The Madison Institutions (1904-1964)
Organization
Dates
- Existence: 1904 - 1964
Historical
The Madison Institutions represented a large effort by Seventh-day Adventist leaders and laymen to develop what became known as the self-supporting work. The leader, Edward A. Sutherland, together with Percy T. Magan and M. Bessie DeGraw, came together in Michigan and moved on to Madison, Tennessee. They were reform minded leaders who wished to follow the counsels of Ellen G. White regarding educational methods and work-school plans.
Through the years the Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute became Madison College. At Madison, the campus grew to include a sanitarium, a farm, a food factory, and several other industries. The concept of self-supporting institutions grew to include nearly 40 outpost schools, and even today continues in some areas of the Seventh-day Adventist Church membership. In addition to schools, there were sanitariums and large city treatment rooms, vegetarian cafeterias, and food factories spread across the southern portion of the United States.
The educational methods differed from most schools and students attending the schools were required to work half of the day and study the other half. Some of the other key principles followed by the self-supporting groups include missionary training, self-government, work and study, faculty and staff working side by side with the students, and those students without money could work their way through school. The self-supporting movement eventually led to an office at the General Conference, the Association of Self-Supporting Institutions, or A.S.I.
The Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute began in 1904 when Sutherland and Magan felt called to work for the people of the south. Ellen White encouraged this through her writings and speaking as well as being intimately involved in the founding of the Madison school. The Board for the Madison school was the only such body she was ever willing to be a member. White directed in the purchase of the original farm as well as encouraging the establishment of medical work and a food factory.
The 1930s are considered the high point for the Madison self-supporting concept. Sutherland led the institutions from its founding until his death in 1955. By the late 1950s, for a variety of reasons, the institutions faced a very challenging financial situation. This led ultimately in 1964 to the closing of Madison College; Madison Sanitarium and Hospital continued to function until it was sold some years later.
Through the years the Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute became Madison College. At Madison, the campus grew to include a sanitarium, a farm, a food factory, and several other industries. The concept of self-supporting institutions grew to include nearly 40 outpost schools, and even today continues in some areas of the Seventh-day Adventist Church membership. In addition to schools, there were sanitariums and large city treatment rooms, vegetarian cafeterias, and food factories spread across the southern portion of the United States.
The educational methods differed from most schools and students attending the schools were required to work half of the day and study the other half. Some of the other key principles followed by the self-supporting groups include missionary training, self-government, work and study, faculty and staff working side by side with the students, and those students without money could work their way through school. The self-supporting movement eventually led to an office at the General Conference, the Association of Self-Supporting Institutions, or A.S.I.
The Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute began in 1904 when Sutherland and Magan felt called to work for the people of the south. Ellen White encouraged this through her writings and speaking as well as being intimately involved in the founding of the Madison school. The Board for the Madison school was the only such body she was ever willing to be a member. White directed in the purchase of the original farm as well as encouraging the establishment of medical work and a food factory.
The 1930s are considered the high point for the Madison self-supporting concept. Sutherland led the institutions from its founding until his death in 1955. By the late 1950s, for a variety of reasons, the institutions faced a very challenging financial situation. This led ultimately in 1964 to the closing of Madison College; Madison Sanitarium and Hospital continued to function until it was sold some years later.
Found in 6 Collections and/or Records:
M. Bessie DeGraw Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 339
Content Description
This collection was 100% spun out of a much larger Madison Institutions Collection held by the Center for Adventist Research. The bulk of the papers came to the Center in 2013 from the Madison Alumni Association. However, some additional papers were previously held by the Center and were brought together to form this collection.Madison and DeGraw were extensively interwoven and thus difficult if not impossible to separate business from personal. Portions of the papers in this...
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1896 - 1964
M. Bessie DeGraw Papers
Accession
Identifier: Collection 339
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1896 - 1964
Madison Institutions Collection
Collection
Identifier: Collection 167
Content Description
Over the years five different collections, from five different sources, related to Madison Institutions were received by the Andrews University Center for Adventist Research. Three of them were commonly called, Madison Institutions, one was Edward A. Sutherland, and the last one was from the Madison College Alumni Association, which was received in 2013. In reviewing all five collections it was found they really should be merged together into one collection due to the extensive overlap of their...
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1906 - 1965
Madison Institutions Collection
Accession
Identifier: Collection 167
Mary Kate Gafford Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 351
Content Description
This collection consists solely of seven folders of poems composed primarily by Gafford, but includes one folder of manuscripts by others. There are two folders related to Gafford’s poetry and a poetry publication.
Dates:
No date
Mary Kate Gafford Papers
Accession
Identifier: Collection 351