Author: paula.mcgrew@gmail.com

Why Founders Day?

 

We have come a long way — thanks to the Founders and those who have been here before us. The Wesleyan of the past has brought us to the Wesleyan of today. The thing is that the past is still very much part of our present – and Founders Day gives us the opportunity to gather as a community and celebrate all that has come before us, and to get excited about making plans for the future. The community that will gather in Wesley Chapel on Friday afternoon represents folks from the past…leaders of today…and more than likely many people who will be directly responsible for the Wesleyan of the future.

Lewis Chrisman 1950s

Lewis H. Chrisman taught at WVWC from 1919-1956 and was Professor Emeritus from 1956-1966. He taught English Literature during his time here and touched the lives of generations of Wesleyan students (and faculty and staff colleagues).

Florence Schaper taught Sociology and served as the Director of Counseling and Placement from 1950-1967 and was Professor Emerita from 1967-1976.

Appearing on the cover of Founders Day programs for two decades or so, this was Lewis Chrisman’s view of why it was important.

Upon Founders Day we renew our allegiance to the past and at the same time face the untrodden fields of the future. No institution springs into existence full-grown. West Virginia Wesleyan owes a debt of gratitude greater than we can ever pay to the idealism, the loyalty, and the sacrifice of those who have gone before. The very mention of their names gives us a renewed sense of inspiration, hope, and dedication. We are indeed encompassed by clouds of witnesses. The thought of what they meant to their generation and to us who follow in their train causes us to resolve to stand more firmly for the eternal principles which underlie all of life and also to keep the windows of our minds open to new light and new truth. May the developments of our future truly fulfill the expectations of our noble past.”  Lewis H. Chrisman

Likewise, Florence Schaper’s words appeared on the cover in 1975.

Schaper, Florence 1962
Florence Schaper, 1962
October 17, 1975
A Tribute to Our Founders
The Christian ideals and aims set forth by the founders of West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1890 have inspired men and women for two generations to give their talents and means for the development of our college. We honor the founders of West Virginia Wesleyan College!
It is fitting that we renew our responsibility to the founders of our college and that we continue to carry on their ideals and aims in the present era of major social transitions. we shall need courage with humility for the task. Nevertheless we have faith that the creative intelligence with Christian compassion of students, faculty, administration, alumni, and trustees of West Virginia Wesleyan College will be able to develop contemporary guidelines appropriate for the basic ideals and aims of our college.   (Florence W. Schaper, Faculty Emeritus 1967)

135 Years – Happy Birthday WVWC!

Birthday Cake - 135 years

It is not every day that a person has an opportunity to celebrate such a milestone! How does one even go about it? Gifts are certainly in order. Taking the time to reflect on the people who have been integral to such a long story of growth and success seems to be appropriate. What follows is my attempt to celebrate the founding of our Home Among the Hills, where the doors first opened on September 3, 1890 – and the people and adventures since that time.

Gift #1 – Faculty List

About 20 years ago, I asked what I thought to be a simple question. (Is there a list of all the people who have taught here through the years?) It turned out that the answer was that it was all in the catalogs. Yikes. There have been a LOT of those through the years! But, after many years of digging through those catalogs and making a spreadsheet, I finally came up with a list. It includes anyone who was listed as faculty in one of the catalogs – even some early student assistants in various lab classes. These are all people who have impacted lives. Some have taught here for decades. Others for just a few years, but if they happened to be YOUR years, they may have made a huge difference for you.

However, once I had the list I was still not satisfied. I wanted to know what they looked like, where they had come from, what they taught, and what kinds of people they were. So, I have been compiling that information as well by looking through yearbooks, alumni publications, and even researching some in places like LinkedIn or FindAGrave.  Click here to see the results (with more coming!)

Gift #2 – Buildings

Buildings all have a story to tell us (many, actually). When it was built? Why was it built? What was the purpose for each? Where did the funds come from? Who was it  named for? What has been written about each?

The Buildings section of DreamersAndGiants has been updated with a lot of that information. Click here to check it out!

