Pharos – DreamersAndGiants.com

Giants With Long Shadows

It is hard to see through the fog. You know something is out there. You catch just a glimpse, but can’t tell what it might be. You wonder.

This photo is one that I took on New Year’s Day 2017. It was the dawn of a new year. The sun was coming up beyond those clouds, but you couldn’t really anticipate what would lie ahead in the future. I remember standing at the railing of the cabin at the Stonewall Resort wondering about that.

As the sun broke through the clouds, the lake and the mountains came into view. The reflections still made me think about how the old and new years seemed to be connected. A reflection, and yet more than that. The total view seemed to be all as one. It seemed timeless to me.

The past and the present are much like this.

The present is a reflection of the past, and yet more than that.

The future will be a reflection of our present. But, do we even take time to put our own present into focus as we live it? Or are we too busy and distracted?

We Are Part of a Bigger Picture

Writing about the DreamersAndGiants has given me an opportunity to “meet” many of the people who have walked the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan before me. Some have become very familiar to me, and pop up over and over again in various articles that I read or photographs that I see.

For those people, you and I are the future that they couldn’t quite see. They thought about many of the same things that we do. They wondered about us.

Their present is the murky past to us, but they left us some clues through their writing. And, sometimes in that writing they pull things together for us. Sometimes things that we think we have “discovered” are things that they have thought about long before we were born.

Written in 1925, and published in the Spring 1969 Sundial.

Among many other activities at Wesleyan during her student days, Mary Sumner edited the Pharos. She left many clues to help us to understand the college in the 1920s, including this great poem about the Sundial. I wrote a blog about that very same Sundial last year, called the Timeless Sundial.

She married Eugene, who likewise edited the Pharos along with a long list of activities and leadership positions. I also wrote a blog last year about the Gifts of Stories from the Past, which includes a wonderful article that Mary and Gene wrote for the March 1966 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin – Sundial. It is on pages 17-23.

In this article, Looking Back Forty Years, the Modlins reflected on the college, the students, the faculty, and the culture of the “Roaring Twenties.” They had been there and covered it all — everything from Bobbed Hair and the post WWI Culture to the new road that had been built from Weston to Buckhannon. From the dreams of the students to the faculty who was here to guide them. From the High School State Basketball Tournament to the legendary 1924 Football Season at Wesleyan. They were Giants even in the 1920s, but their Giant Shadows were cast down through the years even further.

Later on, their son Charles, class of 1958, was also Editor-in-Chief of the Pharos. He married Marjorie McCullough, class of 1957. They continued the work of reporting and telling the stories of people and events on campus.

It was my honor to receive a generous gift from Marjorie in 2007 on behalf of the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library. Charlie had died, and she wanted to do something in his memory. We decided that using those funds to digitize and make the Pharos available to current audiences would be a wonderful way to celebrate and honor his work on the Pharos. When I later found out that this also honored his parents’ work as well, it was a joyful discovery.

Each and every day something new comes to light. Something about Wesleyan becomes a little clearer. New insights are possible.

We don’t know what is beyond the mist of time, or around the bend. We don’t know who has walked before us, where they have gone, or who we might meet. But, the reflection of the past is with us in the present and we can learn from it to make our lives richer and to guide us into the future. And, with appreciation, we stand on the shoulders of Giants and in the long shadows of their work to make it so.

Navigating Our Shared History

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:

Gifts of Stories from the Past

Cloud of Witnesses

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

Gifts of Stories from the Past

I am sometimes asked where I find all of these stories about West Virginia Wesleyan College. One of the main places I find them is where Giants have placed them for safekeeping: student publications from the past.

Newspapers

The Seminary Herald

From 1893-1899, President Bennett Hutchinson wrote a newsletter called The Seminary Herald, which was basically intended to communicate with alumni and donors. On Pages In Time, a digital archive of West Virginia Wesleyan materials, you can find and read seven issues of this publication. These are the only ones in the library collection, and have been digitized for inclusion.

Pages In Time Tips Here

The Seminary Collegiate

In 1899-1900, two students began monthly publication of The Seminary Collegiate, which included student writings and orations, alumni updates, and campus news. There are forty-six issues of The Seminary Collegiate available on Pages In Time. Here are some examples.

Thomas W. Haught explains in West Virginia Wesleyan College: The First Fifty Years, that it appears that there were managing editors among the students for the first several years. These included:

1900
- W. H. Franklin – who became Professor of English at Marshall College
- C.H. King – who went into the ministry, serving in the Genesee Conference
1901-02
- George C. Kellar – who became mayor of Flint, Michigan
- Walter Barnes – who became Professor of English at New York University
1902-03
- George C. Kellar
- I. Emory Ash – who became Professor of Education at Ohio University at Athens
1904-05
- C.E. Goodwin – who went into the ministry, serving in the West Virginia Conference
- J.F. Throckmorton – who became an attorney in Parkersburg, WV

Naming the Pharos

In 1904-05, J.F. Throckmorton approached the Faculty for assistance in selecting a new name for the publication, as Seminary Collegiate no longer reflected the name of the school.

The faculty, of course, appointed a committee which included Miss Jessie Trotter and Thomas W. Haught as well as editors Goodwin and Throckmorton. The name chosen was The Pharos after The Pharos of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the world, which was a lighthouse guiding ships into the harbor.

The Pharos

Pharos Staff 1904 — The staff of the Pharos, 1904. Seated at left is Roy McCuskey, future college president (1931-1941)

In the fall of 1904, the newspaper continued as The Pharos, but the first issue of that title included on Pages In Time is Volume 6, #3 (1904-11).

