Early Missions, Charitable Work, YPM, and Higher Education / 135

Beginnings in Higher Education

As the Mennonite churches of Ohio began to engage in evangelistic and charitable activities, another development was taking place that affected the life and outlook of the churches. This was the attendance of a number of young men at the Ohio Normal University at Ada, Ohio. Founded in 1871 the university by the 1890's was offering courses in the classics and philosophy. The university became well known for its students in the fields of law, pharmacy, and commerce, and was respected for its religious and moral emphasis. Its reputation attracted a number of young Mennonites to its campus.',

Among the Mennonite and Amish youth who attended the university were: Menno S. Steiner and his brothers Albert J., Joseph, and Reuben from the nearby community at Bluffton (Menno and Albert became church leaders); Amos I. Yoder of West Liberty, Ohio, who became a prominent bishop in the churches; C. K. Hostetler, a future city missionary in Youngstown; Isaiah W. Royer of Orrville, a future Sunday school promoter; John Hilty, who became superintendent of the orphanage at West Liberty; Jacob B. Smith of Elida (originally of Ontario), a future Bible scholar, teacher, and author-these were among the young men who were trained at what is now Ohio Northern University. Their training was chiefly in the decade of the 1890's."

. As yet there was no Mennonite college accessible to these young men and the contribution that the institution at Ada made to them was a large one. For the rest of their lives they spoke and wrote with affection for the thorough courses and the idealistic atmosphere of the university. Among their teachers were a future United States senator, Simon D. Fess, and a future governor of Ohio, F. B. Willis.

While attending the university the young men worshiped with the New Stark congregation under the pastorate of John Blosser. It was while he was a student at Ada that J. B. Smith preached his first sermon on the text, "In the beginning God." A number of the Mennonite students were active in a nearby mission. John S. Coffman held meetings at the mission and on one occasion conducted chapel services at the university."