Northwestern Bible School - Scroll Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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the Abraham building in 1904—later called 6 South, and still later Fireside, By tearing out a few partitions, dining room, kitchen, offices, class¬ rooms, parlors, and other school requirements were met. Yes, and housing for the students too. just as soon as it seemed certain that this proj¬ ect could be carried financially, the young presi¬ dent cast a covetous eye upon another piece of ground which formed with this an L, running out to Hennepin Avenue and standing right next to the public library (now occupied by Savitc Paint Co )- It had a forty foot frontage on Henne¬ pin. This also was for sale for S 10,000, but by the time the board was convinced of the desirability of purchase the price was raised to SI 5,000 and it was secured at that figure. I he work had now become heavier and larger. Dr. Riley conceived the idea that another superin¬ tendent, who would also be a financial man, might enable the school to meet its ever increasing cost. He found such a man, as he supposed, and induced him to accept the super intendency. He served for one year, raised no money, put the school $9,000 into debt; and all its property was in danger. Upon the resignation of this man Dr. Riley himself re¬ turned to the presidency, never again to leave it. Upon resuming his duties he sold the property on Hennepin for $24,000 and from the $9,000 profit saved old 6 South ! As the school continued to grow and additional classroom space was a necessity, the property be¬ tween ' 6 South and Harmon was purchased and on it Jackson Hall was erected in 1925. For 23 years this spacious four story building was utilized through the week as headquarters for the North¬ western School—classrooms, chapel and offices. 1 he church and school now owned three-quar¬ ters of the block between 10th and 1 1th streets and Harmon Place and Hennepin Avenue. The public library took up the remaining one-fourth which was better than an ownership as it was adjacent to the school, free to the students, and kept up by the city. Thus, the location of the school was ideal. Now, however, the school was already reaching a point where it required more student housing. One day Dr. Riley called up Mr. Badger, a prominent real estate man of the city, and said to him, Will you show me every piece you have for sale that might be a prospect for school occupancy. He came immediately, and a number of places were viewed but pronounced unsuitable, Then he said to Dr, Riley, J believe 1 have the very thing you want; namely, Lyman Court, It consists of three buildings at the corner of I 5th and Harmon, across from Coring Park. They are comparatively new and beautiful. They have three stories and a basement, all high class apartments. Yes ’ was the reply, that ' s what 1 would like to have, bur it ' s beyond our financial possibilities, l hey went and looked it over and w hen the inspec¬ tion was completed Dr. Riley said, What do you ask for them? S 1 00,000. ' You mean to say that you ' ll sell the land and the buildings and the title to all three for $ 100 , 000 ? 1 hat ' s exactly,what I mean, replied Mr. Badger Dr. Riley said, 1 suppose it will surprise you a bit, but I II take them. ' He had learned from bit¬ ter experience the losses involved in delay and this time decided to lose no more. Mr. Badger laughed and said, Thats fine. It ' s the quickest sale I ' ve ever made.

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Dr. Frost was a unique individual. He was about 6 feet, 1 inches tall, weighed 300 pounds, had a beard that extended down to his waist, had shoes that were number 12, so large that they had to be ordered specially, and when they came were put in the display window to attract customers. Soon after Dr. Frost came Thomas C. Horton, Charles H addon and Dr. j. H. Sam mis. It is inter¬ esting to note that these men later left North¬ western to found and build the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, commonly called Biola. Mr. Sam Robb served faithfully as treasurer from the in¬ auguration of the school. To begin with, the school was but a two-year course. The first graduate, Miss Annie Gooch went by appointment of the Baptist Women’s Board to India as a foreign missionary. As the school slowly increased in numbers from year to year, Dr. Riley ' s enthusiasm for it increased. I found in one of his books the following: If 1 were a man of the world and moved only in the social round or commercial realm and was com¬ pelled to face from day to day the bloodless, worn- out society of which John Watson speaks, I should well nigh lose confidence in all spiritual things. My soul renews its youth when I stand in the midst of the young men and women now studying in the Northwestern Bible and Missionary ' Brain¬ ing School, none of whom are far removed from the day of their regeneration and consecration, and the most of whom are what Gordon once called raw material, ready to be handmade for God. ' When they pray Fm carried on the wings of their petition into the divine presence, and when they speak or sing Fm illumined by the very sparkle in their eyes and the joy of their faces—and in that illumination I see God.” Yes, so convinced was Dr. Riley that just teaching about the Bible in schools and seminaries was not enough to prepare for real Christian service that he put his whole heart into it, calling