TN-BJC&A in Tennessee

BJC and BJA in Tennessee
1933-1947

- The Move to Cleveland
- Cleveland Finances
- World War II
- Decision to Move

The Move to Cleveland

During the Great Depression, Bob Jones College and Academy was forced to declare bankruptcy and relinquish its Florida campus. But immediately after the spring 1933 College Point graduation ceremony, Mrs. Jones, Sr., Jones, Jr., and the school’s financial administrator got in a waiting car and left for Cleveland, Tennessee. A vandalized building awaited them.

Donated funds and money from the sale of the Jones’s Florida home (which cost $18,000 to build but during the Depression sold for $6,000) were to be spent restoring the damaged building and constructing a classroom building before school opened in the fall. They had much to do.

Some predicted that BJC and BJA would follow the path of many other schools of the time. They would flounder; enrollment would decline, and eventually the doors would close for good. Even with massive efforts and the best of intentions, moving to Tennessee was merely the death throes of Jones, Sr.’s overly optimistic, Christian-educational vision.

God, however, had other plans. Shortly after the opening service in Tennessee, Jones, Sr. announced that there had been a significant enrollment increase. That was only the beginning.

Picturesque South Tower of Old Main.

Student Comments on Cleveland – Charles Smith, a BJA student in Cleveland, later recalled, “Cleveland! What a town! Stores were open by 8:00 AM. on Saturday morning, and courthouse square was filled with ‘spit-and-whittle’ clubs (groups of overall-clad farmers with mouths filled with ‘chawin’ terbacker’ busily carving on sticks with their pocketknives). Holy-roller preachers were in vocal competition. Occasionally, snake-handlers excited the crowd. . . . The stores were so small that you have to walk in slowly or you’d hit the back wall. . . . (Cleveland was) an old-time town, a little town with a small town mentality. Culture was far, far beyond it. . . (and the residents) did not understand anything of an intellectual or spiritual nature.”

Cleveland, Tennessee, located between Chattanooga and Knoxville, had a population of 10,000 when BJC and BJA moved to town. It had one industry-the Hardwick Stove Company. Near the center of town were the buildings of Centenary College, a female junior college run by the Holston Methodist Conference. The Depression forced the Conference to close the school in 1929, and the buildings had fallen into disrepair. The Conference had missed payments and owed $66,000 to the property owner.

As BJC moved to Cleveland, a deal was struck. By 1936, BJC would pay $33,000 and the Conference would pay $33,000 to the owner, and the property would be deeded to BJC. The Conference saw their debt being cut in half, and expecting BJC to fail, they could reclaim a restored property. By 1936 BJC had paid their share and Jones, Sr. had helped the Conference raise money to pay their portion. BJC again owned a campus.

The campus originally consisted of Old Main, a T-shaped red-brick building. Offices, an auditorium, a library, dining room, and swimming pool were on the ground floor. On the second floor were dorm rooms. A few dilapidated outbuildings were in the rear.

The Cleveland Chamber of Commerce gave $10,000 and supplied volunteer labor to help ready the campus. To house BJC and BJA, additional facilities were needed. The Academic Building, a two-story, brick classroom-and-office building, was built that summer. Other donations and the fact that during the Depression labor was extremely cheap (skilled carpenters were willing to work for 25 cents an hour) permitted the repairs and building project to be completed.

The restored Old Main was beautiful, but it was inadequate for BJC and BJA's needs.

Over 700 people attended the September 6, 1933, opening meeting in Old Main’s auditorium. Local dignitaries spoke and Jones, Sr. told the community of the school’s philosophy: “Education with God left out will ruin our civilization; education with God left out is worse than no education. The aim of Bob Jones College is to combine learning with the principles of Christ.”

Due to the influx of students, Jones, Sr. indicated late in the week that the school was crowded, but “room will be made for all who come, even if members of the faculty have to be crowded out into private homes, or nearby residences have to be engaged to house the overflow.”

The Academic Building was erected behind Old Main. It was "bare bones, functional" classrooms and offices.

Cleveland Finances

Enrollment growth in Cleveland forced BJC to constantly add to the campus. Each year the school purchased adjacent properties, primarily houses, which were used as student or faculty residences or were converted to fine arts studios, offices, or other purposes. They bore names like Harmony House, Honeymoon Hall, Melody Hall, and Bachelor Hall.   In addition, the school had major construction projects, which included an auditorium, a dormitory for 200 men, and a gymnasium. However, the tuition and the room and board remained low. Where did the finances for these buildings come from?

