Month: February 2019

Images in Bronze

John Wesley looks out over the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College. He has been there since 1967. Sculpted by prominent Atlanta architect and sculptor, Julian Hoke Harris, the statue was commissioned for the campus. It has long been a place for students to meet and for photographs of families, friends, teams, and other campus groups to be taken. From groups of faculty to the Sago Mine disaster balloon release to celebrating new students, homecomings, lacrosse victories to pep band rallies, John Wesley tends to be right in the middle of it all. 

Collage of John Wesley Gatherings

John Wesley and the Methodist Church

Through his sermons and his prolific writings, John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement in England, and was a major influence on the formation of churches in America, sending instructions to America in 1784 for the formation of a separate Methodist church for the United States

There were many divisions of that group throughout its history over such things as church governance, social issues, and other factors which resulted in nearly 30 denominations which come from this heritage. Here is an interesting list of these denominations. 

Some of these groups have divided, some have come back together.

In 1939 – Three groups reunited to be come The Methodist Church

In 1968 – The three reunited groups welcomed another one, the Evangelical United Brethren, and they became the United Methodist Church

1939 Uniting Conference

In the late 1930s, nearly 100 years after the Methodist Episcopal Church, South had split from the denomination over the issue of slavery, there was a reuniting of three of these groups: Methodist Episcopal Church,  Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Methodist Protestant. It was quite an emotional event.

On the 14th Day of the Uniting Conference in 1939, the leaders of these major groups spoke. You can read their words here: 

From left to right:

Photo for Plaque
Photograph from Bishop Straughn’s Personal Reflections

These three leaders have become a powerful symbol of all that happened in Kansas City, Missouri from April 26 – May 10, 1939. 

Bishops Straughn and Hughes have spoken at West Virginia Wesleyan. Bishop Straughn, in particular, is considered a great friend of the college and served on our Board of Trustees from 1941-48 when he was serving as the Bishop of the Pittsburgh Area.

The Plaque

More than a decade after this event, President Scarborough recognized the huge importance of the 1939 Uniting Conference, and of this particular moment. Working with his friend, Michael Late Benedum, who provided funds through the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and long-time Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Clyde O. Law, the dream of a one-of-a-kind monument became a reality. The  architectural firm involved in creating three new buildings on campus at the time, Poundstone, Ayers, and Godwin, connected us with leading sculptor,  Julian Hoke Harris of Atlanta (Yes, the same one who later created our statue of John Wesley).

The Plaque Picture

Bishop James H. Straughn, the center person on this plaque, was here on campus to dedicate this one-of-a-kind plaque. This took place on May 28, 1953 at the dedication ceremony of both the plaque and the Methodist History Room in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library. Although that room has moved to a different area and the plaque itself has moved to a new place on campus (the hallway in Martin Religious Center just outside of the Chapel Office), his words are powerful reminders for all of us. The full text of Bishop Straughn’s dedication speech can be found here, pages 1-4.

His speech includes:

  • Conference and College Relationship
  • West Virginia Religious Heritage
  • The importance of the history of these things
  • The stories of the sculptor and this work of art
  • The story of the Uniting Conference in 1939 from the perspective of a central figure in that event, and including the roles of the three people immortalized on this plaque
  • The story of the very photograph that was used as a model which has a great back-story of its own

Thus, Julian Hoke Harris has captured important images in bronze for West Virginia Wesleyan College. His work remains an important reminder of our heritage.

Sculptor and his Works Julian Hoke Harris
Julian Hoke Harris and the Images in Bronze
That he has created for West Virginia Wesleyan College
For the Preservation and Telling of Our Stories

Navigating Our Shared History

Compass and Map

My WVWC History Class was on a “Field Trip” this week and looking around in the West Meditation Chapel when I mentioned that the name did not refer to the direction the building was facing, but to Calvin and Mary Lowe West.

Of course, one of the students pulled out a cell phone with a Compass App on it to check and see. This IS the age of the App after all!

