San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1907

During the early part of the year 1902 the Professors of Systematic Theology, Apologetics and Greek Exegesis in the San Francisco Theological Seminary proffered their resignations, and the financial affairs of the Seminary were somewhat straitened.  On August 14th of that year Rev. Hugh W. Gilchrist of Seattle, Wash., was elected Instructor in the Greek chair, $1,000 upon his salary being pledged from the Synod of Washington.

He was born in Shelbyville, Ind.; received B.A. in 1885 from Hanover College, Ind., and was honored with D.D. while in the Seminary.  He graduated from Lane Theological Seminary, Ohio, 1888, and was ordained December 2, 1888, by the Presbytery of Cincinnati; was Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, 1888-93; Gettysburg, Pa., 1893-96, and Westminister Church, Seattle, Wash., 1896-1902.

Dr. Gilchrist was Instructor in the Seminary from 1902 until his resignation, April 26, 1905.  He gave good satisfaction as a teacher and took a leading part in developing a plan for the students to do missionary work in San Francisco.  He is now the efficient manager of the Mount Hermon Association in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cal., established for the purpose of holding Bible Institutes and Christian Conferences.

The first Alumnus of the San Francisco Theological Seminary to take part in directing its affairs was elected a Director in 1890, just nineteen years after the Seminary was organized.  Since then four others have been Directors.  But it was thirty-five years before an Alumnus became a member of the Faculty.  This was when Rev. Charles G. Paterson was elected, in 1906, California Professor of Church History in place of the recently deceased Dr. Alexander.  Mr. Paterson was born more than two years after Dr. Alexander became a Professor in the Seminary; and so, while Dr. Alexander was teaching all along these thirty-five years, Mr. Paterson was growing up and being educated to take his place when he ceased from his labors.

Mr. Paterson was born in Brantford, Ontario, March 16, 1874, and so was but thirty-two years old when elected Professor.  His father is a prominent man in the Canadian Government, being Minister of Customs for the Dominion of Canada.  Mr. Paterson graduated from the University of Toronto, with the degree of B.A., in 1896, having taken the double-honor course of Modern Languages and Political Science.  He was one of the two representatives of the University of Toronto who debated successfully against McGill University during his last year in college, and the same year he won the gold medal for public speaking.  He took two years in theology at Knox College, Toronto, the first in connection with his last year in college; came to the United States in June, 1897, and spent three months in special study at the University of Chicago.  He then came to San Anselmo for his third year in theology, and graduated from the San Francisco Theological Seminary in April, 1898.  He served the church at Springville, Utah, 1898; Holly Park, San Francisco, 1898-1902; Sausalito and Corte Madera, 1902-03, and is now supplying the church recently organized in Berkeley, Cal.  He was elected Instructor in Church History in the San Francisco Theological Seminary October 6, 1903, and Professor in the same department August 14, 1906.  Mr. Paterson’s work in the Seminary has been such as to give assurance that he will fill his position with much honor and usefulness.

Rev. E.A. Wicher, D.D., has been connected with the Faculty of the San Francisco Theological Seminary for only two years, but already he has proved himself well fitted for the place.

On June 29, 1905, he was chosen to give instruction in the department of Greek, and began his duties at the opening of the Seminary year.  He was elected Professor of New Testament Interpretation October 3, 1905, and was installed as such October 19, 1906, when he delivered an address upon “The Mysticism of St. Paul.”

Professor Wicher was born December 14, 1872, near Toronto, Canada.  His father was a minister, and died when the son was only six years old.  Left to his own resources at the age of thirteen, he made his way through college and seminary.  While in college he worked on a Toronto newspaper, and in the seminary course he was a tutor of Greek in Knox College, Toronto, an assistant to Dr. Caven.  During his four years in college he obtained each year First Class honors in the ancient classics, and graduated with two gold medals, one the Prince of Wales Medal.  He received M.A. in 1896 from Knox College, and in 1899, from the theological department of the same, B.D., having gained the highest honors of his class and the post-graduate traveling fellowship.  Park College conferred D.D. July, 1907.  He spent the year 1899-1900 in post-graduate study of theology in the University of Halle, Germany.  He was ordained, 1900, in Canada; was Pastor of the Claude Presbyterian Church, Toronto, 1900-03, and of Union Church, Kobe, Japan, 1903-05.

Since his return to America he has labored efficiently in calling attention to the needs of the American communities in Asiatic ports.  As Professor of New Testament Interpretation in the San Francisco Theological Seminary  he has done thorough work.

The last addition to the teaching force of the Seminary is Dr. T.V. Moore, who was elected Stuart Professor of Systematic Theology June 12, 1906, and entered upon his duties in October following.

