Forced Off the Air

Back to Herbert W. Armstrong

What Mr. Armstrong called a “$30,000 headache” not only threatened the college, it also led to the Work getting behind making airtime payment to XELO, the now 150,000 watt clear-channel station at Juarez, Mexico. Together with XEG, these two stations transmitted the radio program over most of the U.S. and into central Canada.

The World Tomorrow was forced off XELO. At XEG, the program had to cancel its weeknight broadcasts, airing only on Sunday nights, until the following October.

Other bills began to pile up. Persistent creditors hounded Mr. Armstrong, demanding payment. The Work even got behind in paying the faculty—which obviously did not go well with the instructors.

Added to this was the constant pressure of naysaying and complaints from within the Church and the faculty. Mr. Armstrong was surrounded by men and women who lacked vision—who could not see beyond the here and now. Like the Israelites in Moses’ day, many in the Church grumbled and moaned, saying that the college should not have been started the way that it did—that Mr. Armstrong should shut it down and focus just on the radio program. They could not see that the living Eternal God was actually building the college, so they constantly talked about “when this thing folds up.” This was irritating—frustrating!—to hear. Mr. Armstrong was determined that Ambassador College would not close its doors.

Though he had suffered many trials and tests, Mr. Armstrong never lost faith in God. Years of living the way that produces lasting peace and true success had taught him that God always keeps His promises. But the constant pressures of such nerve-shattering ordeals came to a boiling point. Every man has his limits—Mr. Armstrong was no different:

“It became almost impossible to sleep nights. I never lost faith—really. I never doubted the outcome. Yet I had not yet learned the total, implicit, trusting faith that can relax and leave it quietly in God’s hands. I was under terrific strain. It was literally multiple nightmares condensed into a superone!

“On one occasion, I almost snapped. I weakened to the extent that I actually prayed, one night, that God would let me die through the night, and relieve me from the almost unbearable agony. But next morning, I was deeply repentant for that, and prayed earnestly for God’s forgiveness. Twice I did give up, on going to bed at night. But next morning was another day, and I bounced back, repentant for having given up—if only momentarily.”

Mr. Armstrong did learn how to relax in faith and quietly place the burden of worry in God’s hands.

Ambassador College Opens Its Doors

Mr. Armstrong received about 40 applications from young people who wanted to attend Ambassador College. However, due to the emergency reconstruction, he had to notify each applicant that the college’s opening would be delayed until further notice.

When it finally did swing open, on October 8, 1947, nearly all applicants had enrolled in other colleges. Including Mr. Armstrong’s son Richard, this left only four students to begin the first year of Ambassador College.

Mr. Armstrong always taught that whenever God does a work through human instruments, that work starts off small like the proverbial mustard seed. In this case, no other college could have started off smaller. At first, there were no dormitories for students to live on campus. There was no real college library—just a room with some books and encyclopedias on shelves, which served as a library, music room, assembly room, study room and lounge. There was no gymnasium, track or athletic field. Some of the living rooms were turned into business offices. The central garage space was converted into a general mailing room. A small printing shop for producing booklets occupied the rear ground-floor room.

These four first-year students were truly pioneers. They had to live off campus to rough it through sparse economic times. The college supplied part-time janitorial work for them, at $40 per month. But their off-campus rent was $31.50 per month! In order to have enough to eat, they often had to go out and pick lamb’s-quarter (wild spinach) growing along certain streets and in vacant lots. And there were times when they went hungry.

Yet they never grumbled or complained, for they hungered even more for the right kind of education. They were of a generation that grew up during the Great Depression. The harsh realities of life had taught them how to go without and make due with whatever was on hand.

Like Mr. Armstrong, they heard people talk about the college in terms of “when this thing folds up.” But these four pioneering students never doubted that this was God’s college—that not only would God keep it alive, He would make it grow!

Dealing With the Talented and Gifted

As stated, Ambassador College was founded to provide a general liberal arts education based on true values, as found in the Bible. Yet finding college instructors who shared this vision was next to impossible. Initially, Mr. Armstrong had to hire instructors who had been educated by man’s educational system, which was founded on human reasoning and pagan traditions. The men and women who became the college’s first faculty members were not the “foolish” or “weak things of the world” (I Cor. 1:26-29). They were highly educated, experienced and talented—but they did not realize that “every man at his best state is altogether vanity” (Psa. 39:5). Since their personal training and education had not been founded on God’s Word, the foundation of true knowledge, they sometimes did things that went against everything Mr. Armstrong was striving to accomplish.

For example, when he had left the planning of the school curriculum, class schedules and the other academic issues in their hands, Mr. Armstrong discovered that his own theology course—the real foundational course of the college—had been reduced to a two-hour minor subject! And it was too late to change the schedule. Classes were under way—all schedules were fixed—all records had been set. He would have to wait a whole school year before making any changes.

Mr. Armstrong sensed an undercurrent of hostility from the teaching staff. They wanted things done their way. After all, they reasoned, we are the experts here.

