FOOTNOTES

Lawrence J. Nelson is associate professor of history at the University of North Alabama, Florence. He has the A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

1 Springfield Leader and Press, 12 May and 9 September 1955; Springfield Daily News, 9 September 1955. Newspaper clippings in the Evangel College Library archives have been utilized for nearly all Springfield newspaper citations in 1954 and 1955 plus one in 1966. See ceremony program in EC Library arch. and General Council of the Assemblies of God Executive Files, General Council of the Assemblies of God, Springfield, Missouri. Hereafter cited as Exec. Files.

2 Organized in 1914, the General Council of the Assemblies of God met biennially while a twelve-member Executive Presbytery, holding substantial legal and discretionary powers, governed its affairs. These executives, headed by the General Superintendent, were ex-officio members of, and received advice from, the church’s General Presbytery, a body numbering about 120 and representing decentralized national and foreign District Councils. See “Constitution of the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America and Foreign Lands Revised to September 1-6, 1955, and Bylaws,” in Minutes of the Twenty-Sixth General Council of the Assemblies of God (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, September 1-6, 1955), 58-59,62-65; see “A Welcome to Evangel,” Springfield Leader and Press, 11 September 1955. For histories of the church see William W. Menzies, Anointed to Serve: The Story of the Assemblies of God (Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 1971); Carl Brumback, Suddenly … From Heaven: A History of the Assemblies of God (Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 1961); see also Klaude Kendrick, The Promise Fulfilled: A History of the Modern Pentecostal Movement (Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 1961); Stanley Frodsham, With Signs Following: The Story of the Pentecostal Revival in the Twentieth Century (Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing Company, 1946); Walter J. Hollenweger, The Pentecostals: The Charismatic Movement in the Churches (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1972); Richard D. Strahan, “A Study to Introduce Curriculum Approaches and Student Personnel Services for Evangel College” (Ed.D diss., University of Houston, 1955); and Mario Hoover, “Origin and Structural Development of the Assemblies of God” (M.A. thesis, Southwest Missouri; State College, 1968).

3 Gerald W. Gleason, telephone conversation with author, Springfield, Missouri, 13 August 1980; Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 13 November 1966; Harold Jellison (research paper for author’s class, Evangel College, spring semester 1980); Philip A. Bennett to Louis Reps, 12 February 1941; Brehon Somervall to Bennett, 19(?) February 1941, Marion T. Bennett Papers, Joint Collection, University of Missouri Western Historical Manuscript Collection, Columbia and State Historical Society of Missouri Manuscripts; A.W. Woolford to Thomas C. Hennings, Jr., 2 July and 6 November 1952, Thomas C. Hennings, Jr., Papers, Joint Collection, WHMC-SHS, Columbia; see City Block File, map, and copies of various deeds in Lincoln Abstract Company, Springfield, Missouri; Warranty or General Warranty Deeds, filed 17 March 1941, Book 704, pp. 428-430; 10 November 1942, Book 725, pp. 188-189; 27 April 1944, Book 746, p. 306; 1 May 1944, Book 739, pp. 5640565, and Case No. 289, Civil Order and Judgment on Declaration of Taking, filed 9 November 1943, clipping from sec. B in Bennett Papers, 9 November 1941, 8 November 1942, 7 November 1943, 28 October 1945; Report of Dr. James W. Findlay at the Council of Administration, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Jefferson City, Missouri, 3 April 1948, Bennett Paper.

4 See Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 8 November 1942, 28 October 1945, clippings in Bennett Papers. Bennett to George Olds, 24 June 1944; telegram, Bennett to Olds, 24 June 1944; see also Bennett to Omar Bradley, 27 September 1945, and reply, 4 October 1945, all in Bennett Papers.

5 See Bennett to Cliff Virgen, 7 September 1946, Bennett Papers.

6 See Norman T. Kirk to Bennett, 9 July 1946; Mrs. O.W. Cook to Bennett, 22 April 1946; Bennett to S.E. Blake, 1 August 1946; Quentin Haden to Bennett, 12 August 1946, and reply, 20 August 1946; businessman to Bennett, 2 July 1946, Bennett Papers; Springfield Leader and Press, 16 September 1946.

