Harding College - Petit Jean Yearbook (Searcy, AR)

Page 13 text:

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL Campbell was born in County Antrim, Ireland, Leader in organizing the Disciples of Christ, based on the doctrine that the Bible should be the only creed. Founded Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia, and was president until his death. Widely known for his preaching and debates. Book I THE COLLEGE

Page 12 text:

Historical Sketch of Hording College Hording College as the flowering out of tfie spirit and dream of its great founder, James A. Harding, had the foundotion laid for its beginning when the nucleus of its present faculty came together many years ago in the Potter Bible College, Bowling Green, Kentucky. James A Harding become the first president of this institution and here he had ossocioted with him his daughter Woodson Harding, and her husband, J- N- Armstrong, and the loyal co-workers through the following years, B. F. Rhodes, S. A. Bell, and R. N, Gardner, all of whom are with the present institution. This group of loyal friends, however, in 1905 moved their work farther west to Odessa, Missouri, and established there the Western Bible and Literary College with J. N Armstrong as Its first president. Students of this institution are counted among the alumni of Harding College and many of the children of these students are now enrolled in the present institution Because of ill health President Armstrong resigned after two years and went West, but in 1908 accepted the presidency of Cordell Christian College, Cordell, Oklahoma. The next year others of the old faculty |Oined him until practically the entire group were together again with others added. Until this time no emphasis had been given to securing affiliation with the universities or accrediting agencies, but during the ten years in which the school operated at Cordell it secured recognition for three years of college work and was the first Christian college to receive better than junior standing. During the dark doys of the war in 19IS, it was decided to close the institution tem- porarily but almost immediately an invitation was received to combine the work with the recently established Harper College at Harper, Kansas. This was done, and the work was carried on at Harper until 192-1, when the institution was consolidated with Arkansas Christian College of Mornlton, Arkansas In this consolidation the name was changed, in honor of the original founder, to Harding College. Through these years the institution has been carried on in inadequate buildings, but even under these handicaps it had grown in prestige ond hod secured recognition as a standard senior college. In 1938 come the opportunity to secure an entire college plant with adequate buildings and excellent equipment located at Seorcy, Arkansas, and the Board of Trustees immediotely moved the institution to its present location. While Hording College has hod a varied history since its beginnings, with each change it has grown in power and influence, until it now possesses a college plant of which it can be justly proud, and which for the first time gives it permanence.

Page 14 text:

s ADMINISTRATION BUILDING PATTIE COBB HALL