Newspaper Page Text
January IS, 1M
THS MERCER CLUSTER
- )
JOURNAL WRITER
REVIEWS GROWTH
OF UNIVERSITY
Mercer Alumnus Pays Glowing
Tribute to Founders of
Institution
"Schools and Fools”
By Georgia Cyclone
Closes Celebration
John. T. Boifeuillet, Mercer alum
nus, prominent Macon man and pub*
lie service commissioner, has written
an interesting account of the history
and growth, of Mercer since its found
ing ninety-two years ago, in his col
umn on the editorial page of the At
lanta Journal in the issue of. Sunday,
January 11.
The article depicts the spirit behind
the founding of Mercer and the un
selfishness of the pioneers who paved
the way for the institution as it is
today. A part of the article, written
by .Mr. Boifeuillet, is given' helow:
Jesse. Mercer Founder
'“Mercer University was named in
honor of Jesse Mercer, who has. been
described as ‘the most influential and
distinguished'minister of the Baptist
denomination in Georgia, and the
most liberal friend of the enterprise'.
The institution was originally estab
lished pn 450 acres of land, .seven
iilea north of Greensboro, and pur-
luised for *1 ,450; and, in the words
of a historian, ‘the village which
s,.rahg up on ■’the site of the institu
tion Was named PenAeld, after Deacon
Josiah IVnfield, of Savannah, whose
legacy of. $2,500 was the immediate
L'ause of the establishment.
Early Pioneers
‘The name of Rev. Adiel Sherwood
is not as prominently associated in the
public'mind with the early history of
Mercer University as are the names
of Jesse Mercer and Josiah Penfield.
Yet, to his Christian thought, pro
gressivc ideuls and vigorous initiative
uVe due much of the praise' for the
'founding of this splendid temple of
learning. Adiel Sherwood was one of
the outstanding intellectuals in, the
Iluptist ministry in this-state during
.(he period from 1800 to 1820, when, in
the' language of Dr, S. F. Hillyer,
‘with, a few, exceptions, the ministers
if the Baptist, denomination of Geor
gia were almost entirely without .ed
ucation.! ,
“Seven years later, the announce-
ent was made at the Georgia Baptist
Convention that Josiah Penfield, of
Savannah, had passed away ami willed
to that body the sum of $2,500 for the
•iiuSe of education, provided dthe con
vention'.raised a like amount for-the
same purpose.- - The sum was 'sub
scribed, Adiel ShCrwood subscribing
$125. When the Georgia Baptist-Con
vention assembled at Buckhead,. in
Burke county, in 1831, Adiel Sher
wood. offered the following resolution,
which was adopted: 1
‘Resolved, that as soop as the
funds will justify it, the conven
tion will establish .in .some- een-.
tral part of the state a classical
and theological, school, which will
unite agricultural labor with
study, and be opened for those
only preparing fop the ministry.’.
Sanders Is Principal
“The School was established at Pen-
held and. called Mercer Institute. It
commenced operations in ' January,
1833, as already stated, with thirty-
nine students. Rev. Bijlington M.
Sanders, one of the learned theolog
ians of the day, a man of broad cul
ture,' deep piety and tireless energy,
was placed in charge as principal.
His coadjuators were Ira O, McDan
iel, J. F. Hillyer, J. W. Attaway, W
D, Cowdry,. A. WiHinms, and S. P.
Sanford.
“The figures 1837 are emblaconed
in enduring light pn the calendar of
Mercer University. It was in that
year that the name Mercer Institute
w«s clanged to Mercer University.
However, it was not until January,
1839, that college classes were organ
ised. Principal Sanders, of Mercer
Institute, became the first president of
Mercer University.. Adiel Sherwood
was a member of the flrs.t board of
trustees, and was an agon to raise
subscriptions for the university for
the erection of buildings, etc. In
1840, the subscriptions amounted to
1140,000. Adiel Sherwood held the
chair of aheiettt languages and moral
philosophers in the flrst faculty."
“The Georgia Baptist Convention
decided in M70 to remove Mercer Unl-
rersity from PenAeld to Macon, which
beautiful elty has tinea been the In*
Congressman Upshaw Keeps Au
dience in Uproar While Shoot
ing Home Needed Lessons.