Previously, Jones, Sr. had avoided publicly asking for direct contributions to BJC. He would encourage the purchase of College Point properties or the BJC bonds, but during the Florida financial crisis, he privately appealed to wealthy donors. In Cleveland, however, it appears that he did publicly solicit support for the school, and various individuals and groups responded – but not enough to account for the campus growth.

John Sephus Mack, president of a northern chain of retail stores, had served on organizing committees for several of the Jones, Sr. evangelistic campaigns in Pennsylvania.   In 1936, Jones, Sr. was conducting a 15-day campaign near Pittsburg, and Mack offered to donate $45,000 to the school’s construction program if the College could match the gift. The students, faculty, and Board of Trustees raised the amount in a matter of weeks.

Mack was inclined to donate more but was concerned about BJC’s permanence and if it could continue its stand and mission while Jones, Sr. was heavily engaged in evangelism. Jones, Sr. was able to convince him of the school’s stability, and Mack responded with generous monthly checks. Mack visited the campus in 1939 and gave the school 800 shares of stock in his company.

Mack not only supported financially but also helped mold the school’s financial structure, even bringing the school treasurer to his company headquarters for training. He advised on many institutional policies and even sent his personal landscapers to redo the school grounds. As the Cleveland auditorium was being designed, Mrs. Mack suggested several costly enhancements and paid for them. It was named the Margaret Mack Auditorium.

Mack generously supported many other causes, and BJC awarded him the honorary degree Doctor of Philanthropy in 1939.  One year after he visited the campus, Mack had a stroke and died. He left a small legacy to BJC.

John S. Mack and Margaret, his wife, supported many of the ambitious building projects of the school. In Greenville, a dormitory and the library were named for this faithful couple.

Send Me the Bill – At one point Mack told Jones, Sr., “Build your buildings, and send me the bill.”
In effect, Jones, Sr. did. Although Mack’s untimely death was a significant loss to the school, Jones, Sr. realized that it was part of God’s plan. He said, “Now we will go back to trusting God and not looking to Mr. Mack.”

When it opened, the Margaret Mack Auditorium was one of the best-equipped theaters in Tennessee.

The Mack Memorial Library was a spacious building, designed to meet the needs of the college for many years.

World War II
When the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, the entire country was transformed. Besides many young people enlisting in “the service,” factories, farmland, and virtually every other aspect of the U.S. economy was diverted, first to the war effort and then to maintaining the homeland. Rationing of everything from food and clothing to building materials affected everyone. Dormitory students surrendered their rationing books to the school as they registered so that rationed food stuffs could be obtained for the dining common.

During the war, BJC and BJA experienced moderate enrollment growth. The need of additional facilities continued, and with much effort the administration acquired property and scrambled to obtain building materials. At one point wood was restricted to that which could be harvested from one’s own land. BJC purchased wooded lands to supply lumber for building projects.

Prior to the war, the Christmas break generally started mid-December and ended in mid-January. During the war, however, public transportation gave preference to military personnel. Civilians spent days in a bus or train terminal waiting for the next available seat. As a result, BJC and BJA students remained in their dormitories or stayed with friends in the Cleveland area for the war’s first Christmas break. For the following war years, the break was reduced to a couple of days. To compensate, the school year ended earlier in the spring.

During the war, spirits often ran low on the campus. During this period, Jones, Sr. encouraged his “boys and girls” by introducing slogans and preaching on them in chapel. The first, as the uncertainty of war was plaguing Americans, he chose “Ready” and encouraged them to look to God for guidance. Next, he encouraged students with “Steady” and stressed courage while looking to God for strength. Then he told them to “Pray.”

Since personal radios were rare on campus, news of the war was often part of the chapel program and newsreels (films made by the U.S. government to keep the public informed) were sometimes shown. There were daily prayer meetings and campus-wide days-of-prayer for the soldiers and the war.

1944 Vintage page with photo of chapel - The star on the wall banner served as a reminder of BJ family members serving in the war effort.

BJA Students Work for Federal Grants – In 1935, The National Youth Administration, a New Deal program to keep students from dropping out of school for financial reasons, was organized. Grants were given to students who worked for their educational institution. In 1943, the program was transferred to the War Manpower Commission to free resources for the war.

