The Early Years (1955-1959)
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Music has always held a prominent place in the Assemblies of God. It was natural and predictable that the earliest planning for the fellowship’s first college of arts and sciences include a department of music for teaching, training, and ministry. In 1953 the Assemblies of God General Council authorized the establishment of the college. In 1954, when a number of geographical locations for such a school had already been considered, the present site – a former military hospital (O’Reilly General Hospital) with 58 acres and some 70 wooden barracks – became available and was awarded to the General Council for its college. Four men are often named as significant in the establishment of Evangel College: Ralph M. Riggs, J. Robert Ashcroft, Thomas F. Zimmerman, and Klaude Kendrick (1). The latter three I have known personally, worked with, and counted them among my good friends.
The college opened in the fall of 1955 with 76 full-time freshman students. Of these, eleven were music majors (including one listed in the yearbook as a “Fine Arts” major) (2). While the very first catalogs (called “Bulletins” back then) outlined three majors within the Fine Arts Department (Music, Art, and Speech/Drama), “Fine Arts” majors in 1955-1956 essentially were music majors since art courses were not added until the second year (1956) when Warren Straton joined the faculty. Apparently there were no declared Art or Speech/Drama majors for several years. Courses for the Speech/Drama major first became an option in 1957 when Dr. Nona Dalan joined the teaching team. The programs were “fleshed out” with added courses and requirements were established as each program grew. School-wide, eight full-time faculty served the college that first year (1955-1956). This number included the Academic Dean, Dr. Richard Strahan, who served as one of the teaching faculty in addition to his administrative duties. E. Lesley Stubbs was Fine Arts Chairman, voice teacher and choir director. He also served in the Education and Psychology Department, teaching with Dr. Strahan. One year later (fall of 1956), June Foreman (later Dr. June Kean) joined the music team and taught piano. That same year (1956) Jesse Peterson joined the music faculty to begin a band program and offer lessons on band and orchestral instruments. The next fall (1957) Edna Freeman (later Edna Baker) joined the music team teaching piano, voice, Music Appreciation, and Music Literature. The following year (’58-’59) two piano teachers joined the music staff – Mary Gardner and Donald Ellingson.
Evangel’s beginning year of operation (1955) targeted first-year college students (Freshmen). Each succeeding year a new class was added until in 1958-59, students were enrolled at all four levels – freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes. At the close of the spring semester (’58-’59), Evangel convened its first commencement graduating 34 baccalaureate students including one Music Education major (Eugene Davis) (3). By the fall of 1959, the fourth year of the school, Lesley Stubbs’ teaching and administrative load in music had increased to the extent that he was released from teaching assignments in the Education/Psychology department. This permitted his full attention for music responsibilities: department head, choir, music classes, and private voice lessons. Betty Jo Reynolds-Lyons replaced Don Ellingson in the piano area when he took a position in Chicago working for the Instrumentalist Magazine. (Ellingson later rejoined the faculty for an additional nine years, 1962-71.)
In Jesse Peterson’s third year (1959-60), his rapidly-growing band received this tribute in the Lancer(4):
“Mr. Jesse Peterson did a commendable job of blending thirty instruments into a lovely band which performed exquisitely in every concert. The members of the band were chosen from many who auditioned in the fall.
The two trips of the year proved to be a source of real enjoyment to the group, as well as to the audiences who heard the music. The two-week spring tour took the band as far south as Orlando, Florida, while the January tour found them in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
The tour repertoire included numbers from the Concert Band repertoire as well as sacred music. The program was spiced with vocal arrangements by a ten-voice ensemble.
The hours of practice and hard work were many but the results were inspiring to hundreds.”