John Wesley Hughes
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Hughes was born May 16, 1852, in Owen County, Kentucky
. He was converted at the age of sixteen in a Methodist revival meeting in an old schoolhouse. Hughes attended Kentucky Wesleyan College
in Millersburg, Kentucky
(now located in Owensboro, Kentucky
), and served as a pastor in the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Church before pursuing further education at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee.
After serving twelve years as a pastor and one year as an evangelist, Hughes felt that God was leading him to establish a distinctly religious school where students could receive a thorough college education under the direction of a faculty wholly consecrated to God. Hughes stated:
Hughes opened the Kentucky Holiness College in September 1890 at Wilmore, Kentucky
. After a year of operation, Hughes changed the name of the school to Asbury College in honor of Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury
, who had organized the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Church in 1790. Also in 1790, Bishop Asbury had established Bethel Academy
, a Methodist school and the only one of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains
, just three and a half miles south of Wilmore. This local connection gave even more meaning to the new name for the college, which Hughes viewed as less pretentious than the original name.
In 1905, after fifteen years as president of Asbury College, the college board of directors asked Hughes to step down for reasons that are not completely clear today. Despite the painful nature of his removal, Hughes would later write in his 1923 autobiography:
In 1906 Hughes founded Kingswood College
in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. He served as president of that institution until he retired in 1917. Mary Wallingford Hughes, Hughes' wife of 33 years (married July 28, 1881), died in 1914.
After retirement, Hughes returned to Wilmore. He later remarried to Sadie Maude Petty, whom he preceded in death. In 1928 Hughes was invited to break ground for Hughes Auditorium at Asbury College, the school chapel that is still in use today.
Hughes died on February 22, 1932, at his home in Wilmore. His tombstone reads:
Owen County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,547 people, 4,086 households, and 2,995 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 5,345 housing units at an average density of...
. He was converted at the age of sixteen in a Methodist revival meeting in an old schoolhouse. Hughes attended Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...
in Millersburg, Kentucky
Millersburg, Kentucky
Millersburg is a city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 842 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Millersburg is located at ....
(now located in Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
), and served as a pastor in the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Church before pursuing further education at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee.
After serving twelve years as a pastor and one year as an evangelist, Hughes felt that God was leading him to establish a distinctly religious school where students could receive a thorough college education under the direction of a faculty wholly consecrated to God. Hughes stated:
Hughes opened the Kentucky Holiness College in September 1890 at Wilmore, Kentucky
Wilmore, Kentucky
Wilmore is a city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,134 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. After a year of operation, Hughes changed the name of the school to Asbury College in honor of Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
, who had organized the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Church in 1790. Also in 1790, Bishop Asbury had established Bethel Academy
Bethel Academy
Bethel Academy was the first Methodist school established in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. Established by Francis Asbury in 1790, the school operated in present-day Jessamine County, Kentucky until 1805.-Establishment:...
, a Methodist school and the only one of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, just three and a half miles south of Wilmore. This local connection gave even more meaning to the new name for the college, which Hughes viewed as less pretentious than the original name.
In 1905, after fifteen years as president of Asbury College, the college board of directors asked Hughes to step down for reasons that are not completely clear today. Despite the painful nature of his removal, Hughes would later write in his 1923 autobiography:
In 1906 Hughes founded Kingswood College
Kingswood College
Kingswood College is coeducational K-12 college operating under the auspices of the Uniting Church in Australia, located in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Box Hill, Victoria, Australia...
in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. He served as president of that institution until he retired in 1917. Mary Wallingford Hughes, Hughes' wife of 33 years (married July 28, 1881), died in 1914.
After retirement, Hughes returned to Wilmore. He later remarried to Sadie Maude Petty, whom he preceded in death. In 1928 Hughes was invited to break ground for Hughes Auditorium at Asbury College, the school chapel that is still in use today.
Hughes died on February 22, 1932, at his home in Wilmore. His tombstone reads:
See also
- Asbury College
- Wesleyan theology
- Holiness movementHoliness movementThe holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
Sources
- Asbury College: Vision and Miracle, by Joseph A. Thacker, Jr. (Evangel Press, 1990)
- The Autobiography of John Wesley Hughes, by John Wesley Hughes (Pentecostal Publishing Co., 1923)