Twenty BJA students earned 30 cents an hour (up to $6.00 per month) from the government for work they did for BJA. The massive paperwork generated by BJA’s participation in this program is in the Academy Archives. Students generally cleaned facilities or served as teacher aides. The government discontinued the program following the war. Shortly thereafter, BJC and BJA instituted the similar Work-Loan Scholarship program to aid students in paying for their education. The campus program continued until the 21st century.

Following the war, both BJC and BJA experienced major enrollment growth. Many who had suspended their education to serve in the war decided to pick up where they had left off, and the government helped them with the GI Bill of Rights. War veterans were offered low-rate loans to purchase a house, start a business, or continue their education.

The government and educational institutions were astonished at the number who decided to return to school. In the fall of 1945, BJC enrolled 627 students. Two years later, 1581 enrolled. With the BJA students, over 1860 students were enrolled on the tiny Cleveland campus.

The GI bill also covered high school education. Much of the Academy’s post-war growth was because many had enlisted without finishing high school and thus did not meet college entrance requirements. This explains a BJA enrollment near 200 with a senior class of 100.

Some returning GIs were close to graduation. Often they enrolled in BJA as “Special Students.” After completing a course or two, they would take the GED exam and qualify for college entrance.

Dining common meal - c 1934 - Jones, Sr. (right)) seated with students.

The Age Factor – Some returning GIs were four or more years older and had different life experiences than their high school peers. Occasionally, this made for difficult teacher/student relationships. Some young men had difficulties accepting the authority of a younger person.

Edith Markham’s (right) first year of teaching was BJA’s last year in Tennessee. During her first several years on the faculty, she often taught young men and women older than she was. Years later, when asked about the potential difficulties she smiled and said, “I never had a problem.” Others, however, did. Policies regarding faculty-student dating were instituted.

To accommodate the influx of students, BJC leased barracks-style buildings from the Army Air Corps and set them up on leased land. In 1946, the school secured 50 trailers from the government, moved them from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and put them on a vacant lot and half of the athletic field. Despite these measures, a lack of space forced BJC to turn away about 2000 applicants after the war.

A lack of housing was not the only concern. To accommodate classes, some met at 7:00 AM; others did not finish until 9:00 PM. Meals were served in three shifts. For scheduling purposes, all Academy students ate the same shift. Chapel was broadcast to four locations, and students rotated so they were in the auditorium at least once a week. Little Moby's Corner (snack shop) set up outdoor pavilions to offer concessions during campus events. Bible Conference services were broadcast to four buildings simultaneously. The overcrowding resulted in heavy burdens for facilities and people. Something needed to give.

The Cleveland Campus

The Cleveland campus was eventually scattered over several city blocks. The main part of the campus is seen in the 1945 aerial photo (left).

Old Main (A) is the only original campus building.

The Academic Building (B) held College and Academy classes until the 4-story Alumni Building (C) was built in 1945. All College classes moved to the new building.

BJA inherited the Academic Building, and it was renamed the Academy Building (B). For the last 2 years in Cleveland, BJA had its own building.

The Margaret Mack Auditorium (D) was built in 1936. The Mack Memorial Library (E) was built in 1940.

The aerial view of the campus (above left) was cut to show the property owned by BJC in 1946. The aluminum covered trailers housed young men after the war. The trailers created what students called Silver City (above right). It is in the lower left corner of the aerial view. The soccer game on campus (below left) shows spectators on one side of the pitch. On the other side, they would be on someone else's property. A house adjacent to the campus (below right) was purchased by the College and converted to music studios and offices.

Decision to Move

Since its arrival in Cleveland, BJC had purchased nearby property as it became available. The 1945 campus consisted of over 20 buildings. With the post-war enrollment surge, the school needed more, but securing land or buildings was becoming impossible. Some owners demanded exorbitant prices; others refused to sell.

In 1946, the largest private liberal arts college in Tennessee announced it would be moving, and cities all over the country took notice. A Christian organization offered 1200 acres near Boston; Detroit offered a vacant estate; Kansas City offered a city park. But Jones, Sr. felt the school should remain in the South because the southern spiritual climate was more in keeping with the school’s stand. Hendersonville wanted BJC in North Carolina. Chattanooga wanted to keep it in Tennessee.

Orlando offered an old air force base and over a million dollars to lure the school back to Florida. It was on the short list but could not guarantee the land within the allotted time. Asheville, North Carolina was considered, but a group of local minsters preached and took out newspaper ads indicating they were against BJC’s fundamentalist theology and would do what they could to hamper its coming.

