The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17
DIVINITY CHAIR
FOR BERKELEY.
]. M. Jefferson of Virginia
Accepts the Profes-
Sorship.
THE ENDOWMENT FUND.
VIII Be the First Bible Sem.
mary at the State Uni.
verSity.
TO COMMENCE NEXT AUGUST.
The Christian Church Which Opens
the Bible Seminary HIS Raised
Sixty Thousand Dollars.

When the college year OF the University
of California opens on the 18th of next
August there will be chair of divinity
for the first time at Berkeley, and 1t will
be filed by Professor ]. NJ. Jefferson of
Virginia, who has just signified his will
ingness to accept the Berkeley professor
ship.
The opening of divinity school at
Berkeley will be surprise to great many
people, though preparations have been GO
ing on for over twenty months with this
object in view. Several denominations
have had an eye on the State University
as an excellent place for opening q divin-
ity school, the students of which would
have the privileges of university students
Among this number was the Christian
church, and about twenty months ago
the State board decided to take active
steps toward making the talked OF Divinity
School an actual fact.
Funds were, of course, the first thing
needed, and the board resolved to make
an active canvass of the Christian churches
OF the State. II. D. McAnenerv was ap-
pointed collector, and the Christian
churches from one end of California to the
other responded with a liberality which
exceeded the most sanguine expectations
of the promoters of the Divinity School
idea.
For nineteen months Mr.. McAnenery
cauvassed the State, and at the end of that
time there was $4,000 in the treasury, all
collected for the Berkeley school. During
the last month money has come in faster
than ever, and the endowment fund is now
stated to have reached the sum of S60, 900.
With such a goodly amount in hand the
Berkeley Bible Seminary committee con-
sidered itself justified in completing ar
rangements for opening the school. Rev
W. a. Gardiner, pastor of the West Side
Christian Church, is the president of the
committee, and J. NJ. Monroe the secre-
tary. They now announce that the Bible
Seminary will open on August 10, with
the beginning of the collegiate year.
Students in the seminary will have all
the advantages of the university courses.
and the new divinity school will be in
sense affiliated with the State University.
For the present one of the university
buildings will be utilized for seminary
purposes, but later, when funds grow and
increase, it is intended to erect suitable
and commodious edifice for the Bible Sem
mary. large part of the 100000 will be
used to endow the Bible chair, but por-
ton of it will be used for current expenses
and the costs incidental to opening the
divinity school.
Professor Jefferson is at present princi-
pal of the Bible department of Bethany
College, Virginia, and he was invited to
come here at the recon nmendation of lead
ing college and Bible men in the Christian
church. He is said to be not only a
divinity scholar, but an able preacher,
and he is considered to be one of the
strongest writers among the men of his de-
nomination. Professor A. M. Elston, pastor
OF the Berkeley Christian Church, has
been elected second professor in the semi
nary, and he will be expected to supple
ment Professor Jefferson's work by teach
ing the New Testament, Greek and such
other studies as may be necessary
1t is expected that this Bible professor
ship in connection with Berkeley will at
tract a number of divinity students to
Berkeley, and there is great rejoicing
among the members OF the Christian
church that their denomination has been
successful in raising funds to found the
first Bible chair in connection with the
State University.