In this first installment of our look back through the ages of LBC | Capital, we are headed back to the decade of the 1950s, as the Lancaster School of the Bible went through several large changes, including moving to the college’s current location at 901 Eden Road.
The college also had its first presidential change during the decade, as first president and founder Henry J. Heydt stepped away in 1954, and William J. Randolph was chosen as the second president in the college’s rich history.
The college was blessed with tremendous leaders during the 1950s, as Presidents Heydt and Randolph led the college throughout the decade, and future president Stuart Lease attended the school, and then served as dean, before beginning his term as president in 1961. These three men, along with many other men and women, helped the college not only move from Lancaster City to Eden Road, but helped enrich the lives of students, and those in the surrounding area.
Be sure to listen to our first “Tales from Eden Road & Beyond” podcast, as we breakdown some of the big events from the 1950s at LBC | Capital, or as it was known then, Lancaster School of the Bible. You can find the podcast on Spotify or at this link.
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- This page is found in the first-ever college yearbook and provides a quick history of the school.
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- This is the cover of the first-ever yearbook Lancaster School of the Bible and School of Theology ever produced.
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- This photo shows some of the 1951 faculty, including President and college founder Henry J. Hedyt, as well as future president William J. Randolph.
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- This photo of the 1951 senior class features future president Stuart Lease (bottom right).
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- This photo features all of the day students of the Lancaster School of the Bible in 1951.
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- The 1958 yearbook was dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin Esbenshade, as they generously donated the land on Eden Road where the college currently sits.
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- One of the first mentions of athletics at the college came in the 1958 yearbook and read, “The fellows have formed a basketball team…”
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- The 1958 yearbook was dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin Esbenshade, as they generously donated the land on Eden Road where the college currently sits.
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- The Lancaster School of the Bible moved from Lancaster City to Eden Road in 1958, and the above picture shows the original campus plan.
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- This is an aerial shot of Lancaster City and shows the old location of the school in the middle and the current location in the top right-hand corner. The locations are marked by the current college logo
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- The 1959 yearbook featured messages from the college’s second president, William J. Randolph, as well as the dean, who was Stuart Lease. (Lease would eventually become the college’s third president in 1961.)
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- The above photo is from 1958 just prior to Lancaster School of the Bible taking over 15 acres of the Esbenshade Farm on Eden Road. The photo on the bottom is from earlier this month. The Old Main Building in the top photo was torn down in 2008, and the gazebo in the top right of the bottom photo sits on the land now.
College Clubs During the 1950s
- Foreign Missions Fellowship
- American Red Cross First Aid
- Student Council
- Echo Staff
- Ichthus Staff
- Chapel Choir / The Ensemble
- Ladies’ Auxiliary (Began in 1955)
- Basketball Team (First mention comes in 1957)
Events and Notes of the 1950s
1. “New Life Hour” Radio show
- The radio show aired on WLAN AM radio, and could be heard from 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. in 1954. The show was on air “for the purpose of honoring and glorifying the Lord Jesus by seeking to present the way of salvation to those outside of Christ and to show Christians the importance of an intimate walk with their savior.”
2. The Class of 1958 dedicated the yearbook to Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin Esbenshade, who donated 15 acres of land to the college on Eden Road.
- The yearbook says of Mr. and Mrs. Esbenshade, “To know them, and to be the recipients of their expressions of love for their Lord, has been a rare and fruitful experience for us of the class of 1958. And every future class, and succeeding years of ministry of LSB (Lancaster School of the Bible) will share the continuing benefit and blessing which God has provided thru the lives and service of these dear friends.”
3. The Missionary Conference was held in Lancaster at the Calvary Independent Church in 1957.
- LBC | Capital and Calvary had a tremendous relationship in regards to the missions conference each year, and it became a highlight for many students.
4. Activities and gatherings at the college included the Halloween Masquerade, Christmas party, spring concert and Valentine party.
5. The 1954 Lancaster School of the Bible Commencement was held on May 25, 1954, at the Charlotte Street Church of the Brethren.
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