History Of Cotner University - Including The Early Religious And Educational Movement Of The Christian Church In Nebraska

HISTORY OF COTNER UNIVERSITY including tie Early Religious and Educational Movement of the Christian Church in Nebraska. By LEON A. MOOMAW, A. M. - 1916- To the men who founded a Christian Uni versity in Nebraska to the ones who have loyally stood by it during the twen ty-seven years of its existence, and to the hundred of students, alumni and friends who love Cotner. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Early Educational and Religious History in Nebraska. CHAPTER II The Beginning of Fairfield College. CHAPTER III The Decline of Fairfield College. CHAPTER IV The Inception of Nebraska Chris tian University. CHAPTER V The Laying of the Cornerstone. CHAPTER VI The City of Lincoln. CHAPTER VII The Promoters and Their Plan. CHAPTER VIII The Realization of the Dream. CHAPTER IX Bennett Academy nd Kindred Ven tures. CHAPTER X A New Friend and a New Name. CHAPTER XI The Crisis. CHAPTER XII The School in Jeopardy. CHAPTER XIII Cotner Redeemed-CHAPTER XIV The Faculty at Work. CHAPTER XV Cotners Departmental Schools. CHAPTER XVI Outside of Books nt Cotner. CHAPTER XVII Clippings from the Cotner Expon ent. CHAPTER XVIII Clippings from the Cotner Colleg ian. CHAPTER XIX Looking Backward. CHAPTER XX Commencements. CHAPTER XXI Cotner Alumni. CHAPTER XXII Cotner Alumni Among the Colleges. CHAPTER XXIII Cotner Alumni Among the Churches. CHAPTER XXIV Cotner Alumni in Missionary Work. CHAPTER XXV Cotner of Today. 8 History of Cotner University to our inquiry for information. We have a few cases of very important churches that are not given proper mention because we received no response. In the multiplicity of events, happenings and names, which have been connected with Cotner during the twenty seven years, we have had tochoose that which was rep resentative, rather than to mention all. In the face of these conditions we hope you will not be too critical. We have given much of our energy, time and thought to this task you are to judge the product. I wish to express my appreciation to J. Z. Briscoe, C. W. Hemry, W. P. Aylsworth, J. W. Hilton and W. A. Baldwin for their special help in giving me informa tion. Many of the present faculty and student body have been very kind in assisting in the work. The alumni have helped greatly. Many students in my classes have offered words of good cheer. But most of all, I am indebted to my wife for words of encour agement when I was blue, for sympathy when per plexed and for her constant help when in need of asssit ance. LEON A. MOOMAW. Bethany, Nebraska, May 12, 1916. CHAPTER I Early Educational and Religious History in Nebraska In the days when the west was still eastern Ne braska when the pioneer farmer was beginning to in crease the size of the Indian squaws garden, and divide the vast territory into quarters and sections, higher education in Nebraska had its beginning. After that memorable struggle in the United States Senate which resulted in the triumph of Stephen A. Douglas, by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, Nebraska became a territory and settlement began. The first territorial legislature met January 15, 1855. Hon. T. B. Cuming, acting governor, in his first message called attention to the necessity of making careful pro vision for education. There was a committee on schools to which this part of the message was referred. Dur ing this first session charters were granted to Ne braska University to be located at Fontenelle, Simpson Universityat Omaha, and a Collegiate and Preparatory Institute at Nebraska City. To be the home of a university seemed to be the first and highest ambition of all of Nebraskas earliest towns. At the second session of the legislature char ters were granted to Nemaha University at Archer Washington College at Cuming City Plattsmouth Pre paratory and Collegiate Institute and the Western University at Cassville. At the next session another list was added Brownville College and Lyceum, Salem Collegiate Institute, Rock Bluff Academy, Dakota Col legiate Institute, St...