By Rev. Dr. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
The CPU community commemorates a legacy of faith and education spanning 120 years on October 1, 2025.
As Central Philippine University celebrates 120 years on October 1, 2025, one of the names etched deeply into its identity is Rev. Dr. Alton Ezra Bigelow (1876–1935). Preacher, teacher, linguist, editor, and visionary, Dr. Bigelow gave nearly three decades of his life to Iloilo, leaving an enduring impact through scholarship, stewardship, and above all, the founding of the School of Theology in 1926, which continues to shape pastors and leaders for the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 3, 1876 in Gridley, California, Bigelow pursued higher education at William Jewell College and Shurtleff College, Missouri, earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1904. He later completed his Bachelor of Divinity at the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1907.
Shortly after graduation, he married Marie Christensen, a classmate of Danish-Australian descent, and together they were appointed as missionaries to the Philippines by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.
Arrival in the Philippines and Early Mission Work
In 1907, the Bigelows arrived in Iloilo. Dr. Bigelow was assigned to evangelism for the Baptist Mission while also teaching English and Religion at the Jaro Industrial School. He quickly became known for producing students who spoke English with “unusual exactness, clarity, and correct articulation.”
By 1913, Bigelow had become one of the original incorporators of Jaro Industrial School, ensuring its recognition by the Philippine government. That same year, he managed the Iloilo Mission Press (1913–1915), strengthening the publication of Christian literature in Hiligaynon and English.
Loss and Resilience
The years of service were also marked by tragedy. Between 1907 and 1916, Alton and Marie had three children. In 1916, Marie became seriously ill and was brought to the United States, where she died in Oregon.
In 1917, Bigelow married Alice Stanard, a missionary in Negros. A year later, he became Acting Principal of Jaro Industrial School (1918–1922). Sadly, Alice passed away in 1918 and was buried in the American Cemetery in Jaro. By 1919, he sent his children back to the United States to study at the Home of the Missionary Children in Chicago.
Despite these painful losses, Bigelow pressed forward with even greater resolve, channeling his energies into the school, the churches, and the mission.
Acting Principal and Teacher
From 1918 to 1922, Bigelow steered Jaro Industrial School through the post–World War I years. After his furlough in 1922, the school expanded into Central Philippine College, and he returned to serve as High School Principal and College English Teacher. His leadership in academics was matched by his deep involvement in mission work, often balancing administration with evangelism and translation.
Founder of the School of Theology
In 1926, Bigelow was responsible for the establishment of the School of Theology, the direct continuation of the Bible School that had been opened in June 1905 by Rev. William Valentine and later led by Rev. Henry W. Munger and Rev. Dr. Eric Lund. Bigelow became the first dean of the School of Theology, serving until 1934. Later, it was renamed as the College of Theology.
This was a turning point for CPU and for Philippine Baptists: theological training became systematic, academic, and locally grounded. In 1929, Engracio Alora became the first to graduate with a Bachelor of Theology degree, later serving as General Secretary of the CPBC (1938–1946).
Linguist, Translator, and Editor
Dr. Bigelow was a gifted linguist who could speak five languages and made his most outstanding contribution to the Philippines in the field of Visayan grammar and literature. He produced a 555-page Visayan-English and English-Visayan Dictionary with over 14,000 entries and published a Visayan grammar book in 1913.
At the request of the American Bible Society, he revised the Hiligaynon Bible, first translated by Rev. Eric Lund and Rev. Braulio Manikan, working alongside Pascual Araneta. He also collaborated with Mrs. J.A. Hall to prepare an Ilonggo hymnal in two editions, one with music and one with text only.
As editor of Ang Manugbantala, the first Hiligaynon newsletter in the Philippines, Bigelow provided theological reflections and commentary on Protestant work. Dr. Francis Howard Rose later observed that Bigelow “did much to shape the theology of churches and the opinion of the public on Protestant churches.”
