Profiles from a tour of the Old Baptist Church Cemetery In Monroe, Georgia

Conducted, Written and provided courtesy Nowell Briscoe ( [email protected] )

 PICKNEY DANIEL POLLOCK

Dr. Pickney Daniel Pollock, No. 4 on the list, was one of three Walton County citizens to head Mercer University.  The other two were Dr. Gustavus Alonzo Nunnally, who was president of the university from 1889 to 1893, and Dr. Rufus Carrollton Harris, who held one of the longest tenures as a Mercer President, from 1960 to 1980 and then became Chancellor of the university until his death.

        Pickney Daniel Pollock was born in Houston County, Georgia on a farm to humble and honorable parentage on November 22, 1860, to James Green Pollock and his wife, a Miss Bunson who, unfortunately no information about her survives.  Mr. Pollock was the eldest of eight children.  In his early years of school, P. D. Pollock received his education in a one room structure, typical of the period, built of plain boards and roughly hewn logs.  Around 25 to 50 students were taught by one man as at the time women had not gained stature as teachers.  These students were kept “at books” between seven to nine hours a day during the summer season and the range of lessons would about be equal to eight or ten grades of our present system.  Being the oldest child Mr. Pollock was relied heavily upon to help with the farm and the chores that went with running such acreage.  He would attend school during the year when work on the farm permitted and in the summer when he received the bulk of his education.  In his early years of schooling he was shown to be extremely bright and intelligent and caught the eye of another teacher, A. A. Marshall who saw in young Pollock an intense mind and a thirst for knowledge few of his other students had.  It was Mr. Marshall who took the boy when he completed his early schooling and gave him preparatory courses enabling him to enter college.  It might be noted here that it was because of this man’s influence on him, when Mr. Pollock’s second child was born, he was given the middle name “Marshall” in honor of his long-time friend and educator.  An interesting biography on the life of Dr. Pollock, written in 1942 by his devoted colleague at Mercer, B. A. Ragsdale, entitled “Memoir of Pickney Daniel Pollock”, provides a thorough and in-depth look into the life of this extraordinary educator.

        Dr. Pollock studied at Mercer in 1879-80; studied English and law at the University of Georgia receiving a B.L. in 1884; studied English, French and German in Paris one year and in Germany the following year then returned to Georgia and taught school at Senoia and Newnan.  In 1893 he was elected Professor of English at Mercer and in 1896 elected Chairman of the Faculty and at the age of 37 in 1897, elected to the office of President of the University.  He married Eva Selman of Monroe on November 24, 1895 and became the proud parents of a son, Daniel Marshall Pollock on November 24, 1901. A daughter, Constance Selman Pollock, aged one year and some months, died on December 10, 1899 and is buried in this plot close to her parents.

        His administration was notable, as mentioned by the trustees of the time in showing “the most remarkable executive ability that has ever controlled the affairs of the institution.  Under his leadership the school has had its greatest prosperity.”

        His success as an educator and administrator went beyond practical business affairs.  He developed a “Mercer Spirit” counted at the time to be unique in both quality and power.  Student pranks ceased and instead of the athletic loyalty which was then common, students accepted the higher purpose of the college as a sacred trust, feeling a deep and pervasive interest in matters of thought and outlook.  John Temple Graves commented at the time after visiting Dr. Pollock’s campus: “I have never seen such devotion in a student body to its alma mater, or such hearty sympathy between students and professors.  There is an atmosphere of mental vitality, a keenness of intellectual life, a spirit of philosophy, a purpose and ambition which is simply thrilling with promise to the future.”

        P. D. Pollock gave everything he had to the university that he so loved and cherished, often times neglecting his health to ensure the university thrived.  Only a few years into his tenure as president, his health began to fail. It seemed to be “an illness that defied the doctors and nurses.” No matter what attentions were shown to him in Macon, Atlanta and other hospitals, no singular diagnosis could be attributed to his decline.  It was as if he had completely used up his body and spirit in giving his all to his beloved Mercer.  When his eyes closed for the last time on Monday, July 24, 1905 in his bedroom at “The Hill”, it was noted by many in both Monroe and Macon how he had “with great efficiency served his day and generation.” 

        Funeral services were held at the Pollock home along with services at the Mercer Chapel.  Both his family and Mercer received countless accolades of his life and service to Mercer for months following his death.  This large granite cross which marks his grave, was donated by students, faculty and other devoted friends to honor one who gave much of his life in the pursuit of higher education and to a university to which he felt a connection of heart and spirit.

        On June 1, 1941 following the Mercer Commencement exercises, a bronze tablet honoring Dr. Pollock’s years of service to Mercer was unveiled in the university chapel.  “Miss Eva” Pollock was in attendance with her son Marshall, his wife, Florence and their two daughters, Florence and Constance, ages seven and three.  The tablet honoring Dr. Pollock was unveiled by his granddaughters “Flonnie” and “Connie”.