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

Page 26 text:

a .1 calm and cheerful expression ; but occasionally when suspicion and crit- icism came, especially from those who should have given encouragement as these will come to the best of men in hard and great sacrificial tasks, his countenance wore a serious, though never melancholy aspect; and his eye had the far-away expression of one who looks beyond things for his hope. Whether or not Dr. Reade from the beginning of his administration in Ft. Wayne, assumed personally all financial responsibility for the run- ning of the school the writer is not able to say ; but in the first seven or eight years of the work in Upland he did have the entire responsibility of financing the work, and made his own contracts and paid his teachers and help as a personal matter. He had saved from his previous labors three or four thousand dollars which he put into the work, chiefly into buildings to provide for the housing of students. He raised money and built nine or ten cottages on lots redeemed from dissatisfied guarantors, mentioned earlier in this article. Money received from the sale and influ- ence of the booklet, The Life of Sammy Morris, enabled him to con- vert the building now known as Sammy Morris Hall from a dining hall to a dormitory for boys, and to erect the present Boarding Hall. Some persons who did not live here and who did not know the inten- sity of his financial struggle to keep the school going, expressed a suspi- cion that the school was more than self-sustaining. This hint that he might be making money by having entire control of the school was a se- vere blow to Dr- Reade, who had put all he had into the work, and was getting out of it only his own simple living. His wife was well fixed fi- nancially and lived in Toledo, visiting Dr. Reade here, and he visiting her there only occasionally. His daughter Mabelle, his only child by his second wife, was with him here part of the time as Professor of Greek. As I shall have no further occasion to refer to her it should be stated that she outlived her father by six years, and after his death for a time pub- lished his paper called Soul Food, and sold his small religious books. That there might be no suspicion of self-interest, he gladly turned over the financial responsibility of the school to the Board of Trustees. He would not accept a salary larger than six hundred dollars a year for a full year ' s work. This was two hundred dollars less than he was pay- ing the Dean of that day for nine months ' services, and was the same as the other married men with families were receiving. Soon after the Board assumed control Dr. Reade ' s health began to break, and, as a means of relief and assistance in his work, Dr. John H. Shilling, Professor of Theology, was made Vice President. Dr. Reade ' s health gradually failed ; he kept going as long as he could, but finally had to give up all work. He passed to his great reward July 25, 1902, at the home of his maiden sister, Miss Sue Reade, who lived in a huose formerly standing where the Swallow-Robin Dormitory now stands. He had often said that he wanted no monument but Taylor Univer- sity. It was therefore considered most fitting that his body should rest in the campus. This little enclosure within the iron fence in the campus is his resting place, and the institution to which he gave his best ener- gies stands as his only visible monument. But in the realm of spirit and personality the invisible Taylor University continues a living grow- ing monument throughout the earth wherever his students have carried the spirit of his sacrifice and devotion.

Page 25 text:

I ' liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimTTrn I in his self-denying life, and even as his real spirit was revealed as he pro- ceeded in his message the feeling of aloofness was largely overcome. His eloquence was not of the highly persuasive type. It had not in it the dynamic that moves men quickly to action and makes them risk all in one great decisive act. It was more contemplative, dealing with the true, the beautiful, the sublime, and the good. Much of his preaching was of a quiet, expository type, unfolding the great concepts of Christianity, or feeding and nourishing the souls of Christians, and stimulating their faith and devotion. The feelings with which he could best deal were of a plac- id, quiescent order. He would have been a master in a sermon on Peace, be still. He loved nature and the God of nature, hence was effective in description which aroused the feelings of beauty, sublimity and rever- ence. He had that poetic instinct which appreciated the immanence of God, and could bring to others the sense of His presence. President Reade was so occupied with correspondence, editing papers, travel, and in fact the many duties entering into financing and build- ing up the school, that he, even when at the school, attended chapel only once a week, and that was on Wednesday. He was regularly expected on that day, and always led the devotions. He had one hobby, and rarely, if ever, failed to ride it as he arose to speak to the students on Wednesday morning. In regard to that hobby he practiced what he preached. As he entered chapel there was always a lifting of heads, a throwing back of shoulders and an expansion of chests. There was an unconscious re- laxation during the preliminary exercises, but again as the President arose to speak, like soldiers coming to attention, every one was doing his best to be physically erect, or better, for he knew what was coming. His first exhortation was invariably for them to straighten up and throw their shoulders back and expand their chests and do deep breathing- He said God had made other animals to look at the ground but that man, was the only animal of erect frame, was made to look up at the stars. After a few deep breaths had been taken by all, he often gave them some ad- monitions about care of their health, urging cleanliness. As we had no bath tubs or showers here in those days he told the students how they could bathe in a quart or teacupful of water and keep clean. He preach- ed the daily cold bath, taken each morning on rising, as a means of clean- liness, a tonic, and a preventative of colds. With his ideals on straight backs it was almost a mystery how he ever came to employ some of his teachers, and Wednesday morning, do the best we could, was always a time of some embarrassment to those of us who were crooked sticks and couldn ' t help it. We always appreciated the President ' s efforts to save, while yet salvable, the young people from a fate like ours. No doubt his loss of health, and his recovery of it in earlier years by a rigorous physical regimen, even after he had been given up to die, caused him to place so high a value on these things. After these preliminary exhortations had been given, he would read a passage of Scripture, giving an able exposition, and then offer a thought- ful prayer which usually began with sublime and majestic words of ador- ation and praise; in fact, in his prayer, almost always, adoration and praise were dominant notes. Though pressed on every side to finance the school and take care of the relatively many students who had no funds whatever, yet he wore a P 3 m iii!! M wi li i) mmwHJi

Page 27 text:

The full responsibility borne by Dr. Reade throughout nearly his en- tire administration gave him a free hand in shaping the policies, stand- ards and ideals of the school. In giving the school the name University it is seen that he looked to a future development which would fill the University concept. As a first development toward the University idea he conceived and organized the School of Theology, which, in the litera- ture of that day bore the name Reade Theological Seminary ; and it is the hope of the writer of this sketch that this name may be restored thus ever associating his honored name with the department which was to be the fullest expression of his purpose. The Academy, Normal School and School of Music, found in the organization their proper place. Dr. Reade was compelled by the very limitation of his resources to find teachers who made salary a secondary consideration ; so he gathered about him a group of men and women who were willing to practice self- denial. The same spirit was inculcated in the students. To keep ex- penses down, rooms were small and meagerly furnished, food was plain and course, but the students seemed well nourished. To Dr. C. W. Win- chester, who became President later, this spirit was so evident in the school life that he gave as the motto of the school, Plain Living and High Thinking. In those days we had no gymnasium and baths, but as has been indica- ed, Dr. Reade was ever reminding the students of the proper care of the body. Deep breathing in the open air, bathing, invigorating, but not ex- hausting exercise, and regular habits of eating and sleeping were contin- ually urged- I can not now remember of many cases, if any, of nervous collapse. Believing that foot-ball is brutal, that the exercise is too vio- lent for student life, and that, as a natural result, its place in school ath- letics over-exercises the large and physically strong, and by its violence leads to many casualties for which the school did not wish to assume the responsibility, he set himself immovably against foot-ball for this school. He ruled out intercollegiate athletics on three main counts : First, it tends to the concentration of training on a picked few to the exclusion of the many who need the exercise more than the special few, thus defeating the very aim of physical education for the health of all the students as related to intellectual work; Second, it consumes much valuable time in going away and taking a number of boosters thus affecting class work ; Third, it increases cost to the student, often to the student who is not really able to bear it; and, if he were able to bear it, thus pushing up the expense, and operating against one great purpose of the administration, namely, to keep cost so low that the poor may have an education. The democratic spirit of Dr. Reade fostered the principle of social equality. Labor, even what is called the most menial, was dignified, Moral purpose, genuineness of Christian living, and faithful effort, count- ed for more than wealth or keenness of intellect. The boarding together and finding a common life all through the school fostered the family feel- ing and a Chrisian sympathy made each interested in each other. Teach- ers, too, were brought into close and sympathetic touch with the students. Dr. Reade was an ardent supporter of the Literary Societies. He believed that public speaking should have a place in the education of every student. Literary enthusiasm, not merely society spirit as measured in i We M™ gj(«CT MESH