Drake University - Quax Yearbook (Des Moines, IA)

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DR. JOHN LAZELLE SAWYERS President of the Board of Trustees

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wisdom to keep the proper mean which would give the greatest possible consider- ation to these calls, without wrecking the institution. In every emergency Gen- eral Drake was the one to whom all turned, and his clear judgment, coupled with his large experience in affairs, guided it safely through every crisis. General Drake often spoke of the University as the best investment he ever made. He loved it with all the tenderness of a father. He was always given an ovation when he appeared before the students. In all his chapel speeches, the keynote was Christian Character, and thousands of students will carry through life the impress of his earnest plea for this lofty ideal. General Drake's greatness was of the quiet, unobtrusive type. and behind the daring spirit of the pioneer, the dashing courage of the soldier. and the sagacity and nerve of the captain of industry, was the Christian's kindliness of spirit and serenity of soul. The following extract from a personal letter, written by one who had been nearest to him in the home, and who knew him best. throws a flood of light on his inner life: He was taught to respect his father and mother, and all elderly people. He truly loved his brothers and sisters: was always obedient and kind. The Christian home had its influence over him. He united with the church at the age of sixteen. He was never known to speak unkindly of any deserving one, or to let the poor and needy go unattended. ' The University in the onward years will send forth many men and women with talent and potency for good, enhanced by the institution which General Drake's generous life made possible. and such an exemplar in the consecration of talent, ought to mean much in the lives of service which they shall give to the world. Such service will be the most fitting tribute to his memory. i CHARLES O. DENNY. 12

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Elntrnhnrtinn. 19' T IS our pleasure to introduce to the University community Dr. J. L. Sawyers, the newly elected President of the Board of Trustees. who, as the incumbent of this important office, is destined to sustain a very inti- mate relationship to the life and interests centered here. From the many good reports that have come to us, we are assured that he is happily fitted. by endowments and training, to deal with the intricate problems that will come to him as a leader in the business policies, as well as an adviser in the general inter- ests of the institution. Dr. Sawyers was born at Unionville, Iowa. July 18, 1856. His ancestors have been conspicuous in church and state for more than two hundred years in this country, and for centuries previous in Europe. . His father, Dr. S. H. Sawyers, Sr., practiced medicine in Unionville for forty years, until his death in 1892. He was noted for wide learning. extensive and accurate memory. and cultured deportment. He was successful both as a prac- titioner and a financier, and was a close friend of Governor Drake. His mother, Mary F. Miller, is a native of Tennessee, and lives now at Ottumwa. She is a woman of exceptional endowment of mind and heart. Dr. Sawyers received his earlier education in the public schools of Unionville. and entered Iowa College. but his studies were broken oi? by sickness. Applying for admission to the Chicago Schools of Medicine. he was barred on account of his youth. He therefore took his first medical course at Louisville, graduating at the age of nineteen with highest possible honors. and winning a gold medal for all around excellence. lt may be added that he had been tutored in medicine at home from the time he could talk. He took graduate work in Chicago, after which he served for two years as interne at Cook County Hospital. He then went abroad, finishing at the University of Vienna, making a. special study of the eye. ear and throat. Returning from Europe, Dr. Sawyers married Jennie. second daughter of Ceneral Drake. and settled in Centerville, where he practiced medicine until a year ago. when he sold his practice and good will to a younger brother, Dr. C. E. Sawyers, and once more gratified his passion for research in medicine by going to Baltimore for a course in Johns-Hopkins University. V Dr. Sawyers is an eminent surgeon, and is said to have had the largest private practice in Iowa, being called far and near for surgery .and consultation. The following is an extract from a letter from one who knows him intimately: He is a terrific worker: careful in business: in surgery, daring in the extreme: widely read: intense and uncompromising in his opinions: he has a commanding personality, an indomitable will. and an all around executive ability that is the 14