Author: paula.mcgrew@gmail.com

Happy Birthday to WVWC! 

When thinking about the history of West Virginia Wesleyan College, I often wonder about those first students. The ones who graduated from the West Virginia Conference Seminary (the first name of the school).

Who were they? What did they study? Since the school did not offer college level degrees until 1900, it may seem to us that those early students had an easy time of things. The 1890 catalog includes the courses of study for that time. They offered the Classical, Scientific, and Literary Courses of Study as well as Normal School preparation for teachers. The last of the Seminary Graduates were in 1908, as programs transitioned to fully college level over several years.

When looking over this curriculum, I would say that many of us would have a very hard time mastering all of this! The print above is very small, so here is a summary chart. The number after each is the number of terms the subject is required. One thing that stands out to me is that there are courses across all programs that resemble our General Studies curriculum of today.

I found a listing of all Seminary Graduates in the 1947 Alumni Directory, and created a chart of the various information available. In summary:

• Over 500 students graduated from the West Virginia Conference Seminary
• by 1947, they lived in 28 different states (WV being the highest at 213)
• Vocations were widely varied, with the top being Business, Attorney, Clergy, Teachers, and Physicians. Also included were 14 Higher Education Professors and Administrators, Judges, Government Officials, Civil Engineers, Bankers, and a Missionary. These folks left Buckhannon ready for just about anything! (That has not changed)
• Female students were right in the middle of it all, and the school was specifically founded with the goal of offering opportunities to them as well as to the male students.

To see the full list, Grouped by Graduation Year and Sorted by Degrees Earned, Click Here.

Several of these people were very familiar to me. I have written previously about some of them:

Roy Reger: First in Line

Opening Day: September 3, 1890

Roy McCuskey’s First Hand Account of the Fire

Orange and Black Are the Colors of Leadership (Frank Thompson)

Bravo to all of the Seminary Graduates! And to those who have followed their footsteps for 131 years.

The Heavenly Host gained a wonderful soprano voice this week.

That voice belongs to Caroline Dees, who has also been widely known to light up a room with her distinctive laugh. Caroline spent her entire teaching career at WVWC, mentoring and inspiring generations of students from 1969-2006. For 37 years, she shared her wit, humor, and joy of music.  And always with a smile.

She also had a love of libraries which started way back in her high school days in  in Atlanta, where she was a member of the North Fulton High School Main Library Staff. This love continued throughout her life as she received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina through a distance education program in 1995. She put those skills to good use in the Music Library in Loar Hall.

There are too many stories to even know where to begin. Stories of voice lessons, traveling to far-off places to share music together, and of Caroline singing at the weddings of her students and friends.

For the purpose of this writing, I would like to focus on one event that stands out in the minds of many. Caroline’s role as Satan in The Descent into Hell, which the college commissioned for the celebration of its 90th birthday. It took place in Wesley Chapel on Thursday, October 16, 1980 at 8:30 pm.

The full program for the evening is available here.

This list of musicians represents a multitude of Wesleyan’s finest students and choir alumni who had gathered for this special occasion. I am sure that rehearsals were an amazing amount of fun.

I am sure each of them could tell stories of how Caroline Dees was part of their journey, and I hope that many will click on this link and share them.  As they are shared, you can click here and watch the story of the impact of Caroline’s life.

Larry Parsons shared this message on Facebook, and is a beautiful blessing and benediction. It speaks so much about their work together through the years.

In paradisum deducant te angeli: May the angels lead you into paradise.

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The Thoughts and Memories collection was started in Spring 2021 in order to give faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college a place to share their stories  of people, buildings, events, groups (or other!) from their time at WVWC. Although many do so on Facebook and other platforms, those are not saved in this more permanent way. Here is a link to the full collection.

You can submit your thoughts and memories about Caroline (and about other people as well) by clicking here. And, you can even add photos if you like!

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Update: November 8, 2021

A beautiful Service of Celebration was held in Wesley Chapel on November 6, 2021. As part of that service, a Reader’s Theater Monologue was presented by Jane Weimer Godwin (1976), Sarah Carr Parsons (1982), Don Gardner (1977), and Dave Carson (1974).

Continue reading Remembering Caroline Dees

As the West Virginia Annual Conference meets this week in Buckhannon (and also virtually through the magic of technology) I am pleased to publish the second part of Jim Watson’s writing about the history of how West Virginia Wesleyan came to be located where it is.

The first part of his writing, published February 3, 2020, can be read here.

THOSE SIXTY ACRES – PART II

So, the Methodist Conference purchased the 43 plus acres over near South Buckhannon instead of the sixty acres over at North Buckhannon.

