Saturday evening, April 13, 2019, Wesley Chapel was full. The Wesleyan Community had gathered to celebrate one of the school’s oldest traditions.
This event is looked forward to all year. Greeks and Independents alike enjoy coming together as an entire student body, and to compete for bragging rights for the coming year. A theme is chosen, and many hours of practices are held — sometimes I am told even at midnight — in order to work with the various busy schedules. There are songs chosen and dance moves created. Costumes and props are carefully chosen. The energy is intense, and the cheering fans make the chapel echo with sound.
Last year I wrote about the very early days of May Day – which turned to May Sing – which is now known as Spring Sing (after all, it is now occurring in April!) Click here to read more.
May Day 1956
As an example of this long-standing tradition, let’s take a look at the event 63 years ago! The May 3, 1956 issue of the Pharos had this banner headline:
Each class voted for their attendant, and the entire school voted for the Queen.
Queen: Phyllia Hillman (Beckley, WV)
Sr. Attendant: Barbara Maxwell (St. Marys, WV)
Jr. Attendant: Priscilla Howard (Cowen, WV)
Sophomore Attendant: Kay Rider (Sophia, WV)
Freshman Attendant: Mary Lou Holtz (Fairview, PA)
The 1956 May Day Coronation was directed by Ellen Roush, 1953 May Queen, who was by 1956 working in the Admission Office. We know her today as Ellen Roush Nickell! That year the Sing included other entertainment as well, such as square dances, a tumbling act, ballet, and the traditional May Pole Dance. Groups participating in the Sing that year included:
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Xi Delta
Theta Chi
Kappa Alpha
Phi Sigma Epsilon
Besides the Sing and the Coronation, the entire Wesleyan Campus Community was invited to enjoy an All-Campus Baseball Game, a formal dance (May Dream), and the Haught Literary Society Breakfast.
Black Student Union (for the fifth year in a row!)
Queen June Braunlich (Alpha Delta Pi) and King Zachary “Dutch” Mutchler (Theta Chi) reigned over the ceremonies.
The Overall Winner of Spring Sing 2019 was Alpha Xi Delta — according to my records, the first time they have achieved this high honor.
Traditions such as these bring great joy and a lot of wonderful memories.
Click Here to see the list of winners through the years. Due to varying coverage in the Murmurmontis, the Pharos, and the Sundials, and the fact that we no longer publish the Murmurmontis, there are gaps in this list. Please let me know if you can supply some of the missing pieces by emailing me at historian@wvwc.edu. Special thanks to Robert Osburn, Thom Smith, Shaylee Kile, and Alisa Lively for helping me to track down this year’s winners!
In the early years of the college, the study of biology was folded into courses on the Natural Sciences (which included physics, chemistry, geology, and biology). For example, here is how it was listed in the 1910 catalog.
By the 1915 catalog we see that a Professor was named specifically for Biology: Professor Earle Ray Casto. But from 1915 until 1929, there was very little stability in this area as can be seen by the seven people who held that post during those years. Click here to see a list of all of those teaching Biology at Wesleyan through the years. There have been (and are) many amazing people on this list, but three in particular have shared a Passion for Plants.
In 1929, James Edward Judson arrived at the college. A specialist in Botany, he taught at Wesleyan for twenty years. Thomas W. Haught had this to say about the early years and the impact made by Dr. Judson.
The development of the department of Biology began in a small way about the year 1913. We say, “in a small way,” because the equipment was not made adequate to do first-class work until six years later. There followed then a period of ten years, 1919-1929, during which five teachers, with an average tenure of two years, were called to the department. All the five were well trained for the work, and in each of the five periods of service some equipment was secured for the department. But these five tenures, each so short, could add little to its strength and prestige.
Dr. Judson came to the department in 1929. His period of service at the end of this year (1940) will be just equal to the sum of the last five preceding. This must result, has resulted, in giving to the work of the department an individuality, a type of character, and a standing in educational circles, impossible under former conditions when teachers came and went like characters across a stage.”