Shaping Worship and Campus Christian Life
When Jaro Industrial School first opened, students were brought to Jaro Evangelical Church for Sunday services. But in 1913, Dr. Bigelow organized a “school church” on campus, giving students active roles in worship.
In this church, the missionary served as pastor and preacher, but the boys took responsibility for leading songs, prayers, and Scripture reading. A student choir was formed, along with student deacons and officers. A chapel was set up in one of the school buildings, and all new students were required to attend services for their first three months. Few ever stopped attending afterward.
This “school church” became the Central Baptist Church in 1936, and later was renamed the University Church, which continues to serve CPU’s community today. In 1936, the church became a member of both the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches and the Iloilo Kasapulanan, embedding it in the wider Baptist network.
Stewardship and Campus Growth
Dr. Bigelow also served as Mission Treasurer of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (1913–1927), Treasurer of Central Philippine College, and Treasurer of the CPC Board of Trustees (1930–1935). His sound financial management ensured CPU’s institutional stability during its early decades of growth.
He also enriched campus life physically and aesthetically. A lover of sports, he played tennis with students. Later, his interest shifted to plants: he planted the Traveler’s Palm near Roblee Science Hall, the Anahaw trees along the Lopez–Weston road, and the Royal Palms in front of Rose Memorial. These trees remain living monuments to his presence on campus.
Final Years and Death
In 1924, Bigelow married Hazel Malliet, a missionary teacher at the Baptist Missionary Training School in Manila. Hazel became a beloved faculty member and women’s leader, remembered today through the Hazel Bigelow Circle, which continues to provide scholarships for female students.
In 1935, Dr. Bigelow traveled to the United States for medical treatment, but he died aboard ship before reaching Hawaii. His body was buried at sea, fulfilling his wish. His final resting place between the Philippines and America symbolized his life’s work: a bridge between East and West, church and school, mission and scholarship.
Legacy and the Alma Mater Award
To honor his life, CPU established the Alton Bigelow Alma Mater Award, the highest award conferred during commencement exercises. More than academic excellence, it recognizes leadership, extra-curricular involvement, and commitment to Christian ministry. “It is the highest award given to a CPU graduate who excels not just in the academics but in extra-curricular activities and is actively involved in the area of Christian ministry especially related to the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.”
Former student Eleuterio Plagata remembered: “Dr. Bigelow was more than a teacher. To us in the older days he was like a father, just and understanding. We called him daddy.”
Dr. Rose summed it best: “I found his counsel sane and workable, constructive and conservative, and advice followed usually led to happy solutions of missionary problems. Almost a quarter of a century have we been associated in one way or another with the work of the college, and we have found Dr. Bigelow a good man to work with ‘down through the friendly years.’”
Dr. Alton Ezra Bigelow was more than a missionary; he was a builder of lives, institutions, and faith. His establishment of the School of Theology, his pioneering linguistic work, his stewardship of CPU’s finances, his planting of trees, and his organization of the school church all remain visible and invisible pillars of CPU’s legacy.
As CPU marks 120 years, we remember Bigelow’s words and works, embodied each year in the Alma Mater Award: to live faithfully, to serve joyfully, and to bear fruit abundantly.
References
Bunda, N. D. (1999). A mission history of the Philippine Baptist churches, 1898–1998: From a Philippine perspective. Verlag an der Lottbek im Besitz des Verlags Mainz.
CPBC Book of Remembrance. (1955). Iloilo City.
CPU Wall of Remembrance. (2004). Awardee’s Information Sheet.
Golden Jubilee 1905-1955. (1955). Souvenir Program. CPU.
Jalando-on, F. N. G. (2003). A history of Philippine Baptist pastors, 1898–2002. Iloilo City.
Nelson, L. A., & Herradura, E. S. (1981). Scientia et Fides The Story of Central Philippine University. Iloilo City.
Jalando-on, F. N. G., Sabijon, A. C., Jr., & Villeza, R. A. F. (2024). We are CPU: Our reasons for being. Central Philippine University.
Jalando-on, F. N. G. (2019a). Core values of Central Philippine University. Central Philippine University.