The Story of Accreditation at CME—Part 3: The A rating

JUBILEE DAY on New Year's, 1918, was a high day, not merely because the B rating had been granted and the boys could return from camps but because this step gave CME a new freedom to continue to grow and " fulfill its purpose. It was gener­ally agreed by the faculty of the College of Medical Evangelists and the officers of the General Conference that the B rating was a mere stopgap and that efforts to improve the quality of instruction and the physical plant should not be slackened until the Council on Medical Education would grant the A rating. In a letter to Dr. Magan written February 28, 1918, Elder I. H. Evans, who was then vice-president of the General Conference for North America, and who had been one of the most conservative in approving too rapid expansion of CME, wrote:

I do hope to see the school within two years classified as "A." I believe we can make it if we are to operate a full-fledged school in class "A" just as readily and just as successfully as in class "B," but I am very thankful that we have been lifted from class "C."

But instead of two years, as everyone fully expected, it was five years before CME received the A rating. What were the causes of this delay?

"A Heroic and Noble Stand"

First, the war was still in progress. The im­mediate danger of having to close because the school was not recognized was past, but the relation of medical schools to the wartime pro­gram was becoming more complex and dif­ficult as time went on. The year 1918 was a very difficult year for the College of Medical Evangelists. In fact, before the close of the war in November a crisis was reached when it seemed absolutely impossible for CME to sur­vive. The serious trials our brethern endured at that time were brought to my mind rather forcefully one day, when, sorting through the musty-dusty files of more than forty years ago, I came across a letter quite out of the ordinary.

This was a formal letter addressed to the faculty and students of the College of Medical Evangelists, bearing the signatures of C. W. Irwin, president of Pacific Union College, and others of the college family and church:

December 31, 1918 Dear Brethren:

The members of the Pacific Union College family and church have not been ignorant of the trying experiences through which you have passed in re­cent months. Be assured that you have had our sympathy and prayers; and now that conditions are again normal, we can with you thank God that this fearful war is over, and that our work may go on without hindrance. We have heard of your heroic and noble stand for the cause of God when the out­look was anything but bright; and your firm ad­herence to the truth has come as a great inspiration and encouragement to our souls. You have given us an example that we shall do our best to follow.

To express our feelings toward you, as a College family and church we have voted to send you, as a sister institution, our fraternal and cordial Chris­tian greetings; also our prayers for Heaven's rich­est blessings to rest upon you in the days to come. Yours in Christian love,

Pacific Union College Family and Church (signatures)

C. W. Irwin

W. G. WlRTH

G. F. WOLFKILL

What was the "heroic and noble stand for the cause of God" referred to in this fine tribute? This story should not be forgotten in the annals of CME.

Students Must Join Students' Army Training Corps

By July of 1918 the disorganization of the teaching staffs of medical schools all over the United States had reached a critical stage. The College of Medical Evangelists was no excep­tion, and several men in key positions had been taken by the Government Medical Department. When Dr. Magan consulted with Col. Horace D. Arnold, Surgeon General of the War Depart­ment, he was told that every physician would be obliged to join either the Medical Reserve Corps or the Volunteer Service Corps of the Army.

In the early months of the war the medical students had been protected from disturbance of their studies by an arrangement whereby they were taken into the Medical Enlisted Reserve Corps and left on active service with the medical school. In reality they did not know they were in the Army at all. All their rights as noncombatants had been guaranteed on their papers and the noncombatant "O" was marked on each entry.1

But in the fall of 1918 the Government changed the original plan and notified all the deans of medical schools that students must now join the Students' Army Training Corps. The same requirement was made of premedical students in our colleges.

Members of the volunteer student training corps were considered enlisted soldiers in the Army under the control of a medical officer. Any school desiring to form a unit must make application to the Government, and must have at least one hundred men of college grade.

Dr. Wells Ruble, medical secretary of the General Conference, watchful of the interests of our medical school, was active in interview­ing officials in the War Department. On Sep­tember 13, 1918, he sent the following telegram to Drs. N. G. Evans and P. T. Magan:

Investigation shows War Department favor limit­ing recognition to schools having Students' Army Training Corps. Consider transferring entire college Los Angeles combined faculties to conserve doctors using Loma Linda for special courses if desirable.

