VOL. 88 N0.4 
The Madison Influence Still Lives 
By Albert Dittes 
I 
am active in local history of my hometown, Portland, 
Tennessee, and find the Madison influence in two 
recent discoveries. 
The first was the diaries of Lida Scott at The 
Layman Foundation chronicling her first visit to 
Tennessee in 1914. She went to Chestnut Hill Farm 
School a Madison unit about 20 miles out in the 
country from Portland. She was a personal friend of 
Harriet Walen, one of the founders. 
In those days, they called it the greater Fountain 
Head area. She wrote a fascinating description of the 
people they visited there, and took many pictures now 
on file at The Layman Foundation office in Collegedale, 
Tenn. When I saw them, it occurred to me that local 
historical people would want to see them. So I made a 
presentation of the diaries and the picture~ at a 
historical society meeting. Then I put up the pictures 
on a display at an arts and crafts festival, entitling. it 
Fountain Head in 1914. A local picture collector With 
a booth next to mine asked for a copy of all the pictures. 
They document the local culture at that time, a nearby 
road, church, typical house, general store, and a crop of 
sorghum among other things. 
Mrs. Scott went from Chestnut Hill to Madison and 
eventually became part of its work in a big way. 
Portland, Tennessee was a small community when 
I was growing up but has since become a great 
industrial center with around 50 industries employing 
about 4,000 people, quite a change for a rural 
community. 
One day somebody gave me a list of all industries, 
and I arranged it in chronological order and shared it 
with various interested people. The first one on the list 
was Portland Medical Center, which started out as 
Fountain Head Rural Sanitarium and Hospital in 1913. 
Braden and Pearl Mulford founded that institution as 
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2007 
part of their school, one of the first units of Madison. 
They were many years ahead of the next industry_, a 
gas company formed in 1948. 
Most of ~he maJor 
industries came after the 1970s. So the Madison folks 
left something permanent and good in Upper Sumner 
County, Tennessee. 
Layman Foundation Headquarters 
The Layman Foundation is building a two-story 
headquarters building on the west side of Collegedale 
on Apison Pike. The Foundation plans to occupy 
approximately half of the top floor and rent out the 
remainder and the first floor. The site has 19 acres 
along a busy highway entering Collegedale. The 
Foundation hopes to lease the property adjoining 
Apison Pike for use as retail stores and use the rear 
portion of it for offices, according to Dr. Herbert 
Coolidge, vice president of The Layman Foundation. 
They plan on an early summer occupancy and have 
named the site "La Collina", meaning the hill in Italian. 
Officers of The Layman Foundation are Bob Zollinger, 
president; Herbert Coolidge, vioe president and 
treasurer and Ann Goodge, secretary. tida Scott 
Page 2 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
chartered The Layman 
Foundation in 1924, and what remains of her personal 
fortune is still part of its financial base. 
The Madison School 
Units in 1915 
In the fall of 1914, the Fall Council of the North 
American Division Executive Committee formed a 
committee to study the self-supporting work ofMadison 
and make recommendations concerning its relationship 
to the organized Seventh-day Adventist work. Tension 
between the Madison people and General Conference 
had resulted in the Review banning any publicity of 
Madison in its columns. 
A newly-discovered report of this committee gives 
new insight into the work of Madison during its early 
days. 
The committee members visited many of the 
"independent" schools in the Southern and Southeastern 
Union Conferences. (These two organizations merged 
into the Southern Union in 1932, with Louisiana joining 
the Southwestern Union.) 
This committee made a very positive report to the 
council meeting at Lorna Linda in the fall of 1915. "We 
were impressed with the spirit of devotion and self-
sacrifice by these workers," the report reads. "They are 
living in the plainest of homes and in some instances 
their self-denial falls little short of actual suffering, but 
notwithstanding they seem possessed of a cheerful and 
uncomplaining spirit." 
The committee saw a need for these units 
comprised of a school, sanitarium and farm in their 
communities. "It seems to us that if we would develop 
our work and give stability to it, it is necessary in many 
sections for gospel workers to live in the community 
and become leaders in the religious activities," the 
report said. 
