Former Bluffton resident David J. Rempel Smucker has published a biography of his grandfather, Boyd D. Smucker, who also once lived in Bluffton.
The book, titled "Bid Me Discourse," has as its subtitle: "Boyd David Smucker (1878-1936) Orator and Mennonite Educator." Boyd Smucker was a student and a professor at Goshen College in Indiana and a professor at Bluffton College, teaching oratory, presenting recitations, directing dramas, coaching debates, raising funds and recruiting students.
From his boyhood on a farm in an Amish Mennonite community in Ohio, he made a major transition to the world of Mennonite higher education.
Smucker lived in Bluffton from 1915 to 1936. Over half of the book is dedicated to the era in his life when he was a Bluffton resident. While in Bluffton he served as mayor from 1924 to 1926. He was a charter member of the Bluffton Lions Club. He was also a member of the Bluffton school board.
He and his wife, Mary, were parents of four sons, Bertram, Donovan, Carl and Orden. David, the book's author, is the son of Carl. David is a 1967 graduate of Bluffton High School.
Several persons with Bluffton connections wrote endorsements for the book. Among them are:
Robert S. Kreider, former president of Bluffton College, who writes: "Here is an absorbing, thoughtful biography of an orator and educator. It offers a window into the early world of Mennonite colleges .... Boyd Smucker's grandson recaptures our pioneering past."
James M. Harder, president of Bluffton University, writes: "Boyd Smucker was a pioneering faculty advocate for teaching oratory and drama .... Some fruits of his efforts were realized much later; in 2008 children of two of Smucker's drama students created an endowed faculty chair in theatre in Bluffton University."
Perry Bush, Bluffton University professor, writes: "While remaining a dedicated Mennonite churchman, he was also a small-town politician. This is a signal contribution to our understanding of the worldview of this pioneering generation."
The book publisher is Mastof Press, 219 Mill Road, Morgantown, PA 19543-9516. It contains 152 pages and includes several photographs. Its Library of Congress number is: 2011903426. Its ISBN is 978-1-60126-272-1.
Copies may be purchased directly from the author for $17 (which includes $13 for the book and $4 for postage and handling). Send orders to:
David Rempel Smucker
916 Walnut St.
Akron, PA 17501
The author may be contacted at: [email protected].
A copy of the book is being given to the Bluffton Public Library.
