Samford University - Entre Nous Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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:LQ14 NTRE Nous llIHllI'IHHIIIIHIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIHIIIIIIlIIIIIIIlIIIIIlllIIIIH!IlllllllllllllllllllllIllIIHIIIIIIHlIIIIIHlIIIlllllllllllllllllllllll I I IIIHH!IIIllHIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIIHH!IIIHIIIIIHHIIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIUHIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIM I I IIIIHHIIHHIIIIIHIIlIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIllHIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIIlHIIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIIHHIIHHIIIHHHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIH I I IIIIHHIIIHHIIIHHIIIHH!IIIHHIIIHlllIllHHIIIHH!IlIHHIIIHHIIIIIIHHIIIIHHIIIIHHIIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIHlllIIHHIIllHHIIIIIHUIIIHIIIHIIIII J A History of Howard College T was in August, IS33, that Howard College had its birth in plan. The K5 Alabama Baptist State Convention was then in session, and it was resolved to found a school for the training of ministers of the Gospel, and for the im- ' fm! proving of the ministry of the Baptist denomination. It was the decision M of the aforesaid body to combine manual labor with mental training, and 8.5 accordingly a farm of three hundred and fifty acres was purchased near Greensboro, Alabama. ' XJ Three years later came the panic of IS37, and that together with the poor financial basis upon which the plan was necessarily pitched forced the sale of the property, and the first effort came to naught. But in November, l84l, the Convention, then in session at Talladega, Alabama, reopened the subject, and it was resolved to establish a college of high moral character, and a plan for its endowment was proposed. An agent was appointed, and Marion, Perry County, Alabama, was the place chosen for the location of the college. So it was that in January of the year 1842 Howard College became a reality. Its first president was Prof. S. S. Sherman, a graduate of Bowdoin College, and on the morning of the opening he, as president and only teacher, in a modest wooden building, with nine boys under him, stood resolutely upon the threshold of a glorious era, and began into the years a steady march, which was never to lag again. The college grew, and before the year was out the enrollment was thirty-one. In the fall of i842 a charter was obtained, and a plan started for the endowment of a Chair of Theology. Two years later the entire amount had been subscribed. It was in the second year of the institution's existence that three professors were added to meet its growth. In 1844 came the first of two material discouragements. lqhe college building was destroyed by fire, and only some of the paraphernalia was saved. However, new grounds were immediately purchased and a new building erected. It became ready for occupancy in IS46, and college routine was again resumed. It is interesting to note, from this period, the growth of the college through gradation or classes. In the beginning Howard was only a preparatory school, and a student was able to pursue courses of study only through the sophomore year. But during the session of IS46-47 a junior class was established, and the next year, IS47-48, a senior class was formed and seven were graduated, four with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and three with the degree of Bachelor of Science. The next important change in the history of the institution came in l852, when Professor Sherman resigned the presidency. Dr. Talbird was then elected to fill the important trust. He served nobly until the war interrupted the work. On the night of October l5, 1854, came the second and most crushing discour- agement. It was what is known to those the more familiar with Howard's history as The Fire. The building had been personally inspected by Dr. Talbird, and all of the students had retired. About midnight came the soul-piercing cry of Fire, It came from Harry, the faithful negro janitor and slave belonging to Dr. Talbird. His 4149 , I nlIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIIHHIIIIIIlllllllllHIIIIIHHIIIIHlIIIIIHHIIIIIHlllllilllllllllllllllllIIIIIIllHIIIIHHIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIllIIIIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIHllIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIIIIHIIIlIIllIIIIIIHlIIIIlllHIIIIIlllIIIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIQ I I IHHIIIIIHIIIIIHWHIIWIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIII I

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:LQ14 NTRE NOUS - IIIIIIIHHIIIIIIHIIIIIIHHIIIIIIHHIIIIHHHIIIIHHIllHHHIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHI I I IIHHIIIIIHIIllIHFIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHVIIIIIHIIIIIHVIIIHIHIIIHVIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIHIIIIHHIIIIIIHIIIHHHIIIHHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIIIIHIIIIIIHHIH I I IIIIIHHHIIIHHHIIIIIH!IIIIIIHMIIIIHHHIIIIHHIIIIIHHIIIIlHIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIHHIIIHIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIII l l IIIHIIIIIHIIIIHHIlIIHIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIHIllIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIIHIIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIII I . DR. S. S. SHERMAN Emsr PRESIDENT HOWARD COLLEGE U33 ' - HIlllllIIlllllllIIIllllIIIllIHIIIIIll!IIIIIIIHIIIIIllIIIIIIINIIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIII!IIIIIIH!!IIIIHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIHIIIIIIHIIUIIHIIIlIIIIIHIIIIIII!IlIIIUIIHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIlNIHIIlIHIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIllilIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIHIF l I llIIIIlilIIIIllIIIIWIIIIWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I