They also found that the medical missionary work 
of these units had earned the confidence and good will 
of the local populace. 
"We discovered two distinct classes of schools; 
one whose purpose primarily is to work for the people 
of the vicinity in which the school is located, the other 
seems to have to a greater or less degree the purpose of 
educating the children of Seventh-day Adventists 
outside the community, even soliciting students from 
other conferences from that in which the school is 
located," the report stated. A weakness they noted was 
a lack of overall supervision, with different schools 
using different methods. 
The committee recommended the enlarging and 
strengthening of this work, with The Madison School 
and its units becoming "part of the regular work of the 
denomination, and that we encourage proper persons in 
all our Conferences to enter The Madison School to 
receive a training for this work." 
They also recommended that financial support be 
given through the proper denominational channels, with 
conference auditors checking their books annually. 
Another recommendation was that the property 
titles be properly held to safeguard the interests and 
future welfare of the schools. The Layman Foundation 
would meet this need after it was organized in 1924. 
A resolution passed by the General Conference 
Committee appearing in the August 1, 1918, edition of 
The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald ratified this 
decision, recognizing the Nashville Agricultural and 
Normal Institute at Madison, Tenn., as the training 
school for workers in the South and encouraging people 
to attend it. 
This council also voted to recognize The Pisgah 
Industrial Institute near Asheville, North Carolina, "as 
a training school for rural teachers and workers." 
The Rocks of The Madison College 
Campus 
When the missionary boat Morning Star broke 
down at the Edgefield Junction, Ellen White suggested 
to Edward Sutherland and Percy Magan that they look 
over the Ferguson-Nelson farm, as a possible site for a 
school. These two men had looked at this place earlier 
and could only comment about its rocky, worn-out 
barren condition. The two Christian Educators followed 
Ellen White's urging and the rest is history. 
Limestone rocks were everywhere, in the fields, in 
the pastures, in the yards, in the roads, everywhere. As 
it turned out these rocks became a major building 
material, just pick them up and load them into a wagon 
and take them to a building site and build a building, 
like the Science Building, Demonstration Building, 
Milk Plant, Druillard Library, Williams Hall, several 
houses on campus and two columns at the entry to the 
campus off Larking Springs road. The columns had 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
Page 3 
engraved rock panels in 
them that read Madison 
College, 1904. 
When the college closed 
in 1964 the rock buildings 
were 
torn 
down, 
one 
building at a time, and the 
two columns at the entry to 
the campus met the same 
fate. Editors note-it is said 
that when it was announced 
that they would be torn 
down the next morning, 
Mrs. 
Mabel 
Towery 
~··~i!l positioned herself in front 
•Ill of one of the columns to save it. 
Early 
the 
next morning, 
unannounced it was torn down 
too. Lawrence Cantrell, Dairy 
and Farm manager, noted the 
fate 
of the 
columns 
and 
retrieved 
one of the 
engraved 
stones 
and 
moved it to his house down 
by the farm where it 
became a stepping stone 
for his front walk. Tracy, 
Lloyd and Don Cantrell 
had told me about this 
same stone during the past 
few years, but I never went down to see it. Tracy called 
one day to say the Cantrell house was vacant, in much 
need of repair and probably be tom down by Madison 
----Academy. He suggested 
1-r Paul Blankenship, Jim 
Culpepper 
we needed to retrieve the 
stone, which had probably 
been at the Cantrells house 
for 3 5 -40 years. 
I asked my friend, Paul 
Blankenship, BSN '58, to 
help me and he agreed. We 
met at the Cantrell's house 
with pick, shovel and a 
large pry bar. We got the stone out, it was already 
broken into two pieces, probably occurring in the 
destruction of the column. We loaded it into Paul's 
truck and took it to the Heritage House. Bob 
Sutherland, Paul and I selected a location for the stone, 
poured a cement foundation, and in a week returned and 
placed the stone on its foundation, near the front 
entrance of the Heritage House. This could be the final 
resting place for this piece of Madison history. 
