Taylor University - Ilium / Gem Yearbook (Upland, IN)

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Minimum mm™ m was Fostoria. He was serving this charge when he was given leave of absence for three months travel in Europe. It was on this trip he gathered material which he afterward used in his lecture on The Dutch. Another important charge was Zanesville. It was from this city he was called into educational work. He was requested to accept the Presidency of the Willamette College, Oregon, at a salary of $4,500.00 a year- He re- fused this, but did accept the call to the Presidency of Taylor University, at Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1891, and began the work to which he believed God had called him — the education of young men for the ministry. The school had been known as The Methodist College of Fort Wayne, but its corporate name was Fort Wayne College. Under Conference and church control it had failed financially or was on the point of failure, when in 1890 it was turned over to the National Association of Local Preachers of the M. E. Church, and took its present name. The name Taylor Uni- versity, in honor of Bishop William Taylor, was given to the school, not only because, under the new management, the Spirit-filled life, the mis- sionary zeal, the unflagging energy, the dauntless courage, and the world vision, of Bishop Taylor were to be capitalized as an ideal which would prove a perennial inspiration to students, but also because Bishop Taylor was the only man who had been elevated from the Laity — the ranks of the Local Preachers — to the high office of Bishop. Under the new name and management C. B. Stemen, M. D., was the first President. He took the position only till another suitable man could be found who could give iiis entire time to the task. It was at this time, 1891, that Dr. Reade threw his life so fully and sacrincially into the work, and by his life, his teaching, and preaching really established the doctrinal and spiritual standards of the school which have made it so vital a force in Christian education. About this time there came to Taylor another character, not a cul- tured, educated gentleman as was Dr. Reade. but one who was destined to be quite as potent a factor in the school as was its consecrated, scholarly new President. This was a simple-minded, black-skinned Kru boy from Africa, Sammy Morris. These two lives, so opposite in physical and mental characteristics, — the one so white, the other so black ; the one trained in the schools, the other an untutored child of nature ; the one with generations of Christian culture and civilization behind him, the other with generations of superstition and heathenism behind him ; the one the mature Christian educator and preacher directing the young into paths of eternal life and the knowledge of the Holy Ghost, the other eagerly inquir- ing his way into the fullness of life and the knowledge of the Holy Ghost — here in the Spirit merge into one great life-giving stream pouring its refreshing waters down through the years, and throughout the thirsty earth, making the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose. One faith, one baptism, united them forever. Sammy Morris did not live many months after Stephen Merritt sent him to Fort Wayne from New York, whither he had come from Africa in search of the Holy Ghost. But that brief life was full of meaning for the small group of teachers and students who constituted Taylor University. Sammy demonstrated to these the wonderful possibilities and power of a life wholly given up to God. He furnished a few months of holy, faith-inspired life, and President Reade iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirr m