To steer the college the way it was meant to go—God’s way—Mr. Armstrong required all faculty members and students to attend his classes. This gave him a sounding board, enabling him to constantly keep the biblical foundation of knowledge before the faculty and student body. Mr. Armstrong did his best to make his lectures so logical and fact-based that no one could refute what he taught them.

When the second year began, he made certain that the theological courses were three-hour class periods per week.

Making Tough Decisions

That summer of 1948, after much counsel, meditation, prayer and much thinking, Mr. Armstrong was forced to make a tough decision. In the face of all the doomsayers who thought the college was dead in the water, he decided to reduce the school schedule to half-time for one year, along with reducing salaries to half, as well as reducing the number of faculty members. And so, Ambassador College’s second year offered classes only three days a week.

Yet, despite making no efforts to recruit additional students, three new students enrolled that year.

Dr. B. Strikes Again

Another crisis appeared on the horizon:

“While we had paid the $25,000 as rent (to be converted into a $25,000 down payment via the lease option), we had, of course, paid no interest. Neither had we paid the taxes or insurance. These accumulated amounts were all to come due on December 27, 1948. They amounted to several thousand dollars. Taxes had to be paid, retroactive for the twenty-five months. Also, interest on the unpaid balance, starting at $100,000, less $1,000 each month for the twenty-five months. Insurance for the twenty-five months also became due in one lump sum on December 27.

“HOW, in our strained circumstances, were we going to raise that large sum of money by December 27? It was a frightening dilemma.”

This came to be a $17,000 problem. Mr. Armstrong did everything he could to solve it, relying on God to save His college. And, once again, God inspired the co-workers to move into action.

At that time, the Work’s normal daily income was about $500. When the tax problem was made known to the co-workers, about $3,000 came in one day—then, the next day, another $3,000 came in—and the next day—and the next day—and the next day! By December 15, the Work had received more than $50,000!

Mr. Armstrong knew that this could not be mere coincidence. No human explanation could explain away what happened. This was a miracle.

“It seemed like God had sent us a great deal more than we needed!” Mr. Armstrong wrote. “But we were soon to see that He had not. The college could not have been saved, had there been less. It turned out we needed considerably more money by December 27 than we had realized. Dr. B. had a $17,000 mortgage on the property that he had to pay off in order to transfer the deed to us. He was several years behind in paying taxes. Under the circumstances, the way he acted—and considering that he was planning to prevent allowing us to exercise our option—unless we had some $15,000 to $20,000 to temporarily loan him, in addition to the money we had to pay him, he could have beaten us and we should have lost the property, after all!

“But God knew precisely what we needed—and he sent it!”

But Dr. B. was not yet finished trying to retain ownership of the property. Even though Mr. Armstrong had the full amount due him in escrow on December 15, Dr. B. and his sister made no effort to sign the papers for the transaction.

Mr. Armstrong discovered through the escrow company that the mortgage had been long, long past due. He made an arrangement that, if Dr. B. refused to sign the papers, the man who held the mortgage would willingly sell it to the Work. Mr. Armstrong did not want to take this route, but it was good to know that, if push came to shove, God had worked it out so that he could force Dr. B.’s hand.

Dr. B. agreed to sign—IF he was loaned a few thousand dollars on top of the money that was deposited to pay for the interest, taxes and insurance. Mr. Armstrong tried to work with the man. He agreed to loan him the money, arranging to deduct $250 from the $1,000-monthly lease payments until the loan was repaid.

Still, Dr. B. and his sister made no move to sign the papers. He claimed that she was too ill to be disturbed. The deadline drew dangerously near. Mr. Armstrong’s back was against the wall. He had no choice but to force their hand. He gave Dr. B. and his sister an ultimatum: Sign now or the lease money would be withdrawn from escrow that afternoon, and placed with a judge. Then Mr. Armstrong would seek for every delay the law allowed—even if it took years. Dr. B. and his sister would not receive a single payment. Meanwhile, the college would still take possession of the property.

“All right, Dr. B.,” Mr. Armstrong said. “Either your sister signs in the next thirty minutes, or I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. I have exhausted my patience on you. I have suffered your harassment now for two years. I’m going to end it here and now!

“Unless I telephone my attorneys that your sister has signed, before 1 o’clock, it will be too late—they will be on the way to file suit in Superior Court. All the money will be withdrawn from escrow yet this afternoon, and placed with the judge. We know you need that money to live. We will then seek for every delay the law allows. My lawyers tell me we can delay action on the suit for years. Meanwhile we remain in possession of the property. The college will go right along. You will receiveno payments whatsoever.

“But that is not all. I have negotiated with Mr. Blank to purchase the trust deed on this property which you owe him. I have the money on hand to purchase it. Then, because you have violated the terms of the mortgage, by not paying taxes, I shall immediately foreclose on you. In that manner we will take complete ownership of the property by paying only the amount of this mortgage. We will freeze you out completely. Once this is done, we can withdraw our suit, and recover all the money.”

Mr. Armstrong pleaded with him not to let this happen. Reluctantly, Dr. B. and his sister gave in, went to a notary public and signed the deal.

Ambassador College was now set for an incredible rollercoaster ride into the future.