Former Calvin College President Dies
An era ended early Wednesday for many people in the Christian Reformed Church when Dr. William Spoelhof, 98, president of Calvin College from 1951-1976, died peacefully in his sleep.
Although he served Calvin College, he was also a longtime and respected leader in the denomination, said Rev. Jerry Dykstra, executive director of the CRC. “He will be greatly missed. He represents a very important era in the Christian Reformed Church, but his contributions to the church—especially to the church reaching beyond itself into the world—will continue to be his legacy.”
Last summer, as he always did, Spoelhof made a visit to the annual CRC synod, which met in 2008 in the Fine Arts Center at Calvin College. When the president of this year’s synod, Rev. Joel Boot, learned that the former Calvin president was in the audience, he offered him greetings and acknowledged what he has meant to the church.
Spoelhof received a lengthy standing ovation. He graciously nodded his head, but it seemed clear that he didn’t come to synod to be recognized and honored. He was there to observe the business of the church, which he had done for years and in which at times he got involved. During the coffee break that day, Dr. Spoelhof stood outside the Fine Arts Center and greeted well-wishers with handshakes and a few words.
“This is quite a loss to the denomination. He was one of the gifts of God to the church,” said Boot, pastor of Ridgewood CRC in Jenison, Mich. “I’ve been to synod many times and he was always there.”
A memorial site which includes a biography, pictures, video, a message board, and details about memorial services for Dr. Spoelhof will be available at www.calvin.edu/president/spoelhof. Dr. Spoelhof’s wife, Ange, died in 1994.
Spoelhof’s association with Calvin College first began in the fall of 1927 when he journeyed from his hometown of Paterson, N.J., to begin his studies at Calvin. He graduated Calvin in 1931.
During World War II, Dr. Spoelhof was in the Navy and responsible for gathering and analyzing non-military intelligence from around the world. Spoelhof wrote civil affairs handbooks for military personnel who might be sent to the Netherlands as it was being liberated.
Following World War II, he returned to Calvin and taught as a professor of history and political science from 1946 to 1951, and then was called at the age of 42 to become president of his alma mater.
Current Calvin president Dr. Gaylen Byker was a student at Calvin when Spoelhof was president and became a close friend of Spoelhof’s since becoming president in 1995.
“He was consummate scholar, leader, manager, and Christian role model,” says Byker. “His involvement very much shaped the college we know today as a leader in Christian, liberal arts education.”
Spoelhof’s quarter century tenure as Calvin’s president was marked by the college’s move from its location on Franklin Street in Grand Rapids to the current Knollcrest campus. Toward the end of the 1960s Spoelhof also had to deal with the impact of nationwide student protest movements on the Calvin campus.
“After retiring from Calvin in 1976 he remained a visible figure on campus, maintaining regular office hours, conversing with students, socializing with fellow faculty members, and enjoying a wide variety of campus activities, including varsity sports,” says a Calvin College press release.
In a 1999 interview with Spark, the magazine for alumni and friends of Calvin College, Spoelhof reflected on his role in the life of the college over the years. He spoke about his love for Calvin students, saying: “I like very much to meet students and enjoy talking with them. I like to find out what their goals in life are, what courses they’re taking, what difficulties they have.”
Former Calvin president Dr. Anthony Diekema agrees that Spoelhof leaves behind a rich legacy.
“President Spoelhof was a gentleman, a scholar, and a statesman,” he says. “Christian statesmanship was a hallmark of his leadership in higher education. He was a giant of a man on whose shoulders, by the grace of God, I was privileged to stand.”
Diekema notes too Spoelhof’s playful side.
“He was a man of good humor and quick wit,” he says, “and this was often revealed through his love for word games. He was a master of the pun, both as detector of unintended ones and often as creator of those intended.”
