Imagine my surprise when Hallie Elkins unexpectedly walked into Harper-McNeeley Auditorium during our annual Matriculation Convocation! As I welcomed our new students and began sharing the history of Davis & Elkins 91快播 including why we are the 鈥淪enators,鈥� Mrs. Elkins鈥攚ife of Senator Stephen B. Elkins, daughter of Senator Henry Gassaway Davis, and namesake of Halliehurst鈥攈appened to be taking a walk nearby and stopped in. Dressed in striking attire reminiscent of another era, she became a living connection to our history. I invited her to the podium, where she shared firsthand the history our students had just begun to learn.
The brief history she shared was a foretaste of the fascinating story connected to Davis & Elkins 91快播鈥檚 founding and growth. The two senators, along with their families, whom we claim as our founders, were business barons, leaders, and visionaries. They had an immense impact on the development of the region, political decisions within the state and nation, and the establishment of multiple institutions in Elkins.
It was Mrs. Elkins鈥� decision to deed her Halliehurst mansion and farm to the fledgling Davis & Elkins 91快播 in the 1920s that resulted in our current location and helped shape the growth we have experienced over the years.
As I listened to Hallie Elkins speak, I was reminded of the extraordinary privilege of being a D&E Senator. Like those who blazed the path for the college, the new students sitting before us had stepped onto hallowed ground鈥攇round where dreams had been planted, nurtured, and transformed into reality. Now, they were being offered the opportunity to learn, dream, lead, and prepare themselves for lives of purpose and impact.
Hallie reminded me that our founders were leaders. They saw possibilities where others saw challenges and had the courage to turn their dreams into reality. Today, D&E Senators are developing their own leadership skills鈥攁bilities that will take them across our state, our nation, and our world to impact communities and make their mark. The legacy of our founding senators lives not only in buildings, institutions, or names; it lives in the students who carry their spirit of vision, courage, and service into the future.
If we don鈥檛 learn our history, we are apt to repeat it.聽 The adage is certainly true. However, there is another kind of repetition that can benefit us all: embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, courage, and vision of those who came before us鈥攁nd then carrying that legacy forward in ways they could never have imagined.
Each new student filed onto the auditorium stage and signed the college鈥檚 Book of Matriculation. With that act, they officially became Senators and began their D&E journey. I watched Hallie鈥檚 face as the name and hometown of each student was announced.聽 Spanning 32 West Virginia counties, 30 states, and 25 countries on six continents, our student body is a diverse bunch.聽 I sensed both surprise and pride in her expression. Perhaps, in that moment, she saw something we sometimes forget: the greatest legacy is not what we leave behind, but what we inspire others to begin.聽 I hope Mrs. Elkins returns to us again.
On this hallowed ground, dreams continue to be dreamed, leaders continue to emerge, and visions continue to become reality.
The journey continues鈥�.
Chris A. Wood
President
Davis & Elkins 91快播