But why?

When Daniel and Wilbur Carper offered the Methodist Conference sixty acres across from the Buckhannon River it was with the agreement that they would build a good solid bridge across for students to get in and out of town with.  When one looks at the river and the existing bridge it is hard to believe that the old bridges in existence in that day were already old and feeble.  See above for a view of what was called Waters Street and old East Main.

So, who were these Carpers and where did they come from?

Paul Carper came from Germany to America. The original spelling of his last name is believed to be Kerber. He lived in Reading PA and fought in the American Revolution until he died in 1777.

Abraham Carper was his son. Abraham was born in 1763 and eventually moved to Virginia. He met his wife, Permilia Harris, there and soon moved to an unnamed and untamed region in the western part of the state.

He claimed land that, at the time, looked something like this:

This was the land he built the log house on, after clearing much of it.

He was a hatter; anything dealing with “hats” he could do.

He also built the first church, called the Carper Church, about where the McDonald’s Restaurant is today.

Abraham had twelve children. Daniel was the son who inherited the land.

It became crowded in the log house, and Daniel built a large house at the top of a hill where South Florida Street exists.  There is still a much larger house on the site today.

Old Abraham died in that house at the age of 91 years.

Daniel and his son Wilbur owned quite a bit of land in the region in those days. The property over in North Buckhannon was one of them. You may remember that this was the first land that was considered by the Methodist Conference for the location of the future Methodist Seminary.

In the meantime, Daniel and his son Wilbur began selling property. At one point they sold the land the old homestead had been on to another Buckhannonite, Levi Leonard.

Levi Leonard had been married twice, his first wife dying before he considered the land offered to him. He married his second wife Elizabeth in 1871, right before he was offered the Carper land.

He purchased the land but did nothing with it until, in 1887, word came to him that the Methodists were looking for land to build a school of secondary education.  A place where students could learn without having to leave the area.

In came the little more than 43 acres, formerly Carper land.

Thus, around in a circle, the Carpers stayed involved with the building of the new Seminary.

Above is how it looked in 1900.

Just a part of a growing Buckhannon community.

Over the years the Carpers and the Leonards have been forgotten by many, although not entirely. Their stories are still continuing in Buckhannon.

The Carpers are mostly buried in the huge Heavner Cemetery, one of the children having been married into that family.

The Leonards were buried on the old Carper Cemetery land, where, ironically, the Seminary would have been built had the first purchase gone through.

Decades later, when Route 33 was expanded into four lanes, most of the cemetery was moved to, yes you got it, the huge Heavner Cemetery. 

They lie there still in the shade of a few trees.

Little would they know how big and beautiful the school has grown, and that it is no longer a seminary but a college of liberal arts.

They all died before the name had been changed  from the West Virginia Conference Seminary to West Virginia Wesleyan College in June of 1906.

And so, the tradition lives on. For more than 130 years!

The town of Buckhannon has seen history upon history lived out, not only on its streets and avenues but on the campus that exists within its borders.

The Carpers and Leonards still live in the history of both town and college.

The view of both could be from heaven.

It would be curious to know what they would think today.

Carpers and Leonards.

Seminary to College.

The Carpers and the Leonards, the Conference and the College. All connected.

Changes in circumstances, new buildings, new opportunities, and disasters can change the way things are done in any given year.

• In the earliest days of the West Virginia Conference Seminary, commencement was held in the Seminary Building.
• In February 1905, the building burned down. Since the Seminary Building was the only building on campus in those days, commencement was held at the Buckhannon Opera House.
• By 1906, the current Administration Building was built, and it included what was then called the College Auditorium, which seated 1,500. Commencement was held there for many years. (It was renamed Atkinson Chapel in 1922)
• Commencement has also been held many times on the lawn in front of the library.

  

• Commencement has been held on the Chapel Mall (now referred to as the Chapel Oval).

  

• When the John D. Rockefeller IV Physical Education Center was opened in 1974, it became the customary home of Commencement. There were few changes to the way things were done from that year until 2019. One exception was that up until 2018 a hymn was sung each year – in fact, the same one (God of Grace, and God of Glory) was sung each year from 1946-2017. In 2018 there was no hymn at all.

  

• In 2020, due to COVID-19, the first ever Virtual Commencement was held online only. You can read about that here. And watch it here. In 2021, pandemic conditions were somewhat better, but still required some creativity. Commencement was held on Cebe Ross Field. It seems to have gone very well, but because seating was limited it was also streamed online so more family and friends could see the graduates walk across and get their diplomas. You can view it here.  As a bonus, in the same place you can also view these related events:
  • 2021 Baccalaureate
  • Kente and International Stole Ceremony
  • School of Nursing Convocation
  • Academic and Leadership Awards Assembly
  • School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony

I find it interesting to notice how people talk about changes. Although this applies to the topic of Commencement Exercises, the same theory applies to many areas of our lives.

