July 21 Today in OPC History

Given the distance to travel and the mid-summer meeting time, the nineteenth General Assembly meeting in Los Angeles had just thirty-five delegates present for the beginning of the Assembly on July 21, 1949. Making the trip from the East Coast were ministers John Murray and Herman Peterson representing the Presbytery of New York and New England, and Harllee Bordeaux, Robert Eckardt and Ed Kellogg from the Presbytery of New Jersey. The Presbytery of California was represented with twelve ministers, Carl Ahlfeldt, Wilson Albright, James Brown, David Calderwood, Henry Coray, Lawrence Eyres, Robert Graham, Louis Knowles, Robert Nicholas, Dwight Poundstone (elected moderator), Charles Schauffele and Delbert Schowalter, and ruling elders Henry Albright, Russell Malcor, David Neilands, and Henry Wade.

Two delegates who planned to be present did not make it. The Rev. James Price started out with his family, but became involved in a car accident and was unable to continue the trip. His wife, Elizabeth, and her mother required hospitalization for treatment of their injuries from the accident. Also the Rev. Dr. J. Lyle Shaw cancelled his trip after his wife became ill. The Shaws had orginally planned on the trip as a honeymoon.

Picture: 1949 General Assembly - Front row: Coray, G. Coie, Galbraith, Eckardt, Kellogg, Moderator Poundstone, Elliott, Cummings, Marsden, Andrews, Eyres, Sloat. Second row: Schowalter, Schauffie, Churchill, Calderwood, Dr. Brown, Elder Walker, Bordeaux, Nielands, Murray, Nicholas, Piper, Elder Moore, R. Graham, Elder Piper. Third row: A few of the ladies visiting the Assembly. Back row: Wade, Elder Carter, Male, Atwell, Elder Ferguson, Petersen, Verhage, Albright, Elder Malcor, Knowles, Kuschke, Ahlfeldt, Olson.