H I S T O R Y O F T H E F O R M E R C O L L E G E O F E M P O R I A

By Bobbi Mlynar

Special to the Gazette

EDITOR ’ S NOTE : This is the third in a series of articles about the former College of Emporia , a private Presbyterian institution that operated here from 1883 through 1973 . Alumni will be in Emporia this weekend for their annual reunion , related tours and activities .

Emporia and its citizens embraced the College of Emporia for decades — from an 1877 proposal to establish a Presbyterian college until the college closed at the end of 1973 .

Salina , Peabody and Marion , in addition to Emporia , were under consideration as possible locations for the college until the City of Emporia offered the Presbyterian Synod of Kansas a package deal — $ 35,000 and 38 acres of land — which was accepted in 1882 .

The Rev . Robert Overstreet , then pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Emporia and chairman of the Synod ’ s Education Committee , was put in charge of raising a $ 50,000 endowment fund that succeeded in a short time , and C . of E . was on its way to becoming a reality .

Sen . Preston B . Plumb , one of the city founders , donated $ 2,000 to the endowment fund and became a member of the board of trustees . Community support followed , as leaders acknowledged the direct benefit to the community , as well as the auxiliary benefit of being known as a town that valued education .

The State of Kansas in 1863 had established the Kansas Normal School at 12th Avenue and Commercial Street , a mile or so east of the newly authorized College of Emporia campus .

Emporian Sharon Spencer Stewart , a C . of E . alumna and long-time teacher in Emporia ’ s public schools , speculated that having two colleges in one small city likely was a great advantage to the town ’ s success .

“ Bringing in an extra 600 to 1,500 students in itself is going to contribute to the economy ,” Stewart said , “ and I suppose that ’ s also one reason why William Allen White referred to this as the Athens of Kansas , because there were two colleges here .”

White had moved from El Dorado to Emporia to attend C . of E . from 1884 through 1886 , then went on to finish his degree at the University of Kansas .

White supported C . of E . throughout his life , with his voice as a newspaper editor and publisher and with his time and money .

From 1914 until his death in 1944 , he was a member of the C . of E . board of trustees and , from 1919 to 1931 , lectured there in journalism .

Stewart ’ s father and mother , Dr . Harold and Margaret Spencer , showed a similar loyalty and passed it on to their daughter .

As a student , Harold Spencer had worked at the dairy northwest of the campus .

“ Every morning , as part of his paying for college , he had to get up and go over and milk and cows ,” Stewart said , then take the milk to a designated location before going to classes at C . of E .

“ My parents met there ,” she said . “ My dad was on the board of trustees and later my mother was .”

The board ’ s membership list from the beginning consistently represented a broad sampling of leaders not only community-wide , but often statewide and nationally .

In the Emporia area , C . of E . turned out many graduates who stayed in town , became leaders of the community and often returned to serve on the board of trustees .

Among those were Joe Morris , chief executive officer of Columbia Savings and Loan ; Dr . David R . Davis , pediatrician ; Dr . Stanley L . VanderVelde , surgeon ; Elvin Perkins , attorney , city commissioner , mayor , and co-founder of the Emporia Community Foundation ; Kermit Oakes , owner of the Credit Bureau of East Central Kansas ; and many more .

“ A lot of the teachers went to C . of E .,” Stewart added .

Construction boom

Construction on campus often was underway as student populations and needs burgeoned .

Classes initially had been held in the Addis Building at Sixth Avenue and Commercial Street , beginning Nov . 1 , 1883 , and in another building at Eighth Avenue and Commercial Street until 1886 , when classes moved to a still-un-

Please see C . of E ., Page 3

P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F L Y O N C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Longtime Emporia business owner Gerald Schumann died on July 1 at the age of 77 . Schumann owned and operated Gerald Schumann Electric for 41 years .

Schumann was known for his strong work ethic and stellar electrical work . Previous employees , like Kevin Mayer , recall Schumann as a kind employer who enjoyed sharing his knowledge with employees .

“ Gerald was really good at teaching and always willing to pass on his knowledge ,” Mayer said .

The focus on quality work and customer service earned Gerald Schumann Electric the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year honor in 2008 . The company also received many accolades from customers over the years .

“ I remember the first time I met Gerald ,” Sharon Bemis of Emporia said . “ I was a frazzled first-time homeowner with serious electrical problems . My husband and I had no idea what a mess we had gotten into when we purchased our first home . Gerald was honest and kind and completed all the work quickly . He made what was a very stressful situation much easier for us .”

“ Gerald fixed all of the electrical outside of our home so we could put up Christmas lights ,” Joyce Fergus of Emporia said . “ It was freezing and windy the day he did the work but we all knew that

VOL . 125 , NO . 5

Gerald Schumann owned and operated Schumann Electric in Emporia for 41 years . He died Friday at 77 years old .

he loved Christmas lights .”

Gerald and his wife , Orinne Schumann , are well known for their elaborate display of Christmas lights . Traffic slows to a crawl past their home during the month of December as visitors enjoy the brightly lit home . John Krestsinger said in a 2009 story in The Emporia Gazette that he credited Schumann with his motivation to decorate for the holiday .

“ I owe all my success to Gerald Schumann ,” Kretsinger said . “ He ’ s the one who got me started .

COURTESY PHOTO

“ He always puts them in his trees . With his bucket truck he ’ s helped me put some lights out and so forth . I ’ m sure that he has promoted a lot of lights . Once he started hanging lights on his house — he and his wife — a lot of people started hanging lights due to the fact that his lights are beautiful .”

Schumann is survived by his wife , four sons , two daughters , two former daughter-in-laws , two sisters , 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren . Funeral services were held at 10:30 a . m . today .

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com

Emporia City Commissioners approved applications for several items at their active session Wednesday afternoon in the municipal courtroom .

Vice Mayor Bobbi Mlynar conducted the meeting as Mayor Rob Gilligan was out of state .

The commission unanimously approved an ordinance for a request of Mid-Kansas Properties , LLC , Stephen L . Sauder , to request a final subdivision plat application for the property located on 30th Avenue between Hidden Lakes and Crestview Six subdivisions .

Jamie Sauder of Mid-Kansas

MARY ANN REDEKER / GAZETTE

Jamie Sauder of Mid-Kansas Properties , LLC , presents a request for a new housing subdivision at the Emporia City Commission meeting Wednesday afternoon in the Municipal Court Room .

Properties , LLC , presented the request to commissioners .

“ This project has been in the works for a while now ,” he said . “ We had it before the planning commission on May 24 . The proposed project is consistent with the surrounding properties and the comprehensive plan .”

Phase one of the project would allow for 25 buildable lots for single-family homes in the area .

Commissioner Danny Giefer said the project would be good for Emporia and was one he felt good about .

“ The project will allow for more construction on the north

Please see City , Page 3