men of remarkable ability to open the Word of God itself to these inquiring students. Of course the emphasis in training was on the fundamentals of the Christian faith. But Dr. Riley often said, I never sought to plan a school—God did it. With the vision that commonly characterized his endeavors, he entered upon this enterprise of the Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School cramped by no narrow notions. To start with, he had to utilize the side room in the church as his classroom, but he never intended that the school should be a First Baptist Church adjunct. This was indicated by his first organization which elected a Congregationalist but a fundamentalist and pre-mi Hen narian as president of his board, and he divided the other offices among the five de¬ nominations. Since it was not to be a First Baptist school it was desirable at the earliest possible mo¬ ment to acquire for it irs own property where an independent and undenominational character would be evident. In the same block and to the northwest of Dr. Riley ' s church there was a piece of property owned by Mr. Harvey Abrahams which was for sale. It was learned that it could be secured for $10,000. This matter was taken to the school board, but the cost looked prohibitive to a com¬ pany of people who up to that time had had to defray no expense of any sort. Dr. Riley and his associate pastor had taught without salary, and the students had paid no tuition. However, the young pastor and school president was persistent and kept the matter before his board. Real estate began to move up in Minneapolis and the next thing he knew this Abraham property was priced at SI 5,000. Upon it stood four houses, containing about 45 rooms in all. Dr. Riley believed that Minneapolis real estate would continue to rise and such rise would be rapid, so he went back to his board and finally induced them to vote favorably. The purchase was made and the school moved into

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Yes, replied Dr. Riley, and you haven ' t given me a cent up to this time I want you to subscribe S2,000 to this building.” This he did. Others im¬ mediately came to his assistance, so the following week a $10,000 payment was made on the Lyman property. At the time when the school was born the leading restaurant in the city of Minneapolis was the Russell Coffee House. Mrs Russell, one of the first citizens of Minneapolis, and a woman, who in her youth had served as a nurse in the Civil War and whose indomitable will had made her suc¬ cessful in business, visited Dr. Riley, upon whose ministry she was accustomed to wait, and offered to make him her heir. She wanted to practically adopt the young pastor as her own boy and leave her estate to him. He replied, No, I couldn ' t ac¬ cept that, but if you want to give it to the North¬ western Bible and Missionary Training School, HI gladly accept it This was done and out of the estate there came $25,000 for the school Some time later, on a visit to Los Angeles, Dr. Riley heard of the generosity of Mr. Charles Stim- son who was especially interested in Bible training schools and went to see him. The result was that Mr. Stimson deeded to Dr. Riley, for the use of the Northwestern Bible School, property chat was valued at $60,000. However, due to the depres¬ sion which followed, shortly afterward, the prop¬ erty was sold for about S35,000. That’s why to¬ day Northwestern has both a Russell and a Stim¬ son Hall. In Dr. Riley’s own church there came to his aid a Godly woman who gave much larger sums to Northwestern than any other friend of the school. In her modesty she constantly refused to permit him to bestow any public honor or even mention her name Many, many thousands of dollars have come to the school from fundamentalists throughout the entire country who believed in Dr. Riley and what he was doing and knew of the things for which he stood For a period of nine years H. B. O. Phil ports acted as Dean of Men in the school, and also as instructor in some of the classes. Upon his resig¬ nation he was succeeded by the very popular Bible teacher, Dr. Robert L. Moyer, whose fidelity to the cause of Biblical interpretation, and whose loyal cooperation with the president was one of the prominent factors in producing glorious results. My own relationship to the school began in 1920 Although not a member of Dr. Riley ' s church, he had heard of my interest in education and knew that I loved the essential truths for which the Northwestern Bible Sch ool stood He urged me to come and assist in the English depart¬ ment at Northwestern and help to build the cur¬ riculum (There were only 50 students then ) At first I demurred, but his insistence resulted in my teaching some evening classes and in lending other assistance A little later, however, I decided that with my other duties this work was too arduous and I resigned, only to have the president urge and succeed in taking my full service in behalf of Northwestern—working on the curriculum, taking the headship of the English department and oc¬ cupying the office of the Dean of Women—a position I’ve held ever since. In 1933 the Dean of Women married the President! f shall never forget one day in the spring of 1934 Dr. Riley had been in prayer for several nights. I knew he was seeking God ' s will in some important matter—but I knew too that it was holy ground and I waited die result. One morning I was amazed, when with jubilant countenance he