This Week in Texas Methodist History, January 5

Texas Conference Conducts “College Appreciation Week” January 10-17, 1937

All churches in the Texas Conference of the MECS were expected to conduct a “college appreciation week’ during the week of January `10-17. 1937.   There were rallies throughout the conference in Houston, Beaumont, Pittsburg, Jacksonville, and Bryan.  The five meetings were staggered through the week days of the designated week so that the speakers could attend all five rallies all lasting from 10:00 to noon. 

The speaking crew, assembled by John V. Berglund of Bering Memorial in Houston, in his role as Chair of the Board of Higher Education and Wesley Foundations, was headed by Boyd M. McKeown from the denominational board in Nashville.  The other speakers were H. I. Robinson of Texarkana, J. W. Mills, and Cecil Peeples of Lon Morris College.  This was the third year such a college week was organized. 

On Sunday, January 17, each church was supposed to devote the morning worship service to the college appreciation theme.  Naturally there would be a special offering to support the colleges and Wesley Foundations. 

Part of the reason for the campaign was that Lon Morris had severe financial problems.  Although Lon Morris was just a few miles away from the most important petroleum boom in North America—the East Texas Field, the Great Depression had depressed employment and commodity prices throughout the Texas Conference, and many prospective students could not afford even a relatively inexpensive college like Lon Morris.   Although the effort included Wesley foundations, everyone knew that the real purpose was to pay down the Lon Morris debt.

There were significant results.  On Jan. 17, First Methodist Jacksonville, the home of Lon Morris, raised $1467.   The pastor was L. W. Nichols. 

What about John V. Berglund who organized the College Appreciation Week?  He finished his career at one of the church schools, Southwestern University, teaching Bible.