Torch, Spring 1998

Founders Ball Can Your Will Make An Eternal Difference? T he year was 1891. Cedarville College had been chartered by the state of Ohio in 1887, but in the absence of any meaningful monetary support, still existed in name only. The trustees had become frustrated in their attempts to raise enough funds or interest in the project to tum their dream into a reality. The recommendation from the prior year' s trustee meeting was that the "whole enterprise" be abandoned. At the height of this period of uncertainty, the board received word that a $25 ,000 bequest had been made to Cedarville College from the estate of the late Mr. William Gibson, an influential businessman from Cincinnati. The gift was made in memory of William's father and business partner, Peter Gibson, who had died in 1884. The news of the bequest revitalized the trustees and created a renewed interest in the fledgling college. In 1892, the trustee board passed a resolution recommending that "...an effort be made to revive an interest in the institution, and that the pastors in the different congregations be requested to bring the matter before their people at an early day, and urge them to contribute liberally for the establishment of said college... ." In May 1894, the trustees were directed to erect or rent a suitable building and secure teachers to begin the work of educating students. Four months later, on September 19, Cedarville College was formally opened with an enrollment of 32 students. Interest earned by the bequest accounted for a large portion of the operating budget from 1892 through 1896. The bequest principal made possible the purchase of the original campus site and the construction of the building now known as Founders Hall. The timely receipt of the bequest from the estate of William Gibson helped the dream of Cedarville College become a reality. In 1910, Dr. David McKinney, first president of Cedarville College, remembered the bequest when he wrote, "...it was as if Providence had determined that this ministry should go on...." The gift amounted to less than two percent of the total value of the Gibson estate. Today, the eternal value of Gibson's bequest cannot be measured. Bequests are as important to the ministry of Cedarville College today as they were in 1892. Your estate plan should include a will and/or a living trust. And we hope your will or living trust includes Cedarville College. A bequest can be made in the form of a specific asset, a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a remainder interest after you have cared for your heirs. We are grateful anytime that Cedarville College is elevated to "family status" in your will or living trust. But often we are unaware of the bequest until the estate has been settled. We miss the opportunity to express our appreciation for the gift. In an effort to recognize the continuing importance of bequests to the ministry of Cedarville College and to properly acknowledge those individuals who have included Cedarville College in their will or living trust, we are happy to announce the formation of the WILLIAM GIBSON SOCIETY. Charter membership in the William Gibson Society is now open to any individual who has named Cedarville College in his or her will or living trust. All William Gibson Society charter members will receive a complimentary copy of Cedarville College, A Century of Commitment by Dr. J. Murray Murdoch, chair of Cedarville's Department of Social Sciences and History, and a subscription to the quarterly devotional booklet First Light. To enroll as a charter member, please call the Cedarville College Office of Planned Giving at 1-800-766-1115 or send e-mail to bartletd@cedarville.edu .