7 J. Robert Ashcroft to Ralph Riggs, 6 February 1945, Exec. Files; J. Roswell Flower to Claude Fletcher, 4 September 1946, Bennett Papers; Springfield Leader and Press, 6,13,16,17 September 1946; General Presbytery Minutes, 5-10, September 1946, General Council Headquarters, Springfield, Missouri; Bert Webb, interview with author, Springfield, Missouri, 20 August 1980; Kansas City Star, 1 September 1946; Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 8 September 1946. For wartime and postwar developments within the church, see Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 264, passim; and Lawrence J. Nelson, “’The Noble Work to Which You Have Set Your Heart’: O’Reilly Hospital and the Origins of Evangel College, 1944-1955” (unpublished manuscript, 1980), including relevant documents cited in the latter piece. The present paper is essentially a revised extract from the larger 1980 study. Copy in General Council of the Assemblies of God Archives.

8 Springfield Leader and Press, 24,25 September, 4 December 1946; Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 20 October 1946; see also News York Times, 5 December 1946; telegram, Dave Hargis to Bennett, 19 November 1946, Bennett Papers.

9 Minutes of the Twenty-Second General Council of the Assemblies of God (Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 26-September 2, 1947), 17-22; see Nelson, “Noble Work,” including citation of sources; Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 264; Kendrick, The Promise Fulfilled, 137; “The Diary of a Delegate to the General Council, Grand Rapids, Mich.,” Pentacostal [sic] Evangel, 4 October 1947, 10,11.

10 Report of Dr. Findlay, 3 April 1948, Bennett Papers; see also Springfield Leader and Press, 28 August 1952.

11 Reps to Hennings, 4 February 1952, Hennings Papers, Reps’s citation of the Journal of the American Medical Association apparently is erroneous.

12 Ibid.; City Council Resolution, Roll 5, 27 June 1952, Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, Springfield, Missouri; Springfield Leader and Press, 16, 23, 24, 30 June, 28 August 1952; Carl R. Gray, Jr., to Hennings, 19 July 1952; see also “ej” to Hennings, 4 February 1952, Hennings Papers; and Nelson, “Noble Work,” including endnotes.

13 Springfield Leader and Press, 19 June 1952; R.W. Reid to General Services Administration, 4 November 1952, Box 117, Folder D-Mo.-413 (Springfield, Missouri VA Hospital Reservation), Record Group 291, Records of Property Management and Disposal Service Under General Services Administration, Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland. Hereafter cited as Record Group 291. Springfield Leader and Press, 16 June 1952.

14 Smith to Truman, 21 August 1952; see also Smith to Oscar Ewing; to Larson, both 23 September 1952, Forrest Smith Papers, Joint Collection, WHMC-SHS, Columbia; copy of Larson’s letter also in Record Group 291; N. Karchmer to Hennings, 21 October 1952, Record Group 291. See also Springfield Leader and Press, 24 June 1952; Thomas F. Zimmerman, interview with author, Springfield, Missouri, 8 August 1980; typed notations, n.d., folder 6960, and Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 23 August 1952(?), Hennings Papers; H.S. Fanning to Commissioner of Public Buildings, 10 September 1952, Record Group 291.

15 See internal memo, 17 April 1953, folder 9690; Hennings to News and Leader Editor, 17 April 1953; unidentified newspaper clipping, 3 June 1953, folder 8239, all in Hennings Papers; teletype, Ward Harper to Director (or Chief), Real Property Acquisition and Utilization Division, Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration, 5 December 1952; memo, 10 November 1953; Frank R. Creedon to John L. Nagle, 6 December 1952; memo, L.R. Torpy to Deputy Regional Director, PBS, GSA, Kansas City, 9 December 1952, Record Group 291.

16 Zimmerman interview; Nelson, “Noble Work,” including sources cited; Zimmerman to Ashcroft, 8 December 1953; Charles W. H. Scott to Ashcroft, 9 December 1953, Exec. Files; informal comments of J.R. Ashcroft, 14 August 1980, taped for the author; Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 265, 276.

17 General Council, Application for the O’Reilly General Hospital, 26 April 1954, 10, 43; M.E. Collins to Ashcroft, 15 February 1954; M.E. Collins to Ashcroft, 15 February 1954; Raymond F. McLain to Ashcroft, 28 January 1954; Guy Snavely to Ashcroft, 12 January 1954, Exec. Files. Webb Interview. Ashcroft (evidently) to Collins, 11 March 1954, Exec. Files. Webb did visit a potential facility in Denver, possibly as late as April. See Russell G. Fulford to Riggs, 13 April 1954, Exec. Files. See also Nelson, “Noble Work,” including citations.

