reason Torrey felt that some of the literary work undertaken by some of the other schools had not proven a real help to the students. He expressed his willingness to be identified with such a school in an advisory capacity. Since it was not possible to get the new school launched in the fall of 1907, Horton concluded that the next best time would be fol lowing Torrey's campaign early in 1908. Torrey agreed with this plan. However, the meetings with Torrey did not materialize. At the last minute the skating rink in which the meetings were to be held was condemned by the city as unsafe. This was the largest place available and Torrey refused to hold the meetings in any smaller place. But the new school, The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, was launched as planned on February 25, 1908 with Stewart as president, Horton as superintendent and Dr. W. E. Blackstone as dean. Black- stone was a lay member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and author of Jesus Is Coming. The first home of the Bible Insti tute was on Main Street, near Third. It was here that the first classes were held. The location was on the second floor above a pool hall. According to Mrs. Helen Day Sheppard, a member of the first graduating class, it was a large building divided into about four rooms. One was a dining room, another a kitchen, a third was an auditorium and the fourth was a social hall on the front of the building with large windows over looking Main St. This latter room was furnished with comfortable chairs, tables and lamps. It was used for social gatherings and also
for classes when needed. Students for the new school were recruited from three sources: 1) The Fishermen's Club, 2) the Lyceum Club and 3) the Sunday school teacher's training class held by Horton. The Fishermen's Club had been founded by Horton at Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Monday evening, April 16,1906 to 1) create and stimulate a love of Cod's holy Word and the study thereof, 2) do active, aggressive, personal work for Jesus Christ and 3) uphold the evangelical doctrines of the church. The club was incorporated under the laws of the State of California on December 3, 1910 and again in 1926 as an international organiza tion with chapters in Palestine, England and Puerto Rico. While the Fishermen's Club was strictly for young men, the Lyceum Club was strictly for young women, started by Mrs. Horton for the young ladies employed at the Fifth Street Department Store. The first meeting was held in the rug de partment of the store, but soon so many of the girls and their friends were coming that the store executives prepared a special room just off the rug department and equipped it with kitchen, dining and classroom facilities. For the convenience of the club, the store owners constructed an entry into the club room from the old Eve ning Express building, which was next door to the store, so that the club members would be able to enter the premises after closing hours of the store. By the end of its third academic year, the school already had out grown its Main Street facilities. Its success as a training school seemed Page 17
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