Gift #3 – Online Course

Thanks to a suggestion from Provost Lynn Linder, and some great technical assistance and moral support from Traci Probst and Jon Benjamin, there is now an online course available for those who would like to know more.  Click here to explore it! 

Answers to some frequently asked questions:

  1. It is free.
  2. It is available for anyone to take (faculty, staff, current students, alumni, trustees, prospective students, or anyone who would like to know more).
  3. It covers the founding and early days, and the history of the buildings.
  4. The entire course takes about 2 1/2 hours, but you don’t have to do it all at once.
  5. At the end of the course, you recieve a certificate!

Bobcat 135

While I am not a student of numerology, I thought it would be interesting to see what the number 135 might signify. What I found seems pretty on target.

  • Number 1 often represents new beginnings, independence, and self-leadership
  • Number 3 represents creativity, communication, self-expression, and optimism
  • Number 5 represents adaptability, freedom, positive change, and adventure

Happy 135th Birthday, WVWC!

God of Grace and God of Glory

It is always amazing to me how things that have no apparent connection can, in fact, be interconnected in a powerful way. For example, consider the following:

          • Commencement 2018 at WVWC
          • Assembly at Wesleyan on March 6, 1947 (required attendance)
          • A Philosophy professor (1994-2019),  Rob Hull
          • An English Literature professor (1919-1955), Lewis H. Chrisman
          • The Great Depression
          • Hymns
          • Sermons
          • Book Reviews
          • Current Events
          • Probably many others I haven’t even thought of, but you get the point.

Having retired in July of 2017, I wasn’t necessarily expected to attend Commencement the following year, but many of my former students were graduating and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. As luck would have it, I ended up sitting next to Professor Rob Hull that day.

After we processed in and sat down, Rob was looking through the program when he exclaimed, “Where the heck is God of Grace and God of Glory!!!” I looked, and sure enough it was not there. We started trying to remember when we had ever been to a commencement ceremony that did not include that hymn — and could not.

Later that day I kept thinking about that conversation. Being a retired librarian and the College Historian, I started digging back through the programs from former years. There it was – again and again and again. All the way back to 1948! Strange. Why did it start? Why did it stop? 

It was a few years before I thought about it again. This time I decided to research more about who had written the hymn, and to see if I could find a connection. At that time, I found that the hymn had been written in 1930 by Harry Emerson Fosdick, but didn’t see anything linking it to WVWC. He was writing at a time between two World Wars, during the Great Depression, and was certainly living in difficult times – much like we are today.

One night this week that hymn started haunting me. It played in my mind all night. So, in the morning I looked up the words once again to be sure I was remembering them correctly:

Verse 1

God of Grace and God of Glory on thy people pour thy power;

Crown thine ancient Church’s story; Bring its bud to glorious flower

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour

For the facing of this hour

Verse 2

Lo! The hosts of evil round us Scorn thy Christ, assail his ways!

From the fears that long have bound us, Free our hearts to faith and praise

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage; For the living of these days

For the living of these days

Verse 3

Cure thy children’s warring madness, Bend our pride to Thy control

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, Rich in things and poor in soul

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, Lest we miss thy Kingdom’s goal

Lest we miss thy Kingdom’s goal

Verse 4

Set our feet on lofty places; Gird our lives that they may be

Armored with all Christlike graces, Pledged to set all captives free

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, That we fail not Them or Thee

That we fail not them nor Thee

Verse 5

Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore

Let the gift of Thy salvation be our glory evermore

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage serving Thee whom we adore

Serving Thee whom we adore.

On further investigation in the Pharos, I discovered that Dr. Lewis Chrisman (who taught English Literature at Wesleyan from 1919-1956) had spent 2 years going through and analyzing the content of over 6,000 sermons and had written a 280 page book entitled Message of the American Pulpit, published in 1930. It had been glowingly reviewed by a group of religious leaders in the country who had organized The Religious Book Club. Yes, one of them was Harry Emerson Fosdick, the writer of God of Grace and God of Glory. 

That same year, in 1930, Fosdick wrote God of Grace and God of Glory.

