(left to right) Dr. Marie Baldwin, Dr. John Faulkner Rainey, Dr. Lowry Price Ware,
and Dr. Randall Tucker Ruble

Erskine Inducts Four New Members Into the Academic Hall of Fame

Erskine College inducted four new members into its Academic Hall of Fame in a ceremony held April 6, and presented the Board of Counselors Chairman’s Award to Dr. Leon McDill (Dill) Allison, Dean Emeritus of Erskine Theological Seminary.

Inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame for 2001 were the late Dr. Marie Baldwin, the late Dr. John Faulkner Rainey, Dr. Randall Tucker Ruble, and Dr. Lowry Price Ware.

Allison, while receiving the Chairman's Award, said it was a special moment for him to be honored with two of his longtime friends, Ruble and Ware.

The Chairman’s Award is presented annually by the Board of Counselors to a person who has provided distinguished service in support of Erskine College and Seminary.

"I accept this award with humility and appreciation, and thank Erskine College for all it has meant to me and my family," Allison said.

Allison, seated at a table with members of his family, said the night would be perfect if his wife Rachel, who is ill, could have attended.

"She has been at my side all these years," Allison said. "It is the greatest privilege in my life that I can now be her caregiver."

Allison, a graduate of Davidson College and Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, completed his studies at Erskine Theological Seminary in 1949, following three years of military service in the Second World War. He served several pastorates, including the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, N.C., before his outstanding reputation as preacher and pastor led the Erskine Board of Trustees to elect him Dean of Erskine Theological Seminary, succeeding Dr. W.W. Boyce.

Allison started the first Erskine lecture series, the Robinson Lectures, and helped establish the Atlanta Theological Association. As a professor, he influenced hundreds of church leaders with his emphasis on sound scholarship, and as a leader in the ARP Church, he served on numerous boards and committees and was Moderator of General Synod in 1966. For many years he represented the denomination in the work of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Niece Jeanne Capps accepted the award for Baldwin, recalling watching her aunt work in Abbeville County as a doctor, blazing a path for women in her field.

"Aunt Marie never weighed more than 100 pounds, and she would dress in these little white linen suits and go on calls in her big black Buick," Capps said. "We were always impressed that she was going down new roads. She taught us many things, and we had her in our own hall of fame a long time ago."

Baldwin, a 1924 graduate whose career as a psychiatrist included 42 years of service to Duke University's Highland Hospital in Asheville, N.C., grew up in Due West. Seven of her eight siblings attended Erskine. Earning the Doctor of Medicine degree from the South Carolina State Medical College in Charleston, she received board certification in psychiatry and neurology from Duke University. She served as college physician at Winthrop College and in the Mental Hygiene Clinic in Charlotte, N.C. Her exemplary career was capped by her appointment as medical director and executive officer at Highland Hospital. She was one of only two women ever so honored by Duke University. Baldwin was a true pioneer, attending medical school when few women did, and choosing psychiatry as a specialty when the field was still developing. She moved back to Donalds upon retiring, and served on the Erskine Board of Counselors. She died in 1997.

John Rainey's son Robert accepted the award for his late father, saying his dad went through difficult times after leaving Erskine for medical school.

"Dad was in medical school when the stock market crashed, and he told stories of selling his blood to pay for his books," Robert Rainey said. "It always impressed me that he knew the genealogy of the families of all of his patients. He loved medicine and practiced until he died at age 89."

Rainey, a 1927 graduate, received his medical degree from the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He was active in professional organizations as well as in community service. Rainey and his wife, Caroline (Callie) Freeman Stringer, who were the parents of four children, established the Rainey Chair in Pediatric Hematology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He served as president of the Anderson County Medical Society, president of the Piedmont Post-Graduate Assembly of Physicians, and Chief of the Medical Staff at Anderson Memorial Hospital. He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Governor David Beasley. He died in 1996.

Ruble accepted his induction by saying, "I want to thank the people who helped shape my education. Erskine has been my family. It is the only place I worked after I left the service, and God just gave me a great opportunity here."

Ruble, who is Dean Emeritus of Erskine Theological Seminary, graduated from Erskine College in 1958, earning the Bachelor of Arts in English and History. He was the recipient of the H.M. Young Ring, the highest award presented to a graduating senior at Erskine. He completed his studies at Erskine Theological Seminary in 1961, going on to received the Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He did graduate work at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and received the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1964. He began a 32-tenure as Professor of Old Testament at Erskine Seminary in 1965, served as Erskine College Chaplain from 1971 to 1974, as Assistant Dean of Erskine Seminary in 1975-76, and as Vice President and Dean of the Seminary from 1976 to 1997. While Ruble was dean, the Seminary quadrupled its enrollment, moved into Bowie Divinity Hall, and became a diverse institution, with students representing many denominations, races, and nationalities.

Ware said when he was notified of his selection into the Academic Hall of Fame, he read the letter in disbelief.

"I looked at the list of all the people that have been inducted in the past 13 years, and I don't think I measure up," Ware said. "This is quite an honor. It's a great group of people and I am honored and humbled to be associated with them."

Ware, a 1949 graduate, is Professor Emeritus of History at Erskine College. He earned the Ph.D. in History at the University of South Carolina and has devoted years of research and study to local and regional history, writing and editing books and articles. His works include A History of Erskine College, 1839-1982. His academic excellence was recognized by his election to Phi Beta Kappa and he served as secretary and president of the Piedmont Area Phi Beta Kappa Association. He also served as president of the South Carolina Historical Association and edited its Proceedings for years. He contributed his enormous bibliographical knowledge and his ability to motivate bright history majors at Erskine College until his retirement in May 1987. Between 1989 and 2000 he has written scholarly articles dealing with contemporary historiographical themes, co-authored two books, and written or edited six additional works. He is a lifelong member of the Due West Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, where he has served as Sunday school teacher, deacon, elder, and clerk of the Session on which his father served before him.