Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 21 text:

DH. RUSSELL H. UUIHUELL

Page 20 text:

OAK LANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL X TYLER SCHOOL OF F!NE ARTS Nineteen

Page 22 text:

DR CONWELL . . EHHLU lEll1PlE O the present students, College Hall, shown below, represents the beginnings of Temple, but to those of the early days, it was our new, modern building - one of the finest in the country. Governor Patterson, who spoke at the dedication exercises in 1893, told how Dr. Russell H. Conwell's college had grown. lt had started in 1884 with seven students who met in the Founder's home, it had expanded to rooms in the Grace Baptist Church, originally at Berks and Mervine streets, then to rented dwelling houses, dubbed Conwell's Folly , now it had a building of its own. ln the early days, an English clergyman had hesitated to accept an honorary degree, for fear the college was not reputable. Growth in physical size and prestige has been remarkable. ln 1887, the first tiny catalog, in 1888, official charter as a college, in 1907, recognition as a University, including several colleges and two hospitals. By the time of Dr. Conwell's death, in 1925, the seven students had multipl-ied to nearly ll,O00. I Newspaper correspondent, lawyer, lieutenant-colonel in the Union Army, lecturer, clergyman-these were the backgrounds of Temple's versatile Founder. X The sacrifice of his orderly Johnny Ring, during the Civil War, gave him his first respect for religion. Johnny, whom he had reprimanded for reading his Bible in his tent, gave his life to rescue Conwell's sword during a sudden Confederate attack. Conwell then resolved to do two men's work each day-his own and Johnny Ring's, Q He developed the Grace Baptist Church, from small begin- nings, to one of the largest Protestant churches in America, founded and administered Temple University and the Samar- itan Hospital. He gave his famous lecture, Acres of Dia- monds, 6,151 times. He died in 1925, and is buried in the cemetery across the street from the University. ENTRANCE TO COLLEGE HALL, THE UNlVERSlTY'S OLDEST BUILDING Twenty-one