WWEC: A Brief History
When Chancellor Isaac Crook arrived on the Nebraska Wesleyan campus in 1894, he found the campus consisting of Old Main, surrounded by corn fields and a forest of sunflowers, accessible from the city of Lincoln by a small horse-drawn trolley.
Chancellor Crook, by all reports, seems to have been open to new concepts, rejecting the prevailing concepts of a woman鈥檚 place in the world. So perhaps it was not surprising that on April 15, 1896, a meeting was called by Chancellor Crook with 鈥渁 view to organize a woman鈥檚 guild that shall employ in the interest of the university the intense power of the Methodist women of the state of Nebraska.鈥 At that meeting were some of our Council pioneers, including Zara Wilson (temporary secretary), Mrs. H. T. Davis (who offered the prayer, and would later recall the lusty singing of 鈥淎ll Hail the Power of Jesus鈥 Name); Mrs. Nellie Richardson, S. K. Daley and Mary Peebles. At that meeting, they drew up a constitution, outlined a Plan of Work, elected officers and organized the Woman鈥檚 Wesleyan Educational Council of Nebraska. The Council was later formally organized at a second meeting in the YMCA Room on April 24, 1896鈥搘ith Chancellor Crook, J. H. Mickey, President of the Board of Trustees and former Governor of Nebraska, and Dr. W. C. Huntington, who later served as Chancellor.
The Council had lofty goals. They hired an agent at $1,000 per year. She traveled the state with a goal of establishing a chapter in every Methodist church in Nebraska. A few chapters were organized, but most of them did not last long, swallowed up by Missionary Societies, Ladies Aid and other Women鈥檚 Clubs.
Dream #1: A Conservatory of Music
In Lincoln chapters were organized at Trinity, Grace, Havelock and University Place. Though the number of chapters organized was disappointing, the agent did manage to get more than 200 鈥渟ubscriptions鈥 or 鈥減ledges鈥 for when a building would be built. As was reported later, many of these pledges were paid during fundraising for the Conservatory. The dream was so strong that in their second year, the Council changed its constitution to state that their purpose was to build a Conservatory of Music.
In the meantime, the Council concentrated on personal development, special 鈥渄epartments鈥 like Bible Study groups, literary groups, garden clubs, sewing or other handiwork groups. Some women planted shrubs and trees on the campus. And there were other projects aimed at cultural enhancement and personal growth. But this did not mean that the Conservatory was not uppermost in their minds and in their discussions鈥揳t meetings and at home.
But the university was in deep financial trouble鈥$92,000, to be exact. So when the women wrote to the Board of Trustees to ask permission to begin to raise funds for their project, the answer was, 鈥淎bsolutely not. Every dollar raised must go to pay off the debt.鈥 The letter did indicate that the Board was in sympathy with the desire to build the Conservatory, but it just could not be done until the university was free of debt.
So. What did the women do? In an earlier historical compilation, WWEC member Jesse Yost writes: 鈥淭he women did what women do鈥搕hey had projects: little yellow and brown sacks were made for women to drop in a penny a day; they had ten-cent teas; they sold Mary Jane aprons and 鈥渄ustless dusters鈥; put on dinners; sold subscriptions to the Ladies Home Journal; had an ice cream stand at the Epworth Assembly; popped corn and roasted peanuts and sent children out to sell them.鈥
Even after it seemed that the debt had been erased, the answer from the Board was still NO. Though money had been pledged, not all had been paid. The women of the Council became impatient, and wrote to the Board again. Finally, by the fall of 1903, the debt had been fully paid. After still having no word, the Council again wrote to the Board, stating that the debt has been paid鈥搃t is now time for the Conservatory. It took time, perseverance and persistence, but finally the Council received word that the Board was now 鈥渇avorable to the Council鈥檚 enterprise,鈥 and the women began in earnest to build their dream.
The Board of Trustees then called a meeting and asked, in so many words, 鈥淗ow strong is your commitment to this project? $10,000 worth? If you will pledge $10,000,鈥 (implying, of course, if you do and if you meet that pledge) 鈥渨e will give you your own room and the privilege of naming the building.鈥 It did not take long for the Council鈥檚 response: YES. We accept the challenge鈥搘e will pledge $10,000. The women hit the road running. Actually, due to an anonymous gift at the very end of the campaign, the Council donated $11,000.
WWEC was not invited to the dedication of the first unit of the new building. In fact, the Council was not even mentioned by the Chancellor, the Governor, or other members of the Executive Board who participated in the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, the Chancellor did read a paper which had been given to him by the Council, which read, 鈥淭he name of the building will be the C. C. White Memorial.鈥 A poignant note was attached to the minutes of that day鈥檚 meeting: 鈥淭he Council, uninvited, adjourned in time to attend the dedication of the Conservatory.鈥
Charles White鈥揳lways known as C. C. White鈥搘as President of the Nebraska Wesleyan Board of Trustees from its formative years until his death in 1895. After his death, his widow and his business partner, A. L. Johnson, donated $25,000 to finish the building.
