Platt, Rufus L.
The text is here. Rufus Lee Platt (1919-1980) was appointed president of Lee College in 1957. He served until 1960. Lee faculty and administration and some members of the Board felt the church leadership did not fully understand the academic needs of a college, and they lobbied to have an internal man named as Lee President. Rufus Platt became that man. He had served Lee as a teacher, Dean of Men, Principal of the High School, and Dean of the Junior College. He was loved by a majority of the faculty because of his commitment to Lee and evident concern for them and students. He also was the first Lee President having a Master’s degree at the time of his appointment.
President Platt continued working toward the accreditation of both the Bible College and the Junior College. A major setback came in 1958 with the decision to discontinue the four-year liberal arts program and return to the 2-year program. Lee wasn’t ready for the 4-year program. All the right pieces weren’t in place, and the school couldn’t afford to do what was required to be prepared.
In 1958 he hired a college chaplain (now campus pastor) to provide intentional spiritual direction to students. The following year Lee began its first collegiate sports team.
In 1959 the Bible College won accreditation by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, and work was almost completed for attaining accreditation from the Southern Association for the 2-year junior college program (now that the 4-year program had been discontinued).
Despite his active traveling each summer along the “Camp meeting circuit” to promote Lee, the school continued to experience a major decline in enrollment– dropping to less than 350 students. Property was sold to help keep the college financially in the clear, and morale began to decline among students and faculty. There was growing pressure to bring in someone who could help save the college.
In 1960 President Platt resigned his post and stepped into the role of Registrar at Lee. In that same meeting, the Board assigned Ray H. Hughes to lead the school. Hughes had been appointed through an action of the denomination’s Executive Council, of which he was a member, in a focused effort to save the school.
Platt was married to Dr. Mariah (Mary) Daniel Platt (1923-2001), who also taught at Lee College and served as a guidance counselor at Bradley High School (Cleveland, Tennessee), Vista High School (Vista, California), and Santa Ana Community College (Santa Ana, California).
/ L.F. Morgan
President Platt continued working toward the accreditation of both the Bible College and the Junior College. A major setback came in 1958 with the decision to discontinue the four-year liberal arts program and return to the 2-year program. Lee wasn’t ready for the 4-year program. All the right pieces weren’t in place, and the school couldn’t afford to do what was required to be prepared.
In 1958 he hired a college chaplain (now campus pastor) to provide intentional spiritual direction to students. The following year Lee began its first collegiate sports team.
In 1959 the Bible College won accreditation by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, and work was almost completed for attaining accreditation from the Southern Association for the 2-year junior college program (now that the 4-year program had been discontinued).
Despite his active traveling each summer along the “Camp meeting circuit” to promote Lee, the school continued to experience a major decline in enrollment– dropping to less than 350 students. Property was sold to help keep the college financially in the clear, and morale began to decline among students and faculty. There was growing pressure to bring in someone who could help save the college.
In 1960 President Platt resigned his post and stepped into the role of Registrar at Lee. In that same meeting, the Board assigned Ray H. Hughes to lead the school. Hughes had been appointed through an action of the denomination’s Executive Council, of which he was a member, in a focused effort to save the school.
Platt was married to Dr. Mariah (Mary) Daniel Platt (1923-2001), who also taught at Lee College and served as a guidance counselor at Bradley High School (Cleveland, Tennessee), Vista High School (Vista, California), and Santa Ana Community College (Santa Ana, California).
/ L.F. Morgan