Kansas Wesleyan University - Coyote Yearbook (Salina, KS)

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iflliisilzoiry of Kansas eslleyaiim University N THE early eighties. members of the Northwest Kansas Conference began debating the question as to whether the state of Kansas could support more than one Metho- dist college. As a result. at the first session of the conference held at Beloit. Kansas. March 15-19. 1883, Bishop Harris presiding. a motion to establish an institution of higher learning was made and carried almost unanimously. A special committee of six. consisting of R. A. Caruthers, R. A. Hoffman. A. Antrim. D. D. Campbell. H. C. Miller. and E. D. Baker. was appointed to consider and report upon the propriety of establishing such a school. Later in the session, President W, H. Sweet of Baker University. was introduced to the conference and made a strong appeal in behalf of Baker University. He asked that the conference raise S300 for Baker. and also that the educational funds now on hand be turned over to Baker. After considerable debate. it was so ordered, and the proposed educational institution had a much harder financial struggle on account of this action. The special committee appointed by the conference made the following report: . 'iWhereas. The growing necessities of the west are such as to require. at an early date. the ocation of an institution of higher learning within its boundariesg and feeling that the neces- sity will be supplied from some sourcel and believing it to be the duty of the Methodist Epis- copal Church to accept the situation. we recommend: First. The location of such an institutiong Second, That this conference elect a board of trustees to secure a charter for the institutiong Third. That this board consist of nine. persons. five ministers and four laymen. including J. H. Lockwood. R. A. Caruthers. H. H. Sudendorf. and Martin Mohlerg and that this conference empower the board of trustees to entertain proposals for the location of the institution. This report was adopted and the five following members elected: J. S. Cvoodwin, C. S. Sweet. A. N. See. H. C. Breed. and M. M. Stoltz. A charter was secured and the trustees incorporated under the name of Kansas Wesleyan University. Later. a charter for Kansas Wesleyan Business College, in connection with the school. was secured. The board of trustees organized by electing J. H. Lockwood. president. Rev. A. N. See, secretary, and Rev. M. M. Stoltz, treasurer. They then advertised for bids for the location of the institution. stating that the town that offered the best inducements. other things being equal, would secure the college. The towns of Ellsworth. Clyde. and Salina sent in bids. Salina offered fifteen acres of beautiful land on the southern boundary of the city and 326.000 to help erect the first building. After carefully considering all this and examining all grounds. the trustees voted to ac- cept Salinas offer and locate the college in Salina., Considerable agitation on the subject of merging the already established Normal Univer- sity. then functioning in Salina. with the new institution was carried on following the decision to locate Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina. many feeling that it was not wise to have two colleges in so small a city. However. the Normal University closed its doors in a few years and was never reopened. At a session of the conference held at Clyde. March Z6-30. 1885. Bishop Ninde. presiding. J. H. Lockwood, president of the board of trustees. made an impassioned appeal urging im- mediate action on establishing the proposed college. and in a short time 554,000 was raised among the preachers, some subscribing as much as 515100 when they had to borrow money to get to their appointments. By request. Rev. R. A. Hoffman was appointed by Bishop Ninde as Conference Educational Agent. Rev. Hoffman entered upon his duties with a faith in Cod that the work would succeed and his faith was not in vain. At the end of the conference year the subscriptions and collec- tions amounted to over 2513.000 This nerved the leaders and inspired them with the courage needed to accomplish the work which they had undertaken. About this time. there came the report that the Southwest Kansas Conference was planning to build a college. The trustees of Kansas Wesleyan thought it would be wise to arrange. if possible, to have one college for both conferences. So they sent a committee of five to meet with the Southwest Conference trustees and made the following proposition: First, We will unite in the support of one college for the two conferences so located that it will be convenient for both. Second. We will locate it at a place that will furnish the best 12

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Nl. lvl. STOLZ Our Librarian and Friend He always has a kind word. a cheerful smile. a treasure experience, and a deep faith in God. l I l ,, 1 ,. 1 , lvl' fl' ft gy J , of valuable

