The Main Building on the inside of the 1950 "Jubilee" Theologue

I thought this was a cool picture as I was going through the 1950 Theologue. The year of Jubilee! This was the first two pages and the last two pages of the Theologue. Nice picture of the Old Main Building with the League of Many Nations Bus in the front.

Some scenes from the 16mm film "Fruits of a God Given Vision" 1956

The video above is a few clips from "Fruits of God Given Vision" filmed in May of 1956 during the Commencement time exercises. It was narrated by Dr. Gordon Davis. In these clips I have taken the narration out to enjoy the scenery of PBTS. There are shots of the Sign leading into Bible School Park and Main Building. Also the Students League of Many Nations, lead by Dr. and Mrs. Patterson. A scene with Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Davis and Dr. and Mrs. Patterson, and finally a shot of Dr. Lowe praying in the Chapel.

George and Esther Anderson and the Student's League of Many Nations

George M. Anderson's Senior Picture 1925 Theologue

Esther Blanke's Senior Picture 1925 Theologue

The 1925 Theologue Staff. George Anderson is 2nd person in the back row wearing the bow tie.

Another couple I have met since the publication of the Reminisce Magazine was Mr. William Anderson and his wife Willene. While neither graduated from PBTS, Mr. William Anderson's parents both came to PBTS and met each other here. In fact George Anderson was the founder of the Student's League of Many Nations on Thanksgiving Day 1922. Enjoy the reading below and see a new part of Davis College History. I know I have enjoyed reading it.

The following was written by George Anderson before he went home to be with the Lord several years back.

In 1922, on Labor Day, I left home to enroll in the Practical Bible Training School, near Binghamton, New York. Another Freshman in that class later became my wife, a year after our graduation in 1925. On Thanksgiving Day 1922, I was Chairman of the Committee which presented a “Nationality Stunt” from our Freshman Class. This “Stunt” went over so well that it developed into “The Students League of Many Nations.” We held services in 26 states, Mexico, Canada and before I left the group in May 1927, we had visited most of the State Capitols and our National Capitol. On February 2, 1925, we were special guests of President Calvin Coolidge at the White House, and gave our religious program in his Congregational Church. All together, we spoke to hundreds of thousands of people in our visible audiences and saw thousands of souls won to Christ, besides other hundreds rededicating their lives to His service. We also used radio scores of times in addition to our visible audiences. We visited every large penitentiary across our country and preached to prisoners of every age - men and women. We had personal conferences with many of them who asked for spiritual help.

The Reverend George W. Labaw helped me to enroll in Rutgers University as a Pre-Seminary student in September 1925. I tried to maintain my Christian zeal and witness in Hertzog Hall as well as on the campus, but the conditions were unfavorable. The unltra-modernistic professors on the Rutgers staff in those days were almost antagonistic toward any effort to lead a spiritual life, and I resigned from the University in November after the Thanksgiving recess. In January, I went back to do post-graduate work in Bible School.

I married Esther L. Blanke on October 7, 1926 and we set ourselves to find a college where we, together, could continue preparations for the ministry. In May 1927, the day I left the “League,” we met an alumnus of Taylor University in Buffalo, New York who advised us to write to Taylor. Although I was a Rural Substitute in the Paterson Post Office and had carried mail from 1915 to 1927, and had seen hundreds of Taylor Bulletins, I never was attracted to it until I began correspondence. We were the first married couple to be registered the same day together, and later to receive our degrees on the same day in June 1929. We remained for another year so I could complete my post-graduate work and receive my Master of Arts Degree in Religious Education.

When I entered Taylor University in 1927, I found a place as Assisting Minister in the church nearest to the University. There was no Dutch Reformed Church near us, nor any Baptist (my wife being a Baptist) so we compromised and placed our membership in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ where I was serving at Upland, Indiana. Following the Annual Conference, in September 1928, I was assigned as the supply minister of the Upland United Brethren Church. It was at this time that my membership changed from Preakness to Upland, September 29, 1928. My Quarterly Conference License dates from the same month. On September 1, 1929 at the Annual Conference in Anderson, Indiana I was ordained by Bishop Henry Fout, after examination by necessary committees of that Conference. The pastorate in Upland ended after the completion of my post-graduate days at Taylor in 1930.

This Thanksgiving marks 85 years since the Students League of Many Nations was started

The picture above is from the 1934 Theologue

On Thanksgiving Day 1922 the Freshman class at Practical Bible Training School put on a presentation of all the different ethnic groups represented in the class.

