A Pictorial History by Oscar Hoffmeyer Jr
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Louisiana. A Pictorial History by Oscar Hoffmeyer Jr. iiao6-1981 15 ijv$ LOUISIANA COLLEGE LIBRARY DUP 3 9448 1012 8561 3 oAlma zMater Song Where the Louisiana ^ine Tree Spreads its mighty arms; Stands our dear beloved L. C, 'Blessed with Heaven's charms. CHORUS Louisiana, Louisiana, Louisiana, Louisiana; We will never cease to love thee, oAlma ZMater, hail to thee! Christian knowledge e'er bestowing, 'Til eternity; 'SMid the southern breezes blowing, L. C, hail to thee! 6ver onward, sons and daughters, Time and tide may fail; Thy dear name we'll love and honor, oAlma ZMater, hail! The original structure constructed for Louisiana College, 1906. • , , Guinn Auditorium and Religious Education Center completed in 1973. *• II vm ) 1II I in *W\ j apJuil - \\\ \ i"5 IT n 8IBKM oil is— —i a II a vnr \ Pictorial Histor* iW I ntr oduetion This book has been published as part of the -I-Jong before Louisiana College was founded, Baptists in Seventy Fifth Anniversary of the founding of Louisiana were expressing an interest in Christian educa Louisiana College. Members of the task force tion. In North Louisiana two schools were established as in responsible for a year of special events were the dependent private colleges, Mount Lebanon and Keachie. Mount Lebanon University for men was instituted in Bien following: ville Parish in 1852. Keachie College for women opened its Landrum Salley, chairman; Vernon Beall, doors in Desoto Parish in 1857. Neither of these belonged to Charles J. Cavanaugh, Robert Cook, Jerilyn Gas- the Louisiana Baptist Convention, but were operated by pard, Edward L. Heath, Thomas Howell, Leon local Baptists. They attracted the attention of Baptists in Hyatt, Jr., William Nixon, Mrs. M.B. (Mildred) other parts of the state, and their existence stimulated the Pearce, Stan Poole, Betty Stokeld, T.W. Terral, development of the concept that Christian education Mrs. James Townsend and Max Ward. should be a concern of the churches of the Louisiana Bap tist Convention. This is indicated by a statement made by The pictorial history subcommittee members a country minister at the twenty-eighth annual session of were: Charles J. Cavanaugh, chairman; Stan the Vernon Parish Missionary Baptist Association in Oc Poole, Landrum Salley and Max Ward. tober, 1899. The Reverend P.H. Cavanaugh, Jr., said: "We would say The book was written and compiled by Oscar that today, probably more than ever before, we as Baptists Hoffmeyer, Jr. should wake up to the necessity of educating our ministry. Our churches should feel and realize that on them rests a e Copyright 1981 by Louisiana College, Pineville, Louisiana. All very grave responsibility. We do not urge the churches to rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book in assist every young man who may have a fanciful notion that any form whatsoever without permission in writing from the he should enter the ministry. But what we want is God- publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review. For information write to: called young men who can be qualified to receive the man tles as they drop from the shoulders of our older ministers to receive the help and encouragement, financially, that will Office of the President make them a power in gathering souls for our Lord and Louisiana College Savior. Pineville, La. 71360 "When we find such young brothers then we should, by all means, assist them to attend the Mt. Lebanon Baptist College or some other Baptist school where they can Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 81-83320 prepare themselves for this life's work." Printed in the United States by the Delmar Company, Charlotte, North Carolina. An anticipated railroad failed to materialize, and Mt. Lebanon and Keachie could not attract sufficient numbers of students to continue, nor could they gain the needed financial support. However, the Louisiana Baptist Conven- This photograph, taken about 1919, shows the campus unidentified persons. with Godbold Hall (1917) to the left, the administration Standing: (1); EdgarGodbold (2); (3); H.L. Willis (4); building (white) later to become the Martin Fine Arts Jimmy Ratcliff (5); (6,7,8); John L. Dodge (9); Jody Building center and Ware Hall (right) after it was Mercer (10); George Beall (11); Clarence Parish (12); rebuilt following the 1911 fire. Identification of persons T.H. (Fiddle) Thayer (13); (14); Herman Bowden (15); will be from the left with numbers indicating their Aubrey White (16); (17,18, 19); Harve Benson (20); J.D. positions. Numbers in parenthesis ( ) indicates (Buck) Carrol (21); Willie Strother (22); L.C. Smith tion was planning to become actively involved in Christian five years. education, and in 1904 a committee was appointed