Cynthia Baxter asked about the Bible Institute at Los Angeles in the 1930s. This is one of those subjects that ought to be quite interesting, and so I was dismayed to find nothing about it on the usual shelves at the library. Thus forcing some use of the (ugh, yucch) net. The Los Angeles Public Library's "California Index" came through as usual, fortunately, thus minimizing the electronic stuff. The Bible Institute eventually morphed into Biola University at La Mirada in Los Angeles County, but as close to the Orange County line as it could get. It's there today. See www.biola.edu. An inadequate little history is on www.biola.edu/about/history.cfm. Here we learn that, some time between 1932 and 1952, "the Bible Institute program became a four-year course, leading to degrees in theology, Christian education, and sacred music." From this we assume that the course was less than four years and perhaps narrower in scope back in 1930 when Ida Croxall was there. According to an L.A. Times article, June 24, 1985, "The church [of the Open Door] was established in connection with the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and the two institutions were closely related until the school, now Biola University, moved to La Mirada in 1959." It appears, sorta kinda, that the Institute was set up first (1908) and that the Church was added a little later (about 1914 or 1915). Lovers of film noir have no doubt seen the famous "JESUS SAVES" sign on top of an L.A. building. The building under that sign housed the Church of the Open Door and very likely the Bible Institute as well. Both the Church and the Institute were founded in whole or in part by Lyman Stewart, who also set up the Union Oil Company. It is here that I learn a new thing, courtesy of the L.A. Times article: "Stewart with his brother Milton is generally credited by historians with establishing the name 'fundamentalist' for conservative evangelical Protestantism. From 1910 to 1915 the Stewart brothers financed a set of 12 booklets called 'The Fundamentals,' written by conservative scholars in North America and Great Britain and distributed to an estimated 3 million people." So, basically, via their in-whole-or-in-part founder, the Bible Institute and its sister the Church of the Open Door were "fundamentalist" Christian outfits in the purest, most original (dare I say most fundamental) way. The word was coined either by or because of Lyman Stewart. The Bible Institute took off for suburbia in 1959. The Church of the Open Door did likewise in 1985. Evidently, there was a subsequent squabble over the building, so what happened next is a little unclear. I saw a brief reference to the Union Rescue Mission (the skid row shelter) in passing while poking around on this subject but didn't have time to see if there was any connection. Lester Powers "Mike and Cynthia Baxter" <[email protected]> wrote: I am researching Ida Croxall who lived at the Bible Institute during the 1930's. I would like to know more about the institute that was located on South Hope Street in Los Angeles. In the 1930 census, there was a large amount of lodgers there. Would appreciate any insight about this place. Thanks Cynthia ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!