Going to College, c1404-2006

{1}Your grandfather, Francesco I, a man distinguished for his capacity in affairs and for his sound judgment, was in the habit of saying that a parent owes three duties to his children. The first of these is to bestow upon them names of which they need not feel ashamed. For not seldom, out of caprice, or even indifference, or perhaps from a wish to perpetuate a family name, a father in naming his child inflicts upon him a misfortune which clings to him for life. The second obligation is this: to provide that his child be brought up in a city of distinction, for this not only concerns his future self-respect, but is closely connected with the third and most important care which is due from father to son. This is the duty of seeing that he be trained in sound learning. For no wealth, no possible security against the future, can be compared with the gift of an education in grave and liberal studies. By them a man may win distinction for the most modest name, and bring honour to the city of his birth however obscure it may be. . . .

{2}This duty, common indeed to all parents, is specially incumbent upon such as hold high station. For the lives of men of position are passed, as it were, in public view; and are fairly expected to serve as witness to personal merit and [page 97] capacity on part of those who occupy such exceptional place amongst their fellow men. You therefore, Ubertinus, the bearer of an illustrious name, the representative of a house for many generations sovereign in our ancient and most learned city of Padua, are peculiarly concerned in attaining this excellence in learning of which we speak. . . .

{3}We call those studies liberal which are worthy of a free man; those studies by which we attain and practise virtue and wisdom; that education which calls forth, trains and develops those highest gifts of body and of mind which ennoble men, and which are rightly judged to rank next in dignity to virtue only. For to a vulgar temper gain and pleasure are the one aim of existence, to a lofty nature, moral worth and fame. It is, then, of the highest importance that even from infancy this aim, this effort, should constantly be kept alive in growing minds.

Letters from Rebekah and Joseph Gest to their son, Erasmus, 1834.

The Gests were Cincinnati Quakers, and in 1834 Erasmus was studying away from home for the first time. The Gest letters are in the Ohio Historical Society.

Rebekah Gest to Erasmus Gest, Nov. 5, 1834
[Erasmus had asked his parents whether he should come home during the Christmas break or postpone the visit home until later.]
Come home, we look for thee, after that it would interfere with thy studies, which we hope thee to pursue with ardour, thee knows it puts us to a great expense, to prepare thee with necessaries for a boarder, in a boarding school, many things we have had to get that would have been needless at home, but we have done it, to give thee a better chance than thee was likely to have at home, therefore after the holidays are over, we hope that thy health may continue good, that thee may persevere uninteruptedly with thy studies through the winter.

Rebekah Gest to Erasmus Gest, Dec. 4, 1834
It is truly pleasing to hear often of thy well doing. I do most sincerely wish thee may so apply thyself to regular & important studies, to advance thy in, and prepare thee for the more important stations, that is to be filled by men of talent integrity and perseverance, only will it and thee can do it, and crown a mothers hopes.

Joseph Gest to Erasmus Gest, Dec. 11, 1834
[Erasmus's father continued the discussion about the trip home during Christmas break. He still thought that Erasmus should come unless the schoolmaster] wishes thee to stay for some advantage to thy self. Thee had better come by the canal if open. I wish thee to be as saving of thy money as possible, as its not easy collecting it, and all I now have to depend on is my own industry to support you all. If I keep my health I hope to be able to keep you all respectable untill you are able and qualified to assist me. I hope after thee is there some time if thee is industrious and careful thee will be able to assist me and save considerable from being paid away for assistance. [In other words, Joseph Gest had to hire an assistant to do the work Erasmus would have done if he were not away at school.]
If my children does their duty, as well as they know how, towards their mother & me we will give them a chance to qualify themselves to rank respectable-- Thee now knows what thee wants to qualify thyself for usefulness and thee has capacity to improve. All thee wants is application to study.

Charles Alling was an 1885 graduate of Hanover College. His diary is available in the Duggan Library archives. An online transcription is in progress.