Murmurmontis 1931
In fact, Dr. Judson was to stay from 1929 through 1949. He was followed by another long-term faculty member, Dr. George Bowyer Rossbach, who taught from 1949 through 1976. Dr. Rossbach was succeeded by Dr. Katharine Gregg in 1976, and she taught until 2013. All three of these strong faculty members specialized in Botany — the study of plants. Thus there were 84 consecutive years where students were able to study under these three strong faculty members.
James Judson led the first study trip, taking a group of students and alumni to study the plants of Florida over Christmas break 1938. Yes, over Christmas break! The group left Buckhannon on December 19 and returned on December 30th. That is dedication! It must have gone well, because they did it again in future years. Christmas Day 1940 was spent at the Bok Singing Tower Gardens.
But all of that was just the beginning.
Herbarium
When George Rossbach was a boy, he began collecting samples of plants.
Slide from Dr. Gregg’s presentation on the Geroge B. Rossbach Herbarium
That collection has grown to an estimated 25,000 specimens which are housed in the George B. Rossbach Herbarium on the second floor of the Christopher Hall of Science.
The Herbarium, which is a collection of preserved plant specimens and the associated data used for scientific study, is well known and appreciated by scientists across the country.
In addition, since her retirement in 2013, Dr. Katharine Gregg, the current curator, has been digitizing, imaging, and sharing this collection through a grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research. As databasing and imaging continue, images and data will be uploaded to the site for viewing. She has served as the Curator of the collection since 1985, when Dr. Rossbach stepped down from that position. Her attention to the collection and the painstaking work of digitizing and documenting it has resulted, as of March 2019, in 22,386 items being available on Pages In Time.
The links to this Digital Herbarium have been viewed 5,096 times in the past year alone.
She also shares with current students about the Herbarium itself and the process of digitizing and documenting it. Last week I took my WVWC History Class to visit, and this is what one of the students had to say about the experience:
Even being a Biology major I never realized the magnitude of the herbarium here and how much of an impact it can make socially. It surprised me just how big it was and how much information can actually fit into a small room I pass every day without thinking twice about. The biological impact is more obvious but learning more about the impact this herbarium can make by having them all archived online makes me appreciate it even more. It not only helps put a name to Wesleyan but it also opens up the world of learning beyond just our college walls. Having the herbarium archived like this means that anyone can access it, learn from it, and collaborate which I believe is the most important part of a college education.
The world has, indeed, opened up beyond our college walls. Field trips as far away as the Amazon have taken students on life-changing journeys. The George B. Rossbach Herbarium is celebrated in such places as the University of North Carolina Herbarium and at the Botanical Society of America meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in July of 2015.
From 1929 until the present day, these three people have shared their passion for plants with students. If you consider that four years constitutes a generation of students, they have combined to teach and inspire more than twenty generations of West Virginia Wesleyan scientific scholars! They have taught them on campus, taken them on field trips near and far. They have contributed mightily to the wider scientific community. They have shared their Passion for Plants.
The first day of April has long been celebrated in many European countries as a day for sportive impositions upon unwary persons. There are various theories held as to the origin of this custom, but it is commonly believed that the idea was introduced into Germany from France. There is a possibility that the day originally had some religious significance as it comes during the Lenten season and may have been the occasion of some miracle play. Still other people have connected it with the occasion of some pagan festival.
Americans consider the day with a more humorous attitude, and to them it is a day for joviality – a day when thousands of fools pay their respects to their renowned leader, Simple Simon. The followers of this world famous figure are numerous, and they are to be found in every country.
April 1 is the anniversary of the person who thinks that a football coach has wheels or that the sidewalk is a new dance step.
It is the day when one’s amount of sportsmanship is put to a severe test, for upon this occasion a good sport must expect and exuse any and all kinds of harmless foolishness.
The above, written by Katherine Curran (Reemsnyder) for the Pharos in 1927, is an indication that this day has long been noted on campus.
p.s. No fool herself, Katherine eventually married classmate David Echols Reemsnyder and, when she died in 2013 at 104 years old, she was Wesleyan’s oldest alumna.
