Olivet Nazarene University - Aurora Yearbook (Bourbonnais, IL)

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Missionary Band in 1935. The baseball team at Old Olivet. The years following continued to be trying, but they were years of progress. Debts were retired, im- provements made, and scholastic standards were raised. The next year Walter B. Larsen and Dwight J. Strickler became members of the faculty. The Silver Anniversary of the college was celebrated in 1932. In that year, C. S. McClain was ap- pointed academic dean. The next year, Orpheus Choir was organized by Professor Larsen. In 1936, Olivet ' s debate teams won distinction in intercollegiate forensics. The following year, student enrollment increased to a new high of fhree hundred thirty-one. A. L. Parrott was elected president of the college. Also this year the construction of the gymnasium-auditorium was begun at an estimated cost of $27,000. The future looked bright. In the spring of 1939, the college was accredited by the University of Illinois and the Illinois State Department of Public Instruction. But in the midst of this brightening prospect, on November 19, 1939, disaster struck again. A huge blaze was discovered in the administration building. Townsmen and collegians alike rallied to fight the fire, but their efforts came to naught. The people stood by helpless while the building went up in flames. In it were the chapel, the classrooms, the laboratories, the library, the offices — every- thing was lost except the college records, which were stored in a fire-proof safe. It seemed the end of Olivet College had finally come, but God works in a mysterious way. Classes met wherever space could be found, and school continued. Today ' s Olivet students using their spare time by playing checkers, eating popcorn The Indian baseball team in 1956. and drinking pop. Page Nineteen

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Social life of Olivet students ten years ago. On April 1, 1940, the negotia- tions were completed for the pur- chase of the historic St. Viator campus in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It was purchased for $200,000, and the college was moved to the new location. Commencement was held on the new campus in May. On July 4, open house was held with Uncle Bud Robinson as the prin- cipal speaker. Once more the name of the college was changed, this time to Olivet Nazarene Col- lege. In 1941, the Ohio District Motor- cade, under the direction of Dr. Gibson, brought twenty-seven tons of foodstufFs to the campus. Also the first number of the Aurora from Kankakee was published. The first campus newspaper was printed in 1941 and called Olivet News. Olivet had four pastors in this year: Dr. A. L. Parrott, Dr. L. H. Howe, Prof. J. F. Leist, and Dr. S. S. White. The next year, a small village composed of housetrailers, later known as Trailerville, became home to scores of married students. By 1944, through an intensive debt-lifting campaign led by Dr. A. L. Parrott, the entire amount of in- debtedness had been raised. For the first time in the history of the school, Olivet was debt free with a campus valued at $1,000,000. The University of Illinois reclassified Olivet as a Class-A college. In 1945, Grover Van Duyn succeeded A. L. Parrott as president. The enrollment continued to increase, and student housing became a serious problem. Properties known as the White House, Goodwin Hall, and the D ' Arcy Residence were purchased. An additional acreage south of the campus was bought, which brought the total size of the campus to one hundred acres. With the return of service men, the G.I. enrollment exceeded four hundred. Twenty-four apartments, known as G.l.-ville, were constructed on south campus. The Elm Park housing area was started. A new heating plant was built at a cost of $110,000. Plans were begun for the erection of Williams Hall. The next year a government building was put into use for additional classroom space, later named Flierman Hall. In 1948, Selden D. Kelley was elected president, which ofFice he filled until his death April 9, 1949. During this time the construction of Williams Hall made advance. The social life of present Olivet students.