Grundy Junior College

The Christian Reform College Spreads Out

Grundy Center College Will Enlarge Its Territory and Take in Other States

Has A Bright Future Before It

A Movement on Foot to Take in Neighboring States and Increase the Attendance

At a meeting held recently in this city in the interest of the Christian Reformed College, located here, measures were adopted which will have a vital bearing on the future of the college.

The action taken contemplates enlarging the institution in financial support, in students and in influence, by extending the contributing territory so as to include the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota.

This action will come up for ratification at the four conferences of the church to be held next month. In the opinion of President Bode there is little doubt that the plan will receive favorable consideration, this being the only college of the denomination west of the Mississippi river.

It is expected that the movement will result in a largely increased financial support and attendance of students.

The college is now in its third year, has a faculty of a dozen members and a student body of sixty-five. Besides an academic course it also has a course in liberal arts and theology. The committee which recently met was unanimous in its opinion that Grundy Center is a most favorable location and that the college gives promise of sturdy growth. The committee consisted of the Rev. W. Bode, president of the college, and Profs. J. Timmerman and D. H. Kromminga of the school, and from out of town, the Rev. R. H. Haas, Ph. D., Orange City; the Rev. G. O. Jong, Leighton; the Rev. Peter Bloem, Oskaloosa, the Rev. Peter Jonker, Lebanon; the Rev. P. G. Weering, Hall, and the Rev. F. Schurman, Clara City, Minn.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 6 March 1919, pg 1

Grundy Junior College

This institution is located in Grundy Center, Iowa, not improperly styled the "most beautiful town in the garden spot of Iowa." We are confident that the thousands we are privileged to welcome to our city at this National Corn Husking Derby will agree that this description is not exaggerated.

Grundy Junior College was organized in 1916. Since then, several changes were made as to the teaching staff as well as to the organization as such. For fourteen years the Dr. W. Bode headed the institution, a position he resigned in the spring of 1930. Since then Dr. W. H. Rutgers has assumed the responsibilities of the office of president of the College. At its inception, a full high school course, College and three years of Seminary training was offered. In 1920 the Organization was transferred from a Church School to that of a Christian Society, by which it is regulated, supported and maintained today. Because a number of courses were taught in the German language in the first few years of its existence, the school was erroneously called a "German or Dutch" school. This was misleading and unfortunate. It is about as ridiculous and foolish as it would be to assert that because a number of the citizens of Grundy Center and vicinity still speak German language, that such would brand it a German or Dutch town.

Grundy Junior College owes its existence to a number of Christian people in this immediate vicinity and elsewhere who believed that education affects the whole of an individual as well as every realm of life. To merely train the mind with the aim of increasing the volume of mental acumen will in many instances render men but educated fools. We therefore believe that sound priciples of education involve also and in first instance, the heart, out of which, according to the sacred pages, are the issues of life. The sole and only reason for the existence of this school of learning is that we desire to educate young men and women, to prepare them for noble endeavors, to foster christian ideals and thus to secure for them the best possible equipment in order that they may render the noblest service to our country, to fellowmen and to our God. The school stands on the unshakable, invincible, and impregnable foundation of God's inerrant Word, the Bible, which we believe to be the only infallible rule for faith and practice. All instruction is given in conformity to the Divine dictum, that "in the ear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom." While ever appellable to the Word, we believe the principles of this truth to have found explicit expression in the Reformed Faith, the Calvinistic world and life view.

We not only reserve a place for God in our thinking, but believe Him to be central in all thought. Without God all the finer arts, literature, painting, the sciences, natural science, philosophy, etc., must remain a perfect conundrum and a tempting riddle. To rule out God in our thinking renders hopeless and vain any attempt to interpret life. Yet just because we are thinking individuals, it is imperative that we do interpret our personal existence as well as the world in which we live. We are but actors in a sublime drama. How then are we to unlock this mystery? Where shall we find the key? How are we to proceed? This supreme question Grundy College aims to answer.

We aim to permeate all our teaching with principles of Jesus Christ. For brevity's sake these can be summed up as follows: loving God with our whole personality, viz., with heart, soul, strength and mind; and loving our fellowmen as ourselves. It will be conceded by friend and foe alike that greater and higher ideals no man can embrace. To envisage and reflect these in our thinking and conduct will make for the best kind of citizenship and self-sacrificing service.

The present student body numbers 60 members, representing nine states. May many more join our rank in the years to come. May it continue to be a heaven for good, wholesome, sound and christian training in this community. May Grundy College send out many christian trained men and women. There is no greater need in America today, than this.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 13 November 1931