Another stone, the shape of the state of Tennessee, 
that had been located over the south entrance to the 
Druillard Library, was also retrieved at the time the 
library was tom down. This stone is now the stepping 
stone to the Sisson Memorial gazebo, located in front of 
the Heritage House. 
By Jim Culpepper 
Madison Academy 1952 
Madison College-attended two years 
FROM HERE AND THERE 
California: Patricia Liu Lowe, BS '46, sent dues 
and extra and wrote, "Thank you so much for all the 
hard work you do. I enjoy the Survey very much." 
California: Venessa Standish Ford sent a change of 
address with this message, "Dear Survey, I want to be 
sure you have my new address." Thanks Venessa! 
Florida: Ishmael Combs, BS '59, sent this note 
with dues, "Just a note with dues info and to say thank 
you for carrying on the spirit of Madison College. I 
enjoy the Survey , it is a joy to read the news of the 
people that I sat in class with, worked with, rubbed 
elbows with, either way they made a better person of 
me. Thank you very much for keeping the spirit alive." 
Florida: Lois Sharpe and Jack Northcutt, Sent this 
message, "Dear Bob, We have not received any mail 
lately. It may have been my own fault because I am sure 
we are likely behind on a donation. However, I got 
word there appeared to be an address problem. We have 
lived here three years ... Hope this can be clarified. A 
check will follow by snail mail. We hope we can be at 
the homecoming, but we are scheduled to work at the 
William Miller Farm in New York State part of June. I 
don't know the Homecoming dates yet. God bless you 
fine folks. All us old Madisonites miss that old place. 
The place has all but disappeared, but the people and 
memories are still in our hearts. 
Jack and I have lived in Florida for 33 years and 
have retired from hospital work here. We are both 
strongly involved at our busy and growing Forest Lake 
Church. The internet address is forestlakechurch.org. 
We prepare three programs a week for Hope TV. Watch 
Sabbath School sometime during the week before you 
go to church at that net address, and if you must be 
home, you can get our church services there also. 
Thanks. Lois 
Tennessee: Alvin A. Wilson, S '4 7-'48 sent dues 
with this note, "Dear Madison College Alumni Assn. 
The one year I spent at Madison College,' 4 7-'48, 
was a definite milestone for me. Further efforts to 
Page 4 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
continue a college education did not materialize, but the 
good wife I found at 
( Continued on page 6) 
The Imogene Ward Scholarship 
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-Florida 
Association Directors of Nursing Administration/L TC 
(F ADONA), a Florida-based professional membership 
association representing 
nursing 
administrators 
dedicated to excellence in long-term care (LTC), 
announced The Imogene Ward Scholarship to honor the 
memory of a true long-term care leader, Imogene Ward. 
Imogene's husband, Homer, and two sons, Mike and 
Jeff, donated nearly $5,000 to establish the scholarship 
fund. 
Imogene Ward earned her Bachelors degree in 
nursing from Madison College in 1957. 
"We wanted to establish the fund in honor of the 
many things she has accomplished," said Homer Ward. 
"Imogene would be greatly honored. 
She was a 
compassionate nurse who was proud of her profession 
and would want to help others in the industry be the 
best they could be." 
The scholarship program has been established to 
provide financial assistance to individuals in nursing 
looking to continue their education in the LTC setting. 
"The recipients should be compassionate advocates for 
the elderly," Mike said, "and want to spend their careers 
in LTC devoted to this profession. Lastly, she would 
want to see candidates who are good communicators, 
great team players, and believers in pushing the 
envelope to elevate standards." 
Imogene Ward was the president of her graduating 
class at the Madison College of Nursing in Madison, 
Tenn. She began as a nurse at a hospital, then a nursing 
home, and later became a LTC director of nursing, 
which was her starting place for her years of devotion 
to geriatrics and the nursing home industry. 
Imogene and Homer decided to open their own 
skilled nursing facility in Tampa, known as University 
Park Convalescent & Nursing Home, in May, 1967, 
making her grandfather the first resident at the home. 