18 Unidentified newspaper clipping, 3 June 1953, folder 8239, Hennings Papers; see teletype, H.G. Hunter to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 2 January 1953; Torpy, “Note,” 31 December 1954; memo, Acting Commissioner of Public Buildings Division, GSA to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, to the attention of the Chief of the Real Property Disposal Division, 20 May 1955; and other relevant documents in Record Group 291.

19 Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 12 April 1953; Springfield Leader and Press, 21 April 1953, clippings in Hennings Papers. See numerous internal memoranda and notation, 17 April 5, 16, 29 June, 17 July, 21 August, 29 September, 13 November 1953; Hennings to Editor, 17 April 1953; J. Howard Hannah to Hennings, 28 April 1953; C.W. Johnson to Hennings, 20 April 1953, Hennings Papers. See Springfield Leader and Press, 16 July 1952.

20 Hennings to Wilson, 13 November 1953; press release, n.d. (November 1953), Hennings Papers; see Springfield Leader and Press, 14 November 1953; Creedon to Harper, 29(?) June 1953; Franklin G. Floete to Thomas L. Peyton, 21 October 1953, Record Group 291.

21 The Army Reserves would require some buildings, including the Pythian Home, and use of some fire hydrants and water and service lines. Kansas City Times, 18 November 1953, clipping in folder 8239; unidentified newspaper clipping in folder 6963; Floete to Hennings, 23 November 1953; Ira D. Beynon to Reynolds, 23 November 1953; teletype, Paul V. Finegan to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 19 November 1953; memo, Acting Commissioner of Public Buildings, GSA to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, to the attention of the Chief of the Real Property Disposal Division, 20 May 1955; see also G.S. Radley to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 25 November 1953, Record Group 291.

22 GSA believed HEW has shown “considerable interest” in O’Reilly although GSA may have had reference to HEW’s predecessor, the Federal Security Agency. Radley to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 25 November 1953, Record Group 291; James W. Doarn, interview with author, Kansas City, Missouri, 7 August 1980; Hennings to John K. Hulston, 22 July 1952, Hennings Papers; Eslick to Zimmerman, 12 March 1954, and attachment; memos of telephone conversations, Zimmerman to Reps, 25 February 1954; to Eslick, 3 March 1954, Exec. Files; Reynolds to Irving, 29(?) October 1952, and other relevant material in Record Group 291, Exec. Files, and Federal Property Assistance Program, Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Building, Kansas City, Missouri. References to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 also refer to its amendments.

23 Springfield Leader and Press, 24 November 1953; City Council Resolution No. 2369 (Council Bill No. 336), Resolutions, Roll 5, Office of Springfield City Clerk, copy also included with letter, English to Hennings, 8 December 1953; Hulston to Short, 20 November 1953; see also Hulston to Hennings, 30 November 1953; unidentified clipping, 3 June 1953, folder 8239; Joe N. Brown to Irene Lewis, 31 October 1953; G. Bruce and Mrs. James L. Cox to Hennings, 4 January 1954; Richard Farrington to Hennings, 24 July 1953; Rose K. Zimmerman to Farrington, 26 August 1953; Hennings to Farrington 18 November 1953, Hennings Papers; Theodore P. Eslick, Summary of Situation – O’Reilly General Hospital and Applications Therefore, 12 August 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog., copy also in Record Group 291; G.W. Van Fleet to Dwight D. Eisenhower, 23 May 1953; to James C. Hagerty, 22 October 1953; A.E. Synder to Hagerty, 28 December 1953; Edmund Mansure to Herbert Hoover, 27 January 1954, and other material in Record Group 291. Memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Reps, 25 February 1954, Exec. Files; form letter, Riggs to “My dear Co-worker,” 13 December 1954, EC Library arch.; see Nelson, “Noble Work,” for Southern California location issue.

