As a result of their agitation of the question, the matter was brought up at the annual camp-meeting held in June, 1886, which resulted in the appointment of Rev. and Mrs. J. K. Freeland as a committee to prepare a paper on the subject for presentation to the Annual Conference to be held in the fall. The paper met with instant favor. General Superintendent F. P. Hart, who presided at the Conference, was so impressed with the spirit that prevailed that he acknowledged himself fully persuaded that the project was of the Lord. One thousand dollars was subscribed and a committee on location appointed consisting of G. C. Coffee, J. B. Freeland, H. L. Torsey, A. W. Hayes, J. S. Phillips, and Miss Densie Slocum. After considering a number of propositions, the offer of Rev. A. B. Smart, of Wessington Springs, was accepted, and the school was located at that place.

The first Board of Trustees consisted of the following named persons: Rev. J. B. Freeland, President; Rev. G. C. Coffee, Financial Agent and Secretary; A. W. Hayes, Treasurer; W. S. Chamberlain, Rev. A. B. Smart, Rev. I. N. Rich, M.D. Lewis. A building 40 x 60 feet was started by constructing the basement ten feet high, which was then roofed over, giving the structure the appearance of a shed. This gave rise to the name by which it still lives in the memory of the first students-"The Sheep Shed."

The basement not being quite ready, school was opened in a vacant store building, November 15, 1887. The faculty consisted of Professor J. K. Freeland, Principal; Mrs. C. R. Freeland, Preceptress; Miss Mary Freeland, assistant, and Mrs. A. B. Smart, Music. Six students were enrolled the first day. Monday, November 28, 1887, is marked on the old register as "moving day." School was adjourned, and the faculty and students moved into the Seminary building. Tuesday, November 29, is called "opening day." It was the formal opening of the Seminary. A large audience assembled, and an elaborate program was rendered, consisting of addresses by representatives of the Free Methodist Church and citizens of Wessington Springs.

The growth of the school soon rendered more room a necessity; hence building operations were resumed during the summer of 1889, when the first story was added, and, a year or two later, the building was finished.

While formal pubic exercises were held each year from the beginning, the first Commencement proper was held in June, 1892. Rev. B. R. Jones (now Bishop) preached the Commencement sermon. The class numbered three. Since then a class has been graduated each year, and over a hundred are included in its alumni, besides a large number who have completed Music and Business courses.

Superintendent B. T. Roberts wrote as follows in 1891:

"To the unremitting labors and unwavering faith of Rev. J. B. Freeland the success of Wessington Springs Seminary is largely due." For many years Mr. Freeland toiled and sacrificed as few men have toiled and sacrificed in the interest of Christian education in order to establish this institution on a firm footing in all respects. Nor did he toil in vain.

Very much was also due in those early years to the self-sacrifice and earnest toil of the Rev. G. C. Coffee, who accepted the position of Financial Agent and Secretary, removing his family to Wessington Springs for the purpose before there was any Free Methodist society in the place, and devoting himself with all the vigor of his robust manhood and with all the strength of his noble intellect and sound judgment to the work of building up this noble frontier school.

January 18, 1893, diphtheria broke out in the school family. There were sixteen cases, and this affliction practically broke up the school for the rest of the year. One young man, however, finished the academic work with credit to himself and the school. This was N. B. Ghormley, now missionary and principal of a school in South Africa.

The following have served as principals since the founding of the school, in the order named: J. K. Freeland, nine years; J. G. Baird, four years; F. G. Burritt, two years; C. W. Shay and S. F. Cooper, two years together; George Seacord, one year; D. J. Brenneman, three years; S. P. Crouch, two years; G. W. Griffith, the present incumbent, five years.

January 22, 1908, the building and contents were entirely destroyed by fire. Scarcely had the ashes cooled, however, before the citizens called a mass meeting and pledged $10,000 for a new building. The insurance on the old building was paid promptly, and the following December the new building was occupied. Just a year from the day and hour when the bell was rung as a fire alarm in the old building, the bell in the new building was rung by the same parties, to mark the formal opening of the dedicatory exercises. The Rev. A. Beers, of Seattle, Washington, was to have given the address, but was prevented by snow blockades. In his absence the Revs. J. W. White-side and W. D. McMullen, of the Free Methodist Church, and the Rev. T. C. Reynolds, of the Congregational Church, gave the principal addresses. During the construction of the new building, the old town school building was purchased, moved to the campus and fitted up as a dormitory.

