O.C. 教皇

West 德州 Church Founder and HSU President 1898-1901

O.C. 蒲柏是个很有信仰的人, 愿景, and character who blazed a trail across the 德州 frontier, 在1898年当选西蒙斯学院第三任校长之前，他在沃思堡、埃尔帕索甚至墨西哥建立了浸信会教堂. 在他生命的最后四年里，他一直在为这所经济困难的大学服务，这所大学就是今天的PG电子游戏.

Owen Clinton 教皇 was born February 15, 1842, in Washington County, 乔治亚州. 他进入梅肯的默瑟大学, 乔治亚州, 16岁的时候, graduating in 1860 with a bachelor of divinity degree. 毕业后不久, 才18岁, 他娶了杰斐逊县的莫丽·辛克菲尔德, 乔治亚州, and was also called to pastor the Baptist church of Linville, 乔治亚州. 1861年，他被任命为牧师.

During his service in the Confederate Army, he preached nightly to the troops. 由于他在内战中服役的时间，教皇的健康状况一直不佳. 战争结束后回到格鲁吉亚, he found few churches could support a full-time minister, so he taught public school and became principal of Jefferson High School at Stellaville, 乔治亚州. During this period he also preached at small rural churches.

He was called to his first full-time church at Morristown, 田纳西州, 1874年夏天，他刚安顿下来，就考虑创办一份宗教报纸. 他创立了浸信会反射者, and was soon elected secretary for the General Association of Baptists of East 田纳西州. 两年后, 他辞去了莫里斯敦教会的职务, 卖掉报纸, 搬到了纳什维尔, where he served for a time as pastor of Central Baptist Church. In 1878, he moved to Houston to become managing editor of the 德州 Baptist Herald. 他在第一篇社论中写道, “在新的管理下, 我们希望为德州浸信会的每一个利益而工作，而不受党派或地域的限制. 我不属于哪个教派，而属于另一个教派，无论我在哪里发现一个浸信会教徒团体，都在努力为上帝的荣誉和事业的利益建立一个企业, 他们将得到我的衷心合作.”

蒲柏很实际, 富有想象力的, 顽强的, 对人和项目都感兴趣, 和有同情心. In a time when it was not fashionable to do so, he was an advocate of minorities. He urged white ministers to visit their “black brethren” and be anxious to help them. He wrote about the spiritual and social needs of the Indians, 他是女性的支持者, 1880年，第一个妇女传教联盟在奥斯汀成立，当时他是唯一一位参加妇女会议的男性. His wife, Mary, was elected corresponding secretary for WMU.

He began to travel in roles as preacher, editor, and teacher. Money was difficult to raise for the new Baptist churches springing up all over 德州, but 教皇 was not timid about discussing ways of raising money.

1879年，一项将规模更大的德州浸信会学校纳入州立大学系统的提案被否决，波普发挥了重要作用. 他提醒浸信会选民，他们一向反对任何政教合并.

Although 教皇 could be argumentative, he was also popular. 1880年6月, 他被贝勒大学授予荣誉神学博士学位，尽管他对这个奖项的回应是“神学博士”指的是教授揭示真理的人, 既然每个牧师都应该这么做, 每个传道人都应该获得学位.

继续他对任务的兴趣, 1881年，他前往纽约，向美国浸信会家庭传教协会寻求经济援助. 他带着肯定的回答和3美元的礼物回来了,000 and was immediately elected superintendent of missions for 德州.

1881年12月，他在西德克萨斯旅行时, 他在新成立的阿比林镇停留，帮助组织了只有17名成员的第一浸信会教堂. In 1882, 波普投中1分,为了鼓励埃尔帕索第一浸信会教堂的建立，他乘火车前往埃尔帕索.

In his 1882 report to the 德州 Baptist State Convention, 教皇说:“已经任命了20名传教士, 组织了13个教会, 151 persons baptized and 249 members received by letter.多年以后, 教皇的政策是沿着西部边境从墨西哥湾到德克萨斯州西部边界建立一条传教路线和传教士路线，这被认为是在德克萨斯州成功建立浸信会工作的原因. 1883年，就在德州浸信会大会召开之前，教皇前往墨西哥蒙特雷. 他成功地促成了1885年建成的第一座浸信会教堂的建立. 教皇 covered 24,000 miles by horseback, buggy, and by rail. 1881年至1885年间，他每周至少发表五次演讲，筹集了数千美元.

