William Orison Valentine (May 9, 1862– February 2, 1928) was an innovative educator and
missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
in service of the
American Baptist Foreign Mission Society
International Ministries is an international Baptist Christian missionary society. It is a constituent board affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. The headquarters is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States.
History
The so ...
who established and served as first president of Jaro Industrial School, now
Central Philippine University
The Central Philippine University (also referred to as Central or CPU) is a private research university in Iloilo City, Philippines. Established in 1905 through a benevolent grant of the American industrialist and philanthropist, John D. Roc ...
. He ministered for some thirty years in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, first in
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
starting in 1895 and in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
from 1904 until his death in 1928 at the age of 65.
Biography
Early life
Valentine was born in
Spencer,
New York on May 9, 1862, the son of William Valentine, a farmer and horse breeder and Electa Brown Valentine. After taking the normal course at Mansfield Normal School in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, he taught school for four years and then enrolled at the
Colgate Theological Seminary. After completing his studies, he joined the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and was sent to Burma – first in 1895 to
Rangoon, then to
Mandalay where he became principal of the Baptist Mission High School for Boys. During his eighth year in Burma he suffered severe sunstroke and returned to America for treatment. It was during his treatment that he met his future wife, nurse Ina Jane Van Allen.
Missionary work in the Philippines
Iloilo province
Valentine and Miss Van Allen were married in 1903 and the couple left for his new appointment in
Iloilo
Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, few years after when the country was opened to Protestant American missions in 1898. The ''American Baptist Mission Union'' had received a grant from American industrialist and philanthropist
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
to begin educational work in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
[List of wealthiest historical figures ''(Work By: All the Money in the World)'', publisher by ''Forbes''](_blank)
Retrieved 18 July 2015[ The 20 Richest People Of All Time ''(Work by: Business Insider)''](_blank)
Retrieved 18 July 2015. and the ''Philippine Baptist Conference'' voted in December 1904 to establish two schools, an industrial school for boys and a Bible school to train ministers and other Christian workers under the administration of Valentine.
In the fall of 1905 the Jaro Industrial School was opened as a free vocational boarding school for boys at
Jaro, in
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on t ...
. The first class consisted of 20 boys who worked four hours a day to pay their tuition, room and board, and spent four hours in the classroom. One of the school's innovations was the adoption of student self-government (the first in the Philippines)
[ National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines](_blank)
Retrieved 23 October 2015. known as the Jaro Industrial School Republic modeled on American civil government. The Republic continues to this day at
Central Philippine University
The Central Philippine University (also referred to as Central or CPU) is a private research university in Iloilo City, Philippines. Established in 1905 through a benevolent grant of the American industrialist and philanthropist, John D. Roc ...
which evolved from the Industrial School over the years. By 1907 there were 300 boys working an active farm and in various trades, and the Bible school had been split off under a separate principal. Mrs. Valentine was active in school affairs and taught some courses. She also cared for the three Valentine children born in Iloilo between 1904 and 1913. In 1913 the school opened its doors to girls; it was fully incorporated by the Philippine government and enrolled 740 students. From the beginning it served poor students who could not afford schooling otherwise.
In 1914, Valentine returned to America with his family to further his studies. In America he studied at
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...
, where he received a degree in education, and at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
, where he presented a master's thesis in the department of practical theology. His thesis, ''Moral and Religious Values of Industrial Education'', recounted the success of work-study schooling at Jaro and other schools in Burma,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
which had developed a similar philosophy of institutional self-support through the work of students.
Meanwhile, Jaro Industrial School continued to grow, and in 1953 it became Central Philippine University. In 2005, Central, had enrolled over 13,000 students at all academic levels. It currently has more than 50 academic programs and holds business and accountancy classes in Vietnam.
Negros Occidental province
With the completion of his studies in 1916, Valentine received a new appointment as Provincial Missionary for
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...