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buildings and grounds and be most convenient to both conferences without regard to which conference it shall be in. Third, lf the location shall be within the bounds of the Northwest Kansas Conference. we. the board of trustees. will agree to use our influenze to have it trans- ferred to the Southwest Kansas Conference half the timci and if it shall be located in the South- west Kansas Conference. your board of trustees to agree to use your influence to have it trans- ferred to the Northwest Kansas Conference half the time. The committee consisted of Nl. lvl. Stoltz. Al. l-l. Lockwood. R. A. Hoffman. A. P. Collins, and A. N. Sec. They went to Wichita and made their proposition. but failed to accomplish their purpose. The Southwest Kansas Conference trustees decided against the merger and the committee came back to Salina. with their ardor somewhat dampened but with the hrm reso- lution to build the college. The fact that the Southwest Conference placed their college in the extreme southeast corner of the state. at Winfield. left the entire western and central part of the state without an institution of learning and thus the need for such a school as proposed was augmented. The board felt that they must put forth every effort to build the college. lVlr. A. M. Claflin. an old resident of Salina and a member of the board of trustees. was greatly interested in Salinas taking speedy and positive action to secure the college. and so were a number of other prominent men and women. among the latter being ivlrs. A. N. See. wife of the secretary of the board. lvlr. ClaHin conceived the idea of purchasing a tract of land lying south of the city. laying it out in lots. and selling the lots at S100 each without regard to location. payments to be made at ten per cent a month until paid for. When seven payments had been made. those buying were to be summoned to meet and select by lot the particular lot they were to have. each to accept and be satisfied with the lot he drew. An option was secured on the land by lvlr. Claflin. at a certain price. provided it was taken within a specified time. l-le then wrote out subscription lists for every pastor in the conference. lXflr. Clafiin requested A. N. See. secretary of the board of trustees. to send these lists to the pastors with instructions to rush them. as there was only one week in which to work before the plans closed. This he agreed to do but with little hope of success. He instructed the pastors to get all the subscriptions they could and send them in to him by the night of .July 7th. for the trustees would meet at Solomon on -july Sth. The trustees and friends went to work in Salina with strong faith in the enterprise and had good success. but could not secure enough to meet the demand without outside help. This came in freely for a time. but when the trustees took the train for Solomon. there was still lacking a considerable sum to make the plan sure. But the people of Salina did not stop. They only worked all the harder. The meeting of the board of trustees at Solomon had been called to order and some business matters discussed. when a telegram came from Salina signed by l-l. l-l. Sudcndorf. C. Eberhardt. F. D. Baker and C. lvl. Claflin. stating that the lots were all sold and inviting the trustees to return and locate the college. XVhen the telegram was read there was a shouting time and the board adjourned to meet at Salina as soon as the train could take them there. They were met at the station with conveyances and taken out Santa Fe to the south end of the townsite where they let down a fence. crossed a potato patch. and drove along the side of a corn field out onto the prairie half a mile south of the city limits. now Republic Avenue, and. on the highest point of the ground. located Kansas Wesleyan University. A Kansas Wesleyan Addition corporation was formed and the trustees entered into a contract with them-they were to have the ground surveyed. plotted, shade trees set on each lot. a college building erected according to a plan approved by the board of trustees. and deedcd to the trustees of Kansas NVesleyan University free of debti the trustees on their part. to open and maintain an institution of full college grade perpetually and to furnish a certain amount of endowment within a certain time. Notice was sent to all subscribers. also notice of monthly payments. and when seventy per cent was paid in. the lots were drawn and members could have sold their lots for the full amount in a very short time. There was now enough money to put up the administration building after paying for the land and all expenses. ln other words. the trustees bought a farm, sold it to themselves in lots. and had enough money to pay for the farm. give Hfteen acres for a campus. and erect a 326.000 college building. while every mans lot was worth all it cost him. Bishop Vincent. on one of his visits to the college. hearing of how the money was raised to buy fifteen acres of land and build a 326.000 administration building. said he had often heard of a mans lifting himself by his own boot-straps. and he thought the committee in this case had, without a doubt, done this. V The name Kansas Wesleyan University was suggested by I-lon. A. P. Collins, at one time president of the board of trustees. and adopted july 9. 1885. 13