The 2010-2011 School year is about to begin...

New Tile in the Basement of Patterson

A dorm room on the first floor of Patterson all ready to have student

The front of the campus

Alice E. Chatlos Library

William J. Chatlos-Gordon C. Davis Memorial (Main Building)

Kenneth C. Robb Activity Center

The Student Services Building (formally the home of Claire Patterson and also Walt Schlundt)

The Gazebo

Student Services and the Robb Activity Center

The Gazebo and Chatlos

The Main Entrance

The Gazebo

The Gazebo

The Robb Activity Center

Academics Building (formally Gordon C. Davis' building)

Academics Building on the Knoll

New tile on the floor of Chatlos

It has been 110 years since the doors of PBTS were opened to students. Granted it was over a store on the corner of Main and Arch Streets in Lestershire (Johnson City) not on the current campus. It has been 99 years since the first students walked onto "God's chosen place" that is located "on the banks of Susquehanna." In a little over a week the campus will be filled with activity as new students and transfer students walk onto the campus of Davis preparing for their future in serving God. Keep them in prayer as they begin this new journey as many of you can remember your first days on the campus of PBTS/PBC/Davis. Classes begin on Monday, August 30, 2010.

Summer cleanup

A room in Patterson getting cleaned up and a fresh coat of paint

I was on campus the other day and saw the campus getting ready for the new semester in August. The above picture is from Patterson Hall where many rooms are getting a fresh coat of paint. This year not only marks 110 years since the college began, but Patterson Hall's 50th Anniversary. It was built in 1960 and the first classes moved into the rooms for the 1961-1962 school year.

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Thursday, April 9, 1959: Ground breaking of Patterson Dorm

Ground breaking of Patterson Dorm (it is hard to tell who this is, any Alumni pin point who it is)

Even Mrs. Hazel Davis, with her husband watching, broke some ground.

The interior of one the dorm rooms in Patterson around 1971 or 1972

Going through some the 35 mm slides I acquired I ran across some more treasures. The top two slides that were scanned are from the ground breaking of Patterson dorm on Thursday, April 9, 1959, a little over 50 years ago. Next year Patterson Dorm will celebrate 50 years since it was finished and dedicated. It is great to see all the fun that they are having during this ground breaking to replace the Inner Circle that had been decaying.

Making of the Men's Dorm, Patterson Hall

This has turned into a three part series about the building of Patterson Dorm. I have done two other posts about the building of Patterson Hall.

To view part one
To view part two

This scan is from the 1946 Theologue. It showed me something I have never known, but it makes perfect sense now. During WW2 there were not many men that attended PBTS. In fact the Inner Circle Men's Dorm was big enough to house them all. Originally the Old Main Building was both a men's and women's dorm with a large wall dividing the two. During WW2 many women came to the school so that the Main Building became strictly a women's dorm. After the war ended many men wanted to go into ministry and the school did not have enough room...hence Patterson Hall was needed to be built. It is interesting to me that the men's dorm was going to have a dining hall and kitchen in the basement.

Robert Miller's Memories of PBTS

As I continue to work on some items about Dr. Barackman and Miss Mary Baker I would like to post these memories of PBTS.
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The following are some memories of Robert J. Miller. Robert is the one of the sons of Pastor George Miller II, and the younger brother of Dr. George Miller III, the current president of Davis. Like Anita Harrower's memories several months ago, Robert never attended PBTS as a student, but was actively involved with the school when his parents attended. Enjoy his memories, I know I did.
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Growing up on the campus of PBTS

I remember the first day we moved onto the campus at “Practical Bible Training School”. How I enjoyed chasing all the squirrels and climbing up the tall evergreen tree in front of King Hall. I know my Mother was a nervous wreck with knowing I would be getting into everything and anything, the campus a field day of adventure. We had an apartment which was behind the old post office at one point. We lived, also at the married family housing which was completed in the earlier part of the sixties beyond the Knoll. It was there that I became friends with other student’s kids. It was my Brother George and I and My two Parents, George and Eleanor Miller. I loved it on the Campus, ridding my bike for hours on end and never having to leave the Practical grounds. I became good friends with Richard Robb (President Robb’s son) and he and I would always find lots to do as we were the same age. We always had a watchful eye out for President Patterson, who seemed to always be around patrolling the Campus on a hot summer’s eve or evenings during the school year. Dr. Patterson would always stop and take the time to talk to us boys. It always seemed like we had a sense of security with him around. It amazed me that he being President of a college would take the time to care about us boys.

