McDOWELL, Floyd Marion

MCDOWELL, SQUIRES, GOODE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/23/2016 at 13:54:38

BIOGRAPHY ~ Floyd Marion McDowell
Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Floyd Marion McDowell was born on March 26, 1899, at Excelsior [Richland Center], Wisconsin. The son of travelling missionary W.A. and Elizabeth (Squires) McDowell, he was baptized on October 1, 1899.

Floyd attended Graceland from 1907 to 1909. He was part of the Industrial Department during his two years at Graceland, ans was assigned during his freshman year to take care of the chickens on the college farm. He continued his education, receiving his B.A. degree in 1911 from Iowa State University. Floyd returned to Graceland as a teacher of psychology, history, English, and education through 1913, and served as editor-in-chief of the first Acacia published in 1912. Floyd became a strong promoter in expanding history courses at Graceland and taught ancient, European, English and American History. Due to low enrollments in Graceland's four-year collegiate program, Floyd suggested that the college adopt the two-year associate of arts concept pioneered by the Univeresity of Chicago, a move that the Board of Trustees approved in 1912 and went into effect two years later. Floyd was THE pioneer of the junior college movement at Graceland, and a pioneer of the junior college movement in general.

Floyd went on to leave to study at Clark University of Massachusetts in 1912, completing a master's thesis in 1914 that surveyed the growth of small colleges in the United States. In 1918, he obtained his Ph.D. in education and psychology at the University of Iowa. His doctoral thesis, The Junior College: A Study of its Origin, Development, and Status in the United States was published by the U. S. Department of Education.

Floyd came back to Lamoni and rejoined Graceland's faculty in 1914 to 1917 as psychology professor and dean, making him the first dean of the first junior college in Iowa.

Floyd lived most of his life in Lamoni, Iowa, where the RLDS Church headquarters were located. Floyd was ordained an elder on January 19, 1915, and ordained a high priest on August 6, 1916. He served on the Lamoni Stake High Counsil.

He was selected as a counselor to RLDS Church president Frederick Madison Smith in the church's First Presidency on October 2, 1922. He remained active as a faculty member at Graceland until 1925. Floyd served for sixteen years with the RLDS First Presidency until in April of 1938 when his fellow counselor, Elbert A. Smith, was released. Floyd later resigned as a member of the First Presidency on October 20, 1938. Israel A. Smith and Lemuel F. P. Curry were selected to succeed Elbert Smith and Floyd McDowell.

After his resignation, Floyd became the RLDS Church's Director of Priesthood Education, a position he held for 25 years until April 8, 1954 when he was ordained an evangelist and became a patriarch in the church. Floyd founded Zion's League and was involved in Boy Scouts. He was superannuated in 1960.

In 1922, Floyd began a 30-year membership on the Graceland Board of Trustees, serving a portion of that time until 1952 as chairman.

On May 14, 1961, The Floyd M. McDowell Commons was dedicated. It was named in Floyd's honor. In 1963, Graceland awarded Floyd the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters.

Floyd married Lucy Goode on June 30, 1912.

Floyd died on October 27, 1964, Independence, Missouri. Lucy (Goode) McDowell was born in 1888, and died on August 20, 1976. They were interred at Mound Grove Cemetery, Independence, Missouri. Their epitaph reads: "The Explorer. 'One Everlasting Whisper Something Lost Behind The Ranges Lost And Waiting For You. Go! So I Went.' ~ R. Kipling"

SOURCES:

Edwards, Paul M. "The Hilltop Where. . . An Informal History of Graceland College." Pp. 39, 50-51, 59 Venture Foundation. Lamoni IA. 1972.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_M._McDowell

geocitiessites.com/scott_norwood/McDowellF.html

Goehner, David. "The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z." p. 425. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.

Transcription and Commons photographs by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

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