Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

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idence, and pastor of Hanks ' chapel, Mt. Zion, and Morrisville Christian churches, and was for two years county superintendent of schools for Alamance County, 1 880-1 882. In the latter year he was called to the pastorate of the Christian Church in Suffolk, Va., then in its infancy, with but 1 35 members and a salary of but $600 a year for its minister, without parsonage. For forty successive years this church has unanimously electer Dr. Staley its pastor, and what marvelous increase for the Kingdom has come during those years ! The membership now exceeds 1 ,000 and the annual offerings have grown from $1,1 00, forty years ago, to more than $31,000 last year, and their pastor is not the pastor of his own flock merely, but the spiritual leader of a whole city. Dr. Staley has never been a localized man. You cannot confine a man of his soul qualities and leadership ability to any parish. His labors in general enterprises are Her- culean in their impressiveness. For many years president of the Eastern Virginia Confer- ence, for thirty-four years president of the Southern Christian Convention, for twenty years a trustee of the Christian Publishing Association, always a member of the American Chris- tian Convention since its reorganization in 1 890, and chairman of the commission that brought about the union of the Northern and Southern branches of the Christian Church, member of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America since its organization, for one term its vice-president, and always serving on its important committees, ever giving literary addresses, baccalaureate sermons and special lectures before educational, literary, social, religious and commercial bodies — the mai ' vel is how a man can be so ready and reple ' .e in such diverse situations, and ever an electrifying, inspirational force. Dr. Staley has also written regularly and charmingly for the religious press. His weekly Suffollf Letter in the Cbrislian Sun has had as much influence in establishing that paper ' s reputation as Poor Richard ' s sayings did in the case of Franklin ' s famous Almanac. His book, too, The Minister, really the biography of his life ' s purpose and method, has taken high rank. Dr. Staley holds the A.B. and M.A. degrees from Trinity, the D.D. from Union Christian College, and the LL.D. from Elon. Dr. Staley was married to Miss Pattie Pearce of Franklin County, North Carolina, in 1879, a woman of rare devoutness, of Chnstian character and unalloyed devotion to her husband and the Church of Christ. She went to her heavenly reward in 1917. To their home were born three children, all of them graduates of Elon and all earnest workers in the Church of Christ — Mrs. T. F. Cheatham (Bessie), Miss Annie, who is her father ' s homemaker and helpmate in all good works, and Mrs. Ben T. Holden (Willie). Affable ever in social graces, interested in men and women rather than measures, a humanitarian in the true sense of that fine sentiment. Dr. Staley has enriched the sociely in which he has mingled by his wholesome appreciation of wit and humor, particularly wi! and humor in which he is the occasion of the merriment. Nothing dehghts his soul more than to pull one on himself, a grace that gives him a winsome charm in any social group. Carrying the burden of great responsibilitities, surrounded by men and women to whom his suggestions are wisdom and the bread of life, reaching out ever toward larger things. Dr. Staley has already labored beyond the allotted three-score and ten, but let us hope that this life of light and leadership may be spared for many years further of benign and helpful service. W. A. H.

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Words Appreciative of Dr. Staley I EV. WILLIAM WESLEY STALED ' , to whom this volume of Phipsicli is f ' l gratefully and affectionately dedicated by the Class of ' 22, honors the college in accepting the dignity conferred in this act of recognition and appreciation. Per Dr. Staley has been a trustee of our Elon since the called session of the Southern Christian Convention in September, 1888, made provision for the college under whose auspices this annual is now yearly sent forth and in whose name many splendid things are being wrought out for the Kingdom of God. He was nonresident president of Elon for eleven fateful years, years of grim struggle with reaction in the church and a load of debt, from 1894 to 1905, never accepted a penny for his sei-vices, and during all that time he was the busy pastor of a growing congregation in Suffolk. And he has always led the way for giving in every financial drive. He was one of the original thousand-dollar men years ago when such givers were few and far between in the church, and during the recent stand- ardization fund campaign, it was W. W. Staley who startled the brotherhood into the most unexampled achievement of giving in the church ' s history by proposing to give $5,000 if ten others should be found to do likewise, the result being that twenty-one followed in his train. And so the Class of ' 22 has honored itself in bestowing its highest favor upon this splendid friend and gracious benefactor. 1 he life liistory of Dr. Staley is an inspiration to all who have been priviliged to know the obstacles over which he has chmbed to greatness and an enduring place in the affections of a people. Cradled in an humble Christian home, orphaned at the tender age of five, granted his freedom by his stepfather at seventeen, this Gamaliel in scholarship in the Christian Church in this generation, this Barnabas in generosity among us, worked his way, first, through the high school of Rev. W. S. Long, D.D., then through Tnnity College (paying his tuition, though as a ministerial student he was entitled to have it free), then to the University of Virginia, by splitting wood, working gardens, caring for live stock, acting as man-servant in private residences and janitor in public buildings, rising from college janitor to college president and filling both offices with a rare fidelity and whole-heartedness of service, coming out of his experiences not embittered or resentful, but rejoicing that hardship had been his lot, as witness these words of his, the words of a twentieth century Paul : About the easiest task of my life was to work through college ; and, if I may make one remark, it would be that the danger of schools is to make education too easy. The armor used by Roman soldiers in camp exercises was twice the weight of that which they used in battle. This made battle easy as compared with drill. It seems to me that college life ought to develop human powers by double strain so as to prepare for life ' s big task. Hothouse methods cannot make men of greatest endurance and usefulness. That is why so many men drop out suddenly in the prime of life. They cannot stand the strain of great public service. After leaving the University of Virginia in 1878, Dr. Staley taught for three years in the Graham (N. C.) High School, meanwhile serving as pastoral aissistant of New Prov-

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