TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

FORWARD

CHAP. 1 FOUNDING OF HUNTINGTON (THEN CENTRAL) COLLEGE

CHAP. 2 RELATIONSHIP TO HARTSVILLE COLLEGE

CHAP. 3 HUNTINGTON (THEN CENTRAL) COLLEGE--1897-1917

CHAP. 4 HUNTINGTON COLLEGE--1917-1941

CHAP. 5 HUNTINGTON COLLEGE-1941-1972

CHAP. 6 SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

75 Years - Where Character and Culture Blend

by J. Ralph Pfister

FOREWORD

The constitution of Huntington College has for its object eight aims. The first one includes the following words, "To create and promote a general interest in higher education, to lay the foundations for character and culture, to promote the Christian teachings and standards of life in accordance with the policy of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and to provide opportunities for worthy young men and women of the supporting denomination and others to prepare for Christian service."

The title for this historical material was taken from the college motto, "Where Character and Culture Blend," which was developed from the constitution by Dr. H.C. Mason while he was president of Huntington College. Even though this motto originated during the middle of the life of the college, it has been the basic emphasis over the years to have an intellectual climate that is respectable amidst a warm hearted Christian faith. This paradox has been maintained by the ten presidents during the seventy-five years that the institution has been offering training to more than 5,000 students with over 2,000 graduates.

The administration has found it difficult to secure faculty members who would accept the standards of the school at the salary which was available. More than 400 different individuals have served on the staff. Those with the longest tenure have been dedicated to the cause of Christian education. Approximately half have been members of the supporting denomination.

Some times during the seventy-five years it appeared that the institution would be forced to close because of the lack of financial support. However, the supporting denomination rallied to the challenge and raised emergency funds to carry forward the work of the college. A wider public has been reached across the years to give a broader base for financial support. The outlook for the future is both a challenge and an opportunity.

This history was written as a part of the seventy-fifth anniversary. The writer was commissioned to undertake the research and development of the material by the Administrative Council of Huntington College. He has been associated with the institution for nearly fifty years, and also had intimate contact with a number of those who were connected with the school during the first twenty-five years. He has been involved in teaching the history of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ for three decades. Since Huntington College has been the only higher educational institution of that denomination for more than fifty years, the history of the church and college has intertwined during the years.

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