Mississippi College - Tribesman Yearbook (Clinton, MS)

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f 3 , (o The Legend of the Choctaw Trihe, 1826-1926 H ROM time immemorial epic poets have sung of men and heroes, the beginning of nations and races. Greece had her Iliad and Odeyssey, wherein Homer immortalized the memories of deeds and deities, gods and demigods. Rome had her Aenead wherein Virgil commemorated the founding and early tribulations of the former mistress of the world. Our ancestral Norsemen chanted the deeds of their forbears and compeers in the Sagas of the northern woods. In like manner the Tribe of the Mississippi College Choc- taws has its legend also. As the year of 1926 unfolds itself, a full century of her glorious history is completed. The institution plumes herself, as with pride she points to the accomplishments of a century well spent. Her deeds have not been glorified in the heroic meter of the epic nor praised in light Pindaric odes, but in the silent tribute of a state and nation well served is she immortalized. But as on this, the hundredth anniversary of her inception, we attempt to chronicle her legend, we feel that the subject and its possibilities are worthy of a far mightier pen than ours, aye, worthy of the mightiest the ages have produced. Yet we beg of you to bear with us as we attempt to do justice thereto. As far back into the dim antiquities of the past as history throws its illuminating beams, edu- cation has existed. Every human being who has learned to express by any means a single idea has been to that extent, educated. But education in its highest form had its beginning in 1826 when the citizens of what was at that time the most prosperous town in the State of Mississippi, seeing the need for a high type education for her youth, established in their midst an institution of learning, which they called Hampstead Academy. Thus, most opportunely, just nine years after the grand old commonwealth of Mississippi embarked upon her uncertain career of statehood, was established near her center an institution which was ultimately to prove to be a most potent influ- ence in her history, the source of her life’s blood, for men such as Mississippi College turns out comprise the life’s blood of any state or nation. Thus, Mississippi College had her beginning, as all things must have a beginning, as Hamp- stead Academy. Soon, however, the name was changed to Mississippi Academy, and later to Mississippi College and such she has remained till this good day. In the beginning she was a public institution. In 1842, however, the citizens of Clinton committed the school to the Presby- terians, who conducted it as a denominational school. But it was foreordained from the beginning that it’ should be a Baptist denominational College. Hence the Presbyterians became unable to continue their operations of the school, and returned it to the citizens of the community. They in turn, offered it free of debt to the Baptist Denomination of Mississippi. In 1850 it was accepted. Mississippi College became a Baptist Denominational College, and thus also she has remained until today. Most inauspiciously did Mississippi College begin her career as a Baptist institution, com- mencing operations with a faculty of one teacher, a student body of fourteen youngsters, a plant valued at eleven thousand dollars, and not one dollar of endowment. In 1858 the faculty had been increased to five and the student body to one hundred thirty, an endowment of one hundred thousand dollars had been raised, and two years later a magnificent chapel building of brick had been erected at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. Thus, under the administration of Presi- dent Urner, the college in i860 found itself in a most flourishing condition, for those times. Just as Mississippi College was beginning to take her rightful and appointed place in the affairs of men and nations, that political catacysm, the Civil war, swept the country, and the grand old institution of the Choctaws became involved in the maelstrom of war that eventually de- vastated our fair Southland. The pick of the student body and three of the faculty formed them- selves into a volunteer company called the Mississippi Rifles, donned the gray, and marched forth to do or die in defense of Dixie’s fair domain. However, the college continued to operate, in face of almost unsurmountable obstacles, for the duration of the war. When the war clouds had cleared away, and an inventory of the situation had been taken by the college, she found herselt with buildings dilapidated, in debt for running expenses during the war, and her endowment swept away by the war. Such was the situation that faced Dr. Walter Hillman when he was elected President of Mississippi College in 1867. By the efforts of President Hillman, Rev. E. C. Eager, Rev. A. A.