As a climax -to the Founders Day
exercises at Mercer when. Congress
man W. D. Upshaw was the principal
speaker, hi8 lecture Wednesday night
DR.W.T. WHITLEY
TO SPEAK HERE
English Baptist Church His
torian to Give Five Lectures
January 19-23 •
RAT CAPS STAY
TOUGH SOPHS SAY
.The New Year and the new term
have meant very little to the first,
year men by way of redemption from
the regulations laid down at the be
ginning of the fall term. •' . '
„ _ , . . , For the first time in Mercer’s his-
Dr. W. T. Whitley, of Droitw.cK.1 tory( the .. M; . book must remain ^
England, distinguished Baptist church chief course of study for the fresh-
historian, has been engaged to deliver men .during the winter and spring
a series of -five lectures on phases of terms. Algebra, English and Ghent-
Baptist church history inEngland atmust remain secondary, say the
the chapel building on “Schools Mercer January' •19-21 Dr Whitlev 1 * P1P „ more ®'
and Fools” furnished an avahlanehe has been secured by Mercer through j D °^ n / W, t!? the the
of merriment to students, faculty and the cottrte ^ of <Dtr f A . H. Newman, ™“ y Tj*
tuens. ^ famous Baptist church historian and' ofanire an I HI V ' * °
Lecturing under the auspices of the prof<MMwr at Mcrcre. Dr. Newman,' d . “f . C . ro Y"
Mercer literary societies, fttr the ben- c(mg j de re,l the greatest living au- „
efit of the athletic association, the thority 0 „ BaptiBt hj^^ ig p
occasion was heightened by the pres- s „ naI frUmd of the English scholar,
cnee of a quartet from Bessie Tift Dl , WMtky is u Braduat0 of Cam-
College, composed of Sarah Smltey, hrid(fe University and earned his
Arinie Barton, . Margaret Curry and UL.D. degree in the University of
Mildred Gardner. Several selections Mt .j b()Urnei Australia. He was exec-
were offered by the quartet which met t j Ve head of a Baplist theological
men, else the combined
the second-year men will be
down upon them. Nor will the fresh
men' be allowed the taste of a Ches
terfield-or Stroller unless it conies to
his mouth through the stem of n corn
i cqh pipe.
Resolutions affecting such rules
I were discussed at n. recent meeting
with the hearty approval of students wmijlary j b Melbourne from 1892 to
and visitors here. 1902. H v has been editor of numer- , -, o ....
Explains Type. „ U s church, publications in England Wag adopted to obtajn the aup t of
Explaining his term “Fools and and Is the author of a number of ^ senior class in enforcing these
Schools,“ Mr. Upshaw said that there books on vArtous religious, subjects.
‘.‘are schools and there are fools, , He ik at ,present engaged, in editing
schools that have sent out lots of, the ‘Transactions of the Stockholm
l l
fools—some fools because they went
to school, more fools that would not
go to school, city fools. and country
fools, aimless fools, and ignorant
fools and married' fools, profane fools
and selfish fools, but the' greatest fool
against whom schools that are fools
must moke their fight are the aimless
fool, the liquor fool and the Godless
fool.” • - ,
“From such a crop of .fools,” Mr.
U pshaw remarked, “who encumber the
growing and impede the broadening-
in the march of civilization may the
schools -of sanity, the continental con
gress, and. the Lord God Almighty
deliver us from iii this world and the
world to come.” • •
. The speaker kept his .audience in
“high gear” especially as he poked
fun at the aimless fool, the. cigarette
fool, the selfish fool and the unpro
gressive fool—the young man with
out a purpose, 'the girl without an
ideal, and the man blindly self-cen
tered who loves money and ease bet
ter than he loves God and humanity.
In a serious vein the lecturer con
cluded: “The folly of all follies and
the tragedy of all tragedies is the
matt or woman -who forgets. God in
the.only life that Van ever be lived
between tlte two peaks of all eter
nity."