The valuation of the land and the buildings is placed at $50,000. The value of the equipment is $2,500. The endowment fund is but $3,000. There is an indebtedness on the property of $11,000, $3,000 of which is unprovided for. Among the largest contributors to the school have been the following: W. N. Vennard, $2,800; Mr. Baughman, $2,000; B. Gaddis, $1,000; John Hetherington, $1,000; A. M. Slocum, $900; W. F. Harding, $600; C. G. Heath, $500; besides the citizens' bonus of $10,000. These amounts are generous considering the frontier character of the community.

Wessington Springs Seminary in the course of its history has fully justified the wisdom and foresight of its founders by the invaluable service it has rendered to the Free Methodist Church in particular, and to the cause of God in general, through the character and achievements of the young men and young women it has trained and sent forth to Ness the world by lives of devotion to the social and moral uplift and betterment of the race.

At the time of attending Wyoming Seminary Mr. Pease was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. W. B. Bertels, now of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was a student there at the same time, and was a member of the same denomination. The acquaintance and fellowship formed between these two young men at that time has continued until now. The influence of the institution seems to have been of great religious value, as well as of much educational benefit, to both, who have ever been earnest and aggressive Christian men, and whose benefactions have been a blessing to many public enterprises of a thoroughly evangelical character.

After settling in life, Mr. Pease followed painting for a livelihood, and Mr. Bertels went into the tin and stove business. Mr. Pease's health failed after a time, the business not seeming to agree with him. Then Mr. Bertels took him into the tin and stove business with himself, and, to quote from a letter of Mr. Pease, written to Mr. Bertels, February 15, 1912, from which the facts herein narrated were principally gathered, "you gave me a pair of spring-balanced scales and a couple of grimy old sacks and told me to go from house to house and buy old rags, copper, iron, brass, etc. You bought them of me, and finally the business increased so that you furnished me with a horse and wagon, and I pawned my watch as security to help pay for them; and by and by you took me in as a partner in the tin, stove and rag business."

In the meantime the Free Methodist work had spread into Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Rev. John Glen came from White Haven, Pa., to Wilkes-Barre, at the call of these two men and held a series of meetings, and about that time a Free Methodist Church was organized in the latter place, with which both Mr. Pease and Mr. Bertels became identified.

Their business continued to prosper, and they finally erected a brick store in order to accommodate its steadily increasing volume. But in the early seventies Mr. Pease felt a growing inclination to go West, whereupon Mr. Bertels bought his interest in the business, paying him $13,000 for the same.

Mr. Pease left for Seattle in the spring of 1873, going via Panama and San Francisco, and arriving the following June. With the amount received from the sale of his part of the business to Mr. Bertels, Mr. Pease made investments in real estate in Seattle, which increased in value rapidly. As an illustration of how property advanced, Mr. Pease states that he purchased a corner 120 x 120 feet for $250.00 which he sold thirty-two years later for $35,000. At the time he went there Seattle had but 4,500 residents. At present (1915) the population is about 300,000. Mr. Pease has always regarded Mr. Bertels's taking him into his business in his early manhood as one of the providential steps toward the founding of Seattle Seminary. It gave him the financial start in life which enabled him to help largely in the building of that institution when the time therefor was ripe.

Being an ardent member of the Free Methodist Church Mr. Pease was naturally very anxious to have its work established in the Northwest, where he had now decided to make his home. The Rev. George Edwards, a Free Methodist preacher, had accompanied him and Mrs. Pease to Seattle, but for some reason, instead of remaining there went soon to Eastern Washington, where he continued to preach the Gospel of full salvation until his health failed and cancer of the mouth terminated his days. Mr. Pease, however, went to work at his trade in Seattle, and in connection therewith lived a consistent life, and devoted such time as he could to exhorting, preaching and doing good in a general way. Finally the desire for the establishment of regular Free Methodist preaching became so great that he and Mrs. Pease returned to Dover, New Jersey, to see the Rev. John Glen, an able and earnest preacher of the New York Conference, with a view to getting him to go to Seattle and open the work there. Mr. Glen's Conference was reluctant to part with him, and detained him for a year; but the next year he packed his goods prior to the Conference session, ready to start for the Northwest soon after it closed, which plan he was permitted to carry into execution. Mr. Pease provided for his maintenance by guaranteeing him, besides $200 for moving expenses, $40.00 per month and a comfortable house in which to live. Mr. Glen began his work in Seattle in 1885.

