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f
I
iwiTitn mm imiisni ov unwiATUiK.
CIEI'irLAil Of tSrOKMATKW XO. 4, IDfift
miKTitimiTiinw ni amkiiidsn niii'iiATiifflM. iiibtuiiv.
A mSTORY
HIGHER EDUCATION IN PENNSyLVANIA]
CHARLeS H. HASKINS, Ph. D..
WILLIAM I. HULL, Ph. D.,
WASraNGTON:
uovitu'oimn vkintimq omcs.
[Whole Number S8S
UNITED STATES BUREAU OF EDUCATION.
CrRCULAR OF INFORMATION NO. 4, 1902.
5,-
;•■■
CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
EDITSD BT HXRBEBT B. ADAMS.
No. 33.
■
A HISTORY
OP
r HIGHER EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA,
BY
t
CHARLES H. HASKINS, Ph. D.,
Professor of History, University of Wisconsiny
I.- ■
AND
AVILLIAM I. HULL, Ph. D.,
Pr^fmtor of History , Swarihmore College, Pennsylvania.
■^•^•^
f
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1902.
H IL I: II 'A' '. O . ■ : . »
PUBLIC] iM-;Ar;v
TiLDtN f- i.Vj^TIONa.
- - - ■
Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Education,
Washington, D, (7., April 10, 1902.
Sir: The accompanying history of higher education in Pennsyl-
vania forms No. 33 of the series of similar publications edited for
this Office by the late Prof. H. B. Adams, of the Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity. It contains an account of the origin and growth of the various
higher institutions of learning in Pennsylvania, except the University
of Pennsylvania, the history of that important institution having
already been published separately as circular of information No. 2,
1892.
This history was prepared some years since by Prof. Charles H.
Haskins, of the University of Wisconsin, and Prof. William I. Hull,
of Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, who were assisted by members
of the faculties of many of the higher institutions of the State, who
have contributed the histories of those institutions.
I respectfully recommend that this history be printed as one of the
series indicated above.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. T. Harris,
Ciymmissfwner.
Hon. E. A. Hitchcock,
Secretary of the Interior.
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page.
I. Allegheny College, Meadville, by Prof. Charles H. Haskins 7
n. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, by Prof. Franklin H. Giddings- 23
m. Bucknell University, Lewisburg, by President John H. Harris. . 32
rV. Central Pennsylvania College, New Berlin, by President AI E.
Gobble- 40
V. Dickinson College, Carlisle, by Prof. Charles F. Himes _ 42
VI. Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, by Theodore Appel,
D. D 66
Vn. Geneva College, Beaverfalls, by President W. P. Johnston 83
Vm. Grove City College, Grove City, by President Isaac C. Ketler _ _ 85
IX. Haverford College, Haverford, by Prof. Francis B. Gmnmere . _ 90
X. Holy Ghost College, Pittsburg, by President John T. Murphy _ _ 103
XI. Lafayette College, Easton, by Prof. Wm. B. Owen 108
XII. Lebanon Valley College, Annville, by Prof. H. Clay Deaner 132
XTTT. Lehigh University, South Bethlehem, by Prof. Edmund M. Hyde. 135
XrV. Lincoln University, Lincoln University 152
XV. Madison College, by Rev. G. T. Reynolds _ 155
XVI. Mercersburg College, by Mr. Jacob Heyser 158
XVn. Moravian College and Theological Seminary, Bethlehem , by Prof.
J. Taylor Hamilton, D.D_. _ _._ 163
AVlll. Muhlenberg College, Allentown, by Rev. S. E. Ochsenford 166
XIX. Pennsylyania College, Gettysburg, by Prof. John A. Himes 173
XX. Pennsylvania Military CoUege, Chester, by President Chas. E.
Hyatt 180
XXI. Pennsylvania State College, State College, by Prof. Wm. A.
Buckhout - - 183
XXiL St. Francis College, Loretto 198
XXTTT. St. Vincent College, Beatty _ -. 199
XXrV. Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, by Prof. W. P. Holcomb .... 201
XXV. Thiel College of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Greenville,
by Prof. Jos. R. Titzel .-_ 223
XXVI. Ursinus College, CoUegeville, by Rev. H. T. Spangler 231
XXVn. Augustinian College of St. Thomas of Villanova, by Rev. F. M.
Sheeran, President _ - - 235
XXVni. Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, by President
J.D.Moffat 236
XXIX. Waynesburg College, Waynesburg, by President A. B. Miller. . 250
XXX. Western University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburg, by President
W.J. Holland _. - 253
XXXL Westminster College, New Wilmington, by Prof. S.R.Thompson 267
5
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.
Central Pennsylvania College, chemical laboratory 40
Dickinson College:
West College, 1803 - 46
The Jacob Tome Scientific Building .-. 56
James W. Hosier Memorial Hall 62
Geneva College _ 84
Haverf ord College , old building _ 94
New building _ 98
Lafayette College — ^the buildings grouped _ 110
The presidents of Lafayette College _ 116
Ario Pardee 120
Lehigh University:
The late Hon. Asa Packer, founder of Lehigh University 136
The late Henry Copp6e, the first president 138
The library 142
Packer Hall 146
Chemical laboratory 148
Muhlenberg College 168
Pennsylvania Military College 180
Pennsylvania State College, main building 186
Armory 190
Chemical and physical building 194
Waynesburg College 250
6
HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
I.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE.
By Charles H. Haskins.
TIMOTHY ALDEN.
The history of Allegheny* College begins with a meeting held in the
court-house at Meadville June 20, 1815. At this meeting a number
of men formed an association for the purpose of establishing ''a
seminary in which a regular course of the liberal arts and sciences "
should be duly taught. Meadville was chosen as the site of the new
institution, which was called Allegheny College, ' ' from the circumstance
that a great part of the region, for the benefit of which the seminary
is designed, is watered by the numerous streams which, in the aggre-
gate, make the Allegheny River." The founders proceeded to elect
the Rev. Timothy Alden president and professor of the oriental lan-
guages and ecclesiastical history, and the Rev. Robert Johnston
(pastor of the Meadville Presbyterian Church) vice-president and
professor of logic, metaphysics, and ethics. For the present these
were to be the sole instructors. They were to begin the instruction
of "probationers," from whom the first class should be formed July
4, 1816. Afl&liation Vith the neighboring county academies was
authorized, subscription books were opened, committees were
appointed to secure a charter and to prepare college laws, and Dr.
Alden was requested to solicit gifts in the East.^'
Such was^ the beginning of the first college in northwestern Penn-
sylvania. In a sense a Presbyterian institution, it was the child not
of Princeton, but of Harvard, having its origin less in the slow exten-
sion of Scotch-Irish educational influence than in the determination
of a New England clergyman to plant a college in the West. Timothy
Alden was born at Yarmouth, Mass., in 1771, and graduated from
Harvard College in 1794. After serving as pastor and teacher at
Portsmouth, N. H., he conducted schools for young women at Boston,
Newark, and New York City. While in New York he developed
much interest in the spread of education and religion in the newly
' This is the generally accepted spelling of the name as applied to this college.
In the early years of the college ** Alleghany " was regularly used.
^Crawford Messenger, June 24, 1815; Alleghany Magazine, 1; account reprinted
in ][)amphlet form.
7
8 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
settled parts of the country, and finally determined to establish a col-
lege somewhere in the region west of the AUeghenies. Dr. Aldenhad
relatives living inMeadville, and this, together with geographical con-
siderations, suggested that village as the seat of the new institution.
Accordingly he set out for Meadville, arriving there in April, 1815.
He found the people of the village favorable to his plans, for Mead-
ville, with less than 600 inhabitants, claimed the first newspaper and
the first literary society northwest of Pittsburg, and the efforts of
its citizens had already secured a county academy and a female semi-
nary. Dr. Alden's project was discussed, and the meeting of June 20
was the result.*
Early in the autumn of 1815 Dr. Alden set forth for the East. He
traveled through New England, New York, New Jersey, and eastern
Pennsylvania, visiting the chief cities and many of the smaller towns,
and accepting gifts of every sort — money, land, books, curiosities, even
a bell — for the college building. Everywhere he received the encour-
agement of the leaders in educational and benevolent undertakings.
When he returned he had collected $4,103.30, of which $2,000 was in
lands, $1,642.26 in books, and $461.04 in cash — a significantly small
amount of cash. The subscriptions taken in Meadville amounted to
$5,685 additional.^
THE EARLY CURRICULUM.
In March, 1817, the college received its charter, and with it a grant
of $2,000 from the State. ° In the following July Dr. Alden was inau-
gurated.*^ For some time he seems to have been the only professor.
Rev. Mr. Johnston having removed from Meadville two months before.
The requirements for admission were "an ability to construe and
parse TuUy's Select Orations, Virgil, and the Greek Testament, to
write Latin grammatically, to perform with promptness any examples
in common arithmetic, a sufficient testimonial of a blameless life and
conversation, and a bond for the payment of college dues." "" The fol-
lowing was announced as "the general course of studies to be pursued
by each class of undergraduates: by the Freshmen, the Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, French, and German languages, English grammar, rhetorick,
chronology, and arithmetick; by the Sophomores, the Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, French, and German languages, English composition, logick,
' Compare a letter from John Reynolds in the Meadville Republican of Augnst
4, 1867.
* Alleghany Magazine, 9 ff.; Crawford Messenger, March 2, 1816. Typical of
Dr. Alden's efforts in the East is his letter to Dr. Bentley asking for contributions
from Bentley and his parishioners. Historical Magazine, XXII, 367.
^'The charter maybe found in Bioren's Laws of Pennsylvania, VI, 473; Gregg's
Methodism in the Erie Conference (1873), I, 357; Charter, Compacts, etc., of Alle-
ghany College (Meadville, 1880).
* An account of the elaborate ceremonies of the inauguration is given in the
Alleghany Magazine, 298.
* Crawford Messenger, July 22, 1815.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. V
geography, mensuration, and algebra; by the Junior Sophisters, the
Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and other oriental languages, metaphysicks,
ethicks, algebra, plane geometry, trigonometry, eonick sections, sur-
veying, book-keeping, mensuration of heights and distances, naviga-
tion, English composition, and systematick theology; and by the
Senior Sophisters, the ancient and modern languages such portion
of the time, not exceeding two days a week, as the Prudential Com-
mittee may direct, belleslettres, English composition, universal gram-
mar, elements of natural and political law, ancient and modern his-
tory, dialling, projection of the sphere, spherick geometry and trigo-
nometry with their application to astronomical problems, natural
philosophy, and theology. Any student at the request of his parents
or guardian shall be excused from attending to the French, German,
and all oriental languages."*
It is not known how far this formidable course of study was carried
out. Particular emphasis seems to have been put on training in lan-
guages. At every public exercise of the college, students discoursed
in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, sometimes in German and Sj'^riac. The
following programme for the commencement of 1821, when the first class
was graduated, may serve as a fair example: Salutatory oration, in
Latin, by R. W. Alden; English oration on astronomy, by David
Derickson; Greek oration on geography, by A. M. White; English
oration on the importance to the United States of an extensive navy,
by R. W. Alden; Syriac oration, by T. J. F. Alden; English oration on
the progress of liberty, by A. M. White; German oration on Wash-
ington, the glory of his country, by David Derickson ; valedictory^
oration, in English, on American independence, closing with several
addresses and a respectful notice of Bentley, Thomas, and other
benefactors of Allegheny College, by T. J. F. Alden. ^
THE LIBRARY.
In the library Dr. Alden's constant labors for the college yielded
best fruit. His efforts brought together a library of 7,000 volumes,
at that time one of the most valuable collections in the United States.
First came the bequest of Dr. William Bentley, of Salem, Mass., who,
dying in 1819, divided the greater part of his large and excellent
library between Allegheny College and the American Antiquarian
Society. The college received all his classical and theological books,
dictionaries, lexicons, and Bibles.*' Next was a gift of Isaiah
'MS. in college library; Alleghany Magazine, 300.
* Programme in college library.
•His oriental manuscripts, antiquarian books, and collection of portraits went
to the American Antiquarian Society. Materials for American history collected
by him for Professor Ebeling, of Hamburg, afterwards found their way into the
library of Harvard University. The rest of the library remained with his nephew,
William Bentley Fowle. See Amory's Life of James Sullivan, H, 196; Sprague's
Annals of the American Pulpit, VIU, 154-157.
8 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
settled parts of the country, and finally determined to establish a col-
lege somewhere in the region west of the Alleghenies. Dr. Alden had
relatives living inMeadville, and this, together with geographical con-
siderations, suggested that village as the seat of the new institution.
Accordingly he set out for Meadville, arriving there in April, 1815.
He found the people of the village favorable to his plans, for Mead-
ville, with less than 600 inhabitants, claimed the first newspaper and
the first literary society northwest of Pittsburg, and the efforts of
its citizens had already secured a county academy and a female semi-
nary. Dr. Alden's project was discussed, and the meeting of June 20
was the result.*
Early in the autumn of 1815 Dr. Alden set forth for the East. He
traveled through New England, New York, New Jersej'^, and eastern
Pennsylvania, visiting the chief cities and many of the smaller towns,
and accepting gifts of every sort — money, land, books, curiosities, even
a bell — for the college building. Everywhere he received the encour-
agement of the leaders in educational and benevolent undertakings.
When he returned he had collected $4,103.30, of which $2,000 was in
lands, $1,642.26 in books, and $461.04 in cash — a significantly small
amount of cash. The subscriptions taken in Meadville amounted to
$5,685 additional.^
THE EARLY CURRICULUM.
In March, 1817, the college received its charter, and with it a grant
of $2,000 from the State. *^ In the following July Dr. Alden was inau-
gurated.** For some time he seems to have been the only professor,
Rev. Mr. Johnston having removed from Meadville two months before.
The requirements for admission were "an ability to construe and
parse TuUy's Select Orations, Virgil, and the Greek Testament, to
write Latin grammatically, to perform with promptness any examples
in common arithmetic, a sufficient testimonial of a blameless life and
conversation, and a bond for the payment of college dues." ^ The fol-
lowing was announced as "the general course of studies to be pursued
by each class of undergraduates: by the Freshmen, the Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, French, and German languages, English grammar, rhetorick,
chronology, and arithmetick; bj'' the Sophomores, the Latin, Gr^ek,
Hebrew, French, and German languages, English composition, logiek,
• Compare a letter from John Reynolds in the Meadville Republican of August
4, 1867.
^Alleghany Magazine, 9 ff.; Crawford Messenger, March 2, 1816. Typical of
Dr. Alden's efforts in the East is his letter to Dr. Bentley asking for contributions
from Bentley and his parishioners. Historical Magazine, XXII, 367.
" The charter may be found in Bioren's Laws of Pennsylvania, VI, 473; Gregg's
Methodism in the Erie Conference (1873), I, 357; Charter, Compacts, etc., of Alle-
ghany College (Meadville, 1880).
^ An account of the elaborate ceremonies of the inauguration is given in the
Alleghany Magazine, 298.
^ Crawford Messenger, July 22, 1815.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. 9
geography, mensuration, and algebra; by the Junior Sophisters, the
Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and other oriental languages, metaphysicks,
ethicks, algebra, plane geometry, trigonometry, conick sections, sur-
veying, book-keeping, mensuration of heights and distances, naviga-
tion, English composition, and systematick theology; and by the
Senior Sophisters, the ancient and modern languages such portion
of the time, not exceeding two daj'^s a week, as the Prudential Com-
mittee may direct, belleslettres, English composition, universal gram-
mar, elements of natural and political law, ancient and modern his-
tory, dialling, projection of the sphere, spherick geometry and trigo-
nometry with their application to astronomical problems, natural
philosophy, and theology. Any student at the request of his parents
or guardian shall be excused from attending to the French, German,
and all oriental languages."*
It is not known how far this formidable course of study was carried
out. Particular emphasis seems to have been put on training in lan-
guages. At every public exercise of the college, students discoursed
in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, sometimes in German and Syriac. The
following programme for the commencement of 1821, when the first class
was graduated, may serve as a fair example: Salutatory oration, in
Latin, by R. W. Alden; English oration on astronomy, by David
Derickson; Greek oration on geography, by A. M. White; English
oration on the importance to the United States of an extensive navy,
by R. W. Alden; Syriac oration, by T. J. F. Alden; English oration on
the progress of liberty, by A. M. White; German oration on Wash-
ington, the glory of his country, by David Derickson ; valedictorj^
oration, in English, on American independence, closing with several
addresses and a respectful notice of Bentley, Thomas, and other
benefactors of Allegheny College, by T. J. F. Alden. ^
THE LIBRARY.
In the library Dr. Alden's constant labors for the college yielded
best friiit. His efforts brought together a library of 7,000 volumes,
at that time one of the most valuable collections in the United States.
First came the bequest of Dr. William Bentley, of Salem, Mass., who,
dying in 1819, divided the greater part of his large and excellent
library between Allegheny College and the American Antiquarian
Society. The college received all his classical and theological books,
dictionaries, lexicons, and Bibles.^ Next was a gift of Isaiah
■MS. in college library; Alleghany Magazine, 300.
* Programme in college library.
•His oriental mannscripts, antiquarian books, and collection of portraits went
to the American Antiquarian Society. Materials for American history collected
by him for Professor Ebeling, of Hamburg, afterwards found their way into the
library of Harvard University. The rest of the Ubrary remained with his nephew,
William Bentley Fowle. See Aniory's Life of James Sullivan, II, 196; Sprague's
Annals of the American Pnlpit, VIII, 154-157.
10 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Thomas, founder and first president of the American Antiquarian
Society, and third, and most important, was the legacy of Judge
James Winthrop, of Cambridge, Mass., by which the college acquired
more than 3,000 volumes.* The value of these acquisitions and the
esteem in which they were then held can best be seen from the fol-
lowing letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Alden and still
preserved among the Alden papers in the college library;
MoNTiCELLO, February U, 1824,
Sm: I am very sensible of the kind attention of the trustees of Allegany college
in sending me a copy of the catalogue of their library, and congratulate them on
the good fortune of having become the objects of donations so liberal. That of
Dr. Bentley is truly valuable for its classical riches, but mr Winthrop's is inap-
preciable for the variety of the branches of science to which it extends, and for
the rare and precious works it possesses in each branch. I had not exi)ected there
was such a private collection in the U. S. we are just commencing the establish-
ment of an University in Virginia but cannot flatter ourselves with the hope of
such donations as have been bestowed on you. I avail myself of this occasion of
tendering yours, from our institution, fraternal and cordial embraces, of assuring
you that we wish it to prosper and become great, and that our only emulation in
this honorable race shall be the virtuous one of trying which can do the most good,
with these assurances be pleased to accept those of my high respect.
TH: JEFFERSON.
There is in the library a similar letter from Madison, published in
his Writings, III, 368.
Dr. Alden's "very admirable college library was kept in an apart-
ment of the court-house, where he officiated as librarian every Monday
morning." Letter from A. P. Peabody in Sprague's Annals of the
American Pulpit, III, 453.
DIFFICULTIES.
The work of instruction had been carried on for more than two
years when the trustees resolved to erect the first college building.
As the site they selected a plot of 5 acres situated on a hill just north
of the village. The location was well chosen, commanding a fine view
of Meadville and the surrounding country, and, with later additions,
has proved excellently adapted to the needs of the college. July 5,
1820, the comer stone of the new building, Bentley Hall, was laid with
much ceremony in the presence of the '* most numerous assemblage
of gentlemen and ladies ever known, except, perhaps, on one occasion,
in the county of Crawford."^ The walls of the building were soon
erected, but for many years nothing was done toward finishing the
interior. Only $1,000 a year could be obtained from the State, and
the years of financial depression that followed close upon the open-
ing of the college rendered many of the private subscriptions worth-
less. Students were few, instruction being at times suspended, and
* Alden MSS., Crawford Messenger, January 21, 1820; Catalogus Bibliothecse
Collegii Alleghaniensis. Meadville, 1823.
•* Crawford Messenger, July 14, 1820.
ALLEGHENY OOLLEGE. 11
although Dr. Alden was the only regular professor, he received scanty
pay, often none at all. Fruitless attempts were mad 3 to have chairs
endowed. The Masons of Pennsylvania were asked to establish an
"Architectonic Mathematical Professorship," and an address was
issued to the Germans of the State, asking for the endowment of a
chair of the German language and literature, the incumbent of which
should not only "teach the comprehensive and energetic German
language," but also " exercise his talents in disseminating the light of
German literature and science."
The condition of the college in 1828 is thus described by a commit-
tee of the board of trustees: "Although we may be out of debt, we
are without funds. We are without teachers and professors, except
the Pres. Fac. Arts, or the means to employ them. We have at pres-
ent no students and no prospect of obtaining any until we have the
necessary teachers and professors in the different branches necessary
to carry on a regular course of collegiate studies."* The state of
affairs led the trustees to propose the establishment of a military
academy in connection with the college, and after consultation with
Capt. Alden Partridge, *" a successful organizer of military schools in
various parts of the country, they decided to grant the use of the col-
lege building to James McKay, a former pupil of Partridge, for the
"Pennsylvania Literary, Scientific, and Military Institute." A pros-
pectus was issued announcing a varied course of study, ^ but the plan
failed because of financial difficulties. In 1829 the number of the
faculty was increased to three by the election of the Rev. David
McKinney as professor of mathematics, and of Reynell Coates, M. D.,
a physician of Philadelphia, as professor of natural philosophy and
chemistry.'* It was hoped that students would thus be attracted in
sufficient numbers to pay the $200 guaranteed to each professor, but
this hope was disappointed. The new professors remained less than
two years, and soon after they withdrew the college was closed.
Here ends the first period in the history of Allegheny College.
So far the institution had been in no proper sense sectarian. If the
president and many — ^perhaps most — of the trustees were Presbyteri-
ans, this indicates merely the dominant position of that denomination
in the community. Dr. Alden, however, desired to place the college on
a distinctively denominational basis. Failing to secure for Mead^dlle
the Presbyterian theological seminary, afterwards located at Alle-
gheny City, he labored to induce the synod to take the college under
the patronage of the Presbyterian Church. This the synod declined
* Trustees' minntes, December 26, 1828.
^For an acconnt of Captain Partridge and one of his schools, see the report of
the superintendent of public instruction for 1877, 721-723.
^ Crawford Messenger, April 30. 1829 ; Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, m, 800.
^ On their appointment another prospectus was put forth, which may be found
in Hazard's Register, IV, 275. See also Crawford Messenger of July 80 and Octo-
ber 1, 1829.
12 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
to do, being unwilling to burden itself with more colleges than it
already had under its care.* Dr. Alden was greatly disappointed, and
in November, 1831, resigned the presidency. He was highly respected
as "a man of the most generous culture and profound book wisdom,
sincere and active benevolence, and mature Christian character."**
Sanguine and somewhat visionary, he had thrown himself heart and
soul into his pioneer task, and hoped to build up in Allegheny Col-
lege a rival to the established institutions of the East. If his hopes
were not realized, if the college under his administration was not
entirely adapted to its surroundings, belonging to Massachusetts
rather than to western Pennsylvania, his work was not in vain. He
first brought higher education into northwestern Pennsylvania. The
founder of the college, in more ways than one he was the college, and
to him more than to anyone else it owed its material equipment and
whatever else survived his retirement and contributed to its later
usefulness.
THE TRA.NSPER TO THE METHODISTS.
Early in 1S27 certain Methodist clergymen had opened negotiations
with the trustees with a view to the transfer of the college to the
Pittsburg Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, then
interested in Madison College, at Uniontown. The trustees were
willing that the conference should take the college under its patron-
age, provided the management should remain in their own hands.
To this the conference would not agree, and satisfactory arrange-
ments were not made until 1833, when the conference, on the invita-
• *' The synod of Pittsburg embraced Washington County on the south and all
northwestern Pennsylvania, and within its bounds were already two colleges,
* Jefferson' and 'Washington,' under Presbyterian patronage, one or the other of
which nearly all the clergy of the region claimed as their alma mater. A feeling
of apprehension was natural that if Allegheny College succeeded it must be at the
expense of those already established, neither of which had adequate support.
They therefore withheld their approval in documentary form when assembled in
presbytery, and for the most part their individual influence in their own congre-
gations. Hence students were too few to support instructors, and all operations
were suspended until the college was reopened under the x)atronage of the llk^tho-
dist Episcopal Church." (Letter from John feeynolds in the Meadville Repub-
lican of August 4, 1867. Mr. Reynolds was secretary of the meeting of June 20,
1815, and one of the first trustees.)
^ Letter from A. P. Peabody in Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit, II, 454.
Dr. Alden was noted for his proficiency in the Oriental languages. He was an
active member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, contributing frequently to
its collections, and preparing, while librarian, the library catalogue of 1811.
After leaving Meadville he taught in Cincinnati and in East Liberty, Pa., and
died in Pittsburg July 5, 1839. (See Sprague's Annals, H, 449 ff. ; Eaton's History
of the Presbytery of Erie, 290 ff.; Alden's Story of a Pilgrim Family, 287-296;
Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, I, 221, 222. For the titles
of his numerous publications consult the Catalogue of the Library of the Mas-
sachusetts Historical Society, I, 22, and the Collections of the Society, passim.)
ALLEGHENY OOLLEGE. 18
tion of the college authorities, held its annual session at Meadville.
By the articles of agreement then adopted, the conference was to raise
an endowment of at least $10,000, the income of which should be at the
disposal of the trustees for the benefit of the college. The conference
obtained the right of nominating to one-half of the vacancies in the
board of trustees, and of nominating the faculty, and fixing their
salaries. During the intervals between its sessions the conference
was to be represented by a committee of four which should act in con-
junction with a like committee of the trustees. Both the conference
and the trustees were required to make annual reports to each other
on the state of the college. For good and sufficient reasons this com-
psLCt could be revoked by either party after a year's notice. The pub-
lic was at the same time assured that these changes would not affect
the liberal character of the institution as recognized by its charter.*
BiANUAL LABOR.
In November, 1833, the college reopened its doors with the Rev.
Homer J. Clark as vice-president and professor of mathematics and
natural science, and Augustus W. Ruter as professor of languages.
The newly-elected president. Dr. Martin Ruter, gave the address at
the oi)ening of the college, but did not begin his work at Meadville
until the following term.
A marked feature of the new course of study was the prominence
given to manual labor. This was part of a movement which affected
a large number of American colleges about this time, and arose from
the demand for a "practical education," from the students' need of
some means of self-support, and from the lack of facilities for physical
exercise. The trustees of Allegheny College had approved the manual-
labor system as early as 1829, but not until 1834 were the plans com-
pleted for carrying it into operation.^ In that year they set apart
several acres to be leased to students at a nominal rent, and arranged
to employ students to make furniture and carry on improvements
about the college grounds. No one, however, was to be required to
perform manual labor. Here, as elsewhere, the experiment did not
meet with much success, and in 1841 the catalogue ceased to announce
that the institution maintained a farm, not without a hope on the
part of the president that the system might be revived.
The opportunities which the college afforded for self-help and
cheap boarding joined with other causes in producing a large increase
in the number of students. At the end of the first year of the new
* Branson's Western Pioneer, I, 408-412; Gregg's Methodism in the Erie Con-
ference, I, 316, 361; Crawford Messenger, Jnly 26, 1833; Prospectus of Allegheny
College, Meadville, 1838.
^See in partlcnlar the report of a committee of the tmstees of Allegheny Col-
1^^ on the Mannal-Labor System. Meadville. 1833. Reprinted in Hazard's
14 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
administration the trustees reported to the conference that the course
of instruction had given general satisfaction and the progress of the
institution exceeded public expectation. Dr. Ruter had accepted the
presidency only at the urgent solicitation of the friends of the college.
His heart was in the active work of the ministry, and in 1837 he
resigned to go as a missionary to Texas, where he died in the following
year. He was succeeded by the vice-president, Homer J. Clark.*
THE SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT.
The great service of President Clark to Allegheny College was the
securing of the scholarship endowment. As soon as the college passed
under the control of the conference the trustees gave their assent' to
a plan of endowment which had in view the establishment of pro-
fessorships endowed in the sum of $10,000 each. In accordance with
an idea then quite popular throughout the State this money was to be
obtained by the sale of scholarships. The payment of $300 entitled
the donor, his heirs and assigns forever, to send to the college one
student free from all charges for tuition. One hundred dollars bought
a like privilege for four years, and in the case of clergymen smaller
payments were sufficient. The amount thus obtained was not large,
but it helped to maintain the college as long as money was received
from the State.
In 1843, however, the legislature cut off aU appropriations for higher
education. By Allegheny, which had received legislative aid nearly
every year since it was chartered, the loss was keenly felt. To meet
the deficiency. President Clark developed further the plan which he
had prepared in 1833. The new plan of endowment is thus set forth
in the catalogue of 1846: ^
Any person subscribing and paying twenty-five dollars to the Centenary Fond
Society of either of the above-named conferences (Pittsbnrgh and Erie) secures a
I)erpetual scholarship in the college. The two centenary fund societies are regu-
larly incorporated, and through their boards, elected annually by the conferences,
one having its seat in Pittsburgh and the other in Meadville, they receive anji invest
the funds, collect and apply the proceeds. For the funds invested, security is
taken on productive real estate to three times the amount loaned. The interest,
when collected, is paid over to the college treasurer to defray the expenses of
instruction. Thus, by a large, permanent, and productive endowment, the salaries
of the professors may be paid and tuition afforded without charge.
* There is a good sketch of Dr. Ruter, written by his daughter, in Biographical
Sketches of Eminent Itinerant Ministers, edited by Thomas O. Summers. Nash-
ville, 1859. ** He was a very pleasant gentleman, amiable and yet decided; a man
of great industry, and fair, rather than brilliant, talent."— Bishop Simpsou/.in
Crooks's Life of Simpson, 128. See, also, Sprague's Annals of the American
Pulpit, Vn, 327-333; Bangs's History of the Methodist Episcopal Church, IV,
288-291; Clark's Life of Bishop Hedding, 471; Gregg's Methodism in the Erie
Conference, I, 825.
*Page 12.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. 15
The work of disposing of scholarships on these terms was carried
on by members of the faculty and of the conference for three years,
during which period the exercises of the college were suspended.* In
this way there was obtained a i)ermanent endowment of $90,000.^
Besides the immediate financial aid which they brought, the wide dis-
tribution of these scholarships served to arouse and keep alive a gen-
eral interest in the college, which proved of great benefit. On the
other hand, it has been maintained that the low rate at which the
scholarships were sold, even after the price was raised to $35, resulted
in ultimate financial loss, and that the attempt to remedy this by
ignoring the scholarships weakened public confidence in the college
and public interest in its affairs.
In 1847 Dr. Clark withdrew from the presidency. During his term
of office the faculty usually consisted of five professors and one or
two tutors, including among its members Matthew Simpson and Cal-
vin Kingsley, afterwards bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church;
John Barker, who followed Dr. Clark as president; George W. Clarke,
long identified with the college as professor, trustee, and financial
agent, and Jonathan Hamnett, whose years of continuous service for
Allegheny are not yet ended. To meet the demand of engineers to
conduct the work of internal improvement, the college maintained,
from 1838 to 1842, a department of civil engineering, under the direc-
tion of the Rev. R. T. P. Allen, a graduate of West Point, employed as
engineer on the public works. Temporary, also, was the scientific
course, leading to the degree of bachelor of science, which was estab-
lished in 1840. This differed from the classical course in the lower
requirements for entrance, the omission of all languages except
French, and the addition of a few scientific studies.
Some idea of the state of the college in this period may be obtained
from the following extracts from Bishop Simpson's autobiography:
Dr. Clark "was a chaste and eloquent speaker, a man of clear
thought and beautiful expression, and was a successful teacher.
He was, however, more successful in teaching than in adminis-
tration. * * *
"The college department was not very largely attended. * * *
The main building was good, and there was a large library and a fair
laboratory for that era. The students in attendance were chiefly in
preparatory classes, though there were also small college classes. Of
the students, some were very bright young men who have since made
their mark in their country's history. As the buildings were on the
hill, at least half a mile from the town, the college held but one ses-
sion a day. I had charge of six classes, embracing those in natural
seience, sometimes one or two in mathematics, and occasionally one
*Iii 1845 John Barker, Jonathan Hamnett, and P. A« Gk^lier gave {iriyate
instmction in the college bnildings.
* Grogg's Methodism in. the Erie Conference, II, 226, 230, 261, 430, 441. *
16 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
in languages. As the professors were few in number, such distribu-
tion was made as enabled us to give proper supervision to all. The
students were generally young men making their own way in life,
and were industrious and orderly; occasionally there were cases of
discipline involving some difficulty, but they were comparatively
rare."*
PRESIDENT BABKEB AND PRESIDENT LOOMIS.
Under Dr. John Barker, President Clark's successor, the college
grew and prospered. The material equipment was increased by the
completion, in 1855, of a large three-story brick building, which was
named Ruter Hall. In 1850 the attendance reached 308. Of the
students not a few came from Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee, and
even from Mississippi and Louisiana. A lifelong teacher, Dr. Barker
was by nature peculiarly fitted to attract and inspire young men, and
his sudden death, February 26, 1860, was deeply felt by the college
and its friends.
The next president was Dr. George Loomis, a graduate of Wesleyan
University, formerly at the head of the Wesleyan Female Seminary
at Wilmington, Del. In spite of the discouraging period of the civil
war, which came soon after Dr. Loomis's accession and drew many
students into the army, much progress was made during his adminis-
tration. The productive funds of the college were considerably
increased, large additions were made to the scientific apparatus, and .i
extensive collections of specimens and casts were obtained. To ^
enable students to get cheap boarding during the period of high prices,
a three-story boarding hall was erected, capable of accommodating
120 young men.^ ^
Along with these improvements in the material equipment went
corresponding changes in the course of study. Jeremiah Tingley,
who was called to the chair of physics and chemistry in 1862, began to
build up an excellent scientific department. A larger place was given
to science in the classical course, and in 1865 a scientific course was
established, in which some scientific studies were added, and French
and German took the place of Greek and Latin, although the require-
ments for entrance remained the same as those for the classical course.
The introduction of French and German as regular studies into the
college course led in the same year to the creation of a professorship
of modern languages, which was filled by the appointment of George
F. Comfort. Professor Comfort and his successor, Charles W. Reid,
also gave a required course of lectures in the history of art. At the
•Crooks's Life of Simpson, 129, 130.
^ This building, known at first as Cnlver Hall and later as East Hall, was bnmed
in 1882, and in 1883 the college abandoned the plan of providing dormitories for
young men. No difficulty is now found in accommodating students at reasonable
rates in private families ot the city.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. 17
same time the biblical department, established in 1855, was reorganized
and made coordinate with the classical and scientific courses.
In 1870 the college was opened to young women. This innovation
was by many regarded with disfavor, and for some time few availed
themselves of the advantages thus offered. Of late yeai's, however,
the proportion of young women at the college has increased, until they
now form more than one-fourth of the total number of students. The
sentiment in favor of coeducation has grown with the attendance, and
few now doubt that the admission of young women has been a benefit
to the institution.
RECENT HISTORY.
Dr. Loomis retired from the presidency in 1874 and was succeeded
one year later "^ by Dr. Lucius H. Bugbee, a graduate of Amherst, who
directed the affairs of the college until 1882. Under Dr. Bugbee the
curriculum was further modified by introducing a course in Latin and
modejii languages and increasing the number of studies required for
admission. The preparatory department was at the same time reor-
ganized and converted into a complete preparatory school with a
graded course of three years. In 1877 instruction in military science
and tactics was begun under the direction of an officer of the United
States Army.
From 1883 to 1888 and again from 1889 to 1893 the office of presi-
dent was held by Dr. David H. Wheeler, formerly a professor in
Northwestern University and for several yeai-s editor of the New York
JVletliodist. During the year 1888-89 the affairs of the college were
administered by Dr. Wilbur G. Williams, of the class of 1875, the only
president who has been an alumnus of the institution. In t6is period
the college continued to grow and extend its work. A course in civil
engineering was established, leading to the degree of civil engineer,
and a special chair created for this department. The other courses
wore modified by the addition of new studies and the introduction of
a limited elective system. The college has for many years recognized
the equal value of its various courses of study by conferring the
degree of bachelor of arts upon graduates in each of the general
courses.^ For a time graduate courses of study were in oi^eration,
leading to the degree of doctor of philosophy, but these have recently
been discontinued, and the only higher degree now conferred is that
of master of arts in course.
Upon Dr. Wheeler's retirement in 1893 the authorities of the col-
lege called to the presidency Dr. William IL Crawford, a graduate of
•From 1874 to 1875 and again from 1882 to 1883 the duties of the president were
discharged by the vice-president, Dr. Hamnett.
^ At X)re8ent the classical, scientific, and Latin and modem-language courses.
The biblical course was abolished in 1884, but provision is made for instruction in
Hebrew and in the English Bible in connection with the other courses.
6099—02 2
18 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Northwestern University, and at the time of his election professor in
the Gammon Theological Seminary at Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Crawford
took up the duties of the office with vigor and enthusiasm, and under
his administration the college has grown and prospered. The most
important addition has been the creation of a department of history
and political science, which offers instruction in European and Amer-
ican history, economics, politics, and constitutional and international
law. So far the chair has been sustained by contributions from
alumni, but an effort is being made to endow it permanently as an
alumni professorship of history and politics.
In June, 1895, Allegheny College celebrated the eightieth anniver-
sary of its foundation. Addresses were made by Bishops Andrews
and Vincent and by Governor McKinley, of Ohio, a former student.
The college enters upon the ninth decade of its history with prospect
of growing strength and wider usefulness.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COLLEGE.
The growth and consequent division of the original Pittsburg con-
ference have twice brought about a change in the articles of agree-
ment between the conference and the trustees. By the compact of
1877, which is now in force, the institution is placed under the joint
patronage of the Erie, Pittsburg, East Ohio, and West Virginia con-
ferences, each of which appoints annually a committee of four to act
on its behalf until the next session of the conference. The powers of
these committees are thus defined:
These committees in their collective capacity shall be denominated the joint
board of control, and shall have authority to nominate persons to fill all vacancies
that may from time to time exist in the board of trustees, nominating for each
vacancy three persons, of whom the trustees shall elect one. They shall also have
authority to nominate persons to fill all vacancies in the faculty of the college,
and to fix their respective salaries, subject to the approval of the trustees.
The president or any member of the faculty shall be removed by the board of
trustees for improper conduct, incompetency, or in^fl&ciency iii\dilty on the
request of the board of control. * "*'
All the chartered powers which have not thus been intrusted to the
board of control are retained by the board of trustees, who alone are
recognized by the charter.^ Such is the general principle, but the
line separating the powers of the two boards can not easily be drawn,
and differences of interpretation have at times arisen. This " double-
'A majority of the patronizing conferences must be represented to constitute
a quorum of the board of control. Each conference has an equal number of
votes, irrespective of the number of representatives present. (Charter, compacts,
etc., of Allegheny College, pp. 17-20.)
^'The number of trustees may not exceed 50, and 11 of them must be clergy-
men. The trustees hold office for life, with the exception of the governor,
attorney-general, and chief justice of the supreme court, who during their terms
of office are ex officio members of the board.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. 19
barreled" system of government has serious disadvantages, but it
offers to the trustees the most obvious means of securing for the col-
lege vigorous denominational patronage and support without abdi-
cating their own authority, and it gives the patronizing conferences a
share in the control and management of an established and growing
institution.
The income of the college is derived chiefly from term fees and the
interest on the endowment fund. The productive funds, about
$150,000, are under the control of the centenary fund societies of the
Erie and Pittsburg conferences. These societies, incorporated under
the lawaof Pennsylvania, through their trustees invest the funds and
pay over the income to the treasurer of the college. In case of a
breach of the compact between the trustees and the conferences "the
conferences shall retain the endowment, together with any books, etc.,
which they may have furnished, which may be removed to any other
place or institution."''
THE COLLEGE BUILDINGS.
The college buildings, located on a beautiful campus of 13 acres, are
four in number, all constructed of brick. Bentley Hall, erected during
the presidency of Dr. Alden, consists of a central building three stories
in height and two wings of two stories each, besides a basement, which
was until recently used for laboratories and shops. The building is
devoted to class rooms, society halls, and the office of the president.
Ruter Hall, completed in 1855, is a large three-story building which
contains the chapel, the library of 14,000 volumes, and the museum,
comprising a collection of 20,000 specimens of unusual value for the
study of geology, mineralogy, and natural history. Hulings Hall,
constructed in 1881 by gifts from Marcus Hulings, of Oil City, and
citizens of Meadville, is a large four-story dormitory, with accommo-
dation for 60 young women. The Wilcox Hall of Science, the gift of
the late Robertson Wilcox, of Girard, was completed in 1893. It is
61 by 45 feet and three stories in height, and contains lecture rooms
and laboratories well adapted to instruction in science.
FACULTY.
The following list includes all who have been members of the fac-
ulty since the opening of the college. Students rendering assistance
and occasional teachers of French and German in the earlier period
are not enumerated.
President.— Timothy Alden, 1817-1831; Martin Ruter, 1833-1837;
Homer J. Clark, 1837-1847; John Barker, 1847-1860; George Loomis,
1860-1874; Lucius H. Bugbee, 1875-1882; David H. Wheeler, 1883-
1888; Wilbur G. Williams, 1888-1889; David H. Wheeler, 1889-1893;
William H. Crawford, 1893-.
Compact of 1877, Art. JX.
20 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Professors, — Timothy Alden, 1817-1831; Robert Johnston; David
McKinney, 1829-1830; Reynell Coates, 1829-1831; Martin Ruter, 1833-
1837; Homer J. Clark, 1833-1847; Augustus W. Ruter, 1833-1836;
William M. Burton, 1836-1839; Matthew Simpson, 1837-1839; George
W.Clarke, 1837-1854; R. T.P.Allen, 1838-1842; John Barker, 1839-
1846, 1847-1860; Calvin Kingsley, 1841-1856; Jonathan Hamnett, 1845-;
Lorenzo D. Williams, 1846-1862; Alexander Martin, 1854-1864; WU-
liam Hunter, 1855-1870; George Loomis, 1860-1874; James Marvin,
1862-1874; Jeremiah Tingley, 1862-1886; Ammi B. Hyde, 1864-1884;
George F. Comfort, 1865-1871; Charles W. Reid, 1871-1886; George
W. Haskins, 1875-1886; Lucius H. Bugbee, 1875-1882; Frank W.
Hess, 1877-1880; George O. Webster, 1880-1883; Milton B. Goff, 1882-
1884; David H. Wheeler, 1883-1893; John W. Pullman, 1883-1884;
Alfred M. Fuller, 1884-1887; James H. Montgomery 1884^; Wilbur
G. WUliams, 1885-1889; N. Luccock, 1885-1888; Samuel E. Still well,
1886-1889; Emily F. Wheeler, 1886-1887; Jacob F. Kreps, 1887-1890;
J. W. Thomas, 1889-; James S. Trueman, 1889-1892: J. C. Field,
1889-1892; W. T. Dutton, 1890-; John K. Cree, 1890-1893; William
A. Elliott, 1892-; William H. Crawford, 1893-; David H. Holmes,
1893-1894; Francis J. Koester, 1893-; Emory B. Lease,1894-; John
W. Perrin, 1894-.
Tutors and instructors, — Moses Crow, 1840-1842; Frank Brown,
1861-1862; Horace W. Bancroft, 1863-1864; John S. McKay, 1876-1877;
Wilbur G. WiUiams, 1877-1882; James IL Montgomery, 1877-1884;
Harriet A. Linn, 1880-1883; Harriet A. Rooney, 1883-1884; A. W.
NewHn, 1884-1888; Louise S. McClintock, 1884-1886; Albert E. Cole-
grove, 1886-1889; Corinth L.Crook, 1886-1888; William S. Twining,
1887-1889; John H. Miller, 1888-1889; Mary E. Broas, 1888-1889; Wil-
liam A. Elliott, 1889-1892; Grace I. Foster, 1889-1891 ; Joseph W. Sil-
liman, 1889-1890; James A. Gibson, 1890-1891; Ellen W. Laffer, 1890-;
M. Blanche Best, 1890-; Charles S. Jewell, 1891-1894; Clarence F.
Ross, 1892-; Calvin L. Walton, 1892- ; Mariana Young, 1894-
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Brief sketches of the history of Allegheny College have been pub-
lished as follows:
Meadville Republican, January 2, 1869, by Dr. Jonathan Hamnett;
Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1877, pp. 747-
754; Pittsburg Christian Advocate, May 21, 1891; Egle's History of
Pennsylvania, pp. 606-607 (this and the two foregoing were written by
Dr. Samuel P. Bates, formerly State historian) ; Simpson's Cyclopaedia
of Methodism, pp. 25-26 (also has sketches of many members of the
faculty); History of Crawford County (Chicago, 1885), pp. 412-425;
Wickersham's History of Education in Pennsylvania, pp. 403-405;
Day's Historical Collections of Pennsylvania, pp. 257-258; College
Catalogue of 1875-76, pp. 39-42, by Jonathan Hamnett; Historical
Atlas of Crawford County; College Catalogue of 1894-95, pp. 8-17.
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE. 21
The following are the principal sources of information :
Allegheny College. Reprinted from the Crawford Messenger, June 24, 1815.
Gives an account of the fonnding of the college.
Allegheny Magazine. Edited by Timothy Alden. Meadville, 1816.
This interesting periodical, of which only one volume appeared, is the best
source of information for the eariy history of the college. In it may be found
excellent accounts of the founding of the institution, of the gifts secured by
Dr. Alden in the East, of the efforts to obtain a charter and money from the
State, and of the inauguration of the first president. The first college laws are
given on pages 298-300.
Architectonic Mathematical Professorship of Allegheny College. April
18, 1818. Broadside.
Soliciting the Masons of the State to endow a professorship.
Laws of the Allegheny College Library. Broadside. No date.
To THE Citizens of Crawford and the Counties Adjacent. Meadville, July
25, 1820. Broadside.
Subscriptions for erecting Bentley Hall.
Professorstelle der deutschen Literatur. Der ehrwiirdige Herr, Timo-
theus Alden, President der Alleghany College, lasst folgende Adresse an die
Deutschen in Pennsylvanien und anderen Gegenden ergehen. About 1823.
German and English.
Catalogus Bibliothec^ Collegii Alleghaniensis. E typis Thomae Atkinson
et Soc. Apud Meadville, 1823. Pages 139.
Alden Manuscripts.
The college library has considerable valuable material for the eariy history
of the college. This consists of a letter book containing important letters to
Dr. Alden; the matriculation book, in which are entered the names of the
early matriculates and a brief Latin description of each; a list of gifts to the
college; a register of visitors; and a variety of papers of more or less importance.
Minutes of the Board of Trustees.
These are complete from January 6, 1827. The volume which contained the
minutes of the previous meetings has disappeared, but much information can be
found in the Alden papers — Dr. Alden was for years secretary of the board — and
in the Meadville newspapers of the time.
Register of Pennsylvania. By Samuel Hazard. 16 volumes. Philadelphia,
1828-1836.
In this valuable repository of material for the history of Pennsylvania are
reprinted some important papers relating to Allegheny College. See especially
iii, 300; iv, 275; xii, 82, 273-278; xiv, 134, 256.
Prospectus of Allegheny College. Meadville, 1833.
Brief account of transfer to the Methodists, and announcement of plans.
Report of a Committee of the Trustees of AUiEGHENv Collecje on the
Manual-Labor System. Adopted and ordered to be printed. Oct. 7, 1833.
(Also in Hazard, xii, 273-278.)
By-Laws and System of Education established at Allegheny College,
MeadviUe, Pa. Meadville, 1834.
A Western Pioneer; or, Incidents of the Life and Times of Rev. Alfred
Brunson, a. M., D. D., embracing a Period of over Seventy Years. Writ-
ten by himself. Cincinnati, 1872.
Valuable on the transfer to the Methodists, in which Dr. Brunson took a lead-
ing part.
14 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
administration the trustees reported to the conference that the course
of instruction had given general satisfaction and the progress of the
institution exceeded public expectation. Dr. Ruter had accepted the
presidency only at the urgent solicitation of the friends of the college.
His heart was in the active work of the ministry, and in 1837 he
resigned to go as a missionary to Texas, where he died in the following
year. He was succeeded by the vice-president, Homer J. Clark.*
THE SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT.
The great service of President Clark to Allegheny College was the
securing of the scholarship endowment. As soon as the college passed
under the control of the conference the trustees gave their assent to
a plan of endowment which had in view the establishment of pro-
fessorships endowed in the sum of $10,000 each. In accordance with
an idea then quite popular throughout the State this money was to be
obtained by the sale of scholarships. The payment of $300 entitled
the donor, his heirs and assigns forever, to send to the college one
student free from all charges for tuition. One hundred dollars bought
a like privilege for four years, and in the case of clergymen smaller
payments were sufficient. The amount thus obtained was not large,
but it helped to maintain the college as long as money was received
from the State.
In 1843, however, the legislature cut off all appropriations for higher
education. By Allegheny, which had received legislative aid nearly
every year since it was chartered, the loss was keenly felt. To meet
the deficiency. President Clark developed further the plan which he
had prepared in 1833. The new plan of endowment is thus set forth
in the catalogue of 1846: ^
Any person subscribing and paying twenty-five dollars to the Centenary Fnnd
Society of either of the above-named conferences (Pittsburgh and Erie) secures a
perpetual scholarship in the college. The two centenary fund societies are regu-
larly incorporated, and through their boards, elected annually by the conferences,
one having its seat in Pittsburgh and the other in Meadville, they receive aij^ invest
the funds, collect and apply the proceeds. For the funds invested, security is
taken on productive real estate to three times the amount loaned. The interest,
when collected, is paid over to the college treasurer to defray the expenses of
instruction. Thus, by a large, permanent, and productive endowment, the salaries
of the professors may be paid and tuition afforded without charge.
* There is a good sketch of Dr. Ruter, written by his daughter, in Biographical
Sketches of Eminent Itinerant Ministers, edited by Thomas O. Summers. Nash-
ville, 1859. " He was a very pleasant gentleman, amiable and yet decided; a man
of great industry, and fair, rather than brilliant, talent."— Bishop Simpson^.in
Crooks's Life of Simpson, 128. See, also, Sprague's Annals of the American
Pulpit, Vn, 327-333; Bangs's History of the Methodist Episcopal Church, IV,
288-291; Clark's Life of Bishop Hedding, 471; Gregg's Methodism in the Erie
Conference, I, 325.
^'Page 12.
II.
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE.
By Prof. Franklin H. Giddings.
