Born: Clinton county, Ohio, December 10, 1824
Died: February 20, 1903

Asa S. Fisher was born in Clinton county, Ohio, December 10, 1824. In 1829 his parents moved to Illinois, locating in Tazewell county. There he lived with his parents until the winter of 1842, assisting his father on the farm and attending the crude schools of the locality during the winters. In September, 1843, he entered Tremont Academy, where he remained till the following March. In 1844 he entered the Preparatory Department of Knox College, Illinois. In August, 1845, he removed to Marshall county, and was there engaged as a school teacher until July, 1847. In the fall of 1847 he entered Bethany College, returning to Illinois in July, 1848.

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In September, 1848, he commenced the school in Walnut Grove that developed into Eureka College. He was a constant and zealous promoter of the institution for thirty-eight years of his eventful life.

In 1866 he reluctantly withdrew from the college, conscious of having aided, to the extent of his ability, in the establishment of an efficient literary auxiliary to the Christian Church, leaving its future to the management of younger men.

During his connection with the institution thousands of young men had been received under its fostering care, and had there received a literary training and development, making them valuable citizens in their respective localities. They had gone forth and were to be found in the valleys, on the plateaus, the hill-tops and mountain-sides of our vast western domain. They had penetrated the western mountains, had looked out upon the great ocean and visited the islands of the sea. They were cultivators of the soil, watchmen on the towers of Zion, active agents in legislative halls and fearless defenders of their country's honor; college professors and presidents, popular political orators, eminent at the bar, drawing lecturers and profound jurists.

Educators, like poets, are born, not made. Mr Fisher was a born educator, and early in life set about fitting himself for that, his chosen life-work,

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as best he could with the advantages within his reach. It was in the pioneer days when times are always hard and money always scarce and schools nearly always poor. But as the country developed advantages improved. The young man went to college, steadfast in pursuit of his purpose, not knowing, but often wondering, where his field of labor during life was to be.

Meanwhile, among the enterprising citizens of Walnut Grove, the spirit of education was becoming more and more rife, and they were wondering how, in their poverty, they could ever educate their children. Under the leadership of Elder Ben Major they discussed over and over again the building up of a seminary or academy for the higher education of their sons and daughters, than the irregular, inefficient subscription schools of the time afforded; but where the man and whence the money for this work, were the ever-recurring and ever unanswered questions that confronted them.

But during the session that Mr. Fisher attended Bethany College, a nephew of Mr. Major's was also there, Mr. J. M. Major of Bloomington, Illinois. To him Elder Major wrote asking if there was not among the students there some one who was fitted for, and willing to undertake such a work as was wanted here; and the gladsome answer came back

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highly commending "a Mr. A. S. Fisher from near Tremont" for the position. The result was, in August he came on for a conference with some of the leading men in the community, and early in September, 1848, the school opened in the little France schoolhouse, and lo, Eureka College was begun; though not one of those devoted souls dreamed how well they were building, nor whereunto their work would grow.

The coming of the "new teacher," fresh from college, was a notable event in our quiet, country neighborhood. We were not used to college men then, had scarcely ever seen one. This young man was tall, fair, beardless, bashful, and looked much younger than he really was. But the fire of a noble purpose burned bright in his soul and gleamed forth from his eye. Character was stamped on his mien. He had a work to do and he meant to do it, was the language of his actions. And so he went into his little school of children and half-grown boys and girls, resolute to do his part in making of it a school of higher grade.

He boarded in the home of Elder Major. A warm friendship grew up between them, as, congenial in spirit, they counseled and planned and worked for the realization of their common hopes. The school enterprise proved eminently successful, and before the session of ten months closed it was so well reported of in the surrounding counties

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that a goodly number of young men and young women were arranging to enter it at the beginning of the second session, in September, 1849. All this led to its organization, during vacation, as Walnut Grove Seminary.

During that summer, Mr. Fisher took an important social step. The bachelor became a benedict. Several years before, while teaching in Marshall county, he had met Miss Susan S. Palmer, daughter of Elder Henry D. Palmer, a prominent preacher of the Gospel, and July 25th they were married, thereby a real help-mate being gained. With their limited means a house was built near the school, and they kept boarders at $1.25 a week, fuel and lights included. This was at a time when there was no store of any kind, nor butcher-shop nor post-office nearer than Washington, eight miles away.

The school, as seminary, academy and college continued to grow, though with varied experiences, adverse and prosperous, and many changes of teachers were made; but Prof. Fisher stood unflinchingly by it through times of sorest trial as firmly as through most prosperous seasons. It never had a truer, more devoted friend than he. He never had much money to give, but he gave freely in proportion to his means; and gave without reserve the mental and physical strength of his early and mature manhood, toiling in and for

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it through periods of financial stress; through the straits of the civil war, when it almost had to suspend; through perils within and perils without. In course of time he became overwhelmed in financial reverses and these seriously involved his relations with officials in the college management, and led to his separation from the college, and his going to Kansas City, where he now resides.