At this time the Oregon and Washington Territory Conference had been organized about two years. Soon after Mr. Glen's settlement in Seattle a session of this Conference was held there. General Superintendent B. T. Roberts presided. Mrs. Roberts accompanied him. Mr. Pease, who had been contemplating the matter of starting a school, laid the matter before them. Mr. Roberts, who had learned by experience what such an enterprise meant, assured him that if he undertook to found a school, he would have a heavy load on both hands and heart. He also remarked that "Domestic economy and hygiene ought to be taught in all our schools." Mr. Pease, being an ardent advocate of hygienic living, at once said, "If they will eliminate pork and its products, with tea and coffee, from the bill of fare, and recommend the use of Graham bread and make it, I will give $2,500 toward the enterprise." Mr. N. B. Peterson, a well-to-do and devoted layman, of Norwegian birth, and a man greatly interested in the cause of Foreign Missions, said he would donate five acres of ground in the city of Seattle if they would make it a missionary school. Ultimately the ideas of these two laymen were substantially embodied in the founding of the school. Mr. Peterson's large family of children were all educated here, two of whom, Lily and Mattie, gave themselves to missionary work in China, the former after a few years returning home to die, and the latter going out to fill the vacancy caused by her death. The considerable number of the Seminary's graduates who have given themselves to foreign missionary work on various fields afforded Mr. Peterson a realization of the hopes he indulged for the institution from the beginning.

Some considerable time went by, however, before matters began to assume definite shape. Then Mr. J. C. Norton, from East of the mountains, settled in Seattle, and that just in time to be of much aid in forwarding the Seminary project. Though now president of the University Bank of Seattle, he had comparatively little means at that time, but had what in some emergencies is better than money-brains and common sense. He went to Mr. Pease's to board, they keeping a sort of Free Methodist hotel and headquarters at that time for members of the Church coming from other parts of the country. After consultation Mr. Norton and Mr. Pease started a subscription in order to see what could be raised for the proposed Seminary. They were soon much encouraged in the work, by securing many valuable pledges of money and labor; and so a building plan was secured, and the contract was let for the erection of an excellent and commodious building, containing chapel, recitation rooms, and dormitories for young men and young women. Unfortunately, however, the contractor proved to be financially irresponsible, failed in business, leaving the building in a partially competed condition, and with a heavy indebtedness against it. Of course this made it necessary to let a new contract, all of which matters made the original building cost very much more than was originally contemplated, and left the institution in an embarrassed condition because of its heavy indebtedness.

It was then decided to send for the Rev. Alexander Beers and his excellent and accomplished wife, of Virginia, former students of the A. M. Chesbrough Seminary, to come and take charge of the school. They accepted the call, took charge of the work, saw the building finally finished, the school started under most favorable prospects, and have continued with it ever since. The indebtedness at this time was $l6,800. The Herculean task of raising this amount was undertaken by Mr. Beers, who was then a young man. The trustees gave him much encouragement, helping by their means and by their prayers as best they could. Mr. and Mrs. Pease gave something over $8,000 toward relieving the strain, besides the liberal benefactions formerly made to the enterprise. Mr. Beers traveled up and down the Pacific Coast and across the continent and back several times in representing the cause, and always with a manly front and a smiling optimism, accompanied by such manifest tokens of the Divine favor, as made him welcome almost everywhere, and brought generous responses to his call for material aid; and finally, within two or three years, he had raised a sufficient amount to liquidate the indebtedness.

Then began an era of development which has continued until, at present, the institution has a campus of eight acres, beautifully laid out, graded, and shaded, on which are four large buildings with up-to-date furnishings and equipments, besides one or two smaller ones, all in the center of the growing and flourishing city of Seattle. As other property is rated in that city the entire Seminary property is supposed to be worth $170,000. No doubt it will be worth double that amount within twenty-five to fifty years. Much credit for the success of Seattle Seminary is due to the Rev. C. E. McReynolds, who has served on its board of trustees continuously since the date of its incorporation, and who gave the first subscription toward the enterprise at the time of its founding.