Bryn Mawr College, at Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, was incor-
porated in 1880, according to provisions of the will of Dr. Joseph
Wright Taylor, of 'Burlington, N. J., as an institution for the
advanced education of women, and in September, 1885, it was opened
to students for both graduate and undergraduate instruction. In
addition to grounds, buildings, library, and laboratories, it has a
working endowment of nearly $1,000,000. All of its thirteen trustees
are members of the Society of Orthodox Friends.
Dr. Taylor was a man in whom deep religious convictions and a
philanthropic spirit were united with liberal culture and broad views.
His father, a college-bred man and physician, was of Puritan stock;
his mother, a J'riend. After an early education carefully conducted
in the best J'riends' schools, he had studied medicine in the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, spent one year as ship's surgeon on an East
Indiaman, and three in medical practice in his native town of Upper
Freehold, N. J., and had then engaged with two brothers in a tan-
ning and leather business in Cincinnati. Success enabled him at 41
years of age to retire on his property, which, subsequently, was
greatly increased by judicious investments. From this time until
his death Dr. Taylor's thought and time were given freely to the
religious and humane concerns of the Society of Friends. During
extensive European travel he was an intelligent observer of the uni-
versity methods of the Old World, and as a trustee of Ilaverford
College he grew familiar with American educational affairs. He
became impressed with the need of an institution where young
women, and especially young women of the Society of Friends, could
enjoy all those advantages of a college education that were being
offered freely to young men. In 1870, his estate having become so
large that he must think seriously of its right disposal, he talked
with Francis T. King, president of the board of trustees of the Johns
Hopkins Hospital and a trustee of the Johns Hopkins University, of
Baltimore, about his purpose to found a college for women. On
February 19, 1877, he made his will, devising certain minor legacies
and bequeathing the residue of his estate "for a college or institute
of learning * * * for the advanced education and care of young
women or girls."
23
24 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
In thiH will the purposes and character of the college, as they had
taken form in the founder's mind, are clearly defined. Eleven trus-
tees are named with power to fill vacancies in their number, in the
discharge of which duty they are to exercise great care "to select com-
petent Friends of high, moral, and religious character, possessing
enlarged and enlightened and cultivated minds, as far as may be
attainable." In making investments they are emphatically charged
not to place large amounts in any one security, except United States
bonds and bonds and mortgages on productive real estate. The build-
ings that they erect are to be "substantial, sightly, and suitable,"
and "of the most approved construction." It is desired, though this
and other desires and suggestions are clearly distinguished from the
definite directions given, that all having any connection with the
institution shall "endeavor to instill into the minds and hearts of the
students the doctrines of the New Testament, as accepted bj" Friends
and taught by Fox, Penn, and Barclay in earlier days, and by Grellet,
Forster, Gurney, Hodgkin, and Braithwaite of later time." In the
admission of students, "other things being equal, preference is to be
given to members of the Society of Friends; but in all cases those
should be preferred who are of high, moral, and religious attainments
and good examples and influence, and such as are most adv^anced in
education." Care is to be taken to "educate young women, to fit them
to become teachers of a high order, and thus to extend the good influ-
ences of this institution far and wide through them." So far as pos-
sible the students "should be deeply impressed that true reflnement
of mind and of manners are essential to complete the female char-
acter." In all of these provisions and suggestions, nevertheless, the
will is qualified. They are not to be so literally and rigidly construed
as to bar progress. " Should it be found impracticable to carry out any
part of the above provisions liberally," the trustees "are to use their
discretion, with legal advice, in promoting the above objects to the
b( si/ of their ability." By a codicil the number of the trustees was
fixed at thirteen, and they were directed not to expend any part of
the principal of the endowment fund.
Having thus broadly planned the college. Dr. Taylor did not leave
the work of establishing it to be begun after his death. After care-
fully examining several possible sites he chose the high ground
between Yarrow street and the old Gulf Road at Bryn Mawr as com-
bining more advantages of accessibility, beauty of situation, health-
fulness, and convenience than any other, and in two purchases, of
April 9, 1878, and July 2, 1879, he secured the present grounds, 40.223
acres in area, for $53,500. Plans for buildings and the internal econ-
omy of the college were formed after consultation with President
Gilnian * r the Johns Hopkins University, President Seelye of Smith
College, and Miss Johnson, principal of Bradford Academy, Massa-
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE. 25
cKusetts, and visits to Mount Holyoke Seminary, Smith and Welles-
ley colleges. It was decided to erect one building for the purposes of
instruction and to have the dormitories separate, in buildings that
should accommodate not more than 30 to 50 students each. On August
4, 1879, ground was broken for the academic building, since called
Taylor Hall, Addison Hutton, architect, and the work was well
advanced when Dr. Taylor died, January 18, 1880.
The trustees named in the will were Charles S. Taylor, of New
Jersey; Francis T. King and James C. Thomas, of Baltimore, Md. ;
Jam^s E. Rhoads, James Whitall, John B. Garrett, Charles Harts-
horne, Samuel Morris, David Scull, jr., Francis R. Cope, and Philip
C. Garrett, of Philadelphia, Pa. ; William R. Thurston, of New York
City, and Albert K. Smiley, of Providence, R. I. As Dr. Taylor had
expressed a positive wish that the college should not be called bj^ his
name, they organized informally on February 10, 1880, as the Trustees
of Bryn Mawr College. In accordance with the will of the founder,
they elected Francis T. King president of the board, and on May 15
they obtained their charter, with power to confer degrees.
To husband the estate against the future needs of the institution,
it was judged best to let interest accumulate, and to proceed slowly
with the completion of buildings. The first dormitory, Merion Hall,
was begun in 1883, and a circular of information was issued announc-
ing that the college would be open for instruction in 1885. In the
spring of 1884 James E. Rhoads, M. D., of Germantown, a ti'iistee
and widely known in educational and philanthropic circles for his
active interest in these objects, was elected president of the college,
and Miss M. Carey Thomas, Ph. D., of Baltimore, who after being
graduated from Cornell University had enjoyed the fullest opportu-
nities open to women in the universities of P]nro{)e, was elected dean.
Further appointments in the faculty were made dnri ng the year.
Taylor Hall, Merion Hall, and a large gymnasium, completely ociuipped
with the Sargent apparatus, were completed e«arly in 1885, and the
first programme was issued. Students were received Septeml^er 15,
when autumn examinations began. Lectui'es and class work began
on September 21, with 35 undergra<luate students, 2 fellows, and 2
other graduate students in attendance. On September 23 inaugura-
tion exercises were held, in which memorable addresses were made by
James Russell Lowell and President D. C. Gilman of the Johns Hop-
kins University.
The number of students increased rapidly and additional buildings
became necessary. The second dormitory, Radnor Hall, was erected
in 1886, and a third, Denbeigh Hall, in 1890. In February, 1893, Dal-
ton Hall, an admirably equipped laboratory building for the scientific
departments, was completed and opened for practical work, and at
the same time the former physical laboratory was converted into an
26 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
»
isolated cottage infirmary, containing rooms for patients and nurses
and a separate kitchen. A month later ground was broken for Pem-
broke Hall, a fourth hall of residence designed to hold 130 students.
In June, 1893, the trustees purchased, for $39,000, ten additional acres
of land, necessary to preserve unbroken the fine view of the college
toward the west.
Other buildings l)elonging to the college are the residence of the
president and seven houses occupied by members of the facultj'.
Ultimately more dormitories, a library, and an art building will be
required. Taylor Hall and the dormitorj'^ buildings are handsome
stone structures, in architecture embodying such suggestions from the
ancient university buildings of Oxford and Cambridge as were suited
to modern conditions. The internal arrangements of the students'
halls are those of a well-appointed house, securing privacy, quiet, and
the refinements of a cultivated home. Most of the rooms are in suites
of three — a study and two sleeping rooms — each suite accommodating
two students. Taylor Hall contains a large and beautiful assembly
hall, used for morning chapel exercises, commencement, and other
special occasions; the offices of the president, dean, and secretary;
class and seminary rooms, and the rapidly growing library.
Dr. Taylor's conception of the institution he was founding expanded
greatly during the years between the date of his will, in 1877, and his
death, in 1880. The will had been drawn in such liberal terms that
there was no need to change its provisions; but as he consulted with
leading educators and began to put plans into effect he saw that he
was but planting an institutional germ that must be left to have a
historic growth and to develop an individuality of its own through its
own experiences under changing intellectual and social conditions.
He foresaw that it would outgrow his vision, but not his hope, and
that it would need resources beyond the utmost he could provide.
The trustees, in assuming their responsibilities, entered into the spirit
of this large faith. While the buildings were in progress plans for tlie
academic work were matured with deliberation and care. The work
of other institutions was minutely studied. It was decided that there
was no occasion to duplicate any existing college. Bryn Mawr ought
to do a work not done elsewhere, and do it by the most progressive
methods. The wish of its founder that it should afford opportunities
for advanced study to young women looking forward to teaching was
seen to point to a specific opportunity and duty. There were already
normal schools; there were already colleges for women offering under-
graduate instruction; but no institution was offering to women sys-
tematic courses of graduate instruction and guidance in those first
attempts in original investigation or research that are the foundations
in which every scholarly career is laid. The Johns Hopkins Univer*
sity emphasized the importance of graduate studies and showed how
to conduct them and turn them to account.
BBYN MAWR COLLEGE. 27
From this leading idea the working details were naturally evolved.
It prescribed first of all the character of the faculty. The instructors
must be themselves men and women of the new era, prepared by
thorough courses of study, familiar with university methods, at home
in original research, and contributors to knowledge. It called for the
foundation of fellowships and the encouragement of attendance by
graduate students from other colleges. It indicated a slow multipli-
cation of departments rather than an immediate attempt to cover
every minute field of knowledge. No new department sliould be
added until it could be liberally supported and enabled to do its work
with thoroughness. It shaped and coordinated the undergraduate
courses. They must afford a foundation for all graduate studies, but
should lead up to a special and thorough work in a few or one. They
could not, therefore, be wrought into a narrow and rigid curriculum.
They must rather conform to the modern belief that, "while a liberal
education calls for instruction in language and literature, in mathe-
matics and the natural sciences, in history and philosophy, tlie pro-
portion of these elements may be endlessly varied."
The outcome was a systematic development of the group system.
The essentials of this plan did not originate at Bryn Mawr, but the
excellent descriptive name did, and it has been more perfectly worked
out there than in any other institution. Five hours a week in one
subject for a year is a minor course. Five hours a week for two
years is a major course. Two major courses that supplement one
another are a ** group." "Groups" may be constituted in either of
the following ways: Any language with any language, mathematics
with physics, mathematics with Greek or Latin, any science with any
science, history with political science. With the advice of the dean,
every student must elect a group, having due regard to personal apti-
tudes, qualifications, and future needs. Every student must take the
following subjects, those not entering into her gi*oup being required
in addition: English, five hours a week for two years; a laboratorj^
science, five hours a week for two years, or two laboratory sciences five
hours a week each for one year, or a laboratory science live hours a
week for one year and historj^ or political science five hours a week
for one year; philosophy, five hours a week for one year; free elect-
ives, five hours weekly for a year and a half. No student not taking
a language in her group or as a free elective need spend time on any
language except English during her college course, but she must have
at matriculation a good knowledge of Latin and of two of the three
languages Greek, French, and German, and must study the one then
omitted for one year before graduating, unless it be Greek, in which
case she can substitute for it one year of collegiate work in Latin*
She must also possess a reading knowledge of French and German at
graduation. Much the same is true of mathematics. If solid geom-
etry and plane trigonometry are offered at matri(?ulation, further
28 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
work in mathematics will be elective. By these jirovisions a broad
and varied course, having symmetry and unity, is secured to every
student, but no two students need follow exactly the same course.
Each may obtain that education which is best for the development of
her own mind. Nor is there any fixed time for graduation. The
strong and quick student may complete her work in three years; one
who needs to be careful of health may take four and a half or five years.
To carry out such a plan it was necessary to fix a high standard for
admission. The following requirements were established and have
been strictly adhered to: For unconditioned matriculation a candi-
date must pass in fifteen sections; for conditioned admission she
must pass in eleven. The sections are as follows: Group I, three sec-
tions, algebra, including quadratic equations, proportion, variation,
and progression, and counting as two sections; plane geometry.
Group II, three sections, Latin grammar and composition, Caesar and
Cicero, Virgil and sight reading. Group III, three sections, outlines
of the history of England and the United States or of Greece and
Rome; English; the elements of a natural science, which may be
either physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, or physical geography.
Group IV, six sections, Greek grammar and composition, Xenophon,
Iliad, and sight reading; French grammar, French prose, French
poetry. Group V, six sections, Greek grammar and composition,
Xenophon, Iliad, and sight reading; German grammar, German prose,
German poetry. Group VI, six sections, French grammar, French
prose, French poetr}'^, Gei-man grammar, German prose, German
poetry. The candidate must take examinations in all the subjects of
the first three groups and in those of one of the last three. She must
also pass off at her option solid geometry, plane trigonometry, and a
fourth language, so securing more time for special work in her college
course.
Entrance examinations are held in June and September of every
year at Bryn Mawr College, and in June of every year in Baltimore,
Germantown, and Indianapolis. They may also be held by request
in June, but not in September, in Boston, Cincinnati, California, New
York, and in London or Paris, and may also be arranged for in other
places.
The plan and scope of academic work as thus outlined determined
the organization of the departments. Those only were called for that
would together afford the necessary instruction in required studies
and group combinations. The following departments, therefore, have
been liberally established: Greek, with Sanskrit and comparative
philology; Latin, English, including Anglo-Saxon; German language
and literature, romance language and literature, philosophy, history,
political science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology. Instruc-
tion is chiefly by lectures and seminary methods, with personal work
in laboratories in the scientific departments, and constant individual
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE. 29
use of the library resources by every student. The annual appro-
priation of $3,000 for the library is divided among the departments.
The books and journals being thus bought on the advice of heads of
departments, the collection is kept in vital relation with the work of
instruction. By the gift in 1892 of the library of the late Professor
Sauppe, of Gottingen, containing 16,000 volumes, the college became
possessed of one of the best selected, most complete, and classical
libraries in this country.
The only baccalaureate degree conferred is that of bachelor of arts.
The master's degree may be obtained by graduates of Bryn Mawr
only after a year of graduate study, approved by the faculty, followed
by a successful examination. Candidates for the degree of doctor of
philosophy, having obtained their first degree, must pursue a course of
liberal nonprofessional study for three years at some college or uni-
versity approved by the faculty and spend at least two of those years
at Bryn Mawr. They must be examined in two subjects and present
a dissertation, which must be printed, on some topic in their principal
subject. They must be able to read French and German and have
some knowledge of Latin. This degree is in no case given honoris
causa.
The highest honor offered to a Bryn Mawr student is the European
fellowship, which is awarded yearly to a member of the graduating
class for excellence in scholarship. It entitles the holder to $500 to
be used in European univereity study of not less than one year.
The Garrett European fellowship, of the value of $500, is applicable
to the expense of one year's study and residence at some foreign uni-
versity, English or continental, and is open for competition to all
students, whether graduates of Bryn Mawr or of some other college,
who have for two years pursued graduate studies at Bryn Mawr Col-
lege. It was arranged that this fellowship should be awarded for the
first time in April, 1894.
Nine regular fellowships, namely, one each in Greek, Latin, English,
German, Teutonic philology, romance philology, history and political
science, mathematics, chemistry, biology, are awarded annually to
those candidates, whether graduates of Bryn Mawr or of other insti-
tutions, who are judged to be the best qualified. These fellowships,
which are of the value of $525 each, entitle the holder to free tuition,
a furnished room in the college building, and $800.
Five Garrett graduate scholarships of the value of $200 each are
open to the graduates of Bryn Mawr College or other colleges of good
standing who may desire to x)ursue advanced study at Bryn Mawr.
Seven graduate and undergraduate scholarships, ranging in value
from $100 to $400, are awarded annually, subject in each case to
special limitations which are stated in the programme. Other schol-
arships, not specified in the programme, are awarded from time to
time in special cases.
30 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
For students not holders of fellowships or scholarships the annual
charge for tuition is $100; for room $125, $150, or, in a few cases,
$250; and for board $150. The year is divided into two semesters.
Lectures begin on the Tuesday nearest October 1, and the annual
commencement is on the first Thursday in June.
A college thus planned and organized must assume the value of moral
as well as of intellectual freedom, and have faith in the sufficiency of
serious aims and a pervading atmosphere of earnestness, sympathy,
and refinement to maintain worthiness of demeanor and conduct.
The life at Bryn Mawr is marked by an entire absence of any other
disciplinary "rules than those framed and enforced by a well-organized
students' self-government association. Residence in college build-
ings is not obligatory. The going and coming and deportment of
students are subject to no other regulation than those of common
propriety and good breeding. Only in the matter of physical exer-
cise are there positive and strict exactions. Every student must sub-
mit to careful examination' by the physician in charge of physical
training and go faithfully through the gymnasium exercises prescribed
for her individual case. The result of this requirement, associated
as it is with outdoor sports and a cheerful life, is a steady improve-
ment in average health during the four years of college residence,
notwithstanding the admitted arduousness of the courses of study
followed.
The religious life of the college is characterized by that simplicity,
liberality, and kindliness that were beautifully exemplified in the life
of its founder, and have always distinguished the religious society
that he loved. Devotional exercises are held five mornings and one
evening in the week. Attendance is general, though not required.
Lectures on Christian ethics and Biblical interpretation are included
in the required course in philosophy. Students of all denominations
are treated with the same consideration and mingle on terms of per-
fect equality in all things. In choosing members of the facultj^ char-
acter, scholarship, desirable personal qualities,' and ability to teach
are the requirements. Theological questions are not raised. No dis-
tinction is made between men and women in either title or salary.
Bryn Mawr conferred the degree of bachelor of arts on 1 gradu-
ate, her first, in 1888; on 24 in 1889; on 14 in 1890; on 11 in 1891, on
17 in 1892, and on 29 in June, 1893. Bryn Mawr has conferred the
degree of A. M. on 1 candidate in 1890; on 1 in 1891; on 1 in 1892,
and on 1 in 1893, and the degree of Ph. D. on one candidate in each
of the years 1888, 1891, 1892, 1893. Seventy-six graduate students,
including 32 Fellows, have taken advanced work. From among ,
these, instructors and professors have gone to Wellesley, Vassar,
Smith, and Barnard colleges; to the Woman's College of Baltimore,
the Woman's Medical College of Baltimore, Northwestern Univer-
sity, the University of Illinois, Penn College, Mount Holyoke College,
BBYN MAWR COLLEGE.
31
and Alfred University. The original work oarrioil on by the faculty
and graduate students has already resultinl in a large numlH^r of
important eontributions to mat hematic's, chemistry, biology, history,
political science, philology, philosophy, and criticism.
In the autumn of 18*J3 Dr. James E. Rhoads ivsigiunl the prt^sidcncy
of the college, which he had held from its organiziition, the ivsigiia-
tion to take effect August 31, 1804. M. Carey Thomas, Ph. !>., ilcau
of the faculty and professor of English, was elcctetl to succetnl Dr.
Rhoads in the presidency.
Xu mlH*r i »/ ttt mh' n ts.
Year.
FelK»ws
»tudoiitj4.l
Undor-
ati^.
Total.
First, 1885-86
Second. 1886-87
Third, 1887-88
Fonrth,1888-89
Fifth,188»-90
Sixth, 189(Mfl
Seventh. 1891-^....
Eighth, 18aMI8
Ninth,1863-0i
8
10
8
lU
.K>
12
i7
:u
A'*
M
70
100
100
l:!i>
\m
18:{
44
((4
78
IIB
Id!
ItW
Average age at entrance of undergradnatv stmlvnta.
Tear.
Ago.
Years.
Moutlis.
1886
ao
18
19
19
4
1886
10
1887
>^\
1888
10 '
1888
4
Ywir.
Ago.
, Ywirs. MoiithH.
1890
185)1
1W«
189:{
19
18
19
19
1
5
11
6
Sources, — ''Memoir of Joseph W. Taylor, M. 1).," IMiiladolpliia,
1884; "Extracts from the will of Joseph W. Taylor," printed for the
use of the trustees of Bryn Mawr College; "Charter of thc^ trustees
of Bryn Mawr College," "Addresses at the inauguration of liryn
Mawr College," Philadelphia, 1887; "The President's Report to tJie
Board of Trustees," years 188|, 1S85, 188(>, 1SS7, 1888, 181K), 181)1,
1892; " Program Bryn Mawr College, 1893."
III.
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY, LEWISBURG, PA.
The first Baptist church in Pennsylvania was organized near Phil-
adelphia in 1684. In 1789 the Baptists numbered 1,054 members; in
1901 they had increased to over 120,000, gathered in 730 churches and
served by 650 ordained ministers. It was early felt by the Baptists
that they should have an institution for the higher education of their
youth and bear their proper share in the work of higher education in
Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Association of Churches founded
Rhode Island College, now Brown University. In 1845, August 14,
a committee, of which William H. Ludwig was chairman, reported to
the Northumberland Association that ' * it is desirable that a literary
institution should be established in central Pennsylvania, embracing
a high school for male pupils, another for females, a college, and a
theological institution." Through the Rev. Eugenio Kincaid and the
Rev. J. E. Bradley, Stephen W. Taylor, who had recently resigned
his professorship in Madison University, became enlisted in the new
enterprise. Under the principalship of Professor Taylor, assisted by
his son, Alfred Taylor, A. M., and I. N. Loomis, A. M., a school was
opened in the fall of 1846 in the basement of the Baptist church.
The date at which the charter was approved by the executive of the
State was the 5th of February, A. D. 1846. The names of the first
trustees, as given in the charter, were : James Moore, James Moore, jr. ,
Joseph Meixell, William H. Ludwig, Samuel Wolfe, Levi B. Christ,
Henry Funk, Joel E. Bradley, Eugenio Kincaid, Benjamin Bear,
William W. Keen, William Bucknell, jr., Thomas Watson, James M.
Linnard, Lewis Vastine, Oliver Blackburn, Caleb Lee, Daniel L.
Moore.
The institution, in the charter, was designated "The university at
Lewisburg," leaving the naming of it for the future. In 1886 it was
named "Bucknell University." The charter, as amended in 1882,
places the government of the institution in a single board of trustees,
consisting of 25 members or fewer, at the option of the board. The
trustees are prohibited, for any cause or under any pretext what-
ever, from encumbering by mortgage or otherwise the real estate
or any other property of the institution. It is required by the char-
ter that no religious sentiments are to be accounted a disability to
hinder the election of an individual to any office among the teachers
32
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY. 33
of the institution, or to debar persons from attendance as pupils, or
in any manner to abridge their privileges or immunities as students
in any department of the university.
In 1868 the theological department was discontinued. The institu-
tion as now organized aims to impart sound instruction in all non-
professional studies. To this end the institution comprises four
departments: The college, for those who wish a full course of study;
the academy, for those preparing for college, for teaching in the pub-
lic schools, or for business; the institute, for young women in all
branches; and the school of music for both sexes. These three
departments occupy separate buildings, but are under one corpora-
tion and have one president.
All expenses are met from funds in the hands of a common treasurer,
and all the resources of the corporation are used to strengthen and
develop the institution in every department.
MATERIAL EQUIPMENT.
The university has received no aid from the State of Pennsylvania
or from the United States Government. It has depended entirely
on the benevolence of individuals. Of the first *100,000 — made neces-
sary by the conditions of the charter — only about $80,000 were actu-
ally collected. About the year 1852, a second effort was made to
collect funds, and $45,000 were giv^en by a few men of means, with-
out a general canvass for that purpose. About $20,000 have been
raised by the sale of lands purchased at a low figure at the beginning
of the enterprise. During the years 1857-58 about $30,000 were
raised by subscription to be applied in payment of the building then
in process of erection. In A. I). 1864 another subscription was com-
menced, which was completed in May, A. D. 18G5, and amounted to
$100,000. In 1881 the sum of $1(X),000 was raised for endowment, of
which the Hon. William Bucknell contributed $50,000. Mr. Biick-
nell subsequently gave $20,0^)0 for scholarships, $2,000 for endowing
certain prizes in the Ladies' Institute, and $115,000 for general endow-
ment. In addition to these gifts, Mr. Bucknell provided funds for
the ei*ection and equipment of the astronomical observatory, the
chemical laboratory, the chapel, the cottage for young men, and that
for young women.
On the demise of Mr. John C. Davis, of Philadelphia, in A. D. 1873,
a bequest of $3,000 was paid to the university, and a conditional resid-
uary interest, which has not yet been realized, was also contained in
his will. Also, by a similar provision in the will of the late Park II.
Cassidy, of Philadelphia, the sum of $2,000 is secured to the univer-
sity. In A. D. 1886 William 11. Backus, M. D., an alumnus of the
class of 1853, bequeathed his estate to the institution for the endow-
ment of the library. Tliis estate, consisting chiefly of realty, was
inventoried at $48,10U.
5099—02 3
34 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
In 1891-92 President Harris, assisted by Rev. James W. Putnam,
raised a supplementary endowment of $100,000.
In 1900 a fund of $75,000 for additional endowment and improve-
ment was completed. An effort is now (1902) in progress to raise
$100,000 for increasing the endowment. The total property of the
institution aggregates over $800,000.
THE UNIVERSITY PROPERTY.
I. THE COLLEGE.
The college building is situated on a hill which rises 100 feet above
the Susquehanna River, and overlooks scenery of unsurpassed beauty.
It has a fagade of 320 feet. The building was designed by Thomas
U. Walter, LL. D., architect of the Dome and wings of the Capitol
at Washington, D. C, and is in the Grecian style, combining dignity
and simplicity. The central portion is 80 feet square, and is strength-
ened in front by four massive columns. Within, on the first floor,
are five commodious recitation rooms, respectively for English litera-
ture, Greek, Latin, mathematics, and modern languages.
On the second floor are the halls of Theta Alpha and Euepia liter-
ary societies, the library room, reading room, and museum of natural
history.
In the third story is commencement hall, with a seating capacity of
1,500.
The wings on the eastern and western side, respectively, of the
main building are each 120 feet in length and four stories high, and
are used for students' rooms.
Several thousand dollars have been expended recently in improving
the college building.
II. THE WEST COLLBQE.
The West College was ready for occupancy at the opening of the
school year, September 20, 1900. It is constructed of brick, four sto-
ries in height, and contains 97 rooms, one of which is a hall for the
use of the Young Men's Christian Association, another a reading
room, and the others are designed for the residence of students.
III. BUCKNELL HALL.
Bucknell Hall is used as a chapel in which all the students meet
every morning for worship. These exercises give unity to the life of
the university, and base the unity upon religious principles. The
time is devoted wholly to worship, consisting of singing, reading of
Scripture, and prayer.
IV. BUCKNELL OBSERVATORY.
The observatory was erected in 1887, and is designed for the use of
students in practical astronomy.
BUOKNELL UNIVERSITY. 85
The entire equipment is new, and represents the latest improvements
in this class of instruments. It consists of a Clark equatorial tele-
scope of 10 inches aperture and 12^ feet focal length, furnished with
a fine position micrometer and all the usual accessories; a spectro-
scope, with prism and grating by Brashear, the grating having 14,500
lines to the inch; a 3-inch prismatic transit with a 13- wire movable
micrometer, by T. Ertel & Sons; a Fautli chronograph with Bond
spring governor; a Waldo precision clock for sidereal time with mer-
curial compensation, break circuiting apparatus, Damell's battery and
telegraph sounders; a Seth Thomas clock for solar time; a sextant; a
3-inch altitude azimuth refractor; a set of meteorological instru-
ments; celestial globes and maps, and standard works on theoretic
and practical astronomy.
V. THE BUCKNELL LABORATORY.
The laboratory was erected in 1890, and is 43 feet in width and 86
feet in length, and has two stories above the basement. In the first
story, which has a clear height of 15 feet, are a lecture room, with a
seating capacity for 125 students, and a large working room, in which
are tables for individual work in chemical analysis; the second floor
contains a lecture room for the class in physics, and one room each
for quantitative and qualitative analysis; the basement has a dark
room for photometry, a room for applied chemistry, another for elec-
tricity, and a fireproof room.
VI. THE TUSTIN GYMNASIUM.
The basement of the gymnasium is built of stone, and contains
rooms for students' lockers, wardrobes, and dressing rooms, shower
baths, furnaces, and coal. The second story is built of brick, rising
22 feet from the main floor to the square and is open to the roof. At
the height of 12 feet a running-track gallery, 6 feet wide, surrounds
the room.
Near the gymnasium is the athletic field, carefully graded and fitted
up for football, baseball, lawn tennis, and other outdoor sports.
VII. THE ACADEMY.
The academy building, situated on College Hill, is 50 feet in width by
80 feet in length and three stories high. On the first floor is a commodi-
ous dining room, 30 feet by 36 feet; two recitation rooms, a reception
room, and the principal's office. On the second floor are suites of
rooms for the principal and his family and for the matron, and a
society hall. The third floor is occupied by students' rooms. These
are 20 feet by 12 feet and 14 feet high. Over $3,000 have been
recently expended in the improvement of this building. Borough
water and steam heat have recently been introduced.
36 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
VIII. THE EAST HALL.
This is the Bucknell cottaj2:e for young men, and is contiguous to
the academy building and connected with it by a covered passage-
way. It is a brick building, three stories high, GO feet in length, and
40 feet in width, and is finished in natural wood. The building con-
tains a recitation room, teachers' apartments, and rooms for 37 stu-
dents. The rooms have higli ceilings, large double windows with
inside shutters, two commodious closets each, and are warmed by steam
radiators.
IX. HEATING AND LIGHTING PLANT.
A central steam heating and electric lighting plant has been erected.
All the rooms, public and private, in the several buildings of the insti-
tution will be warmed from this plant. The basement story has one
room, 40 by 42 feet, for the heating plant, and another, 20 by 50 feet,
for the electric plant. The main story is intended to accommodate
the department of physics.
X. THE INSTITUTE.
The campus of the Ladies' Institute is separate from that of the
college, and comprises 6 acres.
The main building contains, on the first floor, an office for the prin-
cipal and the registrar, a reception room, tlie office of the director of
music, music rooms, two recitation rooms, and a dining hall; on the
second floor, a schoolroom and a parlor, elegantly furnished; on
the third floor, a library room, teachers' apartments, and students'
rooms.
The south hall, erected in 18G0, is devoted to students' rooms,
except the third story, which is used as a gymnasium.
XI. THE BUCKNELL COTTAGE.
This building stands to the southwest of the main building, being
connected with it by an inclosed passageway. It is built of brick, in
the Queen Anne style of architecture, and has dimensions of 100 feet
by 33 feet. The interior is finished in natural wood, and is equipped,
in matters of light, heat, and ventilation, with the most modern
improvements.
The portion allotted to students' rooms affords accommodations for
40 occupants. These rooms are in suites, on the general plan of a
center parlor, with bedrooms and closets on either side. The most
spacious room of the building and its chief attraction is the studio,
with such adjustments for the admission of light and supply of unen-
cumbered wall surfaces as renders it precisely adapted for the execu-
tion and display of art products.
All the institute birildings are supplied with hot and cold water.
Steam pipes and radiators warm every room. The drainage is good.
The constant good health of the students bears testimony to the
excellent sanitary condition of the school.
BUOKNELL UNIVEESITY. 37
xn. THE president's house.
The corporation also owns a house for the use of the president of
the university.
COURSES OF STUDY.
The following courses of study may be pursued in the college :
I. The classical course extends through four years and aims to fur-
nish a liberal education in the classics, the sciences, the arts, and
literature. It comprises substantially the studies of the established
college curriculum, with the addition of such branches as modern life
seems to demand. Students who have satisfactorily pursued the
course are admitted to the degree of bachelor of arts.
II. The philosophical course, with Latin or Greek in each of its
two divisions, also extends through four years and aims to furnish a
thorough training in advanced studies to those who desire to pursue
but one of the ancient languages. This course contains five terms of
such language study, be it of Latin or Greek, most of the other
studies of the classical course, with some addition of scientific sub-
jects. Students pursuing this course recite, as far as possible, with
classical students. Those who have satisfactorily completed the
studies of the course are admitted to the degree of bachelor of
philosophy.
III. The scientific course extends through four years and is sub-
stantially the same as the philosophical course, with the substitution
of additional matliematical and scientific studies for Latin and Greek.
Those who have completed the course are admitted to the degree of
bachelor of science.
In the selection of optional studies in the above courses the choice
must be made with the approbation of the faculty.
IV. Advanced courses in literature, philosophy, and science have
been established, leading, respectivelj^, to the degrees of master of
arts, master of philosophy, and master of science. These courses are
open only to graduates of Bucknell University.
Summary of attendance, 1892,
Graduate student ■< 62
The senior class 50
The junior class 63
The sophomore class 64
The freshman class 104
Special students 20
Total in college 363
In other dei)artments 218
Total in all departments 581
38 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The following were presidents from the founding of the college to
the year 1892:
Stephen W.Taylor, LL. D
Rev. Howard Malcom, D. D., LL. D
Rev. Justin Rolph Loomis, Ph. D. , LL. D.
Rev. DavidJavne Hill, LL.D
John Howard Harris, I*h. D. , LL. D
Acces-
sos.
Ezitos.
1846
1851
1851
1867
1867
1879
1879
1888
1889
THE FACULTY IN 1902.
John Howard Harris, Ph. D., LL. p.,
President and Professor of Psycholoj^ and Ethics.
Freeman Loomis, Ph. D.,
Professor of Modem Languages and Literature, and of History.
George G. Groff, M. D., LL. D.,
Professor of Organic Sciences.
William Cyrus Bartol, A. M., Ph. D.,
Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy.
Frank Ernest Rockwood, A. M., LL. D.,
Professor of the Latin Language and Literature and Di>an of the College.
William Gundy Owens, A. M. ,
Professor of Physics and Chemistry.
Enoch Perrine, A. M., Litt. D.,
Professor of English Literature, and Secretary.
Thomas Franklin Hamblin, A. M.,
New Jersey Professor of the Greek Language and Literature.
Lincoln Hulley. A. M., Ph. D.,
Professor of History.
William Emmet Martin, A. M.,
Professor of Lc^c and Anthropology.
Miss Eveline Judith Stanton, Ph. M.,
Dean of the College Women.
Nelson Fithian Davis, Sc. M.,
Assistant Professor of Organic Science.
Ephraim M. Heim, Ph. D.,
Professor of Economic and Political Science.
GuiDO Carl Leo Riemer, A. M.,
Professor of Modem Languages.
Llewellyn Phillips, A. M.,
Crozer Professor of Rhetoric.
ELYsi:E AviRAGNET, A. M., Mus. Doc.,
Instructor in the Romance Languages.
Albert Burns Stewart, A. M.,
Instructor in Mathematics.
Thomas Johnson Morris, A. B.,
Instructor in Oratory.
Miss Jennie Davis, Ph. B.,
Assistant in English.
Miss Elizabeth Lillian Foust, Ph. M.,
Reader in English.
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY. 39
Harold Murray McClure, A. M.,
X President Judge, Seventeenth Judicial District, Lecturer on Contracts and Practice.
Frederick Evans Bower, A. M.,
Attorney at Law, Lecturer on Crimes and Torts.
Albert William Johnson, A. M.,
Attorney at Law, Lecturer on Real Property and Equity.
William Leiser, M. D.,
Lecturer on Surgery.
Weber L. Gerhart, M. D.,
Lecturer on Anatomy.
Charles Alexander Gundy, M. D.,
Lecturer on Pathology.
George Dana Boardman, D. D., LL. D.,
Lecturer on Social Ethics.
Lemuel Moss, D. D., LL. D.,
Lecturer on Social Science.
Benaiah L. Whitman, LL. D.,
Lecturer on Practical Ethics.
William Emmet Martin, A. M.,
Librarian.
Rev. Calvin Aurand Hare, A. M.,
Financial Secretary.
William Christian Gretzinger, Ph. B.,
Registrar of the University.
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED.
Manuscript sketch of the early days of the university at Lewisbiirg,
prepared by Stephen W.Taylor, LL. D., and engrossed in the min-
utes of the board of curators.
Sketch of the University at Lewisburg, by J. R. Loomis, LL. D.,
published in pamphlet form, with other matter, at Lewisburg, 1875.
Cathcart's Baptist Encyclopedia, published at Philadelphia.
Annual catalogues of the university.
IV.
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE.
This institution is located at New Berlin, Union County, Pa., and
was founded by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangel-
ical Association of North America, mostly through the efforts of
Rev. W. W. Orwig, who became its first principal, and Revs. Simon
Wolf and C. F. Deininger. Its history naturally divides itself into
two general divisions with three distinct periods in the first division.
I. UNION SEMINARY. 1855-1886.
At its annual session in March, 1854, the conference resolved to
establish an institution of learning, and appointed a committee to
select a site and prepare plans. During the next year the institution
was founded and a building erected and opened for instruction Janu-
ary 1 , 1856. Several courses of study were adopted, only one of which,
a ladies' course of three yeai*s, was complete. The courses for young
men were a " teachers' course " of three years and a '* classical course "
preparing students for the junior class in college. The intention was
to develop the classical course and finally convert the seminary into a
college — a purpose not realized until 1886, long after this course had
been discontinued and another had taken its place. Classes were
graduated regularly from 1859 to 1863, wBen financial diflSculties
compelled the seminary to close its doors, and thus forfeit its charter.
In the spring of 1865 a number of men, led by the Rev. M. J. Car-
others, of Milton, Pa., raised the amount necessary to meet the claims
of the creditors, and by this act the institution became their pi'op-
erty. They divided the amounts contributed into shares and formed
a stock company under the name of the '* Educational Society of the
Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Association."
The seminary was then leased to men who selected their own corps
of teachers and conducted the school on the plan of an academy with-
out any fix^d course of study. The educational society continued to
operate the institution in this way under successive leases till 1883.
In March, 1880, the trustees adopted a course of studies and applied
for a charter, which was granted on the 20th of September, a day
that has ever since been celebrated by the college with a public
entertainment, consisting chiefly of exercises by the senior class.
A Biblical and theological course was adopted at the same time for
students preparing to enter the ministry, and a commercial depart-
ment was organized, giving a full course in bookkeeping and its
accessories, and later in stenography and typewriting. In 1882 there
was added an elementary course similar in scope to the elementary
courses of the State normal schools.
40
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE. 41
For the benefit of the church and the community in general and to
extend its influence and patronage, the educational society in 1880
sold the institution to the Central Pennsylvania Conference, its orig-
inal owner, for a merely nominal sum. This transfer made a new
charter necessary, which was accordingly secured, giving the institu-
tion full collegiate powers.
From this time till 1886 the school developed rapidly, and at the
repeated requests of friends and patrons the name was changed to
Central Pennsylvania College.
II. CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE.
The history of the college dates practically^ from 1883, when the last
transfer of the property was made and the new charter was secured,
granting the power to confer degrees, etc.
Gradually the curriculum of 1880 was developed into the present
scientific course leading to the degree of B. S. The other depart-
ments were likewise improved, and in 1887, when the name was
changed, a full classical course, leading to the degree of A. B., was
added.
In 1882 the first class graduated from the old seminary course of
1880, and in 1883 the first class completed the elementary course.
The first class to complete the classical course graduated in 1887.
The class of 1802 numbered 13 from the different departments.
The college is governed and controlled by a board of seven trustees,
who are elected for a t-erm of three years. These have the care of
the property and choose and employ the faculty.
The institution is fairly well supplied with philosophical, chemical,
mathematical, and other instruments and appliances for experimental
instruction. The collection of minerals and fossils is quite large.
The library contains over 3,800 volumes and the reading room is well
furnished with leading daily, weekly, and monthly papers and
magazines.
With the college are connected two literary societies, a Young
Men's Christian Association, a chapter of the American Agassiz Asso-
ciation, and other auxiliaries which have for their object the promo-
tion of the study of language and literature.
Music has always been taught, and in 1891 a regular department in
this branch was organized and a course of instruction fixed upon.
The faculty numbers 8, and the students about 100.
Students of both sexes are admitted to all the courses of study
except the theological, to which are admitted only young men prepar-
ing for the ministry.
An annual catalogue is published which gives a synopsis of the
courses of instruction, the names of the officers and students of the
institution, the time for the opening and closing of terms, and a cal-
endar of the public exercises, together with such other information
as is generally desired by persons who patronize such institutions.
V.
DICKINSON COLLEGE, CARLISLE. PA.
By Prof. Charlbs F. Himes.
FOUNDATION.
With the return of peace in 1783, at the close of the Revolutionary
struggle, one of the first public enterprises that enlisted the interest
of the leading statesmen of Pennsylvania was the foundation of a
college, the second in the State, at Carlisle, which was expected "to
promote the real welfare of the State and especially of the western
parts thereof." The project was not altogether a new one, as the
establishment of a college at some point west of the Susquehanna
had been agitated before the war; but among other obstacles it had
encountered the refusal of the legislature to grant the necessary
charter. But now the charter seems to have been readily granted, as
it states, on "petition of a large number of persons of established
reputation for patriotism, integrity, ability, and humanity." Promi-
nent among other reasons set forth are that "the happiness and pros-
perity of every community (under the direction and government of
Divine Providence) depends much on the right education of the
youth, who must succeed the aged in the important of&ces of society,
ajid the most exalted nations have acquired their preeminence by the
virtuous principles and liberal knowledge instilled into the minds of
the rising generation," and that "after a long and bloody contest
with a great and powerful Kingdom it has pleased Almighty God to
restore the blessings of a general peace whereby the good people of this
State, relieved from the burthens of war, are placed in a condition to
attend to useful arts, sciences, and literature, and it is the evident
duty and interest of all ranks of people to promote and encourage, as
much as in them lies, every attempt to disseminate and promote the
growth of useful knowledge." Another argument used for the pro-
motion of the enterprise was that the youth of independent America
should be educated at home rather than in the schools of England, as
had been customary before the war. Interesting, too, in this con-
nection, is the intimate association of liberty with piety and learning
in the minds of the leading citizens of that day, shown frequently in
the documents of the college, and which was emphasized in the legend
adopted for the seal of the corporation at its organization, namely:
**Pietate et doctrina tuta libertas."
42
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 43
The college was named '*in memory of the great and important
services rendered to his country by His Excellency John Dickinson,
esquire, president of the supreme executive council, and in commem-
oration of his very liberal donation to the institution." It is true that
Dickinson was one of the few men who had ventured to vote against
the Declaration of Independence at the time of its adoption, although
no one had contributed more to this final result than he had done by
the masterly eloquence of his pen in almost all the leading State papers
of that period. But he acted from conscientious conviction that the
measure was premature, and his patriotism and integrity were never
questioned by his fellow-citizens in spite of the most virulent attacks
of political opponents; and in 1782, just preceding the founding of
the college, he had been triumphantly elected chief executive of
Pennsylvania, after a most bitter political contest. Besides this posi-
tion as a trusted political leader, his reputation as a scholar, according
to Jefferson, "one of the most accomplished " the country had pro-
duced, was calculated to give character to the young institution.
The exact nature and extent of the donation by him, alluded to, are
not known. It embraced a "plantation" of 200 acres, subsequently
sold for £200, to which was afterwards added a "plantation" of 500
acres. The term "plantation" characterized improved land. A
valuable collection of books from his own library, tlien one of the
largest and choicest in the country, also formed a part of the donation,
and there were subsequent minor contributions. But although the
sum of his gifts to the college, all together, may have been for that
day all that it was described, it would hardly be considered large at
this time. Whilst the name " Dickinson " may, therefore, have been
given very properly to the newly established college, the enterprise
perhaps owed its inception more to Dr. Benjamin Rush than to any
other individual; and his enthusiastic and unwearied personal efforts
in its behalf, extending over more than a quarter of a century, con-
tributed largely to assure the permanence of the college. There is
scarcely a subject connected with the organization and successful
administration of a college that was not touched upon during those
years in his voluminous correspondence in regard to Dickinson.
Although Dickinson and Rush had differed widely politically, they
seem to have had a high regard for each other, and cooperated most
cordially in this enterprise.
ORGANIZATION.
The original act of incorporation, approved September 9, 1783,
placed the college "under the management, direction, and government
of a number of trustees, not exceeding forty, or a quorum or board
thereof." The quorum was fixed at nine members, but the assent of
seven, at least, was required to dispose of property. The forty indi-
viduals named in the act and their successors were empowered to
44 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
fill vacancies by new elections, and thus perpetuate the body, with the
restriction that the original number of clergymen — one-third of the
whole — should not be diminished, and that neither principal nor pro-
fessors, whilst they remain such, should be capable of the office of
trustee. The first meeting of this board was held at the house of
John Dickinson, in Philadelphia, September 15, 1783, and meetings
were afterwards held at the house of Dr. Rush, on Second street, and
in the statehouse. The first meeting in Carlisle was held April 6,
1784, in the court-house. After going in procession to the Episcopal
Church and hearing a sermon suitable to the occasion, the trustees
were eloquently addressed, on reassembling, by Governor Dickinson,
and proceeded at once to the organization of the college. Addresses
were ordered to different religious bodies; also a petition to the legis-
lature for aid and letters to persons in Europe for assistance.
By a supplementary act, approved February 13, 1826, the restriction
preventing the diminution of the number of clergymen in the board
was removed, and it was provided "that not more than one-third of
the trustees shall at any one time be clergymen." By another sup-
plementary act, April 10, 1834, shortly aft-er the college came under
its present denominational control, the principal of the college for the
time being was made ex officio president of ttie board of trustees with
all the rights of any other member of the board, and the ultimate
authority of the board in cases of discipline with which, among other
usual powers, it had been invested by the original charter was
restricted to appeals in cases of expulsion. The discipline of the col-
lege was thus "essentially vested in the professors and faculty, they
being held responsible for the proper exercise of the same." These
changes, intended to give the faculty representation in the board of
trustees and to give it independent and responsible control of disci-
pline, had been favorably discussed several years before. By the
same act, the board of trustees was given full power to declare the
seats of members vacant for nonattendance for two years or upward,
or for inability to attend to the duties of the office for one year, and
to fill the vacancies thus occasioned. This provision remedied what
had proved to be a serious omission in the original charter. In 1879,
by further amendments to the charter, the term of office of trustees
was limited to four years, with eligibility for reelection, and the body
was divided into four equal classes, so that the terms of one-fourth
of its members expire each year. In 1889 an amendment of the
charter changed the requirement of an oath or affirmation — origi-
nally the post-revolutionary ironclad oath — for induction of trustees
into office to a requirement to subscribe to an obligation in a per-
manent record book, and at the same time the amount of property
permitted to be held by the board was largely increased.
In 1890, by a further change of the charter, the number of the board
was increased by ten, to provide for alumni representation in that
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 45
body and increased representation "at large;" that is, of members
elected irrespective of any distribution of the members of the board
territorially among the patronizing conferences. The four members
to be elected by the alumni "as the board may direct," under the
regulations adopted by it, are allotted to four territorially defined
district alumni associations, each electing one member for a term of
four years.
ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS.
The original charter provided that at least one-third of the board of
trustees should be clergymen, assigning as a reason that " it has been
found by experience that those persons separated from the busy
scenes of life that they may with more attention study the grounds of
the Christian religion and minister it to the people are in general
zealous promoters of the education of youth, and cheerfully give up
their time and attention to objects of this kind." But the nondenom-
inational character intended to be given to the institution was clearly
indicated by the provision that " persons of every religious denomina-
tion among Christians " should be ** capable of being elected trustees,"
and that no person, " either as principal, professor, or pupil, be
refused admittance for his conscientious persuasion in matters of
religion." The board has always been a mixed board, and up to 1833
different denominations w^ere also represented in the faculty. Owing,
however, to the location of the college and to the prominence of the
Presbytenan denomination in general intelligence and educational
zeal as well as in numbers, the early financial support and patronage
of the college was expected in large degree from that denomination,
and it was natural that it should preponderate numerically in the
early councils of the college in the faculty as well as in the board of
trustees.
Its first president. Dr. Nisbet, was not only an eminent Presbyte-
rian divine, but for a time during his presidency filled the pulpit of
the Presbyterian church in Carlisle, as did some of the professors sub-
sequently. It was natural that the impression should have been cre-
ated that the college was a strictly Presbyterian institution. Denomi-
national jealousies manifested themselves at times, and even legislative
investigation was made to determine whether there was undue denomi-
national influence. In 1832 the financial condition of the college and
the lack of patronage for various causes led to the call of a special
meeting of the board on March 12, 1833, to consider a suggestion, that
the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Church, which was then
considering the establishment of a college, might assume the support
of Dickinson College if intrusted with its control. The suggestion
met with favor, and a general meeting of the trustees was called, by
resolution, for the 18th of April, at which time a committee of the
Baltimore Conference, now having the Philadelphia Conference asso-
I
46 EDUCATION IN PENN8YLVANIA.
ciated with it, met with the board, and laid before it the resolution of
their conference expressive of its willingness to embrace the oppor-
tunity to secure the institution and to assume the accompanying obli-
gation to support it, and inquiring whether the transfer could be
made. A committee of the trustees, after conferring with this com-
mittee, reported favorably to the transfer, assigning among the rea-
sons "that those colleges in the United States that have been con-
ducted by or under the patronage of some prominent Christian sect
have been more flourishing in their operations and more useful in
their influence than othera that have not had these advantages."
They regarded the transfer to the control of that denomination, under
the circumstances, in their own language, as a proper expedient for
the effectual and direct promotion of the original design of the found-
ers of the college. The action was unanimous on the part of those
present. Absent members were notified of the action of the board
and requested to cooperate. The body adjourned to meet on the 6th
of June, after haying ordered that, in the meantime, a circular letter
should be sent at least three weeks before the date of the meeting to
each member of the board embodying its action and stating that an
election for members of the board would take place at that time. At
that meeting a committee of the conferences, with Bishop Emory as
chairman, was introduced to the board and then retired; then, accord-
ing to the plan previously agreed upon, after great deliberation, as
most advisable, the vacancies in the board of trustees were increased
by resignations to 18, and the persons nominated by the committee
were elected to the vacancies. The board then organized anew, with
Bishop Emory as president, and the transfer of this large public inter-
est to the Methodist Church was thus made openly, with the utmost
deliberation and after the fullest consideration of all the interests
and responsibilities involved on both sides, with entire harmony of
feeling on the part of all concerned and solely with a view to promote
the public good. A change of charter was not considered necessary
or expedient. The conferences at once set about raising an endow-
ment fund, and each had a special education board chartered to receive
all the funds contributed within its bounds for this purpose, with the
obligation to pay over all income from such funds to the trustees of
the college so long as it shall remain under the control of the Meth-
odist Church, which is interpreted to mean so long as a majority of
the board of trustees shall be members of that church. Should the
college cease to be under the control of the Methodist Church the
funds held by these boards may be applied to educational purposes
under the direction of the several conferences. Since the date of this
transfer the college, thus deriving its support and for the most part
its patronage from that denomination, has been regarded as a Metho-
dist college, and is oflQcially recognized as such by the reception of an
annual report of its conduct and condition and the appointment of
visitors by the conferences.
