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ARMOUR INSTITUTE |
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By Walter Hendricks |
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| Surprised at the outcome, she
enlisted the services of five young men from a manual training school to
teach wood carving, tile-making, freehand and mechanical drawing, and
designing. Before the end of the year she had 400 boys in the Saturday
morning classes, and 350 girls in the afternoon classes in dress-cutting
and millinery. Little did she realize that she was laying foundation for Armour
Institute of Technology. We must go back now to Plymouth Church, where Philip D. Armour is listening to a sermon by Frank W. Gunsaulus, a young man in his thirties, a silver-tongued orator and pastor of a large and wealthy Chicago church, declaring what he would do if he had a million dollars. He would establish a school to help young people who wanted to help themselves. That sermon is a classic. "Do you believe in those ideas you have just expressed?" the rich merchant asked the poor minister after the service. "I assuredly do," was the firm response. "Would you carry them our if you had the means?" the packer questioned. "Most certainly," said the preacher. "Very well," replied the decisive Armour; "if you will give me five years of your time, I will give you the money." These, then speaking generously, were the founders of Armour Institute of Technology: Joseph F. Armour, who left a bequest for a mission; Julia A. Beveridge, who formed classes in handiwork; Frank W. Gunsaulus, who preached a sermon on what he would do with a million dollars; and Philip D. Armour, who supplied the means for building the school. Gunsaulus and Armour were not sure, despite the sermon, what kind of school they wanted to build. Only one thing they were certain of: it was to be practical and designed for young people who wanted to help themselves. They finally came to a decision. In the Mission Visitor of October, 1890, we read as follows: "Mr. Armour is now erecting a large manual training school." |
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| Page last updated on May 17, 2000. |