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znz iiiiiimimiiiiii iS § Then began his struggle for an education. Being one of the young- er members of a family of fourteen children, he could secure an educa- tion only by working his way through college. He entered Ohio Wesleyan University and, by industry and the most rigid economy, supported him- self, graduating with highest honors in 1869. He earned most of his sup- port by felling trees and sawing wood. His usual meal, prepared and eat- en in his own room was a dish of corn meal mush with molasses. At college he met Miss Ella Dodge — yes, met and loved (a thing that seems to have been a perfectly natural thing to do then as now) and wooed and won her for his wife. She was an earnest Christian, and became a great church worker, giving her husband the heartiest sup- port in his work. She was a poetess, a woman of marked literary tastes and ability, and aided and inspired her husband in his literary efforts. Many of her poems were published in the Western Christian Advocate and other papers. Mr. and Mrs. Reade, in 1870, took charge of The Fairfield Union Acadamy, he as Principal, and she as teacher. They continued in this work two years. In 1872 he became a member of the Central Ohio Conference of the M. E. Church and was stationed at Defiance, 0. While there Mrs. Reade engaged in the Woman ' s Crusade work, praying and singing in the streets before the saloons. From exposure she contracted a heavy cold from which she never recovered. In an attempt to restore her health, she was sent to Lookout Mountain, Tenn., but the effort was futile, and she passed to her reward from this historic spot. The death of his wife was a great blow, and his heart was buried when he buried her. It is said that after her death a certain sad, far- away look which he never wore before came over his face when in repose- But he took up the burden of raising his two motherless children, and did his best to be both father and mother to them. These children were Clara Edith Reade and Bertha Reade. Clara Edith, a remarkably bright child, and a Christian at a very early age, died at the age of seven. Bertha Reade is still living. She married a man by the name of Lackey. Her daughter Nancy M. Lackey, now twenty-three years old is Dr. Reade ' s only grandchild. Mrs. Lackey has a second husband and lives in San Antonio, Texas. To her I am indebted for much of the mate- rial for this brief biography of her father. She inherits the poetic instinct of her parents and has written many songs, both words and music. Soon after his wife ' s death, he was called as pastor to Sidney, 0- Conference was held there that year. It was the custom to give the church that entertained the Conference the choice of ministers from the entire Conference for the following year. The Sidney church chose Dr. Reade. This incident shows his high standing in the estimation of the people. It was at Sidney he met Mrs. Laura F. Kirkley, a widow with four children, who became his second wife, and who outlived Dr. Reade by a number of years. After two years at Sidney he was compelled, by failing health, to give up the regular ministry. For the succeeding five years he travelled extensively, as salesman mostly through the Southwest. On regaining his strength he resumed work in his Conference. One charge he served mpn inmuHHii nm iiiiiiiiii iii iuks) mi

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wrote the wonderful story of the Life of Sammy Morris which has been rea d by millions of people. It was run through many editions and has been translated into many foreign languages. It has become known as a great religious classic. Thus these two lives, the author and the subject of the sketch, fused into one dynamic message, go on continually with their call to faith and consecration. This book has been a wonderful factor in building up the school. For a number of years after the school was moved to Upland, student after student would say in testimony meeting: I was brought to Taylor University through reading the ' Life of Sammy Morris ' . Many also opened their hearts to the baptism of the Holy Ghost through reading it. Not only did this story of a wonderful life bring students here but the sale of the book was so large that it yielded a considerable sum which was used by Dr. Reade to help pay school expenses of many a poor boy. It was also by advertising on the cover of this book the appeal for a Faith Fund that many people sent in their small gifts — out of their poverty often — to help support poor and worthy students. In this way many poor students were helped through school. The Sammy Morris Hall, which was the first Dining Hall and Dormitory was paid for from funds that came in through the influence of this booklet. No student of Taylor should fail to read the story of this wonderful life. The real Taylor spirit would be greatly stimulated if every student and every teacher would re-read it each year. But the reference to Sammy Morris, which could not be omitted from the biography of President Reade has carried into the life of the school in its present location. After the sale of the buildings and grounds at Ft. Wayne to liquidate indebtedness, it was thought best to rebuild the school in another town or city. Dr. Reade felt that he could develop the type of school he desired, near a village better than in a great city. The free- dom from allurements and temptations of the city; the simple, unpam- pered, robust, selfdenying life which would be fostered ; the good, pure air, free from smoke and dust; the contact with nature — all these — were considerations that had weight with this man of poetic temperament. It was his ambition to make life so simple and inexpensive that a college ed- ucation would be brought within the reach of the poorest boy and girl who had brains enough to receive the training, and who was industrious enough to work and self-denying enough to live in small, meagerly fur- nished rooms, and live on very plain, coarse but wholesome food. It is said that when Dr. Reade started out with prayer for guidance, to seek a location to which the school might be moved he felt impressed, as his train approached Upland, to get off here. He felt that this impres- sion was from God, so he obeyed. This was at a time when this part of Indiana was in the natural gas boom and every town and city was trying to develop. Upland, like most other towns, had a land company which was promoting various interests to build up the town. Through this or- ganization a deed to ten acres, our present campus, was secured. The land lying between the campus and the town was plotted and incorporat- ed into the town of Upland, as the University Addition. Through the efforts of Dr. Reade and local men some money was raised here, and Dr. Reade secured some gifts from elsewhere, the largest being one thousand dollars from H. Maria Wright, of Washington, D. C. rMUl i PCgjM P iim MWin