In late March of 1928, and again in 1929, the Social Committee of the Faculty joined with the Administration to hold the Annual Spring Frolic in the gymnasium. It was advertised as “a social affair for the entire student body.” Lasting from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm, the college band was there to provide music, and various groups on campus provided stunts and masked games in keeping with the general idea of Fool’s Day.
Dances have been held, such as the Sigma Eta April Fool Dance, held in the Lions Club hall in 1940. This fraternity, chartered in 1925, became Theta Chi in 1950.
In 1947, the Pharos staff issued the following invitation:
The word Fool can be used in many ways. It can mean a person that acts in an unwise manner or in a silly manner. It can mean someone who falls for “Fake News” and is (or should be) embarrassed by this. As Katherine suggested, this can refer to people all over the world, and I love her indication that they are all followers of Simple Simon! Rather than April Fool’s Day (about one single fool) it should actually be April Fools’ Day to celebrate them all.
In the fall of 1919, World War I was just ending. Prohibition had just become the law of the land and Warren G. Harding had just been elected President of the United States. Wallace B. Fleming was the President of West Virginia Wesleyan College. President Fleming, along with Dean Thomas W. Haught (who taught Chemistry in addition to his duties as the Dean) hired a 33 year old Chemistry Professor named Nicholas Hyma.
Haught writes:
When, at the opening of school in the autumn of 1919, the College needed a teacher of Chemistry, President Fleming, having the address of one possibility for the position said to the writer, “Well, we’ll take a chance on him, I guess, and send him a telegram.” A day or two later Dr. Hyma saw Buckhannon and Wesleyan for the first time. Dr. Hyma found the department lacking equipment and poorly organized. He didn’t characterize it that way; he was too considerate. He went quietly about his work taking time to get acquainted with all its details. By the time that was accomplished he was putting so much of his personality into his work, and with such good effect, that his classes were overflowing with students eager to pursue his courses.
Until then the work of the department was all housed in the basement rooms on the north side of the Science Hall. More room was now needed. The unused rooms on the first floor above were appropriated. New courses in Chemistry should be offered. These, in turn, required more laboratory room and storage. Basement rooms on the south side of the building and the south-side-front-corner room on the first floor were made available.
His predicessor (Haught himself) who had been trying to do two pieces of work that were incompatible, in that they pressed for his presence in two different places at the same time, has taken great satisfaction in watching the expansion of the work in Chemisty and he hopes that Dr. Hyma has the heritage of long life and good health.
It would have been just too bad for Wesleyan College if, in 1919, the President had not taken a chance and sent a telegram.
For nearly four decades Hyma continued to pour himself into his work. But, more than just the work he poured himself into the very fabric of the college.
1920s
As women were given the right to vote in 1920, Hyma was hard at work encouraging girls to study chemistry. His students became leaders in the chemical industry nationwide and at all levels.
During this decade sound motion pictures were just beginning, Yankee Stadium was being built, Time Magazine published its first issue, the Indian Citizenship Act was passed, NBC Radio Network was formed, Lindberg and Amelia Earhart were making famous flights, Mickey and Minnie Mouse made their debut, Al Capone was making headlines in Chicago, and the Stock Market crashed, throwing the country into the Great Depression.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Hyma was instrumental in establishing intramural sports at Wesleyan and on the committee to launch Greek life on campus. He organized the first student union, and in 1920 started the Benzine Ring for chemistry majors. Several national chemistry fraternities tried to establish Chapters at Wesleyan, but since they did not admit females, Dr. Hyma would not consider them because he believed in equal rights.
Chemical dicoveries were being made during this decade as well, with the discovery of penicillin in 1928. Virginia Fisher, one of his students put together a book of reminiscences from his former students in which she wrote:
When penicillin was developed in England by Fleming in 1928, none was available in the United States. When word went out that Allegheny Hospital in Pittsburgh had failed in an attempt to produce penicillin, Dr. Hyma and one of his students went to the Hospital and obtained their results. He took their results to Wesleyan and, with the aid of other faculty, worked to develp the penicillin. For several years, he made weekly trips to Allegeny Hospital to supply them with the drug.