24 Memo, telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Reps, 25 February 1954, Exec. Files. Drury Possibly acquired at least two O’Reilly buildings for offsite use. See Bill of Sale, executed 6 July 1955, Record Group 291; see also related material in Exec. Files. Gleason, telephone conversation with author; English to Val Peterson, 3 May 1954, and reply, 13(?) May 1954, Hennings Papers; see also unsigned memo, 4 May 1954; memo, Catherine Blanton Roberts to Symington, 4 May 1954; Roberts to Sam Parker, 5 May 1954, Subject Correspondence, O’Reilly Hospital, Springfield, Missouri, W. Stuart Symington Papers, Joint Collection, WHMC-SHS, Columbia; English to Eslick, 11 June 1954, Record Group 291. The Public Park Board already had renewed its effort. See John K. Saltsman to W.A. Holloway, 16 February 1954, Hennings Papers.

25 Flower to Hennings, 13 March 1954, and reply, 18 March 1954, Exec. Files; Flower to Symington, 13 March 1954, and reply, 16 March 1954; see also Doarn to Symington, 19 March 1954; and Symington to Flower, 22 March 1954, Exec. Files and Symington Papers.

26 Memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Eslick, 3 March 1954, Exec. Files; see Exec. Presbytery Minutes, 2-5 March 1954, Gen. Coun. Hdqs.

27 Zimmerman to Eslick, 10 March 1954, Exec. Files; Jeffries to Eslick; Reps to Eslick, 8 March 1954, Hennings Papers; latter two also in General Council, Application for O’Reilly, 47, 49, Exec. Files; quote from Doarn interview. Eslick even provided a sample (or samples) application to aid the effort. Eslick to Zimmerman, 5 May 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, May 1954, Exec. Files.

28 Memos of telephone conversations, Eslick to Zimmerman, 15 March 1954; Zimmerman to Ellis, 17 March 1954, Exec. Files; Zimmerman interview; see also Eslick to Zimmerman, 7 April 1954, Exec. Files.

29 Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 306-309; Zimmerman interview; see endorsement letters in General Council, Application for O’Reilly, 47-49, Exec. Files, and those from Jeffries to Eslick, 8 March 1954; and Reps to Eslick, 8 March 1954, also in Hennings Papers.

30 Endorsement letters in General Council, Application for O’Reilly, 47-51, Exec. Files.

31 In a section regarding “evidence of the need for the facilities,” the application included a pair of statements that perhaps warrant scrutiny: “1) Because we have 44,000 young people of college age for whom a college program such as we will offer is not now available,” and “2) Because no other property is available to us in any wise suitable for our purposes.” General Council, Application for O’Reilly, 10 Exec. Files (emphases added). Southern California Bible College had been conducting a dichotomized College of Bible and Theology and College of Arts and Sciences, leading to the baccalaureate, since 1950, and the latter included Departments of Language and Literature, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, etc. SCBC was District-sponsored rather than General Council sponsored and its business offerings apparently would not lead to a baccalaureate degree. Thirty-first Annual Catalog of Southern California Bible College (1950-51), 20, passim; Thirty-fourth Annual Catalog (1953-54), 9, 25, 45, passim, Southern California College library, Costa Mesa, California; Pentecostal Evangel, 6 May 1950, 7. Also, in the summer of 1954, Zimmerman and Lester E. Cox signed a joint letter regarding the proposed share use of college facilities for nursing and geriatrics programs. As for location, while other potential sites may not have appeared immediately ideal, the language in the application remained very strong, perhaps excessive.

32 Senior College Program Committee, minutes, Exec. Files; Pentecostal Evangel, 27 June 1954, 10; Riggs to Emil A. Balliet, 7 April 1954; see similar letters sent to other prospective board members of same date, and some replies, Exec. Files; Executive Presbyters Minutes, 19-21 May, 24-26 August 1954, Gen. Coun. Hdqs.; Klaude Kendrick, interview with author, Springfield, Missouri, 30 April 1980; Springfield Daily News, 29 December 1954; Springfield Leader and Press, 29 December 1954. See also Nelson, “Noble Work.”

33 Hennings to English, 2 April 1954; Doarn to Hennings, 9 February 1954; Hennings to Oveta Culp Hobby, 9 March 1954; Jenkins to Hennings, 7 April 1954, Hennings Papers; Zimmerman to Eslick, 19 April 1954, and reply, 22 April 1954, in both Exec. Files and Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog.

