Denison University - Adytum Yearbook (Granville, OH)

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Mr. E. Barney 342900, the late NN. P. Huffman SI5,0QOQ Mr. B. Thresher 317,9oog the late J. M. Hoyt 3I5,3oo, Mr. E. M. Thresher 39,3005 Mr. I. K. McIntyre 39,5003 Mr. Albert Thresher 38,5573 and Mr. Edward Canby, 37,000 The history of the latest movement is in part familiar to many and in part so new and surprising that it is difhcult to describe it with accuracy as yet, but the movement may be followed in its general outlines. It began, as have many similar movements, in the combined influence of the sentiment that the new century deserved to be signalized by some marked advance movement and of the hard fact that the decrease in interest from investments demanded a large increase of endowment-principal in order to meet even the present needs. The sum of S250,000 was fixed as the least amount to be attempted. A personal interview on the part of Dr. Purinton with Mr. John D. Rockefeller resulted in the offer of 31oo,ooo from' the latter on condition of the raising of the balance by Ohio Baptists before july 1, 1900. An extra 36,000 was added to the sum to be raised, an amount sufficient to meet the expenses of the campaign. The generous offer was accepted by the trustees and a committee appointed whose names were a pledge of success. They were: VV. H. Doane and G. M. Peters, of Cincinnatig Edward Canby and E. M. Thresher, of Dayton, A. Sherwin, of Cleveland, C. T. Lewis, of Toledo, and D. Zollars, of Canton. A remarkable and telling feature of the campaign was the selection of the Rev. Emory W. Hunt, of Toledo, and his release for six months by the Ashland Ave. Church, of Toledo, for the leadership of the enterprise. A campaign of education was organized with the two-fold purpose of raising the endowment and fwhat was considered even more importantj bringing the Granville institutions into touch with the whole state as never before. To this end Mr. Hunt corres- ponded personally with the pastors or leading members of the 400 white Baptist churches of Ohio, securing in each church or association some interested repre- sentative of the movement, and then secured a hearing in each of -the annual associational gatherings of the churches during the summer and early fall. Tn this and in the holding of NDenison Day services in the principal churches of the state Mr. Hunt was assisted by Dr. Purinton and Rev. A. S. Carman, the Educational Secretary of the University, while ntany churches which could not be visited by them held such services on their own account. The literature of the movement consisted of the illustrated booklet A College Course at Gran- 20

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And in that first attempt the splendid spirit witnessed in our latest achievement was seeng for the amount was raised with a generous margin, 3102640.36 in all. Additional building and endowment funds were added soon, making a total increase of S226,000 during the ten years of Dr. Samson Talbotls administration, 1863-73. Another one hundred thousand dollar fund was raised during Dr. Owen's administration in 1882-3, besides sporadic gifts throughout the years. Then came the generous offer of Dr. Shepardson, whose name honors our college for young women, to give the institution to the denomination in consideration of the raising of the sum of fi5IO0,000 for its equipment. The amount was raised and again, though not immediately, the result was the raising of a much larger sum, for the resources of Shepardson College have increased by St50,o0o since the offer of Dr. Shepardson committed the institution to the denomination. The decade of Dr. Purinton's administration has been marked by great enlargement of the institutions resources, but in the earlier part of the decade the enlargement largely toolc the form of material equipment, and a fine group of buildings graces the campus, the splendid Barney Science Hall with its twenty thousand dollars worth of apparatusg Doane Academy, which serves as an administration building, chapel and recitation hallg with the Dining Hall on the lower campus, and the Conservatory building and Recital Hall, are largely tributes to the energy and wise efficiency of our President. Additions to the endowment and scholarship funds amounting to 387,000 were also made early fin this decade, and altogether, with the present splendid achievement, Dr, Purin- 5ton's administration has already seen the addition of nearly half a million dollars to the resources of Denison. Much of this achievement has been the result of direct personal effort of the Presidentg and much more the result of the confi- dence and admiration inspired by his masterly administration, supported by one of the ablest boards of trustees possessed by any institution in America. The names of Thresher, Barney, Doane, Peters, Lewis, Colby, Canby and others are synonyms of strength and faithfulness. The following is an approximately correct list of some of the principal gifts between 1863 and the undertaking of the present movement. Baptists in the city of Cleveland had given about 3IO0,000, those of Cincinnati S77,27O, and those of Dayton 3225000 or more. Cf large personal gifts the late Ebenezer Thresher-gave 3635575 the late E. E. Barney 5827253 Dr. VV. H. Doane S50,20og Mr. D. Rockefeller S40,035Q the late Henry Chisholm and his heirs S2Q,OOOQ 19

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ville, of which thousandsof copies were distributed, and four pamphlets Bap- tists and Education in Ghiof, by Dr. G. XV. Lasher, Our Granville Schools: Wfhat we have and VVhat we need, by D'r. Purintong VVhy the Denominational College, by Rev. A. S. Carman, and 0ur Educational Opportunity, by Rev. E. VV. Hunt. These pamphlets, after a preliminary publication in the journal and Messenger, were circulated to the number of about twenty thousand copies each. Mr. Huntis conduct of this campaign has earned him the lasting gratitude of Denison and all Ohio Baptists. The result of the campaign has been as was hoped, the awakening of Ghio Baptists to a knowledge of Granville and an interest in her schools surpassing anything which had previously existed. Then the contributions to the fund have been received from a wide instead of narrow constituency and the institution rests upon the basis of a broader constituency than ever before. Granville itself, although richer in almost everything else than in money, gave most nobly, from the contribution of the poor washer woman who gave five dollars out of her slender living, and the generous gift of twenty-five dollars from Ransom the barber, up to the gifts of hundreds from pastors, professors, merchants and citizens of all classes and beliefs. Granville contributed some 354,000 or more to the fund. lAnd other towns and churches of no great means contributed sums not large in themselves yet aggregating about 313,000 altogether. Zanes- ville, Cambridge, Middletown, Springfield, Canton, Seville, Xenia, Norwalk, Elyria and other towns had a part in this result as did many smaller towns and churches. The Valley church in the country near Marietta contributed about 3800.00 Cf the cities, Cincinnati responded generously in all of her churches, although the total can not be given. Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Peters contributed S6,000, and one of the last of Deacon R. A. Holden's generous gifts was his 355,000 check for the endowment. Toledo has done most generously, some hfteen thousand dollars cvincing her interest in Granville. Mr. John T. Newt0n's 35,000 for library endowment and Mr. C. T. Lewis, 35,000 were the largest individual gifts from Toledo. Cleveland, though not fulfilling the hope of the Campaign Committee, has made at least two generous subscriptions, that of Mr. Swasey of a five thousand dollar telescope, which will give us perhaps the best ins-trument of the kind in the state, and Mr. Sherwin's 5'p5,000, besides a number of smaller subscriptions. But it is, as always, Dayton, which has formed 21