1930s
In the 1930s, the Great Depression had an impact on everything. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had Fireside Chats with the country on the radio, Social Security was begun as part of the New Deal, Gone With the Wind was published, Orson Welles terrified people with his War of the Worlds, and Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Summer Olympics under the watchful eye of Hitler.
Wesleyan honored Nicholas Hyma with a Doctor of Science Degree in 1936.
Dr. Nicholas Hyma led the way, through research, and created the Hyma Chemical Laboratories, hiring students to help package his products in order to earn a few dollars. One of these products was a remedy for poison ivy.
Because of the economic hardships during the Great Depression, several faculty members, including Dr. Hyma, had second jobs to help them financially. The Hyma Chemical Laboratory was one of these, and he paid some of his students to help bottle and label the products to give them some extra pocket money.
In addition, he did coal analysis for local coal companies, water analysis, and from time to time was called upon by local law enforcement for what we could now consider forensic help. All of these things were in the realm of Applied Chemistry, and he taught classes in these topics as well. Thus, many students learned chemistry skills that later translated into very successful research careers.
In the May-June, 1936 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan Alumni Magazine, Linda Arnett, Class of 1936, wrote a wonderful description of life in the Chemistry Department. You can read it here, on page 7.
1940s
This decade saw the world reeling from World War II. The first peacetime conscription draft was implemented, there were Japanese Interment Camps, the first Atomic Bomb was developed and deployed, more than 425,000 troops died on the beaches of Normandy, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, NATO was founded. The transister was invented, the Big Bang Theory introduced, and Willard Libby introduced the concept of Radiocarbon dating.
As the Director of the Wright Field Trainee program from 1945-46, Professor Hyma assisted the war effort by working with the soldiers who were stationed at Wesleyan, training them as engineering aides and as fuel and lubricant inspectors. The March 1944 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin reported that:
Professor Nicholas Hyma and his staff have been highly complimented for the excellent manner in which they have conducted the training and for the fine equipment placed at the student’s disposal. There are fifty trainees enrolled in the program and Dr. Hyma said assurance had been given that the program will continue. Following the war a number of these trinees plan to continue their college education at Wesleyan College.
1950s
Although the Korean conflict was a factor and the Cold War was begun, the world was much calmer overall in this decade. Soldiers had come home and were taking advantage of the GI Bill to pursue their education. The McDonald’s Franchise was incorporated and Disney Land opened in Anaheim. Brown vs the Board of Education ruled that racial discrimination was unconstitutional and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. The first polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk, and the Double Helix DNA Model made its debut.
And still Nicholas Hyma taught on.
The May 11, 1951 issue of Science incuded a story entitled, “The Origins of American Scientists” in which they listed the top 50 schools in America whose students had gone on to earn a Ph.D. in the field of science. Wesleyan was listed as number 37 on that list – the only school in West Virginia and one of a few schools in the south. Credit for this accomplishment was generally placed at the feet of Dr. Hyma.
From Harding to Eisenhower and Fleming to Scarborough, and from World War I through the atomic age, Dr. Nicholas Hyma was in his element at West Virginia Wesleyan College. When offered a high-paying and prestegious position elsewhere, he stated, “I declined the offer because I would rather teach West Virginia boys and girls chemistry.”
He died on November 13, 1956 after a three week illness. He died exactly one week after Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president. At his request, his body was cremated and his ashes scattered around Haymond Hall of Science.
His colleagues, students, and friends published a memorial booklet in celebration of the man. Some called him Nick. Some called him Doc. You can read it here.
Today
The Wesleyan community of today often attends events in Hyma Auditorium, which is located in Christopher Hall of Science, but many do not know the story of the man for whom it is named.