34 Hennings to Hobby, 9 March 1954, and reply, 26 March 1954; see also Hennings to H. Frank Fellows, 12 April 1954 and other correspondence between them in Hennings Papers. Memo, Fred S. Poorman to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, to the attention of the Chief of the Real Property Division, 20 May 1955; Department of Interior, National Park Service, Region II, Omaha, Nebraska, “Report on Smith Park, A Part of the O’Reilly General Hospital, Springfield, Missouri,” Surplus Property Disposal, January 1955, 1, Record Group 291; see also Sam Parker to Symington, 9 July 1954, Symington Papers; memos of telephone conversations, Zimmerman to Eslick, 9 July and 10 September 1954, and Eslick to Zimmerman, 21 September 1954, Exec. Files. The very complicated issue of Springfield’s bid is discussed in Nelson, “Noble Work,” including endnotes. See, in particular, Peter A. Stroebel to Symington, 27 July 1954, Symington Papers and Record Group 291; and Symington to D.A. Mallory, 29 June 1954, Symington Papers. On the other hand, see Dept. of Interior, National Park Service, “Report on Smith Park,” 1, Record Group 291. See also unidentified newspaper clipping, n.d., in folder 6963, Hennings Papers; and Symington to English, 9 July 1954; and to Holloway, 10 July 1954, Symington Papers.

35 Holloway to Hennings, 17 April 1954, Hennings Papers; Harper to Federal Agencies in Region VI, 3 May 1954; memo, Acting Dep. Reg. Dir., PBS, GSA, Kansas City to Director, Real Estate Division, PBS, GSA, 26 August 1954, Record Group 291.

36 Memo, 7 July 1954; teletype, Swan McDonald to Acting Chief, Surplus Real Property Branch, PBS, GSA, 24 May 1954; McDonald to Reynolds, to the attention of T.L. Peyton, 27 April 1954; see also Snyder to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 3 June 1954, Record Group 291; English to Peterson, 3 May 1954, and reply, 13(?) May 1954; English to Hennings, 11 May 1954, and reply, 4 June 1954, Hennings Papers; unsigned memo, 4 May 1954; memo, Roberts to Symington, 4 May 1954; to Parker, 5 May 1954, Symington Papers; Springfield Daily News, 19 June 1954; Springfield Leader and Press, 19 June 1954; memos of telephone conversations, Karl McVay to Zimmerman, 24 May 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, 19 May 1954, Exec. Files.

37 Telephone transcript, Zimmerman-Eslick-McVay, 7 June 1954, Exec. Files; Frazier to Doarn to the attention of Eslick, 17 June 1954; S.M. Brownell to Chester Lund, 11 June 1954; see also memo, Acting Chief, Surplus Real Property Branch, PBS, Real Estate Division to McDonald, 13 July 1954; McDonald to Eslick, 19 July 1954; Ellis to Eslick, 21 July 1954, Record Group 291; see also relevant material in Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog.; and Lund to Hennings, 19 July 1954, Hennings Papers. Springfield Leader and Press, 17 July 1954.

38 Frazier to Doarn, to the attention of Eslick, 17 June 1954, Record Group 291; Springfield Daily News, 19 June 1954; Springfield Leader and Press, 19 June 1954; Zimmerman interview; Ashcroft to Zimmerman, 19 June 1954; to Riggs, 19 June 1954; to Board members, 19 June 1954, see Ashcroft’s handwritten notation; see also Zimmerman to Reps, 19 April 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, 29 June 1954, Exec. Files.

39 Resolution of the Southwest School Administrators Club, 22 June 1954 (former); Mallory to Hennings, 25 June 1954, Hennings Papers; Resolution of Southwest School Administrators Club, 22 June 1954 (latter); Mallory to Symington, 25 June 1954, Symington Papers. See also Eslick, “Summary of Situation,” 12 August 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. and Record Group 291, which also includes “this giveaway” quote; for latter quote see constituent to Symington, 21 June 1954, Symington Papers.

40 Victor Harris to Hennings, 21 June 1954, Hennings Papers; to Symington, 21 June 1954, Symington Papers. See other relevant material in papers of both senators. Baptist pastor to Flower, 21 October 1954; and reply, 27 October 1954, Exec. Files; Zimmerman interview.

41 Symington to Mallory, 29 June 1954, Symington Papers; see note 34 above; Doarn interview; Doarn to Hennings, 27 April 1954; Lund to Hennings, 14 July 1954, Hennings Papers. According to Lund, the government preferred that O’Reilly remain intact in the event of reclamation during “national emergency.” See also memo, McDonald to Acting Chief, Surplus Real Property Branch, PBS, Real Estate Division, GSA, 7 July 1954, and reply, 13 July 1954, Record Group 291.

