8. College Days

Wittenberg Academy, College and Theological Seminary, at Springfield, Ohio, were on the same campus, one of the most beautiful campuses in this country, I think. When I first saw it in mid-September of 1894 there were six buildings in all; Recitation Hall which housed all classrooms of the College and Academy, the five-story dormitory for college and academy men, a small dormitory for women, a small but lovely library, a Divinity hall with classrooms and living quarters for theologues, and a little gymnasium.

Very few Academy students were from out of town and these few kids were playfully ribbed by upperclass collegians. As I was entering at Second Prep, with four years of college to follow, I was of the Class of 1900. Seniors would stop me to inquire what class I belonged to, just to hear me say, “1900,” which sounded a long way off. And sometimes I added that I was doing three years in the Seminary too, and then they would laugh! 1903!… Well, it does sound a long way off; doesn’t it?

Vast improvements have been made at Wittenberg: many new up-to-date buildings. But when I arrived the “Dorm” had no central heating. Each little room had its own little coal stove. Out back of the dormitory stood two long rows of coal sheds, securely locked, for even the more honest could delay ordering a fresh ton; one could easily get out of funds, and the coal people had to have their money in cash right now. (Just like income taxes.) Carrying your coal up four flights of stairs meant that you needed a lot of education. Limited toilet facilities were in the basement only, and there were three shower-baths but no hot water. I hope and believe that the Business Executives and the Faculty were ashamed of that.

Through the winter weather, when the baseball and football players were inactive, the gym was closed except on Wednesday, when the girls had the use of it, and on Saturday for the men. There were three shower baths with hot water.

I do not mean that we were all that dirty and aromatic, though some of us were, no doubt. We had kettles on top of our little stoves. I repeat: this was a long time ago, but cleanliness, even then, was next to godliness; and I am ashamed to be making this report. I submit that no group of Christian men, however desperate to found a college, had a right to ask their sons and brothers to live in such a boorish environment. I should hasten to add that many of the older students tried to counsel the younger ones in matters of morals, but manners were in short supply even with our elders and betters who had come mostly from the open country where the social graces were too often ridiculed as an effort to “put on style.”

In my time at Wittenberg College we had four national Greek-letter fraternities. In the order of their establishment at our school they were Phi Kappa Psi, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Gamma Delta and Alpha Tau Omega. When I became a freshman I joined Phi Gamma Delta, most of whose members lived in Springfield. I think I was the only “Fiji” of my college generation who expected to study for the ministry. The rest of them were to go into business or medicine or the law. I believe I was the only one of the lot who studied Greek.