It turns out that Calvin West, a devout Methodist, had spent a short time in Buckhannon during his youth before relocating to Florida. He was not a graduate of the college, but was so impressed with the school that he created an endowment fund “The Calvin A. West Scholarship Fund” which has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to help students fund their education at Wesleyan. His widow kept up the support of the school in his name, and provided further funds for the Meditation Chapel, which was completed in 1967. He followed his heart. She followed his lead.Wesst Meditation Chapel

Others were also involved in making the Meditation Chapel a special place, donating funds for many of the items that are there. Many of these people were alumni or their families who wanted to be part of the growth and mission of the school, and to create something special for the benefit current students. They were both following and leading.West Meditation Chapel details

Navigation Tools

Compasses tell us the direction that we want to go. They help us to know if we are on the right path.

Maps tell us how to get there. They show us the best way to get there. After all, the shortest route may not be the best one.

Our college publications also give us clues.

They tell us about landmarks along the way and the people who have led us. They give clues about where we have been.

Catalogs

For those who haven’t read a college catalog lately, I can tell you that there is more in there than just a list of classes. They help us to take a look at our current bearing (the manner in which one behaves or comports oneself).

Catalogs include:

  • The calendar of important dates and deadlines
  • Statement of Mission
  • A brief history of the school
  • Information about accreditation
  • Procedures and the process for enrolling and graduating
  • Tuition, fees, payment procedures, and financial aid
  • What courses are required for the various programs
  • Descriptions of each course
  • Outcomes for the programs
  • Academic policies and information about withdrawal, transferring of credits, auditing courses, grading, transcripts, technology requirements, commencement, academic integrity, plagiarism
  • Student life policies about social responsibility, code of conduct, sexual harassment, alcohol and drugs
  • Resources available to students, such as: the Campus Center, Campus Security, Career Center, Chapel, Child Development Center, Cultural Events, Food Service, Health Services, Housing Services, Learning Center, Library, Motor Vehichle policies and procedures, Physical Education Center, Wellness Center, Testing Services, and Writing Center
  • Lists of Aministrative Officers and Staff
  • List of the members of the Board of Trustees
  • List of the Faculty
  • List of the Presidents and Deans throughout the history of the school

The Pharos

Our college newspaper was named for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was built to guide and protect sailors. Likewise, our paper has served to announce upcoming events, discuss the storms of life that may be in the area, and otherwise to map out the course and give reports about the journey.

Pharos Murmurmontis 1908

 

The Sundial

The West Virginia Wesleyan alumni publication is called the Sundial. There is a great deal of information in it about the school and about the people who care about it. It includes information about students from the past and current students as well as updates on the school itself. It also includes a good deal of information about finances and campaigns to do building projects for the future. The name of this publication is inspired by the sundial in front of the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. Sundials tell time by the way that sunlight and shadows interact. Much like a compass, it is set to true north. Unlike a compass it registers time rather than direction. It is local time.Sundial and Admin 2018

Murmurmontis

Loosely translated as “The Voice of the Mountain,” our yearbook name was reportedly suggested by Frank B. Trotter, professor of Latin. In it, we see the photographs of the people who were here at any given time and read about their adventures and accomplishments. This publication has given us a treasure trove of information about those who have come before us. There are some very strong, powerful, creative, brilliant, and truly Giant names: Hutchinson, Haught, McCuskey, Fleming, Martin, Rockefeller, Hyma, Brown, Glauner, Atkinson, Reemsnyder, Davis, Trotter, Schoolcraft, Ross, Jelly, McKinney, Coston, Wark, Chrisman, Hamrick, Holmes, Boette, and many many more. Their leadership and their voices are worth consulting.

Here is an article about the Making of the First Murmurmontis, by Charles Aubrey Jones. He was the editor of that first one in 1904, and wrote this article for the 1910 edition. His article ends with:

As memory treasuries for the periods which they cover, I am glad to have been associated with the movement which brought them about, for in their pictures, their memories, are recollections which grow dimmer as the years go by, and yet which we cannot well afford to lose, for youth and college days do not come again. The “Murmurmontis” brings them back to us.

Sadly, this publication ceased with the 2012 edition – a 21st Century victim of social media, apathy, and expense.

