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1 HE HILLTOP
Sll!!’®® 62, Issue 5
Mars Hill, North Carolina
Monday, November 21, 1988
l^ormer President Blackwell Dies Keeping in Touch:
J John Campbell
' Advisor
Hoyt Blackwell, president of
>66 College from 1938 until
j Tuesday at a nursing home
Coring
«cher
3ucan
ago
ervice.
idie
team
ght.
ostsa
it him
»ne
He was 98.
his 38-year career as a
jj and administrator at the Bap-
L Dr. Blackwell became
” to thousands of students, alum-
Baptists throughout the state;
^oady smile and a friendly
ivell his trademarks. He
®akin^ ."'idely throughout the state,
in Baptist churches large and
iijj ’ ^^opresenting the college with en-
j to. He established a reputation
tt) .^took and Bible scholar, as a
I fi, toistrator, and as an outstand-
i j,'''haiser. When he retired from
: tosidency in 1966, relinquishing
trei-^hos to Dr. Fred Bentley, the
tisgif P^osident, Dr. Blackwell prided
!e > 00 leaving the institution debt
If i '''as noted at the time that
ej) 0 buildings on campus had
tocted during his administration,
iiipig'^h school dropout who only
tir^i tod secondary schooling after
told w from combat duty in
ied I, Dr. Blackwell also iden-
'ded jtoself as a tree farmer. He
tolin toacts of land in South
! of^.-to'd keenly followed the rais-
^Orn *?^or throughout his life.
Ipe^Sept. 20, 1890, in Jefferson,
idreti J^^^^^aw, he was one of 11
' ' lOth^ ^ well-to-do family. After
’■ k)oi . grade, he dropped out of
ton Ur ^^'^ome a rural mail carrier,
about
;s, like
HeATSa*
300.
led War I came along, he
Ule
topg Army and was sent to
|it j^^^ing with an artillery regi-
Hed „J^’’ance. He returned to the
hed in June, 1919, and
“Ptoted ^ HiU that fall. There he
Sn hj i*is high school studies and
tofe to college work. In 1922, he
liniig k-J® Wake Forest College to
toied undergraduate studies. He
> reb-O Mars Hill at Easter, 1923,
■^try Ptozed and ordained to the
|fcb Py the Mars Hill Baptist
192?^
ice.
^aduated from Wake Forest
’ and ^ Bachelor of Arts de-
Continued his studies at
^anry • Hill and at Southern
■tor ^ Louisville, KY, receiving
toary i Theology degree from the
joined
^ and o ^ faculty as a teacher of
? Hill* *^cek. While a member of
tos gj faculty, he continued his
> V Theological Seminary
L^Pive'S; the Divinity School at
He was asked in 1935 to return
from a leave of absence to assume
responsibilities as director of a college
enlargement program. His first major
undertaking was the raising of funds
for a new residence hall.
The trustees unanimously elected
Dr. Blackwell the school’s 18th presi
dent in 1938. He was inaugurated on
Founders Day that fall. During 28
years as president he succeeded in
expanding the college’s physical plant
as well as its staff.
Five dormitories; a science building;
a cafeteria with bookstore, snack bar,
and post office; an auditorium and
fine arts building; and the beginnings
of a physical education building, swim
ming pool and stadium were con
structed during his administration.
Older buildings were renovated and
modernized, the campus beautifully
landscaped, the faculty and staff more
than doubled, endowment significant
ly increased, the annual budget ex
panded from less than $300,000 to ap
proximately $1.5 million and the col
lege kept free of indebtedness.
During World War II, Dr. Black-
well served as Madison County chair
man of the Third War Bond Sales
drive. The goal was $300,000, $100,000
from banks and businesses with the
remainder coming from sales to in
dividual citizens. Learning that famed
aviator Eddie Rickenbacker was to
speak in Asheville, he persuaded the
flying ace to help him with the bond
drive in Madison County. Their team
work provided the boost for a suc
cessful sales campaign. Dr. Blackwell
was later cited by the U.S. Treasury
for his leadership in the successful
bond drive.