This noble institution has made an illustrious record in sending out young men and young women of culture, piety and whole-hearted consecration to God to bless the Church and the world. Its graduates are filling responsible positions in nearly every part of the country. It has been particularly fruitful in giving to the ministry and to the missionary work of the Free Methodist Church as choice a number of educated and consecrated young people as any denomination could desire.

Here, as in the other schools of the denomination, the earnest Christian character and devotion of those who have served on its faculty has been among the factors that have contributed to the success of the institution in training young people to noble ideals, ambitions and aspirations. They have been a noble, devoted, earnest, and self-sacrificing class of men and women.

In 1911 the institution, which hitherto had attempted only secondary educational work, regularly installed the Freshman college course, and later it added the Sophomore and Junior courses, making it to rank as a Junior College. Since the foregoing sketch was prepared steps have been taken to convert this Seminary into a collegiate institution, to be named Seattle Pacific College.

Mr. and Mrs. Grice attended a camp-meeting at Prairie City, Illinois, in July, 1881, which, though not large, was attended by remarkable manifestations of the Holy Spirit's presence and power. They had been for some time identified with the Holiness Movement in Illinois, and had also been generous in the bestowment of their means for the support of a collegiate institution in their own Church and town. But they greatly lamented the decay of spirituality in the Methodism of their time, and had lost faith in the work of the educational institution they had been helping to support. They were profoundly impressed with the character of the camp-meeting, and of the people under whose auspices it was held.

During its progress Mr. Grice communicated to the Rev. F. H. Ashcraft, Chairman of the District, whom he had favorably known for some time, and in whom he believed, not only as a man of God, but also as a man of business ability and sagacity, that he and his wife were feeling that the Lord would have them devote at least a portion of their remaining property to Christian education in connection with the Holiness Movement. He then made a proposition to turn over $6,000 from the proceeds of the sale of a farm valued at $6,600, as soon as it could be sold, toward establishing a College within the Free Methodist Church, an annuity to be guaranteed to him and his wife so long as both or either of them should live, inasmuch as this would be necessary for their support.

Mr. Ashcraft, regarding the matter as from the Lord, agreed to submit the proposition of this venerable couple to the leading ministers and laymen of the Central Illinois Conference, and to the General Superintendents of the denomination, after which he would give them a definite answer to the same. All these parties heartily favored entertaining the proposition, Superintendent Roberts urging the matter at some length, because of its seeming to be a Divine providence. The Central Illinois Conference, held in September of that year, also indorsed it official]y, and elected nine trustees, with instruction to take such steps as should seem best in order to put Mr. Grice's proposition into effect, and then proceed with the work of establishing a College as soon as possible.

The chief difficulty in the way of closing a contract with Mr. Grice at once was that the farm was unsold, and real estate was so slow of sale at the time that, though the farm had been some months on the market, a buyer had not yet appeared. It was very desirable to close a contract at once, inasmuch as the advanced age of Mr. and Mrs. Grice rendered life with them precarious.

Finally, in order to consummate the business, Mr. Ash-craft bought the farm on his own account, at $6,600, giving his personal note for $600, and a second note secured by mortgage on the farm for $6,000. Then, in April, 1892, the Board of Trustees took this $6,000 note, secured by mortgage on the farm of Mr. Grice, entering into a contract with Mr. and Mrs. Grice in which they agreed to pay a stipulated annuity, to be paid in semi-annual installments, so long as they or either of them should live. Mr. Ashcraft carried the farm nearly two years, at the expiration of which time he sold it at a small advance over the price paid for it, and had also realized from rent $50.00 more than the taxes and interest came to. He then took up the mortgage, paying the Board of Trustees $6,000, paid off his $600 note held by Mr. Grice, and turned over the margin received for the sale of the farm above the purchase price, together with the net proceeds realized from rent, to the Board of Trustees, and thus the matter of securing the $6,000 to the Trustees for College purposes was consummated

The Trustees elected by the Central Illinois Conference to have charge of the matter of founding a school within their Conference territory were the following: Franklin II. Ashcraft, W. B. M. Colt, Charles A. Fleming, Thomas H. Marsh, Robert W. Sanderson, William T. Branson, James H. Moss, Isaac Kesler, and Walter S. Dann.