Bray-Cook Battle
Auburn Forensics
Q. E. Bray and Eugene Cook, one
of the Mercer debating teams for this
year, will meet the Auburn team here
on the home battle ground some
time, during March. The subject to be
debated is: Resolved, That the prb-
posed Federal Child l.aW Amend
ment. Should, Be' Ratified by the . Sev
eral States. Mr. Bray and Mr. Cook
will argue’ the negative side' of the
questioq. . .
Further, announcement of other en
gagements with the debating teams
of other colleges will be made next
Week.
• * *
Dr. R. C. Harris, Chnrimnn of the
Debating .Council,. requests that all
men-who have won places on the-de
bating- teams’ see him at his office at
-the Law department. .
Baptist World Alliance.”
Dr. Whitley ranks second to Dr.
Newmnn ' as the most distinguished
Baptist historian in -the world; Dr.
Whitley visited America once before
in. 1902, it is understood.
The subject of. the lectures to be
given at Mercer will be “Important
Events in the History of English
Baptists.’' The closing lecture will
probably be of interest to all Macon
people in that it deals with religious*
life in-Great .Britain as it is today.
S. L. Orr Co.
MERCER
JEWELERS
' Hotel- Dempsey - Building
Phone 4111
Macon, Ga.
FOR PRIVATE PARTIES
AND BANQUETS
Oriole Dmintf Rooms
over New Yolk Cafe
Music by The Georgians
MERCER’S OPTICIAN
W. B. KEILY
“Maker of Fine Glasses”
» noimai *■***•*>
FAMOUS SHOTS
Buck .....
;siipg
Hot
gun. V. ' ' .
Half • r
Dead f . . ' ' '
.. in the arm.
Buffalo Bill.
The one which rang out. .
The one heard around the world.
—Clank.
WMAZ TO CARRY
GOSPEL SERMONS
Messages of John Roach Straton
to be Broadcast by Mercer
Station
The. sermons of Dr. .John Roach .
Straton, pastor of the Calvary Baptist
church of New York, who will come to
Macon and the Vineville Baptist
church January 27 to February 8, for
a revival meeting, will be broadcast
nightly and'on Sunday over WMAZ,
Mercer University’s radio station.
Plans for the meeting have been
completed by Dr. Martin A. Wood,
the Vineville pastor. On each Tues
day and Thursday night until the re
vival begins a series of six to eight
cottage prayer meetings will be held
in ''the' members’ homes. On Wednes
day nights the iisual^prayer services
will be held at the church.
On Wednesday and Thursday of
the first week of the revival, the.
evangelistic party will conduct serv
ices-at Mercer in the college chapel
during the usual chapel hour. On.
Fririny of that week'and thereafter at
noon of each day, except Sundays,^
services are to be conducted at the
city auditorium.
With . Dr. Straton in the Vineville
meetings will be John D, Hoffman,
evangelistic singer of Atlanta. Dr.
Wood says that the singer is to or-
ganize both a senior and a junior
choir at his church.
Arrangements have been completed
which would place a micophone on
Dr. Stratoh’s pulpit and run a wire to
Mercer’s sending room where his
nightly messages will be broadcast.
MOFFAT TUNNEL
The General’ Electric Com
pany includes many special
ists engineers' who know’-
ohdut -tunnels; engineers
who know about street light
ing; engineers who know
about the electrification oif
factori s. These meri are
helping to build the better
and happier America in
which you will Hve.
If you are interested in
learning more about what
.electricity it doing, write
for. Reprint No. AR391 con
taining a complete set of'
these advertisements.
the Great Divide
West of Denver is the Continental Divide; hemmed
in behind it is an Undeveloped district twice as
large as Maryland. That fertile'area the new
Moffat Tunnel will open up.
General Electric mine locomotives are carrying out
the. rock, and G-E motors are. driving air compres
sors and pumping water from underground rivers.
The conquests of electricity on land and sea, in
the air and underground, are making practical the
impossibilities of yesterday. It remains only for
men of ability to find new things, to do tomorrow.
Thus does Opportunity of 1925 beckon college men
and women toward greaterthings as yet undreamed,
and to a better world to five in.
.a.i'HMfjr.ro . ooniiNt, ichinicudi, mbw tore