The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-05-18
Fifteen SENIORS
Receive COLLEGE
DEGREES MONDAY
President Voices Optimism In
Annual Report at Gradua-
tiOn Exercises
Class Address Delivered by DR..
Elmer Johnson of Hartford
Seminary

NoAiiilSitecHtch SAtfSlSeS OF btuII-
ton college held in the First Mennon-
ite church Monday morning concluded
a year which President LLOYD
Ramseyer told the assembled gather
ing marked "the most difficult time
for colleges since the Civil War;.
Notwithstanding inroads made i'm
the student body by requirements of
selective service and other wartime
conditions a class of sixteen candi-
dates received degrees at the con-
clusion of the exercises.
One of the degrees, that of
Bachelor of Science in Nursing was
the first ever to have been conferred
by the college here. OF the others,
nine received the Bachelor of Arts
and five the Bachelor of School Music
degrees.
Class Address
Speaking on the subject Redeem
ing Our Heritage, DR.. Elmer L. S.
Johnson, professor emeritus of Hart
ford seminary, Hartford, Conn.,, de-
delivered the class address.
In his address DR.. Johnson traced
the present Mennonite church from
its origin in the middle of the six
teenth century under the leadership
of Memo Simon in Holland and its
subsequent development in Europe
and later in America.
Finances of the college are in
satisfactory condition, DIR. Ramseyer
announced in the annual statement
of the president. Increases in giving
by friends of the institution have
more than offset falling off of
receipts due to decreased enrolment.
Debt Sharply Reduced
Indebtedness of the college is now
about one-tenth of what it was eight
years ago, the president stated.
With two-thirds of the fiscal year
past gifts for current operation and
improvement fund total over $4,000,
besides gifts on endowment pledges.
Among the larger gifts this year
listed in the presidents statement
were A. c. Ramseyer of Smithville,
$4,000; Mrs. c. H. Musselman of
BigIervilIe, Pa, $4,000; VIM. Moore
of Bethlehem, Pa, $4,000.
Mrs. Musselman, together with her
husband who died last January were
among the chief benefactors of the
school. During the past ten years
the couple have contributed more
than S135,000. The Musselman
library on the campus together with
funds for it's endowment represents
a large portion of this amount, the
president said.
Taking look at postwar condi-
tions, the president called attention
to the necessity of rebuilding the
present faculty personnel. The
faculty has been reduced in proper
ton to reduced needs. After the
war, however, a large increase in
enrolment is generally anticipated
by all schools.
Following the presidents statement
degrees were conferred upon the
graduating seniors.
Members of Class
| Members Of the graduating class
| include:
Bachelor of Arts-Mary Bowman,
Lima; Holly Burkhalter, Middletown;
Grace Geissinger, Allentown, Pa;
Ellis Guthrie, Lafayette, o.; Helen
Habegger, Busby, Montana; Ellwyn
Hartzler, Bloomington, H.; Eula
Locher, Pandora; Wilma Mumma,
Bluffton; James Welty, Lima.
| Bachelor of School Music-Viola
Amstutz, Pandora; Ruth Fenwick
Lima; Earl Lehman, Pandora; Wanda
Suter, Pandora; and Ruth Zuider-
hoek, Troy. Joan Weaver Schertz, Of
Bloomington, Illinois, received Z
Bachelor of Science degree in Nurs
ing.
Il At the close of next summers ses
sion those who will qualify fol
Bachelor of Arts degrees will b
Edmund Zehr, Gridley, ILL.,; Viol,
Amstutz, Pandora; Eleanor Berky
Bluffton; Jeanne Habegger Boehr
! Dallas, Texas; Trella Bossermar
Rawson; Frank Hamblen, Columbu
| Grove; and Elizabeth Locher, Bluff
= ton. Gertrude Detwiler, Soudertor
y Pa, will get a Bachelor of Schoc
! Music degree