作为德州浸信会先驱报的编辑, he wrote much about the power of unification of all Baptists in 德州. 他的想法遭到了相当大的反对，因为每个浸信会会众都以自主为荣. Finally in 1886 the Convention’s schools, mission efforts, and publications were united.

搬到纽约, 从1885年到1891年，波普担任纽约市美国浸信会家庭传教协会教堂大厦基金的总律师. He was successful in raising thousands of dollars to build churches in the West. 在此期间，乔治。W. Smith, who was seeking building funds for the newly established Abilene Baptist College. 教皇在从Dr. 詹姆斯B. 这所学校后来以纪念西蒙斯博士的名字命名. 席梦思床品公司.

In 1898, at age 55, 教皇 accepted the position as president of 席梦思床品公司 College. 教皇对自己的公共关系和筹款技巧很有信心，但他问了一位教员, 丹·R. Couch, to take charge of the operation of the school. Couch later stated that he was given much work and little authority.

Men of integrity and strength of character often evoke personality clashes, and 教皇 was not popular with everyone at 席梦思床品公司 College. 9月17日，西蒙斯的7名教师中有6人向董事会提交了一封要求他辞职的信, 1899. They further threatened that if their request was not favorably received, 他们将在五天后集体辞职. 他们的不满似乎是由于一位教师兼新任副校长曾建议为修建新的男生宿舍申请延期贷款. 波普拒绝这样的提议是正确的，因为它直接违背了学校章程的条款, which stated that no debts of any kind were to be encumbered. Allegations were also lodged that he frequently kissed the girls, although it was verified and confirmed that it was done “openly and in a fatherly fashion.校董会回应称，“对霍金博士的纯洁和正直有无限的信心。. 教皇.指控教师立即被解雇, and 教皇 was able to find a full staff of new teachers from elsewhere in 德州. Classes were able to begin on Monday morning, only two days later.

Another instance proving his strength of character occurred when Colonel G.E. 伯内特, president of the Acme Pressed Brick Company in Millsap, 德州, had donated the funds for a first-class bell to be placed in the bell tower. Dr. 教皇 ordered the bell through George Paxton, a local hardware merchant. When 教皇 and his assistant went to pick up the bell, 珀普向帕克斯顿索要发票，这样他就可以向伯内特上校保证，没有人通过这笔交易牟取暴利. 不知什么原因, 帕克斯顿对这个要求很不满, and an argument heated to a point that Paxton said if it were not for 教皇’s gray hairs, 他会扇总统的脸. 教皇, being a man of action, responded, “Don’t stand behind my gray hairs, but slap.” They didn’t fight and settled the matter to the point that they became loyal friends. 乔治·L. Paxton then served on the college board for over 30 years.

夫人. 教皇 thought her husband to be the wisest, most clever, and creative man in the world. He had done much for the school in keeping it open and solvent. Dr. 在这重要的头十年里，波普还负责宣传它的下落，扩大它的声誉. 教皇们没有孩子, 所以他们决定把大部分财产留给他们非常关心的西蒙斯学院. 当夫人. 波普在她深爱的丈夫去世近30年后去世, 她给西蒙斯大学遗赠了50多美元,000.

Dr. O.C. 教皇 was truly a significant 愿景ary founder of 德州 Baptists, a missionary who brought Baptist churches to the 德州 frontier, 也是一位顽强的管理者和筹款人，他克服了威胁我们学校生存的不可逾越的挑战. He was a man of God called by God to do God’s work on the 德州 frontier.

Dr. O.C. 波普于1901年11月18日去世. 他和太太. 教皇 are buried on the Hardin-席梦思床品公司 University campus next to the graves of Dr. 和夫人. 詹姆斯B. 席梦思床品公司 in evidence of the high esteem in which he was held.

PG电子游戏很荣幸能够表彰她自己的一位，并正式将欧文·克林顿·波普(Owen Clinton 教皇)引入哈佛大学领袖堂.