Blue John Remembers: That a book published recently purported to give a brief history of King College, giving the names of a number of presidents of the college. There was one name omitted which was unfortunate. That was the name of Tilden Scherer. Tilden Scherer was vice-president under the administration of the late Dr. B. R. Smith and succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Dr. Smith, which occurred about 1912. The college was housed in the original buildings on Fifth Street. About 1915 the gymnasium was erected which is now an integral part of the Massengill plant, which company purchased the buildings and grounds on Fifth Street. Shortly after this it was announced that the Reverend Isaac Anderson might give a tract of land east of town for a new college site. It was under Dr. Scherer’s administration that the transfer of this property to the college was consummated and early in 1917 construction work on the new plant was begun. Four buildings were erected in the first group and it was often a matter of “ nip and tuck” to meet the construction estimates and the college expenses at the same time. Then followed the crucial days of the First World War, when students and professors alike were drafted for military duty. Dr. Scherer nursed the struggling school through those lean years, often at personal financial sacrifice to himself. The war over, he began to build up the student body and teaching staff, and slowly the years of work and sacrifice began to tell in increased enrollment. The athletic spirit of the college became aroused and it was during the Roaring Twenties that the King College Tornado roared on its merry way that would have made hurricanes like Hazes ashamed of herself. It was about 1931 that Dr. Scherer retired as president; but the period that he served was one of the most critical and also most progressive in the long history of the school. To omit the name of Tilden Scherer from the list of those who headed King College is to omit the name of he who fought, bled and almost died for the college, and whose efforts “ through blood, sweat, and tears” carried it over a period of nearly twenty years toward its firm standing today.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:17:36 +0000
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