Fred Ealy Cole
(1916-1967)

 

 

Fred Ealy Cole

January 1946 - September 1949

Rev. Fred E. Cole began as minister on Jan. 1 l946, after graduating from Vanderbilt Seminary. Fred was born in Camden, Tennessee, on March 15, 1916, to Charles and Maggie Cole. He was the youngest son of six children. His father was a farmer. Fred attended Union University in Jackson, TN, graduating in 1940. (Senior picture below.) He married Sara Virginia Harwood (1918-93) in Trenton, TN on November 25, 1942. She had attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans.

Fred’s pastorship in Austin was his first experience with a Congregational Church. He had come from a Southern Baptist background. In a letter, H. H. Lindeman, Conference Superintendent, wrote, “ Other Southern Baptists young ministers with liberal leanings were watching how things went with him. A mighty important point for us in the South, where we need Southern local leadership for our churches, but do not produce much of it ourselves.”

He continued the strong emphasis on students and on working together with Unitarians, Evangelical and Reformed Church, Congregational, and those with progressive backgrounds to accomplish common goals. A large turnover of the faculty at UT in a faculty-administration struggle deprived the church of some of its major financial support, and payments to the Church Building Society were suspended. They were expecting their second child putting pressure on their finances. A 1948 study of University Community Church (name changed under Mark Houge in June of 1959) was requested by H. H. Lindmann and made these findings: "The Austin church is the most liberal of Texas churches and has a much more transient membership and attendance than our average church. The average attendance of 90 in 1947, is above average for a church of this size. Church school attendance was 75; 30 of these were in the children's department, with 45 in the two students and adult groups." Under Fred’s leadership, the church added 36 new members in the months of January to May.

There were two student Sunday morning church school classes, one on “Social Action” and another on “Religious Exploration.” These classes gained renown throughout the entire University Community. Personal counseling was an important service of the church. This was conducted by the minister with the assistance of Prof. Ed Kloppe, the minister to the E and R students, Professor Frank Cheareens, former clinical psychologist, Fanny Aster, psychotherapist and Grace Behrman, a marriage counselor.

Rev. Cole had monthly Sunday evening sessions of UT students, students from Huston-Tillitson and Sam Houston State University. He was very serious about the denominational emphasis on racial equality and fellowship. Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Ralph Bickler started “Pilgrim Guild” with ten members attending regularly.

As mentioned earlier, during Rev. Cole’s pastorate, there was a large turnover in faculty due to a reactionary administration in the university. A number of generous financial supporters left Austin. Living cost were rising after the war, and Rev. Cole had broken his ankle at a 1947 summer conference. He and Virginia were expecting their second child. There was little reason for optimism. The South Central Conference recommended that the Church Building Society suspend further collections on the churches loan for the year 1948, on the condition that the church apply some of this savings on the minister’s salary. The Conference sent $70 to Reverend Cole to help with the expenses for the ankle. They accompanied it with the statement, “Cole is the type whose idealism is infectious. Let’s not lose this man, nor force his removal to a different field.”

A basement was excavated under the Fellowship Room, (then the Student Lounge), with volunteer workers removing the dirt with buckets and wheelbarrows. A room of about 27' by 27' provided additional space for church school and fellowship dinners. Pilgrim Guild, a second women's group, was formed for women who could only meet at night. Fred Cole left to pastor the Congregational Church in Coral Gables, Fla., where he served as Senior Pastor from 1949 until his death on August 21, 1967, in Coral Gables, Florida. Sara died October 8, 1993, in Trenton, TN. Both are buried in Oakland Cemetery in Trenton.

Sara Virginia Harwood Cole, wife of Fred Cole, shown in her 1937 Newcomb College yearbook of Tulane University, Jambalaya. She is at right end.

Left to Right: Joe Castle, Rita Castle, Florence Castle and Rev. Fred Cole. Old parsonage in background. August, 1946.

Fred Cole Photos