The building was formally dedicated on April 10, 1906. The story in the Lincoln Star was headlined, 鈥淒AY OF TRIUMPH FOR WESLEYAN鈥--Formal Celebration of the Completion of White Building Was Held.鈥 The article stated in part: 鈥淔or today鈥檚 ceremony, the auditorium was crowded, down to the last seat. Presiding was ex-Governor Mickey, President of the Wesleyan Board of Trustees. Among those seated on the platform were members of the faculty and members of the Woman鈥檚 Wesleyan Educational Council.鈥 One dream realized.
The first official meeting in the Council Room was on December 12, 1906. According to a presentation by Bernice Halbert at the Council鈥檚 Golden Anniversary Celebration in 1946, 鈥淭he Council Room must have looked very gay on that first meeting day: three pairs of lace curtains鈥揹onated by Miller and Paine鈥搗alued at $27, and two rocking chairs鈥搗alued at $25鈥揹onated by Rudge and Gunzel鈥揳ll made safe and secure by two locks donated by Wineland and W. C. Smith of University Place.鈥
C. C. White Memorial served the Nebraska Wesleyan campus until it was replaced by the Smith-Curtis Administration Building. Jesse writes: 鈥淲hen the walls of C. C. White came tumbling down in 1973, we picked up our piano, salvaged the lock and key to our old room for old time鈥檚 sake and moved to the faculty lounge in the Student Center for our meetings. We were surprised at how quickly we adjusted. No more worrying about our rugs wearing out, who would wash the dishes, who had the key. And we enjoyed the pampering of the Food Service鈥搒uch heavenly desserts.鈥
Dream #2: A SM论坛 Home for Women Students
Even as C. C. White was being built, the women had not stopped dreaming. There had long been talk of the need for a 鈥渉ome for our girls.鈥 Several properties had been discussed, but nothing was done about university housing for women students鈥搕hey lived in sorority houses or had rooms in private homes. The Council became very involved in the planning and building of Johnson Hall.
In fact, as an interesting sidenote鈥揓essie Yost reported that, in 1946, after buying new silver, dishes, etc., for Johnson Hall, the women began to look at the Council Room, and it seemed rather shabby and out of date. So, with ingenuity and creativity, they managed to completely redecorate and refurnish the Council Room.
Johnson Hall was named for A. L. Johnson. The Johnson family was very active in the Methodist Church and very supportive of Nebraska Wesleyan University. A. L. was not only the business partner but also the brother-in-law of C. C. White, and served on the Board of Trustees for 51 years. Another of the Johnson sisters was Nellie Magee. (At one point, there were three structures on campus named for members of the Johnson family鈥揅. C. White Memorial, Johnson Hall and Magee Memorial Stadium.)
Johnson Hall was dedicated on February 27, 1948. Members of the Council 鈥減resided at the coffee table鈥 during the Open House reception following the dedication. Another dream realized.
In 1972, the Lincoln Journal ran a full-page story with a color photo announcing the 75th anniversary of the Council鈥搕he Diamond Jubilee. There were many special events鈥搃ncluding a fundraising luncheon with Helen Lowrie Marshall, well-known poet, as guest speaker鈥揳nd publication of the WWEC Cookbook. Funds raised from the cookbook were donated to the University鈥檚 New Dimensions Fund.
Dream #3: Financial Aid for Students
In the early 1930s, a new need surfaced鈥揻inancial aid for students. The Council began a loan program for students. But as the Great Depression deepened, it was felt that loans were not enough. It was in 1936, at WWEC鈥檚 40th Anniversary Celebration, that the scholarship program we know today was born. The celebration included a variety of activities, but the real focus was the vote to set aside $50 as a start on a scholarship endowment fund.
The plan was to establish a fund of $1,000, with the interest to be used as scholarships. Through gifts of one dollar, the Council hoped to raise $1,250. Each member was asked to secure five $1 gifts. The names of all the donors were inscribed into a book, later published by the Stevensons at Northeast Printers.
The first scholarship鈥揻or $25鈥搘as awarded in 1937 to Mary Whitney. Another dream realized.
In her presentation in 1946 at the Council鈥檚 Golden Anniversary, Bernice Halbert summarized the thread that has connected all the women of WWEC through the decades: 鈥淪o it goes, and so it has gone for 100 years. The Council is not just a dream come true. It is a long line of dreamers with dreams constantly in the making and constantly coming true.鈥