Roanoke College - Rawenoch Yearbook (Salem, VA)

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5.35.1 .Sum , .1 REAR VIEW OF LIBRARY BUILDING

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I ginia, among the existing Lutheran colleges in the United States, Roanoke ranks fifth in age, or second, if 1842, the date of the founding of the Virginia Institute, be regarded as her birth-year. Professor Baughman having accepted the principalship of another school in the spring of 1853, Dr. David F. Bittle was elected to the presidency, a position filled by him with the greatest devotion and self- sacrilice until his death in 1876. To him fell the duty of leadership during the trying years of the Civil XVar, the darkest period in the history of Southern education. It was due to his tireless energy that Roan- oke, unique among the colleges in Virginia, continued her work throughout the war. l-lis enthusiasm for books, which is still a tradition among the people of the Southwest, led him, with far-sighted prevision, to begin the collection of that library which is now the pride of the College and which in the number of volumes is surpassed, among the educational institutions of Virginia, only by those at the University, and Vlfashington and Lee. lt was his genius which stamped upon Roanoke College her peculiar hegemony in the cause of Christian education in Southwest Virginia. lt is therefore eminently fitting that the Virginia Synod should endow at Roanoke a professorship in moral and intellectual philosophy in memory of the man who filled this chair in addition to performing his duties as president. After the death of Dr. Bittle, Dr. T,-NV. Dosh was elected president in 1877, but resigned the next year to accept a professorship in the Lutheran Theological Seminary, then located in Salem. Dr. Julius D. Dreher, who had been connected with the College as professor and hnancial secretary, was then called to the presidency. Witli rare ability he addressed himself to the task of putting the institu- tion on a iirmer financial basis and of elevating the standard of instruction and graduation. In conse- quence of these measures and of his wide acquaintanceship, Roanoke began to draw students not only from other states and the Indian Territory but also from foreign countries, especially Mexico, Korea, and japan. The first Korean to win the B. A. degree at any institution in the world was graduated from Roanoke in 1898.1 The cosmopolitan character of the students of Roanoke gave her pre-eminence among Southern colleges, while, with the elevation of her standard, the solid quality of the work done in her classrooms gave her prestige throughout the North. ln IQO3, after twenty-five years of efficient service, Dr. Dreher resigned the presidency and was suc- ceeded by Dr. A. Morehead who was called from the presidency of the Lutheran Theological Seminary

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near Charleston. During the short period of Dr. lVIorehead's incumbency movements have been launched which, as will be seen later, are destined to be of the greatest importance in increasing the usefulness and widening the induence of Roanoke. In honor of the semi-centennial anniversary of the College, the graduates and ex-students resolved to replace the old main building with a newer and handsomer structure. The present well-equipped adminis- tration bnilding is one result of their efforts. 'lihe final results of this concentration of generosity and loy- alty remain to be seen, for this undertaking has proved the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Roanoke College. Such a movement had not escaped the notice of Mr. Carnegie whose systematic benefactions are known to all. Isle offered to give the College 525,000.00 as soon as the indebtedness of 310,000.00 on the new building and an additional f2f,,OO0.00 should be raised. NVith commendable resolution and unanimity the friends of Roanoke rallied to her support, and within a year the completion of the required sum was announced. In the meanwhile, as intimated above, the Virginia Synod resolved to establish a separate fund of 525,000.00 for the endowment of the chair of moral and intellectual philosophy. By means of the enlarged endowment, two new professorships can be added -a need now rendered imperative by the increased attendance of students. In a short sketch of Roanoke College it is impossible to dwell on the changes in the personnel of the liaculty or the Board of Trustees. Among the factors which have determined the character of student life at Roanoke, there are none, with the exception of the classroom instruction, that are more important than the literary societies. 'lihe present societies are the outgrowth of the Philomathean Society, which was organized at the old insti- tute in Augusta county. ln order to have the stimulus which springs from rivalry, the members of this par- ent society resolved to form two societies. Accordingly two of the members, Henry Anderson and john ul. Scherer were appointed to make the division, each to choose alternately. The former, with his support- ers, chose the name Ciceroniang the latter readily and appositely selectedthat of Demosthenean. For many years an annual contest between the societies in essay, oratory, and debate was held on the 22d of Febru- ary. But a supposed breach in etiquette having been committed, these contests were discontinued, each