This was followed by a long letter dated Sep­tember 15 advising that—

Colonel Arnold's office practically told me that Loma Linda is to receive no further consideration from the War Department as a medical school, there being insufficient number of students there to constitute a unit of the SATC. . . . One of their chief anxieties is to get as many physicians as possible at the present time for war and civil service. They stated frankly that there was likelihood that there would be but one medical school left in Califor­nia. They told me further that their opinion was that the University of California had already re­ceived that recognition.

To meet this crisis the college board con­vened on September 20 and unanimously voted to make application to the Government for the privilege of operating a Students' Army Train­ing Corps at Loma Linda or Los Angeles, or both, "with the understanding that affiliations shall be had with the University of Redlands and with Occidental College in Los Angeles to make up the number required by the govern­ment for the training corps unit."2 President Irwin of Pacific Union College was present at this board meeting and stated that since PUC would have no SATC, some other plan would have to be made for the twenty or twenty-five premedical students who would be subject to the draft. It was then voted to plan for a pre­medical department at Loma Linda in con­nection with the SATC unit to benefit these students.

CME to Add Premedical Students From PUC

Housing for premedical students at Loma Linda would not be a problem because bar­racks were already being constructed in the field opposite the Kelly farmhouse to accom­modate those entering the wartime nurses' school at Loma Linda.3 (In July the Medical and Educational Departments of the General Conference had authorized such a plan to be conducted at Washington Missionary College and at Loma Linda.4)

It seemed to all the brethren who were facing the problem on the West Coast—the board of trustees, the conference committee, and the faculty of Pacific Union College—that there was no other way out; this was the only plan to save the medical school and to protect the medical and premedical students from being disrupted in their studies. President W. I. Smith of Walla Walla College was sending anxious telegrams asking about the forming of a unit at Loma Linda, and was considering sending the premedical students from Walla Walla to Loma Linda. President Morrison of Union College was also watching Loma Linda, and wrote, "We are studying this question and are in shape to introduce a SATC corps providing that it is thought best by our Board and Faculty."

Alarm Over Combatancy

Upon learning of these plans to form a unit of the SATC at Loma Linda, Dr. Ruble in Washington called his committee together on Sabbath afternoon, September 14, to discuss this serious step. He reported to Drs. Magan and Evans the grave concern felt by members of the committee that as a result of forming the SATC at any one of our colleges our boys would forfeit their noncombatancy status. His own viewpoint on the matter, however, he expressed thus:

To me, medical service in the reserve is o£ itself noncombatant service, and it seems to me person­ally that it would be better for us to maintain such a unit in our school there than to have it broken up and have our boys who must under any circum­stances be in a unit whether in our school or in an outside school, and thus keep our work going. It would not be in my mind surrendering my right to noncombatancy to enter the Medical Reserve and do anything I could to relieve in this terrible time of stress. 5

Evidently this was the viewpoint of a great many of the men in the West, and was appar­ently justified by assurances they had received from Government officers in California. The most vital question, it seemed to Drs. Evans and Magan, was whether it would be possible to meet the requirements of the Government for the forming of a SATC unit, and thus do every­thing possible to keep the school going. They made rapid movements to see if the University of Redlands and Occidental College in Los Angeles would like to join with them in con­ducting such a unit. They also interviewed Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, president of Leland Stanford University and regional director of the Students' Army Training Corps, seeking his advice and support. Dr. Wilbur immediately (Sept. 22, 1918) sent a wire to Washington recommending CME for a Students' Army Training Corps in connection with Redlands University and Occidental College.

This was also an anxious time for many who had completed their premedical work and were planning to enter CME that fall. School had opened on September 1 with a freshman class of about thirty-five, but there were at least fifteen prospective students for the first year at Loma Linda who had been taken in the draft and who were hoping against hope that when the SATC was formed they would be released for CME.6

While Pacific Union College, Walla Walla College, and Union College, as well as the Col­lege of Medical Evangelists, were anxiously awaiting word from the Government in answer to Dr. Wilbur's recommendation, a very dis­couraging telegram came from the Educational Department of the General Conference, fol­lowed by a long letter (Sept. 29) expressing strong disapproval of the course being followed in the West.

