Russell Conwell
Encyclopedia
Russell Herman Conwell was an American Baptist
minister, orator, philanthropist, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, as the Pastor of The Baptist Temple, and for his inspirational lecture Acres of Diamonds. He was born in South Worthington
, Massachusetts
and was buried in the Founder's Garden at Temple University.
and later Yale University
. In 1862, before graduating from Yale, he enlisted in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. From 1862-1864 Conwell served as a captain of a volunteer regiment. He was dismissed from the military after being charged with deserting his post at Newport Barracks, North Carolina
. (While Conwell claimed that he was later reinstated by General James B. McPherson
, no military records confirm his statement.)
After the Civil War, Conwell studied law at the Albany Law School
. Over the next several years, he worked as an attorney, journalist, and lecturer first in Minneapolis and then in Boston. Additionally, during this period, he published about ten books—including campaign biographies of Ulysses S. Grant
, Rutherford B. Hayes
, and James A. Garfield. In 1880, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and took over a congregation in Lexington, Massachusetts
.
. Brother Reed was an outstanding leader of the church and recommended that Conwell become the new pastor. The official "call" was made on October 16, 1882. Conwell arrived at Philadelphia on a Friday evening and was met by a group of men from the Church. The group consisted of Deacon
s Stoddard and Singley, also Enos Spare and Spencer VanHorn. They escorted him to the church at Mervine and Berks Streets in Philadelphia. Deacon Reed was leading a prayer meeting at that time. Here pastor and members met for the first time.
Conwell preached on the following Sunday in the lower room of the basement—later to be called the Lecture Room, as the Upper Main Audience Room was yet unfinished. Workmen were still finishing the frescoing, placing the pews, stained glass
windows and carpeting, etc. This church building was later dedicated by Conwell on December 3, 1882.
The Public Ledger reported the following about the new minister and the new church. The December 4, 1882 issue read:
Conwell ended evening services with an hour of prayer, leading the song service, and giving remarks along the lines of his sermon
. The musical pastor often contributed a solo during the evening service.
The story of Hattie May Wiatt is one of importance to the Baptist Temple as it describes the role of a child in encouraging the congregation to grow and build a new church building. Hattie was found crying because there was not enough room in the Sunday School
for her to attend. Conwell placed her on his shoulders and carried her through the waiting crowds into the church. She began saving her pennies
to build a larger Sunday School. She had saved only fifty-seven cents when she contracted diphtheria
and died. Her parents gave the money to Conwell with an explanation of her reason for saving the money. The 57 pennies were later used as the first down payment for the Broad and Berks building. Hattie May Wiatt's picture can still be found on the wall of the Children's Sunday School room.
This story so touched Conwell that he repeated it many times. The Wiatt Mite Society was formed to carry on Hattie’s dream. The society continued for many years.
In September 1887 at the Centennial celebration of the United States Constitution
, money received from the Wiatt Mite Society was given "for the success of the new Temple". This was the first time the name "Temple" was used in place of the church name.
The membership of the church continued to grow under the leadership of Conwell. In 1885, a letter to the Philadelphia Association stated:
On June 28, 1886, a committee was appointed to consider a new building. They investigated a lot at the corner of Broad and Berks Streets. A few days later the congregation agreed to purchase the lot. The first down payment for the lot was the fifty-seven cents. The property was conveyed to the church on January 31, 1887.
In 1888, the youth group considered becoming a world-wide youth organization. The pastor was a speaker at a Christian Endeavor
convention. Conwell was very impressed by the purpose and enthusiasm of the group. He later recommended the Christian Endeavor to the youth group of the church. On September 10, 1888, the Society of Christian Endeavor was finally organized. Frank Bauder became acting Chairman, The members were led in prayer by Deacon Moss. Then, the members elected Frank Bauder. The Christian Endeavor youth groups continued to meet at the Church until the 1960s.
Charles M. Davis, a young deacon, approached the pastor
with his desire to preach. However, Davis had little education and was without the necessary funds to continue his studies. Conwell agreed to tutor him. Over the next few days, seven prospective students met with Conwell, and Temple College was conceived. Ultimately, Conwell became Dr. Conwell, president of the college, now known as Temple University.
As the membership continued to grow to over one thousand and the Sunday School to even greater members, a larger facility was desperately needed. Consequently, on Monday, March 29, 1889, a contract was negotiated to build the new church for $109,000. This figure included only the building itself.
William Bucknell agreed to give $10,000. The ground was broken for the new building on Wednesday, March 27, 1889. The cornerstone was laid on Saturday, July 13, 1889. As the new church building was nearing completion, the pastor wanted to test the acoustics. A group of five members met in the sanctuary
as Conwell read Habakkuk 2:20: "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." The acoustics proved to be excellent.
On February 15, 1891, Conwell preached his last sermon in the old church at Mervine and Berks Streets. He preached the first sermon at the new building on March 1. Sixty persons were baptized in the afternoon and several addresses were given. The Rev. L. B. Hartman, the first minister, was present. The celebration continued throughout the week and the church was filled to capacity at all of the services. The new church later became known as The Baptist Temple.