42 Ashcroft to Riggs, 19 June 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, 1 July 1954; memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Wheeler, 29 June 1954; Patillo to Riggs, 14 July 1954; see also Ashcroft to Zimmerman, 19 June 1954; and memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Eslick, 9 July 1954, Exec. Files; Frazier to Doarn, to the attention of Eslick, 17 June 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. Wheeler suggested the North Central alternative, but if HEW in Washington wanted a statement concerning both curriculum and justification of the proposed college in a community already possessing two, then the Patillo letter would not meet all the specifics of the request.

43 Zimmerman to Short, 29 June 1954; Cox and Zimmerman to HEW Regional Office, Kansas City, 28 July 1954; Short to HEW Regional Office, Kansas City, 28 July 1954; memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Eslick, 30 July 1954, Exec. Files. See Zimmerman interview for an alternate view. See also Doarn to Short, 2 August 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog.; and Zimmerman to Eslick, 29 July 1954, Exec. Files.

44 Springfield Daily News, 19 June 1954; see Springfield Leader and Press, 29 June 1954; Kansas City Star, 27 June 1954. Cecil Jenkins “To Those Eligible to Receive Surplus Property,” 28 June 1954, Record Group 291; Eslick, “Summary of Situation,” Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. The new applicants requested facilities for United Cerebral Palsy, an athletic field and some buildings for St. Agnes High School, facilities for Ozark Christian School which envisioned a high school and junior college, and new facilities for Midwest Bible and Missionary Institute of St. Louis. See Eslick to Director of Field Administration, to the attention of the Chief of Surplus Property Utilization, GSA 12 August 1954, and attachment; Eslick, “Summary of Situation,” Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. Quote is from Doarn to Hennings, 3 August 1954, Hennings Papers; see also memos of telephone conversations, Zimmerman to Eslick, 30 July and 23 August 1954, Exec. Files.

45 Memos of telephone conversations, Zimmerman to Eslick, 23 August, 9, 10 September 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, 10 September 1954, Exec. Files; latter also in Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog.; Emmett Davis, telephone conversation with author, Springfield, Missouri, 17 September 1980; see also Kendrick interview, Zimmerman interview; Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 13 November 1966.

46 Although Eslick wanted Zimmerman to include the attitude of Lily Tulip in his report on area sentiment, it remains questionable whether that occurred. Zimmerman reported independently that Lily was developing an endorsement letter. Memos of telephone conversations, Eslick to Zimmerman, 9 September 1954, Zimmerman to Eslick, 10 September 1954, Exec. Files. While Lily Tulip may have developed such a letter, the author has not seen it.

47 Some discrepancy appears over when the available O’Reilly property passed from “excess” to “surplus” status. The alternatives appear as late as June and 8 September 1954. Supporting or tending to support the former, see Doarn to Symington, 3 August 1954, Symington Papers, and Springfield Daily News, 29 June 1954; for the latter, see Stroebel to Symington, 16(?) September 1954, Symington Papers, and John S. Fickling, Memorandum for the Records, 23 August 1954, and handwritten notation, 2 September 1954, Record Group 291.

48 Transfer of land to the Missouri National Guard probably had no effect on potential church acreage, but the transfer involved bureaucratic and legal activities. See MB, Memorandum, 12 October 1954, Symington Papers; see also other relevant documents in Symington Papers, and in folder 3181, Hennings Papers, and in Record Group 291. Included in the latter, note Harold F. Holtz to Nagle, 12 October 1954, and Reuben B. Robertson, Jr. to Edmund Mansure, 27 October 1954; see also Eslick to Frazier, 25 October 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog., and Record Group 291.

49 Memo of telephone conversation, Eslick to Zimmerman, 21 September 1954, Exec. Files. In 1955, Springfield received deed to Smith Park. See Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 15 May 1955, and relevant material in Record Group 291. See also note 34 above and Nelson, “Noble Work,” including endnotes.

50 See material in Exec. Files and Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog., including, in the latter, memo, Frazier to HEW Regional Director, to the attention of the Regional Property Coordinator, 21 September 1954; in the former, see Riggs to Eslick, 14 October 1954.

