Glasgow's School of the Prophets: The United Free Church College I

The union of 1900 constituted the United Free Church, the second largest Presbyterian denomination in Scotland, almost as large as the Church of Scotland (though the relative sizes of the two denominations were contested). The three Free Church Colleges were taken into the new denomination and the United Presbyterian College in Edinburgh was closed. The United Presbyterian professors were dispersed around the Free Church Colleges. In some cases new chairs were instituted for them, but at Glasgow there was already a vacancy, created by the death of Professor Bruce in 1899. Denney was transferred to Bruce's New Testament chair and the redoutable United Presbyterian Professor of Church History, James Orr, was appointed to the Systematic Theology chair. Another United Presbyterian Professor, Alexander Hislop, was appointed to the new chair of Practical Theology. The United Presbyterian principal, George C. Hutton was appointed joint-principal with Dr. Douglas. Other welcome changes came with the union; the Eadie Library and the United Free Church's Kerr Lectures came to Glasgow, along with part of the United Presbyterian College Library.
Thus began the 20th century at the United Presbyterian College, Glasgow. In 1902 the joint principals retired together and Professor Lindsay was appointed Principal in their place. The crisis of 1904, when the House of Lords awarded all the Free Church property to the minority, caused some panic at Glasgow, but the minority were too sensible even to contemplate taking the Glasgow College, a college they knew they could not use. In the final settlement the Glagow College lost £20,000 of the College endowmwnts and some 900 duplicate volumes from the library.
Earlier, in May 1903, a catastrophe had taken place. The College Free Church had been gutted by fire. For five years the future of the church was uncertain, but in 1908 the congregation united with Kelvingrove United Free Church. Principal Lindsay saw the opportunity to extend the College, and so building work began to turn the shell of the church into further college accomodation; two new class-rooms, a new library, a gymnasium and a large Assembly Hall.
All seemed rosy, but no-one could see what was to come.
Of that, God willing, we shall write next time.