On April 18, 1946, Jones, Sr. and school officials went to purchase land near Knoxville, Tennessee. The deal had been in the works for weeks. Only signatures on the contract and the delivery of a check remained. But the owner indicated she was having second thoughts about selling land which had long been in her family. Jones, Sr. stopped school officials from applying pressure: “If the Lord is in this, the plans can be worked out satisfactorily; if not, He must have some other plan for us.” They left Knoxville without closing the deal.

Shortly after he learned of the school’s intent to move, E. Roy Stone, a Greenville realtor whose son and daughter were BJC students, wrote to the school extolling the benefits Greenville could offer. He contacted leaders in the Greenville Chamber of Commerce regarding seeking to entice BJC to Greenville. After researching the school, the Chamber enthusiastically agreed. Several Greenville leaders chartered a plane and flew to Cleveland and met with the Expansion Committee.  Jones, Sr. and some school officials then made a trip to Greenville to view possible sites.

Three days following the disappointing Knoxville meeting, Stone showed Jones, Sr. a tract of land bordered by US 29 (Wade Hampton Blvd.), SC 291 (Pleasantburg Drive), Old Spartanburg Highway (East North Street) and White Oak Drive. “I can remember so clearly when Dr. Bob walked out on the piece of land and stood by the tree out in front of the spot on which the library is built. He looked around, swung his arm, and said, ‘This is it.’ Then he turned to me and said, ‘Mr. Stone, this is the land, isn’t it?’”

That night the Chamber of Commerce hosted a banquet for the Expansion Committee and officially invited the school to come to Greenville. They pledged their support if it did so. Jones, Sr. told what other cities had offered and that they were in the process of executing an option on land in Knoxville.   He then indicated Greenville would be given full consideration if they would agree to give the land he had seen that afternoon to the school. However, he noted, the Committee was to announce its plans in chapel three days later.

Stone and others in Greenville worked feverishly to obtain options to purchase the muddy hills, gullies, cornfield, and pastureland that Jones, Sr. had seen. In two days, they had obtained most of them and assured the school that the others would be obtained. It would cost about $175,000 to purchase the land, and the Chamber of Commerce was ready to start raising the funds to do so.
The campus buzz was that BJC and BJA would move to Knoxville. On April 25, chapel was delayed a few hours, giving the Expansion Committee a bit more time to make their decision. When chapel came the atmosphere was electric.   Declarations to the city of Cleveland and to the students and faculty were read.

Chapel, April 25, 1946. Jones, Sr. and others announce the move to Greenville.
The student body sings the BJC Pep Song and the Doxology to end the service.

Charles Smith, a BJA freshman at the time, remembers the excitement of that chapel, and the question he and others were asking as they left the meeting: “So, where exactly is Greenville, South Carolina?”

BJA Principals in Tennessee – Eunice Hutto was principal of BJA until 1936. Lillian Pearl Lee had graduated from BJC in Florida and had served as Hutto’s assistant before she replaced Hutto as principal. Hutto and Lee (future Brown) are the only women to serve as principals of BJA. For more information, see BJA Profiles – Eunice Hutto and Lillian Lee Brown.

Greenville? – Martha Stone, a BJC music major, heard about the intended move. She added a postscript to a letter she was writing to her father, E. Roy Stone, a Greenville realtor: “By the way, the college is considering a move. Maybe it could come to Greenville.”

The tree where Jones, Sr. originally viewed the Greenville property was the only mature tree on the front campus after the buildings were constructed. (Location is based on R. K. Johnson’s description of the event. Another account places this event at another location.) This tree appeared in several photos in the first Vintages published in Greenville. The tree is no longer on campus.

Charles Smith became a BJA and BJU graduate and taught Bible at BJU for many years.

The autumnal view from Old Main's front door was striking. The houses seen across the street, however, were off campus.

To go to the next article about BJA's history in Tennessee, click here.

For information about Bob Jones College/University see:
·   Fortress of Faith: The Story of Bob Jones University.  Melton Wright
·   Standing Without Apology: The History of Bob Jones University. Daniel L. Turner
·   Bob Jones University—50 Years Under God.  Margaret Beall Tice
·   Reflecting God's Light—Facets of a Miracle.  Daniel L. Turner
·   The Campus History Series: Bob Jones University. Bob A. Nestor