Audience

The audiences for these publications are sometimes limited. Very few alumni are likely to read a current catalog. Students on campus may pick up a copy of the Pharos, but those far away are not likely to do so.  Sundials are delivered to alumni, but few current students will read them. The Murmurmontis is not an option for current students, and the alumni are likely only to read those for the years in which they were in college. Faculty and Trustees will vary in their reading of these publications as well.

Fortunately, the Catalogs are all available online. From 1890-2010, they can be found on the Internet Archive. (For example, West Virginia Wesleyan 1940.)

The Yearbooks can be found there as well from 1904-2010 (For example, Murmurmontis 1958)

The Pharos and Sundials can be found on Pages In Time, a digital repository made possible by the Friends of the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library. There are other collections available there as well including Performing Arts Programs and the George Rossbach Digital Herbarium.

DreamersAndGiants includes information and stories. Things that bind us all together as the West Virginia Wesleyan College Community.

There is a Blog post each Monday – to pull things from all of these other sources and tell the stories. The archive of all of them is available. A couple that are especially helpful in talking about our Navigation are:

Gifts of Stories from the Past

Cloud of Witnesses

So, how can we find a common map? A common path? A common sense of history and future? What Navigation Tools will we use? Is there an App for that?

 

 

 

 

 

Guardian of Romantic Years – Happy Valentine’s Day

Verse three of the West Virginia Wesleyan Alma Mater talks about the Guardian of Romantic Years. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to think about that for a minute.

Banner

Yes, many people have found their life partners while here. At last count there are more than 1,400 Wesleyan Sweetheart Couples. These are people who met while students here.

Path

Sometimes the courtship has involved long walks on the beautiful campus. Sometimes there were long hours in choir or band practices or lengthy science labs involved. Sometimes romances flourish in the library or in the cafeteria.

Even faculty members have fallen in love!

Haught Wedding Announcement

Literary Society Love

In the early years, it was not uncommon to find love in the Literary Societies (Chrestomathean or Excelsior) because these were organizations where it was approved for boys and girls to gather together. After all, you wanted that debate, or performance, or speech to be extra good! Some notable couples in this category would be Charles and Ireta (Lowe) Jones Seminary graduates in 1904 and 1906 respectively and Edward and Gayzelle (Rusk) Boetticher in the late 1920s.Romantic Literary Societies

Whatever the setting, there are people who have an interest (or a challenge) in common and who are spending a lot of time together at a time in their lives when they are discovering who they are and who they want to become.

Alma Mater

But sometimes the love doesn’t involve another person. Sometimes it is the love of learning that is discovered and celebrated. Sometimes it is the love for the place where we spend those romantic years dreaming and growing.

Alma Mater in four boxes

Wallace B. Fleming caputured some of the romantic spirit of the college when he wrote the words to our Alma Mater in 1918, and highlights some of the elements of love.

Verse 1 is about the magic mystic fountains (before we had ACTUAL magic mystic fountains on campus) and the noblest dreams of life. People who were making plans for their lives.

Verse 2 may be my favorite of all. It is about loving to learn as well as learning to love. And, again, the future is imagined.

Verse 3 actually mentions the romantic years. The exciting and mysterious time in life when plans are imagined and dreams are followed is described in this verse along with the call to high endeavor and never ending relationships.

Verse 4 is the same as the first verse. It reiterates the importance of following those noblest dreams of life which have begun and grown during the college years.

All kinds of love.

  • Agape (unconditional love for everyone).
  • Philia (deep friendship)
  • Eros (romantic love)
  • Storge (familial love….for the college family as well as biological ones)

Ann Lorentz, class of 1931, wrote this lovely poem which wraps up my thoughts for this Valentine’s Day. Not about her sweetheart, but about her college. It is a bit difficult to see, so I will also transcribe it here. The images will sound very familiar to those of us who have walked these same pathways.