The congregation of the church continues today as The Grace Baptist Church.
The central idea of the work is that one need not look elsewhere for opportunity, achievement, or fortune—the resources to achieve all good things are present in one's own community. This theme is developed by an introductory anecdote, told to Conwell by an Arab guide, about a man who wanted to find diamonds so badly that he sold his property and went off in futile search for them; the new owner of his home discovered that a rich diamond mine was located right there on the property. Conwell elaborates on the theme through examples of success, genius, service, or other virtues involving ordinary Americans contemporary to his audience: "dig in your own back-yard!".
In A People's History of the United States
, historian Howard Zinn
comments that the message was that anyone could get rich if he tried hard enough while implying that Conwell held elitist attitudes by quoting the following from his speech:
Conwell's capacity to establish Temple University and his other civic projects largely derived from the income that he earned from this speech. The book has been regarded as a classic of New Thought
literature since the 1870s.
(with campuses in South Hamilton
and Boston
, Massachusetts and Charlotte, North Carolina
). This interdenominational evangelical theological seminary was formed in 1969 by the merger of two former divinity schools (Conwell School of Theology of Temple University in Philadelphia and Gordon Divinity School in Wenham, Massachusetts
).
The author Russell Conwell Hoban
was named for him. A middle magnet school in Philadelphia bears his name as well. The school yearbook is entitled "Acres of Diamonds," and has also been commonly known to reference its students by that title [Acres of Diamonds}. Temple University's football team also wear diamond decals on their helmets and diamond trim on their collars to reference Conwell's Acre of Diamonds speech.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister, orator, philanthropist, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, as the Pastor of The Baptist Temple, and for his inspirational lecture Acres of Diamonds. He was born in South Worthington
Worthington, Massachusetts
Worthington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,270 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and was buried in the Founder's Garden at Temple University.
Early life
The son of Massachusetts farmers, Conwell left home to attend the Wilbraham Wesleyan AcademyWilbraham Wesleyan Academy
Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy was one of the oldest educational institutions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was originally established by Methodist clergy of New England, in 1818...
and later Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. In 1862, before graduating from Yale, he enlisted in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. From 1862-1864 Conwell served as a captain of a volunteer regiment. He was dismissed from the military after being charged with deserting his post at Newport Barracks, North Carolina
Newport Barracks, North Carolina
Newport Barracks, North Carolina were located near the town of Shepherdsville , near the site of an early defensive fortification built in the 1830s...
. (While Conwell claimed that he was later reinstated by General James B. McPherson
James B. McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, no military records confirm his statement.)
After the Civil War, Conwell studied law at the Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
. Over the next several years, he worked as an attorney, journalist, and lecturer first in Minneapolis and then in Boston. Additionally, during this period, he published about ten books—including campaign biographies of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
, and James A. Garfield. In 1880, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and took over a congregation in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
.
Role as a Baptist minister
Russell H. Conwell joined the pastorate of the Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia before the church had heard him preach. Brother Alexander Reed had heard Conwell preach when he visited him at Lexington, MassachusettsLexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
. Brother Reed was an outstanding leader of the church and recommended that Conwell become the new pastor. The official "call" was made on October 16, 1882. Conwell arrived at Philadelphia on a Friday evening and was met by a group of men from the Church. The group consisted of Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s Stoddard and Singley, also Enos Spare and Spencer VanHorn. They escorted him to the church at Mervine and Berks Streets in Philadelphia. Deacon Reed was leading a prayer meeting at that time. Here pastor and members met for the first time.
Conwell preached on the following Sunday in the lower room of the basement—later to be called the Lecture Room, as the Upper Main Audience Room was yet unfinished. Workmen were still finishing the frescoing, placing the pews, stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows and carpeting, etc. This church building was later dedicated by Conwell on December 3, 1882.
The Public Ledger reported the following about the new minister and the new church. The December 4, 1882 issue read:
Conwell ended evening services with an hour of prayer, leading the song service, and giving remarks along the lines of his sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
. The musical pastor often contributed a solo during the evening service.
The story of Hattie May Wiatt is one of importance to the Baptist Temple as it describes the role of a child in encouraging the congregation to grow and build a new church building. Hattie was found crying because there was not enough room in the Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
for her to attend. Conwell placed her on his shoulders and carried her through the waiting crowds into the church. She began saving her pennies
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
to build a larger Sunday School. She had saved only fifty-seven cents when she contracted diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
and died. Her parents gave the money to Conwell with an explanation of her reason for saving the money. The 57 pennies were later used as the first down payment for the Broad and Berks building. Hattie May Wiatt's picture can still be found on the wall of the Children's Sunday School room.
This story so touched Conwell that he repeated it many times. The Wiatt Mite Society was formed to carry on Hattie’s dream. The society continued for many years.
In September 1887 at the Centennial celebration of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, money received from the Wiatt Mite Society was given "for the success of the new Temple". This was the first time the name "Temple" was used in place of the church name.
