By Rev. Dr. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
CPU commemorates its 120th year by honoring Rev. Dr. R. Fred Chambers, whose prophetic words “From these ashes shall rise a greater Central” embodied resilience, faith, and hope that continue to inspire the Centralian community today.
On October 1, 2025, Central Philippine University (CPU) will celebrate its 120th founding anniversary. In this commemorative year, it is only fitting to recall and honor the lives of those who shaped the university’s history. Among them is Rev. Dr. R. Fred Hertling Chambers, the second president of Central Philippine College (CPC), who served from 1941 to 1942. His presidency was brief, yet his leadership during the darkest years of World War II and his prophetic declaration — “From these ashes shall rise a greater Central” — became an enduring symbol of the university’s resilience and faith.
Chambers guided CPC during a fragile transition: from its early development into a four-year senior college to its near-annihilation during the Japanese occupation. Though his time in Iloilo lasted scarcely six years, his vision, scholarship, and faith helped ensure that CPU would not only survive but rise stronger after the devastation of war.
Early Life and Education
R. Fred Hertling Chambers was born on August 1, 1902, in Princeton, Indiana, to Alfonse Chambers and Catherine Hertling Chambers, both of Indiana lineage. Raised in the American Baptist tradition, he grew up with strong moral and spiritual foundations that directed his lifelong service to education and ministry.
Chambers was academically gifted and pursued a series of distinguished degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts from Franklin College, Indiana (1923).
- Master of Arts from the University of Colorado (1926).
- Doctor of Education from Yale Divinity School (1932).
- Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Colorado (1949), where he completed his dissertation titled Central Philippine College: A Historical Study in the Light of Philippine Historical and Cultural Background.
His broad educational background which combined theology, education, and history shaped his holistic philosophy of Christian education. Chambers believed that the purpose of education was not only intellectual development but also the transformation of character and the building of faith.
Missionary Work in India
Before coming to the Philippines, Chambers was assigned to Assam, India, where he served as principal of the Jorhat Christian School from 1932 to 1938. His years in India provided formative cross-cultural experience in leadership and mission.
It was in Assam that Chambers suffered personal tragedy: his first wife, Irene, died in 1935. Yet in 1936, he found new strength and companionship in marriage to Dr. Dorothy Kinney, a missionary physician and graduate of the University of Colorado Medical School (1926). Dorothy had also served as a doctor in Assam, and together they formed a remarkable partnership, blending education, medicine, and Christian ministry.
The couple’s years in India prepared them well for the challenges of serving in the Philippines. Chambers gained administrative expertise, while Dorothy’s medical training would later prove vital at Iloilo Mission Hospital.
Arrival in Iloilo and Dean of Theology
In September 1939, Rev. Chambers and his family (Dorothy and their children, Carol Joy and Robert) arrived in Iloilo City. He was appointed Dean of the College of Theology at Central Philippine College.
At this point, CPC was entering a new era. Originally the Jaro Industrial School founded by William O. Valentine in 1905, the institution had grown into a high school, junior college, and by the late 1930s, a senior college with aspirations to become a full university.
Chambers quickly earned respect as an able instructor and thoughtful counselor. He taught History, Theology, and Religion & Ethics, and was known for his clarity of teaching and pastoral concern for students. In 1940, he served as adviser to the Christian Endeavor Convention and as a member of the Permanent Council on Ordination, reflecting his wider role in shaping Baptist ministry in the Visayas.
Presidency of Central Philippine College (1941–1942)
In 1941, after the leadership of Francis Howard Rose, the Board of Trustees turned to Chambers as a neutral and unifying figure. On July 14, 1941, he was inaugurated as the second president of Central Philippine College.
Chambers’ philosophy of leadership emphasized five major goals:
- Strengthening Scholastic Standards – He believed faculty were central to CPC’s mission, insisting: “There must be a faculty with high ideals of dedication to professional and Christian service to the students.” He sought to expand the faculty and provide opportunities for professional growth.
- Financial Integrity – He aimed to improve CPC’s financial standing by ensuring prompt payment of obligations and responsible stewardship.