I believe that he would be pleased with the excellent Chemistry faculty of today. They are, indeed, carrying on – as are their students.
This week marks the 14th Annual Social Justice Week on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College. Last year’s publicity (2018) explained why it is that this is such an important event. It said:
Social Justice week celebrates the social justice roots of the College through the United Methodist tradition. There are several events and opportunities that will engage participants in various social justice issues, from poverty, racial equality, modern slavery, and more.
2018
Social Justice issues are not new. Some have been around for centuries while others change with the times. Any time there is inequity, prejudice, poverty, war, or an entitlement mentality you will find social justice conversations happening. Any time there is a group of people that feels entitled, or when there are policies in place that need changing in order for people to be treated justly, you will find social justice conversations happening. They have happened at West Virginia Wesleyan for more than one hundred years.
Early Conversations
The September 1900 issue of The Seminary Collegiateshows that students were writing and speaking about issues such as post-Civil War America, hazing and educational policies in military schools, what constitutes heroism, and racism.
Debating was a major component of the Wesleyan experience for many decades, and the topics considered very often fell into the area of Social Justice. Each of the two Literary Societies had full-fledged debates once a month. Later, a debate team emerged which won many intercollegiate debate tournaments. This resulted in students who were well prepared in researching, reading, critical thinking, debating, and communicating their thoughts about the issues of their times.
Here are but a few samples of the kinds of issues being debated – with arguments being presented both affirmative and negative. This helped to prepare well informed leaders for the future.
Resolved:
1891 That the right of suffrage shall be extended to women.
1891 That the Railroads and Telegraph lines should be owned by the government.
1891 That the Steam Engine is more beneficial to mankind than the Printing Press.
1891 That the Pulpit wields a greater influence for good than the Printing Press. (It would appear that the negative argument prevailed here.)
1891 That the Negroes have a greater right to complain of ill treatment at the hands of the U.S. than the Indians. (It would also appear that the negative argument prevailed in this one.)
1900 That more restrictive immigration laws would be beneficial to the United States
1900 That the Ancient Greeks were more patriotic than are Americans
1900 That Government would not be possible without morality
1900 That the action of the United States in regard to our new possessions is commendable
1900 That idleness should be prohibited by law and work should be furnished by the State to those unable to secure employment
1907 That there should be an educational qualification for Suffrage
1910 That Nickelodeans are more of a detriment than benefit to public morals
1914 That the nations should disarm and settle all disputes by abitration
1925 The constitution of the United States should be amended to give Congress power to regulate child labor.
1927 That the primary system of nominations should be discontinued
1930 That public conscience should be directed by Prohibition
1948 That the federal government should adopt a policy of equalizing educational opportunity in tax-supported schools by means of annual grants
A Strong Voice and Great Mentor
This is also Women’s History Month, and a great time to highlight a Woman of Wesleyan who encompasses both strong women and social justice. That person is Dr. Florence Weirick Schaper — Teacher, Counselor, Mentor, Leader.
Florence Schaper 1962 Murmurmontis
Dr. Schaper taught Sociology from 1950-1967. She also became the head of the revised Counseling and Guidance program in 1954. She had been very active in her profession for many years, and was retired from the military as a Lieutennant Commander. President Scarborough said the following as he announced this appointment:
Dr. Schaper’s previous experience in this field includes being Director of Student Guidance and Personnel for ten years at Lindenwood College, St. Charles, Missouri. During that time she was President of the St. Louis Branch of the National Vocational Guidance Association which is concerned with integrating education and industry. Dr. Schaper has been an active member in the American College Personnel Association for many years. During World War II she had military leave of absence from her educational work while she served as a Naval Reserve officer in Communications Personnel.
