The log cabin Democrat., 1913-12-19
PRINTS SKETCH OF
 CONWAY EDUCATOR
DR. CONCERTS BUSY LIFE
IS INTERESTINGLY RECOUNT ED IN ARTICLE BY REV.
 J. B. SEARCY.

The busy life of Dr. J. w. Conger, president of Central College of this city, is interestingly related by Dr. J. B. Searcy in sketch appearing in tEe Baptist Advance this week. The article, which is one of series con- corning prominent Arkansas Baptists, is reproduced below:
 John William Conger was born in Jackson, Tenn, in 1857. His ances- tors were Alsatian Hugenots and moved to Kew Jersey before the Rev olut;onary war in order to escape per cecution. The Patriot Army in the Revoution contained 100 members of the Conger family. Dr. Conger's grandfather was a man of scientific turr of mind, was regular contrib
 utor to the Scientific American, and
 was the inventor of the Turbine Wat CT Wheel
 Dr. Congers early education was under the guidance of private instruc- tors Later on he spent six years in the Southwestern Baptist University
 Inow Union University4, graduating in 1878 with the degree of bachelor of arts. In his class were Dr. o. l.. Hailey and Hon. J. w. N. Burkett, beth now in Texas. He afterwards l< gree of master of arts and of LID. He also attended the Tennessee State University at Nashville, Tenn, in the educational department, and received honorable recognition.
 In 1880 he was elected president of the Odd Fellows College, Humboldt, Tenn. In three years he built the col lego into strong school with over 100 students. In the early part of the summer of 1883 he was one of the organizers and promoters of a great summer normal at Jackson, Tenn, some of the leading men of the south and such men as Francis Parker of Chicago. In the same summer he moved to Arkansas and led in the or ganization of Searcy College as pri- vate enterprise At once the school sprung into prominence and within two years there was a splendid organ ization with more than 300 pupils in attendance This was practically the of aggressive work in high CT education in Arkansas.
 Dr. Conger was married in 1882 to Miss Carrie Mckinney, daughter of Judge Mckinney of Purdy, Tenn. She lived only few months after the
 marriage. In 1884 he was married to , Miss Tennie Hamilton, daughter of
 pr. E. F.. Hamilton of Memphis, Ten nessee. As the result of this mar riage they have four children.
 In the summer of 1886, without ap- plication, Dr. Conger was chosen as president to lead in the organization of statewide Baptist college for Ar kansas. afterwards named Ouachita College. The board of trustees were in constant prayer day and night for leadership. A number of names were presented and there were a number
 of applications but without argument pr. Conger was unanimously elected, and notified by telegram while he was | in Tennessee, and accepted. He came
 to Arkansas and took charge of the college without building, excepting an old frame, one and a half-stories, without furniture, without a member of the board of trustees in the town and without money The school open
 ed the first day with 100 pupils and | for 21 years there was no break Tn It's progress. Every year marked some | improvement until the college became | the largest and best-equipped college | in the state, with four good academies 1 belonging to the board of trustees, To- cated at strategic points. The col
 lege enjoyed patronage of more than
 400 pupils the last six or eight years of his administration, and more than 400 boarders during the last two years hafora he left He had much to do