Frederick Griggs, Seventh-day Adventist Educator and Administrator

Abstract

Problem. Frederick Griggs was a pivotal figure in the development of Seventh-day Adventist education. As an administrator he was influential in clarifying educational goals, defining the scope of the educational program, and building the structure and organization necessary to achieve and maintain an educational system. Despite his considerable contribution to Adventist education, there has been no comprehensive investigation of his life. Method. This study has investigated Grigg's life from the perspective of his work as an educational administrator. A historical-documentary method of research has been used. Major sources have been collections of official correspondence; minutes of committees, boards, and faculties; official records of institutions; church periodicals; and miscellaneous archival materials. These sources have been reposited in the archives of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Ellen G. White Estate, and the archives of the institutions with which Griggs was associated. Conclusions. Griggs served the Seventh-day Adventist church for fifty-nine years, thirty-five of which were in the field of educational administration. As an educational administrator he was principal of a preparatory school, academy principal, president of two colleges, and twice served terms as executive secretary of the General Conference Department of Education. As executive secretary of the Department of Education, Griggs led in the development of a comprehensive system of schools, elementary through college, accompanied by appropriate organizational structures for the governance and maintenance of the system. As academy and college administrator, Griggs translated goals into educational practice, stimulated growth in enrollments and campus facilities, encouraged the professional development of faculties, and molded the values and belief systems of students. In leadership style, Griggs was open, collegial, and democratic. As an administrator he demonstrated competency in such important administrative processes as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Likewise, he revealed skill in handling the technical, human-relations, and conceptual demands of his work. Griggs left a lasting impression upon Adventist education.