A photograph was taken of 46 Bible Students who were speakers at the 1919 Cedar Point Ohio convention. Some were directors of the Society and others were Pilgrims. This picture (below) was used in the Governing Body update number 8 for 2023 to show how many Bible Students were now choosing to be clean shaven. With grateful thanks to Bernhard, here is the photograph, then a key to the personnel in the photograph. Only a very few are unnamed.
You may need to click on the image in some devices to see the photograph in full.
01
Salter, Walter Frederick
02
Robison, Frederick Homer
03
Van Amburgh, William Edwin
04
Rutherford, Joseph Franklin
05
Wise, Charles Augustus
06
Sexton, Ernest David
07
Fisher, George Herbert
08
Woodworth, Clayton James Sr.
09
DeCecca, Giovanni
10
Baker, William Arthur
11
Hersee, William Matson
12
Boyd, (unknown)
13
Bowin, Martin Otto
14
Thorn, Walter John
15
Barker, Thomas E.
16
Robie, Rodney Lyman
17
Herr, Maurice L.
18
Thornton, T. H.
19
Sullivan, Ora Lee
20
Boyd, Benjamin H.
21
(unknown).
22
Graham, Alexander M.
23
Adam, Donald
24
Spring, W. H.
25
(unknown)
26
Rice, Vincent C.
27
Gillespie, John A.
28
Toole, Daniel
29
Pottie, P. D.
30
Barber, Richard Harvey
31
Zink, Louie F.
32
(unknown)
33
(unknown)
34
(unknown)
35
Pickering, W. H.
36
Kendall, George Samuel
37
Howlett, Matthew Arnold
38
Bauerlein, John Adam
39
Morton, H. Sydney
40
Edwardes, James Campbell
41
Coward, Evander Joel
42
(unknwn)
43
Riemer, Hugo Henry
44
Whelpton, Ernest
45
(unknown)
46 Eshleman, Jacob A.
WT of October 1, 1919, page 292, lists the program of convention speeches and provides the names of the speakers. There are probably people from the photos who have not been identified. But who, after so many years, recognizes faces and connects them with names? (From Benek)
ReplyDeleteMy speculation is that #21 is William Franklyn Hudgings, who was one of seven Watch Tower Society directors at that time. He also appeared in the speakers list in The Watch Tower, October 1, 1919. The photo looks like him in earlier years: https://findagrave.com/memorial/136324838/william-franklyn-hudgings . He remained a Zionist (publishing a book about the topic) and left the religion like Frederick Homer Robison (not Robinson), Ernest David Sexton, Walter Frederick Salter and probably some other people on this picture.
ReplyDeleteFor some notable people, I wasn't able to find any pictures in any convention supplements like VP Charles H. Anderson. I don't now if he (or other later directors like Edward John Lueck and Leo Kincaid Greenlees) remained with the Society, as they didn't die at Bethel or were not buried on the Society's cemeteries.
It is also not known to me whether Bro. George Herbert Fisher remained loyal, though he definitely had some disagreements with Bro. Rutherford.
Thanks for the possible identification of W F Hudgings. The name Robinson has been changed to Robison. George Fisher's differences with the Watch Tower Society were discussed in the Golden Age magazine, but his obituary was in the New Era Enterprise newspaper. While it may be of interest to some, the future actions of those in the photograph is not for further comment here, the post is simply to list names to faces in this 1919 photograph.
DeleteIn reply to Lars, B wrote that he didn't think the picture is of Hudgings - quote "the structure of the hair may be somewhat similar to Hudgings, but the face doesn't look typical of him." He also noted that Greenlees and Lueck remained in fellowship and "Anderson never lived in a Bethel home. That was the reason why he resigned as director. He died in Maryland and was buried there."
DeleteIt is worth recalling that The Watch Tower of June 1, 1901, p. 2829 (reprint), contains a list of pilgrims established in the years 1901-1919. Perhaps some convention speakers are on this list too. But I would rely more on the list of speakers from 1919, straight from the convention (see post above). (From Benek)
ReplyDelete