The Collapse of Colfax College
Students walk out in unison, forcing the closure of the local college after faculty departures and administration disputes.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Last week it was said Colfax college would remain open for the spring term. This was the decision of the trustees, but the students decided differently Monday morning. When the students learned two weeks ago that Prof. Plummer and Miss Park had resigned from the faculty, they said they would not remain longer with President Schlauch. After a meeting of the trustees had adjourned, a plan was hit upon to continue the school: President Schlauch should hold his office but go into the field on financial work and keep entirely away from the college. Miss Park and Rev. T. J. Collins were to continue the work. Under these conditions the students settled down, but Friday Miss Park was called to her home in Kansas by a telegram regarding her sick father. A canvass of the student body brought the same reply as before: 'We will not remain with President Schlauch.' Monday morning, when President Schlauch announced he was unable to replace Miss Park, the students gathered their books and left in a body.
“We will not remain with President Schlauch.”
Colfax College's struggle with administrative turnover and student-led protest reflects the timeless vulnerability of small, independent educational institutions when leadership loses the trust of the community.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.