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    August 25, 1903

    “The Educational Work in Battle Creek” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 80, 34, pp. 11, 12.

    THE closing of Battle Creek College and the organization of Emmanuel Missionary College at Berrien Springs, Mich., was one of the most important events which has ever occurred in connection with our denominational educational work. The wisdom of this move has been clearly vindicated in the remarkable success which has attended the work at Berrien Springs as indicated not only by the multitude of providential circumstances which have prepared the way, the location, the facilities, and have been as a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day in all the progress of the work, but by the inspiration which this work has been to a multitude of young people whereby they have been led to give their lives to the work of Christian education.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.1

    A multitude of church schools in which thousands of the children of the denomination are being taught the principles of the whole truth, and are receiving a training which will fit them to be able champions of truth when they are grown to mature years, testify to the efficiency of the work done at this new educational center. The leaders of this educational enterprise have ever taken care to hold forth continually the fact that Emmanuel Missionary College has for its sole purpose the training of missionaries. There is, perhaps, no place in the world where men and women can receive a more thorough training for ministerial and evangelical missionary work than at this school. The whole curriculum is planned with reference to these lines of Christian activity. All the energies of the teachers and pupils are concentrated upon these objects.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.2

    Emmanuel Missionary College is the exact complement in our educational work of the American Medical Missionary College, which has for its purpose the training of men and women to minister as medical missionaries.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.3

    The closing of the Battle Creek College at the time of the establishment of Emmanuel Missionary College was, of course, necessary. The buildings were sold, and were occupied by the Sanitarium and the American Medical Missionary College. All the teaching appliances and facilities were moved to Berrien Springs, and most of the teachers engaged in the work at Berrien Springs, or went elsewhere.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.4

    It was, however; found to be impossible to close entirely the educational work at Battle Creek. The Sanitarium continued its training school for missionary nurses. This of necessity remained at Battle Creek in connection with the Sanitarium. The American Medical Missionary College continued its work; the church school continued its work; thus the closing of the College created new problems which those who had in charge the various interests referred to were compelled to study carefullyARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.5

    For several years, the attendance at the Battle Creek College had largely consisted of young people from the Sanitarium. At one time there were in attendance at the College as many as one hundred and sixty students, who were earning both their board and their tuition by working at the Sanitarium, the tuition being paid monthly by the Sanitarium treasurer. At the time of the closing of the Battle Creek College the attendance largely consisted of these students, some of whom were pursuing the elementary studies necessary for an ordinary English education, in preparation for the Sanitarium Training School for Nurses, while others were pursuing advanced scientific and English studies, in preparation for entering the American Medical Missionary College. These students, of course, remained behind. They could not be spared from the work at the Sanitarium, where there were constantly from four hundred to seven hundred patients, according to the season of the year, requiring attention.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.6

    At the same time the Sanitarium was equally necessary for the students, as it afforded the only means whereby they could obtain an education, being compelled to pay their expenses in work while pursuing their studies. It was already necessary to make at once provisions for carrying on educational work for the benefit of these who were preparing themselves for medical missionary work, and who necessarily remained in Battle Creek.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.7

    A conference of persons representing the leading interests involved was held, and this question was carefully discussed. There were present at this conference, E. A. Sutherland, President of Emmanuel Missionary College; P. T. Magan, Dean of Emmanuel Missionary College; Elder A. T. Jones, of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Committee; and J. H. Kellogg.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.8

    The situation was clearly recognized, and after canvassing all the features of the problem, it was unanimously decided that the only course to be pursued was for the Sanitarium to organize and carry on an elementary school for the benefit of the students working at the Sanitarium who were preparing to. enter the missionary nurses’ training class, and the American Medical Missionary College; and that a corps of teachers should be organized to take charge of the work of preparing students who must necessarily remain in Battle Creek for entering the American Medical Missionary College. Prof. E. D. Kirby was placed in charge of this work, with authority to employ teachers to assist him. This conference was held two years ago the present summer at the educational convention held at Berrien Springs.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.9

    The plans then laid have been carried out. Professor Kirby and his assistant teachers have organized and carried on classes, which have been announced by notices posted at the Sanitarium and the Review and Herald Office, without any attempt to draw students from abroad, or to do anything more than accomplish the purpose desired. Professor Kirby and his teachers have been kept very busy, having enrolled more than one hundred students during the last year. These, almost without exception, have been persons who were engaged in work at the Sanitarium, and were preparing for medical missionary work. One or two pupils have been received from the Review and Herald Office, and there have been perhaps two or three others.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.10

    The work might have continued indefinitely in this way but for certain changes made in the laws of various grades, with reference to the educational qualifications necessary for entering a medical college. Medical colleges differ from denominational schools in the fact that they are required by law to meet certain standards both as regards the medical instruction given and as regards the educational qualifications required for entrance upon medical study. Diplomas from schools which do not recognize these standards, and which do not conform to them strictly, are worthless in most States of the Union, and are of no account whatever in any foreign country. A medical diploma secures to the possessor various legal advantages, legal protection of various sorts, and certain important immunities which are essential in medical work, whether of an ordinary professional character, or of the sort termed medical missionary work, and hence legal diplomas are essential.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.11