So, I knew that Fosdick and Chrisman were aware of each other, but why start using the hymn in the 1948 Commencement ceremony? While adding information to Dr. Chrisman’s entry on DreamersAndGiants, I came across this:

(1947) Dr. Chrisman Speaks to Students. Dr. Chrisman spoke at the morning assembly on March 6, 1947. His topic was “What Doest Thou Here at Wesleyan?”. He quoted from Harry Fosdick’s book On Being a Real Person   and mentioned Fosdick’s new book, On Being Fit to Live With – Sermons on Post-War Christianity. [Pharos 1947-03-11, p.3]

The book he quoted included the following chapters, and you can read the book by clicking on the title above. The same for the “upcoming” one on Being Fit to Live With. Sounds like some great information for former, current, and future students!

          • Shouldering Responsibility for Ourselves
          • What Being a Real Person Means
          • The Principle of Self-Acceptance
          • Getting Oneself Off One’s Hands
          • Dealing with Fear and Anxiety
          • Handling our Mischievous Consciences
          • Using All There Is in Us
          • Mastering Depression
          • The Principle of Released Power
          • The Practical Use of Faith

Postscript: Rob Hull died unexpectedly at a young age just months after that day. I will always appreciate his good work and the love he had for his students and this college.

Priorities and Progress

I am writing this on New Year’s Eve 2024. It is that great time of year when everyone pauses to take stock of their lives. What is going well? What has been left undone? What priorities will be important in the new year?

It is a very exciting thing that, when I went back to see what my former priorities were, they are still the same and interchangeable from personal, family, and post-retirement librarian perspectives.  Hooray!!!! 

Several years ago, on March 3, 2018, I wrote a blog entry about this very topic. It is called, Purposes – Or, What Are You Doing? Having been retired for 3 quarters of a year by then, it was a question I was often asked – and often asked of myself. It is all still true and relevant. Now 7 ½ years into retirement, I am making pretty great progress on those goals. In all of these areas, I am Collecting-Organizing-Preserving-and Sharing the stories of those who have come before. 

Here are some of those projects:

So here is to another year of finding treasures in college publications – and organizing them – and sharing them. Happy New Year, Bobcats!

Imagination and Abundantly Far More

The Spirit of WVWC is Alive and Well and Growing!

In the past couple of weeks I have seen it and heard it everywhere. I met with two classes full of freshmen to explain to them why we are having Founders Day and what that might entail. I gave a very brief history of the school, and shared that there would be speeches and awards, and that they would see representatives of the Orange Line (including me for the very first time in all these years – but that is probably another entire blog full of emotions).

Founders Day is also one of the very few times that they can experience the full community of WVWC (past, present, and future) all in one place. The truth is that most of them were planning to attend, but under varying levels of protest. This is not unusual –  in fact I have experienced this with decades of classes of my own, classmates of mine from long ago, and even some colleagues on the faculty! I explained that they would see new trustees installed (and what those are), and also they would see Alumni Awards bestowed. Click on the link below to read about these people. They are all beyond impressive and amazing. No really……do it. Especially if you were not in Buckhannon on Friday afternoon!

Founders Day 2024-10-11

Some of the experiences during this weekend included:

  • Hundreds of Alumni greeting each other, remembering stories sharing news. Children of these alumni with eyes glowing and thinking about when they can come here to be part of it all – already feeling included, but beginning to dream their own dreams.
  • Trustees meeting with current students to see what their dreams were and how they could find ways to help those dreams come true.
  • Faculty reuniting with former students and being excited about the ways that those students had turned all of those dreams and classes and assignments into lives full of meaning and progress.
  • President Moore inviting Wesleyan Society members at the breakfast on Saturday morning to close their eyes for 30 seconds and visualize the people who had made an impact on their lives here. That was not nearly long enough to cover them all, but when he asked for names to be shared, it was an impressive list of faculty and staff from over the decades. He explained that all of that was still happening here, but then shared names of those teaching and leading now. Names change, but the experience is the same.

To top off the weekend, the Chapel Service on Sunday morning was wonderful. You can see the full bulletin by clicking here: Founders Day Chapel Service 2024.