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DICKINSON COLLEGE. 47
GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS.
The exercises of the college were conducted for twenty years in a
small two-story brick building on the corner of an alley, and for a
time at least some of the exercises were held in the United States bar-
racks adjoining the town. In 1 798 the campus proper, comprising a full
square of the borough of Carlisle, was purchased of the Penns, and
subsequently, at different dates, a lot 150 by 240 feet, separated from
the campus by Main street and occupied at present by the preparatory
school, and a lot a square from the campus, with a building admira-
bly fitted for the accommodation of the law school, more recently an
athletic field, comprisihg 5 acres, has been bought.
Upon the campus are grouped the buildings used by the college
proper. Immediately after its purchase measures were taken looking
to the erection of a building, which was so far completed in 1803 as
to be partially occupied, when it was destroyed by fire. The misfor-
tune was regarded as a national one. Contributions for its reerection
were made by many not specially interested in the college, including
President Jefferson and many Republican members of Congress,
although the college had been notoriously in sympathy with the
Adams Administration. The new building, known as West College,
after plans by Latrobe, the architect of the National Capitol, of native
limestone trimmed with red sandstone, is 150 by 54 feet and four sto-
ries high. It contains the halls of the literary societies, a Young
Men's Christian Association hall, three lecture rooms, and rooms for
40 students.
East College, erected in 1836, also of native limestone, 130 by 42
feet, four stories high, is used principally for dormitory purposes.
The Jacob Tome Scientific Building, erected in 1884 through the
liberality of Jacob Tome, is of native limestone trimmed with Ohio
sandstone, 184 feet by 56 feet. The one-story plan, which has so
much to recommend it for scientific purposes, was adopted in its con-
struction, and the building combines an attractive architectural
appearance, with perfect adaptation to the uses for which it was
designed. It contains complete provision in one wing for a college
department of physics, including lecture room, office, and private
laboratory for professor, a large laboratory, 53 by 22 feet, for general
use, and minor apparatus rooms, and similar ample provision for the
chemical department in the other wing, with a large museum hall in
the center.
The gymnasium, erected in 1884, of brick, with a main hall 75 by 40
feet, fianked with wings containing bowling alleys, dressing and bath
rooms, and office, and very completely equipped in every respect, fur-
nishes ample facilities for physical training.
The James W. Bosler Memorial Library Hall, erected in 1885 at a
cost of $68,000 by the widow of him whose name it bears, is of brick
and red sandstone combined, and is substantially fireproof as well as
48 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
an admirable structure in architectural desif?n. In addition to ample
accommodation for the library of the college and those of the two
literary societies, it contains a commodious and elegant reading room
and an audience hall capable of seating 800 persons.
LIBRARIES.
The libraries of the college consist of three distinct collections
nearly equal in size, aggregating about 32,000 volumes, all embraced
in a single catalogue, on the card plan, thus practically constituting
a single library for reference. The collection of the college proper
is rich in old and rare volumes and in reference books in certain
departments, whilst those of the Belles-Lettres and Union Philosoph-
ical Societies, accumulated by them during the century of their exist-
ence, are, from the manner of their growth, more fully adapted to the
work and tastes of students, and are annually increased by purchases
made by the societies.
APPARATUS.
Among the other resources for instruction is the usual apparatus of
physical and chemical departments, including many highly interest-
ing historical pieces acquired in the early history of the college, among
them a large burning lens, once the property of Priestley; a valuable
mineralogical and geological collection, and an observatory equipped
with an excellent telescope of 5-inch objective, equatorially mounted
and furnished with right-ascension and declination circles.
FINANCES.
The expectation of financial support, at the foundation of the col-
lege, rested upon the benevolence of individuals. The preamble to
the charter states that the house was informed, as well by the '* peti-
tion as by other authentic documents, that a large sum of money, suf-
ficient to begin and carry on the design for some considerable time,"
was "already subscribed by the generous liberality of divers persons,
who are desirous to promote so useful an institution," and that there
was "no doubt but that further donations" would "be voluntarily
made so as to carry it into perfect execution." Among these the dona-
nation of Dickinson, as previously stated, accounted as large then,
would be small according to modern standards. At the first meeting
in Carlisle in 1784, however, among other ways and means to raise
funds, a petition to the legislature for aid was ordered. This was very
tardily given. The immediate expenses of the college were therefore
met by contributions. At the organization of the faculty the pro-
ductive funds amounted only to £130 per annum. But among the
contributors to its support were many of the most prominent citizens
of the State. Thus Robert Morris heads one list with £375, and
among the other Philadelphia names are those of John Cadwallader,
DIOKINSOl^ COLLEGE. 49
Thomas Willing, Charles Thompson, Benj. Paschal, Edward Shippen,
and John Ross. In Baltimore William Patterson, father of Madame
Bonaparte, aided liberally, and even Richmond, Va,, manifested sub-
stantial interest. The Chevalier de la Luzerne, minister of France,
paid $200 in specie. In 1786 the State made a first grant of £500 in
specie and 10,000 acres of unimproved lands. The lands were of very
little immediate value as they were not salable, and hardly formed a
basis even for loans. Many of the contributions of individuals were
of a similar character. All these lands were alienated at an early day
by the college, some being subsequently retransf erred to the State for
more available cash.
About 1789 a lottery was authorized by the legislature for ** raising
the sum of $10,000 for erecting a city hall in Philadelphia, and for the
use of Dickinson College." The highest prize was $3,000, and the
price of tickets $4. The advertisement stated: '*Itis to be hoped
that a lottery instituted for the purpose of improving the capital of
the State, and for promoting the interests of literature in its western
parts, will meet with the encouragement of the public." This expedi-
ent, so usual then for benevolent enterprises, netted at most $2,000,
or, as claimed by some, only $1,860. In 1791 the State granted £1,500
for its relief, and in 1796 made an additional grant of $3,000. The
State also aided in the reerection of the building in 1804, after its
destruction by fire, by a loan of $6,000 on the unimproved lands held
by the college. It made a further grant in 1806 of $4,000, a large
portion of which was expended in the purchase of philosophical appa-
ratus, under the supervision of Dr. Rush. In 1821 the trustees recon-
veyed to the State the unimproved land received from it in 1786,
receiving therefor $6,000 in cash and $10,000 in five equal annual
installments. Of this amount $4,000 was absorbed by the debts of the
college and $2,000 was applied to repairs and completion of the col-
lege building internally. In 1826 the legislature made an appropria-
tion of $3,000 per year for seven years. Up to the year 1833, at which
time the transfer was made to the Methodist Church, the college had
received in the aggregate from the State about $50,000, and the last
installment of $3,000 due from the State, together with some bank
stock held by the trustees, sufficed to pay off the indebtedness of the
college and leave a surplus to be applied to repairs and improvement
of the grounds.
The financial obligation assumed by the Methodist Church, upon
the transfer of the educational privileges of the college to that denomi-
nation, was to support it properly as a college, and thus promote the
original design of the founders of the college. Measures were there-
fore at once taken for the collection of a permanent endowment fund,
and it was resolved not to reopen the college until $45,000 had been
secured for this purpose. By Ma}^ 1834, $48,000 had been subscribed,
of which, however, only $39,000 had been realized and funded up to
5099—02 4
50 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
1840. Collections were ordered by the several conferences to-be taken
within their bounds annually, to make up, in a measure, the defi-
ciency of income due to the lack of endowment. As the transfer of
the college to the conferences was made without legislative change
of charter, but simply by change in the membership of the board of
trustees, and involved, therefore, no absolute transfer of property to
the conferences, but only of collegiate privileges and responsibilities,
the funds collected by the conferences for the endowment of the col-
lege were intrusted to education boards for investment. These
boards, by their charters, are required to pay the income from the
investments to the trustees of the college so long as it shall remain, as
a college, under the control of the Methodist Church — ^that is, so long
as a majority of the members of the board shall be members of that
church; and in case such control should cease or the college intermit
as a college, the funds held by these boards, by their charters, become
subject to the order of the respective conferences for educational pur-
poses. In 1851 a plan of endowment by the sale of scholarships for
tuition was devised and went into effect in 1854, when the minimum
amount of $100,000 had been subscribed for scholarships under it.
By it certificates for tuition for four years were sold for $25, for ten
years for $50, and for twenty-five years for $100, and they were made
transferable and good until used. This measure practically destroyed
all income from tuition, but the expectation was that the income to be
realized from the invested fund would equal the amount of annual
tuition. The plan, a good one in many respects, was imperfectly car-
ried out. The minimum was too small, the expense in selling the
scholarships too great, and the coUectjpnof notes given for them not
close enough, so that the net amount realized was probably not more
than $60,000. But the beneficial effect of the general awakening of the
interest of the people, not only in the college, but in higher education,
was soon felt in the increase of the number of students; and without
doubt the existence of this fund and the income from it did much to
keep the college in continued existence during the depression occa-
sioned by the war. \ '' ' ^ \
In 1866, as part of the plan for the celebration of the centennial of
American Methodism, $100,000 was added to the endowment fund of
the college, held also for the most part by the education boards of the
conferences, only a portion being paid directly to the trustees of the
college. These funds thus held by the education boards are not liable
for the debts of the trustees of the college; but in 1836, to assist in the
erection of East College, a loan was made by these boards jointly to
the trustees of the college, and a mortgage was given by the trustees
of the college to secure it. Subsequently other similar loans were
made and secured by mortgage, amounting in the aggregate to $30,000.
As the interest on this mortgage belongs to the trustees of the college,
the arrangement in effect is simply so much of a reduction of the pro-
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 51
dnctive endowment. Since 1866 the endowment has been further
increased by contributions and collections, notably about the time of
the centennial of the college in 1883. Among the largest contribu-
tions are $30,000 by Thomas Beaver, of Danville, Pa., and $10,000 by
Rev. D. H. Carroll, D. D., of Baltimore, Md. The productive endow-
ment fund at present held by the various boards, including the board
of trustees, amounts to about $300,000.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
1783-1833. — The charter contemplated a collegiate institution, and
from the start the collegiate idea controlled the enterprise. There was
no growth or development from a previously existing school of lower
grade, and from the first the highest possible literary character for
the college seems to have been kept in view. To the minds of the
trustees the first requisite seemed to be a faculty that would com-
mand respect for its ability and learning and attract patronage.
Buildings seemed to be secondary and endowment something greatly
to be desired and anticipated, but the faculty seemed most important
as the djmamic factor of the new institution. At their first meeting
in Carlisle, in 1784, they organized a faculty by the election of Rev.
Charles Nisbet, D. D., of Montrose, Scotland, as principal, and James
Ross, A. M., a well-known classical scholar and author of a Latin
grammar, as professor of Greek and Latin; and a few months later
Rev. Robert Davidson, D. D., an eminent Presbyterian divine, a
graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and at one time connected
with it as an instructor, was added as professor of history, geography,
chronology, rhetoric, and belles-lettres, and a Mr. Jait was appointed
"to teach the students to read and write the English language with
elegance and propriety."
Through the eloquent and persistent persuasions of Dr. Rush, Dr.
Nisbet was induced to accept the principalship. Perhaps a control-
ling factor in his decision was his interest in America as a country.
Although thoroughly loyal to his sovereign during the war, he had
been notorious as a fearless and outspoken friend of America and
champion of her rights; and it was only the respect for his great
talents, preeminent learning, and acknowledged piety that had pre-
served him from serious annoyance on this account. The picture
that presented itself to his mind of the "formative condition of
America" in all respects, "with the minds of its citizens, free from
the shackles of authority, yielding more easily to reason," had also
doubtless great influence in producing his decision. At all events,
although his excellent social talents, combined with vast learning,
and his unrivaled wit and humor caused his company to be courted,
and made him the center of a circle of devoted friends, some of them
the most influential men in Scotland, he concluded to cast in his lot
with the republicans of the New World, and to accept the principal-
52 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ship of a college whose plans were on paper and whose revenues were
in promises. On his arrival he was delayed for several weeks in
Philadelphia as the guest of Dr. Rush, and received the attentions of
the leading citizens there. Upon information of his approach to
Carlisle on July 4, 1784, a deputation of citizens and troop of horse
were sent to escort him to the town. He became at once the prom-
inent figure in the teaching force of the college internally, as well
as its figurehead externally. He was easily primus inter pares in
an able faculty. Among the learned in Scotland he had been known
as a walking library. He was at home in all branches of human
learning and was a fluent speaker, and in the pulpit never used aids.
He had the use of at least nine languages and was familiar with the
whole range of classic literature. He could repeat whole books of
Homer, the whole of the iEneid, and is said often to have heard his
recitations in the classics without a text-book. Connected with his
position as principal was the chair of moral philosophy, but in order
to bring the college curriculum nearer to his ideal he delivered four
coordinate courses of lectures on moral philosophy, logic, philosophy
of the mind, and belles-lettres, and upon the request of a class added
a fifth on systematic theology, which extended over two years and
embraced 418 lectures, constituting probably the first course of lec-
tures on systematic theology delivered in the country. He also filled
the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church in Carlisle alternately with
Dr. Davidson, and in accordance with the request of the trustees
visited different parts of the State and the adjoining States to solicit
money and excite an interest in the institution, making his journey,
for the most part, in the saddle.
Dr. Nisbet's life in America, on the whole, can not be said to have
been a happy one. His expectations were by no means fully realized.
His ideal of a college did not always harmonize with the views of the
trustees. After the horrors of the French Revolution a tinge of anti-
republicanism crept into his lectures to the students, but the young
republicans of that day, according to Chief Justice Taney, one of
his students, simply omitted the offensive passages from their notes,
restrained by their high regard for the lecturer from more offensive
demonstration or open rebellion. The wonderful character of the
man is perhaps most apparent in the fact that, although out of
joint with his surroundings, he retained his position for twenty
years without a question, and that his death, January 18, 1804,
after a short illness, was generally regarded as the greatest calam-
ity that could have befallen the college, just as its new building was
approaching completion. Under him the college had acquired a high
character, in spite of continued discouragements and embarrass-
ments, and had attracted to itself the sympathy of the friends of
higher education as well as that of the students, although its finances
had always lagged behind its needs, and its exercises had been con-
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 53
ducted in what Taney, in later life, was pleased to describe as a
"small, shabby building, fronting on a dirty alley."
Of the original faculty. Dr. Davidson alone remained. With more
moderation and gentleness of disposition and without foreign pecul-
iarities, he had been a faithful and invaluable aid to the adminis-
tration. Professor Ross had resigned in 1792 and had been succeeded
by William Thompson, A. M. Professor Johnson, who had given
instruction in mathematics and part of the time in natural philosophy,
had been succeeded, in 1787, by James McCormick, first as tutor and
then as professor, until 1814. In addition, Charles Huston, A. B.,
afterwards judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and Henry L.
Davis, A. M., subsequently president of St. John's College, had filled
positions as tutors. Immediately upon the death of Dr. Nisbet, Dr.
Davidson had been appointed principal pro tempore, and continued
to act as such for five years. He had reason to be satisfied with the
success of his administration of the college, and although prominently
named in connection with the principalship, with the indorsement of
Dr. Rush, the suggestion was not agreeable to him, and he finally
resigned his position to devote himself wholly to the pastorate. He
was a man of varied acquirements and accomplishments, and of
great aptitude as a teacher. In addition to instruction in languages,
he had for a long time filled with eminent success the chair of natural
philosophy. He was ingenious in the construction of apparatus as
well as skillful in its use, and published a number of papers oh scien-
tific subjects, and as a recreation from severe studies composed sacred
music as well as verses. The principalship was then offered to Rev.
Samuel Miller, D. D., a fact mainly of interest because he had been
urged by Dr. Rush as a man of talents, learning, industry, and good
temper, and a laudable ambition to be eminent and useful, and an
American who would not sport with our National Government and
character at the expense of the interests of the college.
After his declination Rev. Jeremiah Atwater, D. D., for nine years
president of Middlebury College, Vermont, was elected principal, in
June, 1809. Much to the regret of his friends at that institution, he
accepted the position, followed by their best wishes. Much was
expected from his administration, and, in the early part of it in par-
ticular, great improvement in discipline was claimed. Valuab' ^
additions were made to the library and liberal sums were expended,
through Dr. Rush, for the improvement of the apparatus. As appa-
ratus of the kind was for the most part imported, its purchase
involved much correspondence and many inevitable delays and fre-
quent disappointments, as is shown by Dr. Rush's letters. In one
letter he writes triumphantly: "I have purchased an Electrical and
Galvanic Apparatus for |;250. The former is the most complete and
splendid thing of the kind ever imported into our country. It will
add much to the reputation of our College. It will be sent, with the
56 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
who knows him to be the greatest man in America in the powers of
his mind and in acquired information, and that without a single
exception. " And now he writes, * ' I do sincerely lament * * * the
irreparable loss of this professor whom I have looked to as the comer-
stone of our edifice." Through Jefferson's interest in him a professor-
ship was opened for him in South Carolina College at Columbia.
Here he became one of the most influential promulgators of free trade
doctrines and one of the founders of the Calhoun school in politics.
With the possible exception of Calhoun no single individual con-
tributed more largely to mold the politics of that section. He died
in 1840 at the advanced age of 81 years.* During his connection with
Dickinson he had secured for it the large burning lens of Priestley,
as well as his air gun and reflecting telescope, which are still in the
collection of the college.
But the continued prosperity of the college under the new adminis->
tration met with interferences without and within. The war of 1812
affected it seriously. In 1814 the greater part of the senior class was
in the volunteer ranks, and the degrees were conferred in absentia.
A duel in 1815, which resulted fatally to a member of the junior class,
had very unfortunate effects. Difficulties in administration set in
owing to the joint administration of discipline by the trustees and
faculty, as provided by the original charter. The interference of the
trustees in the internal management of the college culminated in
June, 1815, in the requirement of a report from the faculty in writ-
ing every Saturday to the secretary of the board of every delin-
quent, with the judgment of the faculty in each case, and the extent
to which it had been executed. Within three months after this action
the president and Professors Cooper and Shaw resigned. A president
pro tempore was appointed. The State was petitioned without result
to modify the charter, and to assume more immediate control of the
college. In 1816 the operations of the college were suspended.
In 1821 the trustees reconveyed to the State the lands granted in
1786, and securities obtained for those which had been sold for 16,000
in cash and $10,000 in five equal annual installments. A new policy
was adopted of liberal salaries to professors of acknowledged talent
and reputation. Rev. John M. Mason, D. D., of New York, was
secured as principal. He was an alumnus of Columbia College, had
been provost of that institution for a number of years, and brought
with him a reputation for pulpit ability and eloquence second to none
in America. The chair of natural philosophy and mathematics was
filled by Henry Vethake, A. M., a gentleman of established reputa-
tion, a graduate of Columbia College, a student of law, and previously
• Other facts of interest in the career of this remarkable figure in American
education may be found in Dr. Adams's Thomas Jefferson and the University of
Virginia and Mr. Meriwether's History of Higher Education in South Carolina
in the present series.
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 57
a professor in Columbia, Rutgers, and Princeton. The chair of belles
lettres and philosophy of mind was filled by Rev. Alexander McClel-
land, a man of marvelous rhetorical power. The Rev. Joseph
Spencer, A. M., was elected professor of languages, with permission to
fill the pulpit of the Episcopal Church in Carlisle. The Rev. Louis
Mayer, of the German Reformed Church, by virtue of an arrange-
ment with its synod, became professor of history and German litera-
ture. Dr. Mason was inaugurated before a large concourse of people
and delivered an address of high character. Chief Justice Gibson
administered the oath of office.
The college entered upon its new career with much promise. Public
confidence seemed to be restored ; the classes filled up. But again,
partly by reason of the impaired health of Dr. Mason, but partly by
reason of suspicion of political infiuences at work in the board of
trustees, they began to diminish. Dr. Mason resigned in 1824, and
was followed by Rev. William Niell, D. D. Some secondary changes
were made in the faculty. The legislature made a new appropriation
of $3,000 per year for seven years. But attacks from the outside,
divisions in the board of trustees, disagreements between it and tlie
faculty, and eventually dissensions in the faculty, prevented the
proper development of the college, while the charges of political and
sectarian influences in the college became of such a character as to
receive legislative investigation. Although the charges were unsus-
tained, the injurious effect of the notoriety and the unpleasant feel-
ings engendered by them remained. The mixed government of the
faculty and trustees was also fatal to good order. In 1829 the whole
faculty resigned, and Professor Spencer was appointed principal pro
tempore.
In 1830 Rev. Samuel B. How, D. D., was elected principal. A new
and able faculty was organized, with Charles D. Cleaveland, A. M.,
as professor of languages and Henry D. Rogers, A. M., as professor
of chemistry and natural philosophy. Great effort was made to
recover the lost ground. A new course of study was made out.
Fuller statutes for the government of the college were adopted. The
Alumni Association issued an address full of encouragement, among
the signatures being that of James Buchanan. At the commence-
ment in 1839 the procession moved to the church, escorted by a troop
of horse and several companies of volunteers. The alumni oration
was delivered by William Price, esq., and the question, " Would it be
expedient for the United States to establish a national university?"
was debated by Benjamin Patten, esq., and Hon. John Reed. But
the organic defects of the charter, principally that of the joint action
in discipline of the faculty and board of trustees, occasioned new
difficulties. Before proposed changes to the charter could be finally
considered the board felt constrained in March, 1832, to consider the
question of suspending the operations of the college, with the result,
58 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
as previously detailed, of placing the college under the control of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
The first half century of the college, filled with difficulties and dis-
couragements of the most varied character and expedients of tenta-
tive character, is remarkable for the character of the work accom-
plished, as manifested in the percentage of its graduates that reached
high distinction, a fact to be accounted for by earnestness of its
instructors, as well as their high ability, and the serious consideration
given to all matters pertaining to the college.
The curriculum was about the same as that of other American col-
leges of that day, but for a number of years there seems to have been
no established course of study, no fixed date for commencement, as
as well as no division of students into classes. The first public com-
mencement was held September 27, 1787, at which the "first degree in
arts " was conferred on nine young men. In succeeding years they
were held at widely different dates. Up to 1800, when, in the opinion
of the faculty, a class could be advanced far enough for graduation
by a certain date, the fact was certified to the president of the board
of trustees, and a meeting of that body called for the date by regular
legal advertisement. A regular course of study for graduation wan
prescribed in 1796, and the students were then first classified as fresh-
men, juniors, and seniors; the sophomore class not appearing until
1814. The curriculum was almost as extensive in Latin and Greek
as at present. These, with arithmetic, almost monopolized the first
year. The method of instruction, wherever the subject permitted it,
was almost exclusively by lectures, required to be written out by the
student, a matter of frequent complaint on part of students on account
of the labor and time consumed, and occasioning on the part of the
board of trustees an abridgment of the amount of writing and fre-
quent recommendation of more frequent exercises in recitation and
examination, on the ground that "the dread of this circumstance had
deterred many young men from coming to the college."
Among the incentives to study we fail to recognize the bestowal of
college honors by the faculty. The Latin salutatory was regarded as
the highest honor, and next to it the valedictory, both of which were
left to the decision of the class until 1812, when the duty of assigning
them was imposed upon the faculty, owing to the fact that the classes
usually decided the matter on society lines; the literary society hav-
ing the numerical preponderance in the class even assuming to make
the nominations for its members in the class, and, according to Chief
Justice Taney, not hesitating to appropriate both the honors.
These literary societies — the Belles Lettres, founded in 1786, and
the Union Philosophical, founded in 1789 — from their foundation
have been credited by those who have enjoyed their privileges T^ith a
marked infiuence in the development of manly, self-reliant character
and with a culture peculiarly their own, especially in the art of extern-
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 59
X>oraneoas public speaking. Although until recently rigidly secret as
to the proceedings at their weekly meetings, they were known to be
strictly literary in character, and the society feeling that almost domi-
nated college life culminated at the annual literary contests between
them during commencement week, which were perhaps regarded with
deeper interest by the alumni, even of many years, than any of the
other exercises of that occasion. The libraries of these societies, the
accumulation of which began with their foundation and has continued
steadily with their years, have been valuable aid to the students in
furnishing reading peculiarly suited to their wants and tastes. They
aggregate now about 22,000 volumes. Although still in active and
useful existence, many causes have combined to give these societies a
place in college life secondary to that formerly occupied. In explain-
ing this change more influence has perhaps been ascribed to secret
fraternities than should be attributed to them, and too little account
has been taken of the changes in college customs and the multiplica-
tion of other societies and of athletic features, more attractive to the
average college student.
As college honors were left to be assigned by the class, so in place
of the demerit marks of a later day there was a system of fines for
securing attendance on recitations and prayers. A monitor of the
class, appointed weekly, called the roll upon every assembling of the
class after the professor had taken his chair. Absentees were fined,
according to the discretion of the professor, from 3d. to 6d. All
absences, fines, etc., were reported by the monitor at a weekly meet-
ing of the professors and all the students, held on Saturday morning,
when excuses were heard, fines collected, admonitions given, monitors
appointed, etc., and absence from this meeting was punished by a
fine of one-eighth of a dollar. The moneys received from these
sources were appropriated by the regulations to warming the build-
ings and keeping them in order. This plan of dealing with literary
and moral delinquencies is out of harmony with our present notions,
but it may have had some elements of efficiency in it, and is, after
all, not very different in character from a system purely of money
prizes for somewhat similar purposes, while it is more general in its
effect.
1833. Denominationcd, — The college started upon its second half
century under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church with
all the promise of success that fifty years of experience, new forces
and impulses, and able management, assured by the composition of its
new board of trustees, could give. The Rev. John P. Durbin, D. D.,
was elected president and professor of moral science, and was inducted
into office in September, 1834. This was a selection fully equal in
character to that of its first president. At the time he was editor of
the Christian Advocate, the most influential periodical of the denom-
ination. As a preacher no one in the country was more widely
60 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
known. His matchless and inexplicable eloquence had made him a
power wherever he was announced to appear. He had been chaplain
of the United States Senate and had declined a professorship at Wes-
leyan University. A graduate of a college and subsequently a pro-
fessor of languages, he was not a novice in the peculiarities of college
life. His varied acquisitions and tastes put him in full sympathy
with all branches of human learning. Every department and every
interest of the college felt the touch of his attention. As the organ-
izing and directing head of such an enterprise and as a college admin-
istrator he has, perhaps, never been surpassed. Much of his fitness
and his influence in the college were due to his high character as an
instructor, and as such he is remembered by all who came in contact
with him. As one of his colleagues has said: ''In the presence of his
classes Durbin did not merely hear recitations * * * he gave
instruction. He placed his own mind in electric communication with
the minds of his students." By a change of the charter all possibility
of difficulty by reason of mixed administration of discipline by the
board and faculty was avoided by making the decisions of the faculty
final, except in cases of expulsion, and all ground of misunderstanding
was removed by making the president of the college ex officio presi-
dent of the board of trustees.
Six professorships were agreed upon, and several professors were
provisionally elected. A department of law was also established
under the charge of Judge Reed, and limited to the fees from the
students for its support. A grammar school was first put in opera-
tion, which at the close of the year had 50 pupils. The chair of the
exact sciences was filled by Merrit Caldwell, A. M., a graduate of
Bowdoin College; that of ancient languages by Rev. Robert Emory,
A. M., a graduate of Columbia College. Upon declination of those
first elected,* W. H. Allen, A. M., a graduate of Bowdoin, was elected
professor of natural science, and Rev. John McClintock, A. M., a
graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was elected professor of
mathematics. These were all young men, not widely known, without
special reputation in the departments to which they had been
assigned, and, in fact, as the sequel showed, without decided predi-
lections for them. The mathematics were soon abandoned by Pro-
fessor McClintock for the more congenial study of languages and
metaphysics. Professor Allen eventually acquired his greatest repu-
tation outside of the department to which he was elected. Professor
Emory hesitated between the professor's chair and pastorate, with his
final decision in favor of the latter. But they all possessed natural
ability of the highest order. If not specialists, they had the broad
basis of a thorough liberal culture. They were studious and consci-
entious, as well as enthusiastic, in devotion to their work. They
recognized a common object in the advancement of the interests of
the college, and under the guidance and with the inspiration of the
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 61
association of the remarkable men at the head of the college, in a short
time they not only established reputations for themselves, but gave
to the institution prominence and a warm place in the affections of
the denomination particularly interested in it. Although general
financial depression occurred, the buildings were repaired, the
grounds were beautified. East College was erected, South College with
the lot on which it stands was purchased, and liberal expenditures
were made for the library and philosophical apparatus. A series of
Latin and Greek text-books which acquired a wide popularity were
edited by Professor McClintock, with the cooperation of Rev. George
R. Crooks, who had been added to the faculty as adjunct professor of
languages.
In 1845 Dr. Durbin resigned and returned to the pastorate, con-
strained by the "permanent interests of his children and family."
Professor Emory was at once elected his successor, and at the same
time Spencer F. Baird, a graduate of the class of 1840, was elected
professor of natural history, and continued his connection with the
college until called to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington.
The number of students increased. Dr. Emory had the confidence of
the church as well as of the trustees and faculty, and had barely
begun to demonstrate the wonderful elements of his character when
he was removed by death in 1847. Professor Caldwell's health had
been precarious for several years, and the announcement of the death
of these two gentlemen was made at the meeting of the trustees in
July, 1848 — the greatest loss the college under the new regime had
sustained. Professor McClintock also resigned to accept the editor-
ship of the Methodist Quarterly Review, reconciled more readily to
his departure from the institution by the sad changes that had
deprived him of his most intimate friends in the faculty, and also by
reason of restiveness under a restraint which he felt imposed upon
the free expression of his unequivocal antislavery sentiments. He
had passed through a trial for his life in the dock with twenty negroes,
because of his courageous friendship for them, and although acquitted
not only by the court, but by the friends of the college, the students,
and the intelligent public, he was still "McClintock the abolitionist,"
in a college which derived its patronage in largest proportion from
Maryland and Virginia.
In 1848 Rev. Jesse T. Peck, D. D., was elected president. Some
changes and additions were made to the faculty, the dissolution of
the "first faculty" being completed in 1850 by the resignation of Dr.
Allen to assume the presidency of Girard College and of Professor
Baird to assume the assistant secretaryship of the Smithsonian Insti-
tution. The administration of Dr. Emory had been one of strict dis-
cipline; that of Dr. Peck was one rather of moral suasion and mild
disciplinary expedients. The latter was a man of commanding pres-
ence and an excellent preacher. In 1851 he resigned with the deter-
62 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
•
mination to devote himself to the more congenial work of the pastorate.
He was subsequently elected a bishop. In July, 1852, Dr. Peck per-
sisting in his resignation. Rev. Charles Collins, D. D., president of
Emory and Henry College, Virginia, was elected president. With
this election the college entered upon an administration of marked
character, to which the preceding formed the transition from the old.
The endowment plan by sale of scholarships had so far succeeded as
to afford an income above the ordinary current expenses. The num-
ber of students reached the maximum in the history of the college —
nearly 250 in the college and grammar school. The faculty, though
wanting in the brilliancy of the "first faculty," proved excellent when
the members required work to be done. The chair of ancient lan-
guages was filled by Prof. J. W. Marshall, A. M., a ripe scholar and
an earnest teacher; the chair of mathematics by Rev. Otis H. Tiffany,
an eloquent preacher, both graduates of the college. The Rev. Erastus
Wentworth was professor of natural science, a man of peculiar pulpit
ability, and upon his resignation in 1854 Prof. William Wilson, a
graduate of the college, was called to the chair. But first in all the
qualities of teacher and administrator was Rev. Hermon M. Johnson,
D. D., who had been elected to the chair of English literature and
philosophy in 1850, and who succeeded to presidency of the college in
1860, upon the resignation of Dr. Collins. He was a ripe scholar, a
thoughtful and forcible preacher, and a suggestive and stimulating
teacher. The plan of endowment by sale of scholarships had been
originated by him.
For several years previous to his election the advancing tide of civil
war had begun to make itself felt in a college drawing its patronage
equally from both sections of the country. At the first outbreak of
hostilities the number of students rapidly diminished, and the col-
lege at the same time had to face the new embarrassment of dimin-
ished revenue by the failure in productiveness of part of its endowment.
But notwithstanding the depressing circumstances of this period, the
faculty carried on the regular work of the college without interrup-
tion, and each year at the regular time a class was graduated, that
of 1863, however, rather hastily and informally at an early hour of
the day from the college chapel, on account of the rumored near
approach of the invading army. Upon the occupation of the borough
by troops, a few days afterwards, not only the buildings and other
property of the college were left uninjured, but even the beautiful
campus was left unmarred, on account of the careful occupancy of
the boys in gray, many of whom had formerly been students. Dur-
ing the bombardment of the town by Fitzhugh Lee afterwards several
shells fell within the grounds, one entered the president's lecture
room and another South College.
With the return of peace, in 1865, new hope sprang up for the col-
lege. Upon the death of Professor Wilson, in 1865, Prof. Charles F.
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 68
Himes, of the class of 1855, previously of Troy University, at that
time resident in Germany, was elected professor of natural science.
In the correspondence with President Johnson he had suggested that
the privilege of election of equivalent practical scientific studies for
linguistic studies in the junior and senior years might add to the
efficiency of the college, a recommendation that was adopted by the
board, and was at once inaugurated by the privilege of election of
one afternoon per week of laboratory work for the Greek of the junior
year and for the Greek and Latin of the senior year. In this new depar-
ture the college was thus one of the verj^^ first, according to the Report
of the United States Bureau of Education. The plan at first was con-
fined from necessity exclusively to chemical work, but as facilities
and time permitted physical work was provided, and upon the com-
pletion of the Jacob Tome scientific building, in 1884, a physical
laboratory was provided and a complete elective callegiate physical
laboratory course inaugurated. Upon Dr. Johnson's suggestion an
elective course in Hebrew in lieu of the higher mathematics of the
junior and senior years was established about the same time as the
scientific elective course, which has met a felt want under the able
instruction of Rev. H. M. Harman, LL. D., for more than twenty
years. The improvement in the finances of the college by the gifts
to its dowment during the centennial of the Methodist Church in 1866
augured well for the general prosperity of tlie college, when the death
of President Johnson, in April, 1868, left it without the one most
thoroughly conversant with its possibilities as well as its needs, and
just as some of his best-formed plans might have been realized.
The Rev. R. L. Dasliiell, D. D., of the class of 1846, was then elected
president. A fine preacher, a genial gentleman, of fine presence and
influence, and attached to his Alma Mater, he had scarcely time to
become thoroughly acquainted with the novel and intricate duties of
his position before he was called to a high official position in the
church in 1872. lie was succeeded by Rev. J. A. McCauley, D. D.,
of the class of 1847, for many years a member of the Baltimore Con-
ference, and not without experience as an educator. He was most
cordially received by the faculty and friends of the college. The
finances of the college, by reason of the centennial collection, were in
an excellent condition, and the outlook was unusually promising.
By reason of some changes in the faculty which led to litigation con-
siderable ill feeling was created, which checked for a time the progress
of the college. But as its centennial approached, in 1883, a disposition
was manifested on the part of its friends to do everything that might
be necessary to give it the highest efficiency. As a result of this
effort, the Jacob Tome Scientific Building, the James W. Bosler
Memorial Library Hall, and the gymnasium were erected and South
College was enlarged and remodeled, and, besides, about $10,000
expended upon the repairs and improvement of the old buildings, and
64 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
about $50,000 added to the endowment fund. In June, 1888, Dr.
McCauley presented his resignation to the board of trustees, leaving
the college plant much enlarged in buildings and its endowment
much increased. The most notable educational change during his
administration was the admission of women to all the privileges of
the college, an innovation which the high rank immediately assumed
by them in college classes seemed to justify.
In April, 1889, Rev. George E. Reed, D. D., a graduate of Wesleyan
University, and for twenty years a popular pastor in the New York East
Conference, entered upon the duties of the presidency, the college
having been administered ad interim, after the resignation of Dr.
McCauley, by Professor Himes.
The administration of Dr. Reed thus far has been characterized by
energetic attention to the external condition of the college. The
buildings and grounds have been put in complete order. Steam heat
from a central plant has been introduced into all the buildings. An
athletic field has been purchased and put in excellent condition. A
commodious residence for the president has been fitted up upon a lot
purchased for the purpose, separated from the campus by Main street.
The preparatory school building has been enlarged to accommodate
the increased numbers. In the work of the college he has mainly given
personal attention to instruction in oratory. The number of elective
studies has been increased. A chair of the English Bible and Semitic
history has been established. Post-graduate courses of study have
been arranged. Physical training and athletics have been given
greater prominence. Alumni representation has been introduced into
the board of trustees and its number enlarged.
The most marked success has been in the reestablishment of the
law school, as authorized in January, 1890. Originally established
under the direction of Judge Reed in 1834, as previously stated, it
soon acquired a high reputation and large patronage, and many of its
graduates attained eminence in public life as well as in the profes-
sion. For various reasons, among them the general depression of
the college by the war, it subsequently became to be regarded simply
as a matter of convenience for such students as desired to avail
themselves of it, and in 1882, with* the death of Judge Graham, who
had filled the position of professor of law, it ceased to exist. The
president and local committee, to whom its reestablishment was
intrusted, were fortunate in securing the services as dean of Prof.
William Trickett, LL. D., an accomplished scholar, a profound stu-
dent, and a legal author of established reputation, and withal an apt
and enthusiastic instructor. The success has surpassed all expecta-
tions. During the year 1891-92, 35 students were enrolled, and a class
of 13 received the degree of LL. D., Chief Justice Paxson delivering
the address upon the occasion. The school is under a separate board
of incorporators, which includes many eminent jurists and public
DICKINSON COLLEGE. 65
men. The faculty of the law school includes William Trickett, LL. D. ,
dean and professor of the law of real estate; E. L. Thorpe, Ph. D.,
LL. D., professor of criminal law; M. W. Jacobs, A. M., professor of
equity; Wilbur F. Sadler, professor of practice; J. M. Weakley, pro-
fessor of the law of torts.
The following compose the faculty of the college : George E. Reed,
D. D., LL. D., president and professor of moral science; Charles F.
Uimes, Ph. D. , professor of physics ; Henry M. Harman, D. D. , LL. D. ,
. professor of Greek and Hebrew and librarian ; Henry C. Whiting,
Ph. D., professor of Latin; Fletcher Durell, Ph. D., professor of
mathematics and astronomy; O. B. Super, Ph. D., professor of mod-
ern languages; James H. Morgan, A. M., professor of Greek and
political economy; William B. Lindsay, A. B., B. S., professor of
chemistry; Bradford O. Mclntire, A. M., professor of English litera-
ture and history; Robert W. Rogers, Ph. D., professor of the Englifjh
Bible and Semitic history; Willard G. Lake, A. M., instructor in
physiology, hygiene, and physical culture.
509»— 02 5
VI.
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE.*
By Theodore Appel, D. D.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE, LANCASTER, PA., FOUNDED A. D. 1787.
The early German settlers in Pennsylvania in their day sought, as
a matter of primary importance, to erect churches and to establish
for themselves parochial schools in connection with their congrega-
tions. Through the influence of the Rev. Michael Schlatter, a Swiss
missionary, a fund was secured in England for the support of what
were called charity or free schools, for the benefit of the German
population of the State, in which both the Grerman and English lan-
guages were to be taught. Mr. Schlatter served as " superintendent"
of these schools, under the direction of the trustees of said fund in
Philadelphia, for several years preceding the year 1757.
These schools had a happy effect, but were only partially success-
ful. The movement in their favor was prompted by the highest prin-
ciples of Christian benevolence; but it came to be regarded by many
persons as involving also a secular or political motive. Archbishop
Herring, of England, speaking on this subject, had said that ** it would
be a dreadful thing if the Germans of Pennsylvania should come
under the influence of the French and Jesuits and finally drive the
English out of America." The schools flourished for awhile, but
became unpopular with the people in the course of time; and the
Germans then determined to educate their children themselves in
their own parochical schools, having received a wholesome stimulus
to do so from their English brethren.
As the German clergy, Lutheran and Reformed, were well-educated
men, having been trained in the universities or schools of Grermany
before they came to America, the thought of establishing a high school,
a gymnasium, or a university in this country for the education of
their successors in the sacred office and for higher education in gen-
eral occurred to them at an early day, and Franklin College was the
result of their reflections.
The clergymen more prominent in the founding of this college were
the two German pastors in Philadelphia, Lutheran and Reformed,
•The acconnt of 1890-18W and the bibliography have been furnished by Prof.
Joseph H. Dubbs*
66
FBANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE. 67
Drs. J. H. C. Helmuth, C. D. Weiberg, and at Lancaster, Drs. 6. H. E.
Muhlenberg and W. Hendel. Many distinguished laymen in the
State also took part in the movement, among whom we may mention
the honorables Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Richard Rush, Thomas Mif-
flin, Thomas McKean, Peter Muhlenberg, and Joseph Hiester. Dr.
Rush, urging upon others the importance of the new institution at
Lancaster, said that existing circumstances "have determined me
more than ever to look to my German brethren (excuse the term) as
the future reservoirs and vehicles to posterity of a great part of the
knowledge, virtue, and religion of Pennsylvania."
The charter of Franklin College was granted by the general assem-
bly of Pennsylvania on March 10, 1787. The reasons assigned for
this act of legislative favor were, in the first place, because ''the
citizens of this State of German birth and extraction have eminently
contributed, by their industry, economy, and public virtues, to raise
the State to its present happiness and prosperity; secondly, because
these citizens and others made their application from a desire to
increase the blessings derived from the possession of property and
free government, and, thirdly, because the preservation of the prin-
ciples of the Christian religion and of our republican form of gov-
ernment in their purity depends, under God, in a great measure on
the establishment and support of suitable places of education for
the purpose of training up a succession of youth who, by being enabled
fully to understand the grounds of both, may be led the more zeal-
ously to practice the one and the more zealously to defend the other."
The institution was to be a college in the usual sense of the term,
with something of the nature of a university about it, including also
a charity school, "for the instruction of the youth in the German,
Latin, Greek, and other learned languages; in theology, and in the
useful arts, sciences, and literature; and from a profound respect for
the talents, virtues, and services to mankind in general, but more
especially to this Commonwealth, of his excellency Benjamin Frank-
lin, esq., president of the supreme executive council, the said college
shall be, and hereby is, denominated 'Franklin College.'" Fifteen
of the trustees were to belong to the Lutheran Church, 15 to the
Reformed, and 15 to other Christian denominations.
The legislature, in order further to promote the interests of the
young institution, made it a grant of 10,000 acres of land lying in the
northern part of the State, which, although of little value at the time,
subsequently became productive, and was made to subserve a useful
purpose.
The trustees held their first meeting in Lancaster, June 5, 1787, and
organized the faculty by appointing professors for the different
departments of study. Dr. Muhlenberg was elected principal; Dr.
Hendel, vice-principal; Rev. F. V. Melsheimer, professor of Latin,
Greek, and German; Mr. William Reichenbach, of mathematics, and
i
68 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Rev. Joseph Hutchins, of the English language and literature. In
regard to the personnel of this honorable body of teachers, Dr. Rush,
in an article in the Pennsylvania Gazette of that day, said that " a
cluster of more learned or better qualified masters, I believe, have
not met in any university."
The formal opening of the college took place on the 6th of June
following, and was an event of much interest, attracting thousands
of people to witness the ceremonies. His excellency. Dr. Franklin,
president of the State, was present and gave dignity and grace to the
occasion. Dr. Muhlenberg delivered the sermon in German, and Dr.
Hutchins, an Episcopalian, in the English language. A Lancaster
correspondent of the Gazette in Philadelphia wrote that the people
were much surprised and delighted to see so many clergymen of dif-
ferent religious denominations — ^some four or five of them — ^taking
part in the same meeting, a sight that had been seldom witnessed in
those days.
In addition to those already mentioned the following gentlemen
occupied chairs in the faculty during the history of the institution
from 1787 to 1853: James Ross, Benedict Schipper, W. C. Brownlee,
Thos. T. Norr, of Denmark, Doyle, Snowden, Cassidy Armstrong, F.
A. Muhlenberg, and J. Chapman. Professor Schipper published a
German and English dictionary, Professor Brownlee became a distin-
guished divine in the Reformed Dutch Church, and James Ross,
whilst professor of Latin and Greek, published his celebrated Latin
grammar and other Latin helps, at Lancaster, in the early part of the
present century.
Dr. Ross was one of the best Latin scholars in this country at the
time. On one occasion he fell into a controversy on the comer of the
street with Dr. Christian L. Becker, pastor of the Reformed Church
and author, but they soon found they could not understand each
other's language, and then began to converse in Latin, but owing to
difference in the pronunciation of that learned tongue the difficulty
remained as great as it had been before. * It was then agreed that
they should carry on the debate in Latin through the newspapers of
the town in the use of that language. The discussion was continued
in this way for some time, very much to the amusement of their
readers. This rencounter of the great Latinist, with German learning,
had a salutary effect upon his mind, for when he published his edition
of the Colloquies of Corderius, at Lancaster, in 1804, he thankfully
acknowledged his obligations to Dr. Becker and Dr. Muhlenberg for
"their able assistance in examining and correcting the proof sheets
of this new book."
Franklin College, starting out with such an auspicious beginning,
went into operation, but, owing to a concatenation of circumstances,
more particularly the want of a sufficient endowment or financial sup-
port, it did not meet with the expectation of its founders. It never
FBANKLIN AND MABSHALL COLLEGE. 69
became a college in the proper sense of the term; it did not graduate
any of its students, and it did not rise to be anything higher than a
respectable classical school for the city of Lancaster, without attract-
ing students from other parts of the State.
The existence of the so-called college for more than a half of a cen-
tury was, however, not in vain. In the course of time its 10,000
acres of public domain came into the market, and in 1850 it found
that, while it had no college classes, it had accumulated a respect-
able college endowment, amounting to $51,000. The trustees then
felt it to be their duty to make the best use of the funds committed
to their charge. At first it was thought ad\isable to erect the neces-
sary building, and to convert the high school into a regular college;
but after further reflection the conclusion arrived at was that it would
be more judicious to consolidate their own institution with Marshall
College, at Mercersburg, thus diminishing rather than increasing the
number of such institutions in the State. The union, after some
delay, was effected and carried out in the year 1853, when Franklin
and Marshall College commenced its history.
MARSHALL COLLEGE, AT MERCERSBURG, PA., FOUNDED A. D. 1836.
In the year 1829 a classical school was established in connection
with the theological seminary of the German Reformed Church at
York, Pa., and placed under the direction of the Rev. Daniel Young,
one of the theological professors. After his death, in 1831, the Rev.
Dr. Frederick Augustus Ranch, of the university at Heidelberg, Ger-
many, was elected by the synod of the church to fill his place, with
such assistants as were needed from time to time. In the year 1834
Mr. Samuel W. Budd, jr., a graduate of Princeton College, New
Jersey, was associated with him as professor of mathematics and other
English branches, by whose tact and skill the course of studies was
gradually enlarged until it approached the regular college curriculum.
The high school, by order of the synod, was removed to Mercers-
burg, Pa., in 1835, the seminary following it in 1837, and formally
constituted a college under a charter from the State of Pennsylvania
in 1836, signed by Joseph Ritner, then governor. In honor of Chief
Justice John Mai'shall, the legal Washington of this country, it was
named Marshall College.
In connection with the grant of a charter in 1836, the legislature
of Pennsylvania was so liberal and enlightened in those days as to
donate $10,000 for the benefit of the new college, as it had been doing
in the case of other colleges in the State, and for several years after-
ward, in order to strengthen it in its infancy, it made an additional
gift of $1,000 annually, which ceased sooner than was originally
intended, on account of the financial embarrassment of the State.
Under its new auspices Dr. Rauch became the first president of
70 BDUOATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the college, who, with the assistance of Professor Budd, arranged the
students into the usual four classes of a college course. The first
commencement was held in 1837, when there was one graduate, who
received all the honors. From that time onward the graduates
increased from year to year, and during the continuance of the col-
lege at Mercersburg — from 1836 to 1853 — the number of graduates was
182, while many more of the students pursued a partial course of
study in the college or the preparatory department.
During the period just mentioned the following professors occupied
chairs in the faculty:
As presidents and professors of mental and moral philosophy — Rev.
Dr. F. A. Ranch from 1836 to 1841, and Rev. Dr. J. W. Nevin from
1841 to 1853.
As professors of mathematics^ physics^ and astronomy — Samuel W.
Budd, jr., from 1836 to 1846; Thomas D. Baird, esq., from 1847 to 1849,
and Rev. Theodore Appel from 1851 to 1853.
Of the ancient languages and belles letters — Rev. Joseph F. Berg,
from 1836 to 1837; Rev. Edward Bourne, from 1837 to 1838; Rev.
Albert Smith, from 1838 to 1840, and William M. Nevin, esq., Irom
1840 to 1853.
Of the German language and literature — Dr. F. A. Ranch, from 1 836
to 1841, and Dr. Philip Schaff, from 1844 to 1853.
Of chemistry^ geology ^ and natural history — S. W. Budd, jr., from
1836 to 1841; Traill Green, M. D., from 1841 to 1848; Rev. Thomas C.
Porter, from 1849 to 1853.
Of jurisprudence — ^Ilon. Alexander Thompson, LL. D., from 1837
to 1848.
Tutors or adjunct professors, — Mostly graduates of the college or
theological students: David T. Stoddard, Andrew S. Young, Rev.
Gardner Jones, Rabbi H. C. Bernstein, Christian R. Kessler, Theodore
Appel, John Cessna, George D. Wolff, Maximilian Stern, E. W. Rei-
necke, David A. Wilson, Franklin D. Stem, John S. Ermentrout,
Beecher C. Wolff, George B. Russel, and Clement Z. Weiser.
Rectors of the preparatory department — Rev. W. A. Good, Rev. A.
S. Young, J. H. Good, A. J. M. Hudson, J. S. Loose, D. Snively,
C. Z. Weiser, and S. G. Wagner, with theological students as
assistants.
