Birmingham Southern College - Southern Accent Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

Page 29 text:

plead. Out of his own means, he was a generous contributor to its needs, giving, I am told, at one time, as much as a thousand dollars. But, with the foresight of a prophet of God, he saw that Methodism would have to have an educational establishment in North Alabama if, indeed, our young men were to be taught in our schools, and, with the courage of an Apostle, he con- tended for his clean cut conviction until, in the Providence of God, the way was open to begin the woik that he saw was so much needed. Strong and persistent effort was made to induce the Alabama Conference to join with the North Alabama in building a College accessable to the great white population of the state. But the failure of such effort and the apparent hopelessness of united effort in our own Conference did not deter this great soul. Through the Alabama Christian Advocate, during the brief period that he had charge, through the Christian Educator, a paper which he established and maintained, he fearlessly and forcefully championed the cause of a Methodist College in North Alabama. In the debates on the Conference floor he was match- less. Strong lawyers who would speak for half a day were employed to fight his cause and sometimes a presiding bishop would give him a side-thrust, but his imperturbable good humor and the torrent of clear cut augument, that proceeded out of his soul, always won for him the day. He was a veritable giant among his foes. Of course this was an honest fight for what men thought was right. But the horizon of Dr. Parker was so wide and his vision was so clear that man} ' could not see as widely as he saw or as clearly, and they thought that he was insin- cere. But future glories that were as clear as noonday to this prophetic soul ten years ago are just beginning to be seen by some in dim outline. One day the Methodists of Alabama will build to the memory of Dr. Z. A. Parker a monument. And it will be placed on the hill at Owenton in the shadow of the College that he loved, for which he fought and died. For he and his associ- ates have secured the only possible terms for future harmony and prosperity of the educational interest of the Methodism af Alabama. I am glad that he ' as the first President of this College, and that he lived to see a fair begining of the materialization of his fairer dreams. Dr. Parker continued the President of this College until the failure of his health. He died at his home on the South Highlands, in Birmingham, Ala., February i8, 1904. 23

Page 31 text:

Junior Roll A. M. Freeman President O. R. Burns ] ' ice- President R. M. I ESTER Secretary J. R. Adams . ' Treasurer J. H. Howell Historian A. C. Ricks Prophet W. H. Spencer E. A. Garner ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . Chief Liar W. M. WooDALL Musician R. H. Shepherd . ' . ' Dnde A. J. Walker ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . Orator 25