Committee has not authorized any of these steps and fear you are compromising the denomination.'

It was clear, they felt, that anyone joining the SATC would forfeit his noncombatant sta­tus.

Dr. Evans quickly wired a reply suggesting that surely the brethren in Washington had not studied the explanation that Dr. Magan had presented in regard to the situation. Elders A. G. Daniells and W. E. Howell replied in a night letter:

. . . Advices obtained from military authorities re­vealed that those joining the Medical Reserve of SATC become combatants, forfeiting noncombatant standing, hence Genera] Conference Committee in full session, Ruble present, decided it cannot au­thorize premedical work at Loma Linda nor advise formation SATC in denominational institutions. (Telegram to Dr. N. Evans, Sept. 28, 1918.)

The group at CME responded to this with a night letter to Elder Daniells, signed by J. H. Christian, president of the board, Dr. Evans, Dr. Masran, and others:

Your wire has caused us deep perplexity. Board met. With all courtesy believe you absolutely mis­understand situation in which you place us. Ma­jority students already in Reserve Corps which is superseded by SATC. Following your counsel school must close immediately. We have information that once closed it will never be permitted to reopen. Of­ficials with whom we have counseled have assured us that noncombatant status will not be compro­mised by training corps in medical school. We have acted in good faith. (Sept. 29.)

"In good faith." The position held by the brethren in the West had not been taken hastily or without much prayer and counsel together. On the other hand, the position of the brethren in Washington was strengthened by the conviction that the stand CME was taking now might be used later to change our denom­inational status with the Government as non-combatants.

SATC Defined as Combatant

Upon receiving the above anxious telegram from Elders Howell and Daniells, Dr. Magan sent a wire to Adjutant General James J. Borree at Sacramento (General Borree was "a lawyer with the legal end of the military machine in this part of the country") asking for a positive statement regarding those with conscientious scruples against the bearing of arms who would enter the medical corps, also reminding General Borree that President Wilson had designated the medical corps as noncombatant service. The answer received on October 5 was positive:

Opinion of this office medical student who en­ters army training corps forfeits right to noncom­batant service. Signed, Borree.

This statement was corroborated by word re­ceived at the same time from the War Com­mittee on Education.

As a final blow to the already desperate situation, on October 2 Dr. Magan received a telegram from Dr. Wrilbur of Stanford stating that word had finally come from Washington in answer to his inquiry, saying that no ap­plication for an SATC unit at Loma Linda had been received by the War Department, and moreover, no further units were going to be established.

Was it ordained that our medical school, which had been established under the guidance of God and built up by faith and prayer and sacrifice for the training of medical mission­aries, would close now without further struggle? Our brethren at CME were not ready to give up yet.

Inviting some of the General Conference men from Washington to meet with them, they called a general council in Oakland on October 7-11. It was decided there to act upon the recommendation of Dr. Wilbur, and ask Dr. Magan to go to Washington at once, accom­panied by Elder Christian if possible, to inter­view officers in the War Department, making a special petition to form a noncombatant SATC at Loma Linda. Dr. George Thomason, who was already in Washington attending a congress of surgeons, would meet them and use his influence. It was the plan of Dr. Magan to see important officials, including Major General E. H. Crowder, Provost Marshal, also to see the Adjutant General of the Army, and if these men were unable to help them, he would make a direct appeal to President Wilson.8

It was just at this critical time that the terrible epidemic of influenza swept the coun­try. Dr. Magan succumbed and was seriously ill and at the last minute had to give up his plans to go East. He was hors de combat for some weeks following. Although this came at the time the wartime nursing school was open­ing at Loma Linda and he had many heavy responsibilities, Dr. Evans quickly made plans to go in Dr. Magan's place. He gathered up a docket of letters, introductions, and recommen­dations, and entrained for Washington where he was met by Dr. Thomason.*

Dr. Evans reached Washington on Tuesday, October 29. He found a city almost paralyzed by the epidemic. All churches, schools, theaters, and places of public gathering were closed. Public funerals were forbidden.8

All our West Coast institutions, even includ­ing the Pacific Press, were anxiously waiting for reports from Dr. Evans. Although schools were in full swing, the students were restless, and tensions mounted as first one group and! then another were taken for examination. Days were set aside for fasting and prayer.

