Good morning, members of the Trinity United Methodist Congregation. It is truly a pleasure to be here with you on this beautiful day. As we look ahead to Trinity’s 200th anniversary celebration next May, I want to congratulate you on this incredible milestone. Two centuries of faith, service, and community is something for which you should be truly proud. As Trinity celebrates this bicentennial, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how integral Trinity’s past and future have been to the collective journey of the University of Evansville. Some may know this story. If you do, perhaps today will fill you with more details. For some that know a little of the story, today will fill in the details. And for those that don’t know the story, I have a story for you. For all, I hope that today makes you proud that you are part of the remarkable Church community.
Our ties run deep. Both Trinity United Methodist Church and the University of Evansville share a history that goes back to the founding of UE and your enduring commitment to community. Our journey began with a dream, the dream of one man—John C. Moore—whose vision and determination gave rise to the Moores Hill Male and Female Collegiate Institute in 1854, admitting her first class of 66 students in 1856 as the fifth co-educational college in the United States. What started as a small school in a town just west of Cincinnati became a beacon of opportunity in this region of Indiana, driven by a belief that education could transform lives. It was the people of Evansville, including members of Trinity United Methodist, then known as Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, who in 1917 raised a total of $500,000 in just about one week to relocate the college here. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Evansville College was born in 1919, and it became the University of Evansville in 1967. But none of this would have been possible without the steadfast support of this community—and Trinity in particular. Let me take you back to that pivotal year of 1917. Moore’s Hill College, a Methodist institution, was struggling in its rural setting. It was clear that a change was needed, and the leadership of the Methodist Church was pivotal in this decision. On January 21, 1917, Bishop William F. Anderson of the Cincinnati Area Methodist Church came to Evansville and spoke here at Trinity. While his visit was initially to raise support for a school in France, it ended up sparking a different conversation—one that would change the course of our university’s history. Impressed by the generosity of Trinity’s congregation, Bishop Anderson knew immediately that Evansville should be the new home for Moore’s Hill College. Within days, discussions were underway with the following proposal. Moores Hill College would move to Evansville if Evansville, through the Evansville Chamber of Commerce, would raise $500,000 from April 25, 1917, through midnight May 3, 1917. By the way, the largest amount of money ever raised in Evansville for a philanthropic cause before that time was slightly more than $150,000, raised in 1912 for a Y.M.C.A. building. Benjamin Bosse, the Evansville Mayor, only agreed to serve as the Chair of the Campaign committee, after Howard Roosa, the editor of the Evansville Courier, agreed to spread the “red paint” -- meaning would he give it full support. For nearly two weeks there was little in the paper except news of the campaign. For ten straight days the banner headline related to the College, and on most of those days the only news items on page one dealt with the College. On only one day, April 28, 1917, was the banner headline shared with any other news, and this was the one which read, “Congress Passes Selective Service Draft.” The people of Evansville responded with remarkable generosity. A railroad brakeman walked seven miles from Howell to bring his $5 contribution to Mr. Roosa at the Courier building. Nearly all Evansville school teachers contributed. At Fulton School every teacher gave $50, and the janitor gave $25. High school students also contributed nearly $1000, and even grade school children gave their pennies, dimes, quarters, and dollars. To record the progress of the drive a huge thermometer was mounted on the ten-story Citizens Bank Building at Fourth and Main. Each day after the report luncheon, campaign leaders rode a fire truck to the building, where a sign painter ascended the ladder to paint the red mercury column. Trinity played a crucial role in that effort, with many of your members stepping up to ensure the campaign’s success. A special moment came two days before the close of the campaign when Major A.C. Rosencranz, a member of Trinity, announced the largest contribution -- $50,000. On the last day, May 3, 1917, however, it seemed certain that unless another major gift could be obtained, the campaign would fail, and according to the terms of the subscriptions, none of the gifts would be valid and Evansville would not get the college. They were $50,000 short. A Presbyterian pastor approached Francis Joseph Reitz, president of the National City Bank, one of the city’s wealthiest men and its leading Catholic layman. A procession followed. M. P. Giffin, pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, also visited Mr. Reitz, followed by Bishop Anderson and followed by Rabbi Max Merritt. Think about this inspiring picture -- a Jewish Rabbi pleading with a Roman Catholic layman for a gift on behalf of a Methodist college. ‘Well,’ said Mr. Reitz to Mayor Bosse, ‘I do not want to see you fail. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church and its friends will give another $25,000, I’ll be good for an equal amount.’ So now it was a Catholic businessman pleading with a Methodist Church for a gift on behalf of a Methodist college. It was 6:30 p.m. when the pastor, the bishop and the board of Trinity Church met to consider the challenge. Their problem was difficult since most of the members of Trinity Church had already contributed. Nevertheless, members of the board individually increased their subscriptions and when after several hours of telephoning the full $25,000 had not been subscribed. They were $10,000 short. That night, May 3, 1917, a mass meeting was to be held at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Coliseum. As midnight neared, Mayor Bosse stepped out from the wings and reported the additional gifts of the members of Trinity Church, including the Trinity Board authorizing the Church itself to make a contribution of $10,000. With $25,000 raised from Trinity, Mr. Reitz made the matching gift of $25,000. A deafening roar went up from the crowd. Evansville would have its college. The Indiana Conference also had to raise an additional $500,000. They did – but that is a story for another day. The minutes of the Board of Trustees of Moores Hill College were brief and undramatic -- -- The following motion was made by C. D. Humes [an alumnus] and seconded by C. C. Edwards [the father of five graduates] : RESOLVED, that we officially accept the proposition of the Evansville Chamber of Commerce and that the transfer of Moores Hill College to Evansville be ratified . . . and that a committee of five be appointed to confer with a committee representing and appointed by the Evansville Chamber of Commerce to work out the essential details. This achievement wasn’t without its challenges. It required courage, resilience, and most of all, unity. The story of our founding is a story of what is possible when a community