My Father went to Practical and Graduated in 1965 and we stayed at the school with my Father and Mother both working on the staff. We lived in many different places from the “League Building” to another apartment in the old Post Office building, to finally “Clements Hall” before leaving Practical. We left when my Father was led by God into another ministry he started in Spencer, New York. When we lived on campus I had meet many godly folks who were both teachers at Practical, and Staff members. Even the “Head of Maintenance,” Mr. Conn was in my eyes a spiritual man; I would see him on occasion praying with someone. I also remember the students who would come over to our apartment and talk with my parents about there problems. I guess some of the students thought of my mother and father as taking the place of their parents which were farther away.

I live in the Myrtle Beach area now with my Wife Josephine, but we from time to time make the trip up North. We always take a ride through the campus of which is now Davis College and I am, in my mind, always taken back forty some years ago to a wonderful time in my life. I would have not missed it for the world, living on that campus, being amongst the very godly people who where there. Then there were wonderful picnics at Arrowhead, the wonderful guest speakers for the Alumni retreats (as they called it back then), and also graduations. I am very proud to say my Father and Brother both attended Practical (Davis College). From time to time my Wife and I will hear a speaker that graduated from PBTS. My wife always tells me you can see how they were trained just by hearing them preach. It is a wonderful thing that Practical-Davis College has always taken a stand to never waiver from teaching and professing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Davis would be proud as to where the college has evolved in these modern times. I always remember and sing it from time to time, some lines from that song the Seniors would always sing at graduation , “on the bank of the Susquehanna, in God chosen place , stands our dear ole PBTS”. I did not attend Practical or Davis, but that precious College will be for ever in my heart as well as everyone in my family’s hearts as well. “PBTS How we love you and your teachers dear” those words will for ever ring out not only in my life but the Miller family. We know that it will only be a bright, blessed future for the countless others who will pass through and be a part of Davis College.

The making of Patterson Dorm

A few weeks ago I did a post about the first plan of what would become Patterson Dorm. To view that article click here. This is in a sense a sequel to that post. I was going through the 1960 and 1961 Theologues and I was looking at the pictures taken around the time of the construction of Patterson.

This is a drawing of what they thought Patterson would look like when
complete from the 1960 Theologue

The 1960 Theologue also showed the ground breaking with Dr. Gordon Davis and Hazel as shown below.
Also the building of the structure for Patterson Hall.

The photo above shows the side of Patterson. The main entrance near the RD apartment

is on the farther left of the image.

The 1961 Theologue showed the completed dorm and dedication. The photo below show Dr. Gordon Davis, Dr. Patterson, Dr. Lowe, and who appears to be Dr. Benson.
The pictures below show Dr. Patterson in a completed dorm room and the finished building from the driveway.
Patterson Hall is nearly 40 years old. It will turn 40 in 2010. It is still being used for the glory of God as a dormitory and classrooms in the basement.

The first plan of Patterson Dorm?

The first plan of what would become Patterson Dorm? I believe so. In the 1950 Golden Anniversary Theologue there were two pages showing (Yesterday [the old white city hotel] Today [the Main Building of PBTS with two wings] and if the Lord tarries Tomorrow [with this image above]). Some might think that this a plan for Chatlos-Davis, but from the article it is quite clear that it was to be a men's dorm. Here is what the Theologue says:

Our friends here in the Triple Cities and in many other places are saying, “The Lord has done great things for Bible School” and our answer is, “The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” As we write these words, we do so with the joy of knowing that the same Lord is your Lord and He waits to do great and difficult things for you, which you know not (Jer. 33:3). What a challenge it is to us when He says, “according to your faith be it unto you.”

The above is the architect’s drawing of our proposed New Building for the Practical Bible Training School For a number of years we have turned students away because of limited accommodation in our dormitories, and with a host of young people anxious for a Biblical Christian training, the proposal become a “must undertaking” for the near future.

This will be a three story, fire-resistant building, with a separate heating plant, of practical design. The first floor will provide a dining room with seating capacity of four hundred, modern kitchen, and parlor. The second and third floors will be dormitory space for one hundred young men, ---fifty rooms, together with parlors, bathrooms, linen closets, and prayer rooms.

