By Rev. Dr. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Central Philippine University commemorates its 120th anniversary by honoring Rev. Dr. Joseph Morris Rickey Forbes for his leadership as Acting President from 1947 to 1950, guiding the university’s postwar recovery and leaving a lasting legacy in Christian education.

On October 1, 2025, Central Philippine University celebrated its 120th founding anniversary. Over more than a century, the University has been shaped by a succession of remarkable men and women both Filipino and American whose vision, resilience, and faith sustained it through wars, hardships, and transitions. Among these leaders stands Rev. Dr. Joseph Morris Rickey Forbes, a missionary from California whose life of service extended from the villages of Assam, India, to the war refugee camps of Burma, and finally to the halls of Central Philippine College, where he became Acting President from 1947 to 1950.

Forbes embodied the qualities needed in a postwar leader: resilience forged in adversity, a respect for the dignity of labor, and an indefatigable energy that inspired those around him. He is remembered as a man who worked with his hands as much as with his mind, a teacher who urged students to “THINK”, and an administrator who guided CPU during one of its most difficult transitions. His legacy endures not only in the annals of CPU history but also through the J. Morris Forbes Memorial Scholarship Fund established after his death, ensuring his contribution to Christian education continues to shape lives.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Morris Rickey Forbes was born on December 3, 1903, in San Diego, California, to Douglas Thorp Forbes of Nova Scotia, Canada, and Hester Lilian Rickey Forbes of California. Raised in the rich intellectual and Christian environment of California, he pursued higher education with the same vigor that would later characterize his missionary service.

He graduated from the University of Redlands in 1926 with a Bachelor of Arts. Drawn to ministry and theology, he entered the Andover-Newton Theological Seminary, earning his Bachelor of Divinity in 1929. By 1937 he had completed a Master of Theology at the University of Southern California, and in later years he pursued doctoral studies at the University of California, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Studies.

This solid academic foundation equipped Forbes not only as a minister but also as an educator and philosopher. It also prepared him for the unexpected turns his career would take, first in India, then in the Philippines.

Missionary Work in Assam, India (1930–1944)

In 1929, Joseph Forbes, together with his wife Leila Rosalie Gibbs-Forbes, accepted an appointment from the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society to serve in Assam, India. They sailed on October 29, 1929, and arrived in Jorhat on February 9, 1930.

Forbes was assigned to the Jorhat Bible School, where he served as both teacher (1930–1944) and head (1930–1935). He also briefly held the role of Mission Treasurer, overseeing finances with the same conscientiousness that would later mark his CPU administration. His years in India were formative: he immersed himself in Indian philosophy, evangelistic work, and the realities of cross-cultural ministry.

During the Second World War, his ministry took on a new urgency. While his wife and children returned to the United States in 1942 for safety, Forbes stayed behind to aid the refugees fleeing from Burma after the Japanese invasion. From 1942 to 1945, he labored tirelessly among displaced peoples in Nowgong, Sibsagar, and Gauhati, providing relief, comfort, and Christian witness. This period of hardship forged in him the resilience and compassion that would be indispensable in the postwar Philippines.

Arrival in the Philippines

After the war, Forbes and his family were reassigned to the Philippines. He arrived with his wife and three children, Joseph Douglas, Vera Edith, and David Gibbs, on June 19, 1947.

In an interview shortly after his arrival, Forbes said, “There is a great place for the kind of Christian education that is being offered here at Central. More and more, the Philippine government will need good Christian leaders of faith and integrity”(Central Echo, May–June 1947).

Forbes immediately expressed his enthusiasm for the work ahead: “There is a lot of work to be done,” he remarked, noting the progress of reconstruction on campus just two years after liberation from Japanese occupation. His wife Leila joined the CPU High School Department, teaching home economics, English, and character education, while their children enrolled at CPU schools, further rooting the family in Central’s life.

Acting President of Central Philippine College (1947–1950)

On September 19, 1947, Forbes was inducted as Acting President of Central Philippine College, succeeding Dr. R. Fred Chambers. The challenges before him were immense: rehabilitation of war-damaged facilities, reorganization of administrative structures, and the stabilization of finances and faculty morale.

