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

Page 22 text:

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

Page 21 text:

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

Page 23 text:

A building was then projected. Before this building, H. Maria Wright Hall, was completed the work halted for want of funds, until a number of men of this community came forward and borrowed money sufficient to finish the outer structure and the interior of the two main floors. They took as security for themselves deeds to certain lots furnished by the Land Company- These men had this loan to pay, and Dr. Reade tried to satisfy the dissatisfied ones by purchasing the lots, paying for them in negotiable scholarships. The lots on which the cottages belonging to the University now stand were obtained in this manner. While the Wright Hall was under construction, classes were held in store rooms and in the churches in town, mostly in the old frame M. E. church, of which Rev. J. C. White was pastor at this time. Rev. White was very active and helpful in these early days of struggle and had much to do with the location and early development of the school here. In those days of rebuilding the students and teachers were few and the range of courses rather narrow, but more than enough to tax the powers of tne small faculty who had in some cases to teach a very wide range of sub- jects. Dr. Reade was an ardent advocate of the classical languages, so ottered strong, extensive courses in Latin and Greek. He believed Latin to be essential to a good knowledge of English, and believed every preach- er should know Greek. For the first four or five years Dr. Reade maintained his office in town in connection with a printing office which was operated for the school by his brother, Mr. David Reade. Later the printing outfit was moved into a building nearer the University, and Dr. Reade opened his office in what is still the president ' s office. In these early days of development. Dr. Reade had to assume person- ally the entire financial burden of maintaining the school. He put into the work three or four thousand dollars which he had saved while in the pastorate. He lived a simple life on the same plane as the students, rooming in Sammy Morris Hall and boarding at the Boarding Hall, which had a much more simple menu than now. In employing his teachers, he became personally responsible for their pay. The unmarried teachers were paid only a small cash salary and their board and room. Every member of the faculty undertook the work with a sacrificial spirit, ever inspired by the sacrificial spirit of Dr. Reade. While Dr. Reade was simple in his life it would be a great mistake to regard him as undignified or uncultured. He was scrupulously clean in person, neat and tidy in dress, with well-fitted garments, covering an erect, manly form, about six feet in height, well-built, verging toward the sinewy rather than fleshy type. An open, almost upturned face, slightly angular, but pleasant, was an index of hope, and faith, of noble self-re- spect and broad charity. His eyes were pale blue, rather deeply set, be- neath a smooth high forehead. Hair rather thin on top, and early grown gray, and beard almost white, well trimmed and kept, blended in perfect harmony with the fair skin of a face that never tanned. Such was his physical portrait. Tender in emotion, broad in sympathy, generous in charity, tolerant in spirit, but firm in conviction, kind in speech. Trusting pepole even to his own hurt, he was often imposed upon by those whom he tried to help. Unwilling to turn away a poor but worthy student and so thoroughly be- y- F 3 IIIIIIIIHII IdJjJ iJUJFTO