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A BRIEF HISTORY of the COLLEGE OF DIVINE METAPHYSICS and DIVINE METAPHYSICS MASTERY

The Beginning, 1918
The College of Divine Metaphysics was organized in 1918 as the realization of a dream held by Dr Joseph Perry Green, one of the early pioneers in the Metaphysical movement in America. In order to raise money to establish the College, Dr Green traveled from city to city, giving lectures and holding classes. Many of our alumni gained their first knowledge of Metaphysics in those early gatherings.

Dr Green
With courage born of great faith, Dr Green ventured into unknown territory to teach the standard of Truth. But through his journeys around the country, he began to realize the impossibility of personally reaching the many people who were ready for his message of Truth. Perhaps there would be only a few in one town, a dozen or more in another, but those interested were far separated from one another; covering the expense of bringing the message in person became too great a challenge. Yet Dr Green knew many people around the country were ready for the Divine Metaphysics message.

Out of this need, and the earnest desire in the minds of many people, the College of Divine Metaphysics was born. This same human appeal has kept it in continuous operation ever since. Circumstances have retarded progress from time to time, but through each experience, the College emerged stronger than ever.

In 1925, Dr Green assigned the extension work to Dr William H. Woodfin who, at that time, was Director-General of the Church of Divine Metaphysics. Dr Green’s schedule kept him for some time in California, and when he decided to remain there, he resigned from the Presidency of the College.

1920 to 1945
College of Divine Metaphysics seal On April 15, 1925, Dr Woodfin was elected to fill the office of Director when Dr Green resigned. Dr Woodfin held this position until his death on April 23, 1945. In the first seven years, the Institution had not grown much; it had become apparent that if the school was to fulfill its purpose and become an important factor in the Metaphysical movement, some changes in program and methods of operation must be made.

With the training and experience gained in his many years of organization work, Dr Woodfin concentrated the full force of his logical mind to the task. He first sought to establish a policy that would be stable and permanent for the purpose of creating confidence and assurance among the students. Next, he moved to broaden the influence of the school and to bring it to the attention of those most interested.

It was a long, arduous process. Inadequate equipment and lack of funding added to the difficulty. Only firm determination and an unquenchable faith in the rightness of what he was doing kept Dr Woodfin at his desk.

Little by little he laid the foundation for a country-wide movement. At no time during the long term of his Administration did he swerve or deviate from his ideal for teaching sound principles of Truth. There were times when a compromise with principle seemed to promise greater financial returns, but he held true to his ideals and to the course that ultimately led the College to its goal for expansion.

1945 to 1977
As years passed, it became increasingly important that the school own its home, and a building was purchased in June of 1944. It housed the College work and was well adapted to its needs. After Dr Woodfin passed away, his secretary, Dr Ruth M. Hurley, became president. She continued the work of the College until Dr. Henry Carns became president.

In the late 1950s, Dr Henry A. Carns became the College’s fourth president at its location on Illinois Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1969 the College moved to N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis. For over twenty years Dr Carns propagated the message for which the College stood; as a result, the school's message found its way to Metaphysical students not only in the U.S., but around the world.

1977 to 1991
On December 1, 1977, Dr Henry A. Carns retired. At this time, the College and the Church of Divine Metaphysics closed in Indianapolis. In 1978, the Alumni Association of the College of Divine Metaphysics of the Church of Divine Metaphysics was incorporated in the State of California as a nonprofit religious and educational corporation. The Association resumed operations of the College under its fifth president, Dr Joseph A. Garduno of Glendora, California, with Dr Virginia Means of Pasadena as the College Vice-President and Advisor. In 1990, Dr Joe's daughter, Penelope Privette, began serving as the school secretary.

1991 to 2006
In 1991, Dr Garduno engaged Ann Gordon (a CoDM student and author) to edit and update the College courses and promotional materials. Dr Ann was a teacher, consultant, copy editor, and published author; she has a Bachelor's degree in English, a Master's degree in Computer Information Systems, and a Ph.M. degree from the College of Divine Metaphysics. In the year 2002, she built the school's first website to help spread the word about the courses and programs offered by the school.

After Dr Means passed away, Dr Ann expanded her role to become the College Advisor as well as the Webmaster. In 2006, she became the Vice-President of the school, in charge of the Online Division. Throughout the remainder of his tenure, Dr Joe taught the students who communicated through postal mail while Dr Ann taught the students who communicated through email.

2007
In 2007, Dr Garduno moved back to New Mexico, to the land where he had been born and raised. He moved the main office of the College with him to New Mexico. Dr Gordon remained in Utah, headquarters of the Online Division.

2018 to 2022
In January 2019, right after the school turned 100 years old, Dr Joe passed away and was buried near his home in New Mexico. At that time, Dr Ann became the college's sixth President. She licensed the church and school as a non-profit in the State of Utah and began serving all students, those using postal mail as well as those online. In 2020, she expanded the school's outreach to those incarcerated in U.S. prisons. Between 2020 and 2022, the school enrolled over 60 inmates, many of whom earned a degree or certificate.

2023 to Present
In 2023, the Business Division of the State of Utah advised the Church pesident that a non-academic, sectarian school like ours could not use the word "College" or "Institute" in our title and could not grant degrees. To remain licensed in the state, the school had to change its name and drop the degee program. To comply, we renamed the school "Divine Metaphysics Mastery" and expanded our Certificate options.

Incorporation
In the State of Missouri, the Church of Divine Metaphysics incorporated the College of Divine Metaphysics as a spiritual (religious) educational institutionin 1918. They renewed the license in the State of Indiana in 1928, and in the State of California in 1978. In 2023, the Church incorporated Divine Metaphysics Mastery and established the correspondence school in Utah under the new name.

 

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