Ursinus College - Ruby Yearbook (Collegeville, PA)

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I el ic- c-c I was lalse doi Irinc. I)r. Bomherger possessed tin spirit and |iml it i s ol tlie pioneer: 11i was an indomitable will. Ili.it the C ollege endured il .ill i sldiicient tribute to Ins genius. In the prospectus ol the ( ollege. in iSOC). he wrote th.it the institution owes its eslahlishmenl to the lively interest fell h its founders in the advanc emeut ol education in the higher hr.un lies ol learning, upon the basis ol ( lirisli.mit . and with chief regard to religious ends. (Italic-s by editor.) ith out sue 11 constant devotion, ol whic h Dr. Bomberger was chiefly exemplary, the ( ollege would surely never have taken the- direction which it has steadily pursued. .lust .it the time Robert Patterson, of Philadelphia, tendered financ ial assist a nee ol a badly needed sort. Dr. Bomberger dic’d, and lor the succeeding two years Dr. I lenry Supe r and I )r. (ieorge illiard each served as ac ting president for one year, until Dr. Super was elected president in 1892. only to resign his office one year later. Super I louse, standing on Main Street opposite the- Past ( ampus. is his gift to the- C ollege. I lie third man to occupy the president ial chair was Dr. I lenry I . Spangler, an alumnus ol the lirst graduating c lass, w ho remained in olfice from i s()“, until I90.|. Bomberger Memorial I hill had been erec ted in iNgi. and now Dr. Spangler instituted the group system ol courses, io acant faculty posts lie brought men ol university training, thus opening the- way lor many I rsinus graduates to enter prac tic all any graduate or professional sc hool in the I nitc’d Stale ■s. where they have since- accpiitled themselves with distinction. O11 the- physical side- laboratories lor study ol the physical and natural sciences were equipped, and the- library was enlarged and reorganized. I Tom the eight acres purchased in iS(3q the College expanded to liltv two at res. )r. Omwalie lakes Office Lor slightly less than two years the reins of office were lie-id by Dr. David . Pbbert. aftc-r which a committee ol the- faculty guided the- institution until Dr. A. Pdwin Keigwin was elected president in 11)07. Dr. Keigwin. the- tilth president, was also the- tilth, and hist, minister to date- to hold the- position. He remained until 1012. when Dr. ( ieorge I . Omwake. vice president since- 1909. replaced him. With his rise- to power the- ( ollege entered upon its third period of remarkable de clnpment. During his twenty four years of stewardship, a career cut short by .1 weakened lie-art. I rsinus experiene eel a phenomenal growth in all departments. I lie first task was to provide- satisfactory living quarters and dining accommodations. I lie old dormitories and kitchen were remodeled and a new dining hall added, and in 1927 twin dormitories of C hestnul Mill stone, the benefactions of 11drew R. Brodbec k and ( yrus I I. I . ( urlis. were constructed for additional men students. I hre-e other buildings completed the- physical transformation of the c ampus— Alumni Memorial Library. I hompson ( «ay Ciymnasiurn. and the- Science Building. All of these improvements were occasioned by the- growth ol the- student body from 17s in 1912 to 177 in ic)“ 2. Accompanying these other developments were ,m increase in the size and breadth of experience of the- faculty. .111 expansion of the- curriculum to provide for more varied kinds of training, the- enlargement of the program of ac tivities, and the institution ol an intramural athletic polic y. theology School and Academy At the- outset I rsinus contained both .1 Sc hool ol I lu-ology and .111 cademy. and enrolment was open only t » men. In 1N81 women were admitted on ecpial conditions with men. but the- policx was adopted that the- men shall always have a heir majority in numbers. I he theology department was moved to I Miiladelphia in 1898. and the- academy, because of the- public high school development, was la

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Rl V. IOII II. A. liOMlil-RGI.R. 111).. I I I). I'ounder of the ('allege President lt Cx) 1890 I le did not lour to It’art’ seen lily and comfort lor uncharted wildernesses. illing to act apt whatever issue mifihl he in store, he stood ready to follow the path of duty according to (mils pur pose as this became (tear to him. Ur sinus College and Its Leaders Till, lounding of I rsinus ( ollege xxav (lie historical effect «»l a bitter theolog i il (onlioxeisx between the high ami low church parlies ol tin Reformed ( IiiikIi. lien (ompromise bei nine ini|tossilile lire low church group moved. in 18(H). to establish an inslilulion xvliere tlie youlli of I lie land onld lie liberallx edm .tied under llie benit!n inllneiiie ol ( hrislianitx. and aea(leini( instruction was begun on September ft. 1870. in die I 11 iI Ii 111 formerlx oct upied by Ireeland Semin.ii x. I lie nexvlx incorporated college was named lor I rsinus. one ol I lie authors ol I lie I leidelberg ( ale liism. .aid a professor in I lie I niversilv ol I leidel berg. ( MTinanv. I oda die d icological controx ersx id die posl C ix il w ar decade lias little more llian hisloiiial inleresl lot us. bill xx e note xxilli pride dial I rsinus xxas born as .1 result ol a protest made bx men id high courage, xx ho would not yield to xx h.il lliex 1 1 1

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disc ontinucd in u io. «ut' college. era I . lli.it dale on I rsilms has Isolelx Recent I listory of the ('olleqe I l on I lie resignation ol Dr. Omwake. on Inly I. ic)- . I In Direr tors elected .in alumnus .iik! iii( iiiIm i ol llic faculty. I )r. omian I .. Me ( lure, to lie tlie seventh lirr'idcnl in tin liistory oi the institution. Mr. I )on.»M I I lellfcrich. also .in .iluinniis. I km .line vice-president. I )r. Me ( lure, during li is briel time in office, lias continued tlie eslalilislicd policies ol tlie ( ollcgc. I here lias been .1 onsr ious effort to restore to tlie ( ollege some (d the elements whir li were formerly so niui li 1 part ol tlie old I rsinus. before I lie ( •real War swept them into oblivion. I be past yeai lias witnessed tlie estab lisliment ol .1 rerreation center for students in Bomberger basement and a reception room lor male students in I'reeland I bill, and tlie albletir program loi all students lias ( ontinualb been expanded. I lie Registrar. I r.mklin I Sbeeder. reported tliat lor tlie lirsl time tlie enrolment exceeded jOC) students, tlie total being I be I'etteroll borne next to Sbreiner was purcliased. remodeled, and opened as .1 girls dormitory. campaign. directed b 11. I lelffcricli. was also launched to provide a $ioo.0 0 C icorge I .eslie Oinwalu Memorial Sc liolarsliip lund. I lie Board ol Direc tors lias suffered severe losses through the death of live ol its members within less than a year. t its I'ebruary meeting, the Board adopted .1 retirement and pension plan lor lac ulty and administrative officers as recommended by the I'.xec ulive ( omuiittec. One ol the most gratifying lend encies in the past two dec ades has been the number ol I rsinus gradtl ales who have gone to medical, dental. law. professional schools, and to seminaries, where they have made records c rec litable to tl ICIII sebes and their alma mater. I here is no reason to believe that this tendency will not permanently establish ilsell as an essential part ol the I rsinus tradition. cyrus 11 k. ( runs Benefactor and lor Several Years « Member of the Advisory Council If.