In 1910, the president of Shepherd College was Thomas C. Miller. Even though he was widely referred to as “President Miller”, he didn’t receive this title officially until 1918. Under his guidance, Shepherd began plans to expand the school and its property. One of the earliest plans for expansion included the construction of a girls’ dormitory, which would be named Miller Hall after construction was completed. Among President Miller’s contributions to the relationship between Shepherd College and the Shepherdstown community was the school fair. By promoting farming, agriculture, and friendly competition, Miller was able to engage the school and community with each other.
The popularity and growth of student organizations under Miller’s tenure as president can be seen within the pages of The Cohongoroota. In his book, A History of Shepherd College, Shepherd’s former academic dean Arthur Slonaker notes that, “the fact that a student body of one-hundred and fifty could sustain four active literary groups spoke well for the quality of the students as well as the leadership exercised by the faculty” (64). In this, the very first edition of The Cohongoroota, we can see the quality of Shepherd students and faculty on display. In addition to commemorating a year of life on campus, the yearbook showcases students’ creative abilities as seen in the artwork, short stories, and poems published in the book. Take a look at the slideshow below for some highlights from the first edition of The Cohongoroota!
