The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-06-07
PASTOR
HAD UNIVERSITY
BUILT FOR HIM
Big California Institution Re.
suit of Promise to the Rev.
A. F. Lyle.

To be one of the members of the irsl
graduating class of a university, an
that of one of the largest in the
try, is distinction enough, but to be on,
of the only two remaining is mors
Both Of those honors are held by the
Rev. A. f. Lyle, now living at ~
South Sixth street, who was one Of Tia
class that ever entered the University
of California
There were thirteen of us when we
went In" he said yesterday. But n
by one they dropped out until only four
of US finished the course. OF those
four James A. DAILY, a clergyman in
Muncie, Ind, and I are the only mes
left.
THE university was gotten up for my
benefit" he went On "It was this way:
When I began to talk of going to col
lege In 1858 the pastor of my church.
DR.. S. H. Willy, told me that if I would
stay OF the Pacific coast he would see
that there was a college by the time l
was ready to enter. He and Henry
oQAdllas q L LII SlddQdLCb WClS IiiS
founders of the college"
WAS it over in Berkeley, where the
university is now?" he was asked.
Went Through Wal
Indeed, no. 1t was in Oakland.
Berkeley was a wilderness, a waste, a
heap of rubbish then. In 1860, though,
some of the leading men Of San Fran
cisco went over there and dedicated the
place to its present use. There is a
huge granite boulder there, where they
made their speeches and prayers"
Have you beer in the East long?"
Just as oon as l was graduated
from college, in 1864. 1 came to New
York, with the intention of entering
Auburn Theological Seminary, but the
war was raging then and I was sent
out as a Christian delegate. The old
heads will know what that means, but
the young ones don't. l was a lay chap
lain. not an army chaplain. of the
United States Christian Commission, OF
Philadelphia I was at Hunters Point,
Petersburg, Bermuda Hundred. and al
most to Richmond with the, army"
And hen did you finally decide to
settle in this part of the country"
Held Several Pulp1ts.
"'Well, first 1 went back to San Fran
cisco and a v a lecture on my expert
ences with the army. 1t was too late
to enter the seminary that year, but the
following year l did. After 1 was grad
uated l went to the Rocky Mountains
as missionary for a year, and then came
back and became pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church, at Union Springs,
N. Y. From there 1 went to the Memo
rial Presbyterian Church at Utica. then
to the First Presbyterian Church at
lion. n. Y. and then to the Me-
mortal Presbyterian Church here. That
will be twenty-six years ago next
November. When 1 had been there foul
years I was invited to assist DR.. Frazer,
Of the First Presbyterian Church, and
become minister of the First ~Presbyte-
rian Church Tabernacle. in Lafayette
street. I stayed there until four years
ago, when 1 retired"
Have you ever been back to the
coast since you left in 1852"
Yes, 1 have. In 1903 l was invited
to be chaplain of the commencement ex-
ercises at the new university. Presi-
lent Roosevelt was the orator the day
that 1 was chaplain.
And, by the way, next May they are
going to celebrate their semi-centennial
and they have asked me to represent
the first class, out I do not think 1 will
be able to go. It's a pretty long trip"
Mr.. Lyle is the kind of nan that
writers love to tell about as a type of
student. He is slender and tall, with
long, pure white hair, which curls over
his ears and hides the loops of his spec
tacles. The University of California
will have a right to feel disappointed if
he decides that he does not care to un-
dertake the journey across the CONT
nent in 1910. =