St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-01-28

on Sixteenth and High streets. This
institution was made to be out
standing during the administration
of the late DR.. Booker, brother
in-law of the late DR.. E. G. Morris,
the leader of the National Baptist
Convention, Inc. However, with the
coming of the depression this insti-
tuition had a difficult time keeping
it's doors open. Through the sacri-
fetal giving of the Baptists of the
State this institution weathered the
storm and is out of debt now, I be-
lieve.
What 1 have written about the
Arkansas Baptist College can be
said very largely about Shorter
College in North Little Rock. This
African Methodist Episcopal school
is a real tribute to the untiring eff
forts of the ministers and laymen
of that denomination who simply
would not let their educational in
stitution close. I believe that it
was in 1912 that the A. M. Els of
Arkansas and Oklahoma laid on the
table 100000 at one time to COM
plete the payment on all mortgage
indebtedness of Shorter College.
Both Arkansas Baptist College and
Shorter College are carrying on in
a very fine way and will doubtless
continue to make progress under
the able administration of DR..
Coggs, at Arkansas Baptist, and
DR.. Lewis, at Shorter. Shorter Col
lege was very fortunate in secur-
ing DR.. Lewis, who for many years
was the able president of the Dun
bar Junior College, as its president
last year. I understand that DR..
Lewis quit the Little Rock school
because of his uncompromising
stand for equal pay for the Negro
teachers in the Little Rock public
school system.
There are many human interest
stories that I could write about
outstanding personalities in Little
Rock but space will permit only
brief outline of one. Seven years
ago there was called to the presi-
dency of Philander Smith College,
my alma mater, the Reverend Doc
tor Marquis Lafayette Harris.
This six-foot handsome former
football star at Clark University,
Atlanta, Ga, was the youngest
college president in the country,
believe, at that time. DR.. Harris
was just thirty years old at that
time. When he became the cap
tain of an educational institution
that was having great difficulties
keeping af1oat on the sea of ever
increasing demands for bett e r
physical equipment and higher
educational qualifications for fac
ulty members, DR.. Harris, who had
been dean at Samuel Houston Col
lege, Austin, Texas, put all of his
great physical, intellectual and
spiritual powers to work at his
new task. Today, Philander Smith
College, which is one of the edu-
cational institutions of the Meth
odist Church, is a member of the
Association of American Colleges,
the National Conference of Church
Related Colleges and the Method
ist Educational Association, and it's
work has been recognized by the
Southern Association of Colleges
since November, 1888.
The faculty is said to be the best
trained of any church-related COL
lege west of the Mississippi and it's
library one of the best in the south.
President Harris holds degrees
from Clark University (B.S.);
G m m o n Theological Seminary
(B.DO; Boston University School
of Theology (S.T.M.); Western Re-
serve (M.A.); Ohio State Univer-
sity (Ph.D.). When DR.. Harris
graduated from the Ohio Sta tie
University with his Doctor of Phil
osophy degree, he made the high
est mark ever made in the Depart
ment of Philosophy at that great
institution. He was only twenty
six years old then. Cannon Theo-
logical Seminary awarded him the
honorary Doctor of Divinity degree
in 1941. 1t is marvellous to see a
young man with so many academic
degrees bear them so modestly as
does this outstanding Christian
educator.
Little Rock has several beautiful
churches. One of the most beauti-
full church buildings is that of the
Wesley Chapel Methodist congre-
cation. This beautiful edifice was
built during the pastorate of the
late DR.. Brewer, and while 1 was
student at Philander Smith College
and the assistant pastor, at the cost
of 100000. The interior has
been greatly improved, as well as
the lawn, under the administration
of the present pastor, DIR. ]. Walt
Moore. I had the privilege of be-
ing the preacher at the morning
service on Jan. 16 and to see many
of my old friends, The Wesley
Church has a beautiful electric
sign. I noticed that other Negro
churches, notably the First Baptist,