University of South Carolina Libraries
A Co-Educa I1HV. H. O. BEDFORD, President. A Noble Inst?tut?c There are probably many people In Oconec and In the u|)i)or tier of coun ties of our State who know but vaguely, If they know at all, of the ?work and scope of the Wesleyan Methodist Coll?ge, located at Cen tral, in our sister county of I'ickens. We have recently hart occasion to know more of this institution and its broad scope than we had known previously, and the magnitude of the institution, the loftiness of its alms, the extent and capacity of Its build ings and the splendid proportions of its campus and outlying lands im pressed us no little, lt was tb the end that wo might let others know what we have just learned thal we sought some detailed information concerning tho Wesleyan Methodist College, and through tho courtesy of P reardon t Bedford have secured a nu.i i?- r >'f Illustration}; of tlx col lage ilant, ";' photos >v mei ? rt Ot the faculty, syhlMi a'ij? pro\ ?.?r-iV, ulong vit h thia brief * nt? h of an lu Btilation that, to us, seems destined to play an Important part and fill a great sphere of usefulness in the fu ture educational develop men I of the Piedmont section of Smith Carolina. In the brief statements below wc give some of the more ?prominent features of the institution: Tho Wesleyan Faculty. II. Clark Bedford, A. B., A. M., President. (Houghton Seminary. Ohio Northern University, Ohelin College). Psychology and Theology. Kev. Stanley W. Wright. A. B., Dean of Men. (Houghton Seminary, Oberlin College). History and The ology. Pierce E. Woolsoy, A. B. (Ohio Wesleyan University). Latin and Sciences. Lela J. Backus, B. S., B. Ped. (Meridian, Miss., Greenville, 111.) English and Mathematics. Eula W. Jay, A. B. (Fairmount Bible Institute, Olivet University). Creek and Mathematics. Neille C. Bedford, B. Ped. (Amity College, Iowa). German and Expres sion. Daisy G. Stack. (Student Hough ton Seminary and N. C. State Nor mal). Sixth and Seventh Grades. F.thel Clayton, A. B. (Wesleyan Methodist College). Primary. John Plnckney Byers, Director of Music Department. (Shenandoah I Institute and School of Music). ! Voice, Harmony, History ol' Music. ! Mrs. H. Bath Byers (Klon Col- i lego, Pupil of Horace Royner, Ober- : lin Conservatory). Piano and Organ. I L. Kathleen Griffin, (Student Due West. S. C.,) Primary Assistant. J, Wesley Davis. Registrar. I From School to College. < The Wesleyan Methodist College i (formerly the Bible Institute), Incor porated under the laws of South Car olina, was established by the Mis sionary Society, a corporate body of tho Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, having its principal office at Syracuse, X. Y. The establish ment of the school grew out of the belief that an educational Institu tion which had in view the develop ment of Christian character as well as a thorough Intellectual training was a real necessity. After several years of discussion in various sec tions of the southern district of thc Church Charles B, Smith, a resident of Central, and a member of the South Carolina Conference, made thc beginning of tho school possible hy i liberal offer on a farm of 145 acres, distant about ono mile from the cen tiona! Institution o? the South Carolina Piedmo Wesleyan Method!st College, Central, S- G MAIN BUILDING, W s\ !?: VAN MK I IIODIST COLLEGE. m in Our Midst-Its Foundation Origin, Aims and Growth-Member: tor of the town of Central. The deed tu this farm was made ont to the Wesleyan Educational Society, a cor porate body in the State of New York, C. B. Smith paying $2,000 of the purchase price. It was found in looking over the Held that the Wesleyan Educational Society could not undertake the es tablishment of a school at this time for want of funds and referred the matter to the 'Missionary Society. It was then agreed that the Wesleyan Educational Society should tike the and completed in the fall of . year; Hov. L. .1. Murrin:, secured as the president, ai three other teachers open. October 15th, 1900. In 1009, the school was chard college, lt was understood ii me . Ill hool teaching force would be increased and tile standards raised as fast as possible. The charter gives to the sehool the power to grant the follow ing degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bach elor ol' Science, and Bachelor of Di vinity. The College I'roiierty. The college owns a farm of 120 acres. On the farm are house and barn and out-buildings. Crimes Hall is the main building, lt is three sto ries, built of brick and cement. It contains IS rooms, aside from the auditorium, which is seated with 280 opera chairs. The building is heated by steam and wired for electricity. There are also toilets for both men and women, each supplied with two PIERCE Vu WOOLSEV v {)> ?.?.'