Speaker, Monty Brown (Class of 1974), completely blew me away with his sermon. With his wonderful storytelling style, he wove a tale of a little girl and her grandfather. Working from a passage in Ephesians, Chapter 3, it ranged from their bond through the years to the wonder of Disney’s Figment to the fact that grandpa had found something even more amazing than that. “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

The Founders would have been excited to see all that has come of their work in the 1800s. WVWC in 2024 is more than they could ever have asked or imagined.

Just when I thought that was the highlight of the weekend, Dean of the Chapel Jonathan Acord included a closing prayer adapted from the United Methodist Book of Worship. It was the perfect way to tie together all of these experiences throughout the weekend.

Homecoming Prayer

Eternal and loving God, today we give thanks to you for your goodness through all the years of worship and witness in this place.

For your grace in calling us to be your people, for your love revealed to us in Christ your Son, for your gift of the Spirit and the joy of salvation:

We give thanks, O God.

For those who established this College, for their faith and vision, for their gifts and abilities:

We give thanks, O God.

For those who have been members of this community, for those who have given freely of their time and money, for those whose wisdom guided our College:

We give thanks, O God.

For those who have taught and served here; for all who have confessed here that Jesus is Lord; for all who today help cultivate student leaders:

We give thanks, O God.

Give us the assurance that we too belong to that great cloud of witnesses, and that, by your power that is at work within us, we too may accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.

Amen.

 

Late Night Breakfast

This tradition began in the fall of 1987 when faculty and staff served up breakfast food to students on the eve of the first day of finals.  While the food service provided exam snacks to students, the Late Night Breakfast, a full-blown breakfast, was born in 1987.  In 2017, the ‘very popular’ CANDY BAR was added for a sugar-fueled addition to breakfast.
Spring 2024

Giants Right In Front of You

Giants Right In Front of You

On May 6, and the weeks leading up to that date, we celebrated the Class of 2023.

There was a flurry of events and convocations.

The tears (of joy, of pride, and of knowing we would miss people) were flowing.

In the fall of 2019, this group of students was in my First Year Seminar.

It was about DreamersAndGiants – WVWC History.

  • We studied the earlier giants (people like Roy McCuskey, David Reemsnyder, Cebe Ross, Hank Ellis, Edna Jenkins, Agnes Howard, and many more).
  • We studied all of the buildings and historic places on campus (for instance, the Atkinson Gate where they are standing in this photo).

They were all Dreamers.

Some of them did not persist, and did not graduate.

Many of them not only persisted, but became Giants on campus in their own right. No doubt they will make their marks on the world, in their communities, and on their families.

That fall, I told them a couple of other things.

  1. These four years are going to fly by in the blink of an eye. (Yes, those same eyes they rolled at me when I said it. And, yes, last weekend they agreed that this had been true).
  2. Keep an eye out all around you. There are Giants here now! (This was also proven to be true all throughout their time at WVWC – and on full display during Commencement).

When asked about who has made an impact on them in the last four years, the names that came up definitely belong to some Giants. Among those names: Debra Murphy, Alisa Lively, Joanna Webb, Carol Bowman, Tamara Bailey, Greg Popovich, and various people at Aladdin who gave them attention and advice of various kinds.They also mentioned some of their peers who have risen to leadership positions and active in all aspects of WVWC life.

These two ladies, both from the Class of 1979, played a central role in the celebrations.

These ladies are both Giants. Be sure to click on their names and see how incredible they are.

Angela Gay Kinkead spoke at Baccalaureate, and was honored with the title of Dean of the Chapel, Emerita. She is the first woman to be so honored. And she is incredibly deserving of this honor.

Caroline Rapking gave the Commencement Address. She is the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Her term in this important role took place during one of the most difficult times in school history.

Each of them have been amazing throughout their careers.

Each of them represents what WVWC is all about.

President James Moore and Dean Lynn Linder are a couple of these Giants. 

They are bringing new energy and powerful plans to WVWC.

Each of them has been here for many years as faculty members, and they know the strengths and values of the college. Although they are just getting started in their new roles, they have already put plans into motion for new programs which match the mission of the college. They are committed to the success of WVWC and of her students.

Each of them is a Giant already.

It is something for each of us to watch for. 