Throughout his career, the scholar
ly educator enjoyed opportunities to
preach. During his college and semi
nary days, he had pastored small chur
ches in eastern North Carolina, Ken
tucky and Virginia. Later, after join
ing the faculty at Mars Hill, he pas
tored the Piney Mountain Church in
northern Buncombe County as well as
the Forks of Ivy and Marshall First
Baptist.
Early in his tenure as president of
the college, he was elected a vice-
president of the Baptist State Conven
tion. He probably would have been
elevated to the presidency, but con
vention rules prohibited officials of
Baptist institutions from serving as
president of the convention.
Under Dr. Blackwell’s leadership,
the college was integrated in the early
1960s with the admission of Oralene
Graves of Asheville. Until then, no
blacks had ever been admitted to the
college. Seeing Miss Graves^ applica
tion as an opportunity to m^e a sig
nificant move. Dr. Blackwell called a
special meeting of the trustees. Dr.
Perry Crouch, then pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Asheville, offered
a motion that the college adopt a
policy of admitting qualified students
without regard to race. The adoption
of that motion not only opened the
door for Miss Graves, now Mrs.
Oralene Simmons of Asheville, but to
numerous others who have come after
her.
Another significant development at
the college, the conversion from junior
college status to that of a senior col
lege, was instigated under Dr.
Blackwell’s leadership. That transition
occurred during 1962-64. The junior
year was added in 1962-63, the senior
year in 1963-64, and the first bac
calaureate degrees were awarded in
May, 1964.
One of Dr. Blackwell’s travels away
from the campus representing the col
lege led to his marriage. While speak
ing at the First Baptist Church of
Erwin, TN, on Easter 1933, he met
Olive Brown. They were married
several months later and enjoyed 54
years of marriage together.
In addition to his wife. Dr. Black-
well is survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Hannah Appel of Winston-$alem, and
two sons. Dr. Albert Blackwell, profes
sor of religion at Furman University,
and Dr. Eric Blackwell, professor of
medicine at Texas Tech University in
Lubbock. Also among the survivors
are eight grandchildren.
National Phonathon
and Alumni Office
by Lisa Ramsey
Staff Writer
Mars Hill College’s National
Phonathon, held October 23 through
November 7, was the most successful
ever with a total of 3026 pledges and
$93,000...$18,000 more than has been
raised in the past. Ed Hoffmeyer,
Director of Alumni Activities, said,
"the two benefits the phonathon
provides are: 1). it involves the stu
dents in fund-raising for the college;
and 2). it allows alumni the oppor
tunity to communicate with current
students, putting a face to their con
tribution." One hundred and seven
ty students-17% of the college’s en
rollment-participated in the event.
Mr. Hoffmeyer said that working in
the phonathon gives students a chance
to pay the college back for the things
it has given them, and it allows them
to help with the future of MHC.
The location of this year’s event was
different from those of the past The
phonathon was held in Peterson Con
ference Center in Blackwell Hall, rather
than McConnell Gym, because it has
better class facilities. Channel 4 news
covered a portion of the event on
television. Sbcteen phones were placed
two to a table and manned by volun
teers from the following MHC organiza
tions: Sigma Chi Nu, Gamma Chi
Epsilon, Iota Chi Alpha, Delta Kappa
liieta. Golden Pride, SGA/Senate,
Omega Kappa Alpha, Delta Phi Zeta,
and Sigma Alpha Chi. Top palling
organizations were: first place. Iota
Chi Alpha, raising $13,000 and beat
ing the all-time record by $3,000;
second place. Delta Kappa Theta, rais
ing $11,700; and third place. Gamma
Chi Epsilon, raising $11,400. Top in
dividual callers were: first place. Chip
Thompson; second place. Rod Hem
phill; and third place, Nancy DeBord.
Continued on page 6
INSIDE
Editorial
. . . 2
On Campus . . .
. . . 3
Sports
. 4,5
Odds & Ends . .
. . 6
Diversions . . . .
. . 7