DUE WEST, SC - The annual Academic Hall of Fame Banquet will be held at Erskine College Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Dining Hall on the campus.

Five alumni are slated for induction this year, and the recipient of the Chairman's Award is to be announced. Sponsored by the Erskine College Board of Counselors, the Academic Hall of Fame Banquet is an opportunity to honor alumni, living or deceased, who by their lives and achievements have earned academic distinction.

This year's inductees are 1942 graduate Elizabeth Plaxco Patrick of Charlotte; 1871 graduate Benjamin Franklin Riley; 1877 graduate Robert Milton Stevenson; 1924 graduate William Hood Stuart, Sr.; and 1924 Due West Woman's College graduate Margrette Moore Stuart. Presiding over the banquet this year will be Board of Counselors Chairman William E. Kibler Jr. of Honea Path.

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WILLIAM HOOD STUART

1903 - 1992

William Hood Stuart, business leader and philanthropist, was born in Bartow, Florida on February 19, 1903, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Stuart. He was the valedictorian of the Erskine College Class of 1924 and in 1928 married the valedictorian of the Due West Woman's College Class of 1924, Margrette Moore. Married for 63 years, until her death in 1992, they were the parents of three children, one of whom, Edward Crosland Stuart, was killed in 1954 when his U.S. Navy plane was lost off the east coast of Florida.

Of all his many business activities, he perhaps enjoyed raising cattle above all. For over 40 years he was known for breeding registered Brahman cattle, and he served as chairman of the organizing committee of the Polk County Cattlemen's Association and was its first president. Engaged in a variety of agricultural and industrial enterprises throughout his life, Mr. Stuart's ventures in cattle, citrus, building materials and phosphates were undertaken in Florida, where he was well known for his civic-mindedness.

He served on the board of directors of the Bartow Chamber of Commerce and Bartow Memorial Hospital; was twice elected president of the Bartow Rotary Club, of which he was a founding member; received the Bartow Lions' Club's "Outstanding Citizen Award" in 1945; chaired the founding committee for the Polk County Youth Fair in 1947; was named "Outstanding Man in Agriculture" by the Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents in 1973; was a recipient of the Bartow Rotary Club's Medal of Honor and the Paul Harris Fellowship of Rotary International; and was inducted into the Polk County Public Schools Hall of Fame in 1988.

He gave freely of his time, talents and resources in the service of his alma mater and worked diligently on the Erskine College Board of Trustees and in other capacities, including charter membership and chairmanship of the first Board of Counselors.

In 1958 while serving as chairman of the Board of Trustees, he was honored as the very first "Alumnus of the Year," an award presented to an Erskine man or woman who has made outstanding contributions to college, church, civic and business endeavors. The honorary Doctor of Laws degree was conferred on Mr. Stuart by Erskine College in 1961.

"A Rotarian never says 'no' to an opportunity for service," was Mr. Stuart's standard advice to new members of the Rotary Club. He heeded well his own adage. So great was his reputation for generosity that it was said in the Tampa Tribune at the time of his death in June 1992 that his "unassuming attitude and care for people overshadowed his massive family business enterprise."

When Mr. and Mrs. Stuart established the Edward C. Stuart Foundation in memory of their son, leading to the creation of two merit-based scholarship programs, one at Davidson College and one at Erskine College, they demonstrated a high commitment to the education of young people. The impact of the E.B. Kennedy Scholarships, named for Mrs. Stuart's uncle, who was also a well-loved Associate Reformed Presbyterian minister, has been a tremendous one for Erskine. E.B. Kennedy Scholars are bright, active, committed students who enrich Erskine by their presence.

A man of academic talent, outstanding business acumen, personal integrity and Christian commitment, William Hood Stuart was a sterling representative of Erskine College in word and deed throughout his life, and his reputation lives on in the opportunities his family's generosity still offers to students of promise. 1998

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ROBERT MILTON STEVENSON

1860-1942

Robert Milton Stevenson was born in Fairfield County, South Carolina, November 20, 1860, a son of Robert Murdock Stevenson and Rebecca Margaret Hartin. From early childhood he hoped to become a minister. Prepared for college by the Reverend H.M. Henry, D.D., then a recent graduate of Erskine College, he earned his Erskine College degree in 1877. He taught for one year in Edgefield and Fairfield counties before entering Erskine Seminary in October 1878. Following his graduation, he was licensed to preach September 6, 1880 by the First Presbytery at Bethany, York County, South Carolina.

