Folts Mission Institute

[3] The gift was accepted by the General Executive Committee, however, the transfer of deeds and property was never made.

In 1914, the control of the Institute was transferred to the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Northern New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Among the instructors of those early days were Jennie M. Bingham, Nellie P. Drake, Dr. E. G. Kern, Dr. O. H. Deck and Dr. George Graves.

[1] The first class was graduated in June, 1895, William Clawson, Duvillo Grant Christman and Miranda Crouche.

Apparatus, including a mannequin and models of the eye and ear, were provided for the department of the Elements of Practical Medicine.

[4] In 1896, the courses began to specialize along missionary and theological subjects and included practical teaching in Sunday school.

Two were graduated that year, Mary Ann Foster of Nova Scotia, Ida Blanchard of Maine.

Conditions for graduation were required, eighteen majors together with one year's attendance upon medical lectures and in the singing class for one hour per week.

Two weeks after the death of Elizabeth Folts, her husband presented the Institute to the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church through the New York Branch, then holding its annual meeting in Herkimer.

On October 29, the gift was accepted as a sacred trust by the General Executive Committee at its session in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lectures on Religious Pedagogy were made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Ira Dewane Brainard, a member of the board of directors, the name having been changed from that of Trustees.

The 1905, the graduating class numbered 12 and Dr. Charles E. Hamilton, later president of Cazenovia Seminary, gave the commencement address.

The foreign missionaries having gone abroad numbered 31 and represented China, Japan, Korea, India, Mexico, South America and Bulgaria.

Standards of entrance were removed, courses became confused, property and equipment depreciated, responsibility was lodged nowhere, financial aid could not be found.

[1] On June 18, 1914, the control of Folts Mission Institute was transferred through its board of directors to the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Northern New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

On October 20, 1917, by action taken at the annual meeting of the Board of Managers of the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Folts Mission Institute was made a national training school of that Society, beginning with August 1, 1918.

Gifts, bequests, and annuities received were passed through the regular channels and credited to the donors and churches in the columns of reports assigned to the Woman's Home Missionary Society.

Its purpose was to give a good, strong, practical and adequate training to young women for Christian work in city, home and foreign mission fields.

The time for such a venture was most inopportune -just at the beginning of the World War- when attention was directed otherwise than on things educational and missionary, when money was commandeered for war purposes and outside pursuits were made attractive to young women.

Of the 47 graduates, five were deaconesses, nine were married, three are employed by churches, three were preparing to go as foreign missionaries, one became a nurse, two were pastors under regular appointment, the whereabouts of three were unknown, one was in government employ, two were directors of religious education, two were teachers in Folts Mission Institute, and 18 were in the employ of the Woman's Home Missionary Society, holding responsible positions from Puerto Rico to San Francisco and from Buffalo to New Orleans.

Crowded as it was for public rooms in which to house the vocational work, the school sought larger and better quarters.

[1] In January 1922, at the annual meeting of the board of directors, it was decided to purchase the adjoining property on which an option had been held for a year.

It was dedicated on September 29, 1922, Mary Haven Thirkield, president of the Woman's Home Missionary Society, being the speaker and the dedicatory prayer offered by Rev.

It housed the library and all the vocational activities, manual training, cooking, sewing and the Business Department.

A new acquisition was that of an infirmary for the use of students when ill. A legacy of Florence Caswell Pelton made to the Ilion auxiliary of the Woman's Home Missionary Society came to the school and formed the nucleus of Pelton Hospital, which solved the issue as to where and how to care for the school's sick.

The local board of directors urged the purchase of property adjoining the institute, and offered at US$17,000.

[7] In 1943, the building was repurposed as the Folts Home for the Aged,[6] and is currently the Foltsbrook Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.