(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Schools - Page Three
Main Index
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV Used by permission - November 18, 2008
The
day
school
opened,
there
were
forty
pupils,
and
within
a
month
there
were
one
hundred.
By
the
end
of
the
first
year
there
were
108
and
two
more teachers were added, Letcher S. Shires to teach science and mathematics, and Miss Pattie Feamster to teach art.
The
school
was
an
immediate
success
and
the
Alderson
Community
proudly
supported
it
by
sending
its
children
there
and
contributing
to
its
finances.
However,
it
was
the
Alderson
family
and
its
kin
who
over
many
years
were
the
most
generous
contributors,
both
in
time
and
money.
Miss
Emma’s
brother,
J.
Cary
Alderson,
a
banker
of
Logan,
later
contributed
$80,000.00
to
the
new
building
north
of
town.
His
wife,
Julia
Altizer
Alderson,
gathered
children
to
send
to
school,
in
many
cases
paying
their
expenses.
During
the
school’s
entire
lifetime
John
Marshall
Alderson
of
Alderson was President of the Board of Trustees, and devoted his skill, time, influence and money to the Academy.
The
school
had
a
respectable
curriculum
and
it
was
not
just
another
strictly
religious
little
Bible
school.
For
example,
the
second
year
such
courses
as
zoology,
botany,
geology,
chemistry
and
physics,
as
well
as
the
usual
academics,
music,
and
art
courses
were
taught.
The
first
graduation
was
in
June
1903,
in
the
Baptist
Church
with
one
graduate,
Bernard
O.
Swope
of
Monroe
County.
(In
1902
two
other
pupils,
Mark
Jarrett
and
Carrie
Morris
Jones,
finished
in
commencement
exercises
but
were
not
awarded
diplomas,
probably
because
the
school
had
not
been
completely
certified
or
chartered.)
Alderson
Academy
continued
to
educate
predominantly
southern
West
Virginia
youth
with
Miss
Emma
in
an
important
capacity.
She
worked
for
years,
day
and
night,
without
pay,
for
the
love
of
the
school.
The
General
Baptist
Association
of
West
Virginia
assumed
control
in
1911,
and
the
name
was
changed to Alderson Baptist Academy.
During
the
years,
fifty
acres
of
land
had
been
bought
by
the
people
of
the
town,
and
funds
raised
to
build
a
large
modern
building
on
the
northern
edge
of
town.
After
much
financial
difficulty,
the
school
moved
into
the
new
$300,000.00
building
in
1922.
The
old
Alex
McVeigh
Miller
property
of
thirty-two
acres,
The
Cedars,
also
had
been
acquired.
Shortly
thereafter,
the
school
became
a
junior
college,
and
the
name
was
changed
to
Alderson
Junior
College.
Enrollment
rose
as
financial
difficulties
grew.
The
peak
enrollment
was
in
1929-1930
school
year,
439.
During
many
years
Harry
B.
Rowe,
as
Treasurer
for
the
Board
of
Trustees,
devoted
his
time
and
talent
in
the
financial
management
of
the
school.(Click
on
photo for larger view)
The
Baptists
in
West
Virginia
were
trying
to
operate
two
schools,
the
other
being
Broaddus
College
in
Philippi.
Modern
public
high
schools
and
more
splendid
colleges
and
universities
throughout
the
nation
were
making
the
small
private
academies
and
denominational
colleges
obsolete.
With
the
coming
of
the
great
depression
in
the
thirties,
West
Virginia
Baptists
simply
could
not
afford
to
operate
two
schools,
and
Alderson
Junior
College
was
doomed.
Harry
B.
Rowe
pled
that
the
schools,
if
combined,
be
located
in
Alderson.
He
lost.
There
came
into
being
in
1932
Alderson-Broaddus
at
Philippi, West Virginia. At least the honored old name became part of the new institution, and the college continues to grow and serve West Virginia.
Alderson
Academy,
Alderson
Baptist
Academy,
and
Alderson
Junior
College
surely
left
their
educational
mark
on
this
area.
The
present
generation
knows
little
of
them
but
names
should
be
remembered.
Miss
Emma
heads
the
list,
of
course,
and
the
town
has
no
monument
of
any
kind
to
her
memory.
She
died
August
31,
1942.
There
are
others,
many
others:
John
Marshall
Alderson,
Harry
B.
Rowe,
J.
Cary
Alderson
and
Julia
Altizer
Alderson,
Professor
Bernard
C.
Alderson,
Dr.
J.
C.
Killian,
Dr.
N.
P.
Forbell,
the
Reverend
F.
C.
Herod,
Dr.
J.
A.
Tolman,
and
Dr.
W.
S.
Dunlop,
the
last
President
in
Alderson
and
the
first
of
Alderson-Broaddus.
Then
there
were
dozens
of
the
people
of
the
town
of
Alderson
who
worked
hard
over
the
thirty-one years the school existed.
In
1932
Armstrong
College
occupied
the
building.
Dr.
I.
B.
Bush
of
Charleston
founded
this
college
and
it
was
operated
until
1935
when
it
went
out
of
existence.
Ref: Alderson Baptist Academy and Junior College and it's Founders.
Thesis of Emma Frances Alderson, West Virginia University, 1942. M. A. Degree
In
1953
the
fine
building
which
had
been
occupied
by
Alderson
Junior
College
was
purchased
for
$40,000.00
by
a
group
of
Independent
Baptists
to
operate
a
Christian
High
School.
These
Baptists
were
not
affiliated
with
any
Baptist
denomination;
they
had
no
organized
widespread
support
and
had few members of any substantial wealth. None were local people, and the school has never enjoyed much local encouragement or assistance.
Mountain
State
Christian
High
School
was
incorporated
as
a
non-profit,
non-stock
West
Virginia
corporation.
The
school
opened
August
29,
1955,
with
the
Reverend
Owen
P.
Lilly,
Beckley,
a
former
high
school
principal,
as
principal.
The
school
has
had
a
rough
time
but
it
has
survived,
and
it
has
every
prospect
of
growing.
From
the
first,
the
school
has
had
three
obstacles:
finances,
failure
to
be
accredited
by
the
State
Department
of
Education,
and poor publicity. The first school year, 1955/1956 produced one graduate, Grace Annette Holliday, Richwood, West Virginia, May 17, 1956.
The
school
is
supported
by
gifts
from
churches
and
individuals
from
several
states
and
by
the
very
low
tuition
paid
by
students.
But
about
one
half
of
the
large
building
is
in
use,
and
the
large
acreage
of
the
junior
college
is
not
owned
by
the
school.
Unlike
most
public
high
schools,
more
than
half
of
the
graduates
go
on
to
college.
The
cost
of
board,
room
and
tuition
per
year
is
but
$$432.00,
and
all
other
fees
for
books,
insurance
and
entrance
are
but
$18.00
per
year,
an
amazingly
low
cost.
Every
student
works
about
one
hour
per
day
in
the
maintenance
of
the
school,
and
all
are
required
to
take Bible study. Discipline is strict. Gambling, drinking, smoking, attending movies, and dancing are forbidden.
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
