Battle Creek College - Cauldron Yearbook (Battle Creek, MI)

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fliigi 123,21 f-1-'LELPZQT THE HISTORY CIF BATTLE CREEK COLLEGE 0 0. 0 By JK-yra Scupizolm OOKING into the future of Battle Creek College affords such fascinating specu- lation that We seldom turn our thoughts back to consider that which has gone before. A study of the history and accom- plishments of this institution enhances our dreams for its future in substantiating our belief in the dynamic, progressive char- acter of the school. At least a portion of the present cam- pus has served in that capacity for a great many years. Even before the various schools of which Battle Creek College was composed began to make their appear- ance, the Old College building had been the home of two diiferent colleges. The first. a Seventh Day Adventist institution, established in the e arly 1870's, later moved to Berrien Springs. where it is still located. The second, called the American Medical Missionary College, was estab- lished in 1898, and founded by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, was finally given to the University of Illinois in 1910 and incor- porated into that institution. A continua- tion of the chemistry department which was a part of the Medical Missionary Col- lege is found in our college today. SZ The real history of the present Battle Creek College begins in 1884, with the origin of the School of Nursing. In the fall of that year, the first regular two-year course was organized under the name Battle Creek Training School for Nurses and in November 1886 the members of its first class were granted their diplomas. There were seven members in this class, one of whom was Mrs. Mary Staines Foy, present Dean of the School of Nursing. Men, at that time, were admitted as student nurses, but at the time of the en- trance of the United States into the World War all of the men nurses were called for service, and since then no men have been Page One H1lIlffI'Fd Si.rly-Izwo admitted to the school. Many of the men afterwards took up medicine. Among the graduates of this school are several who are well known to the students now: Dr. Paul Roth, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Mortensen, and Dr. Jeffry. Uniforms, in the early history of the nursing school, were brown and white. One of the prominent organizations was the Christian Help Bond. The members had Battle Creek divided into districts and a group of nurses was assigned to each to help the members of that district to the best of their ability. It was stated in a Plastic Page of 1926 that there had been no training school in the United States graduate as many nurses up to that time as the Battle Creek College School of Nursing. It further stated that the unique combination of being a missionary training school and of having the hydro- therapy course has given the school na- tional renown, and it is recognized as one of the best training schools in America. SZ In 1909 the School of Physical Educa- tion was founded, with twelve students, both men and women. There were two winter and two summer terms, students attending the whole year. Later this was changed to two winter and three summer terms. The first classes were held under a tent on the lawn south of the main building. In 1919 the curriculum was enlarged and a new plan developed, making it a straight two-year course with three weeks of summer camp, and the following year a six-weeks camp was arranged for, to be divided into three week periods for two summers each. In 1921 the curriculum was again en- larged and the course lengthened to three years. Eighty students were enrolled, rep- resenting thirty states. In January of that

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PET-PlIOif3'2'-TCCAIUILD QFQLQ, i HISTORY CIF BATTLE CREEK CCILLEGE 0 0 0 f'C0'll1ll.lZ'llCCl from page 162j J year the Sanitarium Board voted, at the request of the students and alumni, to change the name from the Normal School of Physical Education to the Kellogg School of Physical Education. In 1923 other changes in the curricu- lum were made, making possible a four- year course leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Men were in attendance at the N. S. P. E. until 1917, when they joined the ambulance corps. In fact, the dancing instructor in 1916 was a man. The stu- dents all lived in dormitories, which were located on Howland Avenue. It is re- corded that the men's rules were lenient, while the girls' were strict, so that the boys walked out of the doors . . . girls out of the windows. There was no dining room for students. One of the traditions at that time was the annual Pig-Tail Day, on which every girl was obliged to wear her hair in a long braid. There were many social events in those days, and there even existed a social sorority. Phi Alpha Delta was organized in 1917 to make fools out of freaks, dances out of drudgery, butterfiies out of book worms. Their chief aim was: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow grades may be our finish. Their motto: Sassa- fras, nuts, lobsters, and junk. There were also various sectional clubs, such as the Dixie Club, New York, and Pennsyl- vania. The men produced some athletic teams of considerable note. They played such schools as Albion, Olivet, and the Univer- sity of Detroit in different sports. Q The School of Home Economics was organized in 1906 under the name of Bat- tle Creek Sanitarium School of Health and Page One Hundred Sixty-four Home Economics. This organization was effected as a result of a demand from pa- tients and guests at the Sanitarium for instruction in food preparation and re- lated subjects. The first term was a sum- mer course, with an enrollment of seven pupils. In the fall of 1906 a one-year course for matrons and housekeepers was established. The first class of eleven grad- uated in June, 1907, most of these grad- uates being employed by the Sanitarium. The work in 1907 was extended to include a two-year course for lecturers and teach- ers. An arrangement with the American Medical Missionary College provided for the teaching of the science courses by the medical college faculty. An increasing demand for trained dietitians and other institutional workers resulted, in 1909. in the organization of a two-year course for dietitians and lecturers. In 1910, after the removal of the medical college to Chi- cago, all the required subjects were taught under the direction of the Home Economics faculty. The teachers' training course, giving the Michigan State Teach- ers' Certificate, was introduced in 1919. This was a two-year course, preparing its graduates to teach Home Economics sub- jects in elementary or high schools. During the first few years of existence the laboratory classes were held in White Cottage, then in the main building of the Sanitarium, but were later transferred to North Lodge. With the erection of the new College Library building in 1930, North Lodge was moved to Manchester Street, next to the old Lewis Cottage. North Lodge at the present time houses the Administration, Clothing and Foods Laboratories and offices for the Home Eco- nomics faculty. In the fall of 1923, the School of Home Economics aiiiliated with the School of Nursing and Kellogg School of Physical