  • Be sure to know about and appreciate Giants from the past.
  • Don’t miss the Giants right in front of you!

Celebrating the Emeritus Club

Emeritus Club Established May 20, 1961

Emeritus is a term generally used as an honorary title for a distinguished career. It is quite often used to honor retiring faculty members with ten or more years of service to the institution.

At student-centered WVWC, we also have an Emeritus Club. Alumni who have graduated more than 50 years ago are invited to join this group. It was organized and established on May 20, 1961 by alumni with a great love for the college and appreciation for the education received here.

The Club was the vision of one of Wesleyan’s greatest leaders and benefactors, Dr. Clyde O. Law 1909, Hon. 1952. It provides members a fellowship for remembering their time in college, a way to express their appreciation and support, a way to honor those who have been important in their lives, and a way to stay connected to each other and to the college. To get an idea of Clyde Law’s state of mind, here is an article he wrote in 1947, entitled Wesleyan, Of Thee I Dream.

Remember – Appreciate – Honor – Connection

These people arrived here as Dreamers, with many questions, plans, options and their whole lives before them.

Their lives after graduation have been full.

Many became Giants in their families, their churches, their professions, their communities, and more.

  • Clergy
  • Doctors
  • Lawyers
  • Educators — at all levels from early childhood to higher education. Some have become Professors at WVWC as well as many other colleges and universities
  • College Administrators at many colleges and universities, and some have used their education and experience to strengthen and lead West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Many have served as Trustees of the college.

As a group, the members of the Emeritus Club have been generous in their support of building projects and other needs of the school. They have helped to upgrade classrooms, sound systems, and have been major contributors in academic, arts, and athletic areas of the college. They do these things because they want to make sure that the Wesleyan that helped to form their lives always stays relevant for the students of today.

The Emeritus Club Newsletter tells stories of their lives, helps keep them connected to each other and to WVWC. For many years, this newsletter has not been available to those outside of this group. During the summer of 2021, in honor of their 60th anniversary, I scanned and uploaded all of them (166 issues) to PagesInTime. (Many thanks to Brett Miller and Michael Winston for their help!) 

Editors who have made these newsletters possible include the following: 

Click Here to Browse or Search the Emeritus Club Newsletters from 1973-2021. 

You will find out things about the college that you may not have known! Sadly we do not have copies of the first newsletters in our archive. We begin with Volume 3, Number 4  (March 1977). If you have earlier issues, please contact historian@wvwc.edu.

The latest issue has not yet been uploaded to PagesInTime, but you can read it in full by Clicking Here.  This issue is a true celebration of all that the Emeritus Club has meant, and a history of the organization is included. Please take the time to read it! 

Emeritus Faculty

Emeritus Club (Alphabetical)

Emeritus Club (By Graduation Year)

Please Note:

Information for these lists has been gathered from Pharos, Sundials, and Emeritus Club Newsletters, by an ongoing process that I call Information Mining. Any further information or corrections you may have can be sent to historian@wvwc to be added to these lists.

Lessons of Liminality

We have all been there. That between time.

Not quite away from the familiar, and not quite sure of the new.

It happens at all stages of life, and it happens for everyone.

We are at the threshold of something.

I recently encountered this word on my Facebook feed. It was one I had heard before at the time of the death of my colleague, Professor Robert Hull. One of his former students recalled his talking about liminality and sharing an article with her. Here is her tribute to Rob and to the power of his teaching. When I recently saw the word again, I went back and reread this tribute. In an indirect way, he was still teaching from the grave. 

The word Liminality comes from the Latin word limins (threshold) and was the topic for Arnold van Gennep’s work (Rites of Passage) in which he explored transitions during such times. (I believe this is what he gave Krysta that day.)

Liminal Space is a place where great growth occurs and transformation takes place. It is a place where we can think about all we have experienced in the familiar and make decisions about what we want the future to hold.

The more I read, the more I realized that the whole world is experiencing Liminality right now. A couple of examples!

High School students are about to graduate, and are on the threshold between school days and college, work, marriage, or other paths. Maybe they have been accepted to college, but are not yet part of that world.