The lair school connected with the college was located at Chambers-
burg, Pa., under the direction of Judge Thompson. During its
continuance, from 1837 to 1848, it graduated a limited number of
batchelors of law, among whom were the Hon. Mr. Hendricks, late
Vice-President of the United States, and the Hon. John Scott, United
States Senator.
The death of President Ranch in 1841, in the meridian of his useful
life, inflicted a severe loss upon the young institution to which he had
devoted his life and best energies. He had studied at the universities
t&ANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE. 71
of Marburg, Giessen, and Heidelberg, Grermany, and was on the eve
of receiving an appointment at Heidelberg as a permanent professor
when, for being an ardent advocate of free principles, like FoUen and
Lieber, he was compelled to flee as an exile to America in 1831. In
1840 he published his Psychology, or View of the Human Soul, in-
cluding Anthropology, a work of decided merit, and was about to
prepare for the press his lectures on Christian ethics and jesthetics
when he fell at his post, in 1841, in the thirty-fifth year of his age, in
the midst of his rising fame. His was one of the best minds of Germany
transplanted to this country. He excelled as a linguist and natu-
ralist, but more particularly as a philosopher and theologian, and
teemed with learning. It was his wish to unite German and English
philosophy, not in the way of an ''elective compound," which was to
be neither the one nor the other, but rather the organic union of the
two in which the better element of each should be duly represented
and appear in a living growth. The end aimed at was an Anglo-
German philosophy, and if his life had been spared a few years longer
it is believed that by his thorough scholarship he would have made
valuable contributions to the philosophical literature of his adopted
country. He was a Christian philosopher, and the impulse which he
gave to philosophic thought is still felt, more particularly in Pennsyl-
vania. A selection of his sermons, edited by Dr. E. V. Gerhart, one
of his pupils, was published in 1856, under the title The Inner Life
of the Christian.
The withdrawal of the annual appropriation of the State to the
colleges took place about the time of Dr. Ranch's decease, and the
trustees of the college did not think that the finances of the college
were sufficient to pay the salary of a successor. Dr. John W. Nevin,
professor in the seminary, was accordingly requested to serve as tem-
porary president, in connection with his other duties, and he continued
to serve in that capacity until the year 1853, because the treasury
during that period was not in a condition to secure a competent per-
son to relieve him of his additional duties. He declined all remuner-
ation for his services, and advised the trustees to strengthen the
faculty by the appointment of an additional professor. Providen-
tially this was accomplished by the appointment of Dr. Traill Green, of
Easton, Pa., as professor of the natural sciences, who, by his enthu-
siasm and superior ability, awakened a new interest in the study of
nature in the minds of the students, a branch which previously had
received too little attention.
Dr. Nevin, by his profound acquaintance with German literature
and science, was in an eminent degree qualified to become the succes-
sor of such a man as Dr. Ranch. He mastered the systems of ethics
and mental phil()soi)hy taught by the latter, added materially to their
elucidation, and, with his superior comnmnd of the English language,
gave a new impulse to Anglo-Gc^rnuin thought. He wrote extensively
72 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
for the public press, engaged in numerous theological controversies
with distinguished men in this country and Europe, and rose to be
one of the foremost theologians of his age. (See his Life and
Work, p. 776, by Theodore Appel, Philadelphia, 1889. Also, Recol-
lections of College Life at Mercersburg, by the same author, p. 348,
1886.)
Dr. Nevin's reputation as a scholar and writer gave luster and fame
to the institutions at Mercersburg. His students caught his spirit
and did much to promote their best interests. In 1843 and 1844 the
two literary societies, Diagnothian and Goethean, by their own
activity and spirit of enterprise, erected for their use two beautiful
halls, chaste in style, resembling temples devoted to the muses, which
arrested the attention of strangers as the chief ornaments of the town.
In the year 1844, Dr. Philip Schaff, of the University of Berlin,
Germany, became one of the professors in the seminary at Mercers-
burg, and there entered upon his literary career in this country, which
has given him a world-wide reputation as an author. At the same
time he was appointed professor of German literature in the college,
which served to strengthen its character as an Anglo-German insti-
tution. In conjunction with Dr. Nevin he performed an invaluable
service in awakening Pennsylvania Germans out of their intellectual
slumbers and inducing them to send .their sons to college. In 1848
Dr. Schaff founded Der Kirchenf reund, a valuable theological monthly
and a useful organ for the two German churches of this country,
Lutheran and Reformed. In 1851 he published his History of the
Apostolic Church, in the German language, for which, as well as for
his monthly, he had to import type and printer to the village of Mer-
cersburg. In noticing this his first volume on church history, the
Princeton Review said that it placed " its author in the highest rank
of living or contemporary church historians," a position which by his
many other learned works he has fully maintained during subse-
quent years. At a later period he was one of the theological profess-
ors in Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He died in
October, 1893 In the year 1846 Dr. Nevin published his Mystical
Presence, a Vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic Doctrine of
the Holy Eucharist," and from time to time other smaller theological
treatises; but up to the year 1848 he was under the necessity of
addressing the public on theological and philosophical subjects through
the weekly paper of the church. This subjected him to considerable
inconvenience, and it began to be felt that there was need of a more
general medium in which his more elaborate articles of a theological
or philosophical character might appear in a more permanent form.
The alumni association of the college accordingly, in the year 1849,
established the Mercersburg Review and Dr. Nevin became its lead-
ing contributor. His numerous articles in the Review, all evincing
great breadth of thought, gave it a high character. From 1849 to 1883
FRAKKLIN AKD MABSHALL COLLEGE. 78
he had made over 100 contributions to its pages of more than ordi-
nary length and ability, enough to fill several large octavo volumes.
The Review was the literar}' organ of both college and seminary, and
had much to do in determining their character, as well as in promot-
ing their prosperity and success.
In the year 1850 the trustees of Franklin College, at Lancaster,
influenced to some extent by the reputation of the Mercersburg pro-
fessors, made a proposition to consolidate their own institution with
Marshall College. It was fair and honorable in every respect, carrying
with it the prospect of mutual advantage to both institutions, and
apparently well calculated to carry out the original intention of their
founders. The project was encompassed with serious difficulties at
Lancaster, Mercersburg, and in the legislature at IIarrisl)urg. At
Lancaster they were overcome by the personal efforts of ex-Pi-esident
Buchanan, Dr. Samuel W. Bowman, Episcopal rector at Lancjister,
and other intelligent citizens; at Ilarrisburg, by a plain statement of
the case, and at Mercersburg and vicinity, where the college had
enlisted no small amount of local pride. Dr. Keim, by his commanding
influence among the trustees and in the church, was enabled to sur-
mount all opposition, and the consolidation became an established fact
in the spring of the year 1853. The institution at Lancaster had a
resi)ectable endowment, with no college classes; the one at Mercers-
burg had the latter, with only a limited amounti of the former. The
union was generally regarded as wise and judicious.
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE, AT LANCASTER, PA.
CONSOLIDATED A. D. 1853.
The proposition of the trustees of Franklin. College, at Lancaster,
Pa., made in 1849, to consolidate their institution with Marshall Col-
lege, at Merceraburg, was promptly accepted, but it required several
years before it could be carried into effect. It involved a pledge that
the citizens of Lancaster city and county would contribute a sum of
$25,000 for the purchase of ground and the erection of necessary
buildings for the use of the new college. At the time there was con-
siderable prejudice against, colleges among the Germans, as well as
others in the State of Pennsylvania, and it took moi'c than twoyeai's
for an indefatigable agcmt, — Uev. John Casper Bucher — to collect in
the so-called "Garden of the State" the amount of money calU^d for
in the case. The bill for the consolidation of the two colleges was
approved by the legislature April 19,1851, but the charter was not
issued by the governor until 1852, when it appeared that all the
conditions which it included were^ complied with.
According to the chai-ter of Franklin College one-third of the trus-
tees were required to belong to the Reform(Ml Church and one-third to
the Lutheran; but for various reasons it was deemed advisable that
i
74 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the new institution should be predominantly under the control of a
single religious denomination. It was therefore agreed that the
Reformed should pay the Lutherans one-third of the value of the
Franklin College property, estimated at $51,000, which was to be
devoted to the endowment of the Franklin professorship of languages
in Pennsylvania College, a prominent Lutheran institution at Gettys-
burg, Pa. This amount, $17,000, was paid over by the Reformed
Synod on demand, and the agreement was regarded as satisfactory
on all sides. In view of the fulfillment of this condition the new
charter required that two-thirds of the trustees should belong to the
Reformed Church, and that the other third might be of different eccle-
siastical connections. In the course of time an amendment was made
to the charter to the effect that three new trustees should be annually
elected by the Reformed Synod from the nominations made by the
board of trustees of the college and the synod.
The gentlemen active in effecting the consolidation were among the
most prominent citizens of Lancaster City and the State, consisting of
ex-President James Buchanan, the Rev. Dr. Samuel W. Bowman,
afterwards bishop, John L. Atlee, M. D., John Reynolds, Hon. Henry
G. Long, Hon. Emanuel C. Reigart, Hon. A. L. Hayes, D. W. Patter-
son, esq., Nathaniel Ellmaker, esq., Christopher Ilager, John Baus-
man, Samuel Humes, M. D., Hon. Joseph Konigmacher, Hon. William
Hiester, Hon. Abraham Peters, Hon. David Krause, J. W. Gloninger,
M. D., Hon. Henry Ruby, Barnard Wolff, William Heyser, and others.
Dr. J. W. Nevin was unanimously chosen president of the college,
but on account of the critical state of his health he felt compelled to
decline the appointment, which was a matter of deep regret to the
friends of the college generally. Thereupon Dr. Philip Schaff was
elected to fill his place, but the Reformed Synod was not willing that
he should withdraw from his position as professor of theology in the
seminary at Mercersburg. The college therefore remained without a
head until the fall of the year 1854, when the Rev. Dr. E. V. Gerhart,
president of Heidelberg College, Tiflfin, Ohio, was called to nil the
vacancy. He had graduated at Mercersburg in the year 1838, had
been a pupil of Dr. Ranch for many years, and his appointment as
president of his alma mater gave general satisfaction. He became an
efl&cient ofl&cer, and added materially to the strength of the faculty.
He was well qualified to teach Dr. Ranch's Psychology and Christian
Ethics, and published a translation of Beck's Logic, to which he added
an extensive Introduction to the Study of Philosophy in General, a
work of decided merit. By his enthusiasm he gave an impulse to the
study of logic among the students, something needed at the time, as
this branch of study had been somewhat neglected in the philosoph-
ical course of the college. He also published a selection of the ser-
mons of Dr. Ranch in a volume under the title of the "Inner Life
of the Christian."
FRANKLIK AND MABSHALL COLLEGE. 75
During the spring of 1853 tlie faculty and students of Marshall
College removed to Lancaster and entered upon the usual summer
term of study in the old Franklin College building, which answered
their purpose until better accommodations could be made for them.
In the month of June the formal opening of the college was proclaimed
in Fulton Hall, which was largely attended, and indicated a hearty
welcome from the citizens of the place. The Right Rev. Alonzo Pot-
ter, bishop of Pennsylvania, was present and added to tlie interest of
the occasion by a graceful address, as the representative of the State;
an address of welcome in behalf of the city of Lancaster was delivered
by the Hon. A. L. Hayes, and Dr. Nevin as the representative of the
college delivered the main discourse of the evening, in which he dwelt
largely on the character of the education called for by the State of
Pennsylvania as an Anglo-German State. At the commencement in
September following. Dr. Nevin presided and conferred the degrees, in
connection with which he delivered an elaborate baccalaureate address
on "Man's true destiny." See his Life and Work, already referred to,
pages 445-461.
From the year 1853 the following gentlemen served as professors
in the college, assisted from time to time by tutors:
As presidents and professors of mental aiul moral philosophy, — Rev.
E. V. Gerhart, D. D., from 1854 to 1866; Rev. John W. Nevin, D. D.,
from 1866 to 1876; Rev. Thomas G. Appel, D. D., from 1877 to 1889,
and Rev. John S. Stahr, Ph. D., from 1889 to date (1902).
Of mathematicSy physics, and astronomy. — Rev. Theodore Appel,
D. D., from 1853 to 1872, and of physics and astronomy from 1872 to
1877; Rev. Walter E. Krebs, A. M., from 1872 to 1877; Frederick K.
Smyth, A. M., from 1877 to 1880, and Jefferson E. Kershner, Ph. D.,
from 1880 to date.
Of ancient languages and heUes-lettres, — William M. Nevin, LL. D.,
from 1853 to 1872, and of English literature and belles-lettres from
1872 to 1892; Rev. D. M. Wollf, A. M., from 1873 to 1875; Rev. N. C.
Schaelfer, Ph. D., from 1876 to 1877; John B. Kieffer, Ph. D., from
1877 to date, and George F. Mull, A. M., adjunct professor from 1886 to
date.
Of natural science, chemistry, and geology. — Rev. Thomas C. Por-
ter, D. D., from 1853 to 1866; Charles II. Budd, M. D., from 1867 to
1871; Rev. John S. Stahr, Ph. D., from 1871 to 1889, and Rev. Richard
C. Schiedt, from 1888 to date.
Of history and cesthetics. — Adolphus L. Koeppen, A. M., from 1853
to 1861; Rev. J. W. Nevin, D. 1)., from 1861 to 18()6.
Of the German language and literature. — Adolphus L. Koeppen,
A. M., from 1853 to 1861; Rev. F. W. A. Falk, Ph. D., from 1864 to
1867; Rev. John S. Stahr, Pli. I)., from 1871 to 1889.
Of history and archaeology. — Rev. Joseph 11. Dubbs, D. D., from
1875 to date.
76 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Of anatomy and physiology, — John L. Atlee, M. D.. from 1853 to
1885.
Rectors of academy, with assistants, — Cyrus V. Mays, A. M., Rev.
D. M. Wolff, A. M., Rev. N. C. Schaeffer, A. M., Rev. James Craw-
ford, A. M., Rev. Georf^e F. Mull, A. M., and W. W. Moore.
The faculty, which had been transferred from Mercersburg to Lan-
caster, was strengthened by a new colleague in the person of Adolphus
L. Koeppen, as professor of German literature and history, who here
deserves a passing notice. He was born at Copenhagen, Denmark,
February 14, 1804, where he completed his studies in the university.
He was professor of history in the military college in the island of
^gina, Greece, from 1834 to 1846; public lecturer on history in the
United States from 1846 to 1853; professor at Lancaster from 1853 to
1861 ; subsequently librarian of the royal library and a member of the
court of King Otho at Athens, Greece, where he died from an acci-
dent in 1873. While he was professor at Lancaster he prepared for
the press his World in the Middle Ages, a work of superior merit,
accompanied with a valuable Historico-Geographical Atlas, which
was published by Appleton & Co., New York, in 1854.
Dr. Falk, who succeeded Professor Koepj)en in the chair of history
and German literature, was also an interesting personage. He was
born in Silesia, Germany, November 10, 1805, where his father was a
superintendent in the Lutheran Church. He studied in the University
of Breslau, and in 1848 was elected member of the Parliament that
met at Frankfort-on-the-Main, as a representative of the Liberals
who were in favor of a united Germany. In 1849 he was again
elected a member of the Parliament in Berlin, representing the same
party. He was closely related to Von Falk, the distinguished Ger-
man statesman and minister of cultus at Berlin. In 1852 he sailed
for America, served as professor of Latin and Greek in St. James
College, Maryland, and was ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church
in 1859. In 1867, after three years of service as professor at Lancas-
ter, he became professor of modern languages in Racine College,
Wisconsin, where he continued to teach for twenty years, and died
in Nebraska on a visit to a friend, November 13, 1887. He was an
admirable specimen of a German gentleman in his manners, and it is
a remarkable fact that a short time before he left Lancaster, in an
address before the students, he predicted with the utmost confidence
that it would not be long before Germany would be united, with Prus-
sia at its head. The prediction was verified sooner than his audience
expected.
The college, transplanted to a new soil at Lancaster, took root,
increased in strength, and soon began to exercise a quickening influ-
ence upon the German population in the eastern part of the State and
elsewhere in favor of a higher education. The students showed the
same zeal for the college as they had done at Mercersburg. Soon
FBANKLDT AND MABSHALL COLLEGE. 77
after they came to Lancaster they went to work and oy their
own efforts, mainly, erected for themselves halls for their literary
societies, sach as they had been accustomed to at Mercersburg, at a
cost of $10,000 for each. They were placed on either side of the main
building of the college, as detached wings, which added very much
to its appearance on the heights of Lancaster, commanding an
extended view of the country in all directions.
A handsome addition was made to the endowment of the college by
Elder Henry Leonard, of Basil, Ohio, in 1863, during the war. He
had been successful as an agent of Heidelberg College, at Tifl&n, Ohio,
and by what he regarded as a premonition or dream believed that he
had a divine call to labor for the institutions of his church in the East
as well as in the West. By his faith and Christian spirit in a com-
paratively brief period of time he secured over $33,000 in reliable
subscriptions, and returned to his home in the West with the con-
sciousness that he had done his duty and with the kindest wishes of
all who had given him large amounts of their money as well as of all
other friends of the college.
Amidst its new surroundings at Lancaster, the number of its grad-
uates increased from year to year. For a time it held its own during
the war, but at length it had to succumb in a considerable degree to
its demoralizing effects. In 1802 the graduates numbered 28, but in
1866 only 6. Under the quickening influences of the establishment
of peace, however, its friends rallied, determined to impart to it a new
impulse and a more vigorous life. The faculty was reconstructed,
and Dr. Nevin was once more called to take charge of the institution
as president, with his predecessor as vice-president at his side. Thus
reconstructed we may say that the faculty was much stronger than it
had been before, without casting any reflections on its ability or pre-
vious efficiency. It was believed that his name and fame would serve
to impart strength to the movement to place the college upon a better
basis, which turned out to be the case. It was decided that at least
$200,000 should be raised to meet its wants, so as to enable it to keep
up with the demands of the times. The Rev. Dr. Bernard C. Wolff,
retired theological professor, secured from Mr. Lewis Audenried, of
Philadelphia, Pa. , a legacy of $35,000 for the endowment of a professor-
ship, which with other contributions secured by him and others during
President Nevin's term of office amounted to about $70,000. Largely
through Dr. Nevin's influence, in connection with that of other dis-
interested friends of the college, a tract of over 3,000 acres of land
in Somerset County, Pa., was bequeathed to the college and seminary,
two-thirds to the former and one-third to the latter. It was the gift
of the Wilhelm family, Benjamin, Peter, and Mary, all unmarried,
who, having connected themselves witli the church late in life, by a
solemn covenant devote<l their earthly possessions in this way to the
cause of Christ. Their counselors were Hon. William J. Baer,
78 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Herman L. Baer, esq., and Rev. A. B. Koplin, the friends equally
of Dr. Nevin and the college at Lancaster. The legacy became
available in 1878. Thus far it has been productive in satisfying the
reasonable claims of the legal heirs, amounting to $25,000. The land
is valuable for agricultural and mineral purposes, and at no distant
day as it comes into the market it will no doubt increase the perma-
nent endowment of the college to the full extent of $200,000, the
amount designated in a moment of enthusiasm in the year 1866.
The college building, dedicated in 1856, was constructed without any
dormitories, intended simply for recitation rooms, library, chapel, and
other purposes. At first it was thought best to allow the students to
board in private families, but this was a mere experiment, and in the
course of time there was a demand for a boarding house on the col-
lege campus where the students, in part at least, could live and board
together. The corner stone of the new building was laid during the
commencement of 1871, and the edifice was named after Dr. Henry
Harbaugh, professor of theology, then recently deceased, who had first
urged the erection of such a building. It cost 115,000, for which pro-
vision was made by liberal contributions to be devoted to that purpose
exclusively. Mr. Charles Santee and Mr. George W. Fahnestock, both
of Philadelphia, contributed about one-half of the amount needed. A
part of the students room in this building, while others are allowed to
board elsewhere.
After the successful erection of Harbaugh Hall in 1871, another new
building was erected for the use of the academy, or preparatory depart-
ment, at a cost of $20,000. The understanding was that this entire
amount was to be provided for by voluntary contributions through an
agent, but as this was not done the money had to be taken out of
the endowment fund. As, however, there was little or no outcome
from this investment, the result was that the income of the college
was in proportion curtailed, and it became impossible to pay the pro-
fessors' salaries as promptly as had been the case before. As this dif-
ficulty increased from year to year. Dr. Nevin felt it to be his duty to
withdraw from the college in 1876, in order that it might live within
its income.
During his ten years of service he delivered lectures on the philoso-
phy of ethics, of aesthetics, and of historj^, of which his students took
copious notes. These have been reproduced under an abbreviated
form in the volume on his ''Life," already referred to.
Owing to the condition of the treasury the trustees did not feel jus-
tified in electing a salaried president at the time. In 1877 they
appointed Dr. Thomas G. Appel, professor of church history in the
seminary, as temporary president, who continued to act in that capacity,
with a nominal salary, until the year 1889, because during this period
there were no means at hand to support a permanent successor. He
gave general satisfaction as presiding oflBcer in the college, performed
FRANKLIN AND MAESHALL COLLEGE. 79
the duties of two professorships at the same time, reproduced with
good effect Dr. Nevin's lectures on philosophy, and in various ways
excited a salutary influence in the institution, which showed itself in
the increasing number of students from year to year.
Dr. J. W. Nevin died in the year 188C, full of honors as he was full of
years, iji the eighty-fourth year of his age. A few weeks afterwards
the annual commencement was celebrated and largely attended. Just
at this time the Alumni Association had in contemplation the ec^lebra-
tion of the centennial of the founding of Franklin College in 1787,
together with that of the semicentennial of the founding of Mar-
shall College in 1837, and the recent death of Dr. Nevin imparted to
this movement a healthy, practical direction . Measures were i n i t iated
by the alumni trustees to increase the efficiency of th(^ college in
various important respects, and, among others, to endow the presi-
dency of the college with a fund of not less than $1^0,000, as a ti'ibute
of respect to the memory of Dr. Nevin and to prepare a memorial vol-
ume of his long and useful life. Both of these were carried out dining
the year 1889. To the first of these objects Mr. Charles Santee, of
Philadelphia; Dr. Pepper, provost of the University of Pennsylvania,
and Dr. Schaff, of Union Theological Seminary, New York, were
among the more liberal contributors. At this same eomiiieneement
the Daniel Scholl Observatory was dedicated to the seient^e of the
heavens, and an admirable address delivered by Prof. C. A. Young,
of Princeton College, New Jersey.
The building, with its valuable instruments, was the gift of Mrs.
James M. Hood, daughter of Mr. Daniel Seholl, of Frederick, Md., in
honor of her father's memory, for which she made the generous dona-
tion of 115,000.
The way being now open for the appointment of a regular presi-
dent of the college, Dr. Appel withdrew from his onerous position,
and Prof. John S. Stahr was appointed tempo rarj- president for the
ensuing j^ear.
Number of graduates from ISo^ to 1889 614
Honorary degrees of A. M. conferred from 1 8.5;} to 1 889 _ . 46
Honorary degrees of Ph. D. conferred from 1 85;} to 1 889. _ _ _ 8
Honorary degrees of LL. D. conferred from 185:} to 1 889 14
Honorary degrees of D. D. conferred from 1 85;3 to 1 889 63
The value of the property owiK^d l)v the college, consisting of endow-
ment funds, buildings, 22 acres of land in the campus, and so on,
exclusive of the land in Somerset County, Pa., is about $300,000.
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE, 1890-1894.
The present (1894) condition of Franklin and Marshall College is
prosperous and promising. Though the last years have been com-
paratively uneventful, many improvements have been made and the
number of students has correspondingly increased.
80 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Rev. John S. Stahr, D. D., was elected president in 1890, after many
years' service as a member of the faculty. He is an alumnus of the
college, of the class of 1867, and is thoroughly familiar with its neces-
sities and requirements. Under his direction, though there have
been no large contributions or bequests the endowment has steadily
increased.
A fine gymnasium has been erected and is thoroughly equipped
with the appliances necessary for athletic training. Additional instru-
ments have been procured for the Daniel Scholl Observatory, which
is now prepared for a high order of astronomical work. The college
library, under the efficient care of Prof. John B. Kieffer, has been
considerably enlarged, and a good reading room is maintained for the
use of the students. The buildings have been put into thorough
repair, and within the past year steam heating has been introduced.
A very full outfit for the biological laboratory has also been secured
through the energetic efforts of Prof. R. C. Schiedt, and extensive
additions have been made to the apparatus in the department ^of
physics. A fine series of maps and charts has also been procured for
the department of history.
" The death of Prof. William M. Nevin, LL. D. , which occurred Febru-
ary 11, 1892, was an occasion of sincere grief to all the members of the
institution. Dr. Nevin had reached the mature age of 86 years, and
had been for more than fifty years engaged in the service of Marshall
College and Franklin and Marshall College, having begun his career
as professor of ancient languages in the latter institution in 1840.
He was a profound classical scholar and his knowledge of English
literature was extraordinary. A volume consisting of selections from
his writings wiU soon be published.
Several changes in the faculty have yet to be noticed. William
Mann Irvine, Ph. D., was physical instructor and director of the
gymnasium in 1892-93. In the latter year he was also assistant pro-
fessor of political economy and English, but at the end of the year he
resigned to accept the presidency of Mercersburg College. Mainly
through his influence and example, the students became greatly inter-
ested in athletic sports and were not a little proud of their victories
at football. Dr. Irvine also organized and conducted a glee club
which gave many successful concerts.
At the last meeting of the board of trustees Rev. C. Earnest Wag-
ner, A. M., who recently pursued special studies at Oxford, England,
was elected professor of English literature. Otherwise there has
been no change in the corps of instructors, except in the case of
tutors who were engaged for a limited time.
The theological seminary of the Reformed Church, having no build-
ing of its own, has for many years occupied rooms in the college
building. On this account both institutions have been greatly
crowded. The seminary is now engaged in erecting a fine building
FRANKLIN AND MABSHALL COLLEGE. 81
in the immediate vicinity, and as soon as it is completed the college
will have room for several contemplated improvements.
According to the published register of 1S93 the number of teachers
in the three institutions — college, theological seminary, and academy —
was 21, and the number of students 273. Of the latter 13G were con-
nected with the college classes. The present year (1S94) will show a
considerable increase in the number of students, but the official reg-
ister has not yet appeared.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE, 1>T-1853.
Ormeb of Procession and Public Worship to be observed in the dedication of
Franklin College, in the borough and conuty of Lancaster. Philadelphia.
Printed by Melchior Steiner. in Race street, between Second and Third streets,
1787. 4to, pp. 8.
ESiNB Rede gehalten den 5 ten Jnny 1787 bey der Einweihnng von der Deutschen
Hoihen Schnle oder Franklin Collegium in Lancaster, von Gtotthilf Hen. Muh-
lenberg, PrincixMd des CoUegiums und Pastor der Heil. Dreieinigkeits Kirche
daselbst. Anf Verlangen der Trustees zum Druck befordert. Lancaster,
gedrackt bey Albrecht nnd Lahn, 1788.
Freihkitsbrief der Deutschen Hohen Schule (College), in der Stadt Lancaster,
in der Staate Pennsylvania: nebst einer Anrede an die Deutschen dieses Striates
von den Tmstees der besagten Hohen Schule. Philadelphia, Melchior Steiner,
1787.
The appended addresB was written by Rev. C. Weyberg, D. D.
A Sermon preached in the Lutheran Church on the opening of Franklin College
in the borough of Lancaster. Pennsylvania, July 17, 1787, by Joseph Hutchins,
D. D., Philadelphia. Printed by Daniel Humphrej-s, No. 272 South Fnmt St.,
1806. 16mo, pp. 22.
In OBrruM vnu clarissimi Caroli Nisbet, D. D. (Broadside). Ja. Ross. Coll.
B*rankl1ni, Lancastris. Eal. Mart., 1804.
Charter of Franklix College, published by resolution of the Board, passed
19th October, A. D. 1837. Lancaster, Bryson & Forney, Printers. 1837. 12mo,
pp. 8.
Rupp. History of Lancaster County.
CRfevECCEUR. Voyage dans la haute Pennsylvanie et dans TEtat de New York.
Bush. An Account of the Manners of the Grerman Inhabitants of Pennsylvania.
With notes by Rupp.
Educational Efforts of the Pennsylvania Synods, by Dr. F. A. Muhlenberg.
Article in Evangelical Review, X, p. 289.
Das Franklin Collegium. Article in "Der Deutsche Kirchenfreund," III, p.
197. By the editor, Rev. Dr. P. Schaff.
Old Franklin College. Article in **The Guardian," by the editor. Dr. J. H.
DabbB, YoL 85, p. 172.
The Founding of Franklin College, 1787, by Rev. J. H. Dubbs, D. D. (Re-
printed from the ** Reformed Quarterly Review.") Philadelphia, Reformed
Chnrch Publication Board, 1887.
5099—02 6
82 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
A Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Franklin College, Lancaster, Pa.,
1848. Lancaster. Printed by John Baer.
Historic Manual of the Reformed Church in the United States, by Joseph
Henry Dubbs, D. D., Lancaster, Pa., 1885, p. 241. 800 pp., 432.
Also contams sketches of the history of Marshall and Franklin and Marshall.
Besides the above, we have the manuscript Records of the Board of Trustees,
complete; List of Students of English Department, 1887 and 1888 (printed in
catalogue of F. and M. College, 1887) , and a collection of letters of Drs. Bush,
Helmuth, and others, concerning the founding of Franklin College.
MARSHALL COLLEGE, MERCERSBURG, PA., 1837-1853.
Catalogues from 1835 to 1852.
Catalogue of Diagnothian Literary Society, 1848.
Catalogue of GK)ethean Literary Society, 1843-44.
Recollections of College Life at Marshall College, Mercersburg, Pa., from
1839 to 1845, by Theodore Appel, D. D., Reading Pa. Daniel Miller, Publisher,
1886. 12mo, pp. 348.
Life and Character of Frederick Augustus Rauch, First President of Marshall
College. Eulogy by Rev. John W. Nevin, D. D., Chambersburg, 1859.
Addresses before the Literary Societies, published in i)amphlet form, by B.
Champneys (1837), Hon. James M. Porter (1838), Joseph R. Chandler (1839),
Rev. Albert Barnes (1840), John Frost (1841), Oeorge W. Bumap (1842), David
H. Riddle (1843), John N. Pumroy (1846), Hon. Washington McCartney (1852),
and many others.
These addresses are not historical, bnt are otherwise interesting.
Tercentenary Monument of the Heidelberg Catechism. Chambersburg, 1863.
Article on *'The History of the Theological Seminary," by Rev. B. C. Wolff,
D. D. 800 pp.
The Life and Work of John Williamson Nevin, D. D., LL. D., by Theodore
Appel, D. D., Philadelphia, 1889. 8vo, 776.
Also very valuable for the history of Franklin and Marshall College, see articles by Drs.
Nevin, Schaff, Gerhart, and others in the "Mercersburg Review" and "Reformed Chnrch
Messenger."
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE.
Formal Opening of Franklin and Marshall College, in the city of Lancas-
ter, June 7, 1853, together with addresses delivered on the occasion by Hon.
A. L. Hayes, Rev. J. W. Nevin, D. D., and Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, D. D.,
Lancaster, Pa., 1853.
Franklin and Marshall College and the New Endowment Scheme, by
Rev. E. V. Gerhart, President. Chambersburg, Pa., M. Kieffer & Co., 1856.
History of Lancaster County, by Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans, Phila-
delphia, 1883.
Contains "History of Franklin and Marshall College and the Theological Seminary of the
Reformed Church," by Rev. J. H. Dubbs, D. D.
Reformed Quarterly Review. Centennial number, 1887. Entirely devoted
to the centennial of Franklin and the semicentennial of Marshall College,
which was celebrated by the united institution in that year.
Catalogues annually from 1853 to 1890. General catalogues were published in
1863 and 1887.
BiOREN's Laws of Pennsylvania, H, 398; VH, 176, 362.
Pamphlet Laws of 1835-36, 290; of 1836-37, 96; of 1850, 512.
VII.
GENEVA COLLEGE.
By President W. P. Johnston.
Geneva College at Beaverfalls is endowed and controlled by the
Reformed Presbyterian Church. It had its beginning in a class of
young men which in 1834 the Rev. J. B. Johnston began to teach in
Northwood, Logan County, Ohio. Finding the class growing in num-
bers and desire for study, he determined to found a school. In April,
1848, the college was founded under the name of Geneva Hall. It
was under the control of the Lakes Presbytery of the Reformed Pres-
byterian Synod, and was managed by a board of ministers of that
presbytery and by elders — most of whom lived in the neighborhood
of Northfield — until 1879, when by an act of the synod it was removed
to Beaverfalls.
The college building, erected in the latest style of architecture at a
cost of $40,000, contains besides the president's office 12 recitation
rooms and rooms for the library, museum, laboratories, and literary
societies. The college has also a boarding hall and a gymnasium in
charge of a trained instructor. The buildings stand in the suburbs
of Beaverfalls on an eminence overlooking the Beaver River, 4 miles
above its confluence with the Ohio. A street railway connects the col-
lege with Beaverfalls and New Brighton, whence numerous railroads
afford access to the outside world. There are 3 courses of study, the
classical, the scientific, and the literary, requiring for their comple-
tion, respectively, six, five, and four years, and leading to the usual
baccalaureate degrees. Special stress is laid on the acquisition of a
Christian education. Weekly Bible study and presence at chapel
exercises on the Sabbath are required of all students not attending
religious services elsewhere. Noteworthy also is the prominence
given to the study of history and political science, particularly politi-
cal philosophy.
The following have acted as presidents and principals of the insti-
tution: Rev. J. B. Johnston, D. D., 1848-1850; Rev. W. F. George,
A. M., 1851-1852; Rev. I. R. W. Sloane, D. D., 1852-1856; Rev. I. C.
Killiliigan, A. M., 1856-1858; Rev. N. R. Johnston, A. M., 1862-1865;
Rev. D. Strong, A. M., 1865-1867; Rev. S. J. Crowe, A. M., 1867-1869;
83
84 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Rev. William Milroy, 1869-1872; Rev. H. H. George, D. D., 1872-1890;
Rev. W. P. Johnston, A. M., 1890.
At present the faculty is made up as follows, some of its mem-
bers having been trained at Columbia, Michigan, and Johns Hopkins:
Rev. W. P. Johnston, D. D., president, literature and philosophy;
George Kennedy, Greek; Rev. W. J. Coleman, political philosophy
and history; N. C. Long, mathematics; Rev. W. Milroy, Ph. D., Latin;
William McCracken, science; G. C. Brelas, German; J. S. Martin,
academic; C. O. Bernies, gymnastics; F. E. Cluff, music.
■-^Wf:''^
VIII.
GROVE CITY COLLEGE, GROVE CITY, PA.
Grove City College, located at Grove City, Mercer County, Pa., on
the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, is an outgrowth of the Pine
Grove Normal Academj'^, organized at this place in 1876.
As early as 1858 an effort was made to provide instruction in college
preparatory and other studies for young men and women who were
desirous to have better advantages for education than the public
schools afforded. Rev. Richard M. C- Thompson, D. D. , now deceased,
was perhaps the first one to give instruction in the higher branches
of learning. Quite a good many young men and women were fitted
thus for teaching in the public schools, and others were prepared for
college.
In 1864 Rev. William T. Dickson became pastor of the Presbyterian
Church of Pine Grove, and soon after he and his excellent wife under-
took to maintain a private school in which the young might receive
instruction in the common branches and also in academical studies.
They continued this work with but slight interruption for nearly ten
years. During this time great good was done; an educational senti-
ment was awakened in the community, students were prepared for
college, and others, with a fairly rudimentary education, were fitted
to become good citizens. It would be hard to estimate the good which
these two consecrated servants of Christ did for the community and
for the cause of education generally. There is no doubt but that to
their work is largely due the interest which the older families in the
community have for years manifested in the establishing and main-
taining of an institution of learning in their midst.
In 1874 the school directors of the township decided to erect a
one-story brick schoolhouse, containing two rooms, for the accom-
modation of the school children of the community and village. A
movement was started among those interested in higher education to
raise funds by private subscription to add a second story to the
public-school building. This, after much effort, was accomplished,
and it was in this upper room of the public schoolhouse that a select
school or academy, with 13 students, was started on the 11th day of
April, 1876.
Pine Grove, since called Grove City, was then a village containing
some 20 houses, but it had all, or nearly all, the essentials for con-
ceiving and laying the foundations of a thoroughly Christian college;
85
86 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
it had God-fearing men and women thoroughly awakened to the
advantages of an institution of learning in their midst. It would be
impossible, if not undesirable, to detail the struggles, the trials, the
sacrifices, the dark hours incident to the realization of a deeply cher-
ished end; trials, almost hardships, without which no really great
work for mankind has ever been done, and which in the case of this
institution became the elements of its strength and power.
In 1878 the need of a better organization became generally acknowl-
edged, and in September a meeting of the citizens was called. The
gentleman who presided at that meeting (Mr. Robert G. Black) said,
*' that in view of the very great and vital interests which had brought
the people together it was proper and wise that Divine guidance and
blessing should be sought," and accordingly the first general meeting
of the citizens held in this interest characterized the spiriu in which
the after work of the institution should be conducted.
W. A. Young, J. M. Martin, M. D., James P. Locke, James Hunter,
and Joseph Humphrey were appointed a finance committee to provide
means for the purchase of grounds and the erection of an academy
building. They were directed to apply for a charter of incorporation,
that the academy might have a proper legal basis. At No. 2 of August
term, 1879, of the court of common pleas of Mercer County, Pa., a
charter of incorporation for the purpose of establishing and maintain-
ing a school in the village of Pine Grove, now the borough of Grove
City, to be known as The Pine Grove Normal Academy, was granted.
The aforesaid finance committee, under the charter, constituted the
board of trustees until the election of their successors, a board of 15
trustees, on the second Monday of January, A. D. 1880. The capital
stock of the corporation was at first limited to $25,000 (afterwards
increased to $50,000), and was to be sold in shares of $10 each. When
400 shares had been subscribed for and 20 per cent of the stock thus
subscribed for paid in, the charter was to go into effect. Capt. R. C.
Craig was the first solicitor of the corporation, and after an earnest
and faithful effort finally succeeded in securing subscriptions for 400
shares of this stock. Early in the winter of 1878-79 the required
amount of stock having been sold and 20 per cent of it paid up, the
finance committee, or 5 trustees, immediately proceeded to purchase
ground and erect a suitable building. Four acres of ground were
secured in the village and a two-story brick academy building was
erected at a cost of about $10,000. The academy building was first
occupied in December, 1879, and from that time on the growth of
the institution was rapid and continuous. In 1881 the attendance of
students had so increased that the demand for larger facilities became
imperative, and so in 1882 a building providing additional recitation
rooms and other conveniences, as well as a separate dormitory build-
ing for ladies — now used for the purposes of the music department —
was erected. Again resort was had to the selling of shares of the
GROVE CITY COLLEGE. 87
capital stock, but always at its face value of $10 per share. It will
illustrate the growing interest of the community in the success of the
enterprise to say that men who were scarcely able to take five shares
of stock at the beginning had the satisfaction, after repeated subscrip-
tions to the stock of the college, to surrender, when the stock feature
was eliminated, their property right in varjdng sums of $500, $800,
$1,000, $1,200, $2,000, etc., that the college might become a perpetual
fountain of blessing.
In 1883 the annual attendance had increased to fully 500 different
students. The work had been mainly the preparing of teachers for
teaching and students for college, although in 1881 and 1882 classes
had been graduated in a scientific course of study and had received
appropriate diplomas and degrees. Now, many were anxious to have
the advantages of a full collegiate classical course of study in this
institution. They had become attached to the institution. The small-
ness of the expenses made it possible for many boys and girls of very
limited means to take such a course of study in this institution. These
and other considerations led the board of trustees to ask for an amend-
ment to the charter changing the institution from an academy with
restricted powers to a college with all the rights and franchises of the
same. The decree authorizing this change was granted on the 21st
daj" of November, A. D. 1884.
In the following June (1885) a class of 10 was graduated in colle-
giate courses of study, 4 of whom received the degree of Bachelor of
Arts. The remaining 6 graduated in the scientific course of study.
There has been a steady and almost uniform growth in the college
classes from 1885 to the present time. The class of 1881, the first
class to graduate, consisted of 7 graduates; the class of 1901 had 54
members — 13 being ladies and 41 gentlemen. Since the graduation of
the first class under a college charter, 590 have been graduated —
210 ladies and 380 gentlemen. Of the gentlemen who completed the
classical course, about 100 have already engaged in the active work of
the Gospel ministry and 32 are now (winter 1902) in theological schools
in further preparation for that work. Many others who were unable
to complete the entire course, or preferred a partial course, have also
gone out from the college and have in theological seminaries prepared
to enter the ministry. The graduates of the college, coming mainly
from the rural districts, as a rule have chosen a professional career.
Many ladies have chosen teaching for a profession. Some have gone
out as missionaries, some have taken up the medical profession. In
whatever work they have engaged they have fairly demonstrated
their ability and fitness to do well their part in life.
Since the beginning of this work in 1876 fully 6,000 young men and
women have been students in this institution. The attendance for
the year 1900-1901 was 662 different students, and the attendance for
the year 1901-1902 will without doubt exceed that number.
88 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
It will emphasize the growth of the institution in a general way to
say that in 1876 there was 1 teacher or prof essor and 13 students;
to-day there are 16 professors and teachers and an annual attendance
of over 600 students. In 1879 the institution had 4 acres of ground
and 1 academy building worth in the neighborhood of $10,000; now the
institution has 40 acres of ground in the heart of a rapidly growing
town and 6 college and other buildings, with an estimated value of
$250,000.
The management of the institution was by the charter of incorpo-
ration lodged in a board of 15 trustees, chosen from the stockholders
and by the stockholders. Five trustees were chosen thus annually to
serve for three yeara. As the stock was held almost exclusively by
citizens of the community within a radius of 5 miles from the col-
lege, the members of the board were necessarily local. But to their
wise and careful administration is largely due the phenomenal suc-
cess of the college. Severely economical where economy could be
practiced with safety, generous even to personal sacrifices when the
resources of the college wore not adequate to its plainly evident needs,
investing every dollar of a sadly insufficient income where it would
count most for the advancement of the college, in season and out of
season they gave the college their time, their money, and their most
consecrated services.
It is worthy of remark that in all these years not one dollar was
appropriated to pay for the time and services of the officers of the
board. In many cases no possible return could come from years of
labor and anxiety save the consciousness of having a large part in a
great work for God and humanity.
But it was to put on record an act which speaks in higher terms
than articulate words the sterling worth of the community which
fostered and encouraged this enterprise that this sketch was under-
taken. The corporation was a stock corporation. In consideration
of the money which men would contribute to the establishing of the
college, the purchase of real estate, and the erection of buildings,
stock had been issued in shares of $10 each, and thus after repeated
subscriptions had been made to the capital stock it was found that
fully 250 different persons held stock in the college in varying amounts
of from 1 share, or $10, all the way up to 200 shares, or $2,000. In a
rural community in which there was perhaps not one property holder
whose entire estate, personal and real, would exceed $10,000, it did
seem that this was the only feasible plan by which means could be
secured for this work. But the time came when it was plainly evident
that a stock corporation would no longer serve the interests of the
college. For some years its friends were fully aware that the founda-
tion, though legal, was unstable and unsafe, and that the stock feature
of the institution precluded the possibility of realizing their most
earnest hope and desire that it should become a permanent and per-
GROVE CITY COLLEGE. 89
petual fountain of good. Only one course seemed to be open, and that
was to eliminate the stock feature entirely and seek for a charter in
the class of public charities. But could 250 stockholders of different
types, dispositions, and denominational affiliations, and maintaining
different attitudes to the college be induced to surrender their property
right in an institution to which they had made contributions, often
involving actual personal sacrifice? It added to the gravity of the
undertaking that it was a serious question whether the change could
be legally made if even one stockholder should oppose. The purpose
and advantages of the desired change were, however, fully and faith-
fully made known to all the stockholders. They were given assurance
that the corporation would be composed of men of highest character
and standing in the State, that by this change the college would be
perpetual, and that those to whom this trust would be committed would
not forget the sacrifices that had already been made to give the institu-
tion a place among the reputable colleges of the land, and that the
college should forever remain an undenominational, but Christian,
institution of learning. It must forever be to the honor of the com-
munity that the desired change was made without one dissenting vote.
At a stockholders' meeting held in the college on the 3d day of
November, A. D. 1894, according to fegal announcement, the stock-
holders met and unanimously consented to the change, and did there
and then make an assignment of their entire stock to the college. The
15 trustees who had previously been chosen by the stockholders
became the petitioners for the amendments which, when granted,
changed the entire legal aspect of the college. From a stock corpo-
ration, in which 250 persons had a property right, it became a corpora-
tion in the class of public charities, and the former 15 trustees and
15 others, whom they were by the provisions of the charter to elect,
became the legal guardians or trustees of the changed corporation.
The final decree making these changes was ordered on the 10th day
of December, A. D. 1894, a little more than ten years after the first
college charter had been obtained.
Since 1894, the date of the last charter, the college has largely
increased its facilities, and at present (1902) two new college build-
ings are in process of erection— one a science hall, to be equipped for
the instruction of students in mechanical and civil engineering, the
other a beautiful and substantial dormitory for ladies.
IX.
HAVERFORD COLLEGE.
By Prof. Francis B. Gummbre.
In April, 1830, during the regular yearly meeting of Friends, held
in Philadelphia, **a number of Friends who had for a long time felt
the disadvantages under which the youth of our socaety labor in
obtaining a liberal education " met to confer upon the best means of
removing this disadvantage.* One month later a similar meeting was
held in the city of New York " to take the same subject into consid-
eration." This meeting drew up a minute in which was expressed
a sense of the importance of an education guarded "from the con-
taminating influence of the world;" and it was recommended to
establish a school '' in some central position and to an extent adequate
to the wants of Friends on this continent, in which a course of instruc-
tion may be given as extensive and complete as in any literary insti-
tution in the country." A committee was appointed to correspond
with other Friends. This energetic action brought about a second
meeting in Philadelphia,** and a committee of the latter,*' acting in
conjunction with Friends in New York, soon carried matters to a
practical conclusion. They resolved ''that an institution be estab-
lished in which the children of Friends shall receive a liberal educa-
*For these and subsequent details about the founding of Haverford c/. **An
account of Haverford School from its institution to the close of the winter session,
fourth month, 1835; with the constitution and by-laws of the association. Phila-
delphia, 1835."
The eources of information for the history of Haverford College are mainly the
college catalogues, the annual reports of the managers, and the minutes (in MSS.)
of the corporation and of the committee on instruction. For the beginning of the
institution a pamphlet called "An account of Haverford School," published in 1835
(Philadelphia), is of great service. Another pamphlet is ** Haverford Revived "
(1846). For later history, the printed report of the exercises held at the college
on the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation (1883) contains considerable informa-
tion. Efforts are now being made to collect and print the titles of all books and
I)amphlets published by officers or graduates of the college.
Since this sketch was written there has appeared a complete history of Haver-
ford College, written by a committee of the alumni and edited by Mr. Philip C.
Garrett (732 pages, Philadelphia, 1892).
»» June 18, 1830.
** Its members were Thomas Evans, Daniel B. Smith, Edward Bettle, Thomas
Kimber, Isaac Collins, George Stewardson, Samuel R. Gunmiere, Isaiah Hacker,
Uriah Hunt, Henry Cope, William Hodgson, jr., and John Gunmiere.
90
HAVERFORD COLLEGE. 91
tion in ancient and modern literature and the mathematical and other
sciences, under the care of competent instructors of our own society."
The contributors, moreover, were to be Friends, " and certificates of
stock [should] be transferable to members of that society only."
The joint committee issued a general circular, in which they proposed
a course of not less than four years, including "English literature,
mathematics, natural history, natural, intellectual, and moral philoso-
phy, the ancient languages, and ancient literature; opportunities for
instruction in the principal modern languages are also to be afforded."
Of the board of managers not more than two-thirds were to be mem-
bers of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. It was proposed to raise a
stock of $40,000 in shares of $100 each. Profits up to 5 per cent were
to be divided among stockholders; the surplus was to be appropriated
to the school.** The name of the new institution was to be Friends'
Central School; the price of board and tuition, "about $200 per
annum."
This circular was sent out in October, 1830. November 18 was
held the first meeting of the contributors. It was found that more
than $40,000 had been subscribed, and the capital was increased to
$60,000. December 9 the contributors voted to apply to the legisla-
ture of Pennsylvania for an act of incorporation; and on the 30th a
secretary, a treasurer, and 24 managers were chosen. A report of
this board, made December 19, 1831, showed that they had purchased
for $17,865 a tract of 198| acres on the Lancaster turnpike, about 8
miles from Philadelphia.^' The report of May, 1832, details plans of
the proposed buildings, which were actually erected in 1833. An act
of the legislature, approved April 4, 1833, incorporated "The Haver-
ford School Association," and in November of that year the managers
report the successful opening of the school, October 28, " 21 students
being present." The average attendance for the first term was 30.
A library of 1,000 volumes, "including nearly complete sets of
Greek and Latin classics;" a good stock of "philosophical apparatus,"
and a cabinet of specimens in natural history, with about 2,000 arti-
cles, are mentioned in the equipment of the institution. The officers
of instruction were a superintendent, Samuel Hilles; a teacher of
mathematics and natural philosophy, John Gummere; a teacher of
English literature, Daniel B. Smith, and a teacher of ancient languages
and ancient literature, Joseph Thomas. These teachers divided
* It is perhaps needless to point out that no dividends were ever paid. On the
other hand, when debt began to accumulate a few years later, an ineffectual effort
was made to induce the stockholders to renounce all right to dividends. It was
not until 1878 that the concern laid aside its legal character as a stock corporation.
* In 1878 the college owned 215 acres, the original purchase having been increased
by the gift of a neighboring piece of land on which it was feared a factory might
be built. Recently, moreover, several friends have secured about 10 acres more,
which will eventually become the property of the college. It should be remem-
bered that land adjoining the college property is now selling for $4,000 per acre.
92 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
among themselves such instruction in chemistry, natural history, and
the like as seemed needful until the managers should appoint sepa-
rate teachers for those departments. The classes were called third
junior (in 1861 changed to freshman), second junior (now sophomore),
junior, and senior. Candidates for admission to the third junior class
had to pass an examination " in English, Latin, and Greek grammar;
geography; algebra as far as simple equations; Latin as far as CsBsar,
and the Gospel of John in the original Greek." A preparatory class
was organized.
