The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-26


been glad for them, and the desert
has been made to blossom as the rose.
Men may scout the miracles of the
| Bible. but they can't get away from
them in north Alabama
FOSTERE DEDICATION
| From the beginning, north Alabama
Methodism has been true to her educa-
| tional traditions and hereditaments-
has stood for broad educational poll
cies and ample facilities for all her peo-
pie, and for colleges for those who
might attend them. LAGRANGE college,
| located on the mountain few miles
| from Leighton in Colbert county, be-
/ ban its historic career January II, 1890
under the presidency of Robert Paine
afterward a bishop honored and be-
| loved Thus was Methodism the pioneer
| in Alabama college effort and enter
prise, there being at that time no 9TH
er college in the state.
'The charter of LAGRANGE college had
a strange provision-strange in the
| light of present day UNCONVENTIONAL
| outlook. Here it is: That the institu-
| ton hereby Incorporated shall be pure
| ly literary and scientific; and that the
| trustees are hereby prohibited from
| adoption of any system of education
which shall provide for the incubation
of the peculiar tenents or doctrines of
| any religious denomination whatso-
| ever Methodists projected a denomina-
| tional college, and then had passed
! law which precluded teaching their pc
culiar tenets, so intent were they upon
1 literature and science untrammeled
In 1855 effort was made to remove
| LAGRANGE college to Florence, and at
that place the Florence Wesleyan uni
versity was chartered by the Alabama
| legislature. The records of Civil war
| may best recite results, as they register
| the ruin wrought. Wesleyan univer-
| sity became the foundation upon which
| has been built the present State Nor
NAL school at Florence.
| ATHENS COLLEGE CHARTERED
In January, 1916, Athens college was
chartered beginning it's first session in
the fall of that year with Rev DR.. r. H.
Rivers as president. The first college
chartered to give degrees to women was
Wesleyan, at Macon, Ga; Athens was the
second. Through three-quarters of a CEN
/ fury Athen college has become indelibly
impressed upon the borders of North Ala
bama and beyond and abdes today in
better and stronger position than ever
before. Dr. B. B. Glasgow has been presi-
dent since 1916. He is product of Jeffer-
son county, and alumnus of Birmingham
Southern college.
I'm 1856 the Legislature Of Alabama
boro; the cornerstone of the college build
ing was laid in June of that year, and
October 8, 1885, with DR.. w. NJ. Wight
man AS president the institution opened
it's doors to students-b beginning it's long
record of glorious achievement registered
in Nthe splendid mon passing through its
halls. In September. 1885, Birmin CHAM
college, at Owenton, began work under
state charter, DR.. z A. Parker, president
In September 1885, Southern university
and Birmingham college were merged
under the name Birmingham-Souther
college-the same being effected accord
ing to action previously taken by the
North Alabama and the Alabama Con-
ferences DIR. c. c. Daniel is president
Prospects are more pleasing than ever
before. Great things are growing on Col
lege Hill at OWenton, and will. grow
greater
THE CENTENARY YEAR
In speaking of the centenary which
gives TO the coming session of the North
Alabama Conference significant and wide
interest. DIR. Glenn said:
North Alabama Conference is divided
into Is presiding elders districts, with 2S5
pastoral charges, representing ST. sep
arate church organizations, with MEM
bership' about 10o. 900; there are 773 church
buildings, valued well above two and a
valued at more than hat a million. With
in the corporate limits of the city of
Birmingham there are some 30 Methodist
churches. valued above $3.50, 900, and
/, membership above 10000. At Elyton and
West End the congregations are in the
midst of building handsome church edi-
fices-the former place (Walker MemoriaD
having just recently housed Pastor Free
man in what he insists is the best par
scnage in the city: Norwood, with Pastor
Price and Owenton. with Pastor Kim
brough, are moving in the matter of new
church buildings, with every prospect
pleasing for fine things to be done in the
near future. At both these places the
forecast is for edifices of amplest pro-
portions in every respect At Acipco. Pas
tor Myer is leading on toward early CON
summation of their cherished pans for
an adequate house. Splendid outlook
there.
STARTLING RESULTS
This year is the centenary of Ameri-
can Methodist missions. Throughout
America it has been signalized with fit
ting observance, effort being to focus on
two main features: l Religious stimulus
and revival effort; .. Dedication of ma
terial substance for the ongoing of the
Masters cause. Leaders of the church
decided to ask for S3503o.000 from South
ern Methodism. At first. perhaps to most
people the thing was staggering in sire
chimerical in scheme, and impossi'N ~
RELAXATION But results have been ~ TT
lingly great--revers.ng the fgr~es, and
rolling up $50, 600. North Ala/k a was
asked for s125o.o00, which wa 4 <eached;
and with credits, shows grs II total of
81 .SS6. 00O to be paid in five Mea \ of this,
Birmingham district was asked r., sS2oNoo,
with grand total result aggregaN ~ $780,
900. Following the lead of Metn-iism.