{1}My circumstances and surroundings are such as to alienate me from the ministry. Although I have always had a good reputation at home among my acquaintances, yet a certain amount of frivolity -- so to speak -- has been one of my characteristics. Especially in the company of the girls, I have got a way of talking which, though generally proper, impresses them with the idea that I am up with the times. It would be hard for me to counteract this sentiment and become a steady -- going, embryo preacher. My extreme youthful appearance would also act as another hindrance. These and other considerations make me have a sort of inward feeling that I should turn my attention elsewhere.

{2}Last summer, I read Matthew's Getting On In the World, and thought of studying law. It seemed to me that I was capable of succeeding if so many men had gained a footing; men, that is, of very limited education and of exceedingly small energy or prominence of character. Graduates of Hanover College, whom I know, have gained success, and, not to be egotistical, I think I have as much of the elements of success as they had. John Wiggam and Frank Swope both intend to be lawyers and I would hate to say I was not the mental equal of either. But the idea of learning stenography was suggested to me by Mr. Korbly, saying something about it at home last term. I thought then that the acquisition of this art would be a good preliminary step to the profession of law or to journalism in which latter direction my thoughts seem somewhat definitely to settle. My youth, the opportunity of at once sustaining myself, the fair prospects of honorable success, the opportunities of travel as a correspondent, the importance of the journalists profession, etc. seem to tell me that this is my most congenial sphere.

{3}I do not desire to be a business man; there are enough in the family now to represent the hardware trade. Besides my education is too valuable to squander by tying myself down to the petty, irksome restraints of a business life. As to wealth, I care not, whether I ever become a five hundred thousand man. Of course, I expect to live very comfortably and to know how to manage my finances.

Hanover College Classes of 1970 and 1971, Reunion Memory Books (2005 and 2006)

Members of the Hanover Classes of 1970 and 1970 contributed their remembrances for "memory books" to share with their classmates at their thirty-fifth-year reunions. The following alumni agreed to share those memories here as well.

[2013 addendum: Bob asked me to drive his car to a dance, and (as a freshman in October 1966) I had never driven on that road.]

{1}Hanover College, in addition to the excellent educational aspects, was a wonderful place to transition from the teen years into adulthood. In a somewhat protected environment, it was a time to learn to balance those things that needed to be done with that which I just wanted to do. For me as a Theo/Spanish major, it was a time to examine most closely what I believed, and to learn to begin to separate denominational traditions from what the Word calls us to. During my freshman year Spring term trip to Mexico, I had to make a number of "adult" decisions, which in the end led to a sense of self-assuredness. That trip was one of the highlights of my four years at Hanover, even though I had been to Mexico previously. Career wise, I did not go in the exact directions that I thought I might, although I have not gone too far astray. I consider the years that I stayed home to raise two sons (who have been such a blessing) a ministry of sorts, as was the past fifteen years of working with high school special needs kids. I considered studying for a Special Education certificate, but decided that I was not all that fond of the mounds of paper work that go with the job.

{2}So . . . I help teach and train with less of the hassle! I always think of my years at Hanover, my professors, and the friendships I made with great fondness.

Excerpt from Gregory L. Wright, "A Legacy of Shared Experiences," Hanover Quarterly (Summer 2002), 14-19.

John Pollom was a Hanover student at the time of this interview with Greg Wright; his parents, Bill and Martha Pollom, were students here in the 1970s.

{1}Wright asked why John chose Hanover:
John: "I originally heard about Hanover from my parents. All through my childhood, I would hear these great stories about both of their experiences in college. It was clear they really enjoyed themselves. As I began my college search, I was determined to "get out on my own," and part of that meant that I wanted no part of any school my parents had been to. Against my wishes, we toured the campus, and before the tour was even half over, I was telling my parents that I could really see myself having a great four years here."

{2}Wright asked the Polloms how they chose their majors:
John: "I came to Hanover thinking about being a communication major. Throughout my three years, I have thought about English and geology. I ended up selecting a double major in Political Science and History. This is mainly because this is where my interests are most piqued and where I've found professors that are very challenging in the classroom and friends of mine outside of it."
Bill: "I selected political science as a major, only after I had been on the Hanover campus for a year or so. . . . I was convinced that this was the most interesting subject for me."
Martha: "I selected business administration as my major during my sophomore year. I entered college without a clear choice for my major. I choose business administration because I was interested in marketing."