and In 1956 when the fiftieth anniversary was celebrated, the charged with the responsibility of locating a suitable site for student body numbered 1270 and the faculty had increased a Baptist College that would be established, owned, and to sixty. By that time Louisiana College had graduated operated under the auspices of the Louisiana Baptist Con 2700. vention. After much prayer and careful investigation, a At this seventy-fifth anniversary the student body num suitable plot was obtained in Pineville, Louisiana; and on bers 1609; the faculty total is seventy-one; and the October 3, 1906, a sparkling diamond was set in the rough graduates 6617. These graduates are distributed around the among beautiful pine trees on the site that has been world and have made and are continuing to make valuable referred to, with affection, through the years as "the Hill". contributions to our society and to the furtherance of the A new school, Louisiana College, opened its doors. There Kingdom of Heaven. They occupy positions of trust in all were three faculty members and nineteen students. walks of life. The early years were fraught with grave difficulties. This diamond gleams brighter year by year as it is Among these were insufficient financial support, disastrous polished by a scholarly Christian faculty, stimulating fires which destroyed key buildings, the senseless murder of learning among intelligent and diligent students, and as the a student on the city street, the accidental death of an Alma Mater is loved and supported by an active Alumni athlete, a global war, and a crushing depression. Another Association and friends. frustrating problem that was faced by the struggling school In order that you may have a personal reference book was the attitude of some of the leadership toward co covering the first seventy-five years of Louisiana College education. This is illustrated by the words of President O.J. history, this pictorial has been prepared. It is hoped that Peterson of Keachie College, as recorded in the Baptist you will enjoy the style, as history is presented by decades Chronicle of March 30, 1911. He was arguing for the es through pictures and legend; as outstanding friends, ad tablishment of a junior college for girls at Keachie and ministrators, faculty, staff, and trustees are featured; asserted that the junior college graduates could then be ad organizations are described; and student activities are mitted to men's colleges "since the most critical age would highlighted. have passed, and, indeed the manomaniacs, that portion of the girl tribe that would wade a creek at midnight to meet a man, would have been automatically sifted out." But Louisiana College had been blessed with highly competent and dedicated administrators, faculty, and staff and with a faithful, loyal, and enthusiastic student body. This college community worked as a team, and by 1931, when the twenty-fifth anniversary was reached, the students num bered 231 and the teaching was effectively accomplished by a faculty of thirty-five. Up to that date 506 students had been graduated,fifty-nine percent of these during the last (23); James White (24); (25,26,27,28,29); J.E. Wakefield (1,2,3,4,5,6); Murray Morris (7); (8); John L. Gill (9); (30); (31); Harvey Middleton (32); H.M. Weathersby (10); Truett Gandy (11); Hattie Strother (12); Marie (33); W.P. Carson (34); Dahlia C. Carson (35); (36,37); Magee (13); (14); Camilla Hunter (15); Ora Bryant (16); Dola Simmons (38); (39); Thelma Barron (40); Lucille Gertrude Ramsey (17); (18, 19, 20, 21, 22) Warner (41); (42, 43); Mary Lea Kieth (44); Mary Louisiana College Archives photo Wilbanks (45); (46, 47, 48); Mrs. Edgar (Irene Coleman) Godbold (49); Mrs Jones (50). Sitting, from left: Contents Introduction 2 1906-10 7 1911-20 27 1921-30 41 1931-40 55 1941-50 67 1951-60 89 1961-70 101 1971-81 115 Additional Jewels 141 %Ltrvt k^flUs $hu£*^j£™**-' &m*tf m ^rffZl4f \* vi¥ f i : T i c,ft'x i j £ 5 *>—> ^s. f M 3= t=* feSa^^ ^ 3=5 i i 6 al ^^Hr-^v* ^*sf- dt-yU- k*U frl*-4 •**• -*&\\\\± ? «-f—s& Ji^w^ W, A^. /^**^ "^ \\[{\\\n < Mm 1900-10 sj '.:•:••.•'•,;- r^&F:^ '••'''•• L,„ /. ~-<^ c^cy ,f 't.,0c<h &/J/>- • <*/ '^a//'*'"^ r//,.*«'' t-*rj.V.&* 0 1906-10/7 8 t « t H of i, s u 1 a t • n SJ-t SC John K. Hunter, Notary Publlo, anil noqulrod by said Albert Parish of Rapides. from Mrs. a; 11. Barron and by the aald Mrs. Barron from Be it known end romemborad that on this the SOtll, day of Robert P. Hunter, together with all rlghta, ways and privi April A. D. won before mo Robert A. Hunter, a Notary leges thereto belonging. Public, in anri for tlio Pariah of Rapidao and State of To have and to hold the aald property unto the aaid The Louisiana, duly norjctVis lono* and qualified acoordlng to Education Cummlslon of the Louisiana Baptist Convention .