Dickinson Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and
Biographical Album of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and
Marion Counties-Joseph A. Weller
Portrait and Biographical
Album of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion
Counties
Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1893
JOSEPH A. WELLER, D. D., PH. D., President
of the Central College, located at
Enterprise, Kan., is a native of Ohio. He was
born in Morgan County, April 28, 1846,
and is a son of Henry and Anna (Longstreth)
Weller. His father was a native of Pennsylvania
and was of German descent. The mother came
of a Quaker family of Philadelphia. He served
his. country in the late war as a private in Company
K, One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Infantry.
After attending the common schools, the subject
of this sketch was graduated from Otterbein
University, at Westerville, Ohio, in 1876, with
the degree of A. B., and in 1878 he was graduated
from the Union Biblical Seminary, of Dayton,
Ohio. He is also a graduate of the National
School of Elocution and Oratory in Philadelphia.
He received the Doctor's degrees attached to his
name from Westfield College, Ill., and the National
University, of Chicago, Ill., in 1878. He
was ordained to the ministry in Bethel, Ohio, and
was called to the pastorate of the church in Marion,
Ohio, where he remained two years. While
serving his alma mater as college pastor, he was
called to the chair of ancient languages in the
Western College, of Toledo, Iowa, where he was
an enthusiastic teacher for six years. During this
time he spent a summer in the advanced study of
languages under Harvard teachers at the Summer
Institute at Martha's Vineyard. He was then
elected President of Lane University, of Lecompton,
Kan. The school was then in a very
depressed
condition, with only one hundred and
twenty-six students, but he instilled new life into
it and the number of scholars was increased to
more than three hundred. While at that place,
he became a State worker in the interests of the
church and Sunday-school, and was preaching almost
constantly. He became President of Central
College, which was founded in 1891, under the
auspices of the United Brethren Church, by himself
and the Rev. C. U. McKee (who is now General
Manager), Rev. E. B. Slade and Rev. M. R.
Myer. These three gentlemen compose the resident
executive committee.
Central College is established in an excellent
locality', and the outlook for a splendid success is
very bright. Its faculty is composed of the ablest
instructors, teachers well adapted to the different
lines of study under their charge. Students may
pursue a classical, scientific, literary or commercial
course. Enterprise may well be proud of its college,
and the school will no doubt succeed in this
thriving town. Among the teachers, Mrs. Weller,
wife of the President, is numbered. She is a
highly cultured lady, about thirty-five years of
age and has spent nearly one-half of her life as a
teacher in public schools and in college. She is a
graduate of both the scientific and classical courses
in Western College, at Toledo, Iowa, where she
taught painting and drawing five years. She has
taught English literature, Latin and German for
four years. She is noted for her thoroughness
and unbounded enthusiasm in behalf of the
students, and will long live in the memory of
those who were under her care in Lane University.
Dr. Weller was first married April 20, 1865, to
Miss Mary E. Fletcher, in Muskingum County,
Ohio, and her death occurred September 20, 1881.
He was again married in Clear Lake, Iowa, January
1, 1888, his second union being with Emma
J. Howard, of that place. The lady is a daughter
of the Rev. Eldredge Howard. They have no
children of their own, but have an adopted son,
Robert H., who is now four years old. He is the
son of the late Rev. John and Anna Leffler, of Gibbon,
Neb. His father was pastor and principal of
an academy at that place. His parents were classmates
and graduated at Western College at the
same time, and they died within two weeks of
each other.
Dr. Weller is filled with an earnest enthusiasm
such as is needed to secure the success of the
school, which is now in excellent working order
and is constantly growing. The college is already
felt as a power for good in this community and
its influence will prove of lasting benefit to Enterprise
and the surrounding country, as it is already
gaining a State reputation. The President
is a gentleman of more than average ability, and
although his residence in this community is of
comparatively short duration, he has already won
the high regard of those with whom he has been
brought in contact, he will be remembered in
history as the leader in founding Central College.
(c) 2009 Sheryl McClure for
Dickinson County KS AHGP