Allegheny College - Kaldron Yearbook (Meadville, PA)

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Zin Apprvriatinn Almost three decades ago-Qctober 18, 1893, to be exact-as the doors of a new presidential administration were opened, a new future was destined for Allegheny College. On that day, when Rev. W. H. Crawford was inaugurated as president of Allegheny College, little did the good people there assembled in Stone Church, know what a wonder- ful period of development was in store for the college. In his inaugural response on that day, Mr. Crawford stated that the great thought of the college is the making of a man, to lit men and women to live . VVith this altruistic ideal always before him, he has conducted the affairs of the college for twenty-seven years, making his influence felt on all those about him. After these many years of untiring effort-years crowned with success-we find that the principles which guide him in molding the characters of his students to-day are still the same. For just as he told the friends of the college on that day back in 1893, he told the students on the second of March of this, his last year here, that the greatest lesson the college man and woman has to learn, is to make a life rather than to make a living . 1 If the college had not grown materially a single bit in all those twenty- seven years, still, the realization that this doctrine of self-denial had made an indelible impression on the minds of the students as they left the college to face alone the problems of the world would serve as suf- ficient evidence that the years he spent here were not spent in vain. It must, indeed, give him a sense of honest pride, as he lives over the past in retrospection, to see all the men and women who have left Allegheny College and have made for themselves a name in the world, but have made that name only through their unselfish desire to serve their fel- low-men. But as to the college itself-its growth has been almost phenomenal In 1893, the college could boast of only four buildings: Bentley, iRuter, Hulings, and VVilcoX. In 1897, the Hrst addition was made-the Gym- nasium. This was followed by the completion of the Newton Observa- tory in 1901. Two more structures were added in 1907-Ford Memor- ial Chapel and the Library. In 1908, college life was made more pleas- ant for the men by the erection of Cochran Hall. The new athletic field was dedicated in 1912. There was a brief lull in the building program at this time, but it was renewed with vigor in 1916 by the construction of Alden Hall of Biology and the Carnegie Hall of Chemistry, thus af- fording students the best opportunities for scientific training offered by any college in Westerii Pennsylvania. And even in his last year here, our Eleven

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YVilliam H. Crawford, D.D., LL.D

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president's zeal for expansion has not been lessened, and by the end of . ' d the vear, Allegheny can boast of a new and modein gymnasium, an a fineinew addition to Hulings Hall. Among the greatest and 1nost notable ' i t Alle hen may he placed the raising of achievements of President Crawford's quarter-century a g Y, u the Half-Million Dollar Endowment Fund on April 12, 1912. At times during this campaign, the outlook was most discouraging, and even at those times when others doubted and hesitated, he threw his inexhausti- ble energy into the fight, and pressed on with the confidence that won out and brought the campaign to a successful conclusion. It was mainly through his untiring efforts that a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed at Allegheny in 1901. And it is the common opinion that President Crawford is as proud of this achievement as of any other single feature of his presidency. The establishment-under his auspices -of Founders' Day in IQO8, showed that in the midst of success, he was not at all unmindful of the great work of our noble founder, who laid the corner-stone and the foundation of the new Allegheny of to-day. In this way has our college grown and prospered. VVhat a notable achieve- ment for one lifetime! It was with this same spirit of self-sacrifice which has always char- acterized his presidency, that he tendered his resignation to the Board of Trustees this last January, feeling that the interests of the college could be served as well by others, and being unwilling to permit his resigna- tion at a future date to interfere with the new tive-year program of the Trustees. It is our earnest desire to express here on the pages of the Kaldron , the deep and sincere appreciation of the students of the college for his untiring and unselfish efforts in their behalf. His life here has been one of service-a life of service to others, and to him,-our esteemed presi- dent-who has always had the interests of the college at heart, goes the credit for making Allegheny what she is to-day, T:vvI:'c