Alfred Taylor Howard
Encyclopedia
Alfred Taylor Howard was a Bishop
of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
, elected in 1913.
, near the town of Schoolcraft
, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
. His is the story of a farm boy who responded to the call of the far horizon to become a world citizen and a Christian witness to the uttermost part of the earth.
The Pleasant Valley neighborhood, though a tiny dot on the map, was in fact singularly cosmopolitan. Early settlers had come from many eastern States, and some directly from England
, Holland and Germany
. This diversity may have placed in this boy's mind the idea of the bigness of the world.
Alfred was the son of Cornelius Howard, who was born in Michigan in 1841. His mother was Harriett Guilford. Alfred's paternal grandfather was of English
lineage, arriving in Michigan from White Plains, New York
. His paternal grandmother was Margaret Osterhut of Dutch
descent.
Cornelius was deeply involved and powerfully loyal to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. He was a frequent lay member to the St. Joseph Annual Conference, twice to the General Conference, and served for ten years as a Trustee of Otterbein College. Harriett Howard was likewise devoted, if unobtrusive in her religious expression. As a boy Alfred was uplifted by the sound of his mother's voice raised in prayer as she went about her housework.
Alfred attended country school, then the Schoolcraft High School
, four miles from his home. His favorite high school subject was physical geography
. He also enjoyed physiology
, which prompted in him for many years the desire to study medicine
. At the age of eighteen he taught school one year in his neighborhood. The next year he taught near Davenport, Nebraska
.
Young Alfred was often encouraged to attend college. One of his encouragers was his pastor, the Rev. J.L. Parks. Thus, it was decided that Alfred should attend Roanoke Classical Seminary in Indiana. The Principal was Professor D.N. Howe, a graduate of Otterbein and of the Union Biblical Seminary in Dayton, Ohio
(now United Theological Seminary
). Alfred enjoyed these college preparatory studies under Professor Howe. After this one year, however, because the Roanoke Seminary moved to North Manchester, Indiana
, Alfred decided to attend Otterbein in Westerville, Ohio
.
Heredity and an active farm upbringing gave Alfred a powerful physique. In college he played varsity
football
, alternating between center and guard. Frequently he was pivot man in the famous "flying wedge
."
did both, and much more than that. He continued his musical interests after graduation, organizing a choir and a choir school: founding the Westminster Choir College
in Dayton, Ohio, (presently in Princeton, New Jersey
), which became world famous.
One year Alfred directed the Presbyterian Church choir in Marion, Ohio
, traveling from Otterbein each weekend. The pastor was a Rev. Mr. Thomas, whose young son Norman became well acquainted with Alfred. Later Norman Thomas
also became a Presbyterian minister, but is better known as the frequent candidate for President of the United States
on the Socialist ticket.
In 1890 at one such conference John R. Mott made an address which engraved three unforgotten sentences on young Howard's mind:
One summer Alfred even attended the famous college Y.M.C.A. conference at Northfield, Massachusetts
.
Alfred and May were married on their graduation day: 15 June 1894, in the home of Professor Henry Garst, who performed the ceremony in the presence of many college friends. Soon thereafter the happy couple were on the high seas sailing for the mission field in Africa
.
Toward the end of his college days, Alfred wondered about what his life-work should be. So he made this a matter for prayer. During the summer before his senior year, while working on his father's farm, he chose a certain empty stall in the barn as his "quiet place" for daily intercession. Later he wrote, "I do not know when in my life I ever prayed more earnestly for definite guidance."
In his handwritten memoirs, found after his death, he tells of the outcome of his prayer:
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
, elected in 1913.
Birth and Family
Alfred was born in the rural community of Pleasant Valley, Prairie Ronde TownshipPrairie Ronde Township, Michigan
Prairie Ronde Township is a civil township located in the extreme southwestern corner of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,086 at the 2000 census.Prairie Ronde is the birthplace of the women's suffragist Olympia Brown....
, near the town of Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft, Michigan
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
. His is the story of a farm boy who responded to the call of the far horizon to become a world citizen and a Christian witness to the uttermost part of the earth.
The Pleasant Valley neighborhood, though a tiny dot on the map, was in fact singularly cosmopolitan. Early settlers had come from many eastern States, and some directly from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Holland and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. This diversity may have placed in this boy's mind the idea of the bigness of the world.
Alfred was the son of Cornelius Howard, who was born in Michigan in 1841. His mother was Harriett Guilford. Alfred's paternal grandfather was of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lineage, arriving in Michigan from White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
. His paternal grandmother was Margaret Osterhut of Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
descent.
Cornelius was deeply involved and powerfully loyal to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. He was a frequent lay member to the St. Joseph Annual Conference, twice to the General Conference, and served for ten years as a Trustee of Otterbein College. Harriett Howard was likewise devoted, if unobtrusive in her religious expression. As a boy Alfred was uplifted by the sound of his mother's voice raised in prayer as she went about her housework.
Boyhood and Early Education
Alfred's favorite reading in boyhood was the Youth's Companion, a weekly magazine for young people, filled with hair-raising tales of Indian fights on the frontier. As a man Alfred expressed regret that those exciting stories always assumed the Indians had no rights on the land where they were reared and on which their ancestors had lived for generations.Alfred attended country school, then the Schoolcraft High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, four miles from his home. His favorite high school subject was physical geography
Physical geography
Physical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
. He also enjoyed physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, which prompted in him for many years the desire to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. At the age of eighteen he taught school one year in his neighborhood. The next year he taught near Davenport, Nebraska
Davenport, Nebraska
Davenport is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 339 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1872, the village was platted by the Nebraska Land and Town Company, and the St. Joseph and Denver City railroad line was built through the site of village. In 1887, the village...
