Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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CHHHLES EZHH BEUHU

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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

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lElllPllE lUDHll Conwell Hall and other buildings clustered about it on Broad street give only a partial picture of the Temple University of today. At Ontario street, a few blocks away, the Medical School and Hospital carry on their important work, other Professional Schools are on Spring Garden street, the Law School downtown, the Stadium, Tyler Art School, and Oak Lane Country Day School adjain the city's northern boundaries. Nearly eleven thousand students attend day and evening classes, thousands of men and women are loyal Alumni. The faculty, assembled from near and far, uphold standards which have won Temple A ratings in all fields. Many distinguished men, including President Franklin Roosevelt, have been proud to accept Temple University degrees. These are some of the things of which we boast today. They are accomplishments of which any University might well be proud. DR. BEURY . . Charles E. Beury was named a member of the Board of Trustees in 1913, and im- mediately became one of Dr. ConweIl's most trusted aides. As chairman of the finance committee, he helped secure the funds which built Conwell Hall, and otherwise insured financial stability. Small wonder, then, that at Dr. ConweIl's death in 1925, Dr. Beury was unanimously chosen to succeed him. Carrying forward the Conwellian dream, Dr. Beury has brought the University most of its present buildings, and made its repu- tation world-wide. A graduate of Princeton University and the Harvard Law School, Dr. Beury has re- ceived honorary degrees from Lafayette, Ursinus, the University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton. CONWELL AND CARNELL HALLS Twenty-three