West Virginia Wesleyan College - Murmurmontis Yearbook (Buckhannon, WV)

Page 8 text:

fihrffr XI lM! ■ ■ N t W ■ ■■■■ ■H ■■ IN RETROSPECT

Page 7 text:

FOREWORD In the past few years there has been a growing awareness of a change in the college of the murmuring mountains. Students, administration, alumni, and townspeople sense that new life is being breathed into Wesleyan and watch with anticipation as she stirs and rises, flexing academic, social, and cultural muscles. The task of every student is to recognize the new and the old in his own surroundings and to relate their meanings to each other. He must know the value of his heritage, yet feel the thrill of contemporary innova- tions. This knowledge is essential in recognizing the part of the old in deter- mining the new, and the limitations placed on the new by the old. Our college community is a testing ground where the old and the new meet and link together. The upperclassman returned to Wesleyan ' s campus this year to lie re- acquainted with old friends and familiar scenes. Agnes Howard Hall, Senior Walk, the sundial, the S.C.O.W., and the oak trees were a welcome sign of previous years of happy experiences. They represented a stability that he had felt in going home the first time his freshman year. ' Remember when ' s and Let ' s do it again ' s rang out in memory of past school days. He was reminded of the underlying ideals that are a part of Wesleyan ' s tradition. Remnants of Wesleyan ' s early days are still spotlighted amidst die rapidly expanding campus. The Science Hall, Agnes Howard, the Lynch-Raine Ad- ministration Building, and the Music Box are symbols of life at Wesleyan during the early part of the century. Since 1890 the campus has been a main- stay of the community as a representative of Christian education and as a source of cultural, economic, and social welfare. These are evidences of the history of Wesleyan represented through many of the establishments, the student body, and the community. These returning students found that Wesleyan ' s importance is no t only historical, but that it is also current as well as prospective. Many new features were found to be interspersed in the college life. A new building for men ' s living quarters formed a triangle by its position between McCuskey and Fleming Halls. There was a gaping hole behind the football field showing promise of a new student center. Another part of the newness of any school is its new students of which we have a good share. The freshman faces an entirely new set of circumstances as he enters really serious preparation for adult life. Here at Wesleyan the freshman may find sincere attachments and lasting friendships that he has had liefore and longs for again in a strange environment. The fresh and new are significant and vital to Wesleyan. Thus with the 1962 edition of MURMURMONTIS we salute the spirit and progress of West Virginia Wesleyan College. This progress is epitomized by discarding worn-out policies, rejecting those traditions which are im- practical, and by dusting and polishing the time-honored standards which are Wesleyan ' s foundation. For the Bobcats there is still a reverence for the past and a deep respect for their heritage. It is of vital importance to realize, applaud, and stimulate the ever-moving spirit of Wesleyan. In stagnation lies apathy, and in apathy lies the doom of democracy. We can see in Wesleyan a pride in the difference between the old and new. and yet a desire for a union which will make stagnation impossible. a fl

Page 9 text:

DR. RALPH C. BROWN The life of Dr. Ralph C. Brown is that of a scholar. His discovery of vitality makes him immortal to West Virginia Wesleyan College. To the lives of all Wesleyanites he has been a brilliantly illuminating example. He has been directly related to Wesleyan since the early part of the century when he was a dent of its resources, then a revealer of its promise. His devotion and humor in imparting bis knowledge in the classroom and faculty assembly will forever be a bulwark to ever-moving Wesleyan. Grafton High School gave him his first preparation to teach. Realizing the tremendous task of a teacher, he entered West Virginia Wesleyan College where his serious efforts rewardej him with a bachelor of arts degree magna cum laude in 1915. After Wesleyan be attended West Virginia University and later Boston University School of Theology. While he was a student he also served as a minister to Methodist churches wh-sre on his circuits of widely- scattered churches lie rode horseback but once. His undying energy and per- severance kept him true to the ideals to which he was dedicated. Wesleyan recognized her past student in 1922 by granting him .1 place on the faculty as a professor of Bible, philosophy, and Greek. Dr. Brown quickly became a coveted instructor as the Old Testament prophets, and the New Testament spirit became a living force in his classrooms, became respected by students and colleagues alike. As a member of Wesleyan ' s faculty, he represented a view of one who was completely involved yet had the perspective of being observingly detached. He now sees the college as a past experience, but as a member emeritus and as a living example he is an integral part of West Virginia Wesleyan College — now and ever. To Dr. Ralph C. Brown, true scholar, we dedicate this book.