walter p. lawrence, a.m., litt.d., dean of men of elon college
early in september, 1890, i arrived at elon college about a week after the opening of the first session of the college. i had in money and other resources that i could turn into money less than $100. my purpose was to stay until my money gave out—perhaps i could get on by supplementing it with odd jobs until well on into the spring. it was my ambition to be a teacher in an academy or high school. i felt that to rub my elbows against college walls a few months, at least, would eminently satisfy my ideal of preparation.
well, that was a wonderful $100. it opened doors, revealed vistas, heightened ideals, increased the tension of life until since the day i entered college i have lived in a different world. the college was young—had no traditions, casts or cliques among its membership. as a subfreshman i was allowed to possess my soul in peace and live my life as leisurely or as diligently as i pleased. i chose soon after getting into the college current to live as diligently as possible. i meant to make the freshman 76 year and the substudies also while my money lasted. i succeeded. by the time my money was gone—about the first of april, 1891—a long vista of a complete college course had burst invitingly before me with “graduation” in letters of fire at the end. what should i do? i was penniless, and knew no one from whom i could borrow. i had been reared, the son of a country minister, in a back section, sometimes called “backwoods,” where life was pure but simple and easy-going. everybody was poor, and a college bred man a curiosity. having grown to manhood under such conditions, i felt keenly the struggle now going on between poverty and the newly awakened ambitions in my life. but there was nothing to do but to accept the inevitable. the situation, i kept to myself. i felt it a disgrace to be penniless amongst many who seemed to have abundance; so i kept my troubles to myself until i was about to leave, when to my surprise, mr. tom strowd, with whom and his excellent family i had boarded, offered to credit my board account until the end of the session. another gentleman, mr. p. a. long, offered to give me a job of carpenter work during vacation. the results were, i finished the session on the strength of credit with people, all of whom were strangers to me when i came to the college.
the carpenter work in the summer and of afternoons and saturdays until late in the fall, together with more credit on college expenses in the spring, 77 got me through the sophomore year. the severe strain of working my way and keeping up my studies threw me into a fever in the late fall, which lasted several weeks, and it was with difficulty that i passed my work in college. at commencement, however, i had put the sophomore year behind me with a fair record, and the burning letters “graduation” were perceptibly nearer than a year ago, yet i was almost as near out of debt as then.
this summer i taught school at cedar falls, a little manufacturing town in randolph county, n. c. while here i fell under the kindly interest of the wealthiest man of the town, mr. o. r. cox, who, after learning something of how i had made my way thus far, offered to lend me such sums of money as i should need to get through the next two years. the remaining two years went smoothly along. i was in good health and supplemented the loans from mr. cox with what i could earn by various kinds of self-help; for i borrowed as little as possible.
these two last years were filled with work and many gratifications also, for the literary society and the religious organizations gave me what honors they had to bestow. i was president of the y. m. c. a., was sent to y. m. c. a. conferences and conventions; was teacher in the sunday school and later superintendent. i represented the literary society several times, twice at commencement, and other times in public debates. i was the valedictorian 78 of my class on commencement day, and on the same day was offered a position in the english department, with privilege to prepare myself for the place by university study. i have, therefore, supplemented my college course by special study in the university of north carolina, yale, and oxford.
it is trying and positively discouraging many times for one to have to make his own way through college. the experience has put the conviction in me, however, that the young person appearing at the threshold of a college course is more seriously handicapped if he has too much money than he who has none at all.
elon college, n. c.
