God Gave the Increase

f The first men's baseball ream ( 1896) defeated Xenia and broke even wirh Antioch. The hisrory of athletics began simultaneously with the hisrory of the college, for, while no athletic organ ization was sponsored and financed by the college in the early days, neither was it discouraged. The students, inclined to display their skill on the gridiron and diamond, were given all encouragement and the interest which these students had for developing their abilities is manifested by the fact that they were willing to employ a coach at their own expense. In 1902, Mr. W. J. Alford presented the college trustees with the church building and grounds vacated by the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation, and desired that it be used as a gymnasium. It was equipped with complete ap– paratus for physical education and indoor ath– letics. The college boasted basketball teams of both sexes. The Xenia Gazette of 1897 carried these words to its readers: "Since basketball has be– come the leading sport in all colleges, both among the gi rls as well as the boys, the Cedar– ville College classes have organized teams. The college girls ... play a very lady-like game of basketball . . . One feature of their playing is their clever pass work; another, their accuracy in throwing for goals; in fact, they play the game as it should be played. We will also say that this game will be strictly moral and first class in every respect, and no lady need be backward about attending." Alford Memorial Gym, I 902. Cedarville College women's basketball ream of 1898, the first in Greene Counry. TOP ROW, Left ro Right: Anna Orr (Mrs. Robert Wilson), Alice Bromagem (Mrs. F. A. Jurkar), Bessie Hopping (Mrs. Carl Paull). SECOND ROW: Berrha Knott, Fanny Townsley ( Mrs. Wallace Iliff ), Jennie Morton (Mrs. T. R. Turner), Nellie Usrick, Mary Lirrle (Mrs. Frank Murphy ). FRONT ROW: Vera Andrew (Mrs. John Harvey), Nelle Lervis (Mrs. Nelson Clark).