Lenoir Rhyne College - Hacawa Yearbook (Hickory, NC)

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Ull|p Spu. Prof. HtUtam pnrknpy (Hixm li.S.. i J. WILLIAM [ ' IX ' CKXEY CLIXE, son of Eli navidson Clinc and Eliza Ko ana Starr C ' line, was horn near Xewton, Catawba Comity, X( .rth Carolina, March 21, 1833. His father died in the Civil War in 1863. leaving- a widow and five children. I ' leinc;; the oldest son, the burden of supportinc; his mother ' s family fell largely U])on him. lie remained at home and workeil in the faithful discharge of this responsibilitv till his twentv-first vear. Din-ing that period his educational opportiniities were meagre. He attended the ])uii - public schools a few months each year, read such books as he could find in the communit , and pursued his studies ])rivately in order to secm ' e his ele- mentary education. In Alarch. 1873, he entered I ' atawlia lligli School, now L ' atawlia College, with $33.00 for expenses, and rema ' ned till May, 187.3. During this period young Cline taught a public sch :)ol each winter, keeping up his high school studies pri- vatel) ' — boarded himself, doing his own cooking and often his own washing, and paid his tuit ' on b ' assisting in the l ' rimar Department of tlie lligh School — all along his slender funds being di-. ' iwn upi n heavily for doctor bills and other expenses on acc iunt of much sickness in his mother ' s familv. Ill September, 187.3, he entered Roanoke College with $60.00 for expenses — earned by farm work during vacation. In the fall of 1876, he entered the .Sophomore Class of the L ' niversit ' of North Carolina. He remained there two years, completed the .Si:)phomore, Junior and .Senior years and was graduate(l Jjjiie ( . 1878, with the degree I ' ll. 11. He returned home with $3.00 in cash, one good suit of clothe and $800 in debt. From the fall of 1878 to the end of 1883 he taught Latin and Science in Catawba High .School, Ma Id, 1880, Lnifes Mr W. I ' . Cline married Miss Julia Catherine Host of Xewti.n, . . ( .. with whom he l ' ed happily for 36 years. I le was ordained to the Gospel .AIinistr - in the h angelical Lutheran Church in 1881. . oi ha ing the opportunit} ' of a regular course, the late Dr. .V. J. Fox of Lincolnton, X. C instructed him in Theology. In I ' ebruary, 1884, Rev. Cline accepted a call to a )iastorate of fciur congrega- tions in Davidson County, X. L. Seeing the general neglect of cducatiiin, he at once ojiened a school in a public school building. During the first summer, with the aid of the nieml;)ers, he locateil and liuilt an excellent parsonage in the center of the ])astorate. In the spring of 1883, encouraged by the succei s of his efi ' orts and con inced that the best interests of the Church and community demand ed it, lie decided to establish an academv. . t the end of a two da s camass for funds he returned with ub criptions amounting to $30.00. lie liireil several laborers, went to the woods and with his own hands helped pre])are the timber — offered by a Methodist friend — for the foundation. I lis members saw that he meant business and came to his rescue. The building was completed in December, 1883, at a cost of SI, 100.00, of which (. he himself furnished $340.00, and the scho(.)l wa opened under the name Holly Grove Academy. Here the Rev. I ' rof. Cline taught with great success till the close of 1891. The school was a b ' .esshig to the Church and community, having educated quite Piit r Fiiiir

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Ik - 1 1» a number of young people, a g ' oodh ' nunilier of whom have risen to prominence in Church and state. In 188 ' ' he was called to the chair of Latin in Concordia College, Conover, X. C, but did not accept. The same year his Synod resolved to raise $10,000 for the improvement of Concordia College and elected him financial agent. He entered upon this work early in 1890 and secured subscriptions to the amount of $5,500 till the latter part of the year, when Capt. Walter Lenoir ottered to donate -Highland School property. Hickory, X. C, provided Synod would raise $10,000 for the improvement of the same. This offer caused such a division of opinion among the people that the Rev. Cline considered it useless to prosecute his can- vass further, and, being president of Synod, called a special meeting of Svnod just after Christmas, 1890, to settle the matter. After a two davs ' session it was decided by a bare majoritv to leave the college at CVmover. The more progressive element of Sxiiod not being satisfied, after some delib- eration, accepted Col. Hall ' s propositii.in, and each of four pastors, Drs. R. A. Yoder and J. C. ] Ioser and Rev. W. I . Cline and A. L. Crouse, ga e his note endorsed by some of his friends for $2,500 to fulfill the $10,000 obligation of Col. Hall ' s offer, and the work of building Lenoir College was entered upon with vigor and determination. The Rev. Cline was chosen Professor of Latin and Historv and i Financial Agent for the College. He repeatedly canvassed the Xorth Carolina Conference of his Synod, paying his own expenses exce])t that fcir a few months while he canvassed the eastern part of the X. C. Conference and the Virginia Conference, his exjjenses were jiaid and he received a conipensatirin of $30.00 a month. During his nine years connected with the College he contriliuted persrmally near $1,500 to its funds and did an immense amount of gratuitous work for it. In 1901 he resigned the chair of Latin and History and was elected chairman , of the Board of Trustees, in which capacity he served five years, taking a leading i part in planning and erecting Oakview Hall and developing the College. ( The Rev. F ' rof. W. P. Cline is one of the founders of Lenoir College. U ' iili- oiit him it would not and could not lun ' c been built. His sanguine, indomitable spirit : his persistent, untiring labors, especially in financing the undertaking — his liberality of heart and hand and purse — were indispensable. In 1907 he accepted a call at St. Michael ' s pastorate, Lexington Co., S. C. The same year he was appointed a member of the Southern Lutheran Board of Publication and soon was elected president of the same. In this position he labored for five years with Dr. W. H. Greever and others in the Ijuilding up of the Lutheran Publication House in Columbia, S. C. He is still a member of this board. At the close of 1911 he resigned as pastor of the St. lichael ' s charge and accepted the call to beci.ime superintendent and treasurer of the Lozcnian Home ' fo)- the Aged and Helpless at JUiite Roek. S. C. In this capacity he is laboring with his wonted zeal, energy and self-sacrificing spirit in the upbuilding of another noble institution to serve and bless his Church and his fellow-men. During his ministry the Rev. Cline has organized the following congrega- tions and aided in building their houses of worship : Holly (jrove, Davidson Countv, X. C. : It. Hermon, Iredell Co., X. C. : St. Martin ' s, Maiden, X. C. ; Emanuel, Lincolnton. N. C, ; Bethlehem, Catawba Co,, X. C, and St. Andrew ' s, Hickory, X. C. May 21, 1913, the Board of Trustees of Lenoir College, upon the recom- mendation of the Faculty, conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Diiinitx in recognition of his ability and worthiness. Pa e Five