Dr. Moore was born November 26, 1856, in Richmond, Va., where his father was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church.  He graduated B.A. and valedictorian, Southwestern University, Clarksville, Tenn., 1876.  Post-graduate work: One year Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., 1876-77; two years in Edinburgh University, Scotland, 1877-79; studies theology two years in Edinburgh University and Free Church College in same city, 1878-80; and one year in Princeton Seminary, N.J., graduating therefrom in 1881; one year post-graduate work in theology, University of Berlin, Germany, 1881-82.  He took honors in Moral Philosophy and Theology, Edinburgh University, and first prize for New Testament thesis in Princeton Theological Seminary.

He was married August 29, 1882, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Miss Mary Jane Wilson; Licensed, 1883, by the Presbytery of Philadelphia Central; Ordained, August, 1883, by the Presbytery of Montana; Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Helena, Montana, 1883-98; Westminster Church, Omaha, Neb., 1898-1906; and has been Professor of Systematic Theology in the San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, Cal., since 1906.  He received D.D., 1903, from both Knox College, Ill., and Bellevue College, Neb.  Dr. Moore has made several trips abroad for travel and study; was a delegate to the Pan-Presbyterian Council, Glasgow, Scotland, 1896; three times Commissioner to the General Assembly; Moderator of the Synod of Montana, 1895, and member for six years of the General Assembly’s Evangelistic Committee.  He is author of “History First Presbyterian Church, Helena, Montana, with Sketch of Early Presbyterianism in the State,” “Honoring God With Our Substance: and “Decision Day in the Sunday School.”  Dr. Moore has been thoroughly educated for his work, and will doubtless prove himself a worthy successor of the able men who have preceded him in this chair.

A very important part in the education of ministers is the training of the voice for singing and speaking.  For this work the chair of “Vocal Culture and Sacred Music” was established and endowed in the San Francisco Theological Seminary April 24, 1890, and at the same time Mr. Charles G. Buck of San Rafael was elected “Severin Instructor” therein.

Professor Buck was born in 1847 in New Orleans.  He removed to New York, and was there engaged in business for a time, but kept up the study of music all the while.  In 1878 he was called to teach singing in Hampton Normal Institute, Va.  The following year he went to teach in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and remained there until 1888, when he came to California.  His musical abilities attracted the attention of the Seminary Directors, and on April 24, 1890, he was elected Instructor in Vocal Culture and Sacred Music.  In this work, and in conducting the music on public occasions, he has proved himself very efficient.

Professor Buck is also one of the proprietors of the Mount Tamalpais Military Academy, San Rafael, Cal., where his talents are put to good use.

The importance of theological education is realized not only by the ministry, but also by thoughtful men in all vocations.  This is evidenced by the fact that there have been constantly upon the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Theological Seminary lawyers, professors, business men and men of many other callings.  One of the most prominent, able and faithful of these was the Honorable Henry H. Haight, a leading lawyer of San Francisco, one of California’s first citizens, and a man of national reputation.

Governor Haight came of a long line of worthy English and Scotch ancestors, some of whom came to America as early as 1628.  He was born May 20, 1825, in Rochester, N.Y., and died in San Francisco September 2, 1878, at the age of fifty-three years.  He graduated in 1844 from Yale College, and was admitted to practice at the Bar in 1847 in St. Louis, Mo.  He was a lawyer, as has been said, “by hereditary descent,” as the practice of law had been followed by his ancestry for more than three generations.  He started for California in 1849 and reached San Francisco in January, 1850.  He at once entered upon the practice of his profession there and continued in it until his death.

On January 24, 1855, he was married to Miss Anna E. Bissell of St. Louis, daughter of Captain Lewis Bissell of the United States Army.  Mr. Haight preferred the practice of law to politics, and twice refused the United States Senatorship.

In St. Louis he edited a “Free Soil” paper, but he was not willing to sustain President Lincoln in some of his administrative policies, and so he became a Union Democrat during the Civil War.  In 1867 he was elected Governor of California on the Democratic ticket and ably filled the office for four years.  In the memorial adopted by the Supreme Court of California after his death it is said, concerning the Governors of the State:

“Among them all no one stands higher than Henry Huntley Haight.”  He was a statesman, able, exalted and true, with a keen, cultured and well-stored mind.

Governor Haight was a man of profound religious convictions, and these he clung to in his professional life.  These words were true concerning him:

Whatever legal maze he wandered through,
He kept the Sermon on the Mount in view,
And justice always into mercy grew.

He was for years a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church, taught a Bible class, and ever had an abiding faith in the word of God.  He was a generous giver, not only to his own church, but also to many other benevolent enterprises.

When the San Francisco Theological Seminary was organized in 1871 Governor Haight was elected a member of the first Board of Directors, became one of the first Trustees, and was the first Attorney for the Seminary.  In these positions he remained as long as he lived, giving freely of his time, money, counsel and efforts to its establishment and development.  His works are his best monument.  May his example intice others to like devotion to the interest of our Seminary.