The stream of telegrams reporting Dr. Evans' step-by-step progress were relayed rapidly to President Irwin, President Smith, and Presi­dent Morrison. The news from Washington gave cause for alternate rejoicing and concern as the prospects changed from day to day with kaleidoscopic rapidity.

Military division of education committee assure us that they will give our request consideration. (Oct. 30.)

Training corps seems out of the question. (Oct. 31.)

An impasse was reached on November 1, and Drs. Evans and Thomason reported:

Saw Arnold. His statement changes problem. Says training corps only solution and we can have corps

* The letters carried by Dr. Evans are on file in Historical Records, Loma Linda.

on condition transferring Loma Linda students Los Angeles. All officials insist training corps stu­dents are combatants. Conference men will not con­sent training corps. We think advisable you come unless you feel best depend on early war closing. Start immediately if coining.

Dr. Magan, who was still not too strong following his attack of influenza, asked that a board meeting be called, as a result of which Elder Christian and Dr. Magan drafted a night letter to Dr. Evans stating that Dr. Magan would leave at once if Dr. Evans thought best, but that he felt he could not do any more with the Government than had been done. They did fear, however, that if the students were now forced to go to other schools to join the SATC they would feel that the conference had deserted them after they had faithfully stood by and waited. They expressed their opinion that "to close the college [was a] bigger violation of the Testimonies than to have [the] corps," and urged Dr. Evans to petition President Wilson to make special dispensation to make the corps at Loma Linda noncombatant.

This acted as a spur to Dr. Evans, and together with Elder Daniells and Elder Long-acre he drafted a letter to the Hon. Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, stating the problem and petitioning for an arrangement whereby our young men could continue in our own med­ical school their preparation for efficient service in the medical department of the Army. They were not able to make an appointment with Mr. Baker, but were able to meet with Captain Henry, Third Secretary of War, who went into the case carefully and said he would work on a statement of recommendation to Secretary-Baker.

The signing of the Armistice on November 11 came just at the right time to solve a problem that was becoming increasingly complicated and unsolvable. On this very day a group of students had been called to entrain, but when the news came through they were told to go back to their homes. Dr. Magan expressed his convictions on the timeliness of the Armistice as regards the future of the medical school in a letter to Dr. Isadore Green, on January 22, 1919:

When the books are opened in the judgment it will be seen that God's hand was directly in the sudden, spectacular and miraculous close of the war for the purpose of protecting His people from a ter­rible crisis for which we were not ready. I will al­ways believe this, and in the eternal days expect that the scroll will be unrolled and we will clearly understand it. I can see more clearly now than be­fore what is in store for us in the days to come . . .

And to Elder A. O. Tait and many others, he wrote:

You will remember that paragraph in "Captivity and Restoration" which tells how that when strong­holds of kings were tottering to their fall God guards His children still. Certainly the strongholds of kings fell at the right time for us . . . (To be continued)

1 Letter of Percy T. Magan to George Thomason, Oct. 20, 1918.

2 College of Medical Evangelists, Board Minutes, Vol. II, Xov. 21, 1915-ApriI 3, 1919, p. 485.

s Bulletin, Loma Linda Institute of Wartime Nursing, Nov. 4, 1918.

4 Resolutions adopted by the American Members of the Medical and Educational Department Council, n.d. (Copy in file of Dr. M-agan.)

3 Letter of W. A. Ruble to Percy T. Magan, Sept. 15, 1918.

6 Letter of Percy T. Magan to Newton Evans, July 16, 1918.

7 Telegram of W. E. Howell to Newton Evans, Sept. 26, 1918.

s Letter of Percy T. Magan to George Thomason, Oct. 20, 1918.

o Letter of A. G. Daniells to Percy T. Magan. Oct. 20, 1918.