Bethany College - Bethanian Yearbook (Bethany, WV)

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President Perry Epler Gresham Few of us knew him. We didn ' t see him around too often, except at convocations, for- mal functions, and an occasional football game. Even though he wasn ' t always in Bethany. his presence was felt. He had our respect. He was the chief. The boss. The grand old man. Illness kept him from our sight often during our stay here. His absences, though, made our contacts with him that much more memorable. Who could forget him at convocations— the master speaker with an anecdote for every oc- casion and the God-given ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. Bethany as we know it was not the Bethany he knew when he arrived here. Our Bethany is bigger. The enrollment and the physical plant nearly tripled in size since 1953, his first year as president of Bethany College. I don ' t claim any credit for these improve- ments, he would say. I just happened to be here when they came about. He shouldn ' t have been so modest. Bethany is what it is today because of the com- bination of vision, pragmatism, and charm he exhibited in fulfilling his presidential duties. We thank Perry Epler Gresham for serving us with the wisdom of his age and the spirit of his youth.