He married Abbeville County native Emma L. Christian, daughter of Thomas M. Christian and Mary A. Padgett, on October 26, 1881 in Due West and together they reared six children. He preached for a short time at Winnsboro and Brick Church before leaving for Virginia, where he was ordained by the Virginia Presbytery on April 22, 1882.

He was supply preacher at Broad Creek, Bethel and Ebenezer churches in Virginia, and was appointed pastor of the latter two churches in 1884. He returned to South Carolina and served as stated supply at Bethany and Kings Mountain in the summer and winter of 1886 and was installed as half-time pastor at Bethany May 13, 1887; at Crowder's Creek quarter-time November 5, 1892; and at Clover quarter-time November 3, 1893.

R.M. Stevenson ministered faithfully at these three South Carolina churches until September of 1911, when he became Editor-in-Chief of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian in Due West, a position he held successfully until his retirement January 1, 1941. He also edited the Senior Quarterly for the use of Sabbath Schools in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Before becoming editor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian he was Associate Editor of Our Young People, the organ of the church's Young People's Societies, and edited the A.R.P. Quarterly for eight years.

This tireless laborer for the Kingdom taught at the Due West Woman's College from 1911 to 1918 and at Erskine Theological Seminary from 1918 to 1940. He was moderator of the Synod of 1901 at Rosemark, Tennessee, and was appointed Fraternal Delegate to the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church. He attended the Semi-Centennial Celebration of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Mission in Tampico, Mexico.

Active in the civic arena, he served as advisor to the Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of South Carolina and from 1939 to his death as a member of the Executive Committee of the Federated Forces for Temperance and Law Enforcement.

"As a sermonizer he had few if any superiors in our Synod," it is noted in "Sketches of Ministers" in the Sesquicentennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. "As Editor of the Church Paper his writings have been characterized [by] simplicity, sanity, and breadth of view, and the paper has carried his welcome and helpful message week by week into the many homes of our people."

R.M. Stevenson's diligence and dedication as pastor, preacher, teacher, writer and editor were recognized in 1906 when Erskine College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Though described in "Sketches of Ministers" as "of modest and retiring disposition," his ministry had a profound and far-reaching impact on the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and among members of the Erskine family.

When Robert Milton Stevenson died on December 3, 1942, his funeral service was a joint one for him and one of his sons, Robert Mason Stevenson, the news of whose death may have brought on his sudden demise by a stroke. Thus ended poignantly the life of an apt student, devout minister, wise educator, and productive man of letters. The many years God granted him were characterized by faithful devotion and a widening sphere of godly influence.

1998

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ELIZABETH PLAXCO PATRICK

Elizabeth Plaxco Patrick was born August 30, 1921 in Abbeville, South Carolina, the daughter of Dr. Moffatt Plaxco and Agnes Devlin Plaxco. She grew up in Louisville, Georgia, where her father was superintendent of schools and an Associate Reformed Presbyterian minister. Her father later taught at Erskine Theological Seminary. She graduated as valedictorian in 1938 from Louisville Academy, Louisville, Georgia.

She enrolled at Erskine College, graduating in 1942 with a double major in Chemistry and English. Her round of activities and memberships at Erskine included the Young Women's Christian Association; the Cabinet; the Arrow staff; the Quill staff; Glee Club; Music Lovers Club; Choir; the Athenian Literary Society; service as a Commencement Marshal; service on the Athletic Board; and Garnet Circle.

As a young single woman following graduation from Erskine, Elizabeth Plaxco did not slacken her pace. She engaged in further study at the University of Virginia to obtain teaching certification for secondary education. In 1943, she became a registered medical technologist at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1943-44 she was employed by the Georgia Department of Public Health to work in the Laboratory of Hematology and Serology. In 1944 she was employed by the Rockefeller Foundation on a project for South American doctors concerning techniques and administration of public health laboratories in Peru, Chile and Equador.

