McPherson College - Quadrangle Yearbook (McPherson, KS)

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utr it rQ3:Q McPherson College-Past, Present and Future The history of McPherson College dates back to the year 1887, when, at a session of an educational meeting of the Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren, which convened at Ottawa, Kansas, a. committee was appointed to locate and organize a college and industrial institute. The organization of the committee was S. Z. Sharp-, A.M., President, M. M. Eshelman, Secretary, and George E. Studebaker, Business Manager. A number of Kansas towns were visited by the committee and McPherson was chosen as the best location for the new school. Her citizens soon organized a building association which erected Fahnestock Hall and turned it over to the school committee. On September 5, 1888, school was opened. The enrollment reached almost two hundred the first year. The school developed remarkably well under the able direction of President Sharp, who held that position six years. In 1889 a board of directors composed of Daniel Vaniman, A. W. Vaniman, and J. H. Peck, was appointed. These staunch friends of the institution took upon themselves much of the financial responsibility of the school. About this time the historical hard times of Kansas began to threaten the existence of the school. The attendance decreased and during the financial crisis of 1893-1895, a climax was reached which made a reorganization necessary. In 1895 the buildings were leased for three years to C. E. Arnold, H. J. Harnly, Edward Frantz and S. B. Fahnestock. These four men were young and full of enthusiasm. They had faith enough in the school to assume what seemed to be a hopeless task. C. E. Arnold, A.M., was elected president, and under his leadership the school developed materially. The outstanding indebtedness was soon cancelled and by 1898 the present administration building was completed, and the institution was chartered under the name, McPherson Collegef' President Arnold served the col- lege very ably and pushed it on toward greater success and achievement. ln June, 1902, McPherson College met with an irreparable loss in his untimely death. Dr. Edward Frantz, now Editor of the Gospel Messenger, was chosen to fill the vacancy. Dr. Frantz was an able executive and was president until his health forced him to abandon his position in 1910. In 1906, due largely to the eiorts of S. B. Fahnestock, the Carnegie Library was built. In 1909 the college farm was boughtg in 1911 the Alumni Gymnasium was added. S. J. Miller, A.M., now president of LaVerne College, was acting presi- dent during the year 1910-1911. In 1911 John A. Clement, Ph.D., was elected president of the college and served in that position two years. In 1912 the Board of Trustees was increased to fifteen. In January of the same year the school met another loss in the sudden death of Professor Fahnestock. Dr. Harnly, long Dean of the college, was acting president during the school year 1913-1914. During that year the Trustees were Nine

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Mumrz ijf i gifummi Proposed Campus , The campus as it will look when the enrollment reaches onethou sand, and the endowment raised several million. Eillht

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uuii i gc SHOVVING NEED OF A NEXV CHAPEL first elected by the adjoining state districts of the church. The depart- ments of agriculture and domestic science were added at this time. The greatest period in the history of McPherson College is dated 1914- 1920-and the future. Our be'loved Dr. Kurtz, B.D., D.D., took the presi- dential chair in the fall of 1914. Since that time a. phenomenal growth of the college in all its phases has taken place. Several thousand dollars worth of indebtedness were soon lifted, a new heating plant was built in 1'915Q and a new enthusiasm and religious atmosphere gripped the school. Every department was strengthened by new additions to the faculty. Students began to pour in from both near and distant states. In 1916 Arnold Hall was completedg yet the two dormitories would not contain the increasing number of students. In 1917 an endowment campaign raised S225,000. This year another dormitory was built and still the three dormitories and many private homes on college hill are hardly suffi- cient to accommodate our students. Plans for the future are big and bright. In the next five years 51,200,000 will be raised. S700,000 will be used for new buildings and equipment, and S500,000 will be added to our permanent endowment. Dr. Kurtz, when interviewed about the future of the school recently, said, It is my ideal not to have a University here, but a College, second to none in the state, equipped for one thousand students in all departments, and to add to the faculty men of scholarship and clean Christian character. We plan to increase the superior position of McPherson College by increasing her religious activities, and make her the leading school of religion and missions in the middle west. We will also place due emphasis upon the other departments of the college. Taking the word of the leading educators of the state, we can now say that McPherson College is the lead- ing church school of the state. Our college is known all over the land. There is no reason why it should not become the 'Oberlin of the West. With Dr. Kurtz at the helm, McPherson College surely never had a brighter outlook. T611