Alvin built a Christian school for young adults, but the school was never used due to lack of students. The students that would have attended this school were needed for WWII.
"During World War II, York first registered for the draft and then received a special commission as a major. He failed a physical examination due to his weight and evidence of arthritis and was denied front line service." -David Thelen |
"During the war, York attempted to reenlist in the infantry but could not do so due to age and obesity. Instead, through an affiliation with the Signal Corps, York traveled the country on bond tours, recruitment drives, and camp inspections. Ironically, the Bible school that was built with the proceeds from the movie opened in 1942, but the very people the school was intended for had either enlisted in the armed services or moved north to work in defense related industries. The school closed in 1943 never to reopen." - Birdwell |
The York Institute, which Alvin had put so much time and energy into, came to be both a blessing and a disappointment.
“The York Institute held its first classes one month after the stock market crash ushered in America’s greatest depression. As president and business manager of a fledgling school, York was hard-pressed to keep his project afloat during those difficult years, especially when the state began reducing its support in the face of declining revenues.” – Lee “York made some serious mistakes. For example, his generosity toward educational and religious causes led him into financial trouble, and twice he had to be rescued by public donations. Despite his dedication to the York Institute, he was ineffective as a school administrator and, in the opinion of professional educators, actually retarded the development of the school during the years he served as president and business manager.” - Lee |
“With his influence diminishing, York suffered an important setback in 1931 when the state board stopped supplying money for bus transportation, an item crucial to a school in a rural district. He turned to the county court for funds, but George Stockton and W.L. Wright successfully opposed the move, citing an opinion by state Attorney General L.D. Smith based on the 1929 Supreme Court ruling that the state must provide the money for all institute operations. Rather than lose the buses, York decided to pay for them out of his own pocket. By mortgaging his farm, he scraped together enough money to buy and service buses and hire drivers. His action shows the depth of his commitment, but the mortgage placed a severe strain on the York family throughout the depression-ridden thirties. Asked later about those difficult years, Gracie York often said she preferred not to discuss that time, although she confided to a son-in-law that she would never again permit the property to be mortgaged.” – Lee "No longer would he accept personal gifts, and whatever fees he |