The Story of Accreditation at CME: Part I: Obtaining the Charter (C Rating)

Margaret Rossiter White gives this information of interest regarding the Vernier Radcliffe Memorial Library and her work and research there: "The library was named after Dr. Jean Vernier-Radcliffe, a graduate of the old AMMG at Battle Creek, who came to Loma Linda to teach in the early days, and later, with her husband, gave a large donation to be used in building a library for the Loma Linda Division of CME.

"Through the efforts of Mrs. Norman Matthews and Mrs. Elsa Lonergan and others, the section housing the Historical Records in the new library was established in 1954. I joined the library staff in 1956, and during the first year spent the major portion of my time indexing the unpublished letters of Mrs. E. G. White which have come to us through the files of Elders Burden and D. E. Robinson, Doctors Kress, Magan, and Mary McReynolds. We also have many interesting docu­ments pertaining to our medical work and the establishment of the College of Medical Evangelists, and a tremendous volume of correspondence from the files of the administrators.

"The correspondence files of Elder Burden and Doctors Wells Ruble, Percy T. Magan, and Newton Evans are the chief source of the material for these articles. It has been a gigantic task to go through the routine letters of admissions and interoffice details and find the key letters which shed light on the problems and policies of forty and fifty years ago, and there are still thousands of pages to scan, but these are the best documentary evidence to what was said and done back there."

WHEN the College of Medical Evangelists was incorporated in 1909, there was a pro­vision in the charter which gave "power to grant such literary, scientific, and professional honors and degrees as are usually granted by literary, scientific, medical, and dental or phar­maceutical colleges, and particularly the honors and degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Surgery, and Doctor of Dental Surgery, and in testimony thereof to give suitable diplomas under the corporate seal." Soon after the incorporation the college was inspected by representatives from the Council on Medical Education and given a C rating to operate as a medical college. From 1911 to 1917 .the college operated under a C rating. In 1917 the rating was raised to B, and in 1922 the much-coveted A rating was at­tained.

There is much of interest and inspiration in the story of how these ratings were gained. In each instance there were certain problems, pres­sures, and providences which made them in­evitable and significant steps forward. Each of these years—1909, 1917, and 1922—marks a hard-earned victory for the college and the denomination.

For convenience we shall divide this narra­tive into three parts: C (1909), B (1917), and A (1922). But the story is not as simple as A, B, and C. The full story compiled from avail­able board minutes, documents, and corre­spondence recently unearthed would be a very long one. In its larger sense the story of ac­creditation involves the whole of CME and is interwoven with many other factors: objectives, standards, fund raising, building, personalities, public relations, and denominational history. It is obvious, then, that the matter of selection is difficult.

Some of the events described here have been told and retold, but as the years pass there is an increasing number of people who are unfamil­iar with the names who made history at CME, and whose dedication, foresight, and industry may well be an inspiration to us who follow.

Medical School Urgently Needed by Denomination

At the beginning of 1908 the Loma Linda "College of Evangelists" was offering courses in three fields: Evangelistic Medical—"designed to qualify workers with all the ability of physi­cians to labor, not as physicians but as medical missionary evangelists"; Nursing; and Gospel Work. Elder John Burden and others at Loma Linda were beginning to feel the necessity of providing courses that would qualify physicians for legal practice, or at least to continue their course in State medical schools. In a letter to Mrs. White, dated February 18, 1908, Elder Burden wrote:

You will notice from our plan that we have in mind to develop the medical school here sufficiently to qualify physicians to practice under the recogni­tion of the State. As yet we have few students who are taking the medical course direct.

Now here was optimism! Optimism bordering on presumption, according to all human reason­ing! There was practically nothing by way of facilities, buildings, budget, or conference sup­port. The teaching staff consisted of three sanitarium physicians (Doctors Julia White, J. R. Leadsworth, and Cora Abbott) in addition to Dr. George Abbott, who was president, Elder Burden as Bible instructor, George McCready Price as librarian and science instructor, and a few others listed as "practical instructors." But they were very serious about starting a medical college! The chief basis for proceeding toward this goal was the instruction Mrs. White had given that at Loma Linda medical workers were to be trained with the "qualifications of physi­cians."