Also in 1944, she was the first woman accepted into Princeton Theological Seminary, and was ranked on the "Top Ten Students" list there for 1945-46. She was the first woman employed on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Princeton, New Jersey, working there from 1944 through 1946. She was appointed to represent the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination on the New Hymnal Committee. In 1944, she was employed by Hayden Chemical Company in the production of penicillin.

In 1946, she was married to Chaplain H. Louis Patrick of the Sixth Marines, who had been her classmate at Erskine College, moving to Statesville, North Carolina to serve the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church there. Together this couple reared four children: Jane, Mary Moffatt, Henry, and Barbara.

The Patricks served the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning in 1950, and in 1952 moved to the Westminister Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. While in St. Louis, Mrs. Patrick was employed as director of an interracial summer camp conducted by the Metropolitan Church Federation of St. Louis. Also while there, she enrolled at Eden Theological Seminary in 1955 to complete studies for a master's degree in Religious Education.

In 1957 the Patricks were called to Kansas City, Missouri to serve Second Presbyterian Church and Mrs. Patrick was elected from the church-at-large to the National Commission of Evangelism. Three years later, she was elected to the Board of National Missions. In 1961, she was elected to the National Executive Committee of United Presbyterian Women and designated as Preacher of the Biennial Meeting of United Presbyterian Women at Purdue University.

The Patricks next served Trinity Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning in 1962. Mrs. Patrick was employed as a medical technician at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte in 1971. In 1972 she became a teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Weekday School, and continued there for 15 years. In 1975, she traveled to Glasgow, Scotland, where she lived for four months serving the St. Johns-Renfield parish. In 1993 she was elected a ruling elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.

For Elizabeth Plaxco Patrick, her studies at Erskine set the tone for a lifetime of ceaseless intellectual and spiritual growth. Her life bears witness to a love of learning and a willingness to employ that learning in the affairs of church and society. She is an alumna of whom Erskine College is justly proud.

1998

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN RILEY

1849-1925

Born in 1849 near Pineville, Alabama, clergyman, educator and author Benjamin Franklin Riley was the son of Enoch and Sophronia Autrey Riley. His parents were poor but devout and eager for their son to succeed. After attending school in his community, he entered Erskine College in 1868 and received the A.B. degree in 1871.

He was ordained to the Baptist ministry at Pineville in July 1872 and entered Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at that time located in Greenville, South Carolina. His studies were interrupted by failing health and he returned home to Alabama to recuperate. In 1874 he entered Crozer Theological Seminary where he remained until 1876.

He married Emma Shaw of Belleville, Alabama June 21, 1876, and they became the parents of eight children. Soon after his marriage he accepted the pastorate of Carlowville and Snow Hill churches in Alabama. He was called to a church in Albany, Georgia in 1878, but after a brief pastorate interrupted by ill health, he returned to Alabama and became pastor at Opelika from 1879 to 1882.

In 1888 he was made president of Howard College (now Samford University) near Birmingham, Alabama, remaining there until 1893 through a period of great difficulty in the history of the institution. He resigned the presidency of Howard College and accepted the chair of English and oratory in the University of Georgia, which he held with distinction until 1900. He served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas from 1900 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1909 was superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of Texas.

His work with the Anti-Saloon League revealed to him the detrimental effects of alcohol on black citizens, and inspired in him a sympathy for them. He became an advocate of reform in race relations. During his work as secretary of the Anti-Saloon League he wrote The White Man's Burden (1910) and later wrote The Life and Times of Booker T. Washington (1916).

His most important work was in the field of education and authorship. A diligent writer, he contributed regularly to the religious press of his denomination and to other similar periodicals. In 1881 he published The History of Conecuh County, Alabama, and in 1888 Alabama As It Is. Riley's other historical writings include History of the Baptists of Alabama (1893); History of the Baptists in the Southern States East of the Mississippi (1898); History of the Baptists of Texas (1907); Makers and Romance of Alabama History (1914); The Baptists in the Building of the Nation (1922); and Memorial History of the Baptists of Alabama (1923).