{3}Wright asked John what professor most influenced him:
John: "Larry Thornton, professor of history, is my answer for three reasons. First, he is easily the professor I have learned the most from over the span of the classes I have taken from him. Second, he has an extensive knowledge of his subject matter combined with a sense of humor that is very similar to my own. Third, he is someone I consider a friend outside of the classroom. I have been very lucky to have several professors who fit those three criteria, but "T" fits them the best by far."

{4}Wright asked about the benefits and drawbacks of children attending their parents' alma mater:
Bill: "There are many benefits for us as parents. In terms of potential drawbacks, the biggest issue for us is not to push Hanover too hard as the college choice for our children."
Martha: "It has been very important in our family to take the proper time in the college selection process. Even though John and now Sarah chose Hanover, we visited other colleges and we made sure during that process that Hanover was the right choice for our kids. We wanted to make sure that it truly was their decision to attend Hanover. And I̓m sure we̓ll approach things the same way when our youngest son begins looking at colleges."
Bill: "Hanover College has been like a family to us. First, we made lifelong friends when we were students there. Second, it̓s really great to meet other Hanover alumni; we love that. You immediately feel a real connection, even if they graduated from Hanover many years before or after the time when we did."
John: " It is almost impossible not to make friendships that -- as far as I can tell -- will last longer than those I made in elementary or middle or high school. My parents still talk to and spend time with their friends from Hanover College. The fact that they do that despite living at least two hours away from most of them is the best testament I can imagine for the community aspects of this place."

Sue DeWine, "The President's View," email communication, December, 2012.

Sue DeWine is the Hanover College president. She wrote this letter to donors and other friends of Hanover College at Christmas time, 2012.

Holiday greetings
{1}As the holidays approach, I am thankful for our many alumni and friends who have supported the College during this past year. That support has come in the form of speaking to classes, hiring Hanover interns, hiring Hanover grads, participating in Hanover events and, of course, providing your financial support as well. We are so fortunate to have a family of supporters like you. I hope you have many blessings in your own life to be thankful for this holiday season.

{2} We are also thankful that our beloved College is making such great progress toward increased enrollment, improved graduation rates and better financial stability, especially at a time when our country has gone through some deep financial meltdowns, and higher education costs are constantly under attack. We must be doing many things right.

A different point of view
{3}Tom Snyder, president of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, recently wrote the following for the Huffington Post, "It is time we all accept the fact that a traditional four-year liberal arts education is a poor investment for America's middle class -- it is a luxury that few can afford." His solution? Enrollment in his institution. An op-ed piece that appeared in our local newspaper stated that his comments were "shortsighted and confused education with training."

{5} There is a place for both technical training and the broad liberal arts curriculum. What liberal arts graduates bring to the work place is the ability to think critically about problems, provide in-depth analysis of data, use clear communication skills and apply an understanding of the ethical questions facing society today. These are skills currently lacking in many areas of our society where more liberal arts graduates are needed.

{6} Recently, I sat in a corporate board room with the 12 top leaders of a $500 million business. Of those 12 around the table, eight of them had graduated with a liberal arts degree in such areas as political science, East Asian studies, psychology, anthropology, history, philosophy, Spanish, religion and communication. When Tom Snyder says, "Today's economy cannot support more art history or philosophy majors," he hasn't met many of our corporate leaders around the country. Numerous studies have reinforced the example I cite here.

{7} Hanover's recent growth in the student body is evidence of the attractiveness of the liberal arts education. In the past five years, our first year class has increased by almost 40 percent. Our retention rate is at an all-time high of 83 percent -- compare that to community colleges that rarely get 30 percent of their in-coming class to graduate. . . .

Counting our blessings
{8} So let us count our blessings. We are preparing young people to be leaders in a society that needs thinkers and doers, not those who make assumptions without supporting evidence.

{9} I hope Hanover's blessings can be added to your own personal blessings of family, friends and peace during the holiday season. Please support your alma mater when we call on you for help.