The need for a denominationally operated medical college was, of course, urgent. A tre­mendous interest in medical work as a most ef­fective means of promoting the gospel in all parts of the world had been snowballing in the thinking of Seventh-day Adventists since 1863, when Ellen G. White had penned the first of her impelling messages regarding healthful liv­ing. The number of sanitariums (79 in 1908) was rapidly increasing, and there were pressing calls from mission fields for medical workers. There was such a demand for physicians that it was becoming difficult for the officers of the Medical Department of the General Conference to devote their time to its general interests.1

Up until this time (1908) the physicians of the denomination had received their training either in State schools or at the American Medi­cal Missionary College, operating at Battle Creek (basic sciences and some clinical instruc­tion), and at Chicago, one hundred and twenty miles away (clinical sciences). The AMMC, founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association in 1895, stated in its first bulletin that it had been "or­ganized and planned with special reference to the work of the medical missionary." But now it was no longer connected with the denomina­tion, although many of its faculty and students were Seventh-day Adventists. Much counsel had come from Mrs. White, warning both teachers and students against going to Battle Creek be­cause of the change in objectives and loyalty to the principles upon which it had been founded.

Hundreds of young people interested in ob­taining a medical education were confused as to what course to follow and where to go. At the first hint that there might be a medical col­lege at Loma Linda they started writing in from all parts of the world to learn if it were really true that they could obtain a medical education there.

In 1907 Elder Burden had pointedly asked Mrs. White, "Is this school that you have spoken of simply to qualify nurses, or is it to embrace also the qualifications for physicians?" Mrs. White had given the answer, "Physicians are to recieve their education here."—Medical Ministry, p. 76.

Already there were eight students at Loma Linda who had completed one year of medical training, who were pinning their hopes on the uncertain possibility of being able to continue their work. Obviously, a decision had to be made. "We have to face the issue," wrote Elder Burden to Dr. W. A. Ruble, medical secretary of the General Conference, "or else turn down some of the plainest messages from the servant of the Lord we have ever received."

Plans and Problems in 1908

In early February, 1908, an educational coun­cil was held at Loma Linda to consider the fu­ture of the medical school. This was composed of the faculties of Loma Linda and San Fer­nando and the executive committee of the Southern California Conference. Shortly after­ward Elder Burden wrote Mrs. White of the meeting:

There was perfect agreement among all present in the conclusions reached and the plans laid. It would have done you good, Sister White, to see the spirit of unity and the desire of all that the work at Loma Linda should be made just what the Lord de­signed it to be.

After carefully considering the light that has been sent to us, . . . all were unanimous in their decision that it must be the Lord's plan that a medical missionary school should be carried for­ward here.²

At this meeting Prof. W. W. Prescott sug­gested that plans for the future of the college should be laid before the General Conference at its next council, which was to be in Washing­ton, D.C., in April.

Elder Burden was invited to attend the coun­cil but was unable to go. However, before it convened he wrote many long letters to leaders who were to have a voice there, such as Dr. Ruble, medical secretary of the General Con­ference, and Dr. G. H. Heald, editor of Life and Health. He called their attention to the urgency of the situation in view of the fact that it would soon be time to plan for the second year for those who had already entered upon their medical course.

Another strong argument referred to recent legislation in California. Heretofore California had been one of the most difficult States for medical practitioners who seek to gain recogni­tion. In 1907, the legislature, acceding to the pressure of the osteopaths, required only that all students entering medical colleges should have a high school preparation and should pass State Board examinations in ten fundamental studies. This, following shortly after the open­ing of the college, Elder Burden considered a "divine providence."

It cannot be denied that at first the idea of a medical college was hard to sell to many of the influential leaders. Elder Burden summed it up very correctly years later when he mentioned that one of the factors that held back the devel­opment of the medical college was doubt that we have "ability as a people to conduct a creditable school."

The greatest question mark was on the point of finance. Loma Linda had already acquired a debt, and to add to this seemed injudicious to many who were particularly concerned with the financial support. Elder Burden, in his convic­tion that now was the time to go ahead with a medical school, apparently minimized the fi­nancial load it would entail. His first sum­mary of basic needs was: Buildings and proper laboratory facilities, $10,000-$15,000; clinic in San Bernardino; small hospital in Loma Linda. He recognized that this did not take into con­sideration housing for students or additional salaries for the teaching staff.

Some of the brethren saw that a much greater expenditure would be necessary if they were to "conduct a creditable medical school." But to Mrs. White, Elder Burden's proposed expendi­tures seemed large. After receiving a letter from Elder Burden explaining some of the plans and needs, she wrote: "I dare not advise you in such large plans as you propose. You need to make the Lord your wisdom in these matters. I do not feel that you should plan for such large outlay of means without you have some certainty that you can meet your obligations."—Ellen G. White letter 82, 1908. Quoted in The Story of Our Health Message, p. 377.