Poem transcribed

Snowy Night

 

 

 

Philosophically Speaking

When the West Virginia Conference Seminary opened in 1890,  Psychology, Ethics, and Greek were taught by President Bennett W. Hutchinson. He taught these subjects throughout his presidency from 1890-1899.  He was followed by President Simon Boyers who taught Ethics and Psychology from 1899-1900 and President John Weir who taught those subjects from 1900-1901. In other words, the subjects were of such importance that the presidents themselves taught them. What could be more important than to help students learn to search for and love wisdom? To think clearly about the meaning of life?

Several people have taught philosophy at West Virginia Wesleyan College through the years. Some have been here a few years. Others have been here much longer. Philosophy has at times been combined with other disciplines, and at other times stood on its own.

  • T. R. Watson  (Philosophy, History, English Bible: 1905-07)
  • William Armistead Haggerty (Philosophy, Pedagogy, English Bible: 1908-09)
  • Paige Milburn (Philosophy and Education: 1910-13)
  • Frances Shreve (Philosophy and Education: 1914-15)
  • Norman Boardman (Philosophy: 1921)
  • Paul Crissman (Philosophy and Education: 1925-27)
  • Albion King (Philosophy and Psychology: 1928-29)
  • Randall B. Hamrick (Philosophy and Religion: 1941-43)
  • Jose Franuiz (Philosophy: 1947-64)
  • J. Brenton Stearns (Philosophy: 1962-64)
  • Joseph B. Mow (Philosophy: 1963-88)
  • Alfred John Black (Philosophy and Religion: 1967-73)
  • David K. Hill (Philosophy: 1974-80)
  • William H. Capitan (Philosophy: 1975-80)
  • Willa Pinto (Philosophy: 1976-78)
  • Bernard F. Keating (Philosophy: 1977-2017)
  • Robert N. Hull (Philosophy: 1994-2019)
  • Scott Williams (Philosophy: 2019-current)

Giants

Since 1947, four of these people have combined to teach 107 years of philosophy. They have not only been Giants on our campus but within their profession, often speaking at international conferences and founding new organizatons and opportunities to discuss philosophical matters with others.

Dr. Jose Franquiz was born in Puerto Rico in 1906 and educated at Colgate University and Boston University. He was an ordained Methodist minister as well as a philosopher. He presented papers all over the world, and led international study opportunities for students.

Dr. Joseph Mow was born in India to missionary parents, and attended an English speaking boarding school there. His higher education was done mainly at the University of Chicago, although he also studied at Oxford University for a time. After World War II he was active in relief work in China, working with refugees, and later became Associate Director for Immigration Services of Church World Services in New York City. Dr. Mow was an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

Dr. Bernard F. Keating (known as Chip) received his undergraduate degree from William and Mary and his masters and doctorate at the University of Virginia. Being a true lover of learning, he also earned his M.B.A. from West Virginia Wesleyan along the way. Although he retired in 2017, he is still teaching and engaging with students.

Dr. Robert Hull has taught philosophy at West Virginia Wesleyan for 25 years. This week, on January 30, 2019, we have lost a Giant. Dr. Hull died very unexpectedly. At a school where we prize Critical Thinking, Rob was the one who taught a class on that very thing. He taught The Examined Life, helping generations of students to find meaning and to love learning. He founded the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Research Conference in 2004, which gives opportunities for students in both the sciences and the humanities to think and research as well as to learn to think and act like the scholars that they are.

His enthusiasm for the school and his students was boundless, and he especially enjoyed sharing it all with his own children. Last May I found myself sitting beside Rob at Commencement. He applauded for each and every graduate. It was a special day for him, however, as he also was given the opportunity to hand the diploma to his own son, Ethan. He loved learning and wisdom and the sharing of it.

Dr. Debra Murphy, Associate Professor of Religion, has written a tribute to Rob Hull. Her words speak for many of his faculty colleagues.  It is titled The Love of Wisdom. You can read it here.

Rev. Krysta Rexrode Wolfe, a former student, has written a tribute to Rob as well. Her words echo what I have been hearing from other students in the past few days. It is titled Philosophical Horizons. You can read it here.

West Virginia Wesleyan College has been blessed with amazing faculty members. Many of these people could have taught anywhere. They chose to be here. They love to share their love of learning.

Philosophically speaking, I believe it is what a college should be all about.

Learning