The arrangement of teaching was simple enough ; not so the disci-
pline. The board of managers, which was elected annually by the
corporation, appointed out of its own members a committee on
instruction, and in this committee was vested the government of the
school. This involved very delicate adjustments and led, in the
sequel, to considerable difl&cultj'. Nevertheless, when one reflects
upon the complicated nature of the machinery and takes into view
the whole course of the school, one must acknowledge the great fidel-
ity and efficiency with which this committee discharged its duties.
Its members took part in the examinations of students,* and they
not only ordered, but often executed, measures calculated to pro-
mote and enforce the discipline. In April, 1862, for example, certain
misconduct of two students is reported by the faculty to the commit-
tee on instruction. The latter decide that the students shall be
expelled, and send a subcommittee to the college to *' carry out the
decision."^
The regulations of the school were strict. Pocket money was
frowned upon, and little or no opportunity was given for its use. Stu-
dents were confined to the bounds of the school estate, and absences
were rarely permitted. Dress was regulated by Quaker simplicity, as
is shown by the rule that a student's '*body coat, round jacket, and
waistcoat shall be single breasted and without lappels or falling col-
lars." Caps were not allowed at all. All books and papers, save a
few carefully selected periodicals and the volumes of the library, were
excluded. There were two terms, one of six months beginning in
October, and one of four months beginning in May. The price of
board and tuition was $200. About one-half of the students came
from Philadelphia or its immediate neighborhood. The number in
attendance rose steadily, until in 1837 it reached 79, more than the
building could comfortably harbor. This remained the largest attend-
ance in the history of the college until 1883; but the share of the pre-
paratory department, abolished in 1861, must be borne in mind.
Indeed, the crowded state of the school causes the managers in their
report for 1837 to speak of the large number of applicants for admis-
sion and to hint that new buildings may be called for.
•Minutes (MSS.) of the Committee on Instruction, 8 mo., 23d, 1843.
^Minutes, 4 mo., 11th, 1862.
HAVERFORD COLLEGE. 93
From the start the studies of the four regular classes were entirely
above the boarding-school standard and compared favorably with the
work of most American colleges of the period. It is true that we
find the teacher of English literature giving a course of lectures on
geology and one on physiology; but despite these and other incon-
gruities, which indeed are not without modern instances, there can be
no doubt that the student of Haverf ord School received sound instruc-
tion in the midst of a healthful though secluded life. The intimate
association of teacher and taught did much to impress the character
of the student in the most effective way; and there was common
ground for both in the walks, the sports, and above all, the literary
recreations, which were especially fostered by the Loganian Society
organized by officers and students in 1834. Here was done much to
create that love and appreciation of literature which may fairlj'^ be
claimed for the Haverfordian of early days. This society was of
great importance in every way. Its meetings were welcomed with
delight among students who knew no gther form of literary entertain-
ment. Debates, essays, declamations, readings — the}'^ were doubtless
sophomoric and even provincial, but they fostered a desire for good
books and an affection for the intellectual life. The Loganian Society
gathered a library of essays, poetry, and travels, together with such
entertaining books as were permitted by the rigid censorship of the
managers. Fiction was altogether excluded. Every month the
society brought out a number of its periodical, " The Collegian^" and
the editors read its contents to the assembled students. These are
now all bound in substantial volumes and may be found in the col-
lege library. Furthermore, the society had "cabinets of conchology,
geology, natural history, medals, and coins." One of its officials bore
the astounding title of " numismatical curator.^' But the functions
of the society had a wider sphere; it controlled a carpenter shop
where students might indulge their mechanical tastes, and it also set
aside certain pieces of ground for gardening purposes. There was a
spacious greenhouse more or less under control of the society. In
short, the Loganian Society played a very important part throughout
the early years of Haverford. In time two other societies were
organized, which had the double charm of secrecy and a membership
made up entirely from the students — the ''Athenaeum" and the
*' Everett." These, not without much opposition from old students,
have been recently merged into one society, the "Everett- Athenaeum,"
devoted to literary exercises; and the Loganian Society, deserting its
old traditions, has formed itself into the "Loganian House of Com-
mons" after the model of a similar body in the Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity. The so-called Greek-letter societies have never been allowed
to take a place in the college.
One of the best features of the student's life at Haverford was the
beauty of its surroundings. Forty acres, soon increased to 60, were
94 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
devoted to the lawn jor park, and were planted and laid out by an
English gardener, who spared neither money nor pains to make the
undertaking successful. The variety of trees and shrubbery left
little to be desired, and the admirable taste displayed in their choice
and arrangement has in its results amply justified an outlay then
deemed extravagant.
The flourishing condition and development of the school in 1837
were checked by the financial troubles of the time. The number of
students fell off, debt increased, and prospects grew uncertain. The
report of the managers for 1841 recognizes this state of things. For
the past year, they say, the average attendance was but 46. More
significant is an item in the treasurer's account, where the teachers
are said to have agreed *'to pay $600 toward the expenses of the
school."* Economy reduced the annual deficit to 1117.63, and a gift
of about 13,000 from Thomas P. Cope was added to the resources of
the association. In November, 1843, the minutes of the committee
on instruction lament that the number of students has fallen to 30,
and urges the managers to make personal efforts to advertise the
advantages of the school. In March, 1844, the visiting committee
report that three of them were at the school, and that '*it [had]
never before appeared to them to be in so satisfactory a condition."
January, 1845, the state of the school is "satisfactory." But June
6th of the same year found the committee on instruction appointing
two of their number to see that the books and philosophical instru-
ments be properly packed and stored away. The school had suspended
its intellectual payments. No further meeting of the committee was
held until February 25, 1848.
This suspension was probably an act of needless caution, and was
due entirely to the disordered finances of the school, or rather to the
lack of invested funds. There was nothing whatever to tide the
institution over a temporary embarrassment, and a debt ©f $4,000
barred the way for cautious stockholders. But while the school lay
idle its old students and friends were full of plans and energy. In
1846 a great meeting of the Loganian Society was held at the college
and much enthusiasm was called out. A lively game of football
made for the same result. Mainly by the exertions and liberality of
friends in Philadelphia and in New Bedford, Mass., an endowment
fund of $50,000 was raised and given to the association. After nearly
three years of idleness the school took up its regular work in the
spring of 1848.
Always distinctly above the work of school and academy, instruc-
tion at Haverford now began to set steadily, not only toward the full
collegiate standard, but also toward the collegiate title and the colle-
giate spirit. There were biennial examinations, in which a mark of
* Report for 1841, p. 9. In 1862 two members of the faculty, on a hint from the
committee on instruction, contributed $400 each to the funds of tne institution.
\
HAVERFORD COLLEGE. 95
50 per cent had to be obtained in a subject and 66f per cent for pass-
ing in the department.* New buildings sprung up and steps were
taken toward better equipment. A lecture room was built, with appa-
ratus room and laboratory ; and an observatory was erected and fur-
nished with an outfit that is described in a special pamphlet called
Description of the Observatory of Haverford College. ^ The tele-
scope was an excellent one for its time, and the other appointments
were in keeping, costing, together with the building, about $7,000.
The studies of the ' 'third junior " class were : Advanced algebra, geome-
try, surveying, Virgil, Xenophon, Herodotus, chemistry, general his-
tory, geology, and English composition. The " second juniors" com-
pleted surveying and studied geometry of planes, plane and spherical
trigonometry, descriptive astronomy, Cicero's Orations, Livy, Anabasis
or Herodotus (completed), Iliad or Odyssey, Latin and Greek prose
composition, geology, chemistry, and the Evidences of Christianity
(Paley). The junior class studied natural philosophy, analytical
geometry, mechanics, optics, Horace, Tacitus, Sophocles or Euripides,
Demosthenes, Latin and Greek composition, rhetoric, mental philoso-
phy , commentaries on the Constitution, and logic. The seniors studied
differential and integral calculus, astronomy, Juvenal, Thucydides,
Latin and Greek composition, antiquities, political economy, lectures
on modern history, moral philosophy, and Analogy of Natural and
Revealed Religion (Butler). This course of study was pursued in
1852. An additional impulse toward the full collegiate standard was
given by the exertions of Thomas Chase, a graduate and former tutor
of Harvard College, whose name, with A. M. attached, first appears in
the catalogue for 1855-56. It is curious to note that degrees are no
longer suppressed. John Gummere, who had the degree of master of
arts from Princeton, is not credited with it in any Haverford publica-
tion during his active service in the school. The same is true of a
graduate of Columbia College, who taught at Haverford in early days.
The academic degree was then classed, along with other titles, as a
*' vanity." But in 1855 the school not only recognized degrees, but
saw the necessity of conferring them. Students at Haverford who
are preparing to teach, says the Managers' Report for 1856,*^ desire the
same degrees as are conferred at other institutions for similar work,
and the managers "the more readily acquiesced in this view from an
impression that a larger number of students might be thus induced to
graduate, and from a full conviction, founded upon experience, of
the great comparative value of the two latter years of study at
Haverford."
Upon due application, the legislature of the State of Pennsylvania
granted to the corporation power to maintain a college and to grant
the usual degrees. The act was approved March 15, 1856. The time
of vacations was changed — one of two weeks was appointed in Febru-
• Of Catalogue of Haverford School, 185^-53. ^ Philadelphia, 1857. « P. 9.
96 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ary, and one of nine weeks in July, August, and September.* These
changes made for progress; but the introductory department was not
abolished until later. ** It remains to be said that from the first
Haverford College took an excellent stand in regard to the conferring
of advanced degrees. At a time when many colleges granted the
master's degree In course without any condition Haverford demanded
a well- written thesis "on some literary or scientific subject," and,
what is much more to the point, repeatedly rejected the offered theses
as unworthy of distinction. From time to time the refusal of a mas-
ter's degree is recorded in the minutes of the committee on instruc-
tion. Further, the college would in no case grant a degree honoris
causa upon request. The attempt was made several times. In two
cases, where the applicants happened to be Englishmen, one was
backed by a very good literary record, by several original publica-
tions, and by an array of well-known persons as indorsers of the
request; the other was fortified by an amusing and judiciously
worded offer of pecuniary compensation; and both were summarily
refused. The sports of the students began at this time to take on a
more collegiate character. Hand ball and similar games were put
away. In their place cricket, introduced at an earlier date, now took
and held first rank in the affections of Haverfordians, and has stead-
ily remained their distinctive game. At present Haverford College
competes annually with Harvard University and the University of
Pennsylvania for the so-called "intercollegiate championship" in
cricket. Baseball and football also find considerable favor; tennis is
popular in the early summer; coasting has its fitful activities, and a
meadow is yearly flooded for the skaters. The outdoor life of Haver-
ford has always been one of its most attractive features. The gym-
nasium, fitted up in 1881 with Dr. Sargent's apparatus, was originally
built with money collected by the students soon after the reopening
of the school in 1848. It is now proposed by the alumni association
to build a gymnasium in the modern style, with swimming tank and
all the best appliances, in order to encourage the strong efforts of the
present administration to promote in every way the cause of phj^sical
culture. The gymnasium is expected to cost from 140,000 to 150,000.
From 1856, when the collegiate title was assumed, until 1876, when
the new dormitory was built, may be called the transition i)eriod in
the history of the institution. These twenty years were marked by
constant adjustments and changes and by no little friction. It could
not well be otherwise. The school was founded on the lines of strict-
est possible supervision and control of the students. This was not
inqonsistent with the character of a school, but it was unfit for a col-
*Rei)ort of managers for 1857, p. 9.
*The formal minute of the committee on instruction which recommends this
step is dated January 15, 1864: but the actual abandonment of the practice of
admitting such students dates from 1861.
HAVERFOBD COLLEGE. 97
lege. Change was necessary and it came not through counsel, but
through experience.
For several years after the college charter was issued Haverf ord
had.no president or principal. There was a superintendent, who did
no teaching and attended simply to the conduct of the students and
the care of the place. There was a faculty which did the teaching
and discussed matters of discipline. The committee on instruction
did the governing. But in 1857-58 Joseph G. Harlan, A. M., was
appointed principal, as well as professor of mathematics, natural
philosophy, and astronomy. The catalogue further shows for the first
time a "tutor," who assists in classics and mathematics. In 1858-59
the office of principal was vacant, owing to Professor Harlan's death.
In 1861-62 Samuel Hilles acts as "president pro tempore." In 1862
several changes were made, partly from motives of economy, but
doubtless, also, with a View to centralize and simplify the conduct of
the college. The old office of superintendent was abolished and its
duties assigned to the new president, who was to have an assistant.
It is significant that he was twice allowed by the committee on instruc-
tion to nominate this assistant or tutor.* As president^ the commit-
tee recommended Samuel J. Gummere, afterwards made master of arts
by Brown University, who had been teacher in the school from 1834
till 1843. He held the office of president from the autumn of 1862
until his death, October 23, 1874, when he was succeeded by his col-
league, Thomas Chase, A. M., afterwards made doctor of laws by
Harvard University.
The most conspicuous sign of progress made under the new admin-
istration was the erection, in 1863, of Alumni Hall, a building which
cost, at the cheap rates ruling when the contract was made, about
$10,000, and was designed partly to hold the library of the college
and partly to give better accommodation for public lectures and the
exercises of commencement. The funds were raised by the alumni
of the college, the chief contributor and promoter being Thomas
Kimber, jr., of the class of 1842. Moreover, a fund of $10,000 was
raised as an endowment of the library, and thus assured a constant,
if moderate, supply of books. The number of books at the time of
their transfer to this building was only 3,000. Since then there has
been a steady addition — including the gift of the three society libra-
ries — until the number has reached about 25,000 bound volumes, with
many valuable manuscripts and a host of pamphlets. The most
important accession was the purchase, in the spring of 1890, of the
oriental and miscellaneous library of the late Professor Baur, of
Leipzig, funds for the purpose being raised by Prof. J. Rendel Harris.
•Minutes of the committee, 6 mo., 6th, 1862; 10 mo., 2d, 1863.
* In the catalogues he is so styled, but the minutes of the committee speak of
the "principal " until June 3, 1864, when the title is formally changed to "pres-
ident."
5099—02 7
98 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The purchase included some 7,000 bound volumes and nearly as many
pamphlets. The students are allowed free access to the books upon
the shelves.
For two years (1862-1864) the discipline of the college was con-
ducted upon milder principles, and the number of students increased.
In 1864, however, it was deemed best to add in some degree to the
supervision and restriction of the students. The president was
relieved entirely from all direct care of this sort as well as from the
details of business. A superintendent was engaged to manage these
two departments; he was to govern the students, look after college
property, and keep the accounts.* The finances of the college were
in fair condition, but the rise in cost of provisions — it was 1864 —
made it necessary to fix the price of board and tuition at $350.
A new department, "comparative zoology and botany," was created,
and was assigned to Edward D. Cope, A. M., afterwards honorary
doctor of philosophy of the University of Heidelberg, and a well-
known naturalist. Clement L. Smith, A. M., a graduate of Haver-
ford and of Harvard,^ was assistant professor of classics and mathe-
matics. The outlook was excellent for a prosperous future, but there
were breakers ahead. The regulations of a boarding school and the
aims and spirit of a college could be kept in harmonious operation
only by most delicate management, and this was not forthcoming.
Serious offenses against the discipline marked the winter of 1864-65,
and reduced the number of students for the new year (1865-66) to 37,
one class losing half of its members. But a better state of things
succeeded this disciplinary crisis. A new superintendent was
appointed in the middle of the college year (1865-66) and the number
of students rose. Still it must be admitted that the prosperity of the
institution was checked to a considerable extent by this clash of col-
lege spirit and school restraints. The credit of working out a solu-
tion for the great problem of a family college belongs chiefly to the
present president, Isaac Sharpless, LL. D. Rules have been largely
abolished ; a student is brought into line with the generous aims of the
college as a whole and with the healthy tone of the college com-
munity. But to reach this fortunate state of things there was a long
journey to make, and there were not a few accidents by the way.
Meanwhile important changes were made in the course of study.
Annual examinations were substituted^ for the old ** biennials."
Modem languages were admitted to a place in the curriculum,*^ and
Anglo-Saxon was set as a required study of the sophomore year. In
1867-68 the price of board and tuition was raised to $375; in 1870-71
to $425, and in 1884 to $500. In 1888 arrangements were made by
which, while the general price remained $500, students occupying cer-
tain rooms could have this figure reduced to $375. Graduate stu-
dents — formerly unknown at the college — pay at present $300 per
' Minutes Com. on Instr. 6mo. 14th, 1864. " In 1868.
*» Now dean of Harvard College. * 1865-66.
HAVSRFOBD COLLEGE. 99
annum for board and tuition. From the reopening of the ooUege in
1848 a certain number of young men, who must be members of the
Society of Friends and have the intention of becoming teachers, were
regularly admitted without charge. With the establishment of full and
partial scholarships, the number of assisted student's was increased,
and at the same time the conditions of assistance just named ceased
to be absolute.
In 1870* a remarkable resolution was offered by the faculty to the
managers, advocating the admission of ''female students" to Haver-
ford College, "should a way open therefor," and laj^ing down a defi-
nite plan of coeducation. The recommendation was not heeded by
the board.
In 1871 a crisis occurred in the management of the institution.
Owing to troubles connecte<l with the discipline, it was deemed best
to give up the system of government by a committee of the board of
managers. The change was not mei*ely one of method, but amounted
almost to a revolution, leaving little of the former organization of
discipline. Three members of the faculty — Samuel J. Gummere,
Thomas Chase, and John II. Dillingham — formed a sort of partner-
ship and assumed the sole responsibility of managing not only the
discipline and instruction, but also the entire business of the college.
They had a pecuniary interest in the result, could use the income of
the endowment fund, and if the "profits" should exceed a certain
figure were to divide the surplus with the corporation. In other
words, they took the college on a nominal lease and managed it to the
best of their ability, unhampered, save in certain fundamental mat-
ters, by any dependence on the board of managei^s. The latter body
transacted its business with the faculty through an executive com-
mittee of five. This partnership lasted only a few years, but it
served to centralize the authority of college government and made a
good basis for the subsequent organization. The lease remained
intact for three years,^' being broken in October, 1874, by the death
of Samuel J. Gummere, president of the college. It was continued
for a while by Thomas Chase, as president, and Samuel Alsop, jr., the
latter entering the college as superintendent in 1875, but the arrange-
ment was terminated by agreement with the board August 1, 1878.
Upon his acceptance of oflftce in 1875 the new i^resident made cer-
tain recommendations to the friends of the college. The equipment
was far behind the actual i>osition of the college. The three lower
classes were gathered for study in a large room, after the fashion of a
boarding school, and there was little or no opportunity' for private
study. The senior class had its special room, but all study was gre-
garious. In response to the president's appeal, friends of the college
•Minutes of faculty meetings [MS.], 5 mo. 23d, 1870.
*At the end of the second year the Report of the Managers calls the plan
*' entirely satisfactory," and reports for the first year an actual profit accruing to
the corporation, $212.08. v ,
100 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
raised funds for the erection of a handsome dormitory — Barclay Hall.
It is built of granite, stands on an admirable site, contains private
sleeping rooms and study rooms to accommodate over 80 students,
and is fitted in the most approved fashion. The cost of the building
proper, completed in 1877, was about $82,000.
While the college was taking this necessary step to increase its
material resources it did away with the fiction of a stock corporation.
In 1875 the court of common pleas of Delaware County, Pa., allowed
the Haverford School Association to change its name to The Corpo-
ration of Haverford College, and permission was granted the said cor-
poration to hold real and personal estate to the clear annual value of
$50,000. Evidently another change was needed, and in 1878, after a
great deal of difficulty, the managers obtained the unanimous consent
of the members of the corporation to have the following amendments
to the charter approved by the court:
I. The representation and ownership of the property and franchises of The Cor-
poration of Haverford College, by means of a capital stock divided into shares, is
hereby terminated, but each of the present shareholders shall remain a member
of the corporation.
n. The corporation shall have i)ower to enact by-laws providing for the election
of new members and prescribing their qualifications. '
Changes were made in the course of study. This had been uni-
form; but as early as 1872 a "scientific course" is recognized in the
catalogue. In 1875 the catalogue outlines separate courses of study
for the classical and the scientific students, and gives a list of elec-
tives for the junior and senior years of the classical course. In 1884
a department of engineering was added, and a machine shop was
established with fair equipment for the work. A large addition to
this shop has just been built. In 1878 the chemical laboratory was
entirely rebuilt, and equipped with the latest appliances. A new
observatory, communicating with the old one, was built in 1883, and was
provided with an excellent telescope made by Alvan Clark. In 1886 a
biological laboratory was fitted out, and a physical laboratory in 1888.
Meanwhile the elective system had been greatly extended. In 1880
the classical juniors had fourteen hours of regular work; to this they
added two hours of elective work chosen from five courses — two in
mathematics, and one each in chemistry, French, and Hebrew. The
classical seniors, in addition to eleven hours' regular work, chose three
hours from courses in mechanics, astronomy, physics, classical phi-
lology, psychology, German, French, Hebrew, and calculus. Of course
all this involved additions to the faculty.
The increase in the pecuniary resources of the college did not keep
pace with its needs. Repeated but fruitless efforts were made to
increase the general endowment fund. However, other gifts came,
though slowly. Isaiah V. Williamson, of Philadelphia, gave in 1876,
and again in 1883, funds which amounted altogether to over $20,000.
• Cf . Report of Managers, 1878, p. 13.
HAVEEFOED OOLLEGB. 101
This money is used for scholarships. The heirs of John Famum gave
about $26,000, which was invested, and the income was applied toward
the salary of the John Famum Professor of Chemistry. Edward L.
Scull, of the class of 1864, left by will in 1885 a fund of $10,000, the
income of which is used for the purchase of books and similar pur-
poses. In the same year was founded a fund from the legacy of
David Scull, which amounted to $34,000. The income of this fund
helps to pay the salary of the David Scull Professor of Biology. By
the will of Jacob P. Jones, a scholarship fund of $5,000 was founded
in memory of his son, Richard T. Jones, of the class of 1863. It may
be mentioned that the same testator made The Corporation of Haver-
ford College residuary legatee to his entire estate, which is expected
at some time to increase the college funds by over half a million dol-
lars. At present * the invested funds of the corporations amount to
$211,363.96; but this figure by no means represents the resources of
the college. Gifts for special purposes and in large amounts are
made annually by generous but anonymous friends. Buildings are
thus erected, improvements are made in the property, and extraordi-
nary purchases, like the Baur Library, are rendered possible. In this
way, under the administration of President Sharpless, Chase Hall was
erected, in 1888, for the sole purpose of furnishing better class rooms.
It is a compact and convenient building, admirably adapted to its
mission. The most remarkable evidence of the faith which friends of
Haverf ord have felt in the work of the college is furnished by the
repeated occasions on which they have paid off accumulated debt.
There can be no better test of devotion. The Alumni Association has
been a source of strength to the college. It holds its annual meeting
with a formal oration from one of its members on the day before com-
mencement ; and in the course of the winter, according to a custom now
fairly established although of recent origin, its members convene in
Philadelphia for a public dinner.
In 1883 was celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of
Haverf ord School.^ Though hampered by lack of funds, the institu-
tion was able to give a good account of itself. It had from the begin-
ning maintained a high standard of tuition and scholarship, and
though its production had been limited it could lay claim to honest
workmanship. From the actual doing away of the preparatory depart-
ment in 1861 to the close of the year 1881-82 — twenty-one years in
all — there had been 1,102 students in attendance, or a yearly average
of about 52, and 217 graduates, a yearly average of 10. The cata-
logue of 1883-84 showed a faculty of 12 members, 1 resident graduate,
and 79 undergraduates.
In 1886 President Thomas Chase resigned his oflBice on account of
ill health. For thirty years he had been a member of the faculty and
•Report of Managers, 1889, p. 27.
^ A Bxiecial pamphlet has been published, contaming the oration, poem, letters,
speeches, and general proceedmgs of the day.
102 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
had done more tHan anyone else to raise the standard of the college.
His brother, Pliny E. Chase, LL. D., who had been acting instead of
the president during the absence of the latter abroad, died in Decem-
ber, 1886, and it became necessary to elect a new president. The
happy choice of the board fell upon Isaac Sharpless, Sc. D., since
made LL. D. by Swarthmore College, a graduate of Harvard Univer-
sity, from 1875 professor of mathematics and astronomy at Haverf ord
College, and since 1884 dean of the faculty. He had been the moving
spirit in that gradual change of the discipline which put it on its
present admirable basis. He was publicly inaugurated May 19, 1887,
and his address on the occasion has been printed by the college
authorities. He began an energetic advance in all departments of
the college. Additions were made to the faculty, which for 1888-89
numbered 17 members. These additional facilities of instruction
encouraged graduates of Haverford to remain at the college for pur-
poses of advanced work; and this movement was further stimulated
by the establishment of 4 graduate fellowships, 1 for each of the
leading Friends' colleges — Haverford, Earlham, Penn, and Wilming-
ton. It is believed that the presence of such advanced students stim-
ulates rather than retards undergraduate work. In 1889-90 there
were 16 of these graduates at the college, and for the first time in its
history more than 100 students were in attendance; the exact number
was 111.
Still another sign of progress is the attempt to give public evidence
that the members of the faculty are alive to the claims of scholarship
and private research. * ' The Haverford College Studies " is a periodical
issued about three times in the college year, containing original articles
by members of the faculty. The fourth number of the ''Studies" is
now in the press.
If one were asked to state the peculiar or differentiating principle
of Haverford education, one would best name its care to develop the
individual student. The limited number of students allows each to
retain his own individuality in the eyes of the faculty. Effort is made
to give him a sound body, to afford him every opportunity and stimu-
lus to intellectual growth, and, by bringing home to him his respon-
sibility as a member of the college community, to make moral restraint
as far as possible his own work.
Note. — Since 1890, when the above was written, the productive
endowment of the college has risen to $1,000,000. Unsold land, within
the city limits of Philadelphia, and apart from the college property,
amounts to at least $500,000. The total value of the college property
is about $2,000,000. The library now numbers 40,000 bound volumes.
An addition to the library building, costing $20,000, a new dormitory
at $16,000, a gymnasium at $50,000, and an auditorium at $50,000, are
recent additions. Six new houses for professors have been built.
There are 125 students, and the faculty has 20 members. — ^F. B. G.
X.
HOLY GHOST COLLEGE, PITTSBURG, PA.
Holy Ghost College was opened in September, 1878, and was incor-
porated in June, 1882, under the title of "The Pittsburg Catholic
College of the Holy Ghost," with power to confer the usual college
and university degrees. It is conducted by the Fathers of the Society
of the Holy Ghost. The college was first located on Wylie avenue,
but in 1884, the Fathers, encouraged by the growing patronage given
to their work, erected, on Boyd's Hill, at a very large expense and in
the best modem style, a new edifice capable of accommodating sev-
eral hundred students. It was dedicated to its purpose in April, 1885.
This massive and costly structure, fully equipped with all that is
required for educational pursuits, may be regarded as a guarantee of
the earnestness with which the Fathers of the Holy Ghost have taken
up the cause of Catholic higher education in Pittsburg and Allegheny
and the surrounding districts. Excellent results, as attested by the
prominent positions attained by many of their pupils, have attended
their efforts so far. The Fathers are determined to spare neither pains
nor expense to keep their college abreast of the times; and, while
harmonizing it with local wants and desires, they propose to make it
a center of mental and moral culture. In keeping before them this
ideal, the college authorities are aware that they have a twofold class
of students to deal with in Pittsburg and the surrounding districts.
There are, first, those whose parents can not afford to allow them the
time and expenditure necessary for acquiring a complete education.
They require those branches of instruction that may fit them for taking
part in the practical business pursuits of life. To such the college
offers the readiest and most practical means for attaining their end.
The commercial course, which has hitherto worked so successfully, has
been supplemented by an actual business course, where theory and
practice go hand in hand. But, while doing everything within its
power to help on those who are precluded by circumstances from obtain-
ing a full education, the college dare not deceive parents by any such
delusive assertion as that a boy can be educated, in anj'^ true sense of
the term, in a brief time and with slight labor. Education means
the drawing out and development of the three great faculties of the
soul — the intellect, the memory, and the will. It means the training
of the youthful intellect to reflection and logical conclusions, the stor-
ing the youthful memory with momentous facts and principles, and
103
104 BDUOATION IK PENNSYLVANIA.
the strengthening and directing the youthful will by sound moral
precepts and influence. Such a work necessarily requires for its com-
pletion a certain amount of time, and a well-ordered system of mental
and moral discipline. The higher education, at least in its intellectual
part, non-Catholics possess in abundance, whether through private
endowment or State aid, all over the country. Different Catholic
institutions are making great sacrifices to bring it within the reach of
our own people, knowing that " knowledge is power," and that it is
only by the increased spread of sound education our Catholic i)eople
will be able to ta*ke their divinely allotted part in the destinies of
our country. What has been done elsewhere long since, with much
success, the Catholic College of the Holy Ghost proposes to do in
Pittsburg and Allegheny. It is resolved to maintain always in a high
standing, and to offer to those who desire to avail themselves of it,
a full, liberal college education. This full college course is meant,
first, for those who are preparing themselves for priesthood in the
diocese or other missions. Nothing is left undone to fit such for their
exalted calling. It is meant, secondly, for those who intend to pur-
sue, afterwards, one of the learned professions, such as medicine or
law. The full college course, is meant, thirdly, for those who, though
not intending to pursue any of the learned professions, still desire to
have their minds so trained and cultivated by the discipline of higher
studies that they may be fit to enter upon and pursue with success
any career that may be allotted to them. The following the full col-
lege course will not preclude a student from taking up those special
branches which may be useful to him afterwards. It is even intended
that all the classical students shall go through a course of bookkeep-
ing, as the proper keeping of accounts is of great practical impor-
tance for every man.
Accordingly, all parents who can afford to leave their children at
school a sufficiently long time, are earnestly exhorted to inscribe them
for a full curriculum. Thus alone will the expense incurred in the
education of their children give permanent satisfaction and usefulness.
To sum up what has been said: Holy Ghost College supplies, on
the one hand, a wide curriculum of liberal studies, and on the oth^r
a course of studies restricted to the practical requirements of com-
mercial pursuits. This latter or commercial course gives to Catholic
students all the real advantages of so-called business and mercantile
colleges.
DEPARTMENTS OF SIIUDY.
There are three distinct departments of study, viz:
I. GRAMMAR DEPARTMENT.
This department is intended for younger boys between the ages of
10 and 14. The studies include reading, writing, arithmetic, gram-
HOLY GHOST COLLEGE. 105
mar, orthography, Bible history, the outlines of geography. Christian
doctrine, music, and drawing. Special care is taken of this depart-
ment, as it forms the foundation of all others. Before being Emitted
to it, a boy must pass a satisfactory examination in the usual elemen-
tary branches.
n. THE CLASSICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT.
This department is subdivided into (a) the academic department
and (b) the collegiate department.
(a) the academic department.
1. The studies of this department correspond to those usually pur-
sued in high schools or academies, and are spread over a three years'
course. Candidates for admission to the first year or third academic
must give satisfactory proof that they have mastered such elementary
subjects as are laid down farther on in the programme of the first
grammar class.
Studies, — (1) English grammar, composition, and literature; (2) his-
tory and geography; (3) arithmetic, algebra, and geometry; (4) Latin
and Greek; (5) penmanship; (6) elocution; (7) elementary science,
to include zoology and botany; (8) Christian doctrine; (9) German
and French; (10) music, vocal and instrumental; (11) drawing.
(b) THE COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT.
The collegiate department is divided into four classes or years,
called, respectively, freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.
The studies are the same as those pursued in the best colleges, and
embrace higher studies in: (1) English language, literature, and his-
tory; (2) mathematics — pure and applied; (3) science — geology,
chemistry, physics, and astronomy; (4) Latin and Greek; (5) logic,
ethics, and metaphysics; (6) history and political economy; (7) com-
mercial science; (8) German, French, and Italian; (9) music — vocal
and instrumental; (10) history and evidences of religion.
The studies of this department lead up to the degrees of B. A. and
B. Sc. The latter degree is given to those who take advanced science
instead of classics. Some of these studies are elective.
ni. COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS DEPARTMENT.
In this department there are two courses — (a) the junior and theo-
retical course, and (b) the senior and actual business course.
(a) JUNIOR AND THEORETICAL COURSE.
This course is divided into three classes, and includes the study of:
(1) Bookkeeping; (2) arithmetic, algebra, and geometry; (3) com-
mercial correspondence and business forms; (4) United States history
106 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
and geography; (5) penmanship; (6) English grammar and composi-
tion; (7) Christian doctrine; (8) German and French; (9) music —
vocal and instrumental; (10) shorthand and typewriting; (11) draw-
ing; (12) elementary science.
The study of some of these subjects is elective.
(b) THE SENIOR AND' AC5TUAL BUSINESS COURSE.
This course is intended for those who have completed the theoretical
course, and for such other young men as desire a rapid, yet complete,
training for business. It represents an entire business community,
with its bank, railroad office, post-oflfice, insurance office, etc. Stu-
dents of this department are supplied with a cash capital of college
currency and a stock of merchandise. Therewith they proceed to
transact actual business. It is believed that in this way, under the
direction of an experienced instructor, they will receive a most thor-
ough training in the more difficult transactions in general mercan-
tile business, commission, forwarding, stock companies, banking, etc.
The studies are:
(a) Required studies, — (1) Bookkeeping — ^theoretical and practical
in all its departments; (2) practical instruction in English composi-
tion; (3) arithmetic; (4) commercial law; (5) penmanship; (6) com-
mercial correspondence and business forms ; (7) religion; (8) elocution.
(b) Elective studies. — Mathematics; (2) science; (3) German and
French; (4) English literature; (5) history; (6) shorthand and type-
writing; (7) political economy.
FACULTY AND OFFICERS.
Rev. John T. Murphy, C. S. Sp., president, professor of oratory.
Rev. Martin A. Hehir, C. S. Sp., vice-president, director of scho-
lastics; prefect of studies; professor of classics, English, and French.
Rev. John Griffin, C. S. Sp., treasurer, director of music.
Rev. P. A. McDermott, C. S. Sp., professor of philosophy and
English.
Rev. George Lee, C. S. Sp., professor of classics, English, and
French.
Rev. Henry J. McDermott, C. S. Sp., prefect of discipline; professor
of classics and English.
Rev. Michael Ward, C. S. Sp., professor of mathematics, science,
and French.
Rev. Daniel Kirby, C. S. Sp., professor of classics, English, and
French.
Mr. Francis Danner, C. S. Sp., professor of mathematics and
science.
Mr. Henry J. Goebel, C. S. Sp., professor of bookkeeping, English,
and German.
HOLY GHOST COLLEGE. 107
Mr. Albert B. Mahler, C. S. Sp., professor of classics and English.
Mr. Joseph P. Danner, C. S. Sp., professor of bookkeeping, mathe-
matics, and German.
Mr. Michael S. Retka, C. S. Sp., professor of grammar class, pen-
manship, and drawing.
Mr. Adolph A. Beck, C. S. Sp., professor of mathematics, science,
and German.
Mr. John J. Laux, C. S. Sp., professor of classics, English, and
German.
Mr. James B. Topham, professor of business course.
[In 1902 the president was Rev. Martin A. Hehir, C. S. Sp., pro-
fessor of Greek and French, and Rev. John GrifSn, O. S. Sp., treasurer.]
XI.
LAFAYETTE tOLLEGE.*
By Prof. William B. Owen.
The early history of Lafayette College, though within the memory of
many persons yet living, seems already to her younger sons to belong
to the olden times. We must go back more than seventy years to
find the humble beginnings of what we now see. Easton was then a
thriving town of about 2,500 inhabitants, and was quite remarkable
in at least two respects. The marvelous beauty of its situation and
surroundings and the culture and literarj" taste that characterized its
society. Its clergy were conspicuous for scholarly attainments. The
bar was known all over the State for the learning and ability of its
ujembers, and in its business circles were several men who added
scholarly pursuits to other labors. The ladies also shared in its intel-
lectual life, three of them having found places in the collections of
American poetry. Easton was also the home of many persons dis-
tinguished in public life, such as George Taylor, one of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence; George Wolf, governor of Pennsyl-
vania; Samuel Sitgreaves, commissioner to Great Britain under
President Adams; James M. Porter, Secretary of War under Presi-
dent Tyler, Gov. A. H. Reeder, Richard Brodhead, of the United
States Senate, and the Hon. Joel Jones, afterwards mayor of Phila-
delphia! The intercourse of such men and women was the expression
of their intellectual life and taste, as well as of their social instinct,
and it seems natural that the thought should arise in their minds of
making Easton a seat of learning by founding an institution for the
higher education.
• This account of Lafayette College is mainly condensed from the Historical
Sketches which Professor Owen wrote in 1876, at the request of the Burean of
Education. In preparing that pamphlet he had access to the minutes of the board
of trustees and of the faculty and to the annual catalogues, reports, addresses,
etc. , the best collection of which is now in the possession of Prof. Selden J. Coffin.
Among the memorial addresses not in that collection special mention should be
made of Dr. John Gray's famous sermon delivered in 1858, on the occasion of the
death of Col. Thomas McKeen, a copy of which was sent by Colonel McKeen's
nephew in Philadelphia. The Biography of President Junkin, by his brother,
David X. Junkin, D. D. , is a source of much valuable information. Other articles
on the college have appeared more recently, notably that in the College Book,
published by Houghton, Osgood & Co., Boston, in 1878, and that in the chapter on
education in Rev. Uzal W. Condit's lately published History of Easton.
108
LAl^AYETTE COLLEGE. 109
FIRST STEPS.
The first organized movement to establish a college was a meeting
held on the evening of December 27, 1824, at White's Hotel, in the
northeast corner of the public square, at which Col. Thomas McKeen
presided. After full discussion it was unanimously voted 'Hhat it is
expedient to establish at this place an institution of learning in which
the dead languages and the various branches of education and science
usually taught in colleges, together with the French and German lan-
guages, civil and military engineering, and military tactics, shall be
taught."
Gen. Lafayette had landed in New York City on the 16th of August
previous on his last visit to the country he so nobly served. His prog-
ress throughout the land was marked by one continued ovation, and
these citizens of Pennsylvania, not unmindful of the wounds he had
received on her soil, resolved "that as a testimony of respect for the
talents, virtues, and signal service of General Lafayette in the great
cause of freedom the said institution be named Lafayette College."
It was further resolved 'Hhat James M. Porter, Joel Jones, and Jacob
Wagner be a committee to draft a memorial to the legislature for a
charter of incorporation and for legislative aid."
THE VIEWS OF THE FOUNDEBS.
These gentlemen accordingly prepared a memorial to the legisla-
ture in which they briefly set forth the history of the movement and
stated their plans more at length. It was not their design that the
tactical parts of a military education should curtail the usual course
of college studies, but, on the contrary, by thus providing judicious
and healthful modes of spending leisure they hoped to increase the
efSciency of the literary departments. The original scheme also con-
templated a preparation for college, the whole course to occupy seven
years. In reference to the department of language and literature,
their words are so suggestive as containing the prophecy if not the
germ of the present course in English studies that the following sen-
tences possess a peculiar interest:
'* An addition will be made to the language course usually adopted.
In this branch students commonly limit their attention to the dead
languages. This is to be regretted. The living languages certainly
have some claims to attention which the dead have not. Particularly
is it to be regretted that after acquiring the Latin the Romanic dia-
lects of modern Europe should not receive the small portion of time
which is necessary to acquire them.
" But the language most neglected in our seminaries of learning is
the English. It is, we think, one of the follies of the learned to
expend lime and toil and money in the minute investigation of the
languages of other times and other people at the expense of omitting
I M l
m
110 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the equally curious and more useful investigation of their own. The
Anglo-Saxon, the German, the Danish, the Swedish, etc., ought long
since to have been made a part of the education of our youth. Lest
we should be thought to prescribe a course impracticable within a
reasonable time, we will add that the period usually allotted to the
Latin and Greek merely would be, under a proper method of instruc-
tion, amply sufficient for the acquirement of all we have mentioned."
At that time the only chartered colleges in Pennsylvania, east of
the Alleghenies, were the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia,
and Dickinson College at Carlisle. The latter had been compelled by
financial embarrassment to close its doors. The former, by reason of
the great temptations of the city, as well as the greater cost of living,
was objectionable to remote rural sections; and it was felt to be a
serious hindrance to the cause of liberal education that young men
must be sent to the distant colleges of other States. Ease of access
from those parts of the State which the college was originally designed
to benefit, the abundance and cheapness of the means of living,
together with the healthfulness of the situation and its excellence as
a field for botanical and mineralogical research, were the main points
favorable to the location at Easton.
Sixty years of change and growth have abundantly proved the wis-
dom of this choice. Lafayette now receives students from all over
the Union, instead of from a limited portion of Pennsylvania; but the
location could not be changed for the better, even in view of this
wider sphere of patronage. Easton is situated at the confluence of
the Delaware and Lehigh rivers, toward the northern terminus of the
Cumberland Valley, in a region so fertile and beautiful, so rich and
productive in varied resources that it may well be called the garden
of the Atlantic slope. It has become an important point on the great
highways of travel between New York and the West and North-
west. Instead of the two days' journey by stage to New York, as
when the college was chartered, there are now three different lines of
railway between the two cities, giving frequent and rapid service.
Communication with Philadelphia is equally easy; so that for ease of
access from every part of the country the place is all that can be
desired.
The Lehigh, in its upper course, winds its way among hills stored
full of coal, iron, and slate, and the more recent development of these
resources has made the city an industrial center, presenting rai*e
facilities for the pursuit of the technical and practical branches which
are now embraced in the course of study at the college.
THE CHARTER.
The committee met with some opposition, but the legislature granted
the charter March 9, 1826. It vested 35 persons therein named with
the usual jwwers of a college and authorized them to fill vacancies iu
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. Ill
-fcheir board by election. It provided "that there shall be forever
xnaintained in the said college a professorship of the German lan-
guage, and, in addition to the usual course of collegiate studies, there
0hall be taught in and at the same institution military science and
-fcactics and civil and military engineering."
ORGANIZATION AND EARLY EFFORTS OF THE BOARD.
k The board of trustees met for organization, as directed in the charter,
^ 2Jiay 15, 1826. James M. Porter was elected president, a position he
} lield for twenty-five years; Joel Jones, secretary, and Thomas McKeen,
treasurer. A committee was also appointed to prepare and publish
an exposition of the plan and purposes of the institution and to take
measures to secure a president and faculty for the new college.
Their success, however, was far from encouraging. The legisla-
ture had not voted them the desired aid, the region was compara-
tively new, and the people upon whom they mainly depended for
contributions were busy working up its material resources. But the
trustees were hopeful, even under continued discouragement, and
predicted that Lafayette College "should ultimately be inferior to
none in our country." They dwelt with enthusiasm upon its pros-
pects and the advantages of the situation; "the surrounding country,
so populous, picturesque, fertile, and salubrious; so rich in mineral
and botanical productions; the necessaries of life so abundant and
cheap."
DR. GEORGE JUNKIN.
It was not until January, 1832, that the name of the Rev. George
Junkin, A. M., came before the committee "as a gentleman emi-
nently qualified to take charge of the institution." Mr. Junkin was
deeply interested in the education of pious young men of slender
means, and for that purpose had established a manual-labor school at
Germantownand gathered about him a considerable number of pupils.
The trustees invited him to come to Easton and examine the charter
of the college, its location, and prospects, and on the 6th of February,
1832, appointed him president. The charter was so amended as to
do away with the military feature and give him an opportunity to try
his plan of manual labor.
The trustees then leased for two years for the purposes of the col-
lege a farm, consisting of about 60 acres of land and the ordinary
farm buildings, situated south of the Lehigh River directly opposite
the borough. In March President Junkin came to Easton and began
the work of fitting up the premises, and the regular exercises of the
college began May 9, 1832. The session opened with 43 students, but
the number soon Increased, and there were in all 67 in attendance
during the first college year at Lafayette.
112 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THE PERMANENT SITE.
ITie efforts of the trustees were next directed toward securing a per-
manent site. After a careful examination of all the locations sug-
gested they made a purchase of 9 acres of land on the brow of the
hill north of the borough (a part of the present site) for $1,400. A
better selection certainly could not have been made. In a region
abounding in most charming views, **the Switzerland of America,"
as it is called, that one point which, if possible, surpasses all the rest
in the loveliness of its outlook was chosen to be the site of the infant
college. All the variety of the varied and picturesque scenery which
has made the "Forks of the Delaware" celebrated far and wide lies
before this little mount and can be taken in with a single sweep of
the eye. At its foot the Bushkill winds; on the south and west, the
Lehigh, whose course may be traced by the steam of locomotives, and
the smoke of the furnaces that line its banks; on the east, the Dela-
ware, sweeping its broader current southward; across the city, 7 miles
away, are the Musconetcong hills, stretching off eastward into New
Jersey as far as the eye can see. On the north half a mile away is.
Chestnut Hill and Paxinosa, from whose top one facing northwara
may overlook a broad and beautiful valley bounded by the Blue
Mountains, the even line of whose summit is broken in three places —
Justin front of the beholder the "Wind Gap," 12 miles away in a
direct line; on the right hand, "Delaware Water Gap," 20 miles
away; on the left hand, "Lehigh Gap," 25 miles away. On every
side nature has spread her charms with a lavish hand, and art vies
with nature to heighten the impressive beauty of the scene.
THE COLLEGE EDIFICE.
Preparations were at once made for the erection of a suitable build-
ing on the new site. It was urged on as rapidly as possible during
the summer of 1833, and was so far completed as to be ready for occu-
pancy in May of the following year. The structure (now the central
part of South College and one of the most substantial edifices on
the hill) was 112 by 44 feet, with a recess of 17 by 49 feet. The base-
ment and first and second stories are of limestone, rough laid, and the
third and fourth stories of brick, the whole finished in rough cast.
There were 6 recitation rooms, a chapel, refectory hall, steward's
rooms, apartments for the president and other oflBicers of the college,
and about 50 rooms for the students. The building had an old-fash-
ioned '*hip roof," covered with slate and surmounted by a simple
open dome 14 feet in diameter. Although finished in a style of severe
plainness, the building was the pride of the town. At its completion
it was brilliantly illuminated by the students, who made the day one
of great festivity and rejoicing.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 113
INAUGURATION OF THE PRESIDENT AND FACULTY.
And now, May 1, 1834, the president and faculty were formally
inaugurated in the college hall.
The following composed the faculty: The Rev. George Junkin,
A. M., president and professor of mental and moral philosophy, logic,
rhetoric, and evidences of Christianity; Charles F. McCay, A. B.,
professor of mathematics and natural philosophy; James I. Kuhn,
A. B., professor of the Latin and Greek languages; Samuel D. Gross,
M. D., professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and botany.
Dr. Junkin's associates were men of more than usual ability, and
the work they did helped to draw together a good class of students.
The Hon. N. B. Smithers, of Delaware, was among the first graduates,
and of his fellow-students there were Governor Ramsey, of Minnesota;
Dr. Grier, editor of the Presbyterian; the Hon. James Morrison
Harris, of Baltimore, and his distinguished townsman, John W. Gar-
rett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, besides a goodly
number who became eminent in the ministry.
THE EARLY FEATURES OF THE COLLEGE.
The trustees entered heartily into President Junkin's views with
reference to the manual-labor system and spoke in the warmest terms
of a scheme which promised such large results, not onl}^ in bodily
health and the saving of money, but in promoting mental activity and
the development of manly independence of character. A thorough
trial was made of it, and work, both agricultural and mechanical, was
carried on for several years, but the authorities were obliged at last
to admit its failure as a part of the college scheme, and it was aban-
doned in 1839. Another feature of the original plan, containing the
germ of our present system of State normal schools, was the prepara-
tion of teachers. The trustees established as a part of the curriculum
of the college a "teachers' course," designing to issue special diplo-
mas to such students as might graduate in it; and they further erected
a building (now West College) to serve as a ''model school" in which
the art of governing and of communicating knowledge might be
taught. It was found upon trial that the number of young men who
looked forward to teaching as a profession and could devote them-
selves uninterruptedly to the necessary training was not large enough
to warrant the continuance of this department. In addition to the
usual college curriculum liberal attention was given to the modern
languages. Prof. F. A. Ranch, Ph. D., afterwards president of
Marshall College, worked in this department, and the students read
a good deal of French, Italian, Spanish, and German.
A law school was also contemplated, and as early as 1841, and for
several yeara thereafter, the name of the Hon. James M. Porter appears
5099—02 8
114 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
in the catalogues as " professor of jurisprudence." In the enumera-
tion of students also, several are set down from year to year as " law
students."
The moral and religious training of the students was a subject upon
which the founders of the college felt deeply, and to which they made
frequent reference in their published reports. The Bible was care-
fully studied, and punctual attendance at morning and evening pray-
ers and at divine service upon the Lord's Day was required of all the
students. Morning pi-ayers were at 5 o'clock, winter and summer,
and upon the Sabbath these early devotions were immediately followed
by a Bible class. *' This exercise," says the Fifth Annual Report,
" generally occupies an hour. It is exegetical, didactic, polemic, and
practical."
The government of the college was administered on the principle of
strict and systematic vigilance. Dr. Junkin encouraged the forma
tion of students' courts for the trial of misdemeanors, but there was
keen oversight and the strong arm of government. He was a man
kindly but severe — authoritative, and with a wonderful force of per-
soual presence. From his private apartmt^nt one door opened into the
refectory, where all the students ate "under the eye of on^ or two
professors," and which was ri^i?:htly considered one of the most difficult
departments to govern; another door led to the prayer hall. The
residence of the other members of the faculty was also managed with
a view to " facility of access," and arrangements were made for fre-
quent visits to the rooms of students m order, as the early catalogues
say, ** to keep up a perpetual vigilanc»3 over the whole." Under this
system of strict supervision, and perhaps by reason of it, there grew
up some peculiar shades of student life unknown to us nowadays
except through vague traditions.
But, withal, this severe surveillance had a tender side. It assumed a
certain waywardness of the young men, but its aim was to provide
healthful moral restraints; and it was true then of the college, as it
has been for the most part throughout its history, that the high moral
and religious tone was such as to commend it warmly to public confi-
dence as a place where young men might safely spend the most deci-
sive period of life. One of the early catalogues, referring to the
"evidence of a good moral atmosphere" in the fact that no case of
discipline had occurred at Lafayette during the year, adds, with par-
donable enthusiasm, "Blessed is that college whose laws are lost sight
of by becoming incarnate in the heart of all its members."