While heading up the Counseling and Guidance program, she exhibited her leadership working closely with the following group, and eventually also initiated the New Student Placement Service:
Miss Nellie G. Wilson, Dean of Women
Professor John D. Shaver, Dean of Men
Rev. Sidney T. Davis, College Chaplain
Mr. Donald Flynn, Director of Group Ministry
She also continued her role as Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology, where the following courses were being taught:
Fundamentals of Social Problems
Principles of Sociology
Social Problems
Cultural Anthropology
Race and Ethnic Relations
Social Disorganization
Rural Sociology
Urban Sociology
Community Organization and Leadership
The Field of Social Work
Social Organization and Reconstruction
The Family
Criminology
Child Welfare
Social Theory
She worked closely with students, mentoring future leaders in the field of Sociology and Social Work, cooking dinner for them and providing programs, research opportunities and field experiences. From what I hear, she was available to them at any time during the week except when the Metropolitan Opera was being aired on the radio on Saturday afternoons!
Social Justice Week Continues Great Legacy
I believe that somewhere, Dr. Florence Schaper is watching the current students at Wesleyan as they celebrate Social Justice Week. That she would be right in the middle of it all if she were still on campus today. Maybe expanding on one of her courses from the 1950s: Social Disorganization!
Having read so much about Dr. Florence Schaper, and hearing about her from many who knew her, I would imagine that she would love nothing more than to cheer on the wonderful and socially aware students of modern-day Wesleyan in their work for Social Justice.
(Click here to see a list of those who have taught and mentored Sociology and Related Disciplines at West Virginia Wesleyan)
When the West Virginia Conference Seminary was founded in 1890, new opportunities became available for students in the area. The very first person in line was Roy Reger.
The first student to enroll in the seminary on opening day was Mr. Roy Reger of Buckhannon, West Virginia. Seventy students were enrolled for the first term of ten weeks. The total enrollment for the year was two hundred and one. One hundred sixty-seven students were enrolled in the Classical, Literary, Scientific and Normal Courses. The balance were in the Department of Art, Music and Business. (K. Plummer, 1965)
Many years later, in 1963, portions of a letter from Roy Reger were published in the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin – Sundial which described the early days at the college. You can click here to read the entire thing, but I will also transcribe it here.
One day early in September, 1890, very early in the morning, my father and mother called my two younger brothers and me from sleep and brought us to Buckhannon in the family spring wagon, a distance of eight miles over two high hills, a two hour journey.
Arriving at the Seminary grounds we hitched the horses to the fence by the campus and went across the field to the school building, the first three story building we boys had ever seen.
There my father took me to the president’s office and I was enrolled as a student, by mere chance being the first whose name was entered on the big book.
That was an honor to be more and more (gratifying) with the passing of the years.
Of the students enrolled the first year, West Virginia contributed the overwhelming majority. Most of them had very little money, some cooked their own meals; others who lived near Buckhannon went to their homes over the weekend and brought back with them enough food to last two or three days, others took their meals in boarding houses at which modern day students might possibly eat one time, but certainly no more.
Several of the teachers were from outside of West Virginia and had come to the Seminary with the idea that they were to engage in a noble missionary work in a primitive and backward community.
As our class historian in 1893 said in his class day history, the students had much difficulty in teaching the teachers that this was West Virginia and we were West Virginians, and to be respected accordingly.
The new building was scantily equipped with furniture and had no library or laboratory equipment. When we wanted a piano to use in a literary society program on the second floor, the boys had to carry one down the stairs from the third floor, then carry it back again after the program.
Chairs often were carried by the students from one room to another, especially for any unusually large gathering.
The faculty had a great advantage over the students that first year, and used it by instituting and enforcing very strict rules.
Most of the students were strangers to each other, and constituted a disorganized body in which there was as yet no school spirit or crystallization of ideas and customs, so we had to take what the faculty gave us, and like it.
The big bell rang loud and long every evening at 7:00 o’clock and woe to any student caught out on the street by a faculty member after that hour.
Chapel attendance every day was compulsory, and Professor Trotter carefully called the roll of the entire student body at each session, and a student absent without cause had a more or less unpleasant interview with the president.
