This place has Adventist history dating back to the time of Ellen White. Ellen White had an important role in helping the Adventist work to start in the Southern states. She gave instruction to Percy Magan and EA Sutherland about righteousness by faith and true education. True education is physical, mental and spiritual found in the first angels' messages in Revelation 14:7. In 1904 Percy Magan and EA Sutherland who were working at Battle Creek College saw the need for work they were doing there to come to the South.
Magan and Sutherland met with Ellen White and her son, Edson White and crossed the Cumberland River on the Morning Star. The boat broke down in a place called Neely's Bend near Madison. They came and looked at this horrible looking property with rocks. Sutherland and Magan knew about gardening and thought this was the worst kind of soil. Ellen White said, "the Lord has shown me this is where you are going to start your school."
We can find what Ellen White had to share about that experience in her writings, "The work that these brethren [E.A. Sutherland and P.T. Magan] can do because of the experience gained at Berrien Springs, is to be carried on within easy access of Nashville, for Nashville has not yet been worked as it should be. And it will be a great blessing to the workers in the school to be near enough to Nashville to be able to counsel with the workers there." LDE 105.2
Magan and Sutherland bought a farm on that property and started a school with fourteen students. In the school they had a nursing and medical program, industrial work and had a strong agriculture program to grow crops for livelihood. Madison College became an example of true education and was the blueprint of the divine model. It had a work and study program in the school, sanitarium, and a farm for agriculture. The sanitarium was the beginning of the medical missionary work in our church and Ellen White said, "it would be instrumental in establishing the faith of many in Bible truth."
The influence of Madison is far reaching. Some of the students wanted to start other schools like Madison and use what they learned about agricultural methods and community education. All of the Adventist schools in the South were started because of Madison College including Highland, Pisgah, and Georgia-Cumberland academies. Also, several Adventists have started medical missionary programs here in the States and around the world. It was also the beginning of ASI (Adventist Laymen's Services & Industries).
On a personal note my grandfather, Albert Dittes was not an Adventist growing up. He lived in New York and wanted to become a doctor. His second cousin, Frances Dittes was teaching dietetics at Madison College. She encouraged him to take the pre medical program. As a result of his time at Madison College he became an Adventist. He then went to medical school at Loma Linda and met my grandmother, Elinor Steen. He came back to TN after medical school to practice. My grandmother also took some classes there after they were married to further her career. My family owes a lot to the mission of Madison College.
In conclusion Madison College was the model of true education that has spread to our whole church in school systems, medical missionary work, and agriculture. Our church is spreading the three angels' messages through this work. May we remember the work of our pioneers and the special history behind Madison College.
