Newspaper Articles

 
 Waterloo Evening Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa
Saturday, February 05, 1927, Page 8

LAMONI COLLEGE IS REALIZATION OF WOMAN'S DREAM
________


At 92, Mrs. Marietta Walker Watches Institution Her 20 Acres Started.

Lamoni, Ia., Feb. 5. - (AP) - Originated as a dream in the mind of Mrs. Marietta Walker and others prominent in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Graceland college was opened here in a downtown building 32 years ago.

Mrs. Walker, now 92 years old, called "the Mother of Graceland," saw the first realization of her dream when she donated a tract of 20 acres of land in east Lamoni and 13 adjoining that plat were donated by W. A. Hopkins for establishment of a church school.

The original building was erected on the hill on which Mrs. Walker's land was located, and was ready for occupancy in the winter of 1896-97.

Three Faculty Members.

With a faculty of three persons, Graceland college opened: T. J. Fitzpatrick, president and teacher of mathematics and science; J. T. Pence, English and languages, elected president in 1896; and J. A. Gunsolley, commercial school, a member of the faculty until his retirement this year [1927]. In the three score years the college has been open, 10 presidents have served it.

Twenty-one students were counted in the first student body, while one was in the first graduating class in 1898. The 1899 class of four was graduated from the regular college work, a class from the commercial and one from the expression department. The first boys' dormitory, Marietta hall, was erected two years later, and Patroness hall for girls in 1906. The latter was destroyed by fire Jan. 2, last.

Now Fully Accredited.

George N. Briggs came to Graceland as president in 1915 and under his direction the college received state and national recognition as fully standardized and accredited junior college in 1918. A third year of instruction was added in 1923, Dr. F. M. McDowell, dean of the junior college, aiding Professor Briggs in this work.

Briggs hall, a recitation hall with temporary girls' dormitory on the third floor, was built in 1922; the gymnasium, Zimmerman hall, in 1923-24; while Herald hall, boys' dormitory, has been established in town as a temporary necessity. The college plans to build a large brick dormitory for the girls this spring.

The growth of Graceland has been steady, and the school stands out among the smaller colleges of the state for its cosmopolitanism. It draws students from a wide territory, a nd from all nationalities and classes of people. Thru its religious education department, the college sends ministers to all parts of the world. Its preset student body number about 300, while there are 18 members of the faculty.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016
 
 The Lamoni Chronicle
Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, September 11, 1941, Page 1

COLLEGE OPENS FOR 46TH YEAR
329 Registered and More To Be Enrolled -
Activities Include Opening Convention, Reception


Wednesday afternoon found 329 students registered at Graceland College with a number of students to still be enrolled. Fifteen minute classes were held during the afternoon in preparation for regular class work scheduled to start on Thursday morning.

Registration this year took longer than in previous years and two reasons were advanced for that: There are more students being enrolled and more attention is given each student by the faculty advisors who assist in making out schedules.

Thursday morning the opening convocation will be held at the Chapel with Pastor D. B. Borden as the speaker. On Friday evening the Faculty Reception will take place and will be participated in by all students. Next Wednesday a final check will be made of registrations.

Dr. Broyles, of Bethany, Mo., was engaged by the college as the examining physician this year.

Officials of the Jefferson Bus lines, employees of the local postoffice and J. P. Jefferies of the Burlington [railroad] depot were made aware of the influx of students this year due to the large increase in their business. Postmaster Blair had to call for a truck to deliver parcel post packages and extra buses were employed to take care of the passengers.

* * * *

COLLEGE DAUGHTERS

College daughters are being assigned to Lamoni women again this year by the Patroness Society. According to Mrs. C. F. Smith women who do not choose to receive a college daughter this year should notify her as soon as possible.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, November 2015
 
 The Lamoni Chronicle
Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, December 11, 1941, Page 1

HAWAIIAN STUDENTS HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HOME
Worried About Families; Expect Word


Lamoni citizens accepted the declaration of war Monday with characteristic calm but no so with the Graceland college students whose homes are in Hawaii, Aruba and the west coast. The four Hawaiian students were tense and nervous over the news of the attack in the Pacific, especially regarding the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. Louise Blaisdell's parents reside in Honolulu and both her grandfather and father are members of the fire department which would cause them to be on alert with military authorities. The father of Gladys Ching works at one of the airports. The parents and family of Edmund and Faith Wong live at Wailuku, Maui.

Miss Hughes, whose parents recently returned to Aruba, a Dutch possession off the coast of Venezuela, says that she expects her parents will be sent back to the states. The island is an important center of the oil industry and would probably be a military objective.

Students from the west coast, particularly from California, listened to broadcasts every hour and a number of them expressed the desire to return home.

Mr. and Mrs. Virgil B. Etzenhouser, who left Hawaii on November 21, were on Graceland campus Tuesday and visited at some length with the Hawaiian students, bringing them recent news from their homes. At press time Wednesday the students had not received word from home but were expecting a cablegram.


Copied from "Reflections of Lamoni", The Lamoni Chronicle, Volume 90 Special Issue, April 1980
by Stacey McDowell Dietiker
 
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