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:Qi-el: NTRE Nous I lllllllIllllllIIIllIlllllllllIIIllllllllllllllIIHHIIIIIHllllHHllIIHIIIIIHHIIIlllllllllIIIIHHIIIIIllllIIIllIIIllllIIHHIIIIHIIllllllllllllllllllllllll I I IHIIIHHHIHHIIIIHHIIIIHHIIHHIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHHIIIHHIIIIHlHIIIIJIHIIIHHIIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIHHlIIIIIIHHIIIIIIlHlIi - IH!IIIIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIIHH!IIIIHH!IIIIIH!IIIHHIIIIIlHIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIlIlIIIIHHIIIHIIIIIHIIIIHHIIIIHIIIIIHlIIIHl I - lllllllllllllllllIIHllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIHIIIIIllllIIIIllIllIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIlIIIlllllllllllllllllllllll I heroism on that night was a thing to be praised, and the l7ire', could not be mentioned without remembering with inspiration the work of Harry. He it was who discovered the fire and madly raced from floor to Hour and from room to room, arousing the students. Frequently he came in contact with the Hames, but not once did he falter. When he had visited every room and apprised the inmates of their peril, he sought for himself a means to escape. But the only alternative was to leap from a high window. He sprang out and fell to the ground unconscious, his clothes burned from his body and his hair and eyebrows burned away. Harry lived only a short while, but he had made the most noble sacrifice man is capable of. He gave his life for others. But the friends of Howard rallied to its support. Within one year Rev. H. DeVotie as financial agent had raised forty thousand dollars for new buildings and furtheruendowment. Prof. ,Davis drew plans for the new buildings, which, when completed, served until the removal of the college to East Lake, Alabama, in l887. The war between the States greatly retarded Howard,s progress. After Dr. Talbird resigned to go to the war the enrollment decreased rapidly. The corps of professors was cut to two, and at last, in l862, the Confederate authorities made- appli- cation for the use of the buildings for hospital service. The request was granted and the college suspended until after the war. In I865 the college was reopened with Dr. L. M. Curry as president. After his resignation, Prof. Thornton served one year as president. Following him came Samuel R. Freeman, who guided the destinies of the institution from i869 to l87O. On his resignation Col. T. Murphree was installed as president, and for sixteen years ren- dered invaluable service to Howard College. He resigned in 1887, when it was decided to remove the institution to East Lake, Alabama. After having discussed the removal of the college at a previous meeting of the State Convention, the question came up again at a subsequent meeting at Union Springs, Alabama, in I887. After a spirited debate it was decided in favor of the change. Land was purchased in East Lake, and the college was opened there in October, I887. Dr. Dill was elected Chairman of the Faculty for the session of l887-88. In the summer of ISSS Rev. B. F. Riley was elected president, he serving in that capacity until the summer of l893. Rev. A. W. lVlcGaha succeeded him. In l896 Dr. lVlcC1aha declined re-election, and Prof. A. D. Smith was made Chairman of the Faculty for the year IS96-97. Prof. Smith resigned at the end of the session, and Prof. F. M. Roof was made Chairman of the Faculty to succeed him. Prof. Roof continued until l902, when he resigned. In the fall of that year Dr. A. P. Montague accepted the presidency, and served faithfully until l9lZ, when he resigned to accept another college presidency in Florida. Dr. M. Shelburne was elected as his suc- cessor, taking the reins in January, l9l3. Dr. A. Moon served as Chairman of the Faculty for the half session from September to January of the session l9l2-l 3. Thus we reach the present. Without a doubt a new day has dawned for Howard. With the comingiof the new president there came also new confidence Well placed, and optimism and enthusiasm, which make themselves so strongly felt. This article has but to deal with the history of the institution. History, termed, is the past, but if the past is any criterion of the future, if loyalty and love count for aught, there is, besides a glorious past, a more glorious future for Howard College. BUNYAN DAVIE, JR., 'I4. C159 - llllllllllllllllllllIIIIlI1llIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllIIIIllIIIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIHIIIIIIIHlIIIIIIIllIIIIHHIIIIJIHIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIIJllIIIIIIIIIIIIIHllIIIlllIIIlIHIlIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll' I I IIitIllIIIHIIIllIIMIlllwllllllllllllllllllll I