Her sons, both of whom have had long successful 
careers as nursing home administrators, recall their 
mother as being a visible and hands-on leader who 
would go out of her way to take care of the residents' 
needs, even if it meant working nights and holidays. 
"We are exceedingly happy to honor the memory of 
Imogene Ward and to be the organization awarding 
scholarships alongside the Ward family," said Bonnie 
Cruiz, president of F ADONA. 
"The Ward family 
members are true pioneers in long-term care and this 
scholarship will be a springboard for future long-term 
care nurse leaders." 
To contribute to The Imogene Ward Scholarship, 
please contact Ian Cordes, director of business 
development, 
at 
(561)-659-2167 
or 
icordes@bellsouth.net. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Have You?? 
Have you been wondering why the last issue of the 
Survey was late and this issue even later? Well, I found 
out there is life outside the alumni office and Stella and 
I drove 2000 miles to attend our grandson's graduation 
from Air Force training in San Antonio, Texas. This 
was followed up with another 1000 trip to attend the 
funeral of the last brother-in-law. 
The week before Christmas I decided to find out 
why it felt like my food was hanging up when I 
swallowed. An esophagoscopy with biopsy revealed 
Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus. A 
P .E. T. scan showed lymph node involvement and 
another esophagoscopy with ultrasound and biopsy 
further confirmed the diagnosis. We instantly forgot 
about the Survey and made arrangements to spend two 
weeks at a Life Style Center in Stanton, Kentucky 
where we learned to prepare delicious raw food dishes 
and juicing of vegetables. 
I have been following the testimonials of 
individuals who were following the Hallelujah Acres 
Diet and being healed of numerous maladies including 
cancer and have elected to follow a similar program 
rather than destroy my immune system with "Chemo" 
and or Radiation. I hope you will forgive the lack of 
attention to the Survey and be supportive of the alumni 
association and Survey as you have in the past. 
Because of these life changes it is necessary that 
Stella and I step aside and hope that one or some of you 
will step in to fill the needs we have been attending to 
these past 15-20 years. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Homecoming will be June 27-29, 
2008. The fourth weekend in June 
Well know missionary David Gates 
will be the principal speaker. 
Hope to see you here. 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
Page 5 
MORE PICTURES FROM HOMECOMING 2007 
Dr. Maria Perales 
Albert Isom and Reuben Perales 
Pat Gualding Perales 
Center-Dr. Pedro Perales 
Dr. Silva and Mrs. Silva 
L-Mrs. Mike Clark, Judy Culpepper 
Esther Minesinger Sutton in background, Judy 
Culpepper helping at Sunday Morning breakfast 
Page 6 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
Madison was a lifelong blessing. I have been a widower 
for almost three years. Alice B. Wheeler and I had 56Y2 
years together. I spent 22 of those years as a Literature 
Evangelist and another 22 years as a minister of the 
gospel of Christ in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 
My regret is that Madison College did not continue its 
good Christian purpose." 
Washin~:ton: Joe, BSN '61 and Shirley Fields, N '62, 
Sent dues and these words, " It was wonderful getting 
the Madison Survey and seeing pictures of former 
classmates and friends. 
I can't remember when we sent our dues last but 
don't want to miss a Survey. 
I noticed Patricia Sheffield Nicholas sent a change 
of address. I have been trying to locate Pat as we 
roomed together at Madison. I knew she was in Florida 
but didn't know her address. I'd be grateful if I could 
ge.t her address or if not possible you could give her 
mine .... 
Thanks for the great job you do in getting the 
Madison Survey to us. 
Washin2ton: Esther Edmondson, B S '60 and Pat Scott, 
sent dues and extra with these words, "We want to 
thank the Alumni Staff and editors of the Survey for 
keeping us up to date on happenings. Pat and I have 
been retired since 2002 but are busy in our little church 
in Oroville, Washington. Pat is Head Elder and I am 
S.S. Superintendent as well as a Deaconess and pianist. 
