Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-04-19
WESLEYAN COLLEGE
KICK OFF"
BuCkhannOn Institution In Great
State Wide Campaign
INCREASE OF half MILLION
Prominent Educators Give Boost
on Launching Sunday

oOnudyp StPih ~, Will 6O aOWh AAs
the history of higher education in
West Virginia ~ a red letter day. 1t
marked the formal kickoff" or
Launching Day, for the great State
wide campaign to add half million
dollars to the assets of Wesleyan Col
lege at Buckhannon, in Upshur Coup-
ty. A new voice pleaded the cause
of higher education and boosted for
Wesleyan College in every Methodist
pulpit in the Conference. More than
twenty-five educators from the East
ern half of the United States, includ-
ing college presidents. secretaries and
noted editors. were heard in the lead
ing pulpits. In other cases an ex-
change of local pastors was arranged.
Wesleyan College has enjoyed re-
markable growth during the past
eight years. The official records show
that the total enrolment Of students
of collegiate grade has increased from
33 in 1909 to 221 in 1916. This I'M
usual development has pushed the col
lege. authorities into campaign to
secure five hundred thousand dollars
for buildings and endowment purposes
in order to provide properly for the
students who are crowding the college
halls.
The campaign is under the direction
of the Observation-Disclosures Commission
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
John w. Hancher, Director 1t is a
part of a great nationwide campaign
conducted by this same commission,
to secure by the end OF August, 1918,
thirty-five million dollars for the
Methodist secondary schools, colleges
and universities throughout the coun-
try. Already thirty college campaigns
have been conducted, in which a grand
total of seventeen million dollars has
been rolled up. Twenty more cam
paigns are being organized and will
be pushed through under the same
auspices before the close of the pres
ent year The Jubilee Commission
has very unusual record. No cam
paign conducted under its auspices
has ever failed. The latest victory
was for Mount Union College, at ALI
ance, Ohio, when in one month and
two days grand total Of three hun
dred and ten thousand dollars was
subscribed in Stark County alone.
The active campaign for Wesleyan
College will extend from April 15 to
midnight June 6, a period of seven
and one-half weeks The organization
Of the Methodist forces for campaign
purposes is very complete. The State
is divided into eight districts, and
each district into numerous groups
Expert workers will be assigned to
each group to conduct, during the first
five weeks of the campaign, a canvass
for large subscriptions. The closing
two weeks Of the campaign will mark
an intensive canvass to reach the last
man, woman and child with an op-
portunity to subscribe for Wesleyan.
During her twenty-seven years of
splendid educational history, Wesleyan
College has. accumulated total assets
of $457,824. Now, With audacious
faith, West Virginia Methodism is ask
ing that by midnight of June 6, a
period OF less than two months, these
total assets, by the addition Of half
million dollars, be more than doubled.
Surely this is an heroic undertaking
which is entirely in keeping with the
spirit of the times
On Launching Sunday it was an
nounced that one-fourth Of the entire
amount, or $125,000, has already been
subscribed and the signed pledges
turned in to the college. This SPLEEN
did beginning is due to the untiring
efforts of DIR. Wallace b. Fleming,
President, and Rev S. X. Arbuthnot,
the Field Secretary.
The past history of Methodism, her
sroad outlook, her wide vision, her
magnificent faith, her splendid accom-
plishments and her present matchless
opportunities all point to the victori-
ous attainment of this most worthy
goal.