For several years Mr. Ashcraft, and others now on the Board of Trustees, had been thinking favorably of trying to secure for school purposes a college property, located at Greenville, Illinois, originally owned by the Baptist people and chartered under the name of Almira College, an institution exclusively for ladies, but which had passed into the hands of a private owner, who had conducted a co-educational school of his own for some years, but who now wished to sell. This property was examined by a number of interested persons belonging to the Conference, and was thought by them to be a desirable property to purchase for Free Methodist school purposes. Accordingly, as soon as the trustees were practically assured of the $6,000 from Mr. Grice, they began measures for purchasing this property; and nearly all the preliminaries of the purchase were completed prior to the actual consummation of the gift; so that, at the time of closing the contract with him, the deal was virtually closed for the purchase of the Almira College property from Mr. James P. Slade, the owner.

The consideration was $12,200 in cash, for the building, contents and grounds. The property consisted of ten acres of land in the heart of the city; a very substantial brick building of four stories, 44 x 144 feet, located in the center of a beautifully shaded campus; a library of several hundred volumes; several cabinets of geological, mineralogical and zoological specimens; a small amount of physical and chemical apparatus; several pianos and organs; and considerable art studio furniture and equipments. As the Trustees had no cash available for the purchase, the only thing left for them to do in completing the purchase was to borrow the money required. This they did, Mr. John Bradford, one of Greenville's bankers, loaning them the full amount, upon a personal note signed by the nine Trustees. On April 5, 1892, the purchase was consummated, Mr. Slade and his wife deeding the Almira College property in fee simple to the nine persons named in the foregoing list of Trustees.

The deed was thus executed to these persons for two reasons, namely: First, though they were elected by the Conference as Trustees, they represented no properly incorporated body, and therefore could not, as a Board, receive a deed which would be effective in law. While the Central Illinois Conference was at that time incorporated, yet the wording of the Certificate of Incorporation was of such a character as, in the judgment of eminent counsel, would prohibit that body from receiving a deed to the property with a view to going into the College business. Second, the Central Illinois Conference had no money to pay for the purchase of the school property. The Grice farm had not yet been sold, and so when the $6,000 mortgage given Mr. Grice was finally turned over for school purposes, on contract securing to him and his wife an annuity while they should live, it was not assigned to the Conference, but to the persons of the aforementioned Board of Trustees. It seemed but just that, inasmuch as these Trustees had to give a personal note for the purchase of the property, with no other indemnity against personal loss until such time as a proper incorporation could be effected, and the note for $12,200 lifted, the property should be deeded to them in fee simple. There having been a legal barrier in the way of a deal by the Conference as an incorporated body, individuals assumed the responsibility, in order to meet the demands of the law in the absence of proper legal incorporation.

Later, however, it was thought that it would be more satisfactory to the Conference, and to those who might be solicited for subscriptions toward the College enterprise, for the trustees to execute a deed of the property to the Central Illinois Conference, which was done April 19, 1892. The title remained in this condition until 1895. On May 31, 1893, with the consent of the Conference, an incorporation of the institution itself, in the name of Greenville College, was secured. Finally, on the 29th of May, 1895, the property was duly conveyed to Greenville College, an institution duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, and whose place of business was Greenville, Illinois. This was the first and only incorporation of Greenville College as such.

It will be noticed that a considerable time elapsed between the incorporation of the college proper and the legal transfer of the property to this new corporation. This is explained by the fact that the corporation had not taken up the note of $12,200 given to obtain money for the original purchase of the building. At the time the property was conveyed to the corporation known as Greenville College, on May 29, 1895, this indebtedness was entirely liquidated.

About the middle of July, 1892, the Executive Committee of the Conference board of trustees met to choose a president of the College. Wilson T. Hogue, then pastor of the Virginia Street Free Methodist Church, Buffalo, New York, and Chairman of the Buffalo District, Genesee Conference, was unanimously elected to the position, he having had no intimation that such a move was contemplated.

Accordingly he entered into a contract, July 18, 1892, to undertake the presidency of Greenville College. Nor did he find opportunity for the next twelve years to free himself from the responsibilities of the position, though at various times he would gladly have done so, had there been a providential opening.

