Claude Vaden Hall
Brother Claude Vaden Hall, elder in the Commerce Church of Christ for thirty years, head of the Department of Government, East Texas State Teachers' College, former editor and councilor-at-law, is dead. After serving humanity for more than eighty years he fell asleep at a Dallas, Texas hospital on Sunday afternoon July 25, 1954.
Brother Hall was born January 4, 1874 in Delta County, Texas. About 1890 he moved with his parents to Floyd County, residing there for about twenty-three years. While living in Floyd County he came under the influence of many faithful preachers of the gospel of Christ including Brother G. H. P. Showalter, present editor and owner of the Firm Foundation, and Brother A. J. (Jack) McCarty. He was baptized into Christ by Brother McCarty in 1897, and lived true to God and the church of our Lord to the day of his departure.
Judge Hall, as he was known in East Texas for many years, graduated from Sam Houston Normal Institute in 1904. He received his degree in Law from the University of Texas in 1910. He also received the Master's degree from the University of Texas in 1922.
Brother Hall taught in the public schools of Texas for several years, serving as superintendent of schools at Matador, Slayton, and Snyder. He became professor of history at East Texas State Teachers' College in the fall of 1922 from which position he rose to the head of the Department of Government in 1934. By his efforts this department grew into a full senior and graduate division offering comprising subjects in every field of government activity. During his twenty-two years of service at East Texas State nearly 8,800 students enrolled in his classes. Dr. Brent Tarter, present head of the Government Department at East Texas State said recently, "He has undoubtedly had a great hand in shaping the destiny of the future activities of men by helping to eliminate the bad and teaching the results of decent living."
When he retired from the teaching profession, at the age of 70, on August 31, 1944, to enter the practice of law, Texas lost one of her greatest teachers. One of his associates of many years observed, "He possessed a fund of information in many fields of thought, but in the field of history, (including history of the restoration movement — WGJ), government and social studies, he stands at the head of the class. Mr. Hall was a southern gentleman in every respect possessing all the qualities of a true friend, neighbor, and citizen whose word was his bond. If he found himself in the wrong he repented bitterly and cheerfully made a declaration in order to set himself right and give peace of mind to the wronged."
Brother Claude V. Hall loved the church of our Lord. He placed the work of the church above everything else. In 1951, while living at Spur, Texas, the author of this paper received a letter from him containing the following, "I have numerous projects before me, but my mind is somewhat engrossed with the work of the congregation here . . . . in this I have neglected my office work, but I was heedless about my financial efforts. Happily, my life and thoughts do not entwine themselves about such an object as a dollar mark." These short lines express the attitude he had relative to the church of God in his life.
Brother Ralph P. Russell, who came to Commerce upon my departure from that work to my present labors here at Bowie, said of Brother Hall, "Brother Hall rests from his labors and his works will follow with him. He leaves a legacy, not in the material things — but in things not seen, which we all can enjoy. Great men are always marked by their love for Truth; Brother Hall, then, was a truly great man! He was always in the quest of knowledge. His learning made him capable of understanding his fellow men. His learning and his love for men allowed for his wide and varied service to humanity. Like his Master, Brother Hall was more than just a man morally good; he was a son in his Father's house with Christ being his elder brother. His concern was primarily with the issues of the kingdom of heaven, the church of our Lord. He watched as a keeper of the souls of the saints — this was his pride and desire. With Paul he was confident of the power of the simple gospel of Christ. His love for family was only exceeded by his love for his Master's church. The road of life is better since he passed this way."
The death of Brother Claude Vaden Hall is a great loss to the church of our Lord at Commerce, and the brotherhood at large. Almost the last lines falling from his pen was a tribute to Brother William Webb Freeman, also an elder in the Commerce congregation, who died in April this year. This tribute appears on page three of the Firm Foundation issue of August 3, 1954, and was ready for the presses when death came.
Shortly before the end it was my opportunity to pay what turned out to be a farewell visit at his bedside. As we prayed together, I seemed to know the end was near, he was triumphant in his last hours in the great faith he had in his Master, which faith he so nobly announced from day to day by the life he lived. Indeed:
"Great offices will have Great talents; and God gives to every man The virtue, temper, understanding, taste, That lift him into life; and lets him fall Just in the niche he was ordered to fill."
He is survived by his wife, a fine, faithful educated and cultured Christian woman, one daughter, Mrs. Graham Johnson, Commerce, and one son, Ford, attorney for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Dallas, Texas.
The funeral service was conducted at the meeting house in Commerce where he had worshipped and served for so many years, on Tuesday, July 27, at 10 o'clock a.m. This writer delivered the funeral oration, while Brother Ralph Russell of Commerce read the obituary and offered the prayer.