PRESIDENT JUNKIN'S ADMINISTRATION.
Dr. Junkin resigned the presidency in 1841 to accept the presi-
dency of Miami University, Ohio. He was, however, recalled in 1844
and remained at the head of the college until 1848, when he again
resigned, and assumed the presidency of Washington College, Vir-
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 115
ginia. Even this brief history would be incomplete without a grate-
ful mention of his laborious and self-denying efforts for the college
during the thirteen years he was president. Few ever toiled with
more enthusiasm and at times with greater discouragements to
accomplish a cherished object.
There was no endowment. The State could not be induced to
help the college on general grounds, and the help that came from
other sources was very inadequate. The first published list of con-
tributions to the funds foots up to $5,103. The largest contribution
is $500, there are several of 50 cents, and 70 are below $5. Dr.
Junkin spent all the money he had or could raise on the college.
Fortunately, several men prominent in the Presbyterian Church
appreciated the importance of Lafayette as a training school for the
ministry and gave Dr. Junkin substantial encouragement. Dr.
Archibald Alexander and Dr. John Breckenridge were especially
earnest in the matter. Dr. Alexander, at a desperate juncture, when
the friends of the college were actually discussing the abandonment
of the work, referring to the college at Princeton, of which he was
trustee, Mud:
There is no danger of injnrioiis competition, but probable benefit, from the kind
of rivalry which may spring up. I should be very sorry to see the ground at
Easton abandoned and the labor lost. It muat not be.
Aid for that particular emergency was obtained from New York
and Philadelphia, Mr. James Lenox, of New York, being one of the
largest givers.
PRESIDENT JUNKIN'S ASSOCIATES.
Among the eminent scholars associated with Dr. Junkin in the
faculty at Lafayette, besides those already mentioned, were Dr. Traill
Green, elected professor of chemistiy in 1837; the Rev. James C
Moffat, D. D., afterwards professor at the College of New Jersey, and
then in the Theological Seminary at Princeton ; the Rev. William
Henry Green, D. D., LL. D., a graduate of Lafayette (class of 1840),
and later president and professor of Hebrew and Oriental literature in
the Theological Seminary at Princeton; the Rev. Robert Cunningham,
of Scotland; the Rev. David X. Junkin, D. D. ; Washington McCartney,
LL. D., '^ mathematician, metaphysician, and jurist unsurpassed."
STRUGGLES OF THE MIDDLE PERIOD.
Di. John W. Yeomans was president while Dr. Junkin was at Miami
University (1841-1844) and after Dr. J unkin's final resignation. Three
short administrations bring us down to the year 1863 — Dr. C. W.
Nassau (1848-49), Dr. Daniel V. McLean (1851-1857), and Dr. George
Wilson McPhail (1858-1863). The early part of this period was a time
of transition, and therefore of more importance than would appear in
the mere outward history. The college was freeing itself one by one
116 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
from the experiments of its origin and settling more and more into
tried collegiate ways, giving the usual curriculum of Latin, Greek,
mathematics, and philosophy. It was conspicuous mainly for plain
living and thorough work, sending out its little quota each year to
the learned professions. About half of its graduates entered the
ministry.
The year 1849 was one of special depression, and the number in
attendance in the four college classes fell from 82 in 1848 to 25 in
1850. In the latter year it was received under the patronage of the
Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia, and the charter was amended
accordingly. Dr. McLean, in 1851, undertook to raise a permanent
endowment of $100,000 by the sale of scholarships, and the result
brought about a new upward movement. In 1856 the number of stu-
dents enrolled reached 106.
During Dr. McLean's administration two men became connected
with the faculty who, by their labors, have brought world-wide renown
to the institution — Prof. James H. Cofl&n, LL. D., in 1853, and Prof.
Francis A. March, LL. D., in 1855. With the coming of the former,
Lafayette became in some sense the headquarters of meteorology in
America, since there the observations of the Government officers and
the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, supplemented by the
extensive correspondence of Professor Coffin, have been reduced and
prepared for publication under the direction of that eminent mete-
orologist. With Dr. March's coming began the famous course of
Anglo-Saxon and English in connection with comparative philology.
The financial embarrassment, however, was only temporarily relieved
by the new "endowment," and in 1860 came the civil war with its
added difficulties.
In 1862, after the battle of Antietam, the students enlisted in con-
siderable numbers. In 1863, when Lee invaded Pennsylvania, the
rush to arms was so general that the college was almost without stu-
dents; there were not seniors enough left for a commencement. In
August of the same year President McPhail resigned, and a special
meeting of the board of trustees was called in Philadelphia to "take
into consideration .the propriety of suspending operations under
increasing embarrassments." An arrangement was made, however,
with Professors Coffin, March, and Coleman by which they undertook
to keep the college in operation for another year for such compensa-
tion as the board might be able to provide.
PRESIDENT CATTELL.
It was at this critical point that we find the board turning their
attention to one who had been a professor in the institution. Rev.
William C. Cattell, at that time pastor of the Second Presbyterian
Church at Harrisburg, to whom they gave a hearty call to return to
Lafayette and fill the vacant presidency. Happily, he recognized his
call.
! £
THE PRESIDENTS OF
\Vil«m MpPllHtl. 1
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 117
Dr. Cattell was eminently fitted for his new work at Lafayette, and
his efforts at the very outset were characterized by that energy, pru-
dence, and tact which always master difficulties, and which for him
secured at once the hearty cooperation and confidence of the friends
of the college.
At Dr. Cattell's inauguration, July 26, 1864, Lafayette felt a thrill
of returning hope, "The hour of darkness and gloom has passed,"
said Governor Pollock, president of the board of trustees, in his
address; and so it had. A new vitality was at once infused, and new
vigor characterized the work of the college, both in its inner life and
in the more remote point of contact with its patrons and the public.
President Cattell devoted himself for twenty years to the task of
building up the college, and with full heart and strong arm, with a
strength that grew with growing opportunities, pushed on the impor-
tant work that lay before him.
Under his administration Lafayette rose to commanding eminence
among the colleges of the land, enlarging her work in every direction.
This long and continuous service left him, in 1883, in broken health,
and he was obliged to seek needed rest under circumstances as free as
possible from the anxieties of his great labor. The trustees, there-
fore, accepted his resignation, though with great reluctance, and
turned to the difficult task of choosing his successor.
PRESIDENT KNOX.
James H. Mason Knox, D. D., LL. D., had been for nearly twenty
years a member of the board of trustees, and as one of Dr. Cattell's
most efficient helpers had been an important factor in the recent
striking growth of the college. To him the trustees turned with the
offer of the presidency. Dr. Knox accepted it, but not without mis-
givings, for no one was more familiar than he with the great work of
his predecessor, and no one knew better than he what gifts of experi-
ence, tact, and geniality of temperament Dr. Cattell had brought to
its performance; but the cordial unanimity of the board overcame
his reluctance and 'brought the work before him as one to which he
was amply called. President Knox took his place and did his work
with quiet dignity and prudence, and in a manner to commend him to
the confidence and esteem of his colleagues, of the students, and of
all the friends of the institution. The noble task so well begun and
so energetically pursued by Dr. Cattell was continued bj'^ Dr. Knox,
and with the same earnest efforts to enlarge the endowment and
increase tlie efficiency of the institution. He resigned the presidency
in June, 1890.
At the commencement when Dr. Knox's resignation was received,
the boai'd of trustees and the alumni united in a movement to raise a
fund of $150,000 among themselves for the permanent endowment of
the college. The end of Dr. Knox's administration was further
marked by a bequest of $150,000 from the Fayerweather estate.
118
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
PRESIDENT WARFIELD.
After an interval of one year, during which Dr. Traill Green was
acting president, the board chose as the successor of Dr. Knox, Ethel-
bert D. Warfield, a young man, at that time president of Miami Uni-
versity, Ohio. Dr. Warfield accepted the call and was i-eceived at
Lafayette with the utmost enthusiasm, not only b}^ the college com-
munity but by the citizens of Easton, and in fact, by all classes to
whom the interests of the college are dear.
He was inaugurated in October, 1891, since which time there has
been a steady advance in most matters relating to the prosperity of
the institution. The number of students is increasing, not rapidly,
but surely; the alumni and friends are rallying, and there are on
every side the signs of prosperity. Dr. Warfield is a young man
of fine attainments, especially in history and political science, is a
gifted lecturer, and is making new friends for the college wherever
he appears.
We 'may now turn to note briefly a few particulars in Lafa^^ette's
growth during the last thirty years.
STUDENTS.
The annual reports of the faculty since 1863 show the following
numbers in attendance upon the regular college classes and post-
graduate courses. The college has no preparatory department.
1863 39
1864 46
1865 51
1866 65
1867 101
1868 128
1869 145
1870 188
1871 233
1872 222
1873 243
1874 280
1875 319
1876 335
1877 296
1878 276
1879 272
1880 265
1881 290
1882 302
1883 289
1884 289
1885 290
1886 251
1887 247
1888 ' 282
1889 309
1890 311
1891 319
1892 294
1893 297
1894 309
1895 306
1896 305
1897 305
1898 314
ia99 305
1900 339
1901 372
1902 419
THE FACULTY.
In 1863-64 the faculty consisted of nine members. The addition of
new departments of study and the large increase of students soon
made it necessary to secure a larger corps of instructora. In 1865-66
the number was 16. At present it is 30.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE.
119
RECITATIONS AND LECTURES.
There has been a corresponding increase in the amount of actual
class-room work. From 1859 to 1805 there were given annually in
the four classes 2,070 recitations and lectures. In 1865-00, when the
scientific department was added, more than half the exercises of the
new course were coincident with those of the old; 913 were different,
making the total for that year 2,983. The annual number of recita-
tions and lectures at the present time, not including the working sec-
tions or the graduate courses, is 9,263.
This large increase has been caused mainly by the addition of new
courses of instruction, but partly also by the division and subdivi-
sion of large classes. The policy of hearing classes in sections so
small that each student shall be sure of daily drill is strictly adhered
to, and will account in som^ measure for the exact and thorough
character of the work done at this college.
THE CURRICULUM.
The curriculum has come to its present form under the hands of
many eminent and gifted educators.
The early records do not furnish the material for as complete an
analysis with respect to the proportional distribution of studies as
might be desired. The following summaries, however, will show the
number of recitations allotted to each of the main departments of
study in the classical course at different periods:
PROM 1842 TO 1844.
Per cent.
Mathematics, inclnding astronomy and physics
Ancient langriiages ^
Mental and moitil science, ipolitical economy, rhetoric, evidences of
Christianity, belles lettres, etc
FROM 1844 TO ia51.
Mathematics Cas before)
Ancient languages
Mental and moral sciences, etc. (as before)
Chemistry and natural history
FROM 1851 TO 1853.
Mathematics (as before)
Ancient languages
Mental and morals iences. etc (as before)
Chemistry and natural history
Biblical
84.5
46.4
17.3
.2
660
82.6
786
39
388
lfl.2
40
2
146
7.2
The Biblical studies consisted of history and antiquities, sacred
geography, the Greek Testament, Butler's Analogy and tlie Standards
of the Church. It was during this period that the college became
120
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
connected with the synod of Philadelphia; previously the religious
studies had been carried on by means of Sabbath Bible classes and
lectures.
PROM 1853 TO 1857.
Mathematics (as before)
Ancient langiiaKes
Mental and moral sciencp, etc. (as before)
Chemistry and natural history
Biblical
•FROM 1857 TO 186fl
Mathematics (as before)
Ancient languages
Mental and moral science, etc. (as before)
Chemistry and natural history »..
Biblical
Modern languages
Per cent.
30.6
a».6
18.8
8.8
7.2
29.2
88
21.5
2
6.9
2.4
During this period, in 1857-58, the college year was divided into
three terms. In 1856-57 Trench on the Study of Words was intro-
duced; in 1857-58, Fowler's English Language, Anglo-Saxon, and
Milton's Paradise Lost. Here begins the philological study of Eng-
lish. It is not distinguished, however, in the above table nor in the
following one from the general English studies. French and Ger-
man were also introduced this year. In 1858-50 Shakespeare (Julius
Caesar) was first studied, in the thinl term junior class.
FROM IKjO to 1866.
Mathematics (as before)
Ancient languages
Mental and moral science, etc. (as before)
Chemistry and natural history
Biblical
Modern languages
Recitations.
Per cent.
587
28.8
737
86.6
439
8L5
63
8
138
6.6
96
5
III 1877 the distribution was as follows:
Mathematics, including astronomy and mechanics
Ancient languages
Biblical
Modern languages:
English and Anglo-Saxon
German and French
Mental and moral science
Political economy and Constitution
Outlines of history
Rhetoric and logic
Elocution
Chemistry
Geology
Botany and zoology
Natural philosophy
Mineralogy
Recita-
tions.
Per cent.
588
23.5
857
34.2
156
6.2
180
7.3
158
6.8
108
4.3
66
2.7
16
.8
29
1
154
6.2
36
1.4
70
2.8
32
1.2
33
1.2
22
.9
I
¥B
L
^v ^^^S^iLf^^^^^ l*^^^^^^^^^H
4
H^^^^^^^l fl. S'^ H^^^^^^^^^l
r
k
^^^
FOnnder of the Pardee Bclentlflu Department
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 121
Hebrew, Blackstone, archsBology of literature, and chemistry were
elective, in the senior year, with other studies, and in the case of stu-
dents who elected them modified the above results in mathematics,
Greek, and modern languages.
In addition to the outlines of history, particular periods in Grecian,
Roman, English, and American history are worked up along with the
reading of representative authors, as Livy, Tacitus, Demosthenes,
Shakespeare, etc. More than three hundred recitations of the course
are thus available as a means of special instruction in history.
Classical geography, Greek and Latin composition, and Grecian and
Roman antiquities come in as '*side studies," and are referred in the
above analysis to those branches to which they are most akin.
The present schedule differs from the above mainly in the larger
number of elective studies. Beginning in the junior year, elective
courses in biology have been arranged to meet the requirements of
certain medical schools which admit to their second year college
graduates who have pursued a certain amount of biological study.
The number of electives in the senior year has also been increased by
the addition of Greek, Latin, French, German, astronomy, meteorology,
political science, constitutional history, history of philosophy, peda-
gogics, biology, and sanitary science.
The college has been a pioneer in making provision for the philo-
logical study of Anglo-Saxon and English, having established the
course, as above stated, as early as 1857, and has won great renown
by the labors of Dr. March in this department. The department also
includes comparative philolog}^ so that the whole scheme of linguistic
study is organized upon the methods of Dr. March, with a view to the
application in daily work of the best results of modern research and
to laying the foundations for the thorough study of the science of
language.
THE NEW COURSES OF INSTRUCTION.
The origin of the general scientific and the technical courses is thus
given b}^ Professor March. In 1864 a number of students who had
passed through a high-school course and now wished to spend a year
in advanced liberal studies before going into business applied to the
faculty for permission to reside in the college and enjoy its libraries,
apparatus, and learned associations, and pursue such studies as might
be assigned them, Greek and Latin, however, not to be assigned.
The permission was given, and the regular hours for Greek and
Latin were filled with modern languages and natural sciences. The
experiment, if so it may be called, was eminently successful. The
newcomers were cultured gentlemen, and proved a welcome addi-
tion to the body of students. At the end of the year they concluded
to prolong their stay, and so many new students wished to enjoy
similar privileges that the faculty presented a memorial to the board
122
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
of tmsteeSy setting forth the facts and urging the establishment, if
possible, of a new course of study. In response to this memorial Mr.
Pardee gave $80,000, new teachers of modern languages and natural
science were elected, and the Pardee scientific course was organized.
It was called a scientific course, but its prevailing purpose was cul-
ture. It was carefully arranged that the students of the old and new
courses should make one family of Christian scholars, attend the
same recitations and lectures as far as possible, and belong to the
same literary and religious associations. The official announcement
was as follows:
The general scientific coarse is designed for those who wish to stady the natnnd
sciences, mathematics, modem languages and literatnre, history, rhetoric, logic,
and mental and moral philosophy as thoroughly as they are studied in our best
colleges, and who would be glad to enjoy the cultivation and learned habits and
associations of college life, but who will not study Greek and Latin. The trustees
of the college are deeply impressed with the thought that our present collegiate
system has grown up under the fostering care of the Church, and that the rela-
tions of our old collegiate studies to manly culture and religious training have
been studied by generations of Christian educators. They have therefore taken
care that the new course shall not be remove i from the old landmarks, and that,
as far as x)Ossible, the old approved methods of instruction shall be used in all the
departments of study. It will be found that the new course includes all the
studies of the old, except the ancient languages, and it is believed that the method
of teaching English and other modem classics, which has been for some years in
use in the college, has been so adapted to the studies of the new course as to give,
in a good degree, the same kind of discipline that is derived from the study of
Greek and Latin.
An examination of the present schedule shows the following distri-
bution of studies in this course:
Mathematics, astronomy, mechanics, and physics
Drawing
Modem languages:
English andAnglo-Saxon
French
German
Biblical
Mental and moral philosophy
Political economy, Constitution of the United States, and outlines of
history
Rhetoric, logic, and elocution
Natural sc;ienc^:
Chemistry
Botany and zoology
Geology
Mineralogy
Per cent.
24.9
4.2
15.2
10.6
9.1
6
4.1
2.9
7.2
5.9
5.4
2.7
1.8
This course was very successful, but as its classes filled up, the
natural surroundings of the region and the impatient spirit of the
times soon asserted themselves. It was a matter of course that the
youth of the region who took the scientific course should most of them
expect to become engineers or miners or chemists, and that they
should wish to finish their preparatory studies at Easton, and, finally,
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 123
that they should wish to finish them as soon as possible. In answer
to such wishes special technical studies were introduced, at first elect-
ive in the senior year, then in the senior and junior years. The
friends of liberal technical education in the region were now warmly
interested in this development. Mr. Pardee gave another $100,000;
others made up yet another. A polytechnic school was now organ-
ized under the name of the Pardee Scientific Department of Lafayette
College, and with tlie following announcement:
In addition to the general scientific course, which is designed to lay a substan-
tial basis of knowledge and scholarly culture, courses of four years each have
been arranged for those who may wish to devote themselves to studies essentially
practical and technical.
I. ENGINEERING, CFVIL, TOPOGRAPHICAL, AND MECHANICAL.
This course is designed to give professional preparation for the location, con-
struction, and superintendence of railways, canals, and other public works; chem-
ical works and pneumatic works; the design and construction of bridges; the
trigonometrical survey of States, counties, etc.; the survey of rivers, lakes, har-
bors, etc., and the direction of their improvement; the design, construction, and
use of steam engines and other motors, and of machines in general, and the con-
struction of geometrical, topographical, and machine drawings.
II. MINING, ENGINEERING, AND METALLURGY.
This course offers means of special preparation for exploring undeveloped min-
eral resources, and for taking charge of mining or metallurgical works. It
includes instruction in engineering as connected with the survey, exploitation,
and construction of mines, with the construction and adjustment of furnaces and
machines, and with machine drawings; also instruction in chemistry and assay-
ing, as applied to the manipulation of minerals. In addition to the general course
provision is made for advanced students who wish to give special attention to any
branch of the subject or to prepare themselves for the charge of particular mines.
III. CHEMISTRY.
This course includes text-book study, lectures, and laboratory practice, every
facility for which is found in the laboratories of Pardee Hall. Particular atten-
tion is given to the chemistry of agriculture, medicine, metallurgy, and the
manufacturing processes. Provision is made for advanced students, who may
wish to make original researches or fit themselves to take charge of mines or
manufactories, or to explore and develop the mineral resources of our own and
other countries.
These courses have been continued with success to the present
time. More recently, in 1889, there was added a course in electrical
engineering for those who wish to pursue advanced physics and the
technical applications of electricity. It is similar in its requirements
to the engineering courses above named. A Latin scientific course
has also recentl}- been added, designed for those who wish to study
Latin in connection with the studies of the general scientific course.
Post-graduate courses have also been maintained for several years,
in which graduates of colleges or scientific schools and others having
124 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
suitable preparation may pursue advanced studies in any depart-
ment, under the direction and instruction of the professor in that
department, and may have use of the laboratories, apparatus, collec-
tions, and libraries of the college while prosecuting their researches.
In 1872, Benjamin Douglass, esq., a gentleman of wealth and learn-
ing, a warm friend and patron of the college, proposed to the trustees
to endow a course in the Christian classics, that students for the min-
istry and others who desired might enjoy the full advantages of
philological training in the noble languages of antiquity, and in the
meantime study Christian instead of Pagan literature. The offer was
accepted and the course accordingly established. Instructors were
provided and classes organized in 1872. Arrangements were at once
made for the issue of suitable text-books to answer the need created
by the new course. This work was undertaken by Professor March.
Under his editorship and with the assistance of other professors sev-
eral volumes of the series were issued — Latin Hymns, the Ecclesiastical
History of Eusebius, TertuUian, Athenagoras, and Justin Martyr. A
large proportion of the students elected this course from year to year,
and it would no doubt have become a permanent feature of the cur-
riculum had not business reverses made it impossible for Mr. Doug-
lass to maintain it longer than five or six years. In 1878 it was
abandoned, but Athenagoras and the Latin Hymns continue as a part
of the regular classical coui'se, and Lactantius has been elective with
Juvenal in the senior year.
A department of law has from time to time been urged by the
alumni and friends of the college and contemplated by its authorities.
In 1875 they announced the establishment of such a course, and under
most promising auspices it was formally opened in the auditorium of
Pardee Hall, October 6, at which time an inaugural address was
delivered by the dean of the faculty, Hon. W. S. Kirkpatrick, formerly
president-judge of the third judicial district of Pennsylvania, and
now attorney-general of the State.
A faculty and course of instruction were announced in the catalogue
of that year and the next, but no complete schedule of lectui*es was
ever followed out. The number of students was small and they
received their instruction as they have done since, in the office of
Judge Kirkpatrick.
THE COLLEGE GROUNDS.
The college grounds have been enlarged by successive purchases to
include about 40 acres, which have been greatly improved within the
past few years. The work, carried on according to the plans of Mr.
Donald G. Mitchell ("Ik Marvel"), and under the supervision of Mr.
S. L. Fisler, A. M. (class of 18G1), has consisted of grading, terrac-
ing, ornamental planting, and the laying out and construction of
walks, drives, etc., and is so far completed that the campus already
presents a picture of rare beauty. This is not, of course, a work of
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 125
mere aimless adornment, but is carried on under the deliberate recog-
nition of the educational influence of art. The authorities regard it
as a matter of great importance that the surroundings of young men
while in the process of education should be such as to engage the
mind, not only upon the most pleasing aspects of nature, but also
with the finer forms of beauty into which nature may be wrought by
the skillful touch of man.
THE NEW BUILDINGS.
The most noticeable feature of the external growth, however, is seen
in the buildings. Thirty years ago the original edifice and the small
building to the west of it, built by Dr. Junkin for the model school,
were the only structures. Since that time these have been thoroughly
renovated and others added. The old building (now South College)
has been so completely transformed as to appear scarcely the same
building. The old hip roof has been replaced by a neat mansard and
the east and west wings added.
The east wing contains Eastonian Hall, which is fitted up as a read-
ing room and is supplied with the best newspapers and periodicals of
America, England, France, and Germany. Dictionaries, cyclopedias,
and other works of reference belonging to the library are also placed
in this room. It occupies the first floor and the second story in gal-
leries, making a spacious, light, and airy hall. It is adorned with
literary treasures and portraits of honored benefactors and officers of
the college.
The west wing is 44 by 84 feet in size, and, like the east wing, is of
brick, rough cast, trimmed with brown stone quoins and water table.
The new chapel occupies the first floor, a double story, 26 feet in height,
above which are the Latin room and private rooms of Professor Owen
and the lecture room of Prof. F. A. March, jr.
The clock tower, surmounted by a spire, is 125 feet in height, and
forms the connection between this wing and the main building.
The model-school building (afterwards known as West College) has
also been refitted — the first floor as the offices of the treasurer and
registrar and the college archives, and the second floor as the lecture
room for Professor March, with adjoining room as a private study.
A short distance southeast of South College stands Jenks Chemical
Hall. It is a T-shaped structure of blue limestone, three stories, with
mansard roof, 64-foot front, and 75-foot depth. It was built in 1865,
and -was fitted up with laborat/ories, lecture room, and cabinet. This
building is now (1902) being refitted for the department of biology,
the chemical department having been transferred to the fine new
Gayley laboratory, just dedicated, and the gift of James Gayley of
the class of 1876.
The astronomical observatory, north of Jenks Hall, and of the same
material, is the gift of Dr. Traill Green. It consists of a tower and
126 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
two transit rooms, with lecture room attached. It is fitted up with
a revolving dome and two telescopes, a transit instrument, and other
apparatus for the* observation of astronomical facts and for the thor-
ough study of astronomy.
By far the finest structure, however, on the grounds is Pardee Hall.
This magnificent building stands on the central plateau of the campus,
and was erected and equipped for the uses of the scientific depart-
ment by its munificent founder, Mr. Pardee.
The building, begun in 1871, was completed in 1873, and on the 21st
of October of that year was formally handed over with its scientific
equipment to the trustees in the presence of His Excellency Governor
Hartranft; the State superintendent of education, the Hon. J. P.
Wickersham, LL. D. ; the Synod of Philadelphia, and a great
assemblage.
It consists of one center building five stories in height, 53 feet front,
and 83 feet deep, and two lateral wings, one on each side of the center
building, measuring 61 feet in length and 31 in width; four stories in
height, including a mansard roof, the whole terminating in two cross
wings, 42 feet front and 84 feet deep, and four stories in height. The
entire length in front, in a straight line, is 256 feet. The material is
the Trenton brown stone, with trimming of the light Ohio sandstone.
It is heated throughout by steam and lighted by gas.
On the evening of June 4, 1879, this magnificent structure took fire
from the Chemical laboratory on the fourth floor and, in spite of the
heroic efforts of EavSton's fire department, at midnight was a heap of
smoking ruins. It had, however, been well insured, and from the
fund so provided Pardee Hall was soon replaced, ext/ernally the exact
counterpart of the first, but with many changes and improvements in
the arrangements within suggested by eight years of use.
The reopening, on November 30, 1880, was attended with ceremonies
more imposing, if possible, than those of the original dedication had
been. President Hayes was in attendance with a distinguisned party,
including his son, R. P. Hayes, several members of the Cabinet and
other high officials, and many other distinguished guests, with a great
assemblage from the vicinity. Prof. Francis A. March, LL. D., deliv-
ered the oration, and the entire Tiay and evening were spent, as before,
in banquets, parades, receptions, and gratulatory addresses.
In December, 1897, fire again did its dreadful work with this noble
building, destroying, with most of its contents, all except the east
wing. The work of rebuilding was again very promptly undertaken,
this time with still more marked improvement within, especially in
the arrangement of and approaches to the central auditorium and in
the provisions made for the department of civil and mechanical
engineering.
The center building contains the mathematical room of the students
in civil engineering, the hall of the natural history department, two
professors' studies, and the auditorium.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 127
The west lateral wing is devoted to the collections in natural history,
the Ward Library, the hall of the Washington Literary Society, and
the drawing-room of the mining engineers.
The west transverse wing contains the natural history class room,
the botanical laboratory, the herbarium (containing the most complete
flora of Pennsylvania in existence), and the study of the professor of
natural history, the modern language class room, the rhetorical class
room, the library of the Washington Literary Society, and the class
room of the mining engineers.
In the east lateral wing is the collection of northern antiquities,
Swedish iron ore, etc. Immediately above is the large laboratory for
physical research, communicating with the suite of rooms assigned to
the department of natural philosophy. On the third and fourth floors
are the hall of the Franklin Literary Society and the civil engineering
drawing-room.
The department of physics occupies the basement and the entire
first and second stories of the east transverse wing, together with the
second story of the lateral wing, making, it is believed, accommoda-
tions for this important department scarcely equaled in any other
American college. The basement contains gas holders, battery room,
etc. Repair shops, with engine, lathes, etc. , and the dark room for
photometry occupy the first floor. The south portion of the second
story contains the lecture room, with raised circular seats and fitted
up with the most approved modern appliances. In the rear is the
hall of the Society of Physics and Engineering. The third and fourth
floors contain class rooms for the students in civil engineering, open-
ing into their large drawing-room, as in the west wing for the mining
engineera; also private laboratories, rooms for apparatus, models, etc.,
and foi special students in steam engineering.
In determining what rooms were needed and the best arrangement
of them, similar buildings in Europe, as well as in this country, were
carefully studied, and liberal provision has been made in all the
departments of instruction for every aid which has been devised for
the most thorough and attractive teaching, and also for the prosecu-
tion of original researches.
Provision has been made in part for the accommodation of the
large number of students by the erection of "Students' Homes."
Eight of these occupy the north campus, six of them bearing the names
of those by whose liberality the college was enabled to provide them.
I'hey are in theii order from west to east: Blair Hall, Knox Hall,
Newkirk Hall, McKeen Hall, Martien Hall, Fayerweather Hall, Powel
Hall, and East Hall. McKeen Hall has brownstone quoins and win-
dow trimmings, with porch, ornamental cornice, and a balustrade
around the entire roof. The other halls have been greatly improved
without and within, bringing the whole row of dormitories up to a
high standard of beauty and comf Oi*t.
128 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
There have also been erected on the college grounds twelve houses
designed for the residence of professors, and those previously built
have been improved and enlarged.
PHYSICAL CULTURE AND THE GYMNASIUM.
The subject of physical culture, challenging attention through the
medium of athletic sports, has established for itself an abiding place
in the life, and is destined to secure ere long recognition in the curric-
ulum of all colleges of higher grade.
The evils incident to a voluntary, undirected system of exercise,
forced themselves upon the attention of the college authorities until
they saw the necessity of properly regulating it, in the interest of the
great and desirable end which it is intended to conserve. The trus-
tees of Lafayette felt the need of this long before it was in their power
to meet it. In 1884, through the liberality of a few friends, a gym-
nasium was built adequate to every need. The building is of brick,
84 by 45 feet, tasteful in design, very light, well warmed and venti-
lated, fitted up with dressing and bathing rooms, supplied with hot
and cold water, and thoroughly furnished with the best modern
apparatus.
With these appliances for insuring it, the trustees have added
physical culture to the regular curriculum of the college. Each
student upon entering receives a thorough examination by the med-
ical director of physical training, who is an educated physician.
Hereditary, organic, or functional defects, and special weakness, if
any, are noted, and the kind and amount of exercise adapted to each
case is prescribed. Each student is required to attend the prescribed
exercises of the gymnasium with the same regularity that he does
the instruction of the class room, and it is confidently expected that
a sound mind in a vigorous body will henceforth be the resultant of
a college course at Lafayette.
LIBRARY.
The library was founded in 1832 by contributions of books from the
friends of the college, and it grew slowly by gifts and small purchases.
In 1865 the whole number of volumes reported was only 2,645.
A fee of $1 a term for the increase of the library and afterwards of
12 a term for the reading room and library have since been paid by
each student, and the fees for matriculation and graduation have also
in part been appropriated to the same object. The income from these
sources is now somewhat more than 12,000 a year. This income has
been expended almost wholly in books immediately connected with
the studies of the course, with a view to buying all the working books
needed for original investigation in the special direction in which
each professor has wished to push his work. It does not, therefore,
add rapidly to the number of volumes, but in certain specialties it
has served to accumulate one of the best working libraries in the
country.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 129
The departments in which it is best are Anglo-Saxon, early French,
early and dialectic English, Christian Greek and Latin, American
history, natural history, chemistry, and mining. '
The most notable donation of books was by the heirs of C. L. Ward,
esq., of Towanda, who presented to the college his well-known library
of about 10,000 choice volumes of general literature, his law library,
and all the books and pamphlets of his American historical collec-
tion, with his extensive . collections of autographs, engravings, and
curiosities.
The want of a suitable building for library purposes was happily
supplied by a legacy of $30,000 devoted to this very purpose by the
will of Augustus S. Van Wickle, of Hazelton, Pa., who died on June 8,
1898. The library stands east of the gymnasium, and is a modest
gem of architecture, consisting of a central structure of two stories,
flanked by wings of a single story, with provision for extension north-
ward whenever the growth of the library demands more room for
books. The east wing is fireproof and contains the book stacks, with
room for more than 50,000 volumes. The west wing is the reading
room, finished in Flemish oak, with wainscot and paneled ceilings.
The central part contains of&ces and a main hall, in the north recess
of which is a reference department with working tables, where dic-
tionaries, cyclopedias, historical, literary, and scientific serials, and
other works of reference of frequent use are kept accessible to all.
SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.
These are extensive and valuable, and are rapidly increasing from
year to year by gifts from societies and individual donors, and by
special appropriations in addition to the fees for registration and
matriculation.
Among the most valuable of the collections may be mentioned the
extensive herbarium, collected mainly by Professor Porter and his
assistants during thirty years of enthusiastic labor. It is specially
rich in mosses, and is believed to contain the most complete flora of
Pennsylvania in existence ; the series of Ward's celebrated casts, illus-
trating geology and paleontology, together with the specimens pur-
chased for the college by Professor Hitchcock in Europe; the valua-
ble collection of coal fossils presented by the Scientific Association of
Pottsville, and the models of the coal region made and presented.to
the college by P. W. Shaefer, esq. ; the splendid mineralogical collec-
tions of Dr. E. R. Beadle, of Philadelphia, and of Jacob Wagener and
Dr. Joseph K. Swift, of Easton, also the Janeway collection, and
Prof. S. J. OoflBin's collection of silver ores; the collection of northern
antiquities, purchased by Dr. Beadle in Denmark ; and the complete
collection of Swedish iron ores, with the products of their reduction,
presented by the Jern Kontaret of Sweden.
The apparatus in the department of physics and applied mechanics,
the instruments used in the departments of astronomy and engineer-
6099—02 9
130 EDUCATION IK PENNSYLVANIA,
ing, and the scientific equipment of the numerous and extensive
laboratories, fairly meet the demands of advanced instruction in these
departments. A special feature, however, is the series of 1,322 wall
charts, executed at the college by Mr. G. Garnier, under the direction
of the professors in the departments of astronomy, chemistry, physics,
and applied mechanics, metallurgy, engineering, and natural history.
In addition to Schroeder's models in descriptive geometry there are
valuable models in machine drawing, stonecutting, crystallography,
and architecture.
THE FUNDS OF THE COLLEGE.
These changes from the meager appliances of earlier days of course
involved large expenditure of money, but the money came.
Dr. Cattell had, to use the language of **Ik Marvel" in speaking of
him, "wondrous winning ways," and soon gathered a host of liberal
friends to the support of the college.
In 1863 the total value of the property, including grounds, build-
ings, libraries, apparatus, invested funds, and outstanding subscrip-
tions, was 188,666, and the income from all sources was less than
$4,000.
According to the treasurer's estimate, submitted at the last meeting
of the board of trustees, the total value of the college property is now
11,270,488.98, distributed as follows:
I. — NONPRODUCTIVE INVESTMENTS.
Buildings and grounds _ _ _ . _ - $751, 194. 14
Apparatus- _ 37, 141. 16
Libraries and scientific collections 44, Oil. 47
Total - - -- - 832,346.77
II.—PRODUCTIVE INVESTMENTS.
Dormitories and students' homes $130, 340. 02
Houses for professors _ 86, 852. 19
Amount of invested fund _ 220,950.00
Total 438,142.21
It will be seen by this statement that the college possesses its build-
ings and grounds, its libraries, apparatus, scientific collections, etc.,
and that it has in addition over $438,000 of productive funds, yielding
an annual income of about 126,700. This sum, added to the fees from
students, is still very far from being sufficient to meet the current
expenses of the college, leaving an annual deficit to be made up by
special contributions, but it is a great advance upon the struggling
poverty of earlier days.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND CHARACTER OP STUDENTS.
This sketch should not be closed without a reference to the methods
of instruction, which have kept even pace with the improvements in
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE. 181
other directions. In the work of the class room there is constant
illustration and manipulation. The coal fields, ore beds, and iron
furnaces are near at hand, and everj^ resource of civil engineering in
its practical applications is displayed almost within sight of the cam-
pus. There are open fields for the botanist and the surveyor; labora-
tories for the physicist, the mechanic, the chemist, the electrician, the
assayer; book tables and working libraries for the linguist, the critic,
the historian, and the philosopher. All study is accompanied by exer-
cises of practice or research.
As the best reward of faithful work the professors constantly receive
from medical colleges, theological seminaries, and universities assur-
ances of the good training of Lafayette students, their manliness, and
theii readiness for the severer tests of professional study. The same
testimony as to the manly character and thorough training of the stu-
dents in the scientific and technical courses comes from those who
have secured their services.
Some note should also here be made of the influences that promote
the culture of individual character. Whether it is the comparative
freedom from temptations to idleness, extravagance, and dissipation,
CI the spirit cf the place and the wholesome moral sentiment which
prevails among the students, there seems to be in the very air of
Lafayette a tonic, stimulating not only to scholarly effort, but to man-
liness and the temper that gives men a serious purpose in study.
Doubtless it is due in large measure to the religious life of the col-
lege, the prevalence of a sturdy. Christian belief. ' ' There is at Lafay-
ette," says Donald G. Mitchell, "no doubting of the Bible or any
giving to it a courteous and reverent forgetting." The college is Pres-
byterian in its traditions, but not sectarian in any narrow or exclu-
sive sense, and in other respects is as free as is consistent with that
judicious vigilance which should prevail in a Christian institution.
The students regularly attend morning prayers, go to church on Sun-
day, hold daily voluntary devotional meetings, and organize freely
for Sunday school and mission work in the vicinity.
A fine building is now going up on the north campus, to be devoted
to the uses of the Y. M. C. A. of the college. It is the gift of James R.
Hogg of the class of 1878.
Lafayette has a creditable representation in the fields of literature
and science, and a goodly list of her alumni have become eminent in
professional life. Of her lawyers, 46 are or have been judges; 104,
members of Congress or of the legislature; of professors and teachers
there are more than 356; editors, 70; physicians, 384; in the tech-
nical professions, 721. Of her 590 ministers 41 have gone to the
foreign field. With a faculty strong and progressive, a young and
popular president, every face is bright with hope and every pulse
beats strong with the new life so full of promise for the "greater
I^afayette" of the futi^«.
XII.
LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE, ANNVILLE.
By Prof. H. Clay Deaiher.
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, in the East, to keep
apace with civilization and culture and to meet the demands of denomi-
national growth, and especially to provide for the moral and intel-
lectual culture of her children, called Lebanon Valley College into
existence. That church which looks not after the thorousfh education
of its youth under the inspiring influence of Christian religion
deserves to sink into insignificance, and invites the frowns and dis-
pleasure of a kind Providence ; such was the conviction of its founders.
The town of Annville, Pa., in the beautiful Lebanon Valley, was
selected as the site of the college on account of its accessibility, health-
fulness, and inspiring scenery, and because it was free from the many
allurements which ensnare the youth. As an inducement, the public-
spirited citizens donated a suitable building and grounds.
Annville is situated on the direct route of the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad, 21 miles east of Harrisburg.
The college was opened on the 7th of May, 1866, and was chartered
by the legislature of Pennsylvania in April, 1867.
During the thirty years of its existence the college has had six
presidents, as follows: Rev. T. R. Vickroy, A. M.; Luoian H. Ham-
mond, A. M. ; Rev. D. D. De Long, A. M., D. D. ; Rev. E. S. Lorenz,
A. M., B. D. ; Rev. C. J. Kephart, A. M., and E. Benj. Bierman, Ph.
D. The last is the present incumbent, who was elected in July 1890.
Since its founding 2,250 students have been in attendance. The
average attendance is 142. There have been 241 graduates. The first
class was in 1870; 27 per cent of graduates entered the ministry, 5
per cent law, 4 per cent medicine, and 24 per cent are teachers.
The necrology of the alumni, 11. One of the students — a lady — is
now a missionary in China.
From its founding the college was coeducational. Its doors were
thrown open alike to both sexes. Experience has proven that as to
abilities in mastering a college course there is no appreciable differ-
ence in the sexes.
Although the college is denominational, it is entirely free from sec-
tarian bias. It has enjoyed a large patronage from homes represent-
ing all phases of Protestant faith and belief.
The aim has been to provide a curriculum of study which will
qualify students for practical life as well as the professions.
132
LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE. 133
• The college has five cooperative conferences : The East Pennsylvania,
the Pennsylvania, the German, the Maryland, and the Virginia, the
first of which is the charter conference. They include the States of
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
The college offers four courses of study — the classical, the scientific,
the academic, and the musical. The classical leads to the degree of
bachelor of arts and the scientific to the degree of bachelor of science.
Those who complete the academic or music course receive a diploma
without a degree. The board of trustees have authorized the extend-
ing of the preparatory department to three years, making the maxi-
mum time of the course seven years, and authorized the preparation
of a course leading to the degree of bachelor of philosophy.
Besides the above courses the college has seven nonresident post-
graduate courses leading to the degree of doctor of philosophy. They
are as follows: (1) Philosophy; (2) ^Esthetics; (3) Ethics; (4) Chris-
tian Evidences; (5) Political Science; (6) Science; (7) Pedagogics.
Each course consists of six units, the first three of which are com-
mon to all, the whole embracing three years.
The college does not confer the degree of doctor of philosophy
except in course after examination.
In the department of music the instruction is in piano and voice,
and occupies three years. Harmony is required in both. Instruction
is also given in ensemble playing and on the violin.
The department of art is supplied with studies from the best artists.
The work is from models and nature. The instruction is in free-hand
drawing from casts and the flat, modeling in clay, painting from still
life in oils, china, and water colors. Daily lessons are given. Lec-
tures on perspective, light and shade, landscape painting, and on
painters and paintings are a special feature of the teaching.
Grerman and French are taught by exercises in translation, by con-
versational practice, and by writing. It is the aim to master these
languages so that they may become of practical value.
During the spring there is a normal department for the instruction
of teachers and those who intend to teach. The course of instruction
includes all subjects taught in the public schools. Lectures by promi-
nent educators and by the faculty are given on subjects germane
to the teacher's work.
A class in Bible studies is annually organized. The instruction
extends over one year. The course is almost identical with the Chau-
tauqua course. A diploma issued by the Sunday-school board of the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ is granted on completion of
the course.
The collegiate year consists of forty weeks, divided into three terms,
one of sixteen weeks, and two of twelve weeks each. The tuition is
$40 per year. Entrance examinations are held at the opening of the
134 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
fall term. At the close of each term examinations are held. The
maximum grade is 100 per cent, the minimum 65 per cent.
Instruction is both by text-book and lectures. In addition to the
lectures bj'^ the faculty a special course of lectures is yearly delivered
by the best talent on the American platform.
There are a ladies' hall and a main college building. The ladies'
hall is entirely separated from the other grounds and is under the
immediate care of the preceptress. In 1881 a third building was
erected, which contains the library, art room, music rooms, the depart-
ment of science, with its laboratory, and the museum.
The equipments of the college are good. It has an excellent supply
of philosophical apparatus. The laboratory is well provided with
appliances for practical work in the study of chemistry. The mathe-
matical department has a first-class surveyors' outfit, with apparatus
for illustrating the study of arithmetic, geometry, trigonometiy, and
conic sections. The classes in the ancient languages and history are
supplied with excellent maps and busts. The museum contains a
large collection of mineralogical, geological, zoological, and other
specimens, besides many historical relics. The classes in astronomy
are provided with an acromatic telescope. The libraries contain about
6,000 volumes, many of which are rare. Students have daily access
to them. The reading room is well provided with magazines and the
leading daily and weekly periodicals. A well-equipped gymnasiun
gives excellent opportunities for physical culture.
The college has both a Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A., which have
regular meetings and which exert a most salutary infiuence upon the
students. A students' prayer meeting is held every Tuesday evening.
The college has been dependent chiefly upon tuition fees and upon
donations from its friends for support. Only within the past few
years has there been special effort to obtain endowment. Two years
ago it received a farm, valued at 125,000, from the estate of Mr. Wil-
liam Bittinger as the endowment of the chair of Latin. In the fall
the citizens of Annville gave $10,000 endowment, and $4,000 was
received from other sources, making a total endowment of $45,000, of
which $20,000 is productive. The outlook of the college is better than
at any time in its history, and it is being established on a more per-
manent basis.
XIII.
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, SOUTH BETHLEHEM.
By Bdmund M. Hyde, Ph. D., L. H. D.
Lehig^h University, like so many of our American institutions, owes
its inception and its endowment to the open-handed benefactions of
one who saw the needs of his State and with noble generosity endeav-
ored to supply the means for meeting them. He had lived for many
years in the beautiful valley of the Lehigh, and had been actively
engaged in the development of its wonderful mining and industrial
resources. He desired to contribute still further to its progress by
affording to its young men better opportunities for fitting themselves
to carry on the work in which he felt such a lively interest. It will
not be amiss to touch upon the principal facts regarding his career.
The Hon. Asa Packer was born at Groton, New London County,
Conn., on the 29th of December, 1805. His father's means were slen-
der, and when a mere boy he was obliged to do something for his own
maintenance. But the occupations open to him at his home did not
promise enough for his enterprising spirit. He set out when only 18
to seek his fortune in northern Pennsylvania. In a few years his thrift
and energy had enabled him to purchase a tract of wild land which
during eleven years he tilled without gaining sufficient returns to
satisfy him. He then became interested in boat building, and came
to Mauch Chunk, where, in company with his brother, he purchased
a canal boat and carried on an active traffic between Mauch Chunk
and Philadelphia. His business prospered; his means increased, and
with it his views were more and more enlarged. Becoming interested
in the working of extensive coal mines, he saw that the great problem
to be solved was how best to get to market the vast stores of coal laid
up in the mountains of this region. Laboring upon this question he
at length matared and carried through the plans for that superb
monument to his sagacity as a financier, the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
From this time on his wealth constantly accumulated and his name
became synonymous with unsullied integrity and well-earned success.
His merits received full recognition at the hands of his fellow-citi-
zens. In 1843 he was placed upon the judicial bench, and in 1852 and
1854 he was chosen to represent his district in the National Congress.
Nominated as candidate for the governorship of the State in 1868, had
he thrown himself into the canvas with his usual vigor his election
135
136 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
would have been assured, but this was not to his taste. His supreme
efforts were devoted to the advancement of the great corporation
which he had done so much to build up.
At all times a liberal man, as the years passed away he conceived a
project which should do still more for his adopted home. The Right
Rev. William Bacon Stevens, D. D., late bishop of Pennsylvania, thus
describes the first announcement of this intention: "In the fall of
1864 an interview was requested of me by the Hon. Asa Packer, of
Mauch Chunk. He came to my house in Philadelphia and said that
he had long contemplated doing something for the benefit of his State,
and especially of the Lehigh Valley. From that valley he said he had
derived much of his wealth which God had given to him, and to the
best interests of that valley he wished to devote a portion of it in the
founding of some educational institution for the intellectual and moral
improvement of the young men of that region. After convening with
him a little while, and drawing out his large and liberal views, I asked
him how much money he purposed to set aside for this institution,
when he quietly answered that he designed to give $500,000. At
the time of this interview no one in this country, it is believed, had
offered in a single sum such an endowment for a literary institution.
It was the noblest offering which an American had ever laid on the
altar of learning, and more than equaled many royal donations which
have carried down the names of kings and patrons of European uni-
versities. Filled with profound emotions at the mention of such a
gift for such an object, I asked the noble donor what specific plans he
had framed in his own mind in reference to it. His reply was, ' I am
not much acquainted with these matters, but you are, and I want you,
if you will, to devise a plan which I can put into effective operation.'
I told him that I would make the attempt. I did so. I drew up the
outline sketch of such an institution as I thought would give the
largest results for the means used and submitted it in a few weeks to
his inspection. He examined it with the practical judgment and busi-
ness habits with which he deals with all great questions and adopted
the scheme as the basis of his future university."
In the spring of 1865 Judge Packer decided to cross the ocean and
spend the summer in foreign travel. Before leaving he arranged for
the organization of the new institution and prepared his will, in which
he made adequate provision for the university in case he should not
return to carry out his project himself.
Accordingly, the gentlemen selected to be the first trustees met at
the Sun Inn, in Bethlehem, on the 29th of July, 1865, and organized
by electing Bishop Stevens president of the board and the Rev. E. N.
Potter secretary. The wishes of the founder were explained and the
preliminary steps taken to obtain plans for the proposed buildings to
be erected upon the tract of 56 acres which Judge Packer had devoted
to university purposes.
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. 137
In the fall the founder returned to America and took his seat in the
board at its next meeting. After a full discussion of the courses to be
provided, the trustees decided to elect a head for the university and
intrust to him the adjustment of the details of its organization. In
accordance with this resolution, on the 4th of November the office of
president was tendered to Prof. Henry Coppee, LL. D., of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, and upon his acceptance the work began to
assume a more definite shape. President Coppee was a graduate of
the United States Military Academy, had served with distinction in
the Mexican war, and had had long experience as an educator, both
at West Point and also in the University of Pennsylvania.
On the 9th of February, 1866, the legislature of Pennsylvania passed
the act incorporating the Lehigh University, which thus began its
legal existence. Judge Packer deeded to it the tract mentioned above,
to which Charles Brodhead, esq., of Bethlehem, added 7 acres lying
aext to it.
The seal adopted for the new institution is of an oval form. In the
upper part is a sun; just below it an open Bible; on the Bible is a
heart. Thus are represented the Three Persons of the ever-blessed
Trinity. Around the upper margin are the words of Bacon: " Homo
minister et interpres naturae." Around the lower margin are the
words ** Lehigh University," and just below the Bible, ** Founded by
Asa Packer, 1865."
The president entered upon his duties on the 1st of April, and the
first professors were elected soon afterwards.
In order to provide quarters in which to open the institution before
more extensive buildings could be erected, a church edifice belonging
to the Moravian brethren, contiguous to the park, was purchased, with
its site, and fitted up for immediate use. This is now known as Christ-
mas Hall.
The Ist day of July witnessed the laying of the corner stone of the
main building, called Packer Hall in honor of the founder, which
stands on the side of the South Mountain, in the midst of the univer-
sity park, 360 feet above the level of the sea, and is erected from a
design by Edward Tuckerman Potter.