Erskine College recognized his accomplishments by conferring on him the Doctor of Divinity degree in 1890. The 1926 Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention included praise for his character, describing him as "an independent thinker ... lover of truth and justice ... friend of the lowly."

An entry devoted to B.F. Riley in the Dictionary of American Biography describes his constant alternation between the practical and the scholarly. "While he was pastor he was also studying and writing, and while he was in educational work he continued to preach." His writings are described as showing "diligence in research, care in statement, and vigor of style."

His last years were spent in Birmingham, Alabama, where he continued his round of quiet study, writing, and frequent preaching and lecturing. As scholar, historian, pastor, writer, and civic leader, Benjamin Franklin Riley was a credit to his family, his church, his region, and his country. A man of letters and a man of God, he was clearly a credit to his alma mater as well.

1998

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MARGRETTE MOORE STUART

1903-1992

Margrette Moore Stuart was born in Bridgeport Landing near Camden, Alabama on December 3, 1903, the daughter and only child of the late Samuel Davis Moore and Nelle Wardlaw Kennedy Moore. When she was six years of age, her father died and she and her mother moved to the home of her uncle, Erskine College professor Dr. E.B. Kennedy, in Due West, South Carolina. She attended the public schools of Due West, graduating as valedictorian in 1920 from Due West High School.

Margrette Moore was also valedictorian of the Due West Woman's College Class of 1924. Upon graduation, she taught in the public schools of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1928 she married William Hood Stuart of Bartow, Florida, valedictorian of the Erskine College Class of 1924. Their union produced three children: Edward Crosland Stuart, William Hood Stuart, Jr., and Nelle Kennedy Stuart .

Mrs. Stuart and her husband faced tragedy in the death of their eldest son, Edward Crosland Stuart, a 1954 graduate of Davidson College, when his United States Navy plane was lost off the east coast of Florida in 1956. The Edward C. Stuart Memorial Organ is one of many gifts the Stuarts have made to Erskine. During the year following their son's death, the Stuarts established the Edward C. Stuart Foundation, leading to the creation of two merit-based scholarship programs, one at Davidson College and one at Erskine College.

The E.B. Kennedy Scholarships at Erskine College, named for the uncle with whom Mrs. Stuart and her mother lived following their bereavement, have grown in reputation, bringing excellent students to the Erskine campus and providing national recognition for the college. During her lifetime, Mrs. Stuart maintained a keen personal interest in each scholar.

An exceptionally bright and high-achieving student herself, Mrs. Stuart turned an occasion of personal tragedy, her son's death, into a legacy of benevolence, the Edward C. Stuart Foundation, directed toward outstanding students. The Christian commitment, leadership potential, scholastic achievement, and vigorous outlook required of E.B. Kennedy Scholars can be seen in the life of this gracious lady.

Reared in a godly home and coming under the early influence of a well-loved minister of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, twice valedictorian of her class, active in church and community affairs, Mrs. Stuart exemplified all the best qualities sought in the young scholars to whom she dedicated so much of her time, attention and resources. Both her husband and her son served as chairmen of the Erskine College Board of Trustees as well as in other capacities, and in a real way their service to Erskine represented a gift from her as well.

Active in church and civic efforts in Bartow, Florida, Mrs. Stuart's reputation was one of unstinting devotion to God and neighbor. She was a dedicated mother known for her interest in children and was named Rose Keller Division Child Advocate of the Year in 1984 by the Children's Home Society of Florida. She was also strongly committed to the foreign mission activities of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. In 1985 Erskine College conferred on her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities.

Truly a distinguished alumna of the Due West Woman's College, Margrette Moore Stuart presented to all who knew her a powerful example of coping gracefully with grief and loss and of exercising Christian stewardship of this world's goods. She offered life-changing assistance to students of intellectual, moral and spiritual promise. Possessing a faith that took her through the dark places of life, committed to the education of young people, and loyal to her family, her church, and her alma mater, Margrette Moore Stuart knew the dignity of service to others.

1998