Ralph Stob
Encyclopedia
Ralph Stob was an educator, academic, and former president of Calvin College
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. Stob was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Roseland Christian School
. He felt called to Christian
ministry. He enrolled in the preparatory curriculum of Calvin College in 1909 from which he graduated in 1915. He then enrolled and enrolled at the Seminary
. Stob then accepted an appointment to teach classical languages at his alma mater
. Teaching delayed his graduation from seminary until 1920. He continued to teach at Calvin while working during the summers on his graduate degrees at the University of Chicago
.
Stob was a gifted and amiable teacher
and was appointed President of Calvin College
in 1933. During his tenure, he oversaw improvements to the curriculum and the beginning of a pension program for the staff. Faculty criticism, well-publicized student pranks, student criticism in the school newspaper
, and student flouting of school rules made for a difficult presidency. In 1939, Stob returned to teaching Greek
as effectively as before. In 1953 Stob was asked to assume the Chair of New Testament
department in the Calvin Seminary. He retired from the seminary in 1964 and died the following year.
Stob and Evelyn L. Mokma were married in 1918 and they had three daughters.
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. Stob was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Roseland Christian School
Roseland Christian School
Roseland Christian School is a private, coeducational elementary school on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in Roseland as a school for the children of Dutch immigrants in the area. Today it mainly serves the African American community that lives in Roseland.-History:The...
. He felt called to Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ministry. He enrolled in the preparatory curriculum of Calvin College in 1909 from which he graduated in 1915. He then enrolled and enrolled at the Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and closely tied to Calvin College, though each institution has its own board. Rev...
. Stob then accepted an appointment to teach classical languages at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
. Teaching delayed his graduation from seminary until 1920. He continued to teach at Calvin while working during the summers on his graduate degrees at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Stob was a gifted and amiable teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and was appointed President of Calvin College
President of Calvin College
The President of Calvin College is the chief executive officer of the school. The office is not as old as Calvin College, which had no need for such a position when it was founded in 1876. When the Theological School of the Christian Reformed Church opened in 1876, it had one instructor...
in 1933. During his tenure, he oversaw improvements to the curriculum and the beginning of a pension program for the staff. Faculty criticism, well-publicized student pranks, student criticism in the school newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, and student flouting of school rules made for a difficult presidency. In 1939, Stob returned to teaching Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
as effectively as before. In 1953 Stob was asked to assume the Chair of New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
department in the Calvin Seminary. He retired from the seminary in 1964 and died the following year.
Stob and Evelyn L. Mokma were married in 1918 and they had three daughters.