Thanks to the generosity of Marjorie (McCullough) Modlin, class of 1957, the Friends of the Library were able to have these items digitized. At the moment, issues up into the 1970s have been included. Student interns are helping to keep this work moving forward. Marjorie gave those funds to honor the memory of her husband, Charlie Modlin, class of 1958, who was the editor of the Pharos during his time at WVWC. As it turns out, Charlie’s father was the Editor-in-Chief of the Pharos in 1925-26 and his mother also served as editor in 1925. Dr. and Mrs. Modlin wrote about the Pharos in the 1920s in this article for the Sundial in March 1966.

Modlin, Dr. and Mrs. in Sundial 1966-03 — Dr. H. Eugene and Mary (Sumner) Modlin

Murmurmontis

Another student-led publication, the first edition of the college yearbook, was the idea of the Junior Class (Seminary Class of 1904) and was published in May of 1903. Although most of them had never heard of such a publication outside of the larger institutions, Joe V. Gibson (#4 in the photo below) had heard of them and “dreamed dreams.”

The Editor-In-Chief of the first Murmurmontis was Charles Aubrey Jones, and he wrote an article in the 1910 edition entitled, The Making of the First Murmurmontis. You can read the article here.

The First Edition of the Murmurmontis was a true masterpiece and a heroic venture.

The name, Murmurmontis, was suggested by Frank B. Trotter and is Latin for “Voice of the Mountain.” Very representative of both the school and of West Virginia.

All editions of the Murmurmontis from 1904-2010 are available on the Internet Archive, although there were a few years during the World Wars and the Great Depression where none was published. Internet Archive Tips Here.

These voices are still echoing through the mountains through the streams of time. These voices are still telling the stories and shining the light.

Stories Lurking Everywhere….What Do You Know?

Seminary Building 1890 Catalog Drawing — Drawing of Seminary Building in 1890 Catalog

I just finished teaching a month-long course in WVWC History. We learned about the buildings on campus: when they were built, who built them, who helped to fund them, who are they named for, and more. We learned about some of the Giants who have been here before us, and the work that they did. We learned that some of the people we see every day now are actually doing things worthy of the title of Giant.

Sometimes, as students turn in their assignments, they express things like, “Mind. Blown.” Sometimes they say things like, “I am so proud of MY SCHOOL!” The more they learn about the past of WVWC, the more they tend to appreciate it in the present. They feel connected and grounded in this community.

We (incuding me) are sometimes surprised by what we find, such as this article in the May 9, 1946 issue of the Pharos.

Clipping 1946-05-09 Student Marries Princess — Pharos, 1946-05-09

Stories like this one lead to more questions……where did they meet? What happened later? Her kin being the wealthiest in Tehran, it must have been an interesting time for her to be living here!

[Note: Because I really was curious about these people, I did some further research. They apparently met while both students here. James graduated with the class of 1962 and Shamsi in 1963. Although she was a very successful business woman in the area of Real Estate, she was also known as a linguist (spoke five languages), had medical training, and they both worked at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was 82 and she was 75 when they both were drowned in their home during Hurricane Katrina]. SunHerald, July 8, 2015 and updated January 13, 2016.

Or this one found by one of my First Year Seminar students last fall:

Clipping 1945-03-15 Hallam Resumes Teaching — Pharos 1945-03-15

I was stunned. Although I had long heard about Professor Hallam, who began teaching here in 1928, and I knew he taught Mathematics here until he retired in 1973 this was news to me! Never had I heard that there was a time that he spent 27 months preparing pilots who would be deployed in World War II. This article was right next to one reporting the death of a student who had been here for two years before being called into the service. His name was William Watts, and he was from Durbin, West Virginia and was killed in action on January 23, 1945. Read more about him here.

Hallam, William A. — Photo of William Hallam, by Howard Hiner

Personal Connections

During spring semester, one student let us know that she was a direct descendent of Agnes Howard’s sister. One boy found Letters to the Editor in the 1960s Pharos which his grandfather had written concerning the draft during the Viet Nam war — and letters written in response. Mind. Blown. Another girl found photographs of her grandmother being crowned May Queen.

Primary Sources Are Powerful

The primary sources which help us to find these things are available online for all to use. Here is a list of them, and some worksheets that I prepared for the students so that they could learn to use them. Enjoy them! And, you don’t even have to do the assignments and turn them in unless you want to.

Books (Online)

Haught, T.W. (1940) West Virginia Wesleyan College: the first fifty years.[electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College. Available in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library.

Haught, T.W. (1950) West Virginia Wesleyan College: the sixth decade 1940-1950. Typewritten copy. [electronic] Retrieved from Internet Archive.

Plummer, K.M. (1965) A history of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965. [electronic] Retrieved from Internet Archive. Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Books (Print Only – available in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library or through the Bobcat Den for $40)

Miller, B.T. (2014) Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan College’s First 125 Years. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers.

Pages In Time

Performing Arts Programs (in progress)
Pharos (so far up into the mid 1970s)
Photographs
Programs
Sundials (so far through 1960)

Worksheet for Pages In Time

Internet Archive

Catalogs (from earliest days on)
History Books (the Haught and Plummer books)
Murmurmontis (1904-2010)

Worksheet for Internet Archive

DreamersAndGiants.com

An online encyclopedia, and celebration of the people who have studied, taught, and worked at WVWC. This is very much in progress, with more being added regularly. And, fittingly, the students are involved in the process of the discovery.
Brings elements together from all of the sources above in order to tell the stories.

Worksheet for DreamersAndGiants

Enjoy the exploration! And the stories!

Tag: Pharos