The words that people choose can give clues to how they feel about that change. Take, for example, the words Never, Always, and Usually.

The word never can indicate that we are uninformed or lazy.

• This could mean that we just don’t know all of the facts.
• It could also mean that we are too lazy to actually check for those facts.

The word always can indicate that we are closed-minded and resitant to growth.

• This could mean that we just don’t know all of the facts.
• It could also mean that even if we knew that there had been exceptions, we just don’t want to do things differently.

The word usually can indicate that we have an understanding of what we have done before as well as a willingness to consider new things.

• Using this word can show that we have an understanding of how things have been done in the past.
• It can also indicate that we are willing to consider new things, but that we would want to know the reason for making changes. Sometimes there are very good reasons!

It is certain that the last two years in particular have not been usual. They have required creativity, flexibiity, and determination when it came to commencement. Many have found them to be frustrating. I tend to think that they have caused some growth in Thinking Critically and Creatively.

Four years pass quickly. A full half of this generation of WVWC students have never known the “usual” commencement. In fact, in other years it was not at all uncommon for students to never attend any of the commencement exercises except for the one when they were graduating. So they had nothing to compare theirs with.

The one thing that has remained constant – no matter what the Commencement Day looked like – is that WVWC students are well-prepared and poised to go out and make a difference in the lives of their families, communities, and the world. They are prepared to live full and meaningful lives. Their preparation has made them ready to commence.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Welcome to the Orange Line!!

 

 

 

 

 

This photo surfaced recently, and it tells an incredible story (actually many). It was taken on May 24, 1959 as the lounge in the newly-named Jenkins Hall was dedicated to Jessie Trotter, the last living faculty member of the West Virginia Conference Seminary. The class of 1907 chose her as their sponsor (the first woman to be so honored), and dedicated the Murmurmontis to her. Eight members of that class joined her at this event in 1959- they had raised funds as a group in order to furnish this lounge in her honor.

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The first person to catch my attention was the speaker, Miss Nellie Wilson. Miss Wilson arrived in February of 1943. She was Head Resident of three different dormitories (49 S. Florida, Agnes Howard Hall, Jenkins Hall), was Assistant Professor of Christian Education, Dean of Women, and after her retirement she served as the College Hostess. She was known to be a gracious lady and impacted many lives. The lounge in Benedum Hall is named for her.

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Peering out from behind the mantel is President Stanley Martin.

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Sitting in the front row in the hat and corsage is Edna Jenkins. Edna, who graduated from the Seminary in 1902, and later served on the Board of Trustees from 1943-56, has been a generous benefactor to campus and students alike through the years. On the day of this photo Jenkins Hall was being named in her honor. In fact the name wasn’t even on the front of the building yet!

Her love for the college and the students was celebrated in the 1951 Murmurmontis, which was dedicated to her. Among her gifts were:

• • Edna Jenkins Home Economics Cottage (1942)
  • Moeller Organ (1949)
  • Steinway Concert Grand Piano (1950)
  • Many scholarships through the years to help give student opportunities

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The man on the back row with the camera is Howard Hiner – who rarely appears in photographs, but who has taken thousands through the years. In fact, it is his huge body of work (shared with us by his son-in-law, Danny Green ’74) that allows us to see the development of the campus and to see these Giants in action. This shows him in his usual role, but this event was evidently big enough to warrent more than one photographer! It was taken by Horace Phillips.

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That same day, the cafeteria in that building (a space now occupied by the Wellness Center) was named in honor of Paul Benedum and the late Michael Benedum. At a banquet in that space, Edna Jenkins received a painting of her home which had been commissioned by Stanley Martin. It was painted by Fred Messersmith, who taught art here from 1949-1960.

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Nellie Wilson, Stanley Martin, Edna Jenkins, Jessie Trotter, Howard Hiner, Fred Messersmith…so many Giants. These are the people who have helped create and celebrate our Home Among the Hills. How awesome to see them in these photos.

Today I am happy to share a guest blog from Jim Watson ‘79. His story is a great example of the ways that West Virginia Wesleyan faculty, opportunities, creativity, and friendship blend together to change lives and to provide memories that last a lifetime. It also shows that both faculty and students arrive as Dreamers, and many become Giants. It echoes the blog published on DreamersAndGiants in November 2019 about this remarkable group and their reunion many years later. Many heartfelt stories like this were shared during that event! 

