Lycoming College - Arrow Yearbook (Williamsport, PA)

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Bell and Flas: Court Wood Engraving — John DePol an Armv education unit. The influx of cadets forced the facuUy and students to vacate dor- mitory space. In 1944 Dr. Long reported that 910 air crew students and 59 students in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps had been in the College Training Detachment. The story of the transaction from a junior college to a fully accredited four-year insti- tution is as exciting as a novel. President Long announced that he had sent a letter to Dr. John L. Seaton, President of the Univer- sity Senate of the Methodist Church, giving reasons why a change in the junior college status was being considered. Several board members supported this change, but Congress- man Rich hesitated because of a promise he had made to Dr. Morgan of Dickinson College in securing his help for the change in the junior college status, which was that the Sem- inary would not consider becoming a four- year college. Judge Charles Williams was made chairman of a committee to meet with committees from Dickinson College and the University Senate to discuss the proposition. After this action. Dr. Long began indus- triously to gain permission from the neces- sary groups to accomplish his purpose and to have the board take positive action. How- ever, some members of the board were op- posed to the change. Many influential church men hesitated, and although the Williamsport community favored the move, the leaders were apprehensive about its success. There were many arguments in favor of a four-year college: the crowded condition of all colleges made it impossible to gain ad- mittance for Williamsport Dickinson gradu- ates to other schools; the great number of veterans who wanted college education could not get into other colleges; because there were XIII

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tine Arts budding Wood Engraving — John DePol then in the House of Representatives and President of the Board, met with Dr. J. Henry Morgan of Dickinson College and enlisted his aid in gaining accreditation. The Univer- sity Senate of the Methodist Church finally approved the move, and in 1935 Dickinson Seminary became the first fully accredited Junior College in Pennsylvania. The move to junior college undouhtedly figured heavily in the survival of the school during the depression when people could not afford to send their children to a preparatory school or college away from home. In 19.31, there were 280 students enrolled with 90 in the junior college. The tuition at this time was $150 for the high school and S200 for the junior college. In 19.3.3, Dr. Long re- ported that students from the junior college were successfully continuing their education at eighteen of the leading colleges and uni- versities of the East. In 19.30, M. B. Rich, a long-time friend of the Seminary and President of the Board of Trustees, died. He had spent much time and money in the interest of the school in- cluding the endowment of a chair of relig- ious education which he had provided just before his death. Robert F. Rich, his son, succeeded him as President of the Board. Through the interest and financial support of Miss Martha Charles the college gained both property and the Clarke Memorial Chapel. The Chapel was dedicated on Oc- tober 14, 19.39. Also in the thirties came a great boost in athletics. New steel and concrete bleachers were built. In 1931, the football team claimed the Prep School Championship playing such teams as Mount Carmel High School, Al- bright Freshmen, Penn State Freshmen, Mans- field Teachers, and Dickinson Freshmen. The Junior College continued to prosper in the Thirties with distinguished guests such as Edward Markham, poet; Ralph Sockman, preacher; and the New York Symphony Or- chestra visiting the campus. Frank W. Ake as alumni chairman was busily arousing alum- ni interest. In 1941 there were 307 students in the Junior College, 418 in the institution. Also during this time, the school received money from both city and Conference cam- paigns. The Fine Arts Building and Presi- dent ' s Residence were also completed, the first having been donated by the William Fleming Rich Family. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war. Dr. Long and the board of directors began planning for XII

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John W . Long Library Wood Engraving — John DePol 500,000 Methodists in Pennsylvania, expan- sion of the program would not interfere with Dickinson College as these would be the only Methodist institutions in the state; the increase of puhlicly-supported junior colleges would be too great competition. Dr. Long and Judge Williams continued their campaign by holding a meeting for nearly one hundred area Methodist ministers to enumerate the benefits of a four-year col- lege. They also discussed the matter with Bishop Corson who suggested caution and that an inquiry be made to Dickinson College to see how many graduates could be accepted into their junior class. Dickinson replied that 25 was all they could take of the 200 in the Seminary ' s graduating class. On Janu- ary 24, 1947, Judge Williams and his com- mittee met with a committee from Dickinson College. They were told that Williamsport Dickinson was in no way obligated by the promise made to Dr. Morgan and were re- quested not to have Dickinson as part of the name of the school. The seemingly difficult problem of choos ing a name ended in October of 1947 when the board unanimously selected Lycoming. ' Dr. Long had wanted the name Crever Col lege in honor of the founder of the school Other names under discussion had been: Uni versity of Williamsport, Northern Methodist Loyalsock College, and Muncy College. Ly coming was the name chosen and on June 17 1948, when permission was secured from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, an order was signed officially changing the name. XIV