A Letter from the Archives

Back in 1999, Calvin Hawkins (CC ’65) received a letter from Vern Archer (CC ’28) reminiscing about his time at Central. The letter was recently found in Central’s archives and includes a funny story about former President Stoll.

Dear Calvin,

I was at Central in 1926-28. President Stoll was fond of telling a story at the morning prayer assembly on the top floor of the Science Building. This was before the boys dorm was completed.

He traveled to get contribution. After one trip he told us that he stayed on the third floor of an old hotel where, at the end of the hall, he saw a long rope curled below the window. A note stated, “In case of fire, throw the loose end out the window and slide down to the ground, then run like _______”. He didn’t say “Hell” but all of us knew what the unspoken word was. Then, he would smile proudly!

In those days, Sunday afternoon was broken by requiring all students to spend one hour in their room from 2 to 3 pm. Called a quiet hour. My roommate, Ralph Moore (now gone) and I took our girlfriends for a walk south of campus. The next week we were “social purred” because Mrs. Meinhardt (girls dorm mother) saw a picture of Ruth (Blair) and me. She knew it had been taken on a Sunday as that was the day Ruth had worn that dress. We were not permitted to see each other for 3 weeks – that was what “social purred” was.

Vern Archer
“O’ for the good old days”

ABOUT CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF KANSAS

Central Christian College of Kansas is a four-year collegiate institution that strives to offer Christ-centered education for the whole person through four core characteristics: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Its history dates back to 1884, and it is located in the friendly town of McPherson, Kansas. Central is a strategically small college that offers over forty areas of residential study and a thriving online program for non-traditional students. To learn more about Central, go to centralchristian.edu/about. Visit the Foundation of Central Christian College to see what projects and events are coming up.