Summary of Viewpoints Regarding Medical Course

Elder W. C. White was intensely interested in the medical school from its beginning. He was invited to the council at Washington but was unable to go because of a very heavy pro­gram of work at Elmshaven. However, in early April preceding the council he made a hasty trip to southern California to survey the opin­ions of his brethren in regard to the medical school. After returning home he wrote to Dr. Ruble and others and summarized the view­points held by different ones into four cate­gories:

1. That the Loma Linda school modify its pres­ent plans, giving up most of its special work and operate simply as an ordinary sanitarium nurses training school.

2. That the Loma Linda school be developed along the lines of the recommendations in the reso­lutions adopted at the October convention held in Loma Linda. (Practical work without degrees.)

3. That in addition to the above, a legal corpora­tion be formed under the California act which would permit graduates of the school to practice their special lines in California.

4. To work toward the end of someday estab­lishing a regular medical college.

The merits of these different plans Elder White considered in a long circular letter sent out to the brethren from Elmshaven. Of the first viewpoint he said, "I had supposed that we had left that proposition way behind." Of the second one, "These recommendations, I am told, were fully endorsed at the Pacific Union Conference." (These resolutions may be read in Pacific Union Recorder, Nov. 14, 1907, pp. 2-4.) He stated that Elder Burden and his as­sociates seemed to think that plan No. 3 would be "a more correct working out of the pattern." As for himself, he thought that "we would prob­ably work for a few years on plan No. 2, and then develop plan No. 4." Elder Burden wrote a long letter to the council in which he con­sidered at length these four plans and sent a copy of his letter to Mrs. White.

The council was a great disappointment to all those who had so carefully planned and hoped. According to the reports of actions and events as given in the Review and Herald of April and May, 1908, the matter of a medical school was not even considered, and there was no mention of Loma Linda. One line in the story of Loma Linda from the notebook of Elder Burden tells us: "The matter of broaden­ing the scope of the school at Loma Linda was largely held in abeyance until the matter could be carefully considered by the. General Confer­ence."

Question Sidetracked at 1909 General Conference

The next General Conference was still more than a year in the future. In the meantime much study was given to the problem. In March, 1909, the executive committee of the Southern California Conference and the board of trustees of the Loma Linda Sanitarium met and prepared a "memorial to be presented to the brethren in council." This memorial out­lined the steps that had been taken so far to meet the Spirit of Prophecy counsel regarding an educational center at Loma Linda and a school for the training of gospel medical mis­sionary evangelists. It also included a request that the Loma Linda college be recognized and included in the sisterhood of denominational colleges.

The 37th session of the General Conference, held in Washington, May 13 to June 6, 1909, came and went, and the subject of a medical college was still "in abeyance." At the close of the third meeting of the Medical Missionary Department, Dr. Ruble said that the important point in the mind of the committee in as­signing the topic for the day, "Preparation for Medical Missionary Work," had not been fully touched. Shall we qualify in legally recognized schools, or is it possible and advantageous to make preparation in special missionary schools such as Loma Linda? he asked. A few remarks by Dr. J. R. Leadsworth followed. Otherwise, in the nineteen meetings of the department, Loma Linda was not mentioned.

On June 1, Mrs. White gave a sermon titled "Plea for Medical Missionary Evangelism," and read a paper on "The Loma Linda College of Evangelists." It was in this setting that she made the oft-quoted statements: "Make it [Loma Linda] especially strong in the educa­tion of nurses and physicians"; and "Loma Linda is to be not only a sanitarium, but an educational center." ³

The next day at the general session a resolu­tion was brought in to the effect that "those qualifying for medical practice secure such preliminary and medical education as is ac­cepted in this country and abroad." ⁴ This was interpreted by some as nothing less than asking Seventh-day Adventist young people who de­sired a medical education to attend schools of the world. Others denied the implication. A discussion followed, and the resolution was passed.

"Well," said Elder Burden to Mrs. White at the close of the session, "the conference is clos­ing now, and no action has been taken to en­courage us to go ahead with advanced medical training. What shall we do now?"

"Go forward as you have done in the past," she answered. "Follow the instruction you have been given in the past regarding a medical school."

(To be continued)

1  General Conference Bulletin, 37th session, May 14, 1909 p. 9, "The President's Address,'*5 by A. G. Daniells.

2  "A Divine Providence" (unpublished manuscript, 15), p. 4, "Plans for a Medical College, " by John A. Burden.

3  General Conference Bulletin, 37th session, June 4, 1909 p. 308, "The Loma Linda College of Evangelists," bv Ellen G. White.

4  General Conference Bulletin, 37th session, June 3, 1909, pp. 292-295, "Conference Proceedings" (35th meeting, June 2, 5:30 a.m.).