Last week, we learned about the stone monument in the Founders Plaza that commemorates American Medical Missionary College (AMMC), a former Seventh-day Adventist school of higher education in Battle Creek, Michigan, where many of Loma Linda University’s early faculty members were trained more than 100 years ago.
The challenge last week was to identify how much this stone weighs. Chosen as random winners among those who answered 1,720 pounds are Jo Anna Codington, Christine Pahuratana and Diana Green. Please email pr@llu.edu to claim your prize, which must be picked up within 60 days.
How did the AMMC stone, donated by its class of 1899 and engraved with the school’s motto, “Let us follow Him,” come to Loma Linda University?
In 1950-51, the U.S. Army razed the site of Battle Creek College and pushed everything into the basement. The AMMC stone was about to go in there, too, when a man named Andy Anderson asked for it to be saved. It was then placed on the grounds of Battle Creek Academy until 1955, when it was transported to Loma Linda University for LLU’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
The stone was loaded onto A.Z. Morrison’s ¾-ton truck on May 7, 1955, and began its journey west. Tire repairs were necessary twice in New Mexico, once in Tucumcari and once in Santa Rosa. In Arizona, 90 miles out from Flagstaff, almost to the top of a 9,000-foot mountain, the truck stalled.
A soft-drink truck came to the rescue, towing the vehicle, its drivers, and its large stone over the top.
At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13, the stone arrived in Loma Linda. It was unveiled on a June 5 ceremony with individuals including seven members of the AMMC class of 1899 present.
The trivia posts are going on a hiatus. Before signing off, now is a good time to acknowledge Richard Schaefer, official historian of Loma Linda University Health, for all the painstakingly detailed information he has preserved for the organization and helped provide for this column. Schaefer is currently writing a several-volume definitive history of Loma Linda University Health. A big “thank you” to him.