A Tribute 'To guide a mind to think truly and wisely, to judge properly I reason correctly, is a masterful work;" wrote J.N. Annstrong who served as president of Harding College from her chartering as a senior college in 1924 until the fall of 1936. Were this the greatest work to be done in the rearing of a child, it would be enough to engage the undivided thinking and planning of fathers and mothers. But in this mind, even in the lowest type of man, is something still more beautiful and wonderful. By some it is called conscience, and by others the moral sense. Call it what we may I it seperates man from all other animals and fixes his destiny eternally different. Robbed of this power, man is no longer man. Through its abuse he gradually sinks so low tha t language reels to tell the story. The real and lasting advancement of every community, nation, and people lies in the consciences of its people. So in our work our chief aim is to send every boy and girl horne at night with a tenderer conscience, a greater respect for right and duty . To teach a boy how to live a hundred years and train him to be an intellectual giant without this conscience culture is to curse the world and him." "We have long been trying to reform men, " he said. "Only in very recent years have we learned that our real business is formation and not reformation. The practical and scientific way is to emphasize constructive plans for building manhood and womanhood. For instance , the boy must be taught that moneymaking is not to be compared with manmaking; that there is something infinitely better than a millionaire of money, and that is a millionaire of character. The millstone about the neck of the republic is the man with the materialistic, sordid, selfish interests. To save the republic we must produce the boy with the nobler ideals, with spiritual vision, and with the power to see and to grasp the higher values of life. " This was the simple, yet profound, educational philosophy that motivated Bro. Armstrong to devote his life to Christian education and to persevere under the most adverse circumstances during the great depression when the doors of Harding remained open only because of his indomitable courage and his ability to persuade a small group of capable, dedicated teachers to stay with his, enduring great sacrifices. Born January 6, 1870, on a 380 A Tribute small farm near Gadsden, TN, he early in life was influenced by the Restoration Movement. He attended West Tennessee Christian College (now Freed-Hardeman College) for two years and, after teaching a country school, he enrolled in the Nashville Bible School (now David Lipscomb College) in the fall of 1893. His life was transformed by the influence of James A. Harding who, incidentally, had studied under Alexander Campbell at Bethany College. He subsequently taught Greek at the Nashville Bible School before moving with Harding, whose older daughter he had married, to Bowling Green, KY, to start Potter Bible School. Later he served as president of Western Bible and Literary College in Missouri, Cordell Christian College in Oklahoma, Harper College in Kansas, and Harding College. During his lifetime, most of the foreign missionaries from the churches of Christ were former students of Armstrong. Many of the teachers in Christian colleges that were started around the country had been his students. He instilled the spirit of service and genuine Christian commitment into his students. He taught them to rely upon God and his power. His sermons on 'The Mind of Christ," 'The Providence of God," 'The Christian Graces," "Go Ye Into All The World," "Purity of Heart," "Faith and Obedience ," etc., made a lasting impact on young lives. He spoke frequently in chapel on these great themes, and young people went home "with tenderer consciences and a great respect for right and duty. " He possessed a deeply emotional nature, a warm friendliness, a fine sense of humor, penetrating insight into problems, shrewd good judgment, depth of conviction, high sense of responsibility, and purity of heart. He condemhed the idea of a ministerial class and instructed the young men who were planning to preach "never to set themselves apart from others, or assume a sanctimonious pose or a preacher tone." During his presidency, a major in Bible was not offered, but through the Monday Night Meeting which he directed, young men had excellent opportunities for development as speakers and frequently received critiques whose severity was tempered by the love that was evident. Milton Peebles, recently deceased Board member and a graduate at Morrilton, held a gospel meeting in which he had a number of responses for baptism. He reported the results with an apparent sense of pride and Bro. Armstrong commented, "It is amazing what the Lord can accomplish if you will just let Him." Peebles some 45 years later commented that he never forgot this "ego inflating" lesson that enabled him to do so much good in southwest Arkansas, exalting Christ rather than self. In an effort to get a very dedicated young man to get his education before going to Africa , Armstrong told him , "If God had wanted you to go to Africa now, he would have had you born four years earlier." After retiring as president, he continued to teach Bible until his death. He also preached by remote control from the campus over KLRA in Little Rock each Sunday morning, taught the auditorium Bible class for the College congregation that met on campus in old Godden Hall, and preached frequently both for the College congregation and the Downtown congregation. But on August 12, 1944, his prayers for a peaceful death were answered when he apparently died in his sleep following a happy day of activity. He continued to influence Harding through his son-in-law, Dr. L. C. Sears, a brilliant English scholar and dedicated' preacher, who, served 36 years as academic dean; his grandson, Dr. Jack Wood Sears, who served 38 years as chairman of the Biology Department and who still is a fulltime teacher; and two great grandchildren, Anne and Robert Sears, who are students. His influence also continues through Dr. Clifton L. Ganus, Jr.. Dr. Joseph E. Pryor, Dr. Kenneth Davis, Ann Sewell, Dr. Evan Ulrey, and perhaps others, who sat in his Bible classes and Monday night meetings and heard him preach. It also continues through his biography, For Freedom, written by Dean Sears, which should be read by every student. The spirit of Harding possessed by students today is a living leg-acy of J.N. Armstrong. It is a great legacy felt around the earth as Harding students and alumni fill important roles in a broad spectrum of professional areas - with a tender conscience and a great respect for right and duty because they keep foremost in their thinking that they are servants of Christ whom they consider their Lord and Savior. Although this year is the 40th anniversary of the death of J. N. Armstrong, he still lives mightily through his educational philosophy - his spirit. "Formation of men" is the foremost goal of Harding today. ~
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