September Alumni Issue

SEPTEMBER 1962 ALUMNI ISSUE X ./..,1,--:" I. c2 1 ~., (]6f: o ~ ~ "5 o Baccalaureate Service in Trinity U Church. See Page 9. ecause Professor Parks and three of our B students in physical education were sched uled to help initiate a riational sports program through Crossroads Africa in former French territory Senegal, and through an invitation of the governor general of Nigeria, former British colony, I was able to extend the trip African Report to include not only the oldest African Re public, Liberia, but an exposure to both the by Glenn A. Olds British and French pattern of education and African influence, finding indeed, at the President farthest point of the journey in the heart of Nigeria, one of our own graduate alumni, Dr. Jim Haines '49, at work at their new Uni t was no accident that from the he~innin~ Springfield's corporate ~itle he~an with lllt:r versity of Nigeria, at Nsukka. national. The inspiration of its founding, the outreach of its miSSIOn, the content of Its I No power of the pen, however prophetic or curriculum has heen "international." Five of the first basketball "nine" were from abroad, poetic, could capture the substance of the trip and a significant percentage of the student body from that day until this have heen "inter or communicate the sense of urgency, purpose national." Early in our history, alumni were returning from their study to every major continent, and planning of West Africa, errupting into there to implement Springfield's person-centered educational philosophy grounded in the inspira new forms of life and leadership needs on tion to service. Sustained initially by the philosophy and world organization of the YMCA, every hand. The deluge of young people the college had a natural vehicle for its purpose. The Geneva hranch of the college furthered descending on the major coastal cities from this outreach nearer to the educational needs it served. the bush country, dwarfs in significance a com parable drift at the beginning of our industrial t was both natural and inevitable therefore, Springfield effort "internationally." era that gave rise to the founding of the I that leadership in the international YMCA When the invitation came, therefore, from YMCA. They are without basic skills or and in the newly emerging nations of Africa Dr. Charles Sherman, president of the World training, homes or family, and fed only hy should turn to Springfield for educational Alliance of YMCA's, and treasurer of the the flame of a dream and promise of a better leadership and help in these eventful times. Repuhlic of Liberia to visit West Africa in the life. Conferences with them and lay leaders They knew of the pioneering work of early interest of considering establishing a leader in the YMCA, YWCA, Scouts, Girl Guides, alumni in South America, India, and the ship training center there, and when the need clubs, church groups and gove~nment agencies Middle and Far East. As early as my first year and interest of alumnus Jim Bevier '49 located disclosed the immediate need and significance as president, four years ago, feelers were sent there as community relations leader for the of this group. Conventional higher education, out- to see if Springfield was interested in Firestone Plantations, confirmed the possi oriented primarily to the classical studies, has helping to establish a branch for youth leader bility, the die was cast. It remained only to hardly touched the problem, or produced even ship training in West Africa. Emergence of find the time and funds, hoth of which came a trickle of professional leadership to help, the Peace Corps accelerated the trend and in April. The former through longer hours and yet this has been Springfield's central purpose. interest, and replies from alumni in nearly home work. The latter through the generous Everywhere I went I was welcomed ea!!;erly as everyone of the fifty-nine nations in which travel grant from Landsdell Christie, president Sprin!!;field's president, where youth and com· Springfield graduates are at work indicated the of Liberia Mining and former member of the munity leaders are developed bent on service time and need was right for a distinctive hoard who financed the trip. and skilled in understanding human nature and social change. pace does not permit detailing the full ex S tent and significance of the trip. Yet, a smorgasbord summary may give something of the flavor of my 21 day fare. In Liberia, I had conferences at their invitation with my host Dr. Sherman, the President, the Secretary of Education, Attorney General, presidents of the Senate, the University of Liberia, ClIttington Col1ege, the Amerian Amhassador, Director President Glenn A. Olds is shown discussing his African trip with Nigerian students Emmanuel Gia dom '63, Frederick Atoki '62, and Simeon Okoro '62. Okora graduated from Springfield in June and is now studying at Harvard. Giadom is a Senior at Springfield and Atoki a graduate student. of AID, heads of the major American eonees A former student at Cornell had returned to Keith '36 Named Chairman sions - Firestone, Liberia Mining, Lamco, and develop a unique self help school, hospital, and the leadership of the YMCA, YWCA, Scouts, community development in the Eastern prov Alumni Hold Key Positions National Sports Institute, Social Welfare ince, and invited Springfield's direct help. agencies, and major mission efforts. I visited Two of his staff are students with us now and on College Board their Rural Aid Dcvelopment which we had others will follow. The premier, American am been asked to help, Hi-Y and Jr-Hi Y clubs bassador, and others described his experiment For the first time that anyone can recollcct, in the interior with one of the most effective Y as Nigeria's most unusual educational venture. Springfield Alumni now occupy the three top secretaries I've ever met, Dave Howell. I My visit there highlighted the Nigerian phase flew over most of the country, traveled the of the trip, their special needs, and our ability virtual length of their major interior road, had to help. They seek to close the gap between long night discussions with the two university the professional elite and the needs of the student bodies, had tea with the head of state common people, to develope a new kind of and native "foo-foo" in grass roofed huts with "lay leader," where education builds on the the people. liberal arts to include skill in human rela tions, community development, and the social From Liberia has come the initial invitation and technical ability to handle this phase of to locate the YMCA training center there, an an explosive industrial and cultural revolu invitation from Cuttington College to help tion. The description of their needs reads like them establish a department of group work a page from our college catalogue. and community development, and health, Dr. Nzeribe, the school leader and my N. KEITH '36 E. BOND '26 physical education, recreation and youth former student, returned in May to recruit leadership division, an invitation from the Mae (Grant) Hebert '60 and Dave Hebert '63, minister of education to help on the broad two of our students for staff positions and seeks front in guidance and counseling, fellowship others. The lay leaders of the social and youth exchanges, and basic research. I have just for agencies in Lagos, the capital, at a final warded to President Tubman and his col dinner invited Springfield to consider a leagues a seven page analysis of their need, branch for training leadership in Lagos as a our resources and capability, and await our pilot project for the country. The University faculty discussion and their review to de of Nigeria at Nsukka invited participation in termine what next steps may and should be research, and faculty exchange in community taken. President Baker of Cuttington Col organization and youth leadership. Officers in lege has since visited our campus and re our overseas mission in the Agency for Inter cruited James Bruce Nichols, RYL major in national Development (AID) urged us to 1961, and GPS masters~ this June, to initiate relate our resources to their programs in these the program in these fields for them. Liberia critical fields. All these invitations await Mining and Firestone have both expressed E. MANLEY '27 faculty discussion and Nigerian refinement of interest in providing fellowships for Liberians need, opportunity and resources. to study at Springfield, and our first will arrive through Firestone for the next academic year. eantime, one returns to the work of the positions on the College Board of Trustees M college with a restless sense of the and Corporation. aradoxically, Nigeria, which I visited less permanent relevance of our philosophy, work, In June, Norman C. Keith '36, President of P officially, received me in some ways more and alumni to their urgent need and promise, the Petroleum Marketing Corporation, Wash officially. This fact illustrates the power and and with "the running sound of history" in ington, D. C. was elected Chairman of the importance of students. Three of our present one's ears. One senses too, the universal Board. Edwin E. Bond, '26, Executive Secre student body, Nigerians, had written of my hunger of the human spirit beneath differences tary of the USO, New York City, is cur visit. I had expected to meet their families of language, color, class, or condition, for that rently serving as chairman of the College and indeed made tape recordings to play to kind of person-centered education and servicc their families and record messages in return, that truly sets men free. One knows that Corporation.

Load more