The site for the new building is to be just northwest of the Inner Circle toward Sunset Knoll. The estimated cost is $200,000.00. This may seem like a gigantic undertaking, but God is able. The Alumni Association is supporting this effort and a host of friends praying. At the present time we have $35,000 in our fund deposited with the Workers Trust Company in Johnson City.

The Practical Bible Training School of today is the result of the vision of its founder. Not without effort, pain, and trouble has the School come thus far; not without hard work and sacrifice will the future achievements be made possible.

But should anyone think that the work, the program of 50 years, is to stop where it is? The thought is preposterous. We want to make this, the Golden Anniversary year of our School, the greatest in its history.

The leaders are here, the experience is here, the vision is here for even greater advancement. If it is true that, without a vision the people perish, it is equally certain that where the people are obedient to the voice and the inspiration that would lead them to even better and greater things, they attain to heights that at the outset seemed impossible. Please pray that God will undertake for us, and accomplish what may seem like the impossible. He is ABLE.

There are some great information that we glean from this article. Some also is shown in the 1956 16mm film that was made to promote the building project. The First thing I think is so interesting is what was going to be on the first floor. The article says it will have "a dining room with seating capacity of four hundred, modern kitchen, and parlor." I believe these plans were scrapped for when Chatlos was built a few years later. The downstairs of Patterson does not have room for a dining room to sit 400 people. The Second thing I think is interesting is the location of the building. It was to be near the Sunset Knoll Northwest of the Inner Circle. I have created a diagram (below) to show the proposed location using this information and it would have been around where Robb Gym was build around 2 decades after Patterson Hall was finished in 1960.

The 16mm film was proposed a few years later in late 1955 or early 1956 and it was shot at Commencement time of 1956. In the 1957 Theologue it has an article about it:

Our Future Plans

For a number of years we at the Practical Bible Training School have been engaged in a campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new men’s dormitory. Because of the condition of our present buildings, this endeavor is a “MUST” in our program. One year ago last October at their semi-annual business meeting, our Alumni Association voted to put forth an effort to raise $50,000.00 in order to bring our fund up to $100,000.00.

This effort was proposed by a Christian business man, a friend of our school, who requested that we communicate with him when we reach our goal. The campaign is now well organized and our fund has increased to the $68,000.00 mark. Our aim is to complete this drive by commencement, May 1957.

A committee of our Alumni met with the Executive Committee of our Board of Directors and suggested that, perhaps, a colored moving picture showing our present buildings, the personnel of the school, and some of the school activities, might be of great value in promoting this endeavor. They agreed to go ahead with the film and the Alumni Association offered to underwrite the cost of its production.

This film has been completed and had its premiere showing at our Alumni Retreat in October 1956. It is a 1,200 foot film showing not only our buildings and personnel, but also the school in action—actual classroom scenes and many of the commencement activities of May 1956. It is a sound picture with our commencement music in the background and Dr. Gordon C. Davis, President of our school, the narrator. We have two copies of this film and at the present time it is being shown in the churches of our Alumni. It is also available to any of our friends who would like to use it in their churches. Those interested should write Dr. M.C. Patterson, chairman of the Alumni Development Fund.

We are launching out on faith in this campaign, trusting that God will supply this great need. Will you pray with us that the Lord will honor this effort with a real victory and make it possible for us to have this much needed men’s dormitory?

In the film Dr. Gordon Davis, his wife, and Dr. and Mrs. Patterson are walking near the Inner Circle and putting to piece of ground all ready to begin building on. Yet, soon after, and it could not have been very long the location was moved to near Riverside Drive where Patterson Hall is now. I am not sure what caused the change from 1956 to 1958. Either way the dorm was constructed and God provided, as he did for the rest of the buildings that ended up replacing all the older buildings on the campus during the 1960s.

PBTS from the air

This is a scan of the campus of PBTS around 1961 or 1962. It was in the 1980 Theologue. Patterson Hall has been built in this photo yet nothing else has been taken down. There are older pictures which I would love to find of the campus from the air around 1920. They only exist in the Theologue at this time and the quality is low. Does anyone have aerial photos of PBTS out there?
Corey Adams