Westminster College - Blue Jay Yearbook (Fulton, MO)

Page 18 text:

With Fulton an occupied town of Southern sym- pathies, it is remarkable that Westminster was able to continue classes uninterrupted throughout the war-something that no other outstate institution managed to accomplish. The local editor deplored Fulton's decline and particularly the demise of her in- stitutions in the spring of 1862. I-Ie got a prompt re- joinder from the Rev. J. P. Finley, who had been hired to keep Westminster open, for deprecating the effort of those who were 'fdoing all we can to advance the in- terests of the College and instruct the youth committed to our care. From a low of 35 that spring, enrollment gradually climbed to 110 by war's end as a small, dedicated faculty struggled to hold things together. The college's lone graduate in 1865 proved to be a significant one. John Harvey Scott had been tutoring in mathematics for the past three years. I-le had so im- pressed faculty and trustees alike by his work that they now offered him the professorship of mathematics which he promptly accepted. Thus began what must be one of the longest faculty tenures in the history of the college for Scott would serve Westminster faithfully un- til his death on May 27, 1928. In all that 63 years he never had a leave of absence nor missed his classes for any ex- tended period. In 1869 Scott was joined on the faculty by John J. Rice, son of the minister who had laid the cor- nerstone for Westminster until his death on December 15, 1920-a ' span of 51 years-during which time he would become Westminster's first Dean and acting President on several occasions. These two giants head a long list of devoted faculty, many with long tenures, who have served the college during its 125 years. The years between the close of the Civil War and the turn of the century were difficult ones for Westminster as it struggled with divisions within Presbyterianism, a conservative pro-Southern constituence, and lean times economically for Missouri and the nation. Unlike some other institutions of higher learning, no wealthy benefactor came to its rescue to leave it with a substan- tial permanent endowment. - The academic routine still began with chapel each morning. Here, perhaps as much as anywhere, the penury of the college could be seen. Claude E. Field later recalled that with no organ or other instrument to ac- company the hymns, faculty and students would rely on someone with a forked piece of iron. This he would hit on the hence, hold it up to his ear, mumble something, and then light out. Sometimes we were off to a finish but occasionally we would chode down and have to start over. The hymnals became so worn out that cards were substituted during the winter of 1876-77. Students have always been given to organizational life outside their studies. ln the 19th century this centered largely around literary societies in which they debated and read orations. Gradually these were replaced by the present strong fraternity system whose story is detailed in the account of the individual chapters elsewhere in this volume. Other groups such as the Skulls of Seven and various honorary fraternities and departmental clubs have flourished over the years. 14 ,,s.,,,,:,.,2 .a,.:..y,...,.,., , -q '

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The college also reserved the right to declare off limits any show or public enter tainment it might consider undesirable. lt prohitited profanity, prevarication, 'funcleanness of person and conduct or language, and the use of intoxicating beverages. Students are never allowed to be on the streets, nor in the stores, about town except on business, which is to be promptly attended tog nor to be away from their own rooms, except at appropriate times for recreation in some inoffensive and honorable manner. That things did not always go exactly as the book would have them, however, is amply attested in the faculty minutes which reveal that scholarly group spending endless hours in the decades which followed dealing with rebellious offenders of all kinds. The 1854 catalogue boasted that Fulton was 'fa healthy andtplea- sant village . . . blessed with a religious, moral and cultivated society, so that parents may be assured that their sons will be exemp from many rui-nous temptations, and be surrounded by many sacred influences. We've come a long way from those days. I 1 Westminster stood at the zenith of prosperity in the fall of 1860. President Laws' fund-raising activities had been quite successful, and the college endowment exceeded S100,000 exclusive of buildings and land held in trust. The Civil War, which shortly broke upon the scene, dissipated all of this, however, and left the college a struggling, starving institution for the remainder of the century. President Laws and the Board parted company in the fall of 1861 over problems of internal management, but the trustees voted to hold classes in spite of wartime difficulties.

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In the early 20th century a lot of energy was gxven to the Lnvxng Lxnk League and the Student Volunteer Movement which were es tablnshed to encourage mxssnon and YMCA volunteer work among the students The closing years of the century brought some new improvements as Fulton's cxtnzens banded together to provnde a new chapel wmg for the orngxnal Westminster Hall and a promn nent Hannibal cxtxzen left hns estate of S125,000 fthe college's largest sxngle gnft until recent txmesj to Westmnnster But nt was the comnng of a young, energetxc president at the turn of the century whxch really began to make things move at the college of age when the Westminster Board took a long chance and hxred him as Presndent nn May, 1899 As Westmxnster's fnrst lay president, MacCracken proved vngorous and energetic In the four years that he stayed he added a badly needed Hall of Scnence and a new dor mntory to the campus fthe fxrst expansion beyond the orxgnnal bunldnngj Endowment chmbed as dnd enrollment Increasing numbers of Westmxnster men dedxcatecl themselves to mnsslon service and church related vocations MacCracken brought the Northern Synod of the Presbyternan Church back unto support of the college When West lmnster marked its semi centennial nn 1903 If had much about whxch to regoice MacCracken's successors continued to buxld upon h1s record Although a tragic fxre destroyed the ortgmal Westminster Hall and 1ts adgunct chapel nn September, 1909, the college rebuilt and continued to prosper A decade later the chapel was replaced when the Wnllnam Chrlsmar Swope Memorlal Chapel was erected across from the Pres1dent's home, Washington West House However the beautnful structure fell vxctnm to unstable ground nn the 1940s and 50s As nt began to slap downhill nt was truncated and the remanmng section was used as a meeting place untxl the completxon of Champ Auditorium in 1966 Social fraternities had become very much Thenr parties dommated the society pages of both the local and the campus press In the 1920s Westmnnster became a power nn the world of small college intercollegiate athletics with outstanding teams nn football, basketball, track, and baseball Many of its players went on to subsequent fame nn the coaching ranks mcludnng Hank lba and Tom Botts Luke many other Institutions, however, Westmnnster found itself overextended as the gold dust of the 1920s turned to the drought of the 19305 Heronc efforts by the college's Board, led by A P Green of Mexico, and by the cntxzens of Fulton kept Westminster going Among the casualties was intercollegiate foot ball which was dropped after an undefeated 1931 season because of the budget crunch John Henry MacCracken was but 23 years a part of the college scene by the early 1900s.