Likewise, college students are about to cross a threshold into work, graduate school, marriage, or other paths. They are still part of their college world, but are feeling that liminal awkwardness.

Covid seems to be over (oh, don’t we hope), but it is not really gone yet. We still need to be vigilant.

The world is helplessly watching as millions are displaced from their homes in Ukraine. People whose very lives are liminal. Just weeks ago, they were going about their daily lives in places that are no longer inhabitable. Families are torn apart, homes destroyed, an entire nation caught between the before and after.

WVWC is in a liminal space, with an Interim President, and Interim Dean, and is in search of a Director of Library Services and a Director of Alumni Affairs, just to name a few. It is a great time to be thinking about the time ahead.

The United Methodist Church is at a crossroads, and it is not entirely clear how that will all work out. They have been there before. What will 2022 bring?

Seasons

Just days ago the temperature was in the 70s, and now we’ve had a couple of days of snow. Definitely Liminal Space between Winter and Spring.

Stages of Life and Relationships

Engagement is a time of liminality. You are committed to one another, but not yet married. Many things need to be figured out about the wedding details as well as about priorities for your lives and family priorities.

Pregnancy is a time of liminality. You are very aware that there is a new life involved. Someone for whom you will be responsible and someone that will change your life forever. It is a threshold time not only for the expectant parents, but for the one literally being created in the womb – and who will be crossing over a threshold at birth. We constantly move between stages of life, with liminal space in between them.

Moving from job to job can be a confusing time. You may find that you are a lame duck at your old job, but not yet in a place where you can dive into the new one.

Moving from one house or city to another is definitely a Liminal time. Boxes are packed and things are in flux. If you are going to a new town, you will need to find your way around and learn where things are. Who will cut your hair? Which doctor or bank is best for you? Where did you put the toothpaste?!? So many questions. After a time, you will find all of these things familiar. The time in between is Liminal time.

Retirement is a time of liminality. You knew who you were and what you should be doing each day. Some are almost completely defined by the job that they do, and have a hard time determining who they will be after retirement. Others embrace the opportunity to spend their days in new ways.

Liminality is a time for creativity and growth. Professor Rob Hull said that without liminal space there is no transformation. As difficult as it may be at times, it is a time to be embraced.

Some readings:

  • Rites of Passage, by Arnold von Gennep (1909) [available for borrowing on Internet Archive]
  • A Liminality Primer, by Timothy Carson [website and resources which is an outgrowth of a doctoral dissertation]

 

 

 

Gavin Gathering with Some Greats

March 10, 2022 was a sad day for West Virginia Wesleyan as legendary soccer coach, Gavin Donaldson lost his battle with cancer. Gavin was a respected colleague, mentor to hundreds, and a coach worthy of inclusion with WVWC greats from the past.

Image of Gavin and the WVWC Soccer shield by Pete Galerneau.

In fact, as I think of him today (March 11, 2022) I feel certain that he is surrounded by those long-serving greats and that they are all enjoying a conversation about athletics at WVWC. I would love to be able to listen in on this! Click on each one to learn more!

Harry Stansbury 1891-1966

Cebe Ross 1901-1953

David Reemsnyder 1908-1979

Hank Ellis 1921-2015

Soccer began at WVWC as a club team in 1959, and was given official status as a collegiate sport in 1962. Most coaches averaged 8 years of service. Gavin coached the team for 31 years.

He was elected to be inducted into the West Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame, which was to happen just days after his death. The announcement stated, “Over the course of 36 seasons as a head coach, Donaldson has accumulated 402 wins including 260 victories in his 31-year career at WVWC. In 1994, Donaldson led the Bobcats to an NAIA national title en route to NAIA and NSCAA National of the Year. The West Virginia Wesleyan men’s soccer coaching staff was named Division II National Staff of the Year by United Soccer Coaches for the 2020 season (played in the spring of 2021)”.

Always a strong advocate for academics as well as athletics, Gavin touched many lives. Alan Riches posted this image on Facebook, and it is a typical sentiment of many. If you have a memory of Gavin or a tribute to him, you can click here to submit it. You can also read things that others have written.