7/27/2019 Rev. John B Laird to be Honored

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R E V . J O H N B . L W DT O B E H O N O R !

Community to tendet a Testimon-ial Dinner Celebrating 50 Yearsas Pastor of Frankford Pres-

byterian ChurchFifty years ago as a young clergy-man, the Rev. John B. Laird, just outOf theological school, came to 'rank-'ford to his first pastorate. He is com-pleting a half century of continuousservice in the pulpit where his ministry

began, at the old and historic Presby-terian Church of Prankford at Frank-ford avenue and Church street.Men and women of Frankford of alldenominations and stations in life areplanning to celebrate the 50th anni-

versary, joining with his other friendsadd associates in paying tribute to hisdevotion for so many years to the wel-fare and needs of the Northeast com-munity.They have arranged a testimonialdinner to be held at the Bellevue-Strat-ford Ballroom on the evening of May10th. The movement has reached suchproportions as to give the Committee,real concern as to whether they will

be able to accommodate the increasingdemand for tickets. Jt will be one ofthe finest functions ever given by theresidents of the Northeast. On the com-mittee are many leaders, representingmost of the community activities Inthis section. They are: Clarence E.Bertolet, Northeast Philadelphia Cham-ber of Commerce; Frank P. Wilson,Northeast Phila. Chamber at CommerceAlvin A. Swenson, Board of Education,Dr. John L. Waldman, District Super-intendent of Public Schools; OscarSchaefer, Frankford Co-ordinatingOduncil; Mrs. 0. Rodger Melling, Wom-an's Club of Frankford; Miss Eliza-beth Brinton, Frankford Y. W. C. A.;George W. Meckert, Frankor Ex-change Club:, Thomas S. Howland Esq.District Governor Lions Club; E. Douglass Hibbs, Frankford Lions Club; JayB. Widler Frankford Optimist Club;S. Walter Fotilkrod Jr., Esq., BusinessMen's and Taxpayers' Association ofFrankford; William H. French, Frank-ford Mercl).ants Association; S. LloydMoore, Esq., Board of Trustees Frank-ford Hospital; Mrs, Ross W. Mills ofWomen's Auxiliary FrankfOrd Hospital;s. Ii% .Iiflle., Finkfurd DayNursery'; Lionel FL Backus. FrankfordPost 211 American Legion; Mrs. JamesJ .Blssinger, American Legi'on, Frank-ford Post Auxiliary; Miss Lillian K.Lightfoot, Soroptimist Club of Frank-ford; Clement B. Webster, FrankfordHistorical Society;. Clifford K. FowlerFrankford Air Raid Wardens; JohnB .Hartman, Frankford Trust. Co.;Robert L. Hilles, Second National Bk.;Bernard Effing, Frankford CheckerClub; William F. Lotz, The LuncheonClub; Jacob H Crouse, Commuiijty Ac-tivities; Rev. Herman F Gohn, Frank-ford Ministerial Assn.; John H. Goss-ling, Bag., Committee of Laymen ofFrankford Churches; R. Luther YoungAnniversary Committee, FrankfordPresbyterian Church. Justice AllenM. .Stearne, of the Supreme Court ofPennsylvania ,a native of the oldFrankford section of Philadelphia, wfll.be toastmaster. The dinner committeeIs beaded by Dr. Charles N. Sturtevant.The dinner is a signal honor to aplain and modest preacher who, besidessuccessfully guiding one of the city'soldest churcheO for the past 50 years,has managed also to take part In everycivic and welfare movement in theNort,heast during that time.He came to Frankford, Dr. Laird re-calls, in the "horse and buggy" daysof 1895 when the churchyard providedample shedding for sheltering of hor-ses and vehicles.H4 succeeded the Rev. Thomas Mur-phy. whose ministi'v pxtei'ed nearly46 years. Thus.' Frankford Pr(,sl)yterl-an has had hut two ministers in thelast 96 years.The Frankford Presbyterian Churchwas founded In 1770 by farmers andtradesmen of Frankford, among whomwere Rudolf Neff and George Castor,and was already 125 years old whenDr. Laird took charge. Neff and Cas-tor were soldiers in the Rnv&"tlon,and both are buried In the church -ard.Some of their descendants attend thechurch today Commodore Stephen Pe-.eatur. naval hero, was a trustee of thechur'1i 185 years ago.William W. Foulkrod. one-time Con-gressao. froni the databt. .waL pr5-.Ident of the church board.More than 3000 funerals have beenattendd by Dr. Laird during the last50 years.If he had to make a choice of hislifework again. "I would choose '()'bea minister," he states, "and if T wereto choose the niace of my srv1ce, Itwould he the Frankfor.d PresbyterianChurch.'Dr. Laird was horn on a farm in'southern Lancaster county and attend-ed a one room country school. hoforOpreparatory studies at MillersvilleState 'rmal Sehool. Then for a timehe taught in a rural school.He, was graduated from LafayetteCohere. Class of 1892. and fr"m PrincetonTheo1orb'al Seminary In 1895, theyear he qtnrtM1 in the ministry.Beyond the confines of his churchand neighborhood his activities havehenrnnsual for a ilergvmnn. He hasbeen trustee of Lafayette College for41 years, trustee of Princeton Theolog-ical Seminary for 39 years. and trus-tee of Wilson College for 41 years, for25 of which he was president of theboard. He also served one year asacting president of Wilson College.He has served as trustee of LincolnUniveisltv. moderator of the Presby-tery of Philadelphia North. moder,orof the Synod of Pennsylvania and pres-Ident o the Pennsylvania Scotch-IrishSociety.