and near to secure by 1934 the total sum of $750,000 for a building and Endowment Fund."Is In the weeks and months ahead the Cedarville Herald kept the community fully apprised of the progress of the fund drive. In four months only $9,000 had been raised. Meanwhile, the trustees were forced to cut their expenditures and borrow $2,500 from the Endowment Fund in order to meet their bills in the '30-31 school year. I6 With the Depression deepening, the trustees curtailed the budget for 1931-32, but with an anticipated drop in enrollment and the depreciation in some of the stocks in the Endowment Fund, they were still more than $10,000 short. Again the college appealed to the community for help. Once more the Cedarville Herald led the way. By November the Cedarville Herald was listing contributors and the amount of their contributions. In December the paper sounded this ominous note: "Four professors are waiting on their December salaries - this in addition to their having taken a cut of from 10 to 30 per cent before on their salaries."I? Meanwhile, it had become increasingly difficult for the college to attract students, and the students who came had trouble paying their tuition bills. The trustees investigated the situation at other colleges and discovered they were not the only institution having problems. McChesney's pungent comment to the Board was: "Most of the other colleges of the State of Ohio have increased their indebtedness but have failed to add to their endowments. HIB Though their effort to raise money for the Endowment Fund was a failure, the trustees determined to press forward. The field agents were advertising the school and it was hoped that long-range benefits would accrue as a result of their efforts. At the same time, two other colleges who were experiencing difficulty - Rio Grande and Wilmington - investigated the possibility of merging with Cedarville. I9 By this time the college was borrowing money annually from its Endowment Fund to meet current expenses. This dangerous practice led to the resignation of J.A. Orr, the oldest living graduate of Cedarville College and a longtime member of the Board. Orr was apparently offended that the Board would not pursue a merger with Geneva College, as well as upset over the practice of borrowing endowment funds. 20 By 1933 the financial crisis was easing and Cedarville College, along with the nation, began to emerge from the Great Depression. By 1934 an aura of enthusiasm surrounded the college as it planned for the 40th anniversary of the opening of classes. A gala celebration was planned for the baccalaureate services. Dr. David McKinney, the first president of the college, was invited to be the commencement speaker. The 74-year– old McKinney accepted the invitation but died very suddenly less than a month before graduation. McKinney had gone to the home of his daughter, Mrs. George W.e. Schubert in Cincinnati, and it was there that he went to be with his Lord. "Death was due to the shock resulting from the disappearance of his little granddaughter, Marjorie Ann, five, who did not return directly from school but had accompanied some classmates. H2I The child was found unharmed less than an hour after McKinney's death. McKinney's place at graduation was taken by his son, Rev. D.A. McKinney, who pastored the Oakland Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Ohio. President McChesney and Professor Jurkat accompanied by their wives attended the funeral of the man who had labored so faithfully with them through the years and had stood by them in the leadership crisis. This great man of God had given countless hours of dedicated service to Cedarville College and the cause of Christ. His influence would be missed, especially by Jurkat and McChesney. I. Cedarville College Catalog, 1929-30, p. 8. 2. Ibid. 3. Trustees Minutes, june 6, 1929; February 3, 1933; February 2, 1934. 4. Trustees Minutes, june 6, 1929. 5. Morris, Richard (ed.), Encyclopedia of American History, (New York: Harper and Row, 1965) pp. 337-38. 6. Trustees Minutes, january 2, 1930. 7. Trustees Minutes. In referring to the 40th anniversary, McChes– ney based his anniversary date on the 40th anniversary of the opening of the school instead of the charter, February 7, 1930. 8. Ibid. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid. II. Trustees Minutes, April I, 1930. 12. Ibid. 13. Ibid. 14. Trustees Minutes, june 5, 1930. IS. Cedarville Herald, july 4, 1930. 16. Cedarville Herald, june 12, 1931; Trustees Minutes, june 5,1931. 17. Cedarville Herald, December 18, 1931. 18. Trustees Minutes, june 4, 1931. 19. Ibid. 20. Trustees Minutes, june 2, 1932. 21. Cedarville Herald, May 4, 1934. Chapter IX/75