- Community and Collegiate Relations – He promoted closer ties with the professional, business, and academic sectors to build CPC’s reputation and partnerships.
- Church and Alumni Relations – Chambers emphasized closer connections with the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) and with CPC alumni who were becoming leaders in government and society.
- Christian Character – Above all, he insisted that CPC must preserve its Christian spirit and atmosphere, making it the foundation of all learning and service.
Among his initiatives were plans for counseling services, library expansion for eventual graduate work, experimental agricultural projects, and courses in home economics and family life.
War Years and Internment
The Japanese invasion in late 1941 interrupted these plans. In 1942, Chambers made the fateful decision to surrender to the Japanese rather than flee into the mountains, believing it would spare lives and hasten the end of suffering.
The Chambers family was interned first at the Iloilo Central School concentration camp, then later transferred to the Santo Tomas University internment camp in Manila. These years were marked by hardship, hunger, and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, other missionaries who fled into the hills of Capiz, including Chambers’ colleague Francis Rose, were martyred at Hopevale in December 1943. The Chambers family survived the war, sustained by faith and a conviction that liberation would come.
“From These Ashes Shall Rise a Greater Central”
On May 11, 1945, just weeks after liberation, President Chambers returned to Iloilo to inspect the CPC campus. What he saw broke his heart:
- Valentine Hall and Johnson Hall, with their libraries, were destroyed.
- The chapel, along with its pipe organ, was burned.
- The Industrial Hall, housing the mission press, was reduced to rubble.
- Several residences and facilities were gutted by fire.
In tears, Chambers uttered the prophetic words that would define his legacy:
“From these ashes shall rise a greater Central.”
These words were not merely poetic. They were a statement of faith: a vision that even in ruin, God’s hand was at work to raise CPC anew.
Immediate Rebuilding
True to his word, Chambers reopened CPC almost immediately. On May 14, 1945, refresher classes began, even with inadequate facilities. Faculty were reorganized, a cooperative store was opened, and plans were laid for faculty housing and a provident fund.
But the challenges were immense, and the Chambers family required urgent medical treatment. On June 19, 1945, they left for the United States. Chambers formally resigned from CPC in April 1946. Though his service was brief, his vision laid the foundation for CPU’s postwar rebuilding.
Later Life in the United States
After leaving the Philippines, Chambers continued a distinguished career:
- Director of the Placement Bureau, University of Colorado.
- Professor, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City.
- Pastor, First Baptist Church, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Adviser to the Peace Corps in West Pakistan (1962).
He remained a polished speaker and respected educator. In 1962, on a sentimental visit to Iloilo, he saw with joy that his prophecy had been fulfilled — Central had indeed risen stronger from the ashes of war.
Chambers passed away on October 30, 1985, in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was survived by his wife Dorothy and their children, Carol and Robert.
Legacy
Rev. Dr. R. Fred Chambers is remembered not for the length of his presidency, but for its depth during a time of crisis. He was an educator, missionary, administrator, and pastor who believed that Christian education was the foundation of nation-building.
As Clemente Espejo wrote in the Golden Jubilee Souvenir Program, Chambers was “athlete, scholar, educator, administrator, Christian gentleman, and minister of God.”
Most of all, CPU remembers his words in 1945, spoken amid the ruins:
“From these ashes shall rise a greater Central.”
Today, as CPU celebrates 120 years, those words remind every Centralian of the resilience of faith, the power of vision, and the enduring mission of the university.
References
Central Echo. (1946, April). Former CPU president pays sentimental visit. Central Echo, 1(4), 1.
Central Echo. (1962, August 30). Former CPU president pays sentimental visit. Central Echo, 30(4–5), 3.
Central Echo. (1985, December). Pres. Fred Chambers called to rest. Central Echo, 21(7), 3.
Espejo, C. (1955). R. Fred Chambers, president, Central Philippine College, 1941–1942. In Golden Jubilee Year 1905–1955 Souvenir Program (p. 60). Iloilo City: Central Philippine College.
Herradura, J. V., & Nelson, J. F. (1981). Scientia et Fides: The Story of Central Philippine University. Iloilo City: Central Philippine University.