Dr. Bannerman (right) in the chapel with Rev. Fred Ohler (left) and a student.
The son of Presbyterian missionaries, Arthur Bannerman came in 1928 to what was then the Asheville Farm School, one of several schools established and supported by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
When the Farm School became Warren Wilson Junior College, Dr. Bannerman was named president. Immediately following World War II, through Dr. Bannerman's strong influence, the College's mission was broadened to educate students not only from Appalachia but also from around the world.
When President Bannerman and Dean Henry Jensen proposed an expanded four-year program to the Board of National Missions, the Board encouraged Bannerman and Jensen to establish a bachelor's degree program and to seek the necessary funding from sources outside the national Presbyterian Church. As he sought new friends for the College, Dr. Bannerman's dedication to Warren Wilson, as well as his intelligence and warm wit, assured his success. Arthur Bannerman laid the groundwork upon which individual and foundation financial support of the College now rests.