, an island neighboring Iloilo in the Philippines. He and his family went to
Bacolod, the capital of the province, where he assumed the pastorship of the Bacolod mission church. He built a new mission house to replace the small chapel and encouraged Filipino lay ministers to preach at Sunday services. There were also dormitories for both boys and girls who attended public schools and received a Christian education at the mission. Valentine set about to open new churches and private schools in Bacolod and throughout the province. Mrs. Valentine taught kindergarten in the Bacolod school, and both education and the ministry thrived during the eleven years that Valentine served there.
Death
On February 2, 1928, Valentine died in Bacolod of
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
complicated by
heart disease and was buried at the Philippine American Cemetery in
Jaro, Iloilo City
Jaro (; ) is a district of Iloilo City in the Philippine province of Iloilo on Panay Island in the Western Visayas region. It is the largest in terms of area and population of Iloilo City's seven districts, with 130,700 people in the 2020 census ...
. Mrs. Valentine returned to America, and bought a home offered by the ''Baptist Mission Society'' in
Granville, Ohio
Granville is a village in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,646 at the 2010 census. The village is located in a rural area of rolling hills in central Ohio. It is east of Columbus, the state capital, and west of Newar ...
, across the street from
Denison University
Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. The college was first called the Granville Literary and ...
where all three Valentine children studied. She died on March 27, 1979, aged 100.
Legacy
Filipinos remember Valentine's vital role in fostering Christian education in the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, ...
. In 1969 he received a posthumous
Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
in Pedagogy from the
Central Philippine University
The Central Philippine University (also referred to as Central or CPU) is a private research university in Iloilo City, Philippines. Established in 1905 through a benevolent grant of the American industrialist and philanthropist, John D. Roc ...
in
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on t ...
. The university honored him further on October 1, 2005, when Central Philippine University celebrated its Founder's Day with the unveiling of a bronze
bust
Bust commonly refers to:
* A woman's breasts
* Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders
* An arrest
Bust may also refer to:
Places
* Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France
*Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically
Media
* ''Bust'' (magazin ...
of Valentine at Old Valentine Hall. In Negros, the Bacolod Evangelical Church and the
Bacolod Christian College as well as schools and missions throughout the province are outgrowths of Valentine’s work.
See also
*
List of presidents of Central Philippine University
References
Further reading
*William Orison Valentine, ''Moral and Religious Values of Industrial Education'' (M.A. Thesis, University of Chicago, 1916).
*Roque Granada, ''William O. Valentine'', in ''Half a Century of Service, Souvenir Journal of the Golden Jubilee Year'' (Central Philippine University, Iloilo, 1959), p. 48.
*Linnea A. Nelson and Elma S. Herradura, ''Scientia et Fides. The Story of Central Philippine University'', (Central Philippine University, Iloilo, 1981).
*Ina Van Allen Valentine, ''An Oral History'', (Recorded in 1969 and printed by Alpine Vista Press, Longmont, Colorado, 2000).
*Angel F. Lobaton, Sr., ''The Beautiful American'', (Bacolod, 1981).
*Marilyn E. Peterson, ''Forshee's Legacy to the Philippines'', (Prescott Pr., Lafayette, Louisiana, 1995).
*Reinaldo M. Nolido, ''History of the Church'', in Bacolod Evangelical Church Book of Remembrance 1902–2002 (Bacolod, 2002).
*''The Central Time 1905-2005, Centennial Yearbook of Central Philippine University'' (Iloilo, 2005).
*Juanito M. Acanto, ''The Work-Study Service Program: Centennial Legacy of Central Philippine University'', Manila Bulletin, Oct. 2, 2005, p. 11.
References
External links
Brief Biography of WO Valentine from The Centennial Echo, Central Philippine University, 2004
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, William Orison
1862 births
1928 deaths
People from Spencer, New York
Baptist missionaries in the Philippines
Baptist missionaries in Myanmar
Valparaiso University alumni
Baptist missionaries from the United States
Central Philippine University
Deaths from malaria
Colgate University alumni
University of Chicago alumni
American expatriates in Myanmar
American expatriates in the Philippines
Presidents of universities and colleges in the Philippines
Missionary educators
Visayan people
Baptists from New York (state)
Educators from New York (state)
19th-century Baptists