Multnomah-Linn County OR Archives Biographies.....Walker, Isaac M. 1861 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 26, 2009, 4:07 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 133-134 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company One of the notable educational institutions of the Columbia River valley is the Behnke-Walker Business College, at Portland, which for over a quarter of a century has stood as the exemplar of the highest efficiency in business education. During this period the school has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth and over ten thousand young men and women have been trained and prepared for successful careers in the world's work, many of whom are now holding important, responsible and lucrative positions. The school was founded in 1900 by H. W. Behnke, who came to Portland and opened what was called the Behnke Shorthand School on the fourth floor of the Oregonian building. He conducted the school for two years but at no time had more than eighteen students. In 1902 Isaac M. Walker met Mr. Behnke and they formed a partnership, under the name of the Behnke-Walker Business College. Mr. Walker, who was a man of wide educational experience and broad and practical ideas, reorganized the school and established a full business course in addition to the shorthand department. On August 1, 1902, four rooms were leased in the old Commercial building, and almost immediately students began to apply for enrollment, so that before midwinter they found it necessary to secure two additional rooms. During the following summer so numerous were the inquiries from prospective students that larger quarters were deemed necessary and David Stearns agreed to fit up the fourth floor of the Stearns building, at Fifth and Morrison streets, on a six-year lease. This building was occupied by the school September 1, 1903, at which time the enrollment was nearly two hundred, and before the end of the year the rooms were crowded to their capacity. Several years later another move became imperative and the college leased an entire floor in the new Elks temple, which was then being erected. On moving to this location, the old quarters in the Stearns building were subleased. Before the end of the first year the school had again outgrown its home and additional space on the first floor was leased and utilized for the office and some of the departments. Still the enrollment continued to mount up until, in 1900, more room being required, the college took over the old Y. M. C. A. building, at Fourth and Morrison streets, which was remodeled to suit the needs of the school, and there it remained for fifteen years. In 1926 the college made its last move, this time to its own splendid building at Eleventh and Salmon streets, where it is now better situated than ever to properly carry on its work, unhampered by lack of space or other unfavorable conditions. This fine four-story building, one hundred by one hundred feet in dimensions, is fireproof in construction, and in its arrangement and equipment is regarded as one of the finest buildings for its purpose in the country. It has a capacity for one thousand day students, and was so constructed that three additional stories may be added when needed. In 1927 two thousand and ninety-five students were enrolled at this school, and twenty-two teachers compose the faculty, while five persons are employed in the office. At this time students are in attendance from twenty-eight states, which is significant as indicating the national character of the school. The school is under the immediate supervision of Isaac M. Walker, president and business manager, and George S. Johnson, principal. The departments of the college are as follows: Complete business course, accountancy and business administration courses, secretarial course, stenographer's course, calculator-comptometer course, personal efficiency and salesmanship course, commercial teacher training course and general preparatory course. In addition, the college maintains a night school, in which are taught bookkeeping, accountancy, salesmanship, arithmetic, letter writing, shorthand, typewriting, rapid calculation, grammar and spelling, and in the operation of all office machines and appliances. The Behnke-Walker Business College enjoys the notable distinction of having won twenty-seven typewriters in the semi-annual accuracy contests of the National Organization of Typewriter Companies. In this connection, President Walker received the following letter from Harry Spillman, manager of the school department of the Remington Typewriter Company, New York: "In looking back over the records of your school in connection with Remington awards, we find that no other school in the United States is in hailing distance of Behnke- Walker Business College for number of prizes won, and this applies all the way through from primary certificates to accuracy typewriters." Isaac M. Walker, to whom the success of the school is largely attributable, was born in Pennsylvania in 1861 and attended school there to the age of fifteen years, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Abilene, Kansas, where he completed his high school course. When about twelve years of age he ran across a catalog of the Gem City Business College, of Quincy, Illinois, and then conceived the idea that he would like to become the president of a business college some day. He pursued a four-year course in the University of Kansas and was a classmate of the late Congressman Ed Little of the Sunflower state, after which he taught school for several years in Kansas. In 1888 he entered the Gem City Business College, which he attended for two years and, with his boyhood ideal still in view, he took a position with the Quincy Casket Company, working in the office and as traveling salesman. He resigned that job in order to take a position with the Bull Bank, at Quincy, with which he remained one year, after which he accepted the chair of mathematics and commercial work in Mt. Morris College, at Mt. Morris, Illinois. He remained three years, during which time he built his department up to one hundred and seventy-five students. He was then elected president of Hayward College, at Fairfield, Illinois, remaining at the head of that institution for three years. In 1898 he came west and took charge of the commercial and mathematics courses in Albany College, at Albany, Oregon, and during his connection with that school he traveled over the state on horseback in order to become acquainted with the state, its people and possibilities, at the same time soliciting students for Albany College. He located in Portland, in 1902, and the record of his activities from that time on has been already recounted. He has devoted himself tirelessly to the interests of the college and the welfare of the students and is held in grateful regard by thousands who have benefited by his wise counsel and have been stimulated by his inspiring personality and have gone out into successful and honorable careers in life. In 1897 Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Laura Hoover, of North Manchester, Indiana, and they are the parents of a son, Ralph, who is now a partner in the Walker-Togler Radio Company, of Portland. He was married to Miss Pauline Smalley, who is a graduate of Washington State College. Mr. Walker is a member of Columbia Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; and Portland Lodge, No. 142, B. P. O. E. Professor Walker holds a fellowship in the I. O. O. F. Lodge at Albany, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Walker and family have been members of the First Presbyterian church of Portland for twenty-six years and for the past six years he has been an elder in that congregation, continuing in the office at the present time. He belongs to the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations, and has shown a deep interest in everything pertaining to the material, civic or moral advancement of his city. Mrs. Walker is a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Parent- Teacher Association, and has taken a keen interest in uplift work among the colored people, particularly in relation to the Colored Young Women's Christian Association. Mr. Walker is a man of sterling character, attractive personality and cordial manner and throughout the community commands to a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/walker928gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 8.9 Kb