The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-25
IS IT TO Be CLOSED
Talk About uture Greensboro
Female College.
Meeting Of Committee on Education and Stock
holders to Consider Best Plan for The
Flu ure.

Two meetings have been called to be
held in Greensboro shortly mat will have
hearing upon the future of Greensboro
Female College.
The first is a meeting of the Standing
Committee on Education of the two
Methodist conferences to see If some plan
cannot be devised to continue the college
as Methodist institution for the eduea-
ton of young women. This committee is
composed OF prominent ministers and lay
men OF both conferences.
The second is a meeting of the stock
holders Of the property to determine what
disposition shall be made Of it. 1t is UNI
derstood that Mr.. j. A. Odell, of Green's
boro, is the principal owner OF the stock,
having bought out the interest or part OIL
the interest of other stockholders.
The date of these meetings could not be
ascertained. The prominent educator
who furnished the information could not
give the dates. | was talking with a
prominent Methodist last night about the
matter, and he said:
Il cannot believe that the $50, 900 Meth
odsts in North Carolina will permit the
oldest college of the church to be lost
to the church. 1t would be such a going
backward that when the church is aroused
| am sure that some means viii found OF
continuing it. | know that for some time
it has not paid and that fact has been
known TO a few church leaders, but the
church has not known it. That fact had
never been communicated in any public
meeting or annual conference. To 80 out
of 100 Methodists In the State the an
nouncement that the college was to be
closed came as a ....p of thunder out of
a clear sky. If the church leaders can
make an arrangement to continue the
college next year / feel sure the two an
nual conferences will find a way to save
this great institution to the church. 1t
seems that the church can get it for Sass
600. That is small sum for North Caro-
lima Methodists to raise, and when they
are face to face with the proposition
they will raise it and rally to the sup
port of the college as never before.
THE Methodlsts are in somewhat the
same situation that the Epscopalians
found themselves some years ago St.
Mary's School belonged to the late Paul
Cameron, and for generations had been
conducted for the church by Dr.. Bennett
Smedes and his father before him. The
Messrs. Smedes paid the rent to Mr.. Cam
eron, they assumed all the financial obi
CATION, and conducted the school Most
people thought st. Mary's belonged to
the Episcopal diocese, just as most peo-
pie thought Greensboro Female College
belonged to the Methodist Conference
Finally, as his health began to give way
and when financial burdens weighed upon
him. the late Rev. Bennett Smedes (God
rest his SOUL North Carolina has produced
no purer or more knightly souD, said III
substance to the people of his church, i
have all alone carried the financial respon-
sibility of st. Mary's School for many
years The time has come when the
church should take that burden, and when
| should be relieved of financial RESPONSE
bility.' The matter was brought up IN
the church convention. About that time,
too, the death of Mr.. Cameron made it
necessary to take some action as to the
purchase or lease of the property upon
which ST. Marys is located. l heard one
prominent Episcopalian say: The property
will have to be sold We cannot raise
the $50, 900 necessary to buy it, But he
was mistaken. When the State Conven-
ton of the Episcopal church was held IN
RaIelgn the UdLIeF came up IOI ulStuS-
sion. Under the leadership of that splendid
ayman, Mr.. w. A. Erwin, of Durham, it
was resolved that the church would raise
the money buy the property, and appoint
trustees to manage it. Agents were placed
in the field. and appeals were made to men
OF means in the church. With what re-
suit? St. Marys School is the property
of the Episcopal church, DR.. Smedes, IN
his last days, was relieved of financial
burdens. and the school is now more pros
porous than ever in it's history.
THE Methodist church has men who
will do the same thing for Greensboro
Female College if the present owners
and the church leaders will continue it
in operation until the conferences meet
in December To surrender Greensboro
Female College without struggle today
when the church is rich and powerful
would not be in keeping with the history
Of the Methodism of North Carolina"