William Carey College - Crusader / Pine Burr Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

Page 17 text:

History of Trustees URING THE SUMMER of 1911, the four Baptist Churches of Hattiesburg decided to found a college for women where the formation of Christian character should be the chief aim. In the furtherance of this design nine men were selected from the membership of these churches, and were instructed to formulate and carry out plans looking to the opening of the College in September. How these men accepted this commission and through many difficulties and troubles carried it out; how they in great faith refused to accept defeat which came in many guises; how the College was carried on the first session until the State Baptist Convention at Gulf port accepted it; all these things are matters of common knowledge and need not be detailed here. But it should be said that the names of these nine men should go down in Baptist history along with the missionaries, the secretaries, and the other religious pioneers whose self-sacrifice has made possible the rapid advance and development of our denomination. ' Dr. T. E. Ross, Chairman of the Board, is Manager of the Hattiesburg Hospital and Chief Surgeon of the Gulf Ship Island Railroad and the Mississippi Central Railroad. One of the most prominent physicians and surgeons of the South, he is a deacon of the First Church and a leader in all good works. Unlike some prominent men. Dr. Ross is extremely modest, and no one would learn from him that the new Administration Building is really a monument to his untiring efforts. 3, Hon. J. E. Davis, Secretary of the Board, is one of the leading lawyers of Hattiesburg. e is a deacon in the Fifth Avenue Church, and one of the mainstays of that splendid church. His legal knowledge and ready consecration of time and talents have been of untold help in removing the many difficulties that assail the first years of a great institution. ■ Ellis Hickman, Manager of the Hawkins Hardware Company, and member of Main Street Church, is the efficient Treasurer of the Board. Mr. Hickman is prominent among those young business men who have built Hattiesburg into the fourth city of Mississippi, and have made it a synonym for pluck and business enterprise. He never fails when called on in the name of the Woman ' s College. O ' M. P. L. Love is one of the leading travelling men of the South, and the Superin- tendent of one of the greatest Sunday Schools in the State. He is the Moderator of the Lebanon Association, a member of the State Laymen ' s Executive Committee, the Manager of the South Mississippi Baptist Encampment, and a deacon in the Main Street Church. He is also a graduate of Mississippi College and a recognized leader in all denominational work. 3 • W. L. Pack is another prominent business man and Sunday School Superintendent. In every day life he is a member of the Merchants ' Grocery Company, the leading wholesale grocery firm in South Mississippi. Otherwise he is the Superintendent of the Sunday School as well as choir leader of the First Church. Mr. Pack is a Trustee whose faith has never faltered, but has foreseen great things for the Woman ' s College. 2, , Abner Polk is one of the largest dealers in horses and mules in this section. Perhaps one reason for this success is his steadfast refusal to do any livery business on Sunday. He is one of the most liberal supporters of the First Church and is generally known as the biggest hearted man in Hattiesburg. No man is readier to give his time, his prayers, and his money to the Woman ' s College. ( 9 ■ Hon. S. E. Travis is another of the great-hearted deacons of the First Church. He is regarded as among the first lawyers of the State, holding, among other important positions of trust, the office of Counsel for the Hattiesburg Traction Company, and also for the Mississippi Central Railroad. His duties are never so arduous, however, as to make him place the interests of the Woman ' s College second in any respect. . Rev. A. L. O ' Briant has been for eight years pastor of the Immanuel Church which is right across the street from the College. He was one of the first men to see the great opportunity here for the Baptists, and his tongue and pen were mighty factors in convincing others of this fact. He has had a great part in the religious development of South Mississippi, having held meetings in every part of the country. He is one of the most active and enthusiastic of our ministers. 4 . Rev. E. D. Solomon was for years pastor of the Columbia Street Church, which, uhder his leadership, has recently completed the Main Street Church, one of the most convenient and elegant church homes in the denomination. His voice was among the first to be raised calling on the Baptists of the State to build a great college for women at Hattiesburg. No difficulties have ever caused his faith in the success of the College to falter, and from the time of the famous State Convention at Gulfport to the present day, he has been one of its most ardent advocates and supporters. How could a college fail with such men as these for sponsors? Each one is a leader in his profession; each one is full of good works; each one is a man of prayer and stands close to God. The College, the Denomination, and the State will never forget them. J. L. Johnson, Jr. f

Page 16 text:

NINE ORIGINAL TRUSTEES

Page 18 text:

THE PINE BU