51 The General Council would take property worth nearly $950,000; schools would take numerous buildings for off-site use. Memo, Eslick to Frazier, 25 October 1954; Doarn to Regional Director, GSA, Kansas City, to the attention of the PBS, Chief, Real Property Activities, 25 October 1954; see copies of Quitclaim Deed, executed December 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. and Record Group 291.

52 See Joe Rockwood to Eslick, 25 October 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. Acting Deputy Regional Director, PBS, GSA, Kansas City to Commissioner PBS, GSA, 28 October 1954, Record Group 291. Ashcroft to George Sample 12 January 1954, Exec. Files.

53 Zimmerman to author, 18 August 1980; see also Zimmerman interview; see both sources for Zimmerman’s additional views of why Cox supported the church position.

54 Ibid.; Short to Zimmerman, 13 November 1954, Exec. Files.

55 Memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Short, 22 November 1954, Exec. Files. Thomas Peyton, GSA’s Acting Chief of the Surplus Real Property Branch, Public Buildings Service, advised the Kansas City Regional Office to wait for Mansure’s affirmation. Teletype, Peyton to GSA Regional Director, 29 November 1954; see also reply wire, 30 November 1954, Record Group 291. Mansure to Short, 22 November 1954, and reply, 3 December 1954, Exec. Files and Record Group 291. Evidently, Short linked the church issue to Springfield’s attempt to reacquire Smith Park. In fact, GSA reserved all or most of the park for the City and did not contemplate releasing it to HEW. Short’s estimate of $85,000 may have been a little high; if so, would that have made any difference to Mansure in light of his declared reasons for release of the property? Probably not but see note 56 below.

56 Doarn interview; memo of telephone conversation, Zimmerman to Eslick, 18 November 1954, Exec. Files; see also Zimmerman interview. According to Mansure, the decision to release the property to HEW was “In view of your recommendation, and the information given us by Congressman Dewey Short in his letter of December 3….” Mansure to GSA Regional Director, Kansas City, 7 December 1954; for reply to Short, see Synder to Short, 10 December 1954, Exec. Files, and Record Group 291. McDonald to HEW Director, Kansas City, 19 December 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog.’ Zimmerman to Eslick, 22 December 1954, Exec. Files, and Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. See copies of Quitclaim Deed in Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog., and Record Group 291. See also Springfield Leader and Press, 14 December 1954; Springfield Daily News, 14 December 1954; and relevant material in above collections as well as in Symington Papers and Hennings Papers. The government retained lead and zinc rights. E.A. Finley to Eslick, 21 June 1954, Fed. Prop. Asst. Prog. In 1955, the General Council paid well over $9,000 for the old O’Reilly firehouse, including its land and equipment. The church intended to give it to Springfield, but the city decided to extend normal protection to O’Reilly’s new occupants. Zimmerman to McDonald, 1 February 1955, Exec. Files. For some biographical material on Short, see Anna Rothe and Evelyn Lohr, eds., Current Biography: Who’s News and Why (New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1952), 580-582.

57 Telegram, Flower to Short, 15 December 1954; see also telegram, Zimmerman to Short, 14 December 1954; Zimmerman to Eslick, 22 December 1954, Exec. Files.

58 Springfield Leader and Press, 30 December 1954 and 12 May 1954, Pentecostal Evangel, 6 February 1955, 16; Bulletin of Evangel College (Vol. 56),9; see Kendrick interview; Richard D. Strahan, interview with author, Houston, Texas, 13 May 1980; Strahan, “A Study to Introduce Curriculum Approaches and Student Personnel Services.” Ashcroft later reflected that a “true liberal arts education was out of the question” economically and philosophically. Ashcroft, informal comments tape.

59 Springfield Leader and Press, 12 May 1955; Springfield Sunday News and Leader, 15 May, 21 August 1955; see also Zimmerman to Kendrick February and 11 March 1955; Zimmerman to Holloway, 12 September 1955, correspondence, all in Exec. Files. Ashcroft, informal comments tape; Pentecostal Evangel, 30 October 1955, 7. In 1959, the college graduated its first senior class and within a decade of its founding achieved North Central accreditation. Over the years, O’Reilly’s aging structures grudgingly began to yield to permanent buildings. If physical and philosophical progress is sometimes hesitant or checkered, thousands of alumni eventually began to find their places in American and world society.