Collegiate work was not undertaken the first year, the institution beginning with College Preparatory, Commercial, Music, Art, and Teachers' Review Courses only. It announced, however, from the start, that its purpose was to add to its curriculum full College and Theological Courses, so soon as circumstances would warrant. From the beginning the attendance exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and all the various departments were well patronized. Both the local and the foreign patronage were flattering. The community always took a lively interest in its success, both because of the tender associations that clustered about the institution since before the Civil War, and also because of its new lease of life and usefulness under its present ownership. The Free Methodist Church has likewise exhibited much interest in its welfare, both by way of patronage and support, because of its thoroughly Christian aim, and also because of its having been, up to the present, the only educational institution of full college grade projected within the denomination.

The Annual Register for 1893 announced that two full Collegiate Courses of Study had been adopted, and that the institution was ready to admit students in the Freshman year. Each succeeding year another year's work in advance was taken up, until the whole four years' course was being taught, since which time full college courses have been regularly maintained. The new incorporation of the institution in 1895 gave it the right to confer the usual Academic Degrees upon students who should honorably complete its collegiate courses of study. A course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Divinity was then added in the Department of Theology, and one leading to the degree of Bachelor of Commercial Science in the Commercial Department.

The attendance of students pursuing collegiate courses was small at first but gradually increased as the merits of the work done came to be more generally known, until for a goodly number of years it has been sufficiently encouraging to delight those who have been charged with the administration of its affairs, as well as the numerous friends and supporters of the institution. The best advertisement of its work has been the men and women of cultured and stalwart Christian character whom it has sent forth to bless the world.

In the Department of Theology Professor John LaDue has served with untiring devotion and with eminent satisfaction since the fall of 1894; and to him more than to any one else is due the credit for having made it of inexpressible value to the Free Methodist Church.

After the resignation of President Hogue, in 1901, the Rev. A. L. Whitcomb, M. S., was chosen as his successor. Mr. Whitcomb was a man of marked ability, whose piety, scholarship, dignified and spiritual bearing, eloquence in the pulpit and on the platform, energy and tact in matters of discipline, executive skill, and economy in the management of temporal matters, admirably fitted him for administration over such an institution. Under his presidency the school flourished in almost every sense of the word.

In 1905 a new Administration Building was erected on the campus, at a cost of $20,000, in connection with which a steam-heating system was installed, capable of adequately heating both buildings, and the old building was furnished with toilet rooms, bath rooms, and lavatories, which had long been greatly needed. After occupying the position for three years, however, for reasons which he thought justified his course, President Whitcomb resigned, and returned to the work of the pastorate.

Professor Eldon G. Burritt, A. M., who was Dean at the time of President Whitcomb's resignation, was chosen as his successor. He has been engaged exclusively in educational work for many years, most of the time in various schools of the Free Methodist Church. Under his presidency the College has continued to prosper.

The institution has considerable toward an endowment fund, with a goodly amount subscribed toward increasing it, on a part of which the subscribers are regularly paying interest.

Mr. Ralph Rogers donated one hundred building lots, located in Highland Park Addition to Los Angeles, to the corporation. A sufficient number of these were reserved for a campus, and from the proceeds of the sale of the others nearly enough was realized to pay for the erection of the Seminary building. A large and commodious building was erected in 1903-1904, on an elevated and sightly campus, finished without in cement stucco, and the interior of which was finished in a thoroughly up-to-date manner.

According to the provisions of its Charter the trustees must be elected by the Southern California Conference. Three of them may be nominated by the California Conference, and the others are usually nominated by the trustees in office. A full report of the school, as to its financial and general condition, is made to the Southern California Annual Conference each year. The Seminary at present has an endowment fund of $20,000, principally in real estate, but which will not be productive until the death of its donors.

The original Board of Trustees was composed of the following named persons: C. B. Ebey, D. G. Shepard, E. Leonardson, F. J. Heil, M. C. Sperow, H. Bush, S. D. Sutton, J. G. Baird, and J. K. Freeland. The Board has recently been enlarged from nine to eleven members. J. G. Baird, a very competent business man, has been its president from the date of its incorporation.

The Seminary began its work in September, 1904, and has continued it without interruption since. The attendance has always been good and the institution is entitled to no small distinction for having given to the Church as noble, intelligent and consecrated a company of young people from year to year as any institution of similar grade within its pale. Its alumni number fifty-one - twenty-four young men and twenty-seven young women (1915).

