Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-04-22
VICTORY FUND
DRIVE CLOSES
MAY SECOND
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Enters Last Lap OF Campaign
For Another Halt Million
Dollars of Endowment

Buckhannon, w. Va. April Ito
morrow, April Is. marks the begin
ming of the end of the drive OF West
Virginia Wesleyan College for the
Victory Fund OF 100000. and during
the last two weeks an intensive cam,
paign will be made in an effort to put
the big drive over the top" by May
I'd, the date set for the finish
West Virginia Wesleyan College al
ready has an endowment of 100000,
which was pledged three years ago,
but the increase In the cost OF living
has hit the college hard and In order
to provide for the increased expenses.
1t is imperative that the endowment
be enlarged. Some increase in rev.
enue could be provided by an increase
In tuition fees but this has not been
deemed wise, for the object of Wes-
leyan College is to encourage educa-
tion among all classes OF people, and
any considerable increase In tuition
would necessarily prevent many
worthy young people from securing
college education.
Fortunately for the college, the
General Education Board commonly
known MS the Rockefeller Board) has
made a grant OF $4,000 to West Wiz.
ginia Wesleyan, conditioned upon the
friends OF the college piedging an ad-
ditional sum OF $4,000. making to.
tai of 100000 which is to be added
to the permanent endowment fund OF
the college, This fund is to be known
as the Victory Fund, and the campaign
is to close May I'd.
Up to this time the drive has been
conducted quietly by the college an,
thorities, and at the beginning OF the
intensive drive which starts tomor-
row there remains approximately
$175,000 yet to be pledged. The
pledges are to be payable In FIVE equal
installments on October first, begin
ming with this year.
During the next two weeks about
forty students of the college will tour
the state, assisting the local pastors
in securing the pledges. Great alumni
rallies will be held in five OF the prin-
cipal cities Of the state this week, and
1t is expected that all former students
will be glad to assist in securing
pledges for the great fund.
Sunday, May I'd, the closing day Of
the campaign. will be the final clean
up day. and in every M. e. church OF
the Conference members will be given
an opportunity to participate in this
grert project.
West Virginia Wesleyan College is
under the control Of the West Virginia
Conference Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and now has an enrolment OF
450 college students, including some
of the finest young men and women
of the state There are nearly 5000
members Of the alumni association,
some of whom reside In every county
of the state. and they are the. sort OF
citizens of which any college might
well be proud.
Nearly one-third Of the M r.. pas
tors in the West Virginia Conference
are graduates OF Wesleyan College,
while a number Of other conferences
are rapidly acquiring graduates Of
this institution. This year there are
enrolled in Wesleyan College fifty
youns men who are preparing for the
ministry, besides about twenty who
are preparing for work in the foreign
mission field Wesleyan already has
missionaries In several Of the foreign
fields.
The enrolment is increasing by
leaps and bounds. and with the pres
ent facilities Wesleyan IS equipped
4 to handle efficiently not more than
500 students The college authori
ties expect an enrolment of more
than 500 students next semester. and
some preparations must be made to
care for these young people. It is un
thinkable that the Methodists Of Wesi
virginia will allow Wesleyan TO fail
in its mission for the lack Of the
necessary funds.
This vear the Freshman class al
WESLEYAN coilsre numbers 1865 a
larger number than the total college
enrolment up to six years ago. The
increase In the number OF frst.class
high schools in West Virginia is
1 broadening tae field of Wesleyan each
year providing more and more youna
people with high school edueations
and filed with the desire for higher
training More than 3 900 young mer
ana women viii graduate from thu
high schools of the state this year
Many of these VIII be Methodisfs
who will naturally turn to Wesleyan
for their college training
%est Virginia Wesleyan must 2re
pare to accommodate these younf
people last fall rs young womer
were turned way because there wal
no more room In fhe dormitory. Thi,
year the demand will be greater.
Wesleyan College must either gt