Ramseyer, Lloyd L. (1900-1977)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1977 Jun 30 p. 3

Birth date: 1900

text of obituary:

Bluffton College President Emeritus Dies Unexpectedly: Headed School for 27 Years

BLUFFTON, OHIO.—Dr. Lloyd L. Ramseyer, 77, president emeritus of Bluffton College, died unexpectedly Friday, June 24, at a United Methodist campground at North Webster, Ind. where he and Mrs. Ramseyer were with their family for a weekend reunion. Death was due to heart failure.

Funeral services were conducted Monday afternoon at the First Mennonite Church here. Rev. Ellis Graber, the pastor, gave the sermon. Also taking part in the service were Harry Yoder, for many years Dr. Ramseyer's assistant at the college; Erland Waltner, president of Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind.; Stanley Bohn, Central District Conference Minister; and Benjamin Sprunger, current Bluffton president.

Dr. Ramseyer, Bluffton's fourth president, served from 1938 to 1965, a total of 27 years, the longest anyone has held the position. Over 3,000 students attended the school during this period.

He assumed the presidency when the college was facing financial difficulties, and under his leadership annual contributions increased from $23,000 to an average of $160,000 in the mid-1960s. During World War II enrollment dropped to less than 100, but by the mid-1960s it had increased to more than 500.

A major achievement during Dr. Ramseyer's presidency was Bluffton's accreditation by the North Central Association in 1953. A number of new buildings were erected on the campus including Founders Hall, Mara-Alva Home Economics House, Mosiman Hall (music building), the Bren-Dell and Hirschy residence halls, and additions to Ropp Hall and the Mosiman Library.

Dr. Ramseyer's involvement in conference work included terms as president of the Central District Conference, chairman of the General Conference Board of Education and Publication, president and secretary of the Council of Mennonite and Affiliated Colleges, and membership on the original board of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, Elkhart, Ind.

After his retirement from the presidency in 1965 he and Mrs. Ramseyer served in Korea under the MCC. They then served interm pastorates at the Bluffton First Mennonite Church, the Bethel College Mennonite Church at North Newton, Kan., and Grace Mennonite, Pandora. For 10 months he was acting president of Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and in recent years had been editor of the Central District Reporter.

A native of McLean County, Illinois, he was a 1924 graduate of Bluffton College and received the M. A. and Ph. D. degrees from Ohio State University. Between 1924 and 1936 he was a teacher, coach and principal at Hayworth (Ill.) Community High School. Honorary degrees were conferred on him by Bethel College (Kansas), Bluffton and Findlay College (Ohio).

Dr. and Mrs. Ramseyer, the former Ferne Yoder of Middlebury, Ind., observed their 50th wedding anniversary June 5 with open house at Marbeck Center on the Bluffton campus. Mrs. Ramseyer survives with their children, Robert of Elkhart, Ind., Mrs. Robert (Mary Jean) Wells of Cincinnati, and William of Wilmington, Ohio, and nine grandchildren.

The Mennonite obituary: 1977 Jul 12 p. 445