The institution was formally opened on Saturday, the 1st of Sep-
-Jember, 1866, in the presence of the trustees, the faculty, the students
of the first class, and a large number of invited guests. Addresses
were delivered by the founder, by Mr. William U. Sayre, jr., by the
president, and othei's. The new university was l)egun with two classes,
the announcement being made that the special schools would be opened
at the beginning of the following year.
The faculty, as announced in the first register, published in 1866,
was as follows: Henry Coppee, LL. I)., president and professor of
history and English literature; the Rev. Eliphalet Nott Potter, M. A.,
professor of moral and mental philosoi)hy and Christian evidences;
138 EDUCATioH nr penksylvania.
Charles Mayer Wetherill, Ph. D., M. D., professor of chemistry:,
Edwin Wright Morgan, LL. D., professor of mathematics and mechan<
ics; Alfred Marshall, Ph. D., professor of physics and astronomy;
William Theodore Roepper, esq., professor of mineralogy and geology
and curator of the museum ; George Thomas Graham, A. B. , instructor
in Latin and Greek. In addition to this, several departments were left
open for appointment later on.
The courses contemplated four years of study, two years of which
would be the same for all, being named, respectively, the first and sec-
ond class, while the men in the two years passed in the separate
schools were known as junior and senior school men.
Upon the completion of these years the student elected one of the
five courses then provided — general literature, civil engineering,
mechanical engineering, mining and metallurgy, analytical chemis-
try — ^and at the end of two years received the degree appropriate to
the course.
The tuition fees were $90 per annum in the first and second classes
and $100 in the special schools. There were three foundation schol-
arships to be given in each class, which should entitle the holders
to free tuition and room rent. Two competitive scholarships were also
established for each class, which afforded boarding charges to the
occupant in addition to tuition and room rent.
A preparatory class was formed in 1870 to supplement the fitting
then obtainable in the public schools, but this was discontinued in
1873, when the proper provision was made in the lower institutions
for training candidates for admission to the university.
During the early period of the history of Lehigh, a number of rooms
in the buildings were rented for use as dormitories, and a regular
boarding house was provided under the direction of the faculty. In
time, however, as the number of students increased, this space was
needed for other purposes, and the trustees decided that it was unwise
to divert any part of the endowment from the proper work of educa-
tion. They determined, therefore, to do away with this part of the
system then in force, since the growth of the town had been amply
sufl&cient to accommodate all the students. Within a few years the
members of several of the Greek letter fraternities have provided
pleasant homes for themselves either by purchase or rental.
To return to our history, a decided addition to the equipment of the
university was the gift of the Sayre Observatory, by Robert H. Sayre,
esq., of South Bethlehem, in 1868. In the dome of the observatory
is mounted an equatorial telescope of 6 inches aperture, by Alvan
Clark & Sons. The west wing contains a superior sidereal clock, by
William Bond & Sons, a zenith telescope, by Blunt, and a field tran-
sit, by Stackpole. There is also a prismatic sextant, by Pistor A
Martins.
e LATE HENRV COPP^E, LL. D.
Bt presliJeiH ol LehiKh Unlversfly.
^;
LEHIGH UNIVEB8ITY. 139
Students in practical astronomy receive instruction in the use of
the instruments and in actual observation.
This same year, by the bequest of Gen. George May Keim, of Read-
ing, a fine collection of minerals was placed in the museum.
Packer Hall was occupied this fall for the first time, and the fine
drawing and recitation rooms and laboratories were ample to accom-
modate the special courses to be then begun.
In 1871 Judge Packer increased his already large gifts to the uni-
versity and did away with all fees. After his death this was con-
tinued by resolution of the board of trustees until 1891. At this
time the increase in the number of students caused the board to
impose an annual fee of $100 for technical courses and $60 for literary
students. This went into effect with all applying for admission after
January 1, 1892. A number of free scholarships were established at
this time for men needing this assistance.
Elisha P. Wilbur, esq., of South Bethlehem, about 1872 established
a prize scholarship of $200 to be given to that student having the
highest general average for his work in the second or sophomore
class. This has been awarded annually on university day from
that time.
Saucon Hall was built in 1872 to supply the want of more space for
the various departments of the university, and was used mostly for a
dormitory until the rooms were needed for other purposes.
In 1875 Dr. Henry Coppee resigned his ofl&ce, retaining, however,
the chair of the English language and literature. By request of the
trustees, he continued to act as head of the institution until the fol-
lowing year, when the Rev. John McDowell Leavitt, D. D., was
elected to the presidency. He was a graduate of Jefferson College
and had filled chairs in Kenyon College and the Ohio State Univer-
sity. During his incumbency several important changes were made
in the scheme of instruction. As early as 1872 a rearrangement of
studies was found ne<;essary on account of the pressure of the tech-
nical work, so that the portion of time allotted for the branches com-
mon to all the courses was cut down to a year and a half. Under
President Leavitt the old names for the classes were given up and
replaced by those in use in other American colleges. In 1877 an
advance was made when Judge Packer established a classical profes-
sorship and provided for the opening of the classical department.
This necessitated a change in the arrangement of the courses, and
the university was divided into two schools — i. e., general literature
and technology — each with its own terms of admission, those of the
former being those demanded in the better grade of Eastern colleges.
The school of general literature contained two courses, the classical
and the scientific, where Latin and Greek were replaced by an
increased amount of science and modern languages. The technical
140 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
courses were all included in the school of technology. The same year
an advanced course in astronomy for postgraduate students, covering
two years of theoretical and practical work in the Sayre Observatory,
was introduced.
Mr. Packer enlarged the domain of the university in 1875 by an
additional gift of 52 acres contiguous to the park. The museum was
also enriched about this time through the purchase of the Werner
collection of birds, the expense being defrayed by the subscriptions of
a number of friends of the university. This collection has since been
considerably augmented by gifts from alumni and others.
The alumni were permitted, after 1877, to choose four representa-
tives to be honorary alumni trustees, these to be elected from time to
time, so that the graduates should have a share in the supreiiie coun-
cils of the institution. These were at first chosen two at a time for a
term of two years, but, according to the present by-laws, they now
continue in office four years, one being replaced each year.
The next event of interest in the history of Lehigh was the erection
of the new library building at a cost of $100,000. This was designed
by the founder to be a memorial to his daughter, Mrs. Lucy Packer
Linderman.
He did not long survive the completion of this undertaking. On
the 10th of May, 1879, he closed his earthly career, leaving behind
him a noble reputation for benevolence and devotion to the advance-
ment of learning. Tlirough the years whicli had passed since the
opening of the university the founder had most generously provided
for the cost of the successive steps in its development. He was ever
ready to meet the wishes of tlie trustees and faculty and showed the
liveliest interest in the success of his educational venture. All the
members of the university united in expressing their grief at the loss
of their great benefactor. By request of the faculty, Professor
Coppee delivered a memorial address on the following university day,
and the president's baccalaureate sermon was upon the same topic.
The trustees, desiring to honor the lamented founder, set apart the
second Thursday of October in each year to be called "founder's
day," with appropriate services and a suitable address. The Right
Rev. M. A. De Wolfe Howe, D. D., bishop of central Pennsylvania,
and since 1871 the president of the board of trustees, was chosen to
preside over the first of these celebrations, from whose admirable dis-
course the writer of this sketch has drawn a number of facts.
After the last tribute of respect had been paid to the mortal remains
of Judge Packer, it was found that he had not forgotten the future of
the university in the provisions of his will. A million and a half dol-
lars were given as a permanent endowment for the general expenses
of the institution, while $400,000 were added to the $100,000 he had
already devoted to the library, making a half million in all for its
building and endowment. The foundation thus assured established
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. 141
the resources of Lehigh upon a firm basis, the previous expenses of
conducting the institution having been paid by the founder from year
to year. Mr. Packer had thus given over $3,000,000, including the
cost of the erection of the buildings.
In the fall of this year Dr. Leavitt was granted leave of absence
until the end of the academic year, the affairs of the university being
administered by Professor Copp6e as acting president. In April,
1880, Dr. Leavitt's resignation was accepted by the trustees.
The Hon. Robert Alexander Lamberton, LL. D., of Harrisburg, a
prominent lawyer of the State and for many years an active trustee of
the institution, was elected third president of Lehigh University. He
assumed office in April, 1880, and was duly inaugurated upon the
fourteenth university day, June 24. Under his vigorous management
the growth of the various departments was steady and the scope of
the work done was greatly extended.
The faculty was enlarged, in the first year of his administration, by
the appointment of Henry C. Johnson, M. A., as professor of Latin,
the former professor of Latin and Greek, W. A. Lamberton, M. A.,
retaining the latter department. By this means the classical course
was raised to a higher degree of efficiency. An additional course,
the Latin-scientific, was added to the school of general literature in
1882, and in 1889 the whole scheme of studies in this school was
thoroughly revised and placed abreast of the best of our American
curricula.
In the school of technology the rapid influx of students necessitated
the creation of new chairs in 1881. Thus in the department of mining
and metallurgy Prof. Benjamin W. Frazier, M. A., retained metal-
lurgy and mineralogy, bat Prof. Edward H. Williams, jr., A. C,
E. M., was appointed for mining and geology. In like manner Prof.
Mansfield Merriman, C. E., Ph. D., relinquished mechanical engi-
neering, which had previously been united with civil engineering^ and
Joseph F. Klein, D. E., was elected to this chair.
An advanced course in electricity was founded in 1884, and this
was expanded in 1888 to meet the needs of the new profession of elec-
trical engineers, and a regular course with an appropriate degree was
established.
The latest addition to this school is the course in architecture,
which was opened in 1889 and is being developed as rapidly as
possible.
The board of trustees proper, consisting of ten members, is now
assisted in its work by the advice of a number of honorary trustees,
in addition to the honorary alumni trustees mentioned before.
During the thirteen years of the administration of President Lam-
. berton the financial affairs of the university prospered. By the wills
of Messrs. Harry E. and Robert A. Packer, sons of the founder, and
for many years active in the deliberations of the board of trustees,
142 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
large prospective endowments were beqaeathed to the university.
Heartily in sympathy with their father's great project, they have pro-
vided for a still greater extension of its benefits in the future.
Judge John W. Maynard, of Williamsport, long an interested mem-
ber of the board, died May 5, 1885, and left to the library of the uni-
versity his large and valuable collection of works upon law. These
have been placed in a special alcove, known as the "Maynard Alcove,"
which is adorned with an excellent bust, executed in marble, of the
distinguished jurist.
While mentioning these gifts to the university we must call atten-
tion to the fact that the Alumni Association established in 1881 a
series of prizes for oratory, which are open to the competition of mem-
bers of the junior class. This contest is held annually on Washing-
ton's birthday.
Mrs. Henry S. Ilaines, of Savannah, Ga., desiring to perpetuate the
memory of her son, Henry Stevens Haines, a young man of great
promise, who was graduated at Lehigh in 1887 and died within a year
after his graduation, endowed a scholarship of the annual value of
$200, which is to be devoted to the support at the university through-
out his scholastic career, of one student in the department of mechan-
ical engineering.
A valuable gain to the mineralogical cabinet was made by the
purchase of the collection of the late Professor Roepper. Mrs. Roep-
per also presented to the museum a fine set of specimens illustrating
crystallography, to be a memorial of her husband.
With the rise of interest in physical culture came an urgent demand
on the part of the students for opportunities in this direction. In
response to this appeal the authorities put up a fine, well-appointed
building, at a cost of $40,000. A regular course in gymnastic exer-
cises was organized under a competent director, who had been trained
by Dr. Sargent. Each student upon entering the university under-
goes a thorough physical examination. All bodily infirmities which
could make violent exercises dangerous, such as weakness of the lungs,
organic defects in the action of the heart, and such like, are carefuUy
noted, and all who are found competent to carry on such training are
tried by measurements and other tests, in order that the director
may prescribe for him the particular form of exercise necessary for
his full, symmetrical development. Subsequent examinations at the
end of each year show, by comparison with the former records, what
progress has been made. The experience of the university since
March, 1883, when the gymnasium was opened for use, shows the
wisdom of the introduction of this feature. The gain in health and
strength is great, while there has been no falling off in the matter of
scholarship.
The notion is very prevalent that athletic sports and gymnastic
training are detrimental to study and involve a low standard of Intel-
LEHIQH UNIVEESlir. 143
lectual attainment. While it is true that now and then a student
may be attracted to college principally by the desire to engage in
athletic games, it is rarely so, and in the majority of instances the
athlete is above the average in scholarship. Physical weakness is a
drag upon mental power, and the full use of the intellectual faculties
is seldom possible unless the waste of nervous energy is balanced by
proper bodily exercise.
The growth of the university during President Lamberton's admin-
istration was so rapid that the capacity of the buildings, especially of
the laboratories, was soon totally inadequate for the number of stu-
dents in attendance. To meet this pressing need the trustees began
in 1883 the erection of a large building which should contain accom-
modations for the chemical, mineralogical, and metallurgical labora-
tories. This was completed and occupied in the fall of the following
year. It is one of the best equipped structures of its kind in the
world, and cost, complete, over $200,000.
The noble generosity of the founder found its echo and counterpart
in the magnificent gift of the chapel erected by his daughter, Mrs.
Mary Packer Cummings, in memory of her family.
The corner stone of the Packer Memorial Church of Lehigh Univer-
sity was laid on the seventh founder's day, October 8, 1885. The
ceremony was performed by Edward Copp^e Mitchell, LL. D., right
worshipful grand master of the State of Pennsylvania, in the pres-
ence of the grand lodge of Pennsylvania, the trustees, the faculty,
and a large number of invited guests. The Masonic rites were fol-
lowed by a religious service, and addresses were delivered by Bishop
Whitehead, of Pittsburg, and by Bishops Howe and Rulison, of central
Pennsylvania.
Two years later, on the ninth founder's day, October 13, 1887, the
completed structure was consecrated by the bishop of the" diocese.
An eloquent sermon on "True culture" was preached by the Right
Rev. Henry C. Potter, D. D., LL. D., bishop of New York, from Joel
ii, 23, "Your young men shall see visions."
The students attend brief devotions in the chapel every week day
morning except Saturday, and take part in an appropriate service on
Sundaj\ Any student belonging to a denomination which has a place
of worship in Bethlehem is permitted to connect himself with it, and
is then required to be present at the Sunday morning service thei'e.
All others attend the University church, where music of a superior
order is rendered, under the direction of a skillful organist, by a choir
composed of students and of boys employed and carefully trained for
the purpose.
Besides the agencies to be found in the lecture room, library, and
museum, the students have been encouraged to do freer work on their
own account by the voluntary societies which are conducted in several
of the departments.
144 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
It will not be out of place at this point in our narrative to describe
the principal buildings.
The university is situated in the midst of a fine park at the base of
the South Mountain, in the town of South Bethlehem. The ground
rises gradually in beautiful stretches of fine, grassy lawns, studded
here and there with noble forest trees. The art of the landscape
gardener has been employed to adorn the natural features, while the
view from the higher terraces is superb. Below flows the Lehigh, and
beyond, over Bethlehem, rises the northern ridge of mountains, with
their distant summits.
As the visitor enters the park from the west he passes several houses
occupied by members of the faculty, the one nearest Packer Hall being
the mansion of the president.
The Sayre Observatory, the gift of Robert H. Sayre, esq., of which
mention has already been made, is to the westward of these houses,
and upon Brodhead avenue, which forms the boundary of the univer-
sity domain.
Packer Hall stands on a terrace 700 feet south of Packer avenue,
which bounds the park on the north. It is built of dark sandstone
and is four stories high, the architecture being Gothic. The entire
length is 213 feet. At the western extremity a tower rises to the
height of 200 feet, from the summit of which a magnificent prospect
may be seen. This building is devoted to purposes of instruction.
Large lecture rooms and drawing-rooms occupy the greater part. The
central section on the upper floor, which was formerly used as a
chapel, now contains a fine collection illustrating natural history,
together with the museum of geology and paleontology. A wing
extends from the western end, which affords, in the upper story, con-
venient rooms for the ofl&ces of the president and faculty, with a large
lecture room below.
To the east of Packer Hall, and somewhat higher, is the gymnasium.
It is constructed of Potsdam sandstone, with facings in stone of a
lighter hue. It was planned by Addison Hutton, architect, of Phila^
delphia, valuable assistance in the elaboration of the details being
rendered by Dr. Sargent, of Cambridge. It was erected in 1882, and
is supplied with the latest patterns of gymnastic apparatus. On the
ground fioor are bowling alleys and a large room suitable for general
meetings of the students, and lined with lockers for clothes. There
are side rooms containing baths, etc. The second fioor is the main
gymnasium, 40 feet high in the center, with a visitora' gallery at one
end, and a running course in a special gallery going a^out the whole
building and calculated to be 38 laps to the mile. On the fioor stand
the various apparatus of the gymnasium, and the class drills under
the director take place here. A regular course of instruction in gym-
nastics is given, which requires at least two years for its completion,
and the students are required to spend a certain amount of time each.
LEHIGH UNIVEBSITY. 145
week besides this in practicing those exercises which in the estimation
of the director are needed for their individual development. At the
side of the main hall are the director's room, dressing rooms, and both
tub and shower baths.
Immediately below the gymnasium is situated the university library,
which was erected by the founder in memory of Mrs. Lucy Packer
Linderman, his daughter. It is built of several varieties of stone,
tastefully contrasted, and is semicircular in form, with an effective
facade in the Venetian style of architecture, with polished granite
columns and surmounted with bold battlements. It is fireproof and
calculated to hold 150,000 volumes. There are at present about 93,000
bound volumes and a large number of pamphlets upon the shelves,
with 250 periodicals, embracing many departments of knowledge.
Ample provision is made for the accommodation of readers upon the
main floor, and students in advanced classes are allowed to consult
the books in the alcoves. The collection has been selected with care,
and is being steadily increased from the income of the endowment,
which amounts to about half a million of dollars.
The library is catalogued and arranged in accordance with the
Dewey system, and is open daily from 8.30 a. m. until 10 p. m., except
Sunday, when the hours are from 1.30 p. m. until 9 p. m.
To the north of the library is the large building devoted to the labo-
ratories of the chemical, mineralogical, and metallurgical departments.
This structure is built of sandstone and is thoroughly fireproof. It is
219 feet in length by 44 feet in width, with a wing 95 by 50 feet,
devoted to the departments of mineralogy and metallurgy. The base-
ment and two principal stories extend throughout the whole, with a
third story in the central section.
The upper fioor is occupied by the quantitative and the qualitative
chemical laboratories, the former accommodating 48 and the latter 84
students. These rooms are 20 feet in height, and are well lighted and
ventilated. A laboratory for industrial chemistry and the supply
room are also on this fioor.
The first fioor contains a large lecture room, a recitation room, a
chemical museum, and laboratories for organic, physiological, agri-
cultural, and sanitary chemistry.
In the basement is the large laboratory for the furnace assays of
ores and a well appointed laboratory for gas analysis; also rooms con-
taining the apparatus for various processes in industrial chemistry
and an engine and air pump for vacuum filtration. A photographic
laboratory is located in the third story of the central portion of the
building.
The metallurgical laboratory contains a lecture room, a blowpipe
laboratory for class instruction in blowpipe analysis and in the prac-
tical determination of crystals and minerals, a museum for mineralog-
ical and metallurgical collections, a mineralogical laboratory provided
5099—02 10
146 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
with a Fuess reflecting goniometer, a polariscope, a Groth's "uni-
versal apparat," and a Rosenbusch polarizing microscope, a dry lab-
oratory provided with furnaces for solid fuel and for gas with natural
draft and with blast, and a wet laboratory for ordinary analytical
work. It is arranged for the instruction of classes in the courses of
mineralogy, metallurgy, and blowpipe analysis of the regular curric-
ulum, and to afford facilities to a limited number of advanced stu-
dents for familiarizing themselves with the methods of measurement
and research employed in mineralogy and metallurgy, and for con-
ducting original investigations in these departments of science.
Below the chemical laboratory and along Packer avenue are two
brjck structures, Saucoh and Christmas halls, which have been men-
tioned before.
To the west of these buildings stands the Packer Memorial Church
of the university, which was erected by Mrs. Mary Packer Cummings
in memory of her family. This magnificent Gothic temple is con-
structed of sandstone, and in elegance of finish, as well as in massive-
ness, is the crown of the collection of handsome buildings in the
university park. The total length of the church is 168 feet inside,
and the transepts measure 84 feet across. The front is adorned with
a bold spire, 180 feet high, and the carved stonework of the portal,
together with the projecting baptistry, give a rich variety to the lines.
It will seat 900 persons comfortably, and is used not only for divine
service, but also for the commencement exercises. The interior is
handsomely decorated, and the series of stained-glass windows Illus-
trate a large number of Scripture incidents. The chancel contains
a fine organ. This edifice is one of the noblest and costliest churches
in the State.
To the east of the buildings described lie several minor structures,
such as the steam heating building, with its artistic chimney, and the
temporary hydraulic laboratory. At the eastern end of the park is
situated the new physical laboratory.
This structure is built of stone and is 235 feet long and four stories
high. The ground floor is devoted to electrical work and forms the
senior electrical laboratory. It contains a large dynamo room, with
the engine, dynamos, and motors, with all their appliances — battery,
balance, calorimetric rooms, and workshop. The eastern part of the
story has been carefully arranged for delicate work. The use of iron
has been avoided; the gas and steam mains and pipes, radiators, etc.,
are all of brass. A hall 200 feet long can be darkened and used for
long-range work in testing lamps.
Under this floor is the '*cave,'' or even -temperature room, com-
pletely inclosed with solid stone masonry. The upper stories contain
the junior electricl laboratory, the mechanical laboratory, the library,
and other rooms. On the third floor is a fine, large hall for holding
examinations, lectures, or other meetings, and the large physical lee*
LXmOH UNIVEBSITT. 147
tnre room is at the eastern end. The laboratories for heat and light
are on the highest floor, and the tower rooms are set aitart for mete-
orology.
In accordance with the custom now prevailing, the building eon-
tains a large number of special laboratories, in order to insure ai*c*u-
racy of work.
Just east of the phjrsical laboratory lie the extensive athletic
grounds, upon' which the prowess of Lehigh has ho often Immmi dis-
played. Tennis courts are upon the south side, and tho two fields for
football, baseball, and lacrosse occupy the balance of the t ra(*t.
But we must turn from the record of progress to an event whi(»h
east a gloom over the university. On September 1 , 1803, the university
was deprived of the valuable services of its president. Dr. LamlK»rton
was stricken down suddenly by an attack of apoplexy, which torini-
nated fatally in a few hours.
Robert Alexander Lamberton, LL. D., was born in Carlisle in 1S24,
and graduated from Dickinson College. lie studied law and settled
in Harrisburg, where he attained great distinction in his profeasion,
and was a member of the convention which drafted th<» presiMit con-
stitntion of Pennsylvania. Other offices of trust and honor came to
him. Thus he was grand master of the Masonic jurisdiction of Penn-
sylvania, and filled many positions in the Episcopal C'hurch, being
secretary of the diocesan convention for many years, delegate to the
general convention, and a meml)er of the standing committee of tho
diocese. As a patriot he had vohinteei'ed to defend his country in the
war of the rebellion, and had displayed in all the relations of life
splendid integrity and great nobility of character.
He became a trustee of the univereity in 1S71, and when summoned,
in 1880, to assume the administration of iis affairs he brought his well-
trained business abilities to heai ujion .lio problems which the office
presented. To the students ho was kind and sympathetic. He felt
it his duty to admonish as a father rather than to exercise a mere
perfunctory discipline.
Impressive funeral services were held both in the chapel of tho
university and also in Harrisburg, and a memorial service was
appointed for the first Sunday of the new term, at which a commem-
orative sermon was delivered by the Right Rev. Nelson Somerville
Bulison, D. D., president of the board of trustees, from whose
eloquent remarks we make the following extract:
In the administration of tho affairs of this university. President Lamberton was
wise and strong. Men who have given their lives to special studies were consid-
ered by him to he the most conijietent men to teach those studies, and he did not
arbitrarily hreak their system. But when the whole curriculum of the university
was completed with as much fairness to all as possible, it was enforced by a strong
hand.
None of us, whether in college or out of it, have any special fondness for dis-
cipline, and while age gives us an added grace to bear, it does not take away
148 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
entirely its bitterness. The eager restive youth does not always understand either
its necessity or its philosophy; but I believe it is the testimony of all thoughtful
undergraduates that if the president was sometimes strong and stem, he was also
tender and true, and many a young man has found in him the readiest forgive-
ness, the wisest counsel, and the truest friendship.
The trustees found in him the same qualities that the faculty and students saw
and admired. In his reports and statements of plans for work he was always
painstaking, accurate, thorough, and wise. No man is perfect and all men make
mistakes, from which even college breeding and relations m'ake no exceptions.
But take him '' all in all,'' he was in this university the right man in the right
place, and his presidency will ever be regarded as a splendid success.
In accordance with the provisions of the charter of the university,
the duties of the presidency devolved during the interregnum upon
the senior professor, Dr. Henry Copp6e. For eighteen months the
work of the university was carried on without any change; but on the
21st of March, 1895, after a short illness. Dr. Copp6e, the acting presi-
dent, passed to his rest. The various members of the institution
united to pay the last tribute of respect and affection to one who had
filled such a large place in its history. He had watched the growth
of the university from its earliest inception, and had identified him-
self with the educational, religious, and social movements of the town
as well as of the university. To many of every age and condition,
from the camp-fire of the veterans, who loved to listen to the stirring
tales which he could narrate so well, to the members of the university
gathered in the grand chapel which has so often reechoed to the words
of his graceful eloquence, it was a deep regret that these places should
know him no more on earth. Although the development of the insti-
tution has brought many changes, the first president has left a broad
mark upon its present constitution. His ready sympathy and help-
fulness endeared him to all his pupils, and his memory will be a sacred
treasure to all the alumni of Lehigh.
Prof. William H. Chandler, Ph. D., as senior professor, presided
over the university until after commencement and conferred the
degrees, after which the Right Rev. Nelson Sommerville Bulison,
D. D., president of the board of trustees, inaugurated as fourth presi-
dent of Lehigh University Thomas Messinger Drown, LL. D.
Dr. Drown was educated at the Philadelphia Central High School
and received the degree of M. D. from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1859. He afterwards studied at Yale and Harvard, and later on at
Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Paris. Upon his return to America he
entered upon his career as a teacher at Harvard, and was professor of
chemistry at Lafayette from 1874 to 1881. He was secretary of the
American Institute of Mining Engineers and editor of it« transactions
from 1873 until 1883. In 1885 he became professor of analytical
chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he
built up a large and successful department, which at the time of his
resignation had in it 21 instructors of all grades and 500 students.
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LEHIGH UNIVBBSITY. 149
As chemist of the Massachusetts State board of health since 1887 he
has done much for the health of the cities by his investigations into
the condition of the drinking water supplied to them, and his map of
"Natural chlorine in the waters of Massachusetts" is of great value
in showing the sanitary quality of the streams thus employed. His
various scientific labors have won for him an enviable reputation,
and his great success in stimulating young men to real effort in study
and investigation has placed him in the front rank of American
educators.
Three new names were added to the teaching force of the university
during the summer of 1895. The chair of mathematics and astronomy,
which was made vacant by the resignation of Prof. Charles L. Doo-
little, who had occupied it since 1874, was filled by the election of
Charles L. Thomburg, B. S., C. E., Ph. D., adjunct professor of civil
engineering and astronomy in Vanderbilt University. Professor
Thomburg won high honors in mathematics, and has done valuable
work in connection with the astronomical calculation of the United
States Astronomical Observatory.
Prof. William C. Thayer, M. A., of State College, was called to the
chair of the English language and literature, formerly held by Dr.
Copp6e. He is a graduate of Columbia, and has studied abroad. He
has had much experience, both as a teacher and as a wiiter.
The electrical department was placed in the charge of Alexander
Macfarlane, M. A., D. Sc, LL. D. Dr. Macfarlane was for ten years
professor in the University of Texas, and is well known to the scien-
tific world through his contributions to the Mathematics of Physics.
PBOGBAMME OF STUDIES.
SCHOOL OF GENERAL LrTERATXTRE.
There are three courses in the school of general literature of the
university.
I. The classical course includes all that is prescribed in our best
institutions for the degree of bachelor of arts (B. A.). It covers full
instruction in Greek, Latin, English, French, and German, mathe-
matics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, physiology, hygiene,
history, psychology, ethics, philosophy, political economy, and con-
stitutional law.
II. The Latin-scientific course differs from the first in omitting
Greek, taking in its place an increased amount of the modern lan-
guages and of mathematics. Students completing this course receive
the degree of bachelor of science (B. S.).
ni. The course in science and letters, for which the same degree is
given as for the last mentioned, contains no Latin or Greek, but f ur-
niflhes instead extended instruction in French and German, history,
general literature, mathematics, and general science.
150 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA
Instruction in all of these courses is given both by recitations and
by lectures.
A student taking a literary course will be i)emiitted to substitute,
at the discretion of the faculty, studies offered in one or another of
the technical courses for a portion of the required work during junior
and senior years. Such a student will receive the literary degree at
the end of the fourth year. If he then desires to pursue the remain-
ing branches in the technical course, he may receive the appropriate
degree as soon as this is completed. The amount of additional time
thus occupied will be probably from one and a half to two years,
depending upon the courses selected and the diligence of the student.
It is believed that the benefit from such a combined course, which
unites the advantages of literary training with a professional course,
will recommend itself to many persons, and that the maturer condi-
tion of the student when he approaches his later work will enable him
to make better use of the opportunities then afforded him.
GRADUATE DEGREES.
M. A. — The faculty will recommend for the degree of master of
arts any candidate, otherwise properly qualified, who, after taking at
this university the degree of bachelor of arts, shall pursue, for at
least one year at this university, or two years elsewhere, a course of
liberal study prescribed by the faculty in at least two departments
(under at least two professors), pass a thorough examination in the
same, and present a satisfactory thesis.
M. S. — The faculty will recommend for the degree of master of
science any candidate, otherwise properly qualified, who, after tak-
ing at this university any degree in the school of technology, shall
pursue, for at least one year at this university, a coui*se of study pre-
scribed by the faculty in at least two departments (under at least two
professors), pass a thorough examination in the same, and present a
satisfactory thesis. Graduates of the Latin-scientific course^ or of
that of science and letters, are permitted to study in absentia for the
degree of M. S., subject to the same restrictions as those prescribed
for candidates for the degree of M. A.
The theses presented by candidates for graduate degrees shall be
retained by the university.
Applicants for either of these degrees will be required to complete
the prescribed work within the allotted time. Special action of the
faculty is required for any extension of time.
While the class room and the laboratory furnish plenty of work for
the ambitious man, there are other voluntary agencies for more inde-
pendent investigation. There the principles underlying each science
and the methods of sound analysis are applied in papers or other work.
Thus the several departments have their societies for such practice.
In the school of technology, the Chemical and Natural History
LEflIGH UNIVEBSITlf.
151
Society dates from 1871. The Engineering Society, founded in 1873,
is doing a wide range of work. The Mining Club, established in 1883,
discusses subjects falling within its province. The Electrical Engi-
neering Society, which was formed in 1887, devotes its attention to its
specialty. The students in the course in architecture have an organi-
zation also. The collections made by these societies are beginning to
have real value.
In like manner the literary students have two debating clubs, the
Agora and the Forum, which are open to both schools, and the Classical
Club, which dates from 1889 and furnishes a species of proseminar
for classical work.
While considering the various intellectual elements of Lehigh stu-
dent life we must not omit to mention the publications of the college.
The oldest of these is the Epitome, which has been issued annually
since 1875. For nine years it was in the hands of the sophomore
class, but since then the editors have been elected by the juniors. It
comes out toward the close of the summer term and is intended to
summarize the doings of the year then closing.
The Lehigh Burr was established in the fall of 1881. At present it
appears every ten days in term time. It is a literary journal, and the
best talent of the student body is selected to edit it.
In January, 1895, a new periodical appeared, the Brown and White.
This is designed to chronicle the current news, and is published twice
a week.
Number of students each year.
1866-67 40
1867-68 50
1868-69 70
1869-70 76
1870-71 49
1871-72 (also 49 preparatory stu-
dents) 72
1872-73 (also 44 preparatory stu-
dents) 73
1873-74 (also 24 preparatory stu-
dents) Ill
1874-75 119
1875-76 113
1876-77 Ill
1877-78 81
1878-79 90
1879-80 87
1880-81 112
1881-82 144
1882-83 187
1883-84 249
1884-85 307
1885-86 321
1886-87 365
1887-88 401
1888-89 383
1889-90 418
1890-91 414
1891-92 527
1892-93 569
1893-94 527
1894-95 499
1895-96. 415
1896-97 -t 365
XIV.
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA.
Lincoln University is in Chester County, Pa., one-half mile from
Lincoln University Station on the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central
Railroad. That part of Chester County in which the university is
situated is notably free from malarial and pulmonary diseases. The
institution is well removed from associations which tend to prevent
high literary attainments and hinder the formation of a high moral
character.
The first charter of this institution was granted by the State of
Pennsylvania, under the title of *'Ashmun Institute," in 1854. In
1866 the title was changed by amendment of the charter to "Lincoln
University." The theological department was, by another change of
the charter in 1871, placed under the control of the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church.
The property of Lincoln University consists of land, buildings,
endowments, and apparatus.
LAND.
Seventy-nine acres in Lower Oxford Pa.
BUILDINGS.
The chapel, — The Mary Dod Brown Memorial Chapel contains an
audience room for Sabbath services capable of seating 400 persons; a
prayer hall for daily use, communicating with the chapel by sliding
frames, and two class rooms similarly connected with the prayer hall.
University Hall is designed exclusively for recitation purposes. It
is heated by steam throughout. Its ventilation has been carefully
regarded. The chemical and physical rooms are in the basement, and
have concrete floors rising toward the rear to give a full view of experi-
ments. They are furnished with water pipes and chimney ventila-
tion. Provision has been made in them for the preservation of the
valuable apparatus of the university, and for experimental instruc-
tion in these departments of natural science. This building is directly
opposite the chapel, and with it presents an imposing appearance at
the entrance to the campus. •
Livingstone Hall is for commencement assemblies, and will seat
1,000 persons.
Ashmun Hall contains dormitories for students.
152
UKOOLN UNIVEB8ITY. 153
Lincoln Hall contains dormitories for students and the janitor*s
apartments.
Cresson Hall contains dormitories for students and the library and
reading room.
Houston Hall contains dormitories and study rooms for the theo-
logical students and the room for the Theological and Missionary
Society.
There are nine residences for the professors.
AIMS.
Among the instrumentalities through which the friends of the negro
may convey to him the blessings of education, Lincoln University
especially deserves the confidence of the Christian public. She was
the first to enter this field. Lincoln Univei*sity was chartered to give
a liberal scientific, classical, and theological education to colored youth
of the male sex in 1854, six years before the war which resulted in
emancipation. A liberal Christian education was the policy adopted
bv Lincoln University for the elevation of our colored population
before the body of them became freedmen.
We are still doing a large share of the higher work. Worthy appli-
cants are knocking at our doors, eager for the benefits here afforded.
To the extent of our resources we turn no worthy man away who
desires an education for the sake of the good he can do with it.
It is certain that colored men will exert a large and, it may fairly
be assumed, a controlling influence in forming and directing the cur-
rents of opinion and the gulf -stream movements of industrial, social,
educational, and religious progress among these increasing millions of
our population. It can not be reasonably expected that their leaders
should guide them along the lines of the common life of our whole
people unless they are themselves educated, their principles estab-
lished, and their opinions molded in intelligent, conscious, and con-
senting harmony with the public life of the nation.
Their wise friends will not attempt to force their education into
narrow channels while the education of the more favored classes as
conducted in our colleges and seminaries of learning is constantly
expanded by an almost boundless generosity. To withhold the means
of their liberal education while we lavishly use them for the educa-
tion of others will arouse the suspicion that we design to keep them
in an inferior position by fitting them for an inferior office. The
trusted leader of colored troops would have to be drilled in all the
tactics of modem warfare, and the leaders of this unorganized, agi-
tated army of colored thinkers, who are now meditating how they
will vote and what they will undertake, equally need to be drilled in
all that makes thinking exact and safe. If their leaders are to coop-
erate with the leaders of this nation, they must be helped into agree-
ment with them by a similar education.
154 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
It is the purpose of the trustees and faculty of Lincoln University
to communicate without stint and without delay all the advantages
of a liberal scientific, classical, and Christian education to such young
men according to our means and ability, in the conviction that this
is fair to them, that their needs are the same as ours and that as
God has given them the ability to acquire all the parts of such edu-
cation, making no difference between them and us in natural endow-
ments, so He will give them grace to use the power which accompanies
education for the enlightenment and moral elevation of their own
people and for the highest good of our whole people.
RESULTS.
More than 500 young men have been sent out from the preparatory
department and from the lower classes of the collegiate department,
many of whom are engaged in important positions as teachers in the
Southern States.
Four hundred and ninety-five have been graduated from the colle-
giate department, after a course of instruction extending through four
and in many cases seven years. Most of these graduates are engaged
in professional and educational labors in the Southern States.
Two hundred and sixteen of the students of Lincoln University
have received ordination as ministers in Evangelical Protestant
denominations.
Thirteen of our students have gone to Africa as missionaries of the
cross. Three young men from Liberia are now in the university.
XV.
MADISON COLLEGE, UNIONTOWN.
By Bev. Q. T. Beynoldb.
Madison College at Uniontown, Fayette County, owed its existence
to the earnest desire of the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal
Church to provide educational advantages for the children of the
membership under their care. It was the third collegiate institution
which the Methodists attempted to establish, its predecessors being
Cokesbury College, at Abingdon, Md., and Augusta College, at
Augusta, Ky.
Uniontown, during the closing years of the last century and the
opening years of the present, was a prominent place in Methodist life.
In the endeavors to plant schools it was early selected, and Bishop
Asbury in 1792 founded there a seminary to be known as Union
Academy, placing it under the management of the Rev. Charles Cono-
way, who was in charge of the district in which Uniontown was located.
In 1794 in the appointments of the conference Union school is given,
and opposite it the name of the Rev. John K. Reynolds. It is sup-
X>osed that he taught the classics, while the Rev. William Wilson had
charge of the English branches. But little is known of the history
of this Bchool, which was held in an addition built to the Methodist
Church, but it doubtless prepared the way for Madison College.
The Pittsburg conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was
organized in 1825, and at the first session a motion was adopted look-
ing to the establishment of a seminary in the bounds of the confer-
ence, and the Rev. H. B. Bascom was chosen to secure the necessary
funds. At the next session of the conference he presented his report,
which, being adopted, led to the founding of Madison College. In
accordance with the report a committee was appointed to make arrange-
ments. It consisted of the Revs. H. B. Bascom, Asa Shinn, John
Waterman, and Thornton Fleming, Mr. Charles Avery, of Pittsburgh
and Messrs. John M. Austin, Thomas Erwin, and Henry Ebbert, of
Uniontown. The members of the conference were instructed to solicit
funds for the support of the institution. In 1827 the college com-
menced work with the following faculty: The Rev. H. B. Bascom,
president and professor of moral science; the Rev. Charles Elliott^
professor of languages, and the Rev. J. H. Fielding, professor of
mathematics. President Madison, after whom the college was named,
donated $2,000 to purchase the land on which was erected the build-
ing, a plain two-story brick structure. With its charter the college
155
156 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
received the property of Union Academy, to which the State had given
12,000, and in 1828 the legislature made a further grant of $5,000.
The charter empowered the trustees to establish an agricultural
department, and some steps may have been taken toward this end,
but they were not allowed to compel the students to work against the
wishes of parents or guardians. Dr. Bascom remained at the head
of the college for two years and then resigned to accept the agency
of the American Colonization Society. This same year at the session
of the Pittsburg Conference it was resolved that the members of the
conference undertake the support of the professor of languages, the
Rev. Charles Elliott being the incumbent of that chair, and they paid
him a salary of 1600 annually. The munificence of this action will
be apparent when we remember that many of the preachers in
those days received salaries of less than $100 a year. In 1831 the
Rev. J. H. Fielding was made president, and the Rev. H. J. Clarke
was appointed to a professorship. In 1832 the college suspended, the
conference having entered into arrangements to take Allegheny Col-
lege under its control.
The men who composed the faculty of the college afterwards attained
prominent positions. The first president. Dr. Bascom, was one of the
recognized orators of the first half of the present century^ pronounced
by Henry Clay the finest natural orator that he had ever heard. An
itinerant preacher at 17, deprived, of educational advantages in youth,
he yet made such use of his opportunities that he took a prominent
place in the rank of scholars. At 27 he was elected chaplain to Con-
gress. In the division of the Methodist Episcopal Church on the slav-
ery question h0 wrote the protest of the minority and adhered to the
Southern branch. He subsequently edited the Southern Quarterly
Review and was a bishop of the church at the time of his death, in 1850.
Dr. Charles Elliott was connected with other colleges as professor
and president, was editor at different times of three church papers,
and was the author of several books of note. Dr. J. H. Fielding was
active in educational matters, and Dr. H. J. Clarke became president
of Allegheny College. It is not recorded whether or not a class was
formally graduated from Madison College while it was under the con-
trol of the Methodist Episcopal Church, yet among the undergraduates
were some that afterwards attained to some degree of prominence.
The celebrated Bishop Simpson was a student here, having traveled
on foot from his home in Ohio to avail himself of the privileges of the
new school. During the greater portion of the time he was in attend-
ance he served as a tutor. Dr. William Hunter, well known as a
hymn writer, biblical commentator, college professor, and church
editor, was another student. Others there were who left their impress
in the molding of church and society in western Pennsylvania and
eastern Ohio.
MADISON COLLEGE. 157
After Madison College passed out of Methodist hands it was taken
in charge by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Its presidents
were Dr. J. P. Wethee, Dr. Andrew Ferrier, and Dr. Cox. In 1841 it
reported 131 students, and in 1852 a local newspaper spoke of it as
being in a very flourishing condition. It led, however, an uncertain
existence, and about 1854 was transferred to the Methodist Protestant
Church. Four years later the building was sold by the sheriff and
served in turn the purpose of a female seminary, an academy, and a
soldiers' orphan school.
On the history of Madison College the following may be consulted:
Bishop Asbury's Journals; General Minutes of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church; Madison's Works, III, 585, 596, 597; Ellis's History of Fay-
ette County; the Reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction;
Crooks's Life of Bishop Simpson; Simpson's Cyclopedia of Methodism;
Bioren's Laws of Pennsylvania, IV, 489; Pamphlet Laws of 1827, of
1827-28, 121, and of 1862, 199; Branson's Western Pioneer, I, 362-363.
XVI.
MBRCERSBURG COLLEGE.
[September, 1866, to October, 1880.]
By Mr. Jacob Hbybbr.
Mercersburg College is in reality only one link in the history of the
educational interests of the Reformed Church in the United States,
which for a long period had their local habitation in the beautiful
mountain village of Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pa.
Since 1835, the year in which the Reformed Church located her
classical and theological schools there, Mercersburg has been an edu-
cational center for a large section of country in which the denomina-
tion wielded a positive influence.
In 1836 the classical school was converted into a full college and
chartered under the name of Marshall College, an institution that did
noble work for the cause of higher education. For reasons of a
purely financial character which seemed satisfactory at the time, but
which have since appeared to many as having sprung from a short-
sighted policy, the college was removed in 1853 to Lancaster, Pa.,
and united with Franklin College, founded in 1787, under the name
of Franklin and Marshall College. The theological seminary, how-
ever, remained at Mercersburg. From this time on a preparatory
school was maintained with varying success, under the name of Mar-
shall Collegiate Institute, which in 1863 was conducted by Charles G.
Fisher and S. S. Miller, students in the theological seminary.
At this time Henry Harbaugh, D. D., and E. E. Higbee, D. D.,
professors in the theological seminary, saw with pain the great loss
that the church was sustaining for the want of proper educational
facilities in this section. After many earnest consultations with
leading elders and prominent ministers, the subject was formally
presented to the classis of Mercersburg at its annual meeting held
at Shippensburg in 1865. The classis was urged to secure the old
Marshall College property at Mercersburg, then owned by certain
citizens of that town, for the purpose of establishing an institution
of learning adequate to the needs of the church. This proposition
met with the approbation of the classis, and at a special meeting held
at Bedford in August, 1865, a board of control was elected, consisting
of Revs. H. Harbaugh, D. D. ; T. G. Apple, D. D. ; P. S. Davis, D. D. ;
W. E. Krebs, and C. Cort, and Elders A. B. Wingerd, D. Zeller, and
J. P. Reed. The property was purchased for |6,500, including the
philosophical apparatus, and Mercersburg College was formally opened
September 26, 1865, with Rev. Thomas G. Apple, D. D., as president.
158
MEBCEBSBUBG COLLEGE. 159
A liberal charter was obtained from the court of common pleas of
Franklin County October 30, 1865, "for the education of youth in
the learned languages, the arts, sciences, and useful literature." The
"board of control" was changed in its title to the "board of regents
of Mercersburg College." Rev. Dr. Harbaugh was president of the
board until his death in December, 1867, when Dr. Apple was chosen
as his successor, and continued in the office until his withdrawal from
the institution in 1871.
The college was well patronized from the beginning, having 100
students the first year, which number was increased afterwards.
Each year added to its usefulness. A new impulse was given to the
general operations of the church in what was then the southern por-
tion of the synod of the United • States. The eastern part of the
synod, however, gave the enterprise no encouragement. On the con-
trary, a decided hostility was manifested in some quarters. This first
showed itself openly by an avowed determination to remove the theo-
logical seminary from Mercersburg, "where its permanent location
had been solemnly promised," to Lancaster. This purpose was accom-
plished in 1871, and, as one writer says, " the solemn pledge of the
Reformed Church was thus shamefully violated." The seminary
property was leased to the board of regents of Mercersburg College
for a term of ninety-nine years at the nominal rental of $1 per annum.
Dr. E. E. Higbee at once resigned his professorship of church history
in the seminary, and Dr. Thomas G. Apple was elected to fill the
vacancy thus created. To accept this position he resigned the presi-
dency of the college, and was dismissed to Lancaster classis the same
year. Dr. Higbee was then elected president of the college and
threw himself heart and soul into the work. But even his magnifi-
cent attainments and incomparable qualifications, coupled with a
tireless energy and a singularly unselfish devotion to the cause that
lay so near to his heart, were insufficient to relieve the situation of
the financial embarrassment and the lack of adequate moral support
under the stress of which the institution continued to labor.
The large area of territory covered by the Synod of the United
States rendered it unwieldy, and the expediency of dividing it was
earnestly advocated by the southern portion. After a struggle of six
or more years a new synod was organized in 1873, under the name of
the Synod of the Potomac. This synod was expected to take the
aggressive in mission work in Virginia and southward. Everything
was favorable to the movement, but the lack of ministers greatly
impeded the progress of the work proposed. At that time there were
a number of young men from that section pursuing their studies in
Mercersburg College who were anxious to enter that field as mission-
aries. This much it is necessary to know in order to understand the
action of the board of regents in organizing a post-graduate course in
theology, which was done in 1873. The synod did not seem to appre-
ciate the movement, and yet the catalogue of 1874-75 shows 100 stu-
160 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
dents in attendance, of which number 29 were from Maryland and
Virginia and onlj" 3 from outside the bounds of the Potomac Synod.
The post-graduate course was, within the limits of its design, success-
ful, and well-trained young ministers soon began to supply missions
in Maryland, Virginia, and Mercersburg Classis. Dissatisfaction,
however, still continued, and the catalogue of 1876-77 shows only 65
students in attendance.
In the fall of 1880 the board determined to make a last appeal to
the synod, then about to convene at Woodstock, Va. At that session
President Higbee made an earnest plea for aid, showed the work the
college had done, pointed to the improved condition of the church in
that section since its organization, and entreated the synod not to let
this work stop. In vain. The appeal was successfully resisted, one
of the opponents remarking that Mercersburg College had failed and
therefore should be closed. To which Dr. Higbee sorrowfully replied :
**It may be that not Mercersburg College, but the Synod of the
Potomac has failed." Thus the doors of Mercersburg College were
closed in October, 1880.
Many members of the synod were doubtful of the wisdom of this
action and have since learned to regret it. The college had graduated
63 students, of whom 25 entered the holy ministry, and by their
works have proved themselves worthy of the sacred of&ce they fill.
It is only by looking back and judging of the quality of our work
by its effects that we are able to estimate its value. In this view
the work of Mercersburg College, from its organization to its close,
was of the highest value to the cause of sound learning and to the
best interests of the church. Had the synod measured up to the
broad spirit of its mission, the Reformed Church in southern Penn-
sylvania, Maryland, and Virginia would be much stronger in her
membership to-day and wield a wider and more powerful influence
for good.
From first to last special attention was given to the development of
Christian character, under the direct nurture and admonition of the
church. Besides the particular instruction, which included lessons
on the life of Christ, Christian cultus, church confessions, and Chris-
tian ethics, the college constituted a regularly organized congregation,
served by members of the faculty as pastors. Regular catechization
was maintained, the festivals of the church year were religiously
obsei*ved, and the sacraments administered. The students were thus
brought under the direct power of the church, and enjoyed full pas-
toral care during that important period of life which is filled out in
attendance at college.
Two fiourishing literary societies. The Washington Irving and The
Marshall, were maintained, and constituted an important factor in
the work of the college.
A scientific association was also established, and did excellent sup-
plementary work in the department of natural sciences.
MEROEBSBURG COLLEGE. 161
The college and society libraries had grown to very respectable
dimensions and were steadily inQreasing. The literary societies also
supported reading rooms in connection with their libraries. A good
beginning had been made in the establishment of a cabinet of natural
sciences.
The expenses were: For boarding, tuition, room (unfurnished), and
fuel, $200 per annum; tuition for day scholars, $45 per annum; con-
tingent fee, 15 per annum.
The following professors filled the regular chairs of the faculty at
different periods in the short history of the institution :
Rev. Thomas G. Appel, D. D., graduate of Marshall College and
Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church.
Rev. E. E. Higbee, D. D., graduate of the University of Vermont
and Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church.
John B. Kieffer, A. M., Heidelberg College and Theological Semi-
nary of the Reformed Church.
Joseph H. Kerschner, A. M., Franklin and Marshall College, Theo-
logical Seminary of the Reformed Church.
Adolph F. Bechdolt, A. M., Lafayette College.