With improvised costumes they presented an unusual, international flavored program to the school body on Thanksgiving Day. Rev. Davis seized upon this as a unique means of sowing the gospel and of advertising the school. (Dr. Barackman's History of PBTS)

On the afternoon of December 10, 1922 another program was created from the 17 nationalities took part and this program was repeat on January 21, 1923 in the Goodwill theater in Johnson City. A new organization at PBTS was born.

The Senior class of PBTS that same year created the name “The Theologue” for the school yearbook following in the footsteps of the previous class who started the yearbook in the first place. The class of 1923 also gave the school, the School Bell.

In May of 1923, Dr. H. H. Wagner gave them the name, “Students League of Many Nations.” On their first southern trip they were received by President Calvin Coolidge at the White House on February 2, 1925.[1] By 1927 the League had held their services in 28 states to almost a million people

In 1927 the League became two Leagues: The Junior League and the Senior League. The Senior League traveled around the country during the school year and they had their own teachers on the bus. The Junior League only ministered during the summer and weekends and still attended classes on the campus.

All 48 states (since Alaska and Hawaii were not states yet) and Mexico and Canada were reached with the League. PBTS was known far and wide because of the influence of the League.

Dr. and Mrs. M. C. Patterson were the League's dedicated directors from 1927 until 1958, when the organization was terminated.

Today though the League does not exist in person the influence still exists. Under the current administration of Dr. George Miller III the school has returned to what the League was all about: sharing Christ to our multi-ethnic world, by using multi-ethnic students.

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[1] 1926 Theologue, p. 66.

International Festival at Davis...International Events in the history of Davis

This week has been the International Festival here at Davis College. Today there were many seminars for different mission and Christian relief agencies from around the world to downtown Binghamton. It is the perfect time to remember the world that God has put us in and the needs all around. I have been thinking about Papua New Guinea where I went in 2005. I also started thinking about the International love that our founder John A. Davis had. Back in the Theologues from the 1920s I can see his passion for Multi-cultural or Mult-Ethnic Ministry. Long before integration was happening in America, Dr. Davis had African-American students here on this campus; along with African Foreign Exchange students and Hispanic students. This November (Thanksgiving Day) will mark 85 years since the Students League of Many Nations was founded on the grounds of PBTS. It was started by the Freshman class giving a presentation on Thanksgiving (since in the early years the students did not return home for Thanksgiving). Throughout this month I will begin to present the League (and I welcome any stories from Alumni who were in it). Research is still progressing on my Davis Presidents project. A lot of the research is complete. Keep sending your memories of PBTS, PBC, and Davis. Remember the Sun Never Sets on our Alumni.

1934 Theologue: The Story of John A. Davis Part 7: "Behold, the Place Wherein We Dwell Is Too Strait for Us"

In part 6 of the 10 part series of the Life of John A. Davis from the 1934 Theologue the Practical Bible Training School was started. In part seven the school moves to its present location on Riverside Drive. I hope you have been enjoying this series. If you have missed any of the posts I have the links listed below, also there is a section on the side column for all of the issues as they are posted to the blog. Keep on reading and enjoying the History of Davis College.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

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VII.

“Behold, the Place Wherein We Dwell Is Too Strait for Us”

II Kings 6:1

The School was rapidly growing and it was realized that it would be necessary to seek larger quarters with dormitory accommodation and campus facilities. Just outside of the city limits of Binghamton, N. Y., there was a notorious amusement park know as the “White City.” The drunkenness and debauchery of the place was unspeakable. Conditions, in face, were so vile, degrading, and unlawful that a separate jail had to be erected on the property to make possible the immediate incarceration of those guilty of the more serious violations of law. The property of the entire neighborhood decreased in valuation. Residents of the neighborhood feared to ride on the street cars going to and from that section because of the undesirable characters so often crowding

the cars.

At this time Evangelist John A. Davis was residing on West End Avenue, in Binghamton, so that in was necessary for him to ride on this street car line on his way to and from the city. Thus, he was familiar with the conditions existing on the cars and also to a certain extent with the conditions prevailing at the “White City.” This amusement resort included 32 acres of land and a number of buildings.

Mr. Davis, always keenly alive to the needs of the School and realizing the possibilities of this place, if it could be secured, one day paid the admission fee through the gates and visited the grounds. He saw the beautiful oak trees, the elms and other trees, among them evergreens, and visualized the possibilities of the place as a permanent home for the Practical Bible Training School. As he walked about the grounds he happened to glance into the bar-room and saw the men and women lined up three-deep around the bar, some of them in an advanced state of intoxication. As he turned to leave, he vowed to himself, “With the help of God I’ll smash this place, “ and with that resolve in his mind, as he was outside of the gate, he knelt beside the high wire fence and prayed to God to give him this place for His work.