In 1911 the Freshman year of college work was introduced, with a view to making the institution a Junior College in due time, and in accordance with the provisions of its Charter. The Seminary issues a quarterly Bulletin, one issue of which is the Annual Catalogue. The school is graded to the very best standards in the State, and in its preparatory work qualifies for admission to the best Colleges, and to the Universities of California.

The following named gentlemen have served the Seminary as its principals: Rev. N. J. Davis, 1904-1907, whose relation was terminated by an untimely death; J. G. Baird, who took the position at the death of Professor Davis for one year only; P.O. Cole, whose work began in 1908, and was terminated at the expiration of eighteen months by failing health; J. K. Freeland, who filled out the remainder of the year after Professor Cole's resignation; B. J. Vincent, who has been at the head of the institution since 1910. In 1912, H. K. Biddulph was chosen principal of the Academic department. E. A. Holtwick is the present principal.

After the matter had been on the minds of a number for several years, the Rev. R. A. Thompson finally introduced a preliminary resolution to the effect that a committee should be appointed to take steps preparatory to the establishment of a Free Methodist school within the bounds of the Conference. The resolution was adopted, and a committee was appointed, of which Mr. Thompson was chairman, with instruction to use their judgment as to determining upon the location of the school, financing the enterprise, purchasing of site, and all other matters necessary to the establishment of a denominational Seminary.

While negotiations were pending for the purchase of a piece of land containing about seventy-five acres, situated on the interurban railway line about midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, and on the very day when the contract was to have been closed, the Grubbs Self-Help and Industrial Institution, located at Campbell, was offered to the committee at a mere nominal figure. This property consisted of three frame school buildings situated on a campus of ten acres. The citizens of Campbell encouraged the project, and used their influence to induce the committee to decide in favor of locating the school there. Through their influence the property of the Industrial School was finally offered to the committee for the nominal sum of $2,000.

The committee was somewhat divided on the question, Mr. Thompson and some others holding that when the property of the Industrial School was obtained it would not be what they wanted, while the other site was an ideal one, and would be a place where all the Free Methodist people who desired to do so could reside, and at the same time have access to the best cities in the State in which to make a living, with transportation service as good, or nearly as good, as ordinary street car service in the cities.

The majority of the committee, however, decided in favor of the Campbell location. Accordingly the deal was consummated, the work of repairing and refurnishing the buildings was begun and pushed to completion, a faculty of instructors was engaged, and, the following September, the school was opened with a very gratifying patronage. The institution is now (1914) in its fourth year, and each year until the present one has witnessed an increased patronage. The teachers have been characterized by deep spirituality, the students have been of an excellent class generally, and excellent revivals of religion have been enjoyed in connection with the School work each year. The Rev. C. E. Harroun is Principal at present.

The Seminary building proper is a three-story building. having eight rooms, the entire upper story being in one room, thus providing an excellent chapel or auditorium. The young men's dormitory is also a three-story structure, and has thirty-six rooms. The young women's dormitory is a building of two and one-half stories, providing seventeen rooms.

When first purchased the school was practically out of debt; but owing to the expense incurred in refitting the buildings and procuring faculty, a considerable amount of indebtedness has been incurred, though not of such an amount as to be immediately embarrassing. The present value of the school property is estimated at from $12,000 to $15,000.

Campbell Seminary undertakes to do only secondary educational work, or that of the ordinary High School. So far it has proved a blessing to the people of the Texas Conference, and it is drawing a measure of patronage also from other contiguous conferences.

In the fall of 1883 the West Kansas Annual Conference accepted the property and became the incorporating Conference. In 1886 this body authorized the erection of a second building, 40 x 70 with three stories, and the following year the school was newly incorporated as Orleans College. The Rev. C. M. Damon and Rev. E. E. Miller were the principal backers of the enterprise; but many other preachers of the Conference were active in securing funds, and in otherwise promoting the project. Jacob Dixon and his wife and family were also among the most earnest and effective helpers of the enterprise. The Rev. John Ellison, of Michigan, was an active leader in the matter of securing the erection of the second building.

The school opened with the Rev. C. M: Damon as President, and Charles P. Tiffany, A. B., as Principal. Professor Tiffany retired at the expiration of the first year. Mr. Damon continued to hold his position until the fall of 1886, and then was succeeded by the Rev. W. H. Davis. When the school was reincorporated, as a College, in 1887, the Rev. Clark Jones was chosen President, which position he held for three years. The institution was conducted under the name of a College until 1893, though doing nothing in advance of college preparatory work. Professor Jones was succeeded in the presidency by Miss Emma Hillmon (now Mrs. Haviland) in 1890, and the Rev. C. E. Harroun, Jr. was called to succeed her in 1891, and continued to occupy the position until 1893, when the institution as a Free Methodist school became defunct.

