Ever since the formation of Mason County in 1855 education has been an integral part of the community. Much of this formalized education has been provided by public entities with a smaller portion being offered by religious based groups. Privately owned and operated schools also have been and continue to be a small, but important, participant in local education.
The Ludington Business College, opened in 1895, was one of these “for profit” schools. It provided business and commercial education until the 1920’s.
BUILDING
Ludington Business College was started in a building in the 400 block of East Pere Marquette Street. That building had previously served as a Mason County Courthouse.
The first Mason County Courthouse, which also was the Burr Caswell home, still stands today at Historic White Pine Village very near its original location. The 2nd courthouse was located at the Village of Lincoln near what is today Epworth Heights. The 3rd courthouse, that would become the home of Ludington Business College, was built in 1873. The County sold this building to the operators of the new business college when the 4th Mason County Courthouse, still serving the County today, was opened in 1894.
The two-story building on Pere Marquette Street was of brick construction and heated by a stove located near the center of the first floor. By 1907 plans had begun to add classrooms and convert to steam heat. Promotional brochures assured that the school was equipped with “the most modern and up-to-date office desks and fixtures.” The building was eventually torn down around 1920. The Seventh Day Adventist Church occupies that site today.
The College also operated for a few years on S. James Street, before closing in the 1920’s.
OWNERS & STAFF
The first owners of Ludington Business College were William Henry Martindill (1873-1950) and Alex D. Rose who operated their Ludington Business College in conjunction with the Manistee Business College, which they also owned. Martindill and Rose had both worked in education and were frequently referred to as Professors. In 1908 Charles A. Rinehart (1872-1941) purchased Ludington Business College. Rinehart had been a teacher in rural schools who later served for many years as the Commissioner of Schools for Mason County.
Many administrators and instructors worked for the Ludington Business College during the approximately three decades of service to the community. Two of the most prominent were Edward Wesley Doak (1878-1938) who served as Principal and headed the Commercial Department and Pauline A. Smith (1878-1960) who was head of the Stenography Department.
COURSES
Ludington Business College offered a wide array of classes to prepare students for the business world. The July 1, 1897 edition of the Ludington Appeal newspaper offered this description of the courses then being offered:
“The Commercial course-embracing actual business, practice and theory of bookkeeping, business arithmetic, penmanship, spelling, correspondence, business forms and commercial law…
The English course-giving full instruction in arithmetic, spelling, grammar, penmanship, rhetoric and correspondence…
The Amanuensis course-shorthand, spelling, punctuation, correspondence, typewriting and penmanship…”
The newspaper also added this assessment: “Any and all of these courses offer a large variety of instruction, and may be pursued with immense profit to the student.”
The College offered this somewhat embellished list of reasons to attend:
The first satisfaction experienced is found in the Pay Envelope.
The second is in rapid promotion made possible by superior efficiency.
And the third and crowning sense of pleasure is in the comradeship with Ludington Business graduates who have gone before, and won their spurs in the Battlefield of Business.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Like almost all colleges student activities were an important part of the educational experience at Ludington Business College. Newspapers of the time recorded end of the school year gatherings, graduations and even reports of collegiate sports. The February 22, 1920 edition of The Ludington Daily News reported on a basketball game played between teams from Ludington Business College and the Summit Township Y. M. C. A.
The College team consisted of Arthur Hawley, Lloyd Broder, Bennie Schwass, Lawrence McClatchie and Roland Piper. The Y. M. C. A. players were Millard Buffum, Ervin Kistler, Charles Stewart, Chester Meisenheimer, Frank Brye and Harold Fitch.
While the game was held at the Arbeiter Hall on South James Street in Ludington (southwest corner of James Street and Filer Street), most of the players for both teams were neighbors from Summit Township. The report of the game was brief, but it was noted the Business College team “was victorious by a score of 13 to 8.”
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