    The Board of Trustees of the American Medical Missionary College have within the last year repeatedly been compelled to face very serious problems as the result of the passage of new laws advancing grades, or otherwise changing the standard of educational qualifications required at the entrance examination. One of the new regulations renders it impossible for the medical faculty to examine students with reference to their entrance qualifications, making it necessary that certificates should be presented by students from some legally qualified educational body. This educational institution must be recognized by the Board of Regents, and the State Medical Examining Boards.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.12

    Very earnest efforts were made to make arrangements with the Battle Creek city high school for giving such certificates but after months of effort, and not withstanding much good will and Courtesy shown by the city Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education, it was found impossible to accomplish this because of legal technicalities which could not be overcome. There was no way left but to provide a legal educational body which could be recognized by the authorities.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.13

    The possibility of such a contingency was fully discussed at the conference already referred to, at which the persons named above were present, and it was agreed that this should be done. In fact, it was at the time expected that it would be done; but the desire to avoid any appearance of reopening a work that had been closed, or the organization of educational work to be conducted in opposition to the Emmanuel Missionary College, led those most concerned in the matter to seek to solve the difficulty by every other possible means before resorting to the plan last referred to, namely, the organization of a regular educational institution, legally qualified to grant certificates and degrees.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 11.14

    After most earnestly studying this problem for nearly two years, and waiting as long as it was possible to wait because of the necessity of conforming to the newly enacted laws, a meeting of the old Board of Trustees of the Battle Creek College was called. The matter was presented and fully discussed, and it was decided that the best solution of the difficulty was to ultilize the charter and the name of the Battle Creek College for this purpose. The life of the corporation had not yet expired, the society and the Board of Trustees were still in existence, having never been legally dissolved, and there was no legal objection in the way, and consequently it seemed the best and simplest solution of the difficulty. Action was accordingly taken for the accomplishment of this, purpose, and a committee was appointed to organize a faculty to take charge of the administration of the work, with a clear understanding which was placed on record by a resolution passed in committee that the object of the work should be simply to carry out the purposes which have been clearly stated above; in other words, to do the educational work necessary to be done for the preparation of students desiring to enter the American Medical Missionary College or the Sanitarium Training School for Nurses, and who are necessarily resident in Battle Creek because of their connection with the Battle Creek Sanitarium.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.1

    The faculty have been instructed to adhere strictly to this purpose. No person except those preparing for medical missionary work can obtain entrance to the school without special action of the Board of Trustees, and exception will be made only in cases in which an exception is justly and reasonably demanded.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.2

    From the preceding it will appear that the announcement of the opening of Battle Creek College does not mean the restoration, or reopening, of anything which has been closed. It does not mean the reorganization in Battle Creek of the educational work which was moved to Berrien Springs. The reopening is such only in a technical and legal sense, and the announcement was made for technical and legal purposes. No new educational work will be begun next fall, or at any other time, in consequence of the announcement which has been made. The educational work which will be done is simply the continuance of that which has been carried on ever since the Battle Creek College was announced to be closed, and since the opening of the work at Berrien Springs. The only difference will be that the work which has heretofore been done in private classes and by tutors who are not legally qualified to give certificates which could be recognized by boards of regents and medical examining boards will now be done by the same persons in the same way, but acting in the capacity of a legally constituted faculty who have the power to grant certificates and to confer degrees.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.3

    And so there is no occasion that any one should take alarm, or to suppose that there is any lack of faith on the part of anybody, or that any new or unexpected thing is being done. The thing which is being done is a thing which was unanimously agreed upon by all interested as a thing that should be done and must be done. The only thing that is perhaps unexpected to some is in the use of the name of the Battle Creek College, but it was necessary to use some name, and this name seemed most convenient for the purpose, and the most suitable, and could be used with the least expense and trouble for the reason that Battle Creek College is already listed among the recognized schools whose certificates are received by the legal bodies whose standards must be recognized.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.4

    The work of the Battle Creek College will be to give to medical missionaries the general educational qualifications necessary to fit them for the special training they receive in the Sanitarium Missionary Nurses’ Training School and the American Medical Missionary College. This is the special field of this school. Those who desire a general education for other purposes, whether in connection with the cause or otherwise, should avail themselves of the educational advantages of our various denominational schools, all of which afford excellent opportunities for a general education.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.5

    The school at Battle Creek will be conducted in perfect harmony with the school at Berrien Springs. The President of Emmanuel Missionary College is a member of the Board o.f Administration of the Battle Creek College, and will take care to see that no steps are taken which could be detrimental to the interests of Emmanuel Missionary College. Certainly there is no member of the Board of Management who would willingly be connected with any such opposing movement.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.6

    The whole purpose of this arrangement is to afford encouragement and needed assistance to young men and women who desire to devote their lives to the service of the Master in their efforts to obtain an education and training for the purpose. Certainly such an effort should be recognized by all as beneficent and generous in its purpose and in the interests of the cause of God and to humanity in its operation.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.7

    Any who desire further information concerning educational opportunities at Battle Creek should address Prof. E. D. Kirby, Secretary Battle Creek College, Battle Creek, Mich.ARSH August 25, 1903, page 12.8

    (Signed) ALONZO T. JONES, E. A. SUTHERLAND, P. T. MAGAN, E. D. KIRBY, J. H. KELLOGG.

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