Westminster College - Blue Jay Yearbook (Fulton, MO)

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The old campus The modern campus

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746 ?mtmfty LORNE K. MCADAM, B.A., B.Ed., Ed.D., Professor of Psychology and Education, . JOHN ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, B.A., M.A., Professor of Bible . THOMAS HENRY NAPIECINSKI, B.A., M.A., Instructor of Eng- lish . JOHN W. RANDOLPH, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Professor of English . EDGAR RECKARD, .13., B.A., B.D., Director of Chapel and Assistant Professor of Bible and Religion . FELIX EDWARD SHARTON, B.A., B5,, M.L., MCADAM MCQUEEN NAPIECI NSKI RANDOLPH IIECICARD SHA n'mN VARGAS WHITE W INTERS MCPIIEETE ns W EIGLE M.M., Ph.D., Profassor of Germanic Lan- guages and Literature . ESTEBAN VARGAS- VALLES, B.A., M.A., Associate Prqfessor of Spanish . GEORGE V. S. WHITE, B.S., M.S., Instructor of Biology . ROGER WINTERS, B.A., M.A., Charless Professor of Physics . COLIN A. McPHEE'rERs, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Education Emeritus . OTIS MELVIN WEIGLE, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., Peressor of Chemistry Emerilus. Page 10

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W 6517721th C 0!! egg By CHARLES F. LAMK1N Q99 Cmtmnial Ilijiorian On a September day, 1849, the Presbytery of Missouri Was meeting in the Old Auxvasse church, quite unaware that its session that day was foreordained to the most momentous in the history of the Presbyterian church in Missouri. In the course of the deliberations of the Pres- bytery Rev. XV. XV. Robertson, pastor of the Fulton church, moved that the Moderator appoint a committee to con- sider the advisability of memoralizing Synod concerning the necessity of establishing an institution of learning. Fulton Prz'J'byIM'z'an Churrlz The resolution being adopted. the Klodcrator appointed Reverends th XV. Robertson and Wt G. Fell with Elder Preston B. Reed of the Fulton church. No action was taken by the Synod in 1849 or 1850. Dr Robertson, how- ever, induced the Elders of the Fulton church to organize a college. being convinced that When the Synod finally did act that a Hcollege in being, would have priority. February 18, 1851, as a result of Robertsonls insistence, Fulton Col- lege was chartered, it being carefully stipulated in the charter that llin case the college is adopted by the Synodl, the Trustees named in that charter should be replaced in an orderly manner by others chosen by the Synod. The hrst session of the college opened on the first Monday in October, 1851, with Professor Van Doren as its entire faculty. The college building was a two-story frame house standing near where Washington W'est House now stands. HARDLY had Fulton College begun to function when the Synod of Missouri formally declared itself iI1 favor of the establishment of an institution of higher learning under its direction and adopted the famous resolution that iWVe rise up and buildfl Nine commissioners were appointed to inspect suitable sites with directions to report at the 1852 meeting of Synod held at Fulton. Four towns, Fulton, Richmond, Boonville and St. Charles, offered sites and cash donations. On the hrst and only ballot thirty-two of the lifty-seven members of Synod present voted for Fulton. XVithin four months after this synodical action Fulton College ceased to exist and XVestminster College took over; the same buildings being used; the Philologic Society con- tinued its activities uninterruptedly and Professor Van Doren, assisted by N. C. Kouns. composing the faculty. The hrst faculty was composed of William Van Doren, AAL; Rev. Samuel S. llawst AAL; Thomas D. Baird, AAL; and James Smith, Tutor. The first commencement was in Klune, 1855, and at that time the Trustees elected Rev. Samuel S. Laws :15 its first President. President Laws quickly assembled 2111 outstanding faculty including M, M. Fisher, Frederick T. Kemper, William Van Doren, I. T. Hughes and T. P. Barbour, an assistant. President Laws embarked on a campaign for endowment through scholar- ships; four years later his success was proclaimed through the newspapers that the endowment funds of the college amounted to $102,898.78. President Lawsl success was little short of spectacular. XVcstminster's endowment com- pared favorably with eastern schools and its enrollment was fourth in all the colleges of the Presbyterian Church. SAMUEL S. LAWS Page 12