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A Trip Worth Remembering, by Jim Watson, ‘79

It was over forty years ago, but it seems like just yesterday……

A TRIP WORTH REMEMBERING

How does a Wesleyan memory start?

It starts with a faculty member and his dream.

When David Milburn came to Wesleyan in the mid sixties I’m sure he was already thinking on how he could make the student experience really unique.  

He began by talking several students into creating a jazz ensemble.

As Wesleyan’s music programs began to evolve, so did this little band of brothers and sisters.

As word about this group began to spread around the eastern United States, this little group of musicians sought to share the feeling of jazz to other circles and to other places.

Tours to other states and other regions gave Mr. Milburn and these musicians experience in entertaining people as they studied their major courses for adulthood.

The eventual journeys to behind the Iron Curtain came with some marketing and pushing by those with influence.  

First were tours to Romania and then Poland.

And then……..

This musician came to West Virginia Wesleyan College with a dream of becoming a band director.

After suffering a broken hand and enduring struggles in his first year at college he gave that dream up and became an education major.

But he was recruited into this band of brothers and sisters.

For four years jazz was learned and played, and tours were booked and made successful.

Diplomats these folks were; for the college and for West Virginia.

They all made friends while doing their normal classwork, and they rehearsed and rehearsed, preparing for journeys around the East Coast.

One trip was to Disney World; they played in the park on a stage that came up from under the ground, close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Another took them to the capital city of the country itself,

And onto the steps of the U.S. Capitol building.

They got to throw frisbees on the Mall lawn and play for those who run our country.

 

Meanwhile this “student and musician” had to stay another semester after changing his major.

Education classes were added and some summer school included.  Mr. Milburn left for one year to complete some of his doctorate courses, leaving the band to fend for themselves.  They did their best with a stand-in director.

But “Doctor Dave” had a plan:  he needed the band to keep working, and we did.

At the end of the spring ’78 semester this student got a phone call.  It was      David Milburn.

“Jim, I need you to stay a full year.  I’ll get you the financial aid you’ll need for the additional semester.  I’m planning on taking the band to Romania.”

Romania?

Behind the Iron Curtain, well sort of.  And we would need to keep things together until he got back.

And so we did.

The long summer of ’78 flowed into the fall of that year, and the announcement was made.

Wesleyan would be sending their international troubadours overseas once more!

Each family received a letter like this one.  Excitement grew as each band member spread the word.  

Classmates, Greek brothers and sisters, good friends would be told about the trip and the need for extra funds.

There would be no need to worry; Wesleyan and its community came together to send these folks on their mission to spread the love of music and to be good ambassadors for the college and for the United States as well.

The band rehearsed and rehearsed.  They became closer than ever.  And the school year proceeded; after all classwork would have to be completed first.

This student musician would graduate, taking a bit longer than first anticipated.

He would miss graduation; we would be in Europe at that time.

No worries; this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The disappointment of breaking a hand and changing majors was dampened by the realization that staying longer would fulfill a dream worth living. Europe, and Romania specifically, were waiting for us.

The Transylvanian Alps, the Black Sea, and yes, Dracula’s Castle, were all venues on this memorable trip. Everyone would enjoy.

But the main event was playing the music.

Everywhere we went, enthusiastic crowds showed up and clapped for these West Virginia troubadours.  We presented the listeners with jazz music like they had never heard before.

Music chosen just for entertaining.

We ate and drank and played and slept, but each experience increased our enthusiasm of playing for these Romanians.

And in the end, we seniors got to celebrate our graduation on the Black Sea!

And then, it was over.  Our last stop was next to the tour bus and a composite photo with everyone included.  I’m in the back on the right side, sticking my head over someone’s shoulder, barely able to see.

And then we were back to New York, and in a short trip from there, back to Buckhannon, on Wesleyan’s campus again.

For this student who was now a graduate, it was bittersweet.

Looking around, noticing no people or no familiar faces, the realization was that it was all over.

College life, jazz ensemble life, the life of a Bobcat.

It was now finished.  Dr. Milburn had made it happen.

Now, why write this story?

I can tell you the nature of life and what came after college.

It would not do justice to what was learned.  

All I know is that at Wesleyan I was given a chance to live something I now can only dream of; a night looking out the window of a Black Sea hotel and thinking about what was beyond the sea.

Wesleyan gave me that chance.  It was worth any amount of work and toil that was done in order to prepare.  All of the rehearsing and all of those sleepless nights.

I think the others I shared this trip with will say the same.

It was a trip worth having; a trip worth remembering; here it is, in as much detail as there is room for and to let you read.

That is Wesleyan.  That is West Virginia Wesleyan College.