Page 64 - UB Church and Shen Univ
P. 64
Volume 6 Relation of U.B/EUB Virginia Conferences to Shenandoah University Dec. 26, 2013
We all started bidding, and to our surprise, most of the property was knocked down to us. I
bought the gymnasium, Voyne Omps bought a building, and several other trustees wound up owning a
part of the college campus. We were heartsick and disappointed, as the sale only brought about
$100,000, less than half of what we had anticipated. The furniture and fixtures that were left were really
not worth moving. Most of these were sold on the spot, or privately, for a pittance. We were
disappointed, as this meant we would have to raise approximately another $100,000 to complete the
project and buy essential equipment. However, after discussing the pros and cons, we confirmed the
sales. After paying our Dayton, Va., debts and restoring the Endowment Fund, we only had $32,000
left—that was Shenandoah College and Conservatory’s cash dowry for Winchester from the auction.
Although the auction of the old campus was disappointing, it taught us a valuable lesson: not to
“count your eggs before they hatched.” Now we had to find new funds for our instruments and
equipment, desks, chairs, labs, offices, auditorium seats, etc. We scratched our heads and prayed for a
solution. With the help of a lot of people, we finally solved the problem by obtaining temporary credit
and raising additional funds.
Wilkins on History of S.C., 1952-1960 54
We all started bidding, and to our surprise, most of the property was knocked down to us. I
bought the gymnasium, Voyne Omps bought a building, and several other trustees wound up owning a
part of the college campus. We were heartsick and disappointed, as the sale only brought about
$100,000, less than half of what we had anticipated. The furniture and fixtures that were left were really
not worth moving. Most of these were sold on the spot, or privately, for a pittance. We were
disappointed, as this meant we would have to raise approximately another $100,000 to complete the
project and buy essential equipment. However, after discussing the pros and cons, we confirmed the
sales. After paying our Dayton, Va., debts and restoring the Endowment Fund, we only had $32,000
left—that was Shenandoah College and Conservatory’s cash dowry for Winchester from the auction.
Although the auction of the old campus was disappointing, it taught us a valuable lesson: not to
“count your eggs before they hatched.” Now we had to find new funds for our instruments and
equipment, desks, chairs, labs, offices, auditorium seats, etc. We scratched our heads and prayed for a
solution. With the help of a lot of people, we finally solved the problem by obtaining temporary credit
and raising additional funds.
Wilkins on History of S.C., 1952-1960 54