.r.H . 1 Lot lu niul V? teiM'i'i. EC LA W. JAY, Creek and Mathematics. <?m '{fflBas mm LELA .1. BACKUS, Kilglish ami Mathematics. ( Dean of Girls, ) KEV. E. L. HENDERSON, Baster. .IOU N PIXCKNEY BY A HS, Director of .Music. lille to the land, but that tho Mis donary Society should establish the school and care for it until the Edu cational Society might feel able to issiime the responsibility for its maintenance, Tho Missionary Secretary, Kev. IO. Coter, was elected treasurer and su perintendent. After a meeting of the various presidents of the South .rii Conferences, in which plans for i he ?rection of the school building wa? begun in the summer of 1906 DAISY STA CK, Grammar I lepnrtmenfc. ETHEL CLAYTON', Primary Department. MHS. II. KITH lt Y A RS, Plano an<| Organ. shower baths. Smith Hall is what is known as tho "old school build ing." lt has been converted into a girls' dormitory and will convenient ly accoinomdato ll fly girls. Toter Hall is a throe-story building devot ed wholly to the boys and young men. lt will accommodate fifty. The pres ident "fe house is a nico two-story dwelling. Kev. H. C. Bedford, tho president ol' the institution, has but recently returned from the North and has secured a gift which will en able him to erect, an up-to-date kitchen, which will bo supplied with modern improvements. GRADUATING CLASS, ll)f 7. Boys* Dormitory. Main Ru Country* MHS. BEDFORD. Cern?an and Elocution. s of the Faculty* 1017-io IK Faculty. Tile teachers are, all of them, with ? one or two exceptions, graduates, from some of the best colleges of the North. President Henry Clark Bedford is . an, ordained elder of the Wesleyan Methodist church. Ho is a graduate of the college department of Hough ton Seminary (New York), is also a graduate of Oberlin College (Ohio), Ij and has an A. M. degree from Ohio Northern University. He has recent ly been Informed that an Iowa uni versity has decided to confer upon j him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, which action will be ratified at a convocation during the present ? month. He has been engaged in school work all his life. He has been teaching and doing administrative work for 21 years. , Prof. Stanley W. Wright also is a graduate of Houghton Seminary, and ' also has his A. B. degree from Oller- <? lill. Ile is also an ordained elder tn ' lin \s' eleyan Methodist Church. Mr. Wright is the dean of the men. Hf: ?? ,.v.i \'t<\ : ft a ;,cnvi di.-.eipinim ian. Origin of tho College. The school was started as a mis- ^ sionary enterprise eleven years ago this coining fall. The money for . financing came through the Mission ary Society ol' the Wesleyan Metho dist church, Syracuse, N. Y. For several years it has been paying its own way, and at the same time has ^ made some progress. The growth ! since the present management be gan, two years ago, bas been remark able. lt has increased its enrollment 100 per cent; it has doubled Its prop erty value; it maintains a full fo\ir year high school course, beginning 1 with the eighth grade; it has a full fi four-year college course. No student will be admitted to the freshman year unless he has completed the equivalent of our full high school course. There ls a music department with, a voice teacher and a plano teacher. Both are excellent in their line. Tho school kept four pianos going from morning till night during the past year. There ls ti three-year theological course. The total enroll ment last year was 181. Thirteen States were represented in the stu dent body and faculty. Institution is Non-Sectarian. While the college ls supported by Ibo Wesleyan Methodist church, lt ls non-sectarian. Tho object of the in stitution is to give to worthy young men and women who have not boon blessed with wealth the opportuni ties of a good education with a min imum expense. The tuition amounts lo about 4 0 per cent of th? actual cost. Thc motto of the Wesleyan Methodist College is: "Thorough scholarship; devout Christian gentle men and women." This school ls In no souse a reform school. "Young people who do not desire to woik, and work hard, and keep the rules of tho institution, need not apply," said the president of the institution in speaking of the work that is being carried on. liding. Girls1 Dormitory.