Southwestern College - Moundbuilder Yearbook (Winfield, KS)

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Morningside College. l-le had made South- western a real college, provided an en- dowment, and secured its recognition as an accredited institution. Dr. William l. Ward was made acting president and served till the end of the year. As presi- dents came and went, one personality remained constant for more than thirty yearseeprofessor John l:. Phillips, as stu- dent, teacher, registrar, dean, business manager, and vice-president. l le died at the close of his last year's service in 1925, and his funeral in Stewart Gym on the afternoon of commencement day was a great tribute to a great man. Dr. Albert E. Kirk became president January 1, 1919. Attendance grew from 300 to 1,346 faculty and facilities be- came inadequate. Expansion became im- perative. Dr. Kirk was adequate to this task. ln 1924 Stewart Gymnasium and The Story of Library was completed, one of the finest college structures in Kansas. President Kirk then turned to the problem of endow- ment and the fortieth Anniversay Campaign was launched. lts goal was a million and a third, but actually over f51,520,000, including SB144,000 that had been pledged on Stewart Gymnasium, was subscribed for endowment, debt payment, and educa- tional needs. Dr. Kirk was assisted in this campaign by R. A. Dadisman, William l. Ward, W. lf. Bigler, W. V. Burns and many others. faculty and students sub- scribed s5o,ooo, Winfield alone sub- scribed fl32Q0,000, Dr. Kirk raised educational standards, modernized the curriculum, increased the offerings of departments. lo him chiefly must go credit for the growth of the School of fine Arts. l-le brought into its faculty such outstanding personalities as Earl Stout, l-l. l-lugh Altvater, afterwards dean of the school, who secured for it membership in the National Asso- ciation of Schools of Music, the lrioramontis, C. Q. Brown, Cora Conn-Moorhead, I-l. S. Dyer, founder of the A Cappella Choir, l-lenry S. Loudenback, and many others. ln 1926 Dr, Kirk united the School of fine Arts and the Winfield College of Music. president Kirk stood for aca- demic freedom. Always an in- transigent foe of obscurantism, he opposed the movement to abolish the scientific teaching of biology in the college. l-lis eHorts cul- minated in a memorable five-hour debate at Great Bend in which the laymenfs conference wisely upheld the right of the college to teach the truth of God as revealed in nature. A historic episode was the Hpacifist fightf' Dr. Kirk, an ardent advocate of international peace, was at General Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts, A Ptzgv IZ

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'wg- Southwestern anxiety and expectancy. Subscrip- tions poured in all day, people came and went, bulletins were posted from time to time, and at last, about tour o'clocl4, the goal was reached. Then about ten o'clocl4, R. A. Dadisman, Super- intendent ol the Pratt district, came in with an old satchel containing subscriptions lor 550,000 that no one l4new anything about. The total raised was fE678,000, South- western could now ranlc as an accredited college. It was ad- mitted to the North Central Asso- ciation in 1917. ln 1917 the war spirit invaded the campus. President lVlossman was authorized to otler the services of Southwestern to the nation. Enlistments began at once. Coach Willis Bates went to Camp Sherman and tool4 special training lor the S. A. T. C. Association l-lall and l'lolland, with a mess hall behind it, were turned into military bar- racks. Students prepared For war and toolc college worlc. Many nearly perished in the Flu epidemic. Three hundred and seventy-Five men entered the service. All branches were represented. Qne hundred and twenty attained to olficerls ranlc, 8 died in camp, 5 were lcilled in action, 3 died of diseases contracted in the A, E. F. The students at home organized a l.oy- alty League to raise funds for enter- prises connected with the war. personal letters were written to all Southwesterners in the service. Purple cartons with S. C. pen- nants were sent Filled with candy, other Ueatsf' boolcs, magazines, and 'always with the message, Return and we will Fill again. ln 'l9'l8 Dr. Mossman left to become president of his alma mater, Page Il

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Southwestern resolution came up there looking to the abolition oF church support For war. A group oF students, Fired by the Flaming oratory oF a senior, Percy Beck, proposed to send a telegram to Dr. Kirk. The move- ment grew until Finally the whole college in chapel assembled authorized the Fol- lowing telegram: 'Southwestern in 1917 took up arms and laid down life to make the world sate For de- mocracy. Southwestern in 1994, with the same spirit, wishes to join in the crusade to make the From Future world saFe wars. We look to you to lead usf' lVlilitaris- tic and sensational news- papers saw in this altru- istic sentiment thus ex- pressed opportunity For In Memoriam W H MOORE D D D M YETTER Kirk rushed between the opposing armies. Turning to the Southwestern warriors, he ordered them to lay down their arms. Une young Fellow deFied him. The president pointed an accusing Finger at him and shouted, Young man, you are expelledln ul-low can you expel a guy that isn't even in college? the hoodlum retorted. l-le had joined the Southwestern Forces For the Fun oF the Fightl ln the roar oF laughter that rose From both hostile Forces good humor was restored and the president easily dismissed the mob. l3roFessor Vinsonhaler, one oF the colorful Figures oF the later years, had a similar experience. l-ie was against everything that distracted From the main business oF his classes 'T' W. L. fBiID MARTIN an attack upon Upaci- Fismf' They sent repor- ters, stirred up students and citizens, and wrote long articles headed Southwestern Goes l3aciFist.H A storm oF criticism raged about the college. Special chapels were held with red-hot speeches, songs and cheers. Faculty and students stood Firm and waited For Dr. Kirkis return. l-le got here just in time For Final chapel in commencement week. ln one oF the greatest speeches oF his career, he vindicated Southwesterns patri- otism, challenged anyone to interFere with her right to teach the truth, and asserted her intention to continue to stand For peace and right at any cost. l-le was cheered to the echo. Never were stu- dents and proiessors more proud oF their leaderl None being able to gainsay his stand, the critics retired and the incident became a part oF Southwestern's dramatic history. President Kirk was equal to any occa- sion. Une night a Fierce battle raged between the students and the ldohnniesfi At the height oF the conFlict, president Page I3 and especially the mod- ern custom oF Hdolling upn in public. Qne day a girl who really needed no extra embellishments was hard at it when she was very sharply ordered to pay attention to the beauties oF literature rather than to those purely physical. HBut,H she said, 'lm not a member oF this classlu Who are you then?H 'lm a Wichita Ll. student here on a visitln She needed the lesson just the same-and got itl The pro- Fessor is noted For his sarcasm-all in a good causel Cn one occasion, when a class had been more than usually heedless, he exclaimed, HQ you kids, lid like to take your heads olmf. It would disFigure you someabut not be much loss to any oF youln During Dr. Kirkis administration, ath- letic rivalry with Fairmount grew to such proportions that raiding oF each other's campuses and battles between students in automobiles, with rocks and gunFire oc- curred. Representatives oF the two student bodies met on neutral ground and drew up the Treaty oF lVlulvane,H abolishing the