comes together with a shared vision. As we reflect on that history, it’s clear that the same spirit that drove those efforts continues to guide us today. The University of Evansville is still shaped by the belief that education is a force for good, not just in terms of academic achievement but in the development of the whole person. This is where the connection between our religious history, spirituality and our mission become so meaningful. At UE, we are dedicated to fostering the moral and social consciousness of our students. Our Methodist roots remind us that education is about more than knowledge—it is about shaping individuals who will go out into the world with a sense of purpose and a commitment to making a difference. Through service-learning opportunities, community engagement, and ethical leadership programs, we ensure that our students are not only prepared for their careers but also equipped to make a positive impact on our communities. Today, in a world facing profound challenges, we draw strength from our past to inspire the future. Our commitment to justice, inclusion, and service to others is woven into the fabric of who we are. Just as Trinity helped lay the foundation for our university, we now work to ensure that our students carry forward that legacy of compassion, justice, and community. There are eighteen words of a mission that define what we do at UE: to empower each student to think critically, act bravely, serve responsibly, and live meaningfully in a changing world. And with your support we have accomplished so much in the 170 years of our institution. Consider, for instance, the remarkable collaboration between Embrace, our student-led marketing and communications agency, and Bedford Collab, a local organization dedicated to fostering economic development on the South Side of Evansville. Together, they are addressing an Evansville food desert, by providing support in the building of a community kitchen, and, in turn, helping revitalize an entire neighborhood. What began in February 2022 has already made a lasting impact, with Embrace developing a website and launching a successful crowdfunding campaign. It’s a perfect example of how our students are applying their knowledge to make a tangible difference in our city. Then, I think of the same unity and hope for those less fortunate that drives our work in other areas. Through the leadership of Dr. Su Jin Jeong, our Director of the Institute for Public Health, and the partnership with Young & Established, the University secured $500,000 to tackle the critical issues of food insecurity and food equity in our community. It’s helping to address the reality of food deserts and childhood hunger—issues that affect so many here in Evansville. And we are not stopping there. Just last year we announced the Evansville Promise Neighborhood. With a $30 million grant from the Department of Education and an additional $32 million in matching funds, we have secured a $62 million investment right here in the heart of our city to address generational poverty wrapped up in an educational grant that provides cradle to career services to six schools (Evans Elementary School, Delaware Elementary School, Lincoln School, Bosse High School, Lodge Community School, and Glenwood Leadership Academy) and most importantly, the families who live in the 12 census tracks that surround these school. The location that we stand in today is less than a mile from Lincoln School and this location is receiving services because it is right in the middle of the Evansville Promise Neighborhood – spread the word. That’s $62 million dedicated to uplifting and empowering individuals and families. The first grants were distributed earlier this year to our 23 community partners, and they’ve already begun a transformative journey—one that includes early childhood home visiting, free literacy resources, adult learning programs, and much more. The Evansville Promise Neighborhood isn’t just a program; it’s a beacon of hope for our future. We are part of it – and so are you. One more story. We have read for years the community health needs assessment by Deaconess and St. Vincent that mental health is the #1 challenge in Southwest Indiana. It takes 9 months to get an appointment and nearly 16 months for a child’s assessment for ADHD, etc. We got really tired of reading the same thing every year. When someone finally makes that choice and the response is – you can have an appointment next year, that is just not acceptable. So, as a University, you have two choices. #1 – it is somebody else’s problem or #2 – we are going to answer the call of our community and do something about it. If I am telling you this story, guess which one we choose. It was a two-step process. We created a Doctor of Clinical Psychology Program, a UE Mental Health and Wellness Clinic and Assessment Center. How do they work together. Our new degree program requires our students, under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist and physician assistant, to supervise our students in providing therapy services and medication management to our community. Ability to pay is not an issue. You do want patients to be invested so we charge as little as $5 per session based on ability (or inability) to pay. We saw our first community-based clients in March and when fully operational with more than currently one cohort of 15 students, we will be able to see about 5,000 community patients per year. It is formally known as the UE Mental Health and Wellness Clinic and the Emily M. Young Assessment Center, named after Rick and Rose Young’s daughter who passed way to early and this clinic and assessment center provide the promise of a bright future for countless lives. We secured more than $45 million in grant funding in just the past few years in addition to raising more than $100 million in private philanthropy to support initiatives like these. By the way, that would make Jerry Linzy proud. In all these ways—through our partnerships, through our students, and through the dedication of our faculty and staff—the University of Evansville is not only transforming itself but also living its mission. We are changing lives and, hopefully, changing the world. As a university, the tremendous progress we've made would not have been possible without the steadfast support of Trinity United Methodist Church from the very beginning. We have doubled down on our investment in the community that brought us here, beginning in 1917. Without the Evansville community and especially without Trinity United Methodist Church, there is no Evansville College. There is no University of Evansville. There is no possibility of making a difference in the lives of people. I know many of my predecessors have sat in these pews on Sunday morning. While I may not be with you every Sunday, I am here with you in spirit. As partners in faith and education, together, we continue to fulfill the mission that was set forth all those years ago—to leave our community, and our world, better than we found it. And for that, we remain forever grateful to Trinity United Methodist Church and to all who have been part of this remarkable journey. Congratulations on 200 years and may you continue to do the work the future looks bright for the next 200 years. Thank you and may God bless you. Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, Esq. President of the University of Evansville Remarks given Oct. 6, 2024, at Trinity United Methodist Church
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