This brewery-backed resort was a separate organization for the purpose of selling liquors. As such, it had the backing of the brewery and liquor interests, and any effort to obtain the grounds for other purposes would naturally meet with the determined resistance of those financially interested. This resistance was felt keenly. There was many a struggle and many a prayer. For two years John A. Davis waited for the manifestation of the hand of God. It appears that some of the stockholders, desiring to obtain an advantage, started a fight within the amusement organization which resulted in finally throwing the “White City” corporation into the hands of a receiver. At this time Evangelist Davis was holding a campaign in one of the larger cities of central Pennsylvania.

A Binghamton business man interested in the School, though not aware of Mr. Davis’ hopes regarding the park, secured a short term option on the property and wired Mr. Davis rushed back, and within three hours had called his board together and exercised their option, which gave them title to the property with all the buildings on it, one of the which was a large and roomy hotel.

The transformation which immediately took place on the grounds of the “White City” has been well named a Twentieth Century Miracle. The old “White City Hotel” became the present Main Building, to which have been added wings on either end. The old Beer Garden became Davis Hall; the old Merry-go-round Shelter formed the basis for what is now Mothers’ Memorial, a dormitory housing about forty students; and the jail was rebuilt into a cottage occupied by members of the faculty.

The moving from the old building at 47 Harrison Street, Johnson City, into the new home was accomplished during the month of June, 1911, by the students under the immediate supervision of Francis L. Holden, who later graduated and has been a successful pastor for years. It has been said by one of the students present at that time that the pieces of furniture moved from the wagon to the new building just about as rapidly as things usually come out from a burning building. Of all the workers none was happier than John A. Davis to see this accomplished.

After the equipment had been moved, the hard work of cleaning up began. Every building on the premises had to be renovated from top to bottom, and all the equipment had to be cleaned before it could be used. The articles used in the servicing of liquors had to be destroyed. The kitchen equipment included the usual supply of cooking utensils, all of which had to be received liberal applications of elbow grease furnished by willing hands. In the midst of all this labor, regular periods of devotion were carried on when the students came together and thanked God for the place an for the opportunity of getting it ready for the great days ahead.

The first instruction on the grounds took place in Davis Hall as that was one of the first buildings that could be made ready for school purposes. The teacher was Rev. O. R. Palmer. While the first class was in session a terrible shower came up accompanied by much wind with lightning and thunder. During this storm about thirty trees on the campus were uprooted and much damage was done.

The United States Post Office today is housed in what was the moving picture hall of the old “White City.” Other buildings on the ground were renovated and made usable. A hospital building has been added to the grounds as was also a central heating plant, both of these being down on the bank of the river.

Another of the important buildings on the campus is known as the Manrow Memorial Building. Walter D. Manrow was born on a farm near Throop, NY, April 11, 1846, was converted at the age of twenty-two, and became a successful business man in Auburn, NY, building up a competence for himself in his later years. In the early twenties he became acquainted with the work of the Practical Bible Training School, and he and Mrs. Manrow visited the School on several occasions.

In the meantime the Students’ League of Many Nations had become a permanent organization in the School. The regular buildings were crowded and as many graduates were among the League Students, another building with dormitory facilities was greatly needed. Mr. and Mrs. Manrow finally decided to rebuild a building on the property as a League dormitory building; this was accomplished in 1924-25. It is a commodious building with two floors of dormitory rooms and underneath the building a basement workshop for the grounds, while at the west end of the building where the ground slopes away from the building there is a summer dining room and kitchen.

Another important building on the campus is Friendship Cottage, the home of President and Mrs. Davis, which was built by friends as a tribute of love to them.

A slope of ground at the extreme west end of the campus overlooking the Susquehanna Rive, was set apart for Vesper Services and named “Sunset Knoll.” Seats were arranged in a semi-circular form, a platform was built, and every pleasant evening during the Summer Bible Conference a short service is held here directly after supper. It is on this knoll that the body of Dr. Davis now rests.

In May, 1912, Evangelist Davis lost his voice. This affliction continued for two or three years until he met Dr. Byron W. King of Pittsburgh. Dr. King was a specialist in voice, and under his training the lost voice was recovered. During the acquaintance as doctor and patient, Dr. King came to know about the Practical Bible Training School with the result that he became a lecturer at the School on Voice and Public Speaking, coming to the School at stated intervals. He became one of the most loved instructors among all those who came to the School occasionally, and when Davis Hall was remodeled it was rechristened King Hall as a memorial to Dr. King.

