Olivet Nazarene University - Aurora Yearbook (Bourbonnais, IL)

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The history of Olivet ' s accreditation dates back to November 19, 1939, when fire destroyed the ad- ministration building at Old Olivet. This catastrophe necessitated a change in location for the college. The eventual move to the more strategically centered Kankakee area is one of the factors v h ' ich has led Oilvet into full accreditation. In 1943, upon examination, Olivet v as. granted full accreditation as a four-year teachers ' college by the University of Illinois. The college then began preparation for regional accreditation by joining the liberal arts study spon- sored by one division of North Central. This division had nothing to do v ith accreditation, but it was un- doubtedly good preparation for admission. Dr. C. S. McClain was the college ' s first representative in the liberal arts workshop. In 1949, the pattern of a liberal arts workshop was again followed, and on the advice of Dr. Norman Burns, Secretary of the North Central Association, the college secured the services of Dr. Theodore Stephens as unofficial examiner. Dr. Stephens spent several days on Olivet ' s campus and gave a number of sugges- tions, an important one of which was that the college bring its auditing system into accord with standard procedures of other colleges and universities in the regional association. Of course, the faculty was weak in earned doctorates, the library was small, and the indebtedness was large. All of these were definitely adverse factors. In the summer of 1951 the college prepared the first Self-Survey, an evaluation study of Olivet Naza- rene College, and sent the study to the Secretary of the North Central Association with the request that Olivet be examined for membership. This examination was given in February, 1952. Out of the 24 colleges and universities which applied for membership at this time, only 3 or 4 were admitted. Olivet ' s case was referred back with an admonition to strengthen the faculty, increase salaries, and enlarge the library capac- ity, and with various other suggestions for improvement. All of these suggestions were given careful study and consideration and, as far as possible, were followed. In the summer of 1954, the college prepared another Self-Survey and the examiners were again asked to determine the fitness of the college for membership in the association. The examination was given early in the year 1955, and members of the commission decided that the college was far enough advanced at this time that membership should not be refused, but there were some questions relative to strength of faculty, finance, and administration that they wished to study further. This meant another year of anxious waiting. The following spring an examiner was sent to the campus at the expense of North Central, and the application for accreditation was voted on in April, 1956. The action this time was favorable and on April 12, 1956, notification was given to the President ' s Office that Olivet Nazarene College had been elected to full Membership into the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. The announcement was not made public, however, until the chapel service on Friday, April 1 3 — the luckiest unlucky day Olivet ever had. The students waited anxiously for the telephone call which would con- firm the good news. While tension mounted and spirits rose, accounts of the history of the college and of the process of accreditation were presented by Dr. Reed, Dr. McClain, and Dr. Snowbarger. Upon receiving the long awaited news, a celebration was in order. Classes were dismissed for the remainder of the day, and the campus swarmed with happy students thrilled with the double portion of good luck in becoming accredited and in being dismissed from classes. The faculty joined in the spirit of the celebration by challenging the seniors to a baseball game. The Wagon Wheel was open and buzzed with business until 1 1 :00 p.m. inasmuch as membership in one regional accrediting association automatically makes a college rec- ognized by all other regional associations, membership in the North Central Accrediting Association gives Olivet Nazarene College membership in the five other regional associations. Olivet students, therefore, re- ceive unquestioned standing in transferring to other colleges or graduate institutions throughout the United States. Page Seven

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Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees of Olivet Nazarene College has a four- fold purpose: to maintain Olivet as an institution giving on education with a Christion purpose, geared to the service of Christ and the Church of Nazarene on the college preparation level; to carry on a program to implement this purpose in relating the student to God, to himself, to any divine call or service in the lay field, and personally equipping and developing personality to fulfill life ' s v ork and devo- tion; to provide faculty, administrative officers, and facilities to ac- complish this; and to manage the business and property of the cor- poration in general outline. The Board held its annual winter meeting on February 13, 1957, and will hold its annual spring meeting on May 29, 1957. Recent actions which the Board has taken in striving for the betterment of the college include: the creation of the office of Assistant to the President for gift contacts with business groups and foundations; placing in the hands of the Institutional Planning Com- mission a further development of the Master Campus Plan and the preliminary steps toward a voluntary support for provision of a student center; preliminary steps taken toward the expansion of student hous- ing and academic facilities; and the creation of a committee to plan for the celebrating of the Golden Anniversary of the College. DR. UPDIKE, Chairman BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr W E. Albeo, Rev. Paul G. Bassett, Rev. Lufher Cantwell, Rev. Floyd E. Cole, Rev. J. C. Collins, Dr. Leo C. Davis, Rev. Harley Downs, Rev. L. E. Eckley, Rev. R. B. Frederick, Dr. Harvey S. Galloway, Dr. C. A. Gibson, Rev. Donald J. Gibson Rev. WaUer B. Greek, RevJ C. Hotton, Rev. Fred J. Hawk, Mr. Charles F. Jacobs, Rev. Robert Jones, Rev. Ross Lee, Rev. O. L. Ma.sh, Mr. Thomas Marks, Rev. E. W. Ma hn Rev. T. E. Martin, Rev. T. T. McCord, Dr. W. M. McGuire, Mr. J. Harlan Milby, Rev. Mark Moore, Rev. Arthur C. Morgan Rev Leslie ParroU Rev. Gene Phillips, Dr. V . S. Purinton, Rev. Geo. H. D. Reader, Rev. Miles A. Simmons, Dr. E. D. Simpson, Rev. Harry T. Stanley, Dr. Donald Starr, Rev. J. Paul Tucker, Dr. Paul Updike, Mr. Myron V alker, Dr. H. W. Reed. I ' if c Six

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Foreword mmmm The 1956-1957 Aurora salutes Olivet Nazarene College on this her Golden Anniversary; today reminiscent of her struggling yet successful past, ever conscious of her present responsibility to each searching mind, and persistently striving for a greater tomorrov . This is the Olivet our book portrays to you. Time is evasive, and the past has escaped us, never to be fully recaptured. The pages of Olivet ' s book of life, crowded v ith accounts of sacrifice, struggle, progress, and victory have yellov ed with the passing of time and faded in the sunlight of the fruitful years. But some have sought and found something of that which went before and have recorded, in the beginning pages of this book, the essence of yesterday ' s Olivet. We have lived the todays of Olivet. The memories of the people, the places, and the events of this Golden Anniversary year will linger in the minds and hearts of all those who have shared them. Day by day the present has unfolded before us, laying at our feet its treasures. It is the purpose and task of this book to reconstruct this present of Olivet in such a manner that it will live and move before your eyes, that it will breathe into your life its life, and that it will make you a part of it. The future is so near it seems almost incredible. All that lies between the todays and the tomorrows is the thin curtain of the unforeseen. The curtain is never drawn until tomorrow dawns, but as we stand on the threshold of a new day, we detect the silhouetted form of things to come. Therefore, our book terminates with a glimpse at the hopes, dreams, and plans that carry us to the tomorrows of Olivet. The Aurora proudly presents to you Olivet Nazarene College, YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW. l ' ii( e I ' .lf M