Seventh-day Adventists and the Haskell Home
[Soon after the burning of the Haskell Orphans' Home at Battle Creek, Mich., there appeared in one of the local papers, the Battle Creek Enquirer, a communication from Dr. J. H. Kellogg, in which he made certain statements concerning the relation between the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and the management of the Haskell Home, and concerning the attitude of Seventh-day Adventists toward philanthropic work in general. The claims made and the charges preferred were so out of harmony with the records that it seemed only just both to this denomination and to the public that there should be a presentation of the actual facts in the case. Accordingly a letter was prepared by Elder A. G. Daniells, the president of the General Conference, which appeared in the Battle Creek Enquirer of April 25. Believing that the information found in this letter ought to be placed before all our people, we reprint the letter in full herewith.—ED.] “Editor Enquirer,
Battle Creek, Mich. “SIR: There was published in the Enquirer of February 5, a letter written by Dr. J. H. Kellogg concerning the Haskell Home. In this letter Dr. Kellogg endeavors to change the general impression which seems to prevail that the Haskell Home had been founded and supported by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. His statements regarding this point are misleading to the public and unfair to Seventh-day Adventists. He says:— “‘The Haskell Home never was owned or controlled by the Seventh-day Adventists or any other church organization. The money with which the home was built was given to me personally by Mrs. Caroline Haskell. . . . The leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination were never much in sympathy with the Haskell Home enterprise, nor for that matter with any other line of philanthropic work. . . . Mrs. Haskell came forward, and voluntarily presented me with thirty thousand dollars, which was afterward supplemented by her with ten thousand dollars more. It was with this money that the Haskell Home was built. The money raised by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was used in purchasing, equipping, and carrying on the James White Memorial Home, which has been a refuge for the old people of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.’ “The only conclusion to be drawn from these statements is that Seventh-day Adventists never contributed anything toward either the establishment or the maintenance of the Haskell Home. The only credit given to any one for contributions to that institution is the acknowledgment of Mrs. Haskell's gift of thirty or forty thousand dollars. This was certainly a generous contribution, and we are glad to have this estimable lady receive due credit for what she did. But with all the facts before us, we do not think it is a gracious thing to hold the Seventh-day Adventists up to contempt by representing them as being so unsympathetic with philanthropic work that they would contribute nothing to the Home for helpless orphans for which Mrs. Haskell gave so generously. The only contributions the Adventist people are credited with having made were to the James White Memorial Home, where, we are told, some of the old people of the denomination found refuge.” “This representation is not borne out by the original records and accounts which were kept by the founders and managers of the Haskell Home enterprise. In these records may be traced every step that was taken in establishing the Haskell Home. The names of the parties who took part in the movement, the purpose they had in view, the discussions and decisions of the committees and trustees that were appointed, the amount of money secured, and the sources from which it came—all these facts are given in these records. “In view of the wide difference between Dr. Kellogg's statements and the original records signed by himself as chairman, I consider it only fair to all parties to give the facts in this case as we find them recorded in the documents which have been preserved. “These records show that the Haskell Home came into existence as a result of resolutions passed by the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference, March 22, 1891. Here are the resolutions:— “‘Resolved, That we believe a home for orphans and destitute persons, to be called the ‘James White Memorial Home’ should be established by this denomination, and further,—
“‘Resolved, That we recommend the General Conference to select a committee of seven to take this matter under consideration immediately, with power to act, in conjunction with the General Conference Committee.’” “These resolutions were presented to the conference by Dr. Kellogg himself. They provide for the founding of a ‘home for orphans and destitute persons.’ They ask for the appointment of a committee ‘with power to act’ to establish this home. The committee was appointed, and that committee took the steps which resulted in the erection of the Haskell Home. “The original resolutions provided for but one home for both orphans and old people, and suggested that it be called the James White Memorial Home. But as the committee developed its plans, it was decided to establish two homes—one for orphans and the other for old people. “The gift of thirty thousand dollars by Mrs. Caroline Haskell on condition that it be used for the erection of a building which should be named the Haskell Home for Orphan Children, led to the adoption of the name Haskell Home. But the founding of17the home was the work of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. The first step taken toward it was taken by the denomination. The entire work was carried on by the denomination, and by far the larger share of the money used in the enterprise was supplied by the denomination. Mrs. Haskell was but one of many donors, and the only specification set out in the resolution accepting her offer was that the ‘building to be erected shall be named and known as the Haskell Home for Orphan Children.’ Mrs. Haskell was not the founder. She was a generous donor. “‘Now a word respecting the ownership of these properties. The records show that it was the intention of the committee appointed by the General Conference to look after the affairs of this home, to incorporate it under the laws of Michigan. Upon investigation they found that the act then in existence was not well suited to this purpose, so they began to take steps to secure a better act from the Michigan Legislature. But instead of doing this they organized and incorporated what was named the ‘Seventh-day Adventist Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association.’ This name was subsequently changed to International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association. The purpose of this association was to take the special oversight of the organized medical missionary and philanthropic work of the denomination. As the work of the Haskell Home and the James White Memorial Home was of this kind, it passed into the hands of the association. The properties of both of these institutions were conveyed by deeds to the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association, and their value was placed on the books of the association as an asset. But the institutions belonged to the denomination; for it had founded them, and had supplied the bulk of all the funds used for both construction and maintenance. “‘In the latter part of 1898 either the trustees or the officers of this Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association formed a separate corporation for each of these two institutions. The records state that the reason for doing this was to place each institution on a basis which would enable it to receive legacies, but it is expressly stated in the minutes that the deeds of these properties should still be held by the Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association. This arrangement continued for six years, when, on April 18, 1904, the trustees of the Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association ‘authorized, empowered, and directed’ the president and secretary of the association to deliver to the Haskell Home and the James White Memorial Home the deeds for these respective properties. This was done without the approval of the constituency which the trustees represented. It was done without even the knowledge of the denomination that has established and maintained these institutions from their inception to that time. Furthermore, this was done a few days after the trustees of the Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association had been notified by their chairman that the association was facing a ‘very critical situation,’ that the only way he could see out of the difficulty was to ‘place the corporation in the hands of a receiver,’ and that they would have to place the James White Memorial Home and the Haskell Home on such a basis that they would not be involved. It was at this time and in this way that the Haskell Home and the James White Memorial Home passed from the ownership and control of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Seventh-day Adventists have never felt that this transaction was right, and since then have declined to render the institutions the support they had previously given them. But they have not ceased to care for the dependent aged nor the orphans among them. They are securing excellent homes for their orphan children among the members of their churches, and are having these children brought up on farms. This arrangement we consider far better than the large orphan asylum plan. “‘In his letter to the Enquirer Dr. Kellogg conveys the impression that Seventh-day Adventists never contributed anything to the Haskell Home. He says that the money the denomination raised was for the James White Memorial Home. But this is not what the books show. The accounts of these institutions were kept by the Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association. They show that from the beginning of these enterprises in 1891 to 1906, there was received for them the sum of $243,916.37. Of this amount $81,753.27 was for the building fund. Mrs. Haskell is credited in the books with having contributed thirty thousand dollars of this sum, leaving $51,753.27 given by Seventh-day Adventists and friends in sympathy with their work. The James White Memorial Home received only about ten thousand dollars of this, making the contribution of Seventh-day Adventists to the Haskell Home building fund over forty-one thousand dollars. (We place Mrs. Haskell's contribution to the building fund at thirty thousand dollars, no trace of the further ten thousand dollars given by her appearing in the accounts.) “‘Taking the building fund receipts from the total receipts, there is left $162,163.10 for the maintenance of these homes. By far the larger part of this amount was used in supporting the Haskell Home. This money was contributed year by year from the limited resources of Seventh-day Adventists, who were appealed to through their papers, at their summer camp-meetings, by circular letters, and by personal solicitation on the part of the officers in charge of the institutions. For years two general collections were taken in all the American churches of the denomination for the support of these institutions. “‘Seventh-day Adventists have not forgotten these appeals and their generous response, and they consider it unkind and unjust to them to be represented as they are in this letter to the Enquirer by one to whom they showed such loyalty for so many years. They feel that the gift of over two hundred thousand dollars for the benevolent work of these institutions entitles them to better treatment. And we believe that the fair-minded readers of the Enquirer will agree with us when they know the truth of the matter as we know it.