Cumberland University - Phoenix Yearbook (Lebanon, TN)

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ffAf n, v rj B rf ' ' uiuMtcc iSiatM PhmMMa -ii S fiS HISTORICAL HIGH LIGHTS Cumberland University, a synonym for Christian education and the highest stand- ards of scholarship, has a history, the true meaning- and greatness of which is likely to be lost to most of us, because we are too intimately associated with what she has to offer and too imbued with her ideals and culture to get a true and impartial perspective of her history. A history of education in the South would be incomplete without promi- nent mention of the enviable record of progress and the inestimable contributions which Cumbei ' land has made to the educational advancement of the South. Cumber- land ' s history is a brilliant record of ninety years of service, but it is more than that; it incorporates a body of ideals and traditions which are inculcated into the minds and lives of its students and graduates. They are the heritage of every man and every woman who can claim allegiance and indebtedness to this historic institution. Con- ceived in the minds of Christian men and founded for the highest purposes, Cumber- land University has for ninety years offered advantages not obtainable in other col- leg-es. Operating under the handicap of insufficient endowment, Cumberland has, in- stead of boasting of fine buildings and other material resources, stood upon the basis of merit and relied upon the quality of training and leadership of her gTaduates for her reputation. We have not purposed to write an inclusive history of Cumberland. On the other hand, we offer a brief review of the high points of her history. Cumberland University was founded in 1842 at Lebanon, Tennessee, under the aus- pices of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Rev. George Donnell, great-grand- father of Dean Will D. Young, of the College of Arts and Sciences, was at that time one of the leading spirits in the church. Hon. Robert L. Caruthers was the central and most influential figure in the founding of the University. Judge Caruthers held the position of Pi ' ofessor of Law from 1868 to 1882, the time of his death. After its founding in 1842, the first classes were held in the building now known as the Nazarene Church, which is located on North Cumberland Street. Professor C. G. McPherson was the first man to teach in Cumberland University. The people of Leb- anon had agreed to build a college building to cost ten thousand dollars. This build- ing was located on the southeast corner of the intersection of South College and East Spring Streets. It was ready for occupancy in September, 1844. It was burned in 1865 by Federal troops. Between 1865 and 1896, when the present administration building was completed, the University was housed in various buildings — at Divinity Hall, at Caronna Hall, which stood where the Comptcn House and the Lambda Chi Alpha House now stand, and at Caruthers Hall, which was built in 1875.

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■ft- ' fHOE KLXj- MARTHA BETSY MASON B.S. Matron of Boys ' Dormitory B.S., Simmons College, Boston, Mass. MRS. REED Matron of Hinds House MISS MARTHA HARRIS Librarian MRS. WEST Matron of McClain House 24

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s m THOEV X HISTORICAL HIGH LIGHTS (Continued) ▲ The Law School was established in 1847, with Judge Abram Caruthers as the first professor. Prior to the Civil War this was the largest law school in the United States. Three men, because of their long tenure of office and worthy records of service, deserve pi-ominent mention in the history of the Law School. Judge Nathan Green, ' 45 A.B., ' 49 LL.B., was Professor of Law from 1856 to 1919, a period of sixty-three years. Dur- ing many years of this time he also served as Chancellor of the University. Dr. A. B. Martin, ' 58 LL.B., served as Professor of Law for a period of forty-two years — from 1878 until 1920. Judge Edward E. Beard, ' 71 A.B., ' 73 LL.B., served in the same capac- ity from 1912 until 1923. Today the Law School has three full-time instructors — Dean William R. Chambers, Judge A. B. Neil, and Professor Daniels. Dr. W. P. Bone is the senior member of the University faculty, having to his credit thirty-nine years of distinguished service. During this time he was President two terms. On this, the ninetieth anniversary of her birth, Cumberland University is composed of the College of Law, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Music, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Public Speaking. Dr. E. L. Stockton, who succeeded Dr. John Royal Harris as President, has served in this capacity since 1927. The history of Cumberland commands the admiration of every student and alumnus. Cumberland rests today upon as firm a foundation of historic service as any other uni- versity in the South, and what she is doing now is an indication of what her future progres s will be. Let us gaze into the future far as human eye can see and try to vision our Alma Mater during the next decade, the end of which will mark the one hundredth anniversary of her founding. Lnportant plans are being formulated and definitely worked out which, when put into execution, will mean a larger student body, greater interest and loyalty, and a more extensive University program. First in impoi ' tance among the plans for the immediate future is the drive to enroll one hundred and twenty-five Freshmen for the school year beginning in September, 1932. With students, alumni, and civic organizations of Lebanon cooperating in this efi ' ort, its success is assured, which will mean that next year Cumberland will have the largest enrollment in her history. No plan in recent years has been received more favorably and with more enthusiasm and optimism by students, alumni, and friends of the University than the announcement that next year Cumberland will resume intercollegiate athletic competition. Member- ship in the Mississippi Valley Conference has been assured, and with the Red Bulldog again upholding the University ' s banner of athletic prowess and adding fresh laurels to an already glorious past, we cannot look upon the future but with optimism. These plans, together with the endowment drive which is going steadily forward and which is being carried on with renewed vigor by University administrators and alumni, will result in gxeat advancement for Cumberland. The plans for the future progress of Cumberland are not dreams.