Oakwood University - Acorn Yearbook (Huntsville, AL)

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1lMNQ.Ei1lAW'WU 'blah' .A . , : ...-...i..- .t.. 1. . ,. . .. . ... . U. ................... phone saying he was desperate over an emergency that had arisen and needed a teacher badly. Because all these schools had but short terms, perhaps three months would be only a few weeks left to complete the year. After some counselling it was decided that the best available teacher we could spare would be recommended even though it might bring some inconvenience to the home program. The year's work was completed meritoriously. It was this experience that caused the college to operate a coaching class for volunteers who wanted to receive state certification by examinations. Such students could go to these community schools and receive a salary while gaining an experience under the supervision of the normal depart' ment. With this certihed teacher, could be placed one or two others without certification. In this way standards of teaching, longer school terms, and good feelings were prof moted in the vicinity of the college. Eventually a building to house the normal work was recognized as an urgent need and plans were made for solicitations. Elder O. R. Staines was especially helpful in his suggestions during this campaign. By dint of strenuous labor and sweat of the brown the money was at length in hand, and the building program proceeded. These are only a few of the highlights of the pioneer experiences in teacherftraining during the years 19201926 The summer schools brought scores of teachers for more training and carried the spirit of better methods back into the field. Some of the early laborers are still holding key positions in elementary education. Only the Book of Records will reveal an adequate and accurate account of achievements won, and the results which may easily be beyond our comprehension. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmamentg and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. LOTTA E. BELL BEGINNINGS AT OAKWOOD-Elder O. A. Olsen's Interest in the School As Remembered by his Son, Prof. M. E. Olsen. Looking at Oakwood as it is tofday with its greatly enlarged boundaries and numerous buildings, one finds it hard to realize how the farm looked when first bought by Seventhfday Adventists in the early winter of 1894. I had the privilege of accompanying my father, Elder O. A. Olsen, and Elder G. A. Irwin when they went to Huntsville to look over land in that vicinity and make a hnal decision. While the negotiations were under way, we stayed at a hotel. As soon as the matter was settled, and we knew that the property was ours, we picked up a few necessary articles of furniture, chiefly beds and mat' tresses, loaded them on a wagon and started for the farm. hilt was dusk when we drove up in front of the old manor house and unloaded. There had been a cold, drizzling rain all the afternoon, and we were pretty well chilled after the slow ride. Hastily stopping up some of the larger holes in the windows, for the house was somewhat out of repair, we built a roaring fire of logs in the big firefplace, and after a warm supper and a pleasant social time around the great firefplace, we were ready to try the new beds. The house in those days looked old and forsaken enough to be haunted, but our slumbers were undisturbed. 'LThe next morning after breakfast we walked over the farm inspecting every part of our new possession, including lt. OAKFIOOD JUNIOR COLLEGE--01-ABB OF itammyymyxiiww,. 1 lm J I X E' 'V 'ff 0 S S ' WllllilllXNWWNAKWXXXWWMlll

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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 '

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if s vfw JUNIOR the cultivated portions and timber. I remember the soil in the best fields was a chocolate brown, and the corn in some places stood well over our heads. Everything went to show that so far as the land was concerned we had acquired a piece of property that we might well be proud of. The two or three days spent in the vicinity of Huntsf ville were very pleasant ones for my father. He had just come from Battle Creek where burdens of all kinds weighed heavily on his shoulders. To get into the country and breathe the fresh air, and walk over the stubble and under the trees was a real treat to him. We were thinking, too, of how much it would mean to the young people who would become students at Oak' wood, and how they would enjoy studying the word of God and the great events of human history, and working on the land in such beautiful natural surroundings. Both Elder Irwin and my father were in every way pleased with the place. They especially admired the magnificent oak trees on the grounds, it was while walking reverently under those towering giants that they decided to name the place Oakwood and thus perpetuate the memory of its most remarkable physical feature. It has not been my privilege to visit Oakwood since those early days when as a stenographer I accompanied my father on his travels, but I have had the pleasure of meeting several of its students, and I have heard much of the growth and prosperity of the institution. I certainly join very heartily with its president and faculty and fine body of students in wishing it continued success in that noblest of all achievements,-the ability to train earnest, consecrated workers for the great harvest field. THE SPIRIT OF THE FOUNDERS-Elder G. A. Irwin's Interest in Oakwood as Remembered by His Son Prof. C. W. Irwin. Your letter of November 6 reached me this morning. I regret that I cannot give you very much information regarding my father's connection with the Oakwood School, but I shall give you a few facts, and it may be that you can obtain something that you can use. Band of music makers 'LMy father, Elder G. A. Irwin, first became acquainted with the Southern field during four years of service in the army at the time of the Civil War. Having been in the service nearly the whole period of the war, he had a good opportunity to see large sections of the South. During this time, he was eight months in Andersonville Prison and was engaged in seventeen battles and engagements. Strange as it may seem, this experience engendered in him a deep inf terest and sympathy for the South and its people. After having accepted present truth, and after having served as president of the Ohio Conference for a number of years, he was called to be the superintendent of the Southern District of the General Conference, which covered the territory of the Southern and Southeastern Unions. It was during this time that he formed his special interest in the colored work in the South, and he felt that the Third Angel's message was due the colored people as well as other races. Having always had an interest in educational matters, although he himself was deprived of advanced education because of his army experience, he early saw the necessity of establishing a school where colored workers might be prepared to carry the gospel to their own people. and it was in this way that he became associated with Elder O. A. Olsen and Brother Jacobs in search for a suit' able location in which to establish a training school for the colored people. I myself entered the work in the South in 1893 as principal of the Southern Industrial School located at Grays' ville. This was very soon after Father had left the Southern field and had taken up the work of president of the General Conference. It was in this way that I became quite in' timately acquainted with his ardent support of the school at Oakwood. I know that this institution was one which engaged his attention in a very special way and was always the object of his solicitude. The Oakwood School always occupied a tender spot in his heart as long as hc livcdf' HP i - 5 s . 'fa TIT - 52 1 1 If ZS' . 'lx W i 1 , cfs ' 341555, '- , Q 'ylff . , 7 41 i 'ff X . . . : I H 4 tl, -PMHTTSQF' 'g 'S--l ,-i,ft.,f I fu. -X ' E, l glgl' JA X X 'Pa is EH. .Ti ,- . . X. . 5 Tfxvyi-,V . - ' . , ,. s. . A . a - H fs -s -s - Q - Q 'K 5 '- , 'ef-fs-Wu JU-ww vw. iw---wb -I .e ffl? .2-fs f ositsws .issues cs....sss--sia.-lotsa-..cUx ...ass in