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1956
STETSON-LETTER
VOL. 4, NO. 2
STETSON UNIVERSITY, DeLAND, FLORIDA
JANUARY, 1956
Death of Dr. Gordis
Closes An Era In
University History
Death of Dr. Warren Stone Gordis
in his ninety-third year closed an era
in Stetson history.
He went to his grave in his academic
regalia, symbolic of a full life in which
he continually sought and found God
in literature. His classrooms were
scholarly and Christ-centered.
No clubman, no sportsman, his interests were his family, his church,
and his students. He mastered the
Greek and Latin languages before he
gained his specialization in English.
His influence did not end at the close
of a given term or with the graduation
of a certain student. He corresponded
with almost 200 of his former students,
writing to lawyers about the law, newspapermen about journalism, and ministers about interpretation of the
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Parents Invited
To Open House
Invitations have been sent to parents
of all Stetson students by Dr. J. Ollie
Edmunds, president of the University,
to an open house in Chaudoin Parlors
from 3 to 6 o'clock Sunday afternoon,
February 5.
"Members of the faculty join me in
urging every parent to visit the campus
on this day," Dr. Edmunds said. "We
recall with a great deal of pleasure a
similar occasion last year, the first year
we have entertained for parents."
The date for the open house coincides with the day that most students
return to the campus after the between-
semester break. The Fall Semester ends
Thursday, February 2, and registration
for the Spring Semester is February 6
with classes starting the following day.
Many parents take advantage of the
weekend to visit DeLand as they bring
their children to the campus for the
new term and the open house gives
them an opportunity to meet other-
parents as well as members of the
faculty.
Will 1956 Be Stetson's Greatest Year?
Mid-January Events So Indicate
Chief Justice E. Harris Drew of the
Florida Supreme Court, left, and Dr.
J. Ollie Edmunds will attend a series
of meetings in the next few weeks in
metropolitan areas of Florida in connection with a campaign to raise
$250,000 among members of the Florida bar to match a life amount offered
by an out-of-state foundation for a
new library and the first units of a
law center on the Stetson University
College of Law campus in St. Petersburg.
Lawyers to Match
Foundation Grant
Thirty-six Floridians prominently
identified with the bar, the bench, and
with legal education are honorary vice-
presidents of a state-wide committee
organized to provide in the next few
weeks $500,000 toward a law center
on the campus of Stetson University
College of Law in St. Petersburg.
Civic and business leaders in St.
Petersburg have pledged more than
$80,000, leaving $170,000 to be provided, according to Chief Justice E.
Harris Drew, West Palm Beoch, of the
Florida Supreme Court, who is honorary chairman of the campaign.
Justice Drew said an out-of-state
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Nineteen hundred and fifty-six is expected to bring major advancements
at Stetson University at both DeLand
and St. Petersburg.
Events of mid-January forecast new
building programs and enrollment increases in a "harvest" of efforts which
have been in "cultivation" since Dr.
J. Ollie Edmunds assumed the presidency in 1948.
A recent tribute to the leadership of
Dr. Edmunds was his election as vice
president of the Association of American Colleges, an association of most of
the colleges in the nation for the exchange of ideas and advancement of
teaching.
Another tribute, this to the work
done by Dr. Edmunds, came recently
when his record of achievements at
Stetson was cited as an example for
the new president of another college.
The United Stetson Alumni campaign
last year produced the largest amount
of funds from the greatest number of
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Funds Authorized
For Student Union
Immediate construction of a million-
dollar student union building on the
DeLand campus of Stetson University
was assured with the recent announcement from Washington that the Housing and Home Finance Agency had
approved an $790,000 loan for this
purpose.
The new building will replace the
Commons, destroyed by fire during
the Christmas recess a year ago, and
will provide modern and adequate dining rooms as wel las new recreational
facilities.
"Work will begin as soon as plans
can be completed and contract
awarded," said Dr. J. Ollie Edmunds,
president of the University. "We are
delighted that our application has
been approved and are doubly glad to
assure students that the temporary
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