Pat speaks for the service once or twice a month and is 
sometimes asked to speak in other churches. He teaches 
the S. S. lesson once or twice a month. 
It will be 50 years in 2009 since I graduated from 
Madison College and we plan to be there for 
Homecoming that year. It would be so nice for as many 
as possible who graduated at that time to get together. 
That's only 1 Y2 years away. Let's plan to get together. 
If anyone has the latest phone number or address for 
Rachel Y atani I would like to have it as have lost 
contact. 
Thank you again for all your good work." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Keeping the Madison Spirit Alive 
by Albert Dittes 
An amazing thing to many people is how the 
Madison influence refuses to die despite the school 
and hospital closing. 
Two worthy causes are inheritors of the Madison 
legacy. 
The first is the Madison Campus Church. They 
have made their facilities available to us through the 
years for our annual homecoming, and are working 
hard to pay for a $4 million new wing to their church. 
We use their massive dining room for our annual 
dinner. We also conducted our evening Friday and 
Sabbath evening vespers program there last year. 
They currently owe $2.19 million, so any donation 
would be welcome. 
If you wish to contribute, send your check to: 
Madison Campus SDA Church 
P.O. Box 6296 
Madison, TN 3 7116 
Attention: Wayne Mosher 
You could also put the name of E.A. Sutherland or 
one of the other great Madison personalities on the 
check. 
The Campus Church also has a complete clerks listing 
of membership going all the back to its organization 
in 1906. All names are numbered ,meaning you can 
easily find out when someone was baptized in or 
transferred out. Just call the church office at 
(615)865-5822. 
Another fund raising campaign you might want to 
aid for the White Memorial Medical Center in East 
Los Angeles. They are involved in a $183 million 
rebuilding effort, some of which will come from 
government grants but hope to raise $3 0 million from 
supporters. 
You could donate to this campaign in honor of 
Lida Funk Scott and E.A. Sutherland, two people 
with a big part in their heritage. Send your check to: 
White Memorial Medical Center Charitable 
Foundation 
1720 Cesar A. Chavez AVE 
Los Angeles, CA 90033 
For more information, call (323)-260-5739 or look 
up their web site at www.whitememorial.com. 
Both these organizations have strong Madison 
roots. 
• 
MADISON SURVEY----OCTOBER ---DECEMBER 2007 
Page 7 
RESTING UNTIL THE RESURRECTION 
Martin,Genevieve (Eaton), S '40-'42, N '49, died 
January 1, 2008, at Portland Medical Center (formerly 
Highland Hospital), Portland, Tenn. 
She was born in San Antonio, Texas, on March 21, 
1922. She started nurses training at Madison in 1940 
and married fellow student Doyle Martin in 1943. He 
finished his Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in 
1943 and graduated from the School of Anesthesia in 
1952. 
They worked at hospitals in Florida, Arkansas and 
Tennessee. 
Surviving are her husband Doyle Martin of Portland, 
Tenn.; daughter Carolyn (Carey) Barringham of 
Riverside, Calif.; son Nick Martin of Cleburne, Texas; 
five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 
Perales, Ruben Dario, BSN '55, Anes. '62, Age 74 of 
Dickson. December 30, 2007 at Centennial Medical 
Center. Retired Nurse anesthetist. Preceded in death by 
his parents, Pedro and Luz Maria Rivera Perales. 
Survived by his wife, Patricia Ann Perales, N '57, 
'Anes. 65 of Dickson; his sons, Kevin R. Perales and 
Carla J. of Dickson, Keith M. Perales and Becky L. of 
McEwen, TN, Ken R. Perales and Teresa D. of 
Dickson, Kerry D. Perales and Debbie S. of Dickson; 
his brothers, Dr. Angel U. Perales (Mercedes) of 
Dickson, Dr. Pedro J. Perales, S '54-'57 (Betty) of 
Madison and Dr. Gamaliel Perales (Estella) of New 
Mexico; his sisters, Esther J. Cohen and her husband 
Howard of Harrisonburg, VA and Dr. Maria I. Perales 
(Hermes 
Rodriguez) 
of Nashville; 
his 
eleven 
grandchildren; his five great grandchildren; many 
nieces and nephews. 
