Page 60 - UB Church and Shen Univ
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Volume 6 Relation of U.B/EUB Virginia Conferences to Shenandoah University Dec. 26, 2013
here and I haven’t had a single complaint or word from anyone. I wondered why?” “Well
Bishop, it’s like this,” replied Mr. Harper. “In the first place, we didn’t need no preacher; and
in the second place, we didn’t want no preacher. And you know, Bishop, that fellow Racey
filled the bill 100 percent.”
We told many funny and sometimes true stories on each other. After all, I always did accuse
Forrest of going into the ministry to get out of Purgitsville, W.Va. Papa was building a road through
there and I worked one summer in Papa’s Wilson Gap Rock Quarry while out of school, lived with the
Oceola Fout family, and went to the EUB Church where Forrest’s father preached. I went to Rev.
Calvin Racey’s EUB Church not necessarily because they had better services or preaching than the
nearby Methodist Church, but because they had the best looking and most cooperative girls. That little
redhead had no trouble whatever converting me to the EUBs. The two little churches were the only
social activity in Purgitsville, except for a little gossiping and politicking around the country store by the
older folk. No wonder Forrest left for ministerial school.
In all my years of business experience and service on various boards, I have met only two people
who refused to accept a raise when offered. In 1980 I served on the Board and Executive Committee of
the Valley of Virginia Bankshares Corporation. We offered Henry Shirkey, President of the Farmer’s
Bank in Edinburg, Va., a substantial raise. He refused to accept and stated, “He thought he was paid
enough.” Several times the Board of Trustees offered Dr. Forrest Racey, President of Shenandoah
College and Conservatory of Music, raises which he, too, declined to accept.
In 1965 the Shenandoah College Executive Committee and Board offered President Forrest
Racey a raise and an all-expense trip for him and his wife, Leota (our efficient College Treasurer), to the
continent of Europe. They declined to accept. The College-Conservatory were then operating very
efficiently and substantially in the black. Dr. Racey could have easily taken a month’s vacation, but he
elected to devote his time to Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music. Forrest may have had
some faults, but neglecting his duties or being grasping was not a part of his makeup. He was a good
storyteller and made a determined effort to be agreeable with those in positions of influence or power.
On behalf of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, I wish to express our sincere
appreciation to Dr. Forrest Racey for his years of dedicated service to Shenandoah College and
Conservatory of Music. Without his counsel, advice, and help, moving and rebuilding Shenandoah
College and Conservatory of Music in Winchester may well have been an “Impossible Task.”
Transition. After thorough discussions by the Chamber of Commerce College Project
Committee, the Joint Planning and Building Committee, and officers of the Board of Trustees, we began
to reorganize the Board of Trustees and our administrative committees for operations in Winchester. It
was agreed that our people would serve on committees and the Board of Trustees in Dayton until such
time as the College-Conservatory moved to Winchester. We decided to nominate someone from each
religious group in the area, insofar as possible, and add others later rather than just from the EUB
constituency. We nominated quite a number of our local businessmen as vacancies occurred; not only
because of their ability and civic activities, but because of their dedication, interest and affiliation with
the various churches and civic groups, so that every appointment would be on as fair and non-
denominational basis as possible. We did not want any one group to dominate the project. Of course,
members of the EUB Church would be a majority since they were the official sponsors and were raising
over half of the initial funds. In this way, our Board represented a broad spectrum of our entire
community. Most groups were represented: Baptist, Catholics, Jewish, Methodist, Episcopalian,
Wilkins on History of S.C., 1952-1960 50
here and I haven’t had a single complaint or word from anyone. I wondered why?” “Well
Bishop, it’s like this,” replied Mr. Harper. “In the first place, we didn’t need no preacher; and
in the second place, we didn’t want no preacher. And you know, Bishop, that fellow Racey
filled the bill 100 percent.”
We told many funny and sometimes true stories on each other. After all, I always did accuse
Forrest of going into the ministry to get out of Purgitsville, W.Va. Papa was building a road through
there and I worked one summer in Papa’s Wilson Gap Rock Quarry while out of school, lived with the
Oceola Fout family, and went to the EUB Church where Forrest’s father preached. I went to Rev.
Calvin Racey’s EUB Church not necessarily because they had better services or preaching than the
nearby Methodist Church, but because they had the best looking and most cooperative girls. That little
redhead had no trouble whatever converting me to the EUBs. The two little churches were the only
social activity in Purgitsville, except for a little gossiping and politicking around the country store by the
older folk. No wonder Forrest left for ministerial school.
In all my years of business experience and service on various boards, I have met only two people
who refused to accept a raise when offered. In 1980 I served on the Board and Executive Committee of
the Valley of Virginia Bankshares Corporation. We offered Henry Shirkey, President of the Farmer’s
Bank in Edinburg, Va., a substantial raise. He refused to accept and stated, “He thought he was paid
enough.” Several times the Board of Trustees offered Dr. Forrest Racey, President of Shenandoah
College and Conservatory of Music, raises which he, too, declined to accept.
In 1965 the Shenandoah College Executive Committee and Board offered President Forrest
Racey a raise and an all-expense trip for him and his wife, Leota (our efficient College Treasurer), to the
continent of Europe. They declined to accept. The College-Conservatory were then operating very
efficiently and substantially in the black. Dr. Racey could have easily taken a month’s vacation, but he
elected to devote his time to Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music. Forrest may have had
some faults, but neglecting his duties or being grasping was not a part of his makeup. He was a good
storyteller and made a determined effort to be agreeable with those in positions of influence or power.
On behalf of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, I wish to express our sincere
appreciation to Dr. Forrest Racey for his years of dedicated service to Shenandoah College and
Conservatory of Music. Without his counsel, advice, and help, moving and rebuilding Shenandoah
College and Conservatory of Music in Winchester may well have been an “Impossible Task.”
Transition. After thorough discussions by the Chamber of Commerce College Project
Committee, the Joint Planning and Building Committee, and officers of the Board of Trustees, we began
to reorganize the Board of Trustees and our administrative committees for operations in Winchester. It
was agreed that our people would serve on committees and the Board of Trustees in Dayton until such
time as the College-Conservatory moved to Winchester. We decided to nominate someone from each
religious group in the area, insofar as possible, and add others later rather than just from the EUB
constituency. We nominated quite a number of our local businessmen as vacancies occurred; not only
because of their ability and civic activities, but because of their dedication, interest and affiliation with
the various churches and civic groups, so that every appointment would be on as fair and non-
denominational basis as possible. We did not want any one group to dominate the project. Of course,
members of the EUB Church would be a majority since they were the official sponsors and were raising
over half of the initial funds. In this way, our Board represented a broad spectrum of our entire
community. Most groups were represented: Baptist, Catholics, Jewish, Methodist, Episcopalian,
Wilkins on History of S.C., 1952-1960 50
