Who was your ResHall named after? What's the history behind that person? Well, we've done the research and provided you with the answers! Take a look below to check out the rich history!
Asbury. Francis
Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. Born at Hamstead Bridge, Staffordshire, England of Methodist parents, Asbury became a local preacher at eighteen and was ordained at age twenty-two. His boyhood home still stands and is open as a museum in West Bromwich, England. In 1771 he volunteered to travel to America. When the American War of Independence broke out in 1776 he was the only Methodist minister to remain in America. In 1784 John Wesley named Asbury and Thomas Coke as co-superintendents of the work in America. This marks the beginning of the "Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA". For the next thirty-two years, Asbury led all the Methodists in America. Like Wesley, Asbury preached in all sorts of places: courthouses, public houses, tobacco houses, fields, public squares, wherever a crowd assembled to hear him. For the remainder of his life he rode an average of 6000 miles each year, preaching virtually every day and conducting meetings and conferences. Under his direction the church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers.
Baldwin, Arthur and Leonard
Arthur and Leonard Baldwin, two brothers who grew up on a farm in the nineteenth century and went on to become very successful lawyers, made a donation to Drew that forever changed the small Theological Seminary into a university. Leonard, a Drew trustee since 1917, and Arthur had a friendly relationship with President Tipple, whom they surprised in 1928 with their enthusiasm to endow a liberal arts college at Drew. They donated $1.5 million for the building and endowment of Brothers College (this required a name change of Drew Theological Seminary to the more encompassing Drew University). Leonard Baldwin died in 1933, followed by Arthur in 1939. In the 1950s, Brothers College became known as the College of Liberal Arts. [Portrait] (Finding Aid: PDF, HTML)
Bowne, Samuel
A generous benefactor to Drew between 1890 and 1910, trustee Samuel Bowne's many donations resulted in the building of Hoyt-Bowne dormitory, Bowne Gymnasium, and Samuel W. Bowne Hall. Bowne died in 1910.
Brown, Arlo Ayres (President 1929-1948)
Arlo Ayres Brown (1883-1961) was the sixth president of Drew University. Equipped with an A.B. from Northwestern and a B.D. from Drew, in addition to further graduate studies, Ayres had been a preacher, an army chaplain during WWI, and president of the University of Chattanooga before he assumed presidency of Drew in 1929. His tenure, disrupted by WWII, was full of many changes - in degree programs, in student body, and in campus design, most notably in the building of the Rose Memorial Library. In 1948, he announced his retirement, and the trustees sought a successor.
Eberhardt, George
Eberhardt Hall was named after Mr. George Eberhardt, still alive and kicking at over 100 years old. Mr. Eberhardt, pictured below, was the Director of Audio Facilities for many years and a favorite among students. Eberhardt Hall was at one point referred to with its neighboring buildings as "The Townhouses." Eberhardt Hall and the Townhouses were completed in 1972 originally for graduate and theological students. The Acorn ran a competition to find a new name for "The Townhouses" and one suggestion was "Eberhardt Hall." This suggestion was wildly popular with the students, with "Rosewood Hall" coming in second place. The apartment style buildings were renovated in 1997.
Foster, Randolph Sinks (President 1870-1873)
Randolph Sinks Foster (1820-1903) was the second president of Drew Theological Seminary, later Drew University. Foster attended Augusta College but left before graduating to become a circuit preacher in Ohio. He went on to become pastor of the Mulberry Street Church in New York City, where he met Daniel Drew, the financier who provided funding for the seminary. In the fall of 1868, he accepted John McClintock's invitation to become professor of systematic theology at Drew. After the death of Drew's first president in 1870, Foster was elected to the post. He remained president for only three years, at which time he was named a Bishop and assigned to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Haselton, Philip
Haselton Hall is named after Philip Haselton, a former Chair of the University's Board of Trustees. Philip Haselton Jr. was the son of Cynthia Baldwin, of the Baldwin family, and Philip Haselton, Sr. The Haselton family helped raise over 1.5 million dollars-$500,000 for the construction of a new residence hall, and a $1 million endowment for its subsequent upkeep. Haselton Hall was built in 1959 as an all male dormitory for the College of Liberal Arts. Haselton hall was renovated in 1993. All the entryways were revamped, the front lobby was added, and the fourth floor lounge was added. The residence hall's interior was also overhauled, and the way Haselton Hall looks today is a result of the 1993 renovation.
Holloway, Fred (President 1948-1960)
Fred Garrigus Holloway (1898-1988) was the seventh president of Drew University. He graduated from Western Maryland College in 1918 and received a B.A. from Drew in 1921. Holloway had been both professor of Biblical languages and president at Westminster Theological Seminary, as well as president of Western Maryland College, before being chosen as dean of the Drew Theological Seminary in 1947. Just one year later, upon President Ayres' retirement, Holloway was offered the presidency. Renovating and rebuilding the antiquated campus, a goal for two previous presidents, is Holloway's greatest legacy. New buildings, such as the Baldwin Gymnasium and numerous dormitories, appeared under his direction. A graduate study curriculum was also initiated. But like some of his predecessors, Holloway was elected a Bishop and assigned to West Virginia in 1960.
Hoyt, William
William Hoyt was one the university's most generous trustees, and his efforts included the construction of Hoyt-Bowne dormitory and Seminary Hall. He died in 1902.