.
Young Alfred was often encouraged to attend college. One of his encouragers was his pastor, the Rev. J.L. Parks. Thus, it was decided that Alfred should attend Roanoke Classical Seminary in Indiana. The Principal was Professor D.N. Howe, a graduate of Otterbein and of the Union Biblical Seminary in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
(now United Theological Seminary
United Theological Seminary
United Theological Seminary is a United Methodist seminary in Trotwood, Ohio, United States, in the Dayton metropolitan area. Founded in 1869 by Milton Wright, it was originally sponsored by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
). Alfred enjoyed these college preparatory studies under Professor Howe. After this one year, however, because the Roanoke Seminary moved to North Manchester, Indiana
North Manchester, Indiana
North Manchester is a town in Chester Township, Wabash County, Indiana, United States. Peter Ogan, acting as the town’s founder filed for recording the 'Original Plat of Manchester' on February 13, 1846...
, Alfred decided to attend Otterbein in Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
.
College
The autumn of 1889 found Alfred Howard, at the age of twenty-one, enrolled in the academy of Otterbein College. One year later he matriculated to the college itself. His days at Otterbein were happy ones, and he never tired in later years of relating his college memories. Alfred was an earnest student, with a mind thirsty for truth, a characteristic he retained the rest of his life. Nevertheless, bad eyesight severely handicapped him, and he had great difficulty getting glasses which fit properly.Heredity and an active farm upbringing gave Alfred a powerful physique. In college he played varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, alternating between center and guard. Frequently he was pivot man in the famous "flying wedge
Flying wedge
A flying wedge is a configuration created from a body moving forward in a triangular formation. This V-shaped arrangement began as a successful military strategy in ancient times when infantry units would move forward in wedge formations to smash through an enemy's lines...
."
Music
Alfred sang first tenor in the Otterbein Quartet, the first of a series of such organizations in the history of the college. One one occasion the quartet sang at the church of W.W. Williamson, who had a son John. The latter was fascinated by the singing collegians and vowed to also some day go to Otterbein and sing in the quartet. In due time John Finley WilliamsonJohn Finley Williamson
John Finley Williamson was the founder of Westminster Choir and co-founder of Westminster Choir College. He is considered to be one of the most influential choral conductors of the twentieth century...
did both, and much more than that. He continued his musical interests after graduation, organizing a choir and a choir school: founding the Westminster Choir College
Westminster Choir College
Westminster Choir College is a residential college of music, part of Rider University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.Westminster Choir College educates men and women at the undergraduate and graduate levels for musical careers in music education, voice performance, piano...
in Dayton, Ohio, (presently in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
), which became world famous.
One year Alfred directed the Presbyterian Church choir in Marion, Ohio
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
, traveling from Otterbein each weekend. The pastor was a Rev. Mr. Thomas, whose young son Norman became well acquainted with Alfred. Later Norman Thomas
Norman Thomas
Norman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.-Early years:...
also became a Presbyterian minister, but is better known as the frequent candidate for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on the Socialist ticket.
Y.M.C.A.
The Young Men's Christian Association on the Otterbein campus made a rich contribution to Alfred Howard's life. S.D. Gordon was state secretary of college Y.M.C.A. work in Ohio at that time, and John R. Mott and Robert E. Speer, young men just out of Cornell and Princeton, respectively, were frequent speakers at Y.M.C.A. conferences.In 1890 at one such conference John R. Mott made an address which engraved three unforgotten sentences on young Howard's mind:
- Hide the Word of God in your Heart (BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Study) - Tie yourself to one man (personal evangelismEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
) - Keep your eyes fixed on the uttermost part of the earth (foreign missionsMission (Christian)Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
).
One summer Alfred even attended the famous college Y.M.C.A. conference at Northfield, Massachusetts
Northfield, Massachusetts
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Marriage
Howard met May Day Stevenson at Otterbein. They conducted their courtship on the campus, but he proposed to her one summer by letter.Alfred and May were married on their graduation day: 15 June 1894, in the home of Professor Henry Garst, who performed the ceremony in the presence of many college friends. Soon thereafter the happy couple were on the high seas sailing for the mission field in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Call to Missionary Service
Alfred Taylor Howard was deeply religious. He believed profoundly in the efficacy of prayer. As a boy he had formed the habit of prayer, and as a college student prayed regularly. In later life, while taking long walks, he would pray for long lists of persons and causes, setting aside certain days of the week for various portions of his long prayer lists.Toward the end of his college days, Alfred wondered about what his life-work should be. So he made this a matter for prayer. During the summer before his senior year, while working on his father's farm, he chose a certain empty stall in the barn as his "quiet place" for daily intercession. Later he wrote, "I do not know when in my life I ever prayed more earnestly for definite guidance."
In his handwritten memoirs, found after his death, he tells of the outcome of his prayer:
- "One day early in August, Dr. William M. Bell, an old friend of father's, was to speak at a county Sunday-schoolSunday schoolSunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
convention in Kalamazoo. Doctor Bell had been elected general secretary of the Home, Frontier and Foreign Missionary Society of the United Brethren Church. My brother Roy and I drove to Kalamazoo to hear him. We saw him for just a few minutes before his address to the convention. He said he wished to see me after the meeting. Accordingly at the close of the program he came through the crowd toward me, and to my surprise, stated, "Howard, we want you to go to Africa."