The property was sold for school purposes to the Methodist Episcopal people in 1893. They held it and made an unsuccessful attempt to conduct a school until 1897. Failing in the matter of payment for the property, they offered to turn it back to the Free Methodist Church, and the Executive Committee of the denomination, after sending a commission to examine the property and to inquire into the terms on which it could be obtained, purchased it, in order to save to the Church the property and what the Free Methodist people had invested in it.

The Executive Committee finally sold it to the Platte River Conference, which had been organized from the West Kansas Conference, and within the territory of which the school was located. The Platte River Conference secured a new incorporation, this time giving it the original name of Orleans Seminary. After 1897 it was conducted as a Seminary. The following named persons have served as principals during this time: Rev. _______ Bowman the first year; C. E. Anderson, 1898-1900, whose career of usefulness was terminated by a very unexpected death, his wife also dying about the same time; Rev. W. W. Bruce, 1900-1902; Rev. N. B. Ghormley, 1902-1905; Rev. A. J. Damon, 1906-1908; Rev. W. W. Loomis, 1908-1909; Rev. J. L. Dodge, 1909-1910; Rev. Ezra P. Whitton, 1910-1911; E. B. Crippen, 1911-1912; and the Rev. L. Glenn Lewis, the latest incumbent.

The Seminary buildings were both of brick, and originally cost a large amount. Since then, however, they have deteriorated sadly, and of course are worth very much less. The liabilities of the institution at present (1914) are also quite heavy.

Orleans Seminary has been the most unfortunate of all the educational institutions of the Free Methodist Church. Notwithstanding all its misfortunes, however, it has done a good work, and has given many choice and useful young men and young women to the Church.

More recently a change was made in the location, name, and general character of the school, which gives much promise for its future. The location at Orleans, Nebraska, proved not to be a favorable one for such a school. On this account it had been talked for a number of years that, provided a more central and otherwise suitable location could be obtained at reasonable terms, it would be wise to sell the property at Orleans, and locate the school in a place that would better accommodate the several patronizing Conferences.

On January 20, 1914, this talk began to materialize. A meeting was held at Abilene, Kansas, to consider the matter. Forty prominent representatives from the various patronizing Conferences were present. Committees were appointed on receiving propositions, on ways and means of financing the enterprise, and on selecting an appropriate name for the new school, provided the contemplated change should be made.

After considering propositions from Abilene, Concordia, and McPherson, Kansas, the committee on location recommended the proposition from McPherson, and the committee on naming the new institution recommended that it be known as "Central Academy and College of the Free Methodist Church." After proper deliberation thereon, the reports of these committees were adopted.

The Annual Conference was requested to instruct the Trustees to designate five or more persons who should be authorized to proceed at once to incorporate a school to be known by the before-mentioned name. The incorporation was duly attended to, whereupon an elegant school property, with a considerable tract of vacant land, was deeded to the new corporation by the city.

The "Academy and College" faces Main Street, three-fourths of a mile from the Post Office, affording the advantages of a city, and yet almost independent in its life and interests. The beautiful campus of fifteen acres offers excellent opportunities for athletic exercises. It is surrounded by elm, maple, and evergreen trees.

The Administration Hall is a four-story recitation building, 110 x 150 feet, made of hard brick, with tile roof, modern in every way, large recitation rooms, science rooms, and laboratories, study room, auditorium, library, cloak and toilet rooms, administrative office, and fireproof vault. It is also equipped with electric lights, steam-heat, ventilating system, fire-hose and fire-escapes. The woodwork on the interior is all of natural finish. The estimated value of the College property is $70,000, of which $30,000 was a gift from the city.

Lewis Hall, constructed in 1914-1915, is a beautiful three-story structure, of modern architecture, 60 x 70 feet, built of pressed brick. In this building are commodious and attractive parlors, dining room, etc., on the first floor. The floors above are occupied as ladies' dormitories. This building with its equipment cost $15,000. The patronage the first year was prophetic of a golden future for the institution.