The Baptists of Virginia have one great claim within the history of world religions. In colonial Virginia they suffered for their faith, with as many as 40 of their number imprisoned. They endured persecution, circulated petitions calling for an abolishment of the state church and influenced the founding fathers to secure religious liberty. They forged freedom for all Americans of all time and of all religions - or no religion - to enjoy.

A century after the struggle, Virginia Baptists wanted to memorialize their spiritual ancestors who had endured, persevered and won. They found a way through the first endowment campaign for "their school," Richmond College (now the University of Richmond).

Virginia Baptists had founded and sustained the school, sending it their sons of whom many would be "fitted up" for the ministry. Other sons would enter noble professions and become active laymen in their churches. In Richmond, there also was a Baptist school for their daughters; and years later it would be merged into a new woman's college, Westhampton.

But we are ahead of our story. In 1872, the Baptists launched a bold Memorial Campaign to raise $300,000 for Richmond College, which had barely recovered from total devastation in the Civil War. Pledges were made and everyone was encouraged to bring their gifts and pledges to the 50th anniversary meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia to be held in 1873 on the campus, which was located in the central part of Richmond.

A tent was pitched for the anniversary meeting. Eyewitness accounts tell that 10,000 persons attended the meeting, making it at the time the largest religious gathering ever held in Virginia.

The great orator of the day was J.L.M. Curry and he told the story of Virginia Baptists' role in securing religious liberty. The crowd applauded "with much stamping of feet and clapping of hands, repeatedly and rapturously."

And then he did a thrilling thing. He held aloft the old lock and key from the Culpeper jail where some 14 Baptists were imprisoned for their faith. He turned the key in the lock and the sound could be heard of the rusty bolt slipping backward and forward. The crowd went wild. "A crisis was at hand," reported one eyewitness, "as the crowd stood up, surged and cried and fairly melted." At that moment we are told that grown men and women wept.

Why did they weep? Surely many in that vast crowd had heard their grandparents talk about the struggle. It was only a century after the time of the persecution and the securing of these rights. They knew the price which such liberty had required.

When the speakers pleaded fro the endowment, the Baptist men and women gladly gave cash, pledges and even their personal jewelry. They believed that they were giving for a worthy cause -- education -- and for a worthy memorial to their spiritual ancestors.

Unfortunately, economic depression and bad crop years for Virginia farmers spelled disappointment for the campaing's goal. Even so, the college received about $160,000. Most of the gifts were small, but they represented personal sacrifice.

James Thomas, Jr., the wealthiest Baptist in Virginia, gave $10,000, the largest single gift to the campaign. All across Virginia, individuals and churches gave. The ancient ledger of gifts shows a man in the Potomac Baptist Association giving five acres of land. Two women at country churches gave bushels of corn. The ladies of First Baptist Church of Richmond held a fair and raised $1,120.60, which was a fortune!

About 25 years later in 1899, the college built Memorial Hall, in which one room was reserved for teh developing collection of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society. A memorial window was placed there as a reminder of Virginia Baptists who had struggled to secure religious liberty. It read: "Our Baptist Fathers" and it carried the Scripture from Acts 4:18-20: "...for we cannot but speak of the things which we have seen and heard."

The room with the valuable records of Virginia Baptists and the stained-glass window were considered to be that memorial to those who had worked for religious liberty. The gifts which accumulated as an endowment for the college and the creation of the memorial were considered a sacred trust.

Next week this column will tell the rest of the story.

This is the first part of a three-part article written by Fred Anderson, Executive Director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, in his regular column titled Heritage. This article was reproduced with the permission of the author.