Every student was required to attend church every Sunday morning, and a chapel roll call on Monday everyone had to answer “church” or “not at church.” Boys with somewhat flexible consciences who had not attended church sometimes answered by saying “not at” in a low tone of voice and coming out strong on “church.” This is an observation not a confession.
Great stress was laid on religious and spiritual life and every Sunday afternoon a service called “students’ meeting” was held in the small chapel, generally conducted by President Hutchinson. Attendance was entirely voluntary, but was aways quite good.
The social life of the students was centered largely in the two literary societies, as there were no fraternities or sororities. Students were not allowed to attend dances, or go to the theatre. In these societies were developed some splendid speakers, who owed much to their training there.
For some years the societies had a contest at commencement in which the rivalry became so strenuous and consequent feeling so bitter at times that the contests finally were discontinued. Largely as a result of this discontinuance, the societies gradually became less and less a part of the school life, and finally died.
Although the school offered only an academic course, the average age of the student body was considerably higher than the college students of today. Most of them had no high school work and had a very great thirst for an education. Many taught school in the winter, and attended the seminary in the fall or spring term, sometimes both terms, as the common school term at that time was only four months.
Notwithstanding the rules and restraints which at times seemed to us to be too strict, we had a good time had a high regard for the president and most of the teachers, and set up a standard of hard work and scholarship which we hope still exists in our Alma Mater.
Later Years
After briefly teaching English Studies at the Seminary, Roy went on to West Virginia University and received his A.B. degree in 1898 and then taught for three years at Marshall College before taking a two year teaching position in the Philippines, stationed in Manilla. Upon his return from the Philippines he studied law at West Virginia University, completing the degree in 1905, and opened a law practice in Buckhannon. Eventually he moved his family to Charleston where he worked for the State Department.
Photo from the West Virginia History OnView, from WVU Libraries
The local boy who had never seen a three story building had received an excellent start. He became a teacher, a lawyer, and a leader in state government. He was the first one in line.
After that tragic fire, in the Trustee Response, we read, “A vigorous campaign is in progress for money. The money can be secured only by dash, brains, faith, and persistence”. It ends by saying, “Let rallying be the order not dallying.” These were the words of President Wier.
Gifts came from many people who truly believed in the mission of the school. One major gift even came from Andrew Carnegie. Another from D.K. Pearson, a Chicago millionaire who was a very strong Methodist and a very serious philanthropist.
Daniel Kimball Pearsons had previously given money for the Seminary. He not only donated again when he heard of the tragic fire, but urged his friend Andrew Carnegie to do so as well. Pearsons and his wife had no children, and he had donated his fortune through the years to 54 church-related schools throughout the United States. He believed in education and in young people. In fact, in his biography, he referred to these as his 54 children. He said,
My children are all inanimate objects. I have placed the money I have given them in the shape of perpetual endowments in charge of the management, but those men are simply the instruments chosen to keep the money drawing interest for my children.
From 1906-07 it was simply called the New College Building.
From 1908-28 it was generally referred to as College Hall, although some pictures had the caption Hall of Liberal Arts.
Beginning in 1929 it was most generally referred to as The Administration Building until the Trustee meeting in Fall 1953 when it was renamed the Lynch-Raine Administration Building.
Who are Lynch and Raine?
These two men combined for nearly twenty years of leadership as Presidents of the Board of Trustees. Their work and their generosity were major reasons for the growth of the school throughout those early years.
In Bench and Bar of West Virginia, George W. Atkinson said of Judge Lynch
He is incorruptible. He is severely candid and is essentially just. His ability is unusual, and his life and achievements stamp him as a lawyer, jurist, and a patriot of the highest grades.
Upon his death, there was an article in the September 1940 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin honoring John Raine and expressing appreciation for all he had meant to the college.
So, the next time you see this building take a closer look. Think about the people who made it possible and the people for whom it is named. It is not just a building with offices and classrooms. It is a symbol of much more than that.
It shows the determination of people not to give up when fire consumed the major building on campus in 1904.
It shows that people outside of our area, and who were not even connected to the school, believed in the mission of the institution.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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. 