Hurst, John Fletcher (President 1873-1880)
John Fletcher Hurst (1834-1903) was the third president of Drew Theological Seminary, later Drew University. Hurst took his B.A. from Dickinson College in 1854 and became a preacher. In 1866, he began a five-year appointment as professor of systematic theology at the Martin Mission Institute in Bremen, Germany. In 1870, Hurst was chosen to teach historic theology at Drew, and only three years later, he was elected president. During his tenure, Hurst was a great fundraiser, but like Foster before him, Hurst was named a Bishop and assigned to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1880.
McClintock, John (President 1867-1870)
John McClintock (1814-1870) was the first president of Drew Theological Seminary, later Drew University, and served the institution as both president and professor of practical theology from 1867 until his death. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, McClintock taught at Dickinson College and then became editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review. In 1857, McClintock became pastor of St. Paul's Church in New York City, where he became acquainted with Daniel Drew, the financier who provided funding for the seminary. Under McClintock's administrative supervision, Drew Theological Seminary was born. [See a portrait of McClintock]
Riker, Daniel
Riker Hall was named after Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Riker. The Riker family, like the Haselton family, has ties to the Baldwins, founders of the College of Liberal Arts. More specifically, Daniel Riker married Grace Baldwin. Daniel and Grace Riker raised the money by selling their farm and property in Long Valley to the State of New Jersey. Dangra Farms was granted protected status as a "New Jersey Farm Preservation Program" estate, and its sale netted the college nearly $2 million, some of which built Riker Hall. The building was completed in 1972 and has undergone renovations recently.
Tipple, Ezra Squier (President 1912-1929)
Ezra S. Tipple (1861-1936) was the fifth president of Drew Theological Seminary, later Drew University. An 1887 B.D. graduate of Drew, Tipple was a strong academician who also earned an A.B., A.M., and Ph.D. degree from Syracuse University. He took the pastorate at St. Luke's Church in New York, and in 1905, became professor of practical theology at Drew. In 1912, when Henry Anson Buttz resigned as president, Tipple accepted the post. During his presidency, Drew accepted women students on a limited basis. Alumni relations and fundraising were important to Tipple, and it was under his direction that the $1.5 million donation for the founding of Brothers College, later the College of Liberal Arts, was accepted; Brothers College began classes in the fall of 1928. At this time, the name of the school evolved from Drew Theological Seminary to Drew University. Later that year, feeling the effects of age, illness and exhaustion, Tipple handed the reigns over to a new president.
Tolley, William Pearson
On September 13, 1900, future writer, college dean, and university president William Pearson Tolley was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. His parents, Adolphus and Emma, raised their five children on very limited means. The family found great joy in music, literature, and in their faith. The Tolley’s moved north to Binghamton, New York when they relocated the family’s shoe business. Young William later remembered feeling bored in most of his elementary classes, eager to move along faster in his subjects, an early sign of his determination to make the most of his education and learning experiences. At the urging of a professor, he decided to attend graduate school at Drew Theological Seminary in New York City, where his marks were straight A’s. He received his Bachelor’s of Divinity from Drew in 1925. The People’s Home Church and Settlement House was located near his Columbia classes, so it was not difficult for him to take classes and work there as well. During this time he was serving as assistant to the president of Drew, and alumni secretary. After receiving a considerable donation, Drew Seminary established Brother’s College, a liberal arts division of the school. Tolley’s colleagues talked him into serving as the college’s dean in 1929, at the ripe age of twenty-eight.
Welch. Herbert George
Herbert Welch was a prominent American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church. He was elected to the Episcopacy in 1916. He also distinguished himself as a Methodist Pastor, and as the fifth President of Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. Herbert attended the Brooklyn College and Polytechnic Institute in 1882. He earned the B.A. degree from Wesleyan University in 1887. He earned an M.A. from Wesleyan in 1890. He attended Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, New Jersey, earning the B.D. degree in 1890. He did postgraduate work at Oxford University in 1903. Herbert entered the New York Annual Conference of the M.E. Church and was appointed to Bedford Station in 1890. In 1892 he was appointed Pastor of St. Luke's M.E. Church in N.Y.C. He then transferred to the New York East Annual Conference, where he was appointed successively to: Summerfield in Brooklyn, 1893-98; Middletown, Connecticut, 1898-1903; and the Chester Hill M.E. Church in Mt. Vernon, New York, 1903-05. In 1905 the Rev. Dr. Welsh transferred his Conference Membership again, this time to the West Ohio Annual Conference, when he was named the President of Ohio Wesleyan University. He served as President until becoming Bishop in 1916. During 1907-1908, the Rev. Dr. Welch was President of the Association of Ohio College Presidents and Deans. He was also the President of the Methodist Social Service from 1909-1912, and later served as chairman of the Methodist Commission for Overseas Relief, 1940-1948.
Wendel Family
The Wendel family had ties to Drew beginning with President McClintock in the mid-nineteenth century. A wealthy and mysterious family from New York City, the Wendels were modest benefactors through Drew's early years. President Tipple nurtured a relationship with the family, which consisted of a brother and seven sisters (only one of whom married) in the 1920s. As time passed, only one daughter, Ella Wendel, remained as sole inheritor of the multi-million dollar Wendel estate. Upon her death in 1931, Drew received a small part of the estate, including the family mansion in New York City, in total a gift valued at $5 million. (Finding Aid: PDF, HTML)
Taken from the Drew University Archives
