres about five miles northwest of Huntsville, Alabama. It was now 1895. A good valley, healthful climate, central location, good railroads, and a liberal minded people were the inducements for this location. S. M. Jacobs was the central personality about whom the happenings of those early years clustered. He was a thorough hardworking, likable manager, farmer, and school teacher. He proceeded cautiously and conscientiously to make friends for the school among both white and colored. Being industrious, he gathered about him a group of earnest, industrious students. They produced good crops on the land. It was not until March 23, 1907, that I came to Oakwood with my wife and twofyear old boy. We had previously come South in July, 1904. At the time the property was purchased for the Madison School by Professors Sutherland and Magan. The Morning Star was moored into the Cumberland River at Nashville. It was our privilege, with other workers, to have a ride on this boat around the bend in the river from Nashville to the Orphanage Faculty of 1917, Professor Beardsley visiting newly purchased land for the Madison School. This was the last trip the boat ever made. It was soon dismantled. We later moved its boiler to Oakwood to use at the sawmill. Oakwood was twelve years old when we arrived. We found about 70 students in attendance. W. H. Williams had become business manager. Brother Jacobs had been away four years. The farm hadn't been doing well, and the old chapel had burned. But the students were having some good, thorough class work with Professor W. J. Blake as principal. F. W. Halladay was now preceptor. Mrs. Boyd was matron. We united our efforts to build up a stronger work. The conference had Brother Jacobs come over from Graysville for a week to give us the benefit of his experience in handling the work. His timely counsel was much appreciated. Elder Irwin came frequently, spendf ing from one to three weeks at a time. We built a cannery at Oakwood to save and preserve things. We also built a sweet potato house, where were kept large quantities of potatoes. We made sorghum, produced plenty of peanuts, and had extensive gardens. We tried in every way to make the institution serve its own needs, as far as possible, however, we met with some failures. We had our ups and downs but usually more Nupsl' than downs .

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Professor Bucknefs class in Arithmetic 1917 Old Mansion, with its southern architecture and hand carving along the stairs has ever been a center of attraction and historical interest. Some of the personnel of that time may be of interest: Professor F. L. Peterson, your worthy president, was then Dean of men and specialist in music and English, Elder W. L. Bird, at the head of Bible and the Library and Printing, Mrs. E. I. Cunningham, Dean of women and in charge of other activities, Uncle Jeff Stevens, at the mill, sawing logs into lumber, and in some secluded spot manufacturing the most delicious sorghum ever tasted, Mrs. Clmstead, the nurse, Mrs. Ethel FieldfAllen, in the training school along with Mrs. Frances BaughfPearson Cboth single at the timejg Mrs. Cox at the Crphanageg the W. L. Lewis familyg K. E. Ambsg business managerg Professor Roy Jorgenson, in charge of the Science Department. I believe he introduced the first radio on the campus. He was liberal enough to allow those interested to put on the ear phones and listen in on this wonder apparatus. There were no individual class room available, no office, very little in the way of equipment, but there were a symf pathetic board, an interested faculty, and most necessary of all, an eager, live student group. A small room on the first floor of the Administration Building was occupied by the primary children. The upper grades were allowed to assemble in the chapel for a long half day session, while the academy and college students were busily engaged in the school's industries, where they earned much of their expenses. Then they assembled for school work the other half day. The two different normal courses were sponsored by the General Conference: an elementary normal course pursued during the last year of the academy course and the advanced normal, strictly on the junior college level. Plyiiig the trade of the Apostle to the Gentiles if If if 1 A f f 1 4' 1 4 y ii J 41 1, 4 N, ,-. I ff fy, , , .,. I t'f- .- . . ' 1 - fp ff I 'ja ' ' f I' W? .1 i Q. 'T ' S4 W My 11 . - . iz. i, H. Mrs. Boydfs sewing class 1917 Three young women applied for the elementary, namely, Blanche Palmer, Alice Frazier, and Willie Carpenter. In the advanced normal, two applicants, both employees with considerable college work to their credit, were checked to complete the advanced course. These were the Misses Julia F. Baugh and Jennie Stratton. All five of these young women later changed their names but not their interests in their chosen profession, and some are still active. Classes in woodwork for upper grade boys in the training school were conducted by Elder Lewis, cooking, by Mrs. Lewis, and sewing by Miss Jennie Stratton CDobf binsj. The three union secretaries of the Southern fields, Professor john Thompson, Professor J. A. Tucker and Miss Anna Knight placed their influence one hundred per cent in the promulgation of teacherftraining. They were in desperate need of trained teachers. Sunday schools were organized or visited in nearfby settlements. The musicals were well attended. Interchange of visits to the nearfby state college cultivated a whole' some respect for each other. Cne of the most unusual experiences came when a program was launched permitting some of the prospective teachers to get experience in real live situations by assisting in near by rural schools where they had already visited Sunday schools in some instances. Cften these day schools enrolled from 6070 children crowded into a church audif torium with no equipment save the church pews, a few books, and the teacher. In the rural school buildings there seldom were found seats to accommodate all who were enf titled to attend. Nothing daunted, these extras brought chairs from home and established themselves in some vacant spot in the room. Cne day, as I recall, Professor Butler. the county superintendent of education called our president on the Sewing class of191-1 Q - h 'JQZY-g!14'. L . ,.-4,1 f' 15539-. ' 033' I ffl' , ,. f 1 'i,.3fr1'5,f '