Harding College - Petit Jean Yearbook (Searcy, AR)

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1 $3 3A 4,5-3 Anwmt - :: Manager Adlai S. Groom tells of up. ding of Harding College. ome president. He was greeted by a very low - ating budget and a $76,000 debt resulting from c struggle to survive during the rocky years . past. Dr. Benson immediately set to work to nove the indebtedness and to improve the fi- : ucial status of the college. By Thanksgiving LLy,1939, hundreds of alumni and-visitors were wbled to watch the public burning of the mort- e representing this debt. As the years passed, ding continued to grow although the war ed a temporary halt to her outward progress. nen early in 1948 Dr. Benson announced the -.Wu-m of a financial campaign designed to raise 1,500,000 for seven additional buildings. Dean L. C. Sears describes the struggles of Harding College during her early history. ding. From Decadesof Planning, and Hard Work Since that day, as we all know, the money has been raised and the buildings completed. But Harding is not static. Beginning this spring a Masterls Degree in Education will be offered. Plans are also being made for offering an M.A. in Busi- ness Administration in the near future and for further development of the Graduate Department. At Harding today we have much to be thanka ful for e the educational opportunities which are ours, the excellent facilities for our use, the friend- ships made here . . . Yet, perhaps most of all we are thankful for the abiding spirit of Harding ex- pressed in the words of our Alma Mater, lLChIistian standard is her motto; Christian life is stressed . . 7, The Honorable Francis Cherry, Governor of the state of Arkansas, commends Har- ends and honored guests of Harding enjoy a banquet in the lyu ; ald Room of the Ganus Student Center. Barbecue with all the trimmings is served to some 2500 people at the conclusion of the celebration.

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President George S. Benson presents Dr. C. L. Genus, Sr.. Chairman of the Board of Trustees. the keys to the seven new bgildings being dedicated. Dr. Ganus pledged these buildings to the implementation of the high ideals of Christian education to which Harding is devoted. Progress, Achievement. Academic Growth Result June 2, 1954-, was a day of celebration for Harding College. She had just completed her thirtieth school year; she had seen the completion of a building program resulting in a six million dollar plant; a substantial start had been made toward a permanent endowment h and 011 March 26 she had received full accreditation by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. Friends of the school came fmm far and near to partake in the celebration In the group were many who could look back to 192+ when Harper College of Harper, Kansas, was consolidated with Arkansas Christian College at Murrilton to form 1939 Celebration - The first of a series of successes came when the mortgage representing $70,000 of debt was tossed on a bonfire by the late J. N. Armstrong, then president emeritus. ,.n K h, h- .-l 4 .u- h '6 554th .73-i-ls4 'Ir our own Harding College with J. N. Armstrong as her first president, A. S. Croom as vice-president, and Dr. L. C. Scars as dean. Dr. Scars has served as dean continuously through the thirty years. In 1934- the school moved to its present site in Searcy. At this time the plant consisted of six main build- ings two of which - Patti Cobb and the Science Hall - are still in use. During these difficult early years while the depression did its worst, only the faith and selfisacrifice of students and faculty alike kept the scheol alive. Upon the retirement of President Armstrong in 1936, Dr. George S. Benson returned from China, where he had boon a missionary for ten years. to Center of the Searcy campus until 1951 was Godden Hall. which also was once the main building of Gallo- way College.

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. ' . f, - The Campus... How many memories those few words hold! The hours we spent. in class; lhe jam sessions at night in the dorm; the cnkvs we drank and the mail we waited for in the Student Center; the bunks we studied and papers we wrote in the library; the people we met and grow to lnvo; the services thmugh which W0 worshipped God. These building's. walks. swings can never be more brick, woudR or stoneh they have boon uur home and are part of our hope fur the future. Always fur us there will he a snft spot in our heart for this place - the campus of Har- dinp; College. THE ADMINISTRATIDN-AUDITORIUM BUILD- ING contains administrative and faculty offices. small auditorium, recording studios. classrooms and a large auditorium with a seating capacity of 1.350. THE AMERICAN STUDIES BUILDING houses the School of American Studies, offices, classrooms. business laboratories and practice rooms, research facilities, and a small auditorium equip- ped for all types of visual aid materials.