After he lost his voice, Mr. Davis was confined to the School. Though this seemed misfortune, yet it enabled him to give all his time and energy to it. Much of his time was devoted to teaching of Ideal Helps, which became the outstanding class in the School. Evangelists and pastors who have received their training here often have returned to testify to the fact that they owe their success in a large measure to the benefits received in this particular class. In the accompany cut, taken in 1916, Dr. Davis is shown in one of his characteristic poses before the class (below)

It was not the purpose of the founder of the Practical Bible Training School to build a large institution. Occasionally he was heard to say that what he wanted was an institution large enough to train young people properly, on the other hand not so large but that the students would have the advantage of more personal contact with the teachers and the benefit of individual instruction. The student body has averaged approximately 150 students per year for many years. The present year, the student body is somewhat above that number. Students have come to this School, not only from practically every State in the Union, but from Canada and Mexico and many foreign countries including China and some of the countries in Africa. The graduating class at first had but a few members, but the number has grown until the present class of graduates, numbering forty-five, is the largest number of graduates in the history of the institution.

A work of this character must inevitably become known and acknowledged as praiseworthy in a high degree. Such was the case here. Taylor University of Upland, Indiana on June 14, 1922, conferred upon Rev. John Adelbert Davis the degree of Doctor of Divinity in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in the field of Christian education.

Students training in “rightly dividing the Word” have gone out as pastors and evangelists. Some of the outstanding men of the present decade in these lines of endeavor received their training in the Practical Bible Training School. Missionaries have gone out into Asia and Africa as well as European countries and into many sections of the Western Hemisphere. A great many of the students after taking a course at Bible School Park have returned to their home churches as trained workers in their own individual communities.

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Coming up: Part 8: "Precious in the Sight of the Lord Is the Death of His Saints"

What is a Theologue? The yearbook of Bible School Park, NY

The Theologue: the yearbook of the Practical Bible Training School. What are the origins of this name and the history behind it and in it? The answers are just ahead on today's edition of Davis College History!

The school was founded (as most people know) in 1900. They were just summer classes from June to August. The school moved from the top of the store in Lestershire (Johnson City) in 1900 to 47 Harrison Street in 1901 where it would be until the summer of 1911. At that point the school had outgrew the Harrison Street location and it moved to its present location.

It would not be until 1922 that a yearbook would created.

This would the first yearbook of the Practical Bible Training School. It was simply called "Class book 1922."

1922 and 1923 were important years. It would be in the summer of 1922 that John A. Davis became Dr. John A. Davis after he received his honorary doctorate from Taylor University (I will do a post about this in the future).

In November of 1922 "The Students League of Many Nations would be founded.

The Class of 1923 was the class to buy the bell that would be put on top of the Main Building and that bell is now on the top of Chaltos-Davis.

It would be the class of 1923 that would call the yearbook "The Theologue."

The Class of 1923 created the name "The Theologue" and the name would continue through all the following years. If we look at the meaning of the name "Theologue" = Theo from Theos (God in Greek) and logue from logos (word in Greek). So literally it means God words (even though the yearbook is not inspired). Maybe it could be interpreted to mean the God's words in our lives. The yearbook does not say where they got the name. It would be interesting to see if anyone from the Senior class of 1923 wrote anything later in life to the origin, but I have yet to find anything.

Some interesting Theologues of interest that I have found would be the 1934 Theologue that was recreated in light of the death of Dr. John A. Davis. Also the 1950 Theologue was special in that it was the Golden Anniversary of PBTS.

The Theologue would continue until 1991 when someone or the school as a whole dropped the ball. There would not be a yearbook until the 2003-2004 school year. The following year there was yearbook, but last year there was not a yearbook. I have been working on creating a team to finish up this year's Theologue. The company I am going through is not a yearbook company, but the books are much better and full color. The picture below is what the cover will look like.

Well that is all the time I have for today's edition of Davis College History. The History of the Theologue. More next time.

Update 5-29-07: I thought I would a search on Theologue on Google and I found it does have a meaning.

From www.thefreedictionary.com :

n.	1.	A theologian. Ye gentle theologues of calmer kind. - Young. He [Jerome] was the theologue - and the word is designation enough. - I. Taylor.
	2.	A student in a theological seminary.

So I guess the word Theologue was a common term for the class of 1923, just something not known nowadays.