THE ROY BOWES FAMILY 
Elizabeth (Liz) Bowes Dickinson recently sent a picture 
of the Roy Bowes family taken at her son's wedding 
and told about her two brothers, Bob and Larry, her 
sister Karen and herself. 
"Bob lives in Santa Ana, Calif. His son Bobby is an 
engineer at Edwards Medical in Irvine, Calif., and lives 
in Laguna Niguel. His other son Jonathan, an aerospace 
engineer, lives just outside of Sacramento. Neither are 
married, but are both in serious relationships, so we 
could be attending weddings in 2008. 
Larry and Debby live in Laguna Beach, have two 
grandchildren and have another on the way. Larry 
works for the Lorna Linda University Ophthalmology 
Group and commutes to Riverside Regional where he 
heads up their residency program. Since he joined them 
about three years ago their volume has increased over 
50 percent. He is glad not to be in solo practice, and 
they are glad to have him. 
"Karen is temporarily living near Lorna Linda in the 
Physical Rehab center, but her home town is Riverside. 
Her oldest son, Matthew Getchell, is disabled and lives 
in Moreno Valley in a group home. Her other son, 
Edward Livingston, lives with us and attends Crafton 
College. 
"Our son and his bride presently live at Wildwood, Ga. 
We turned our yard into an outdoor sanctuary with 300 
guests for their wedding on a beautiful day. 
"Our other son Larry also attends Crafton College and 
is very interested in computer science. 
"My husband Gary is self employed as a healthcare 
informatics consultant, and I am still working at Lorna 
Linda University Medical Center as Senior Vice 
President of Patient Care/Chief Nursing Officer of our 
system. We live in nearby Cherry Valley and have 
been married for 32 years. 
Dena Kay Bowes, mother of Liz, added this note. 
"Just a quickie. Our family all remember Madison 
College. Three of our four were born there and spent 
much of their early life on campus until our youngest 
"Lilibit" was in her early teens. 
They have fond 
memories of life at Madison and often speak of it. Dr. 
(Roy) Bowes and I both received our Bachelor of 
Science degrees amidst all our other responsibilities. 
Robert, our eldest, graduated from the academy as 
president of his class so has great memories of Madison 
days. All our family have many and various memories 
and are grateful for the opportunities afforded us by 
Madison College and the good friends we met and 
enjoyed. 
The check enclosed is for the dues and some for alumni 
expenses. At 91, God has blessed me with good health. 
We all miss our "dearest Roy" so very much. He was 
such a great supporter of Madison College and 
influenced many students to attend. He worked his way 
~. 
~ 
OCTOBER 
DECEMBER 2007 
through his pre-med at Madison. 
Students from E.A. Sutherland Education Association 
(EASEA) Schools have worked on the P. T. Magan 
house on four separate trips to Battle Creek. The house 
is located in the Historic Adventist Village just a stones 
throw from the James and Ellen White house. Over the 
years students and staffhave removed the shingle siding 
exposing the original wood siding; removed old pipes, 
wiring, lath and plaster; and painted the exterior. In the 
future EASEA groups plan to replace many of the 
windows and restore the interior. The Magan house will 
be used as one of the village exhibits to tell the story of 
SD A history. 
Coupon 
1. Survey & Dues 1 yr. ($25)-----===----=-----
2. Sending $ 
for Office Help. 
3. God's Beautiful Farm ($16) __ 
. 
4. Sending$ 
for Heritage House 
Restoration. 
MADISON SURVEY & ALUMNI NEWS 
Albert G. Dittes,President/Editor 
Bob Sutherland 
Managing Editor & Executive Secretary 
Home Phone: 615-859-5181 
Office: 615-865-1615 
(ISSN 32524000) is published quarterly by 
Madison College Alumni Assoc. Inc. 
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 
P 0 Box 6303 Madison, TN 3 7116-6303 
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