The membership of the church continued to grow under the leadership of Conwell. In 1885, a letter to the Philadelphia Association stated:
On June 28, 1886, a committee was appointed to consider a new building. They investigated a lot at the corner of Broad and Berks Streets. A few days later the congregation agreed to purchase the lot. The first down payment for the lot was the fifty-seven cents. The property was conveyed to the church on January 31, 1887.
In 1888, the youth group considered becoming a world-wide youth organization. The pastor was a speaker at a Christian Endeavor
Young People's Society of Christian Endeavour
The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was a nondenominational evangelical society founded in Portland, Maine, in 1881 by Francis Edward Clark...
convention. Conwell was very impressed by the purpose and enthusiasm of the group. He later recommended the Christian Endeavor to the youth group of the church. On September 10, 1888, the Society of Christian Endeavor was finally organized. Frank Bauder became acting Chairman, The members were led in prayer by Deacon Moss. Then, the members elected Frank Bauder. The Christian Endeavor youth groups continued to meet at the Church until the 1960s.
Charles M. Davis, a young deacon, approached the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
with his desire to preach. However, Davis had little education and was without the necessary funds to continue his studies. Conwell agreed to tutor him. Over the next few days, seven prospective students met with Conwell, and Temple College was conceived. Ultimately, Conwell became Dr. Conwell, president of the college, now known as Temple University.
As the membership continued to grow to over one thousand and the Sunday School to even greater members, a larger facility was desperately needed. Consequently, on Monday, March 29, 1889, a contract was negotiated to build the new church for $109,000. This figure included only the building itself.
William Bucknell agreed to give $10,000. The ground was broken for the new building on Wednesday, March 27, 1889. The cornerstone was laid on Saturday, July 13, 1889. As the new church building was nearing completion, the pastor wanted to test the acoustics. A group of five members met in the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
as Conwell read Habakkuk 2:20: "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." The acoustics proved to be excellent.
On February 15, 1891, Conwell preached his last sermon in the old church at Mervine and Berks Streets. He preached the first sermon at the new building on March 1. Sixty persons were baptized in the afternoon and several addresses were given. The Rev. L. B. Hartman, the first minister, was present. The celebration continued throughout the week and the church was filled to capacity at all of the services. The new church later became known as The Baptist Temple.
The congregation of the church continues today as The Grace Baptist Church.
Acres of Diamonds
"Acres of Diamonds" originated as a speech which Conwell delivered over 6,000 times around the world. It was first published in 1890 by the John Y. Huber Company of Philadelphia.The central idea of the work is that one need not look elsewhere for opportunity, achievement, or fortune—the resources to achieve all good things are present in one's own community. This theme is developed by an introductory anecdote, told to Conwell by an Arab guide, about a man who wanted to find diamonds so badly that he sold his property and went off in futile search for them; the new owner of his home discovered that a rich diamond mine was located right there on the property. Conwell elaborates on the theme through examples of success, genius, service, or other virtues involving ordinary Americans contemporary to his audience: "dig in your own back-yard!".
In A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States
Chapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
, historian Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
comments that the message was that anyone could get rich if he tried hard enough while implying that Conwell held elitist attitudes by quoting the following from his speech:
"I say that you ought to get rich, and it is your duty to get rich.... The men who get rich may be the most honest men you find in the community. Let me say here clearly .. . ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men of America are honest. That is why they are rich. That is why they are trusted with money. That is why they carry on great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them. It is because they are honest men. ...
... I sympathize with the poor, but the number of poor who are to be sympathised with is very small. To sympathize with a man whom God has punished for his sins ... is to do wrong.... let us remember there is not a poor person in the United States who was not made poor by his own shortcomings. ..."
Conwell's capacity to establish Temple University and his other civic projects largely derived from the income that he earned from this speech. The book has been regarded as a classic of New Thought
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
literature since the 1870s.
Legacy
His name lives on, as well, in the present-day Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryGordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
(with campuses in South Hamilton
South Hamilton, Massachusetts
South Hamilton is that part of Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States that the Postal Service has assigned the zip code 01982; otherwise it is indistinguishable from Hamilton...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts and Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
). This interdenominational evangelical theological seminary was formed in 1969 by the merger of two former divinity schools (Conwell School of Theology of Temple University in Philadelphia and Gordon Divinity School in Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,875 at the 2010 census.The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery...
).
The author Russell Conwell Hoban
Russell Hoban
Russell Conwell Hoban is an American writer, now living in England, of fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magic realism, poetry, and children's books-Biography:...
was named for him. A middle magnet school in Philadelphia bears his name as well. The school yearbook is entitled "Acres of Diamonds," and has also been commonly known to reference its students by that title [Acres of Diamonds}. Temple University's football team also wear diamond decals on their helmets and diamond trim on their collars to reference Conwell's Acre of Diamonds speech.
External links
- Acres of Diamonds book information
- Download Free Ebook of "Acres of Diamonds" by Russell H. Conwell (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010
- "Temple's founder" article at Temple University
- Complete text in paginated format
- Read "Acres of Diamonds" at Project Gutenberg
- Read "Acres of Diamonds" at Temple University website
- The Story of the 57 Cents Grace Baptist Church