He carried these burdens with characteristic energy. A contemporary described him as “an indefatigable worker, a man of action”(Golden Jubilee Year, 1955). Another colleague, Dr. Henry S. Waters, remarked: “His unflagging energy is an inspiration, if not a desperation, to us all.”(Central Echo, 1950).

Forbes was not a distant administrator. Students and faculty frequently saw him working alongside laborers, setting stones, mowing grass, or clearing debris. One student recalled: “When you see him bending over a hoe, carrying stray lumber, or pushing the lawnmower, you realize he believes deeply in the dignity of labor”(Central Echo, 1950).

His philosophy of education was equally practical. In a chapel talk during orientation week, he urged students to discipline their minds: “That is what we need — to THINK,” he said, holding up copies of the magazine THINK. He lamented that too few students had textbooks or reading habits, and he challenged them: “Just what is the main idea the speaker is trying to bring home? Around that central idea, build your learning” (Central Echo, July–August 1952).

Despite occasional perceptions of obstinacy, his firmness was necessary in a period when wavering leadership could have spelled disaster. As one tribute later noted: “An administrator less resolute than Mr. Forbes would have utterly failed” (Golden Jubilee Year, 1955).

Faculty Service and Public Engagement

Beyond the presidency, Forbes was deeply involved in CPU academic and civic life. From 1947 to 1953, he taught in the College of Arts and Sciences, and from 1951 to 1953, he chaired the Department of Social Sciences. Philosophy remained closest to his heart, but he also taught English, sociology, education, and Bible courses.

He served as adviser to the Central Echo (1948–1949), mentoring student journalists in critical thought and writing. He also led the CPU team in the YMCA Fund Campaign of 1950, demonstrating his commitment to student welfare beyond the classroom.

Forbes was, above all, approachable. Students remembered his genial greetings: “Hello there!” or “Good morning!” accompanied by his broad smile. Even children wandered into his office without fear, and he never turned them away. One profile described him as “an embodiment of Christian American friendliness… no man is better qualified to make people feel at home” (Central Echo, 1950).

Legacy and Passing

In June 1953, the Forbes family returned permanently to the United States after six years in Iloilo. Joseph resumed connections with American churches and theological institutions while maintaining his interest in CPU. He and Leila continued their missionary witness in their home country, and together they revisited India in later years. Leila died in Jorhat, Assam, in 1971 during a return visit, while Joseph lived until January 29, 1981, passing away in Berkeley, California, at the age of 77.

CPU and the broader Baptist community did not forget his contribution. In 1981, the First Baptist Church of Berkeley, California, established the J. Morris Forbes Memorial Scholarship Fund for CPU’s College of Theology, with an initial endowment of $1,170. The fund was envisioned as a continuing tribute to Forbes’ passion for theological education and leadership development (Kasanag, October 23, 1981).

In 2005, CPU formally recognized him with a Posthumous Service Award, citing his “dedicated service and unswerving loyalty as administrative officer, and member of the Corporation and faculty, thereby contributing invaluably to the growth and development of Central Philippine University.”

Rev. Dr. Joseph Morris Rickey Forbes represents a generation of missionaries whose lives were intertwined with CPU’s survival and growth. From the classrooms of India to the refugee camps of Burma, from the devastated grounds of postwar Iloilo to the bustling campus of Central, he lived out his belief that Christian education must form leaders of faith and integrity.

He will forever be remembered on the CPU campus as a symbol of the dignity of labor and of American Christian democracy and friendliness(Golden Jubilee Year, 1955). His words still echo across time: “There is a great place for the kind of Christian education that is being offered here at Central.”

As CPU marks its 120th year, the story of Joseph Morris Forbes reminds us that education is not merely about buildings or books, but about people who, through their faith and perseverance, turn devastation into opportunity and leave a legacy that outlives them.

References

• Golden Jubilee Year 1905–1955 Souvenir Program, pp. 61–62.
• Central Echo, May–June 1947; November–December 1950; July–August 1952.
• Herradura, A., & Nelson, L. (1981). Scientia et Fides: The Story of CPU. Iloilo: Central Philippine University.
• Kasanag, October 23, 1981, vol. 12, no. 17, p. 1.
• Posthumous Service Award Citation, CPU, 2005.
• CPU Wall of Remembrance. (2004). Awardee’s Information Sheet.