August 4, 1903

“A Surprising Announcement Concerning Battle Creek College” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 80, 30, p. 4.

At this point A. T. Jones spoke as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Educational Society, as follows—ARSH August 4, 1903, page 4.1

“You heard the word directly—and it needs no explanation and no sanction,—that we should get the College out of Battle Creek, and that we should sell the buildings and grounds in Battle Creek just as soon as possible.”ARSH August 4, 1903, page 4.2

He further said: “This is enough. Why should we hesitate or delay any longer? The International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association is ready to enter into arrangements to take the property at one hundred and six thousand dollars. This will pay all the debts, and leave the College with about twenty-six thousand dollars with which to plant itself in another place. [Italics ours.] Now I ask, first, all you who are members of the Board of Trustees of the Battle Creek College who are present and are in favor of taking advantage of this arrangement, and accepting this offer, and thus moving Battle Creek College out of this city according to the instruction given. [Italics ours], to please rise to your feet.” The vote was unanimous.ARSH August 4, 1903, page 4.3

Then Elder Jones said to the stockholders: “Will all you who are stockholders of Battle Creek College, who are present, who are in favor of this movement, and who indorse this action of the Board, which has already been taken, please rise to your feet?” This vote was also unanimous. Then as the whole General Conference delegation was present, Elder Jones said to them: “All the General Conference delegation who approve of this transaction will please rise to their feet.” And “the vote to carry out the instruction was unanimous.”ARSH August 4, 1903, page 4.4

Then in addition to all this, since there were present a large number of people of the denomination from almost all sections of the country, the question was extended to all these, so that the voice of the whole denomination, as nearly as it could ever be possible to obtain it, could be had upon the question. Elder Jones, therefore, addressed the whole assembly, and asked all those who agreed to the arrangements in view, and who indorsed the movement, also to rise to their feet. This was also unanimous: so that neither by the Board, nor by the stockholders, nor by the General Conference delegation, nor by the whole congregation, which was largely representative of the whole denomination, was there a single opposing vote, nor dissenting voice. See The General Conference Bulletin, 1901, 213-219.ARSH August 4, 1903, page 4.5