2. Our present assets consist mainly in property owned and used as a Girls' Dormitory, and in office, library, and classroom equipment. The value of this building and equipment is approx– imately $42,850. Our present assets and our fi– nancial stability have given us good credit standing with our Cleveland bank.8 In addition to providing the Cedarville trustees with this statement of financial stability, they promised that the college would be continued "as a liberal arts school." They assured the Cedarville group that the school would have the support of the 650-church Regular Baptist Association. They further indicated their plan would be to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in a "limited number of major fields" while continuing the Bible Institute Program during the first year. Then they would begin to enlarge the faculty be continuing in prayer that the Lord will lead and direct you in this important decision you are to make. We trust that it will be His will for you to decide in our favor. If your decision should be for us, we shall be glad to make plans immediately for our Board to meet with you and consummate this merger.lO Four days later, on March 14, 1953, at 2:30 p.m., the trustees of Cedarville College gathered in Old Main. After opening prayer and the roll call, Earl McClellan outlined for the full Board the efforts of the Operating Committee to find an appropriate group with which to merge. He discussed the contacts that had been made with the Southern Baptists, the Church of Christ in Christian Union, the Nazarenes, the Church of God, and the General Association of Regular Baptists. He pointed out that "for various reasons all had Through the merger, Baptist Bible Institute acquired nine buildings including the dining hall, now the Communications building. and curriculum, including reestablishing the Teacher Training Program which had traditionally been such an integral part of Cedarville College. Finally, they offered the prophecy that their plans envisioned a "liberal arts college that would attract a student body of perhaps 500 young people from all over the United States and would have adequate support to make its work second to none."9 They concluded this historic letter with these words: Every member of our Board of Trustees will 88/Chapter XI been eliminated but the General Association of Baptist Churches." He recommended merger with B.B.I. and described the meeting that had been held between the representatives of the two schools. He assured the trustees that "every effort was made by the Operating Committee to see that these visitors were fully apprised of the facts of the situation." The Cleveland group, he reported, had voted unanimously to accept the proposal.ll A discussion followed immediately. Rankin MacMillan spoke in favor of the merger as did
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