The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-05-27
MARS HILL TO
PAY TRIBUTE
TO DR.. MOORE
Program Thursday Marks
10th Anniversary as Col
lege President

MARS HILL, May u. (SpeclaD
An event IF the eighty-firSC an
nual commencement at Mars Hill
college this year was the pro-
gram today celebrating the for
tieth anniversary of DR.. K. L.
Moore'S presidency of the college.
In point of service DR.. Moore
The prefers to be called NJ.
Moore) is the oldest in Gae state
west of the Blue Ridge mountains.
His work at Mars Hill, which Of
ferS material for an interesting
chapter i'm the history of educa-
ton in the south. is relatively lit
tie known since he has consistent
ly protested against any persona!
laudation and publicity.
Himself son of the hills, ma
tive of Caldwell county, he came
TO Mars Hill in 1897 from Am
herst academy, where he had been
principal. He had had only five
years of teaching experience since
his graduation from Wake Forest
college in 1892. The conditions he
found at Mars Hill were such as
would challenge the spirit of pi-
oneer. The town of Mars Hill was
almost isolated by rough mountain
roads. The college was in rath-
or dilapidated condition. IL COM
priSed the original four-acre cam
puS with which it began in 1856,
on which were two brick build
ingS. one still diStigured from the
Civil war and Il cottage OF two.
There were no dormitOrieS, and
the equipment was sadly lacking.
The trustees, weary of assuming
an annual deficit for running ex-
penses, turned the place over to
the new president, taking no IL
nancial responsibility themselves.
They guaranteed him no salary
but granted him what was left
after teachers were paid and 9TH
err expenses met. Since that day
Mars Hill has grown steadily and
for operating expenses, the estab-
liShment has never had a deficit.
1t stands today free of debt with
a modest endowment, a ninety
acre campus, twelve administra-
tive buildings and dormitories and
seven cottages, besides fifteen pri-
vately owned homes of teachers.
An efficiently administered libra
nv contains over 10000 volumes,
and all departments have essen
tial equipmenr. =.
President MoOre's principal
achievements, however, are not to
be found in the physical equip
ment of the college. Under his adj
ministration the college soon be-
came recognized for its academic
thoroughneSS and moral stand
ards. Since 1921 the institution
has been organized as a Junior
college although the charter
granted in 1859 still gives IL the
power of comforting degrees and
other marks of literary distinc-
ton" A statement was made IN
a recent national survey that
Mars Hill is one of the three out
standing junior colleges in Amer
lea. II is now approved by every
aecrediting agency in whose Jur-
isdiction il lies, including the
Southern Association of Colleges
and Secondary Schools, the Uni
versity of the State of New York,
and the America Medical aSsocia-
zion.
Probably no college has been
more economically administered
than Mars Hill. In those early
years, when he was entitled to
all profits, President Moore al
lowed himself a salary as low as
$500 n year. All saved was return
ed 20 the college for improve
ments or enlargement. In 1915
when the college was again In
safe financial condition he return
ed the control to the board OF
trustees. Repeatedly the board has
attempted to raise his salary, but
he has refused TO accept salary
higher than that paid to the heads
of departments, 4 part OF which
he usually returned to the college
in some form. Today his salary is
LAWYER than that of several of the
teachers.
Through the years President
Moore has been primarily inter-
eSted in young men and women
seeking an opportunity for an
education. Accordingly he has
Striven TO keep costs at Mars Hill
rs low as possible and to provide
scholarships and means for self
help for students His motto OF
plain living and high thinking"
has become an ideal of the col
lege from the administrative Of
- A Ia