Adrian College Students Study Underground Railroad posted 9/3/10
Laura Haviland inspires students today

ADRIAN, Mich. - Adrian area Underground Railroad hero Laura Haviland is remembered as a tough and persistent witness for justice. It was not always that way. In 1845 Haviland’s husband, parents, and baby died in an epidemic. She was deeply in debt, and her creditors treated her with disdain. She could have quit, and few would have blamed her. They probably would have forgotten her, too.

Instead Haviland developed an integrated school in rural Lenawee County and hosted several people escaping slavery. She also became a friend of Adrian College founder Asa Mahan and started a state-sponsored school for homeless children. During the Civil War, Laura Haviland traveled far and wide, offering medical care and relief. She spoke truth to power and humbled many a general, as well as civilian authorities.

Haviland’s legacy has inspired Adrian College students of the “Not for Sale” anti-trafficking movement. She is also studied in Chaplain Chris Momany’s “Christian Social Ethics” class, a course that challenges students to read, think, and write with depth and conviction. Students of the class recently hit the road to visit area Underground Railroad sites, and in the process they discovered a history of prophetic action that remains alive and well.

First year student Christy Cowdry is a member of Momany’s course and says that, “Going to the Haviland place made me realize the hardships felt by both those escaping slavery and those who helped others become free.” 

According to Momany, “The class introduces students to the Adrian College tradition and culture of human rights. Then it moves on to address a wide range of issues. We want students to face serious matters from a unique perspective, and we want them to develop intellectual skills that can make a difference.”

Many current leaders of the “Not for Sale Campaign” at Adrian got their start in the Christian Social Ethics class. Junior Jamie Hollingshead remembers, “’Not for Sale’ was something that caught my attention when we began learning about it in Christian Social Ethics.”

 Hollingshead is now the elected leader of the Adrian College “Not for Sale” student organization. History is both inspiring and haunting. Adrian College students are aware that the work begun in 1859 is not finished. They are determined to end the buying and selling of people, and they are just capable and committed enough to deliver.

For more information, contact Rev. Dr. Chris Momany, Adrian College Chaplain at 517- 265-5161, X4211 or via e-mail at cmomany@adrian.edu .