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JiUTitwrii X F, far in the distant future, after fate has carried each his way, these pages shall echo the comradeship and joy of our college life and bring back pleasant memories of our by-gone Choctaw days, then this book will be one of memory’s dearest possessions, and our work will not have been in vain. When we approach the winter of life, and as time is quickly fleeting, we take down from the old shelf this book, dusty, tattered and torn, there in the dull glow of the dying embers may we be united and live again in meditation those gloriously happy days at dear old M. C.

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Lomax, and Prof. M. T. Martin, money was raised from our impoverished people to cancel the debt on the college by the year 1872. The session of 1872-73, which marked the close of Dr. Hill- man’s administration found the college again in the condition which existed before the war, with the exception that the endowment had not been replaced. Dr. Hillman was succeeded as President by Dr. W. S. Webb. At the beginning of his adminis- tration the entire college was reorganized. Only two members of the faculty retained their positions of the preceding year. The course of study at that time was radically different from that of today. Conferring of degrees, of which there were three, A.B., B.S., and B.L., was not based on time spent in college nor a fixed course of study to be passed over, but on the mastery of prescribed studies. However, the chief difficulties during President Webb’s administration were financial. From the close of the war until 1890 the College ran without endowment, thus necessitating the meeting of expenses with tuition fees and collections from Baptist churches and individuals. In 1890 an endowment of four thousand dollars was secured by Dr. J. B. Gambrell. The next year Dr. Webb resigned the presidency, and was succeeded by Dr. R. A. Venable. Dr. Venable’s administration was a troubled one, the panic of 1893 and the “hard times” ac- companying it having a disastrous effect on the attendance of the college and consequently its revenues. Then also, there was at this time a great deal of aggitation by a great many Baptists of the state for a change in the location of the College, all of which resulted in troubles. Dr. Ven- able’s ability piloted the old institution safely through the troubled waters, however, and in 1895 he retired to resume his work as pastor. From 1895 to 1898 Dr. J. W. Provine was acting-president. During the last year of his administration the yellow fever scourge, which swept the Gulf Coast region, and its ravages almost resulted in the complete disorganization of Mississippi College. The enrollment that year was only one hundred fifteen. At the end of the year Dr. Provine asked to be relieved of the presidency in order that he might devote his time exclusively to his department, the Department of Natural Sciences. The administration of Dr. W. T. Lowrey, who succeeded Dr. Provine, was marked by rapid development of the college along various lines. In 1901, forty-five thousand dollars were secured from the people of the state, and fifteen thousand from the American Baptist Educational Society to increase the endowment to a hundred thousand dollars. In 1907, Jennings Hall and the adjoin- ing dining hall were built with money donated by the family of Z. D. Jennings, the people of the state, and the General Education Board. In 1911 the new Science Hall was built. Several new departments were added to the curriculum during this period also. Dr. Lowrey resigned in 1911, and Dr. Provine was called to the helm of “the Old boat,” as he is wont to call the institution. She has continued “to rock along,” to quote him again, under his efficient guidance until the present day. Since he has been president two new buildings have been erected, namely, Ratliff Hall and the Library Building; a third, the modern gymnasium, which is a gift to the college by her alumni, is nearing completion; the curriculum has been im- proved and extended to offer a Master’s degree; the endowment has been raised from one hundred twnty-five thousand dollars to six hundred twenty-five thousand dollars; the college has qualified for and become a member of the Southern Association of Colleges, and “Goat” Hale beat Tulane fourteen to nothing. Would that I had the gift of prophecy, that I might delve into the future and portray what greater feats the Choctaw Tribe is sure to accomplish under the leadership of our present great Chieftain. Future historians will have the privilege of chronicling those deeds which I can only prophesy. Thus, the first century of the history of the Choctaw I ribe closes with the year 1926, the most glorious of all her glorious years since that century-old occasion w’hen the most glorious of all inst itutions of learning had her beginning. But our hope, our prayer, our prophecy is that even more glorious years will be her lot as she continues in her divinely appointed mission. Mississippi College, “Esto perpetual”