Gettysburg College - Spectrum Yearbook (Gettysburg, PA)

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-xxx-1 , ,N ,-Hg, and in 1889 the Trustees elected him Dean of the College, both of which positions he has continued to occupy with eminent success to the present time. Probably the most conspicuous feature of Professor Bikle's career has been his constant success as an instructor. To use the language of one who has had ample opportunityt to judge of his methods and wit- ness his achievements i Prof. Bikle is a born teacher. - The natural bent manifested by him so strongly in early youth haskbeen followed most. assiduously ever since, and his acknowledged success at Gettysburg throughout the whole period of his twenty-four years of uninterrupted activity as one of our leading Pro- fessors, is a well-earned tribute to his scholarship and ability. 'Professor Bikle is a member of the American Philological Association, and, on the nomination of President Reed, of Dickinson College, last June, was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Besides the Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees awarded him in '66 and '69 by his Alma Mater, he received the hon- orary degree of Ph. D. from Roanoke College in 1884. We regret exceedingly that in this very hurried and incomplete sketch of Prof. Bikle's life so little space is left for reference to his editorial and general literary work. 'In 1876 he established the first regular Get- tysburg literary and news journal-the College Monthly ' '--and for seventeen years thereafter, at a constant financial risk to himself and with 'a multitude of personal sacrifices, he maintained its publication so success- fully that it came to be looked upon abroad as one of the very best of college periodicals, and by its high and uniform character of literary excellence greatly increased Gettysburg's prestige wherever it was read. The pronounced success of the College Monthly paved the way for, and 'encouraged the commendable evolutions of literary and journalistic endeavor so much in evidence among our students in recent years, and certainly no history -of Gettysburg College can ever be complete which does not refer in grateful terms to the unseliish and loyal labors of Prof: Bikle, in his Alma Mater's behalf, during the arduous seventeen years of his devoted editorship of 'chef' College Monthly. Prof. Bikle was co-editor of the Lutheran Quarterly from 1880 to 1889. From '89 until a short time ago he was the editor of that publication. At the present time he shares the editorship with President Milton Valentine, D. D., LL. DQ, '50, and Professors J. W. Richard, D. D., '68, and T. C. Billheimer, D. D., '65, of the Gettysburg Theological Faculty. Some time ago the Lutheran Board of Publication selected Prof. Bikle to translate the Latin version of Melanchthon's Apology to the Augsburg Confession for publication under its auspices. Such a translation-a theological work' from Latin into English-re- quires familiarity with theology as well as accuate linguistic ability, and the selection of Prof. Bikle for this difficult task is not only a flattering testimonial to his high position among American instructors of Latin, but a very great compliment to Gettysburg College as well. In addition to a multitude of prominent articles and able editorials upon current college topics in the College Monthly from 1876 to 1893, inclusive, Professor Bikle has published the following in the Lutheran Quarterly : Female Education in the Lutheran Church, Vol. 1, Q1871j, p. 445. Faraday, the Scientist and Christian, V. 420. Present Knowledge of theSun, VII, 67 and 381. Biographical Sketch of James A. Brown, D. D., LL. D., Q'42,Q XIII, 416. Special Fitness of Luther for the Work of the Reformation, XIV, 81. Educating men for the Ministry, XVII, 60. Index of the First Twenty Volumes of the Lutheran Quarterly, XX,'649. The Superhuman Jesus, XXI, 431. 5

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T 1Rev. llbrof. llbhilip IIIB. JBihIe, El. IIB.. Ilbb. ED. , Dean ano IDCSPSOII llhrofessor of the JLatiu Iangllage :mo Iitetatlire. 0 Q Alma Mater as has Professor Bikle and in these days of rapid college growth and unusual 8 student activity when earnest devotion to Gettysburg and constant endeavor in her behalf are f L of so much concern to all of-us, a review of the career of our popular Dean, to whom this l9a.JDL volume is affectionately dedicated, will be heartily welcomed by every patron of the Spectrum. Philip Melanchthon Bikle was born in Smithsburg, Md., December 1, 1844. .At the early age of sixteen he completed the course of study given in the Smithsburg High School and was promptly made teacher of a country school near his home. His marked success in this his first position as an instructor attracted so much attention in the community that, before the close of the term, when he was only seventeen, he was elected Assistant Principal of the Public Schools of Hagerstown, Md., but, having decided to go to college, he declined to accept. He prepared for his later collegiatework at North Carolina College, Mt. Pleasant, N. C., where his brother, Louis A. Bikle, D. D., '57, was Professor of Latin and Greek, and in 1862 he entered the Gettysburg Class of '66. He at once' rose'to an exceptionally high rank in his class and won the Muhlenberg Freshman prize for the best general scholarship. On commencement day he delivered the Latin Salutatory and was awarded Third Honor. During his entire college course he was actively identified with general student affairs and took a conspicuous part in their direction. He was a prominent Phrenakosmian and a member of Sigma Chi. A The year after his graduation at Gettysburg, Prof. Bikle taught Latin and Mathematics in the York County Academy. In 1867 he entered the Gettysburg Theological Seminary, graduated there in 1869 and was duly ordained to the ministry. In 1869 he was elected tothe.Professorship of Latin and Greek in North Carolina College, of which his brother was then President. He occupied this chair one year and then accepted a call to the Vice-Principalship of the Lutherville Female Seminary, now known as Maryland College, in which position he continued until 1873. He resigned this Professorship in that year to go to Dartmouth College where, as a graduate student he' took advanced work in Physics and Astronomy under Prof. Charles'A. Young, Ph. D., LL. D., now one of the leading Professors at Princeton and for many years onegof the foremost of American Astronomers. In a letter to a writer of this sketch, Prof. Young hasfreferred in most complimentary terms to the impression Prof. Bikle made during the period when he studied with him' in New England. Prof. Young says of Prof. Bikle: He was always quiet and faithful, but quick, bright and energetic alsog an exceedingly bright and satisfactory student. Prof. Bikle's success as one of Prof. Young's pupils soon won him distinguished recognition, and in 1874 he was unanimously chosen by our Board of Trustees to the Ockershausen Professorship of Physics and Astronomygwhich chair he held continuously for seven years. Upon the readjustment of the various departments during Commencement week of 1881, he was assigned to the Pearson Professorship of Latin, Gswpab ERY few of our Alumni have been so long and so prominently identified with the affairs of their C 3 I n , . ' V 6 9, . . , . , 1 A , G, Q G ' ' JH -T-.

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Spectrum Staff. ee GC at Jlibitorsinzdbief L. S. WEAVER Zlssistants W. J. KLINEFELTER J. N. K. HICKMAN HENRY ALBERSE S. W. HERMAN W. H. B. CARNEY Business manager JOHN W. WEETER E95i5t8I'lt5 GEORGE N. LAUEEER 1. D. SNYDER J. DER. KEITH ARTHUR S. BRUMBAUGH' JOHN H. BEERITS H mum HORACE M. CUMBLER T. J. REISCH T, 3 ii F3 3 51 . s 'W Q 52 , K 2 E S 4 R E 5 ? 5 E r s E E I E i if ' I C H SY. NWN . W .x...-....-,.,- . W.. 4. ,. ... .-f ---.f-..,. .......4TA. ,, ml, NWA nw:-, u,Av,,-- -V,-M - , U -M-'w-n-Vx,-I -Nt H ' . - Ng E- - .. ...,.g,'r. x - ----. -.pf 1,..x Q 1 YR