The new legacy off Chairman Herbert W. Reherd toward Westminster College or university inside Sodium Lake Town, Utah runs deep on facilities and growth of the college. Already influential throughout the Presbyterian community, both as a good pastor and people frontrunner, Reherd journeyed because a good missionary around the globe in the end winding up throughout the Mormon nation out of Salt Lake City. Reherd embarked towards an objective to keep the defectively funded inheritor of one’s Sodium Lake Collegiate Institute, Westminster College or university, and you will fostered its growth away from a great junior college to a complete four-season place. Reherd’s heritage is very intrinsic in the fundraising to own advancements as much as the new university, his writings about the college or university plus the Presbyterian records inside Utah, and you may setting-up recommendations with the continued excellence when you look at the diversity and you can gains regarding Westminster College or university.
That have considerable achievements as a residential district and religious frontrunner, Reherd situated a powerful connection with churchgoers and you will Presbyterian officials
The brand new guy of Jacob K. Reherd and you will Lucy Louise Ware, Herbert Ware Reherd was created on August 23, 1869 into the Genesco, Illinois. Dr. Herbert Reherd first started their industry into the Presbyterian Chapel very early immediately after graduating out of Parsons School and you may McCormick Theological Seminary, with a few manage new Princeton Theological Seminary. Reherd’s first fulfilling to your church was in Milan, Illinois, (1898-1901), and later in the Bethany Chapel out of Detroit, Michigan, (1901-1906). Reherd preached at Very first Presbyterian Chapel inside Waterloo, Iowa, (1906-1913) just before he was selected since Westminster chairman of the Charles Age. Bradt, very long friend and you can fellow on Presbyterian Church. Throughout his time in Iowa, Reherd in addition to Bradt embarked for the a world questionnaire of your own educational and you can missionary condition of one’s Presbyterian Church of You.S.An effective. inside 1911-1912. Inside the tour, Reherd generated of numerous connectivity that would later on prove useful to his some procedures that have Westminster University. The fresh cosmopolitan view compiled in the country therefore the remainder of the country have been clear from the decisions and you can ranged passion depicted since the Westminster increased in an alternate university.
His promote because the president consisted of a great $step three,500 annual paycheck, travel expenses, and you can a five-year contract
Reherd arrived in Salt River Area toward Oct dos, 1913 since fourth chairman out of Westminster University. However become an installation of one’s college or university for the next forty years. Into the his coming, the new campus contains Converse Hallway and you can Ferry Hallway in the middle of 12 miles out of alfalfa. Gunton Art gallery Chapel, created in 1905, on corner out of 1700 South and you can 1100 Eastern is actually brand new nearby Presbyterian church, where Reherd create preach a couple of times over the next forty years. Once their inauguration because president with the college or university to the October swapfinder 2, 1914, Reherd reached works raising the property towards the university. Converse Hallway was vacant for 2 many years and you will endured which have busted windows ahead of Reherd attempt on the improvements. The guy along with situated new President’s House for the 1300 East around the away from Converse Hallway, and you may began performs a different sort of men’s room dormitory. The latest dorm was just a good tar-roofed building nicknamed “the fresh new chicken coup” nevertheless are the beginning of Promote Hallway.
Reherd’s fundraising remaining the college afloat. Their fundraising tricks on Midwest plus the Eastern drew help out of loyal Presbyterians eliciting contributions to own Westminster, a great Presbyterian stronghold in the middle of “Mormondom”. Regrettably, luck wasn’t usually on the side of one’s university. Into the early morning out-of February 23, 1926, days before Reherd together with University embarked for the an alternative fundraising strategy within the Salt Lake, Converse Hallway went up during the flame making just the bones regarding this building. Fundraising efforts was indeed upcoming geared toward rebuilding Converse, which turned-out effective adequate to delivery arrangements to possess a different fitness center, afterwards dedicated to Charles Payne in the 1928.