Rev. Jacob B. Kerschner, A. M., Pennsylvania College, Theolog-
ical Seminary of the Reformed Church, and University of Berlin.
George N. Abbott, A. M., University of Vermont.
M. M. Garver, A. M., Cornell University.
Rev. George F. Mull, A. M., Mercersburg College, post-graduate
course in theology, and University of Leipsic.
Justus F. W. Scheffer, a native of Germany, and educated there.
A number of tutors were employed from time to time to assist in
the preparatory department.
The enforced closing of Mercersburg College in October, 1880, was
only of temporary duration. In September, 1881, its halls of learn-
ing were reopened under the provisions of the original charter. The
president is Rev. George W. Aughinbaugh, D. D., who had previously
served as president of Heidelberg College at Tifl&n, Ohio, and of Pal-
atinate College, at Myerstown, Pa. He is assisted by a competent
corps of teachers. The number of students is again on the increase
from year to year. Thus far the students have been carried forwitrd
as far as the sophomore class in the regular college course. Various
special departments of instruction are maintained. Coeducation is
successfully practiced. By individual effort and a more liberal spirit
on the part of the Synod of the Potomac the indebtedness of the insti-
tution is gradually being liquidated. Taking everything into careful
consideration there is good reason for believing that the college will
eventually be fully rehabilitated, so as to be enabled to take its proper
place among the regular colleges of the State and do its full part
toward the accomplishment of the perfect work of higher education.
5099—02 11
XVII.
MORAVIAN COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
By Prof. J. TatijOR Hamii/ton, D. D.
On the 3d of October, 1807, the Theological Seminary of the Mora-
vian Church in America was opened at Nazareth, Northampton
County, Pa., Profs. Ernest L. Hazelius and John C. Beckler, both
graduates of the theological seminary at Niesky, Prussia, being in
charge. The former afterwards became professor in the Lutheran
institutions at Hartwick, N. Y., Gettysburg, Pa., and Lexington, S. C.
From 1813 to 1820 a temporary break in the history of the seminary
must be noted, but since the latter year it has carried on its work
without material interruption.
In 1838 a removal to Bethlehem, and in 1851 a retransference to
Nazareth, with a removal in 1855 to Philadelphia, mark an era of
fluctuation, until in 1858 it found a permanent home in Bethlehem, Pa.
For a considerable term of years a preparatory classical department
had existed, originally in connection with Nazareth Hall Boarding
School. This preparatory department, by a development of its cur-
riculum, now became a college, and in April, 1863, the institution was
incorporated, by act of the legislature of Pennsylvania, under the title
of "The Moravian College and Theological Seminary." The members
of its faculty were now the following: Rev. Lewis F. Kampmann,
president, and Revs. William C. Reichel, Lewis R. Huebener, and
William H. Bigler, M. A. In 1864 President Kampmann retired, and
was succeeded by Lewis R. Huebener, who in turn gave place in 1867
to Bishop Edmund de Schweinitz, S. T. D. In 1885, on his retire-
ment. Rev. Augustus Schultze, D. D., a professor since 1870, was
appointed to the vacancy, and is vStill in office. He lectures on sys-
tematic theology, the history of Israel, and exegesis of the New Testa-
ment, and religion (in the classical department), besides being
professor of Hebrew and German. The faculty is further constituted
as follows: Rev. J. Taylor Hamilton, D. D., resident professor and
secretary of faculty, lecturer on practical theology and on the history
of the Moravian Church, and professor of church history, general
history, and Greek; Henry A. Jacobson, M. A., lecturer on compara-
tive religions and professor of Latin, mathematics, mental philosophy,
English literature, chemistry, and physics; Rev. William Bade, M. A,,
Ph. D., professor and lecturer on introduction to the Old and New
162
MORAVIAN COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINABY. 168
Testaments, the exegesis of the OM Testament, Hebrew, Latin,
English literature, biology, and German; Rev. G. A. Sohwedes,
instructor in Greek; and George B. Hynson, special lecturer on voice
culture, elocution, and oratory; Peter Boquill, physical instructor.
In the year 1892 a new site was occupied in the northern part of the
borough of Bethlehem, a town block being now set apart for the pur-
poses of the institution. Here a handsome stone building, with a
frontage of 110 feet and a depth of 56 feet and four stories in height
above the basement, was completed in this year. It contains recita-
tion rooms, oflftces, society hall, library and museum rooms, and study
and bed and bath room accommodations for the students, and received
the name of '' Comenius Hall" in memory of the well-known Moravian
bishop and educator of the seventeenth century. Of massive Roman-
esque style, Comenius Hall is heated by steam furnished from a
plant of capacity suflftcient to heat the entire group of new buildings.
Water, gas, and electricity are also provided throughout. Its situa-
tion is exceptionally fine, commanding noble views to the east,
south, and west. In addition to study and bedroom (communicating,
a suite for two students), the students have the use of a gymnasium
and a workshop thoroughly equipped with carpenters' tools.
Next year the synod of the Moravian Church transferred the trus-
teeship of the college and seminary from the ex-officio care of the
governing board of the Moravian Church in the Northern States, the
"provincial elders' conference," to thirteen trustees elected by the
synod and representing the four districts of the Moravian Church in
the North, in conjunction with five advisory members, representing
the Moravian Churc^ in the South. In this same year a handsome
chapel, 48 by 50 feet, like Comenius Hall, built of Potsdam sand-
stone and in architectural harmony with the larger structure, was
presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ashton C. Borhek, of Bethlehem, in memory
of their deceased daughter, Helen Stadiger Borhek. With a seating
capacity of from 200 to 250, it is handsomely furnished in oak and is
lighted by beautiful memorial windows of stained glass. Artificial
light is supplied by a handsome gas and electric chandelier of polished
brass. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Borhek added a pipe organ, with water
motor, and having a capacity of eleven stops, thus giving the students
exceptional facilities for the cultivation of the art. of music.
Fronting on Monocacy street, to the west, the refectory, a brick
building, three stories in height, with basement in addition, contains
the dining hall, kitchen, sewing room, storerooms, laundry, house-
keeper's and servants' rooms, and a complete and comfortably arranged
infirmary for the care of the sick. This infirmary occupies the entire
third story, and, consisting of five wards, canvalescent room, nurse's
room, kitchen, and bathroom, affords ample facilities for the isolation
of any case of infectious disease*
164 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
At the northwest comer of the grounds is the house of the resi-
dent professor, a pleasant two-story brick building.
Thus equipi)ed the faculty and trustees felt equal to a further
development of the curriculum. A Latin scientific course, optional
for students with other purposes in view than preparation for the
ministry, was planned. Its provisions went into force at the opening
of the fall term in 1896.
The course of study is therefore a twofold one in the four years of the
college curriculum. French, higher mathematics (calculus), biology,
analytical chemistry, and law are optional in place of the Greek,
Hebrew, and church history, which form part of the regular course.
For all Latin (Sallust, Livy, Virgil, Cicero— orations and epistles and
De Natura Deorum and Tacitus — annals, Germania, Agricola and his-
tories, and Latin prose composition); geometry, trigonometry, and
surveying; German, history, archaeology, rhetoric, elocution, English
literature, astronomy, geology, zoology, logic, political economy,
psychology, ethics, and religious instruction are obligatory. The
regular classical course includes Greek (Xenophon, Homer, Herod-
otus, Plato — Apology, Crito, Phsedo; Sophocles — (Edipus Rex, Anti-
gone, Electra), Greek philosophy and literature, and Greek prose
composition; the Greek of the New Testament — I and II Phessalo-
nians, Philippians, James, and Philemon; Hebrew — ^grammar and
syntax, Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, I Samuel or I Kings, selec-
tions from the Psalms and the Minor Prophets, and written exercises;
and church history to the Reformation.
The theological course, practically begun during the fourth clas-
sical year, covers two years. It includes introduction to the Old and
New Testament, the History of Israel, the Exegesis of Isaiah and of
the Minor Prophets, Exegesis of the Synoptic Gospels, St. John's
Gospel and the Epistle to the Romans; general church history since
the Reformation, the history of the Moravian Church; systematic
theology, homiletics, pastoral theology, liturgies, church polity,
German, and the study of comparative religions. Instruction is
also given in vocal and instrumental music — piano or organ; and a
students' orchestra and a glee club offer special facilities for the pros-,
ecution of the musical bent. The Comenian Literary Society affords
particular opportunity for improvement in declamation, oratory, and
debate ; and an additional stimulus has been annually given by the
foundation of the "John Beck Oratorical Contest,*' since 1891, through
the liberality of James M. Beck, esq., of Philadelphia, an alumnus of
the class of 1880. A prize competition in German has also been
established.
The Moravian College and Theological Seminary possesses a pro-
ductive endowment of $114,519. Its commencement was made in
1825, when Mr. Godfrey Haga, of Philadelphia, bequeathed the sum
of $20,000 for this purpose. Since then the fund has grown mainly
MOBAVIAK COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 165
through comparatively small gifts and legacies. The largest indi-
vidual presentations were the Eliza Richardson (Yoder) benefaction
(of Bethlehem), amounting to $27,574, and received during the years
1882 to 1885, and the legacy of Mr. Albert Eberman, of Lancaster,
amounting to $25,000, received in 1890. The income from the endow-
ment is not sufficient to cover the annual outlay for board and tui-
tion, which may be estimated at$9,000. Annual collections throughout
the congregations of the American Moravian Church are therefore
taken, in order to supplement the primary source of support. Can-
didates for the Moravian ministry receive board and tuition gratui-
tously, but sign an agreement binding them to serve the church in
return. Sound physical health, good moral character, and a thorough
knowledge of the common branches of an English education, includ-
ing algebra, and an acquaintance with the elements of Latin and
Greek are required as conditions of admission. There are at present
34 resident students and H nonresident.
The library of the institution contains about 7,000 bound volumes,
besides many pamphlets and periodicals, and is especially rich in
theological works and in books relating to the history, doctrine, aud
ritual of the Moravian Church. The museum, though of recent date,
embraces a valuable herbarium, rich especially in mosses, many spec-
imens being from the collection of the well-known botanist Louis
David de Schweinitz, Ph. D.
Since the year 1884 an alumni association, the object of which is to
further the interests of the college and seminary by contributions
and moral support, has taken a lively interest in the prosperity of the
alma mater. Vivat, crescat, floreat. The board of trustees is at
present constituted as follows: Rev. J. Max Hark, D. D., president,
Bethlehem, Pa.; Rev. Charles Nagel, vice-president, Philadelphia,
Pa.; Joseph A. Rice, secretary, Bethlehem, Pa.; Rev. Paul de
Schweinitz, treasurer, Bethlehem, Pa. ; Bishop E. A. Oerter, Bethle-
hem, Pa.; James M. Beck, esq., Philadelphia, Pa.; Archibald John-
stone, Bethlehem, Pa.; Robert 11. Brennecke, Watertown, Wis.;
George W. Cole, Staten Island, N. Y. ; Abraham C. Prince, Bethlehem,
Pa.; Frank C. Stout, Bethlehem, Pa.; Rev. W. Strohmeier, Lake-
mills, Wis. ; Rev. W. H. Vogler, Indianapolis, Ind. ; Rev. A Schultze,
D. D., LL. D., Bethlehem^ Pa.; Rev. J. Taylor Hamilton, D. D.,
Bethlehem, Pa.
Advisory members: Rt. Rev. Edward Rondthaler, D. D., Salem,
N. C; Henry T. Bahnson, M. D., Salem, N. C; Rev. J. H. Clewell,
M. A., Salem, N. C. ; Rev. J. E. Hall, Friedberg, N. C. ; John W. Fries,
Salem, N. C.
XVIII.
MUHLENBERG COLLEGE, ALLENTOWN.*
BT Rev. E. S. OCHSXNFOBD.
Muhlenberg College, located at Allentown, Pa., was founded in
1867 by the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and
adjacent States. Already before the Revolutionary war Henry Mel-
chior Muhlenberg, patriarch of Lutheranism in America, and his
faithful colaborers made efforts to establish a ischool of higher educa-
tion for Lutherans in Pennsylvania. Various circumstances pre-
vented the plan from being carried out during his lifetime, but the
Ministerium of Pennsylvania, organized by Muhlenberg and others
in 1748, was never unmindful of its founder's cherished plan. When,
therefore, Pennsylvania College was to be established at Gettysburg,
Pa., its members entered zealously into the work, thinking that in
this way a college center might be gained for its constituency. The
course of events, however, during a quarter of a century, enabled
the leading minds of the Ministerium to see that in this way its edu-
cational work could not be properly and successfully carried on. The
remoteness of Gettysburg from the Ministerium's center of popula-
tion and wealth had from the beginning been regarded by many as a
serious objection to it as a place of education for its membership, and
in reality had the effect of greatly limiting the number of students
from its territory, the proportion being one student to every 2,000
members. It was evident to those interested in the prosperity of the
church that so small an attendance of students would not develop the
educational interests of the Lutheran Church in eastern Pennsylvania
as the necessities of the church and the welfare of the community
required. But this was not all. A far more weighty cause that led
to the establishment of a Lutheran institution of higher Christian
education east of the Susquehanna was the peculiar state of affairs
which resulted from the establishment of the Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in 1864, and the
organization of the General Council in 1867.
When, in 1866, the Ministerium of Pennsylvania left the General
Synod and in the following year took a leading part in the organiza-
tion of the General Council, the necessity was providentially forced
upon it to establish a college in its own territory in order to prepare
'This sketch was prepared, at the request of President Seip, by the Rev. S. E.
Ochsenford, of Allentown, Pa. , an almnnns of the college, and the editor of the
* ^ Quarter-Centennial Memorial Volume. ' '
166
MUHLENBEBG COLLEGE. 167
students for the Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. To have
young men prepared in other institutions in which the i)eculiar wants
of the Lutheran Church were wholly unknown and whose religious
principles were foreign to those of the Lutheran Church would be
injurious rather than helpful to the future prosperity of the church.
The result of all this was the establishment of Muhlenberg College,
and thus, about a century after Muhlenberg's attempt at a similar
work, to carry out his long-cherished plans. The college was named
in honor of this man who had done so much during his busy and
self-denying life for the proper organization and development of the
Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania.
The causes having been given which led to the establishment of
Muhlenberg College, we are prepared to present a brief sketch of its
history. It has taken the place of the AUentown Seminary, founded
in 1848 by Rev. C. R. Kessler, of the Reformed Church. The Rev.
S. K. Brobst, a Lutheran clergyman, was specially interested in the
enterprise, since he looked upon it as furnishing educational facilities
for the young men of the Lutheran Church in and around AUentown.
The school prospered and continued under the name of the AUentown
Seminary until the year 1864, when it was incorporated as the Allen-
town Collegiate Institute and Military Academy, possessing collegiate
powers and privileges. Under this charter it continued its operations
as a classical school until the year 1867, when the entire property
passed into the hands of members and friends of the Ministerium of
Pennsylvania and the charter was amended so as to meet the new
requirements, and the institution started out in its wider field of
operation.
From the very beginning of the existence of the institution as a clas-
sical school, many of the pastors and laymen of the Lutheran Church
at AUentown and vicinity were its warmest friends and hearty sup-
porters. The attention of the Ministerium had thus been frequently
directed to it, with a view of securing it for its use. Committees were
from time to time appointed who were charged with the duty of look-
ing after the educational interests of the church in the AUentown
Seminary, and the school was frequently recommended to the churches.
Many public-spirited citizens of AUentown, in and outside of the
* Lutheran Church, were anxious to secure the benefits of a higher
institution of learning for their young city and cooperated most
earnestly and efficiently with the Lutheran pastors in the effort to
enlist the interest of the Ministerium in the establishment of the col-
lege. A stock company was formed for the purchase of the property
and the management of the institution by a board of trustees, one-
third of whom were to be elected by the Ministerium. The charter
having been amended, the new board of trustees took charge of the
institution on April 4, 1867. Since 1877 all the trustees are elected
by the Ministerium.
168 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The first action of the new board of trastees was the election of a
president of the college. The board unanimously elected the Rev.
F. A. Muhlenberg, of Gettysburg, Pa., president of the new college.
After having at first declined the position, he finally accepted it. His
acceptance was exceedingly gratifying to the friends of the new
enterprise. " His ripe and accurate scholarship, his long and success-
ful experience in teaching for twelve years in Franklin College, at
Lancaster, and seventeen years in Pennsylvania College, at Gettys-
burg, his eminent personal character, exhibiting the various noble
qualities of an honorable Christian gentleman, his kind but firm dis-
position, and the fact that he was a worthy son of noble sires, with a
name distinguished in the history of our church and country, marked
him out as the man for the place, capable not only of occupying, but
also of dignifying the position."
In the meantime the board of trustees began its work of arranging
the building for the larger field of operation to which it was in future
to be devoted. The property of the new college consisted of 5 acres
of valuable land in the city of Allentown, the old Livingstone mansion,
which had been enlarged and now forms the east wing of the college
building, the west wing, erected in 1851, and the central building,
erected in 1854, the entire building presenting a front of 130 feet, the
central building being 4 and the wings 3 stories high. These exten-
sive buildings were remodeled and arrangements were made for the
erection of a new building 5 stories high and 100 feet long, to be
attached to the central building.
On Tuesday evening, September 3, 1867, the board of trustees, the
faculty-elect, the clergy, the mayor and city council, students, invited
guests, and citizens of Allentown formed in procession at St. John's
Lutheran Church and proceeded to the court-house, where President
Muhlenberg and the professors-elect were inaugurated. The following
day the corner stone of the new building was laid by President
Muhlenberg with appropriate ceremonies, the service being attended
by a large concourse of people. Recitations began in the several
departments on September 4 under favorable auspices and with
arrangements for a full number of hours for all the college classes.
The number of students during the first year was 161.
The faculty as at first constituted consisted of the following: Rev.
F. A. Muhlenberg, D. D., president and professor of Greek, mental
and moral science, and evidences of Christianity; Rev. E. J. Koons,
A. M., vice-president and professor of mathematics, astronomy, and
physics; Rev. W. R. llofford, A. M., professor of Latin; Rev. S.
Philips, A. M., professor of rhetoric, logic, English literature, and
political economy; Rev. J. F. Fahs, professor of history; Rev. H. N.
Riis, professor of German; T. C. Yeager, M. D., professor of chem-
istry and botany; and Rev. T. L. Seip, A. M., principal of the acar-
demic department and assistant professor of Greek.
Dr. Muhlenberg administered the affairs of the college until the year
MUHLENBERG COLLEGE. 169
1876, and during the first years of his connection with the institution
met with success. The number of students was as large as could
reasonably be expected in a community surrounded by other institu-
tions of higher education. True, the finances .of the new college
were not as satisfactory as the friends of the college desired, the
annual income being insuflftcient to meet the wants of the institution.
This was also undoubtedly the cause of frequent changes in the fac-
ulty during the first years of the existence of the college. The
purchase of the property and additions to the building caused a heavy
debt, which rested heavily on the institution. In a word, the college
lack^d the necessaiy financial support and soon reached a crisis. Its
financial burden, which had increased from year to year, had become
so great that many of the best friends of the college despaired of its
ability to survive. The financial panic of 1873 and the consequent
8t>agnation of business in the great iron industries of the Lehigh
Valley and of business in general very seriously impaired the
prospects of the college, both in its income and the number of stu-
dents. True, a large part of the endowment fund and several thou-
sand dollars for current expenses had been secured through the
personal efforts of the president, but the amounts secured were insuf-
ficient to pay the accumulating interest and other current expenses.
Efforts were tlierefore made to secure a financial agent, and after
repeated failures Prof. T. L. Seip consented to act in this capacity,
being temporarily relieved of his regular duties. lie entered upon
this work in February, 1876, and continued his labors until June of
the following year. He visited many individuals of means and also
many congregations of the Ministerium, presenting the wants of the
institution in public and private, and endeavored to arouse a new
interest in its behalf. His efforts were not in vain, for he succeeded
in securing about $33,000 for the endowment fund and current
expenses. Besides, he succeeded in arousing a new interest in the
college in the congregations of the Ministerium, and so was instru-
mental in increasing the number of students. The prospects of the col-
lege again assumed a brighter appearance. The people had learned
of its wants and work, and with brigliter prospects in financial matters
its prospects botli for increased support and additions to the number
of students also increased.
The institution, however, met with a serious loss in the resignation
of President Muhlenberg, Septeml)er 11, 1876, who accepted the Greek
professorship in the University of Pennsylvania. This action was
deeply regretted by all who felt an interest in the college and who
knew President Muhlenberg's worth and self-sacrificing labors in
behalf of the institution that bears his honored name. '* This regret
was expressed at the time in terms highly complimentary to him, both
in the public press and in the oflftcial resolutions of the board of
trustees and the faculty, whose honored head he had been for nearly
ten years."
170 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
On October 11, 1876, the Rev. B. Sadtler, D. D., who had been very
successful as principal of Lutherville Ladies' Seminary, was elected
to the presidency of the college, and entered upon the duties of his
office in January, 1877. He was inaugurated in St. John's Lutheran
Church, AUentown, May 28, in the presence of the assembled synod,
the trustees, faculty, and students, and a large concourse of citizens.
During Dr. Sadtler's presidency very few changes occurred either in
the faculty or the external management of the institution. Early in
June, 1879, the gratifying intelligence was received that Hon. Asa
Packer, president of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company and the
munificent benefactor of Lehigh University and St. Luke's Hospital,
at Bethlehem, had left a bequest of $30,000 to Muhlenberg College.
By the action of the board of trustees this fund was set apart for the
endowment of the "Asa Packer professorship of the natural and
applied sciences." The Ministerium of Pennsylvania, at its meeting
in Lancaster, 1880, resolved to raise $25,000 for the endowment of a
German professorship. The Rev. W. Wackernagel was elected to
this professorship and was charged with the duty of securing funds
for the endowment of this chair. Subsequently, however, arrange- .
ments were made to secure his salary by annual contributions from
individuals and congregations until such a time as suflScient funds
could be secured to complete the endowment of the German profes-
sorship. In the same year Professor Seip secured from Messrs. James
K. Mosser and Thomas Keck, a firm well known for its generous and
intelligent interest in every good work, a cash endowment of $20,000
for a Greek professorship. This gift was a pleasant surprise to the
board of trustees and the friends of the college and was gratefully
accepted by the board at a special meeting held July 20, 1880. This
fund has since then been increased by the generous donors to $30,000
and has been set apart as the "Mosser and Keck professorship of the
Greek language and literature." During the same year a bequest of
$2,000 was received from the estate of E. J. Deininger, of Reading,
for the endowment fund of the German professorship.
In the year 1885 another important change occurred, in the resig-
nation of President Sadtler, caused by failing health. His resignation
was accepted June 25, 1885. This vacancy was filled by the election
of Rev. Theodore L. Seip, D. D., to the presidency of the college,
at a special meeting of the board held for this purpose on November
5 of the same year. Dr. Seip had been identified with the institution
from the beginning of its existence, as principal of the academic
department, professor of Latin, financial agent, and professor of Greek,
and was therefore in every way qualified to occupy the position to
which the board elected him. Dispensing with the formal election
by ballot, the board elected him "by acclamation." He had become
familiar with the affairs of college by his long and active connection
with the faculty and was in every way fitted to be placed at the head
HUHLENBEBG COLLEGE. I7l
of the institution. His fine scholarship and executive ability were
well known to the friends of the college, and all were exceedingly
gratified at his election and his acceptance of the position. His
inauguration took place in St. John's Church, January 6, 1886. He
at once began the reorganization of the affairs of the institution, and
with the cooperation of the other members of the faculty and the
financial agent, Rev. C. J. Cooper, appointed in 1886, set measures
on foot to remove the debt and increase the financial resources of the
institution. Muhlenberg College, under Dr. Seip's able administra-
tion, has begun to show new life. There has been a greater influx of
students from various parts of the territory of the ministerium and
beyond its boundaries. About $40,000 have been collected, through
the agent, toward the liquidation of the debt, several new scholar-
ships have been endowed, the buildings renovated, and the teaching
facilities increased. The college is in a better financial condition
than it has ever been. The able manner in which its finances are
managed enables the institution to meet all its current expenses
without an annual deficit, and the prosi)ects for removing the entire
debt in the course of a few years are encouraging. The number of
the students in 1891-92 was 140. The faculty as originally consti-
tuted has undergone numerous changes during the twenty-two years
of the existence of the college, and during this time eminent scholars
and educators have been connected with the institution. The follow-
ing constitute the present (1892) faculty: Theodore L. Seip, D. D.,
president and professor of moral science and Mosser-Keck professor
of Greek; Davis Garber, Ph. D., professor of mathematics, astronomy,
and meteorology; Matthias H. Richards, D. D., professor of English
and mental and social sciences; William Wackernagel, D. D., pro-
fessor of German and history; Rev. J. A. Bauman (1873), A. M., Asa
Packer professor of the natural and applied sciences; George F.
Spieker, D. D., professor of Hebrew; Stephen A. Repass, D. D.,
professor of Christian evidences; Henry Herbert Herbst (1878), M. D.,
professor of physical culture, and George T. Ettinger (1880), Ph. D.,
professor of pedagogy and associate professor of Latin. The latter
three were added to the faculty in 1892. The academic department
was reorganized in 1884, and is at present under the care of Professor
Ettinger, as principal, and Ephraim S. Dieter, M. E., and Rev. Frank
C. Oberly (1889), A. M., as assistant instructors.
The board of trustees, during the twenty-five years of the existence
of the institution, has included in its numbers many of the most
prominent citizens of AUentown, as well as prominent laymen and
clergymen from other parts of the territory of the ministerium. The
present ofScers of the board are: George F. Spieker, D. D,, president;
Rev. Samuol A. Ziegenfnss (1870), secretary, and Rev. Charles J.
Cooper, treasurer and financial agent. During the year 1892, accord-
ing to the direction of the board of trustees, th^ college celebrated its
4 -'-
172 EDUCATION m PENNSYLVANIA.
quarter-centennial, with appropriate exercises, in connection . with
the regular annual commencement exercises. In commemoration of
this event a memorial volume was published under the title, "Muh-
lenberg College; a Quarter-Centennial Memorial Volume, being a
history of the college and a record of its men. " Edited by Rev. S. E.
pchsenford (1876).
From this brief outline of the history of Muhlenberg College it is
evident that this institution, like many others of the same character,
has not been without struggles; but through the struggles of its early
years it has developed strength, and by the work already accom-
plished it has demonstrated its right to exist. Its resources have
been gradually increased until at the present time its endowment
amounts to $134,000, exclusive of the buildings and grounds, which
are valued at $100,000. It owns 29 scholarships at $1,000 each, which
are used for the benefit of its students. The institution has three
libraries, one belonging to the college and one to each of the two
literary societies, cabinets of minerals, and a fair equipment of chem-
ical and philosophical apparatus. A college journal, "The Muhlen-
berg," has been published since 1883.
Muhlenberg College aims to furnish a thorough Christian educa-
tion, and embraces in its curriculum religious instruction, philosophy,
ancient and modem history, literature, the classics and modern lan-
guages, mathematics, the natural and applied sciences, and such
other branches as belong to a complete course of liberal education.
Its 311 graduates are scattered over the States and Territories of the
United States, and some are found in foreign countries; very many
of them are laboring for the welfare of their fellow-men in the office of
the ministry, while others are following honorable careers in the pro-
fessions of teaching, law, and medicine, or are engaged in successful
business enterprises.
The faculty as constituted in 1902 is as follows: Theodore L. Seip,
D. D., president and professor of moral science and Mosser-Keck
professor of Greek; Rev. J. A. Bauman, Ph. D., professor of mathe-
matics, astronomy and meteorology; S. E. Ochsenford, D. D., pro-
fessor of English and mental and social science; Wm. Wackemagel,
D. D., professor of German and history; Philip Dowell, Ph. D., Asa
Packer professor of natural and applied sciences; George T. Ettinger,
Ph. D., professor of Latin and pedagogy; Stephen A. Repass, D. D.,
professor of Christian evidence; Rev. Jacob Steinhaeuser, professor
of Hebrew; Henry Herbert Herbst, M. D., professor of physical cul-
ture; John Lear, M. D., instructor in biology. In the academic
department: J. Richmond Merkel, B. S., A. M., principal and instruc-
tor in languages and science; Howard S. Shimer, A. B., instructor in
mathematics.
The trustees have recently purchased fifty acres of land on which they
propose to erect new and commodious buildings for the institution.
XIX.
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE, GETTYSBURG.
By Prof. John A. Himes, A. M.
In preparing this sketch I have abridged the history, using for the
most part the very language, written in 1882 by President Milton
Valentine for the Pennsylvania College Book. For many facts from
1882 to 1892 1 am indebted to a sketch prepared by Prof. E. S. Breiden-
baugh for The Spectrum, a college annual. The later facts have been
gathered from catalogues.
Pennsylvania College was founded in 1832. Six years before, in
1826, the Theological Seminary of the General Synod of the Lutheran
Church had been established at Gettysburg. The need of a classical
school to prepare young men for theological study was soon felt. To
meet the want such a school was begun under the direction of Rev. D.
Jacobs, A. M., in 1827^ In 1829 a scientific department was connected
with it under the care of his brother, Rev. M. Jacobs, A. M., and the
name of the school was changed to that of the Gettysburg Gymnasium.
The number of students «wid general prosperity of the gymnasium
encouraged its friends to enlarge the institution and place it on a
permanent basis as a college. A charter was therefore obtained from
the State April 7, 1832. In accordance with the provisions of this
charter, the institution was organized on the following 4th of July
under the style and title of "Pennsylvania College of Gettysburg."
The original corpoiiiators, 25 in number, had the corporate title of
"The Patrons of Pennsylvania College in Gettysburg, in the county
of Adams," and wer^e authorized to elect from time to time, from
their own number or elsewhere, a board of 21 trustees. A board
was chosen on the day of organization and at once proceeded to the
election of the first faculty, constituted as follows: S. S. Schmucker,
D. D., professor of intellectual philosophy and moral science; E. L.
HazeliuB, D. D., professor of the Latin language and German litera-
ture; Rev. H. L. Baugher, A. M., professor of the Greek language
and belles lettres; Rev. M. Jacobs, A. M., professor of mathematics,
chemistry, and natural philosophy; Rev. J. H. Marsden, A. M., pro-
fessor of mineralogy and botany.
From the scanty records left us it seems that the institution began
with 3 juniors, 8 sophomores, 12 freshmen, and 40 preparatory stu-
173
174 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
dents. The first president, Rev. C. P. Krauth, was appointed April
15, 1834, and the first class, 3 in number, was graduated September 18,
in the same year.
The college was founded without any public grants of money, lands,
or other property, depending on the personal contributions of its
patrons and friends and the encouragement and aid expected from
the church under whose auspices it was established. Subsequently,
however, on application of the board of trustees, and chiefly through
the disinterested and earnest exertions of the Hon. Thaddeus Stevens,
then a representative of Adams County in the State legislature, with
the cooperation of other friends of education, an appropriation of
118,000 was obtained for the institution from the State. The act of
appropriation, February 6, 1834, granted the college $3,000 in June,
1834, and $3,000 annually thereafter for five years. Later additional
aid was received, raising the whole amount to $24,500.
A modification of the charter took place in 1850 under an act of the
legislature incorporating Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster.
In 1787 a college had been founded at that place under the name of
Franklin College under a board of trustees, one-third of whom were
to be of the Lutheran Church, one-third of the Reformed Church, and
the remaining third from other denominations of Christians. The act
of the legislature transferring one-third of the value of the real estate
of Franklin College to Gettysburg provides that the fund thus paid
over shall be permanently invested by the board of trustees of Penn-
sylvania College " for the support of a separate professorship in said
institution, to be styled *the Franklin professorship.'" It also pro-
vides ' * that the Lutheran trustees of Franklin College shall be added to
the existing trustees of Pennsylvania College, who shall together con-
stitute the board of trustees of Pennsylvania College, and shall here-
after perpetuate their own number by a new election when any mem-
ber vacates his seat by death, resignation, or nonattendance for three
successive years," and repeals " so much of the charter of Pennsylva-
nia College as is inconsistent with the twelfth and fourteenth sections
of this act."
By this modification of the charter a number of important changes
were effected in the organic law of the institution. First, the corpo-
rate body, chartered as the Patrons of Pennsylvania College, by which
the board of trustees were elected from time to time for a limited term
of ofl&ce, ceased; second, the board of trustees became a self -perpetu-
ating body, filling vacancies in its own number by elections whenever
they occur from the three causes mentioned; third, the number of
trustees was increased from 21 to 36; fourth, the right of nominating
for the incumbent of the Franklin professorship was fixed in the
Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania. In 1880 the synod relinquished
the right of nomination to the Franklin and the German professor-
ships, and also transferred the funds of the latter chair to the college
treasurer.
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE. l75
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRICULUM.
The cnrricTilTiin has been distinguished by no features that can
properly be called peculiar. The course of study was from the first
arranged after the best recognized standard of American collegiate
education. It was meant to embrace in well-balanced combination
thorough classical, literary, mathematical, and scientific instruction.
It has never been so committed to any special theory of education as
to forbid the adoption of new methods or the introduction of new
studies as promptly as their advantages became manifest. An honor-
able grade of preparation has always been required for entrance, the
collegiate year has not been reduced to the minimum, steady work
on the part of the student is needed to maintain his class standing,
and a high degree of order and system in the instruction has prevented
waste of time and energy.
The Franklin professorship, already mentioned, was the first to rest
upon an endowment. In 1854 the necessary funds for a German pro-
fessorship were reported as collected under the supervision of the
Pennsylvania Synod. In 1864 two new professorships were endowed,
one of the English language and literature, by John E. Graeff, of Phila-
delphia, and the other of natural sciences, by the Ockershausen broth-
ers, of New York. In 1868 the Pearson professorship was founded
by a bequest in the will of Davis Pearson, of Philadelphia. In 1888
the professorship of intellectual and moral science was provided for
by a bequest from William Bittinger, of Abbottstown, Pa. In 1889
the Dr. Charles H. Graff professorship of physical culture-and hygiene
was endowed, and in 1892 the Amanda Rupert Strong professorship
of the English Bible was established by James Strong, of Philadelphia.
In 1880 a course of study leading to the degree of B. S. was intro-
duced. This corresponds very closely to the course for which Ph. B.
is given at other institutions. In 1891 elective studies to a limited
extent were introduced into the junior and senior years. Since then
the curriculum has been slowly expanded in this direction. Graduate
courses of study leading to the degree of Ph. D. are offered by the
college, and this degree is no longer conferred causa honoris.
Attempts have been made to establish professional schools in con-
nection with the college, but without permanent success. The flour-
ishing Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, though closely identified
in interest with the college, has no organic union with it except such
as is involved in the right of the theological students to attend with-
out charge the lectures of the college professors. On a motion of
Mr. Thaddeus Stevens in 1839, the board began a movement to estab-
lish a law department in the institution. Hon. Daniel Durkee, of
York, was elected as the professor. His removal to Gettysburg,
though not essential, was represented as desirable. Judge Durkee,
however, failed to accept, and the law department never became a
reality.
176 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
From 1839 to 1861 the institution included a medical department in
Philadelphia. The faculty consisted of six or seven professors, and
the number of students was at one time as high as 140. Financial
difficulties and the withdrawal of Southern students at the beginning
of the war put an end to this department in the fall of 1861.
BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT.
The first building used by the college was one erected by the citi-
zens of the town, aided by an appropriation of $2,000 from the State,
in 1810. The building, after being used for various educational pur-
poses, came into the possession of the college, and was sold in 1844.
The first building on the present college grounds was completed in
1838, at a cost of $18,000, and was used thereafter for rooms for stu-
dents and all other college purposes. In 1847 the Linnaean Hall, cost-
ing about $6,000, was dedicated. Stevens Hall, for the prepafetory
department, was completed in 1869, at a cost of about $25,000. Other
buildings followed, including professors' houses, a gymnasium, and
an observatory. In 1889 a building for recitation rooms, library,
museum, and society halls was erected, at a cost of $91,000. A con-
tribution of $15,000 from Lieut. Col. John P. Brua, United States
Army, was made for the erection of Brua Chapel, which, with its
furnishings, cost $20,000. Important changes in the other buildings,
at a sum far exceeding their original cost, were made in connection
with the introduction of steam heat.
The number of volumes in the libraries, exclusive of several thou-
sand unbound pamphlets, is about 24,000. The observatory has a
telescope with a 6^-inch object glass and the necessary accompanying
apparatus, including a transit instrument and a chronometer. The
chemical laboratory is well equipped with the apparatus required for
general and analytical chemistry. The apparatus for illustrating in
physics is comparatively small, and a larger and better supply is
desirable. The mineralogical cabinet contains 6,000 specimens, the
metallurgical and lithological about 5,000, the botanical collection
about 6,000. There are also beginnings in other branches.
In 1888 all departments of the college were opened to women, as the
preparatory department had been opened some years earlier. There
is no woman's dormitory, however, and the number matriculated is
small. The first graduates were in 1894. The average standing of
those thus far admitted has been above the general average of the
college.
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION.
Beyond the fact, common to all colleges of the country during the
war, that many of the students went into the Army, a peculiar rela-
tion was sustained by this institution by its location at Gettysburg,
occasioning some special experiences in connection with the great
battle here fought.
At the time of the battle, though a majority of the students had
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE. 177
the week before entered the service of the United States, the college
remained in session, and it was the thunder of cannon that caused an
adjournment after the first recitation on the morning of the 1st of
July. Former students were enlisted in both armies and several are
recorded as having been killed on the familiar fields — one, a Confed-
erate, Dr. Goodrich Mitchell, on the college campus where he had
carelessly strolled eight or ten years before. One of the professors
was roughly handled by the Confederates on account of a patriotic
speech made to a company of enlisted students at their departure.
It is asserted and generally credited that General Lee used the col-
lege cupola for observation on July 3. The college was filled with
Confederate wounded and those waiting on them — probably not less
than 500. Surgeons plied their work of amputation and dressing in
the public halls and on the porches. For a quarter of a centuiy the
blood-soaked floors bore evidence of the use to which the building
had been applied. For four weeks after the defeat and repulse of
the enemy the building was kept thus by the Government as a hos-
pital. Many of the wounded died and their bodies were buried on
the college grounds, though their bones were removed after about ten
years to Richmond, Va. Though wanton destruction seems to have
been not at all committed, the building was much defaced, the furni-
ture destroyed, the fences, etc., swept away. August 11, 1864, Presi-
dent Baugher, from the committee to secure indemnity for the dam-
age to the college, reported to the board that 1625 had been received
as rent from the United States Government and had been invested
as part of the permanent fund — of course, to replace the expenditure
in the repairs.
Alarms disturbed the school a number of times during the war and
drew off students to the Army. When Lee crossed the Potomac in
1863 for his invasion of the loyal States, the faculty gave consent to
the seniors, who were then near the time of their "senior vacation,"
that such of them as desired might go home and raise companies in
their respective neighborhoods and report at Harrisburg. Some of
them accordingly at once, June 16, 1863, left for their homes and
entered the military service. At the same time, the excitement
becoming stronger among the students generally, they determined to
raise a company among themselves, in response to Governor Curtin's
call for 50,000 men for the emergency. About 60, or a majority, of
the college students and 4 from the theological seminary gave their
names, and, together with some young men from the town, assembled
on the college campus, organized the company, and offered their
services to the governor. They were the first of the "emergency"
troops to be mustered into the service of the United States.
When the regiment was made up, it was ordered to Gettysburg, and
reached the place June 26. It had several encounters with the
enemy, lost heavily in prisoners, inflicted a slight loss, it is said, on a
5099—02 12
178
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
pursuing cavalry force, delayed the enemy'R operations by engaging
them in pursuit and search, and escaped to Harrisburg on June 28,
having marched fifty-four out of sixty consecutive hours. The sub-
sequent history of the Twenty-sixth " Emergency" Regiment was not
important, but a monument commemorating its services has been
erected by the State of Pennsylvania on a prominent angle in the
town.
THE INSTRUCTORS.
The educational history of the institution is best summarized in
the names of those who have been its presidents and professors.
Though the college has reached its sixty-fifth year, it is yet in its
fourth administration, and a large proportion of its regular professors
have served for long periods of time, beginning in youth and continu-
ing to advanced years. The title of the professorship seldom covers
all the subjects the incumbent is expected to teach. At times when
there appear to be vacancies in some of the chaii*s their duties are
usually divided among those that remain. The professorship of intel-
lectual and moral science has, since 1834, always been connected with
the presidency, except that for four years, 1846-1850, intellectual sci-
ence was taught by Professor Reynolds, and for two yeai*s, 1884-1886,
by Professor Himes.
PRESIDENTS.
Retire-
ment.
Charles Philip Krsuth,D.D
Henry Lewis Banker, D.D
Milton Valentine, D.D.jLL.D
Harvey W.McKmght,D.D.,LL.D
PROFESSORS
Intellectual and moral science:
Samuel S. Schmucker,D. D
Greek lan«vuage and belles lettres:
Henry "Lewis Ban^her, D.D
Greek language and literature:
Franc& Augustus Muhlenberg, D. D., LL.D
Henry Louis Baugher, D.D
Henry Eyster Jacobs, D. D., LL.D
Henry Louis Baugner,D. D
Rev. Oscar G. Klinger, A. M
Latin language and literatui'e:
Ernest L.Hazelius, D. D
William M. Reynolds, D. D
Martin Luther Stoever, Ph. D., LL.D
Henry Eyster Jacobs, D. D., LL.D
Rev. Philip M. Bikle, Ph. D
German language and literature:
Henry I. Schmidt, D.D
Charles Augustus Hay, D. D
CharlesF. Schaeflfer,D. D
Rev. John F. Wilken, A. M
Rev. Frederick W. A. Notz, Ph. D
Adam Martin, D. D
Mathematics, chemistry i and natural philosophy:
Michael Jacobs, D. D
Mathematics and astronomy:
Luther Henry CroU, Sc. D
Henry Barber Nixon, Ph. D ,
Physics and astronomy:
Rev. Philip M. Bikle, Ph. D
Natural sciences:
Alfred M. Mayer, Ph. D
Victor L. Conrad, Ph. D., D. D
Samuel P. Sadtler, Ph D
Edwards. Breidenbaugh, Sc. D
Chemistry and mineralogy:
Edward S. Breidenbaugh, Sc.D
1850
1868
1884
183S
1833
1832
1850
1850
1860
1881
1883
1896
1867
1880
1883
1896
1832
1834
1850
1870
1881
1834
1850
1870
1881
1838
1844
1856
1866
1868
1869
1843
1847
1864
1868
1869
1832
1866
1866
1888
1888
1874
1881
1865
1867
1871
1881
1867
1870
1874
1874
1881
PETSNSYLVANIA COLLEGE,
179
PROFESSORS— Continued,
English Isngniage and literature:
Edsall Ferrier, D. D
John A. Himes, A.M
Physical culture and hygiene:
Georee D. Stahley, A. Mm M. D
English Bible:
EliHuber, D. D
Civil engineering and architecture:
Herman Haupt, A. M
Minei*alogy and Dotany:
Rev. J. H. Marsden, M. D
Lectui'er on anatomy and physiology:
David Gilbert, A. M., M. D 1
Henry S. Huber, A. M., M. D
Lecturer on zoology:
John G. MoiTis, D.D., LL. D
SPECIAL INSTRUCTORS.
H. Montanus, German and French
RudolphW. Deininger, French and Hebrew
Charles W. Brecht, French
George F. Spieker, German
George S. Eyster, Ph. D., assistant in chemistry
Franklin Menges, Ph. D., assistant in chemistry
Clyde B. Stover, A. B., assistant in chemistry
■ ■ ■ »
PRINCIPALS OF THE PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT
Martin Luther Stoever, Ph. D., LL. D
Rev. Charles J. Ehrehart, A. M
Rev. Solomon Sentman, A. M
Hart Gilbert, est^., A. M ,
Rev. P. L. Harrison, A M
Rev. John B. Focht, A. M
Rev. Huber G. Buehler, A. M
Rev. Oscar G. Klinger, A. M
Rev. Charles H. Huber, A.M
1843
Induc-
tion.
Retire-
ment.
1866
1873
1872
1889
1892
1837
1839
1832
1835
1837
1852
1&51
1865
1874
1851
1&53
1854
1866
1877
1896
1855
1870
1871
1873
1877
1887
1892
1896
Besides these, there have been about 75 tutora in the preparatory
department.
GRADUATES AND PRESENT STUDENTS.
Of the graduates, considerably more than one-half have entered the
Christian ministry and have attained to honorable places in the
Lutheran, Episcopalian, I^esbyterian, Reformed, Congregational,
Methodist, and other churches. The college has furnished presidents
to the following institutions, and in some of them has been largely rep-
resented in their faculties: Wittenberg (Springfield, Ohio), Roanoke
(Salem, Va.), Newberry (South Carolina), North Carolina (Mount
Pleasant, N. C), Muhlenberg (AUentown, Pa.), Thiel (Greenville, Pa),
Carthage (Illinois), and Midland (Atchison, Kans.). It has given
men of ability to medicine and law and, though nof numerously, to
the public service. The whole number of graduates is:
Bachelors of arts 1 , 012
Bachelors of science 32
Doctors of philosophy (not included above) 5
The number of students now in attendance (September, 1896) is:
Seniors, 26; juniors, 34; sophomores, 38; freshmen, 62. The number
in the preparatory school, which is usually much increased by addi-
tions during the second and third terms, is 59.
XX.
PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY COLLEGE, CHESTER.
By Pres. Charles E. Hyatt.
By an act of assembly approved April 8, 1862, the Pennsylvania
Military College was incorporated under the title of "Chester County
Military Academy." On application of the board of trustees the court
of common pleas of Chester County subsequently changed the name
to *' Pennsylvania Military Academy," and in December of 1892 the
court of common pleas of Delaware County substituted the word
"college" for "academy."
The charter, with the supplement, approved February 21, 1868,
authorizes the conferring of all collegiate honors and degrees, and
requires an annual report to be made to the governor of the Common-
wealth of the scholarship, military proficiency, and deportment of the
six cadets standing highest on the merit roll of the collegiate depart-
ment. It empowers the State executive to grant to the president and
the vice-president ot the faculty, and to the adjutant on the staff of
the commandant, commissions, respectively, of colonel, lieutenant-
colonel, and captain of infantry, and further permits him to supply
arms for the various drills, together with tents and other camp
equipage.
The institution was first located at Westchester, Chester County,
ex-Governor James Pollock being president of the board of trustees,
and Col. Theodore Hyatt, president of the faculty. During the civil
war it made a special feature of military instruction, and contributed
to the Union forces many officers from its roll of students. Following
the close of the war the Crozer Normal School property at Chester,
Delaware County, was available, and its superior advantages for the
conduct of scholastic work led to the lease of the premises. The new
quarters were occupied in December of 1865, and the collegiate depart-
ment at once began to take form. The institution now grew rapidly
in public favor, and within two years citizens of Chester had organ-
ized a stock company, purchased a desirable site to the northeast of
the cit3% and be^an the erection of a building for its permanent home.
September of 1868 found the school established at its present location,
and here the work of the seventh session was inaugurated under
auspicious circumstances. Before three years had passed, an exten-
sion of quarters became necessary, and the north wing was added.
At this time the department of the applied sciences was housed under
the same roof as were cadet quarters — indeed, occupied the highest
floor of the structure — and here it was the fire originated that entirely
180
I
PENNSyLVANIA MILITABY COLLEGE. 181
destroyed the main building on February 16, 1882. To the lasting
credit of the honored founder let it be remembered in this connection
that within twenty days thereafter work in all departments was
resumed at the Ridley Park Hotel, 2 miles north of Chester, 136
cadets reporting for duty; and, further, that the session closed at the
time announced in the circular with only six study days lost from its
calendar. The energy and executive ability displayed by the presi-
dent in this extraordinary emergency and the success that attended
his efforts rank the record of that year as a triumph in the annals of
education in this country. Upon the ruins of the first structure
another began at once to rise. Enlargement and improvements made
their demands upon the architect, and as it now stands it accommodates
150 students, together with the resident members of the faculty and
of the military staff, and furnishes ample opportunity for the conduct
of all scholastic work except that of the applied sciences. The labor-
atory, observatory, gymnasium, drill hall, riding hall, laundry, and
stables complete the equipment of buildings, which occupy a com-
manding eminence overlooking the Delaware River and the adjacent
country. The college property is upward of 20 acres in extent, and
all the appointments are especially adapted to the needs of an insti-
tution conducted on the military system. The main building, of
stone, is 217 feet long, 50 feet deep, and 4 stories high. The private
rooms, each intended for the occupancy of two cadets, are located on
the third and fourth floors. On the fifth floor are the drafting room,
the engineering, mathematical, and other recitation rooms. On the
first and second floors are the apartments for the general work of the
institution, such as the mess hall, wash room, library, and assembly
hall. The laboratory, situated about 60 feet from the main building,
contains a lecture room seating 130 persons, analysis rooms for qual-
itative and quantitative analysis, and the assaying room. The Theo-
dore Hyatt Memorial Observatory, a gray stone building of tasteful
architecture, occupies the most elevated site within college limits.
The astronomic equipment was contributed in memoriam jointly by
the alumni associations, ex-cadets, and friends of the founder and
first president of the institution.
The first class to complete an advanced course of study was that of
1867, the members of which were graduated as civil engineers. The
degree of bachelor of arts was first granted in 1875, that of bachelor
of science in 1878, and that of bachelor of architecture in 1888. There
are now conducted three undergraduate courses of study — the civil
engineering, the chemical, and the academic — each of which extends
through four years and leads to the respective baccalaureate degrees.
Master's degrees are granted in course to graduates that have taken
the corresponding baccalaureate degree. The course in civil engineer-
ing includes pure and applied mathematics, the natural sciences, mod-
ern languages, rhetoric, literature, and drafting in graphics, stere-
182 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
otomy, and general engineering, together with extensive field and
ofl&ce work. The course in chemistry embraces organic and inorganic
chemistry, mathematics (including calculus and mechanics), the nat-
ural sciences, modern language, rhetoric, literature, drafting in
stereotomy, and more than two years' daily work in the laboratory,
during which the student is practiced in analysis, determinative min-
eralogy, assaying, and organic synthesis. The course in art covers a
wide range of Greek and Latin authors, mathematics from algebra to
calculus, the natural sciences, mental, moral, and political science,
rhetoric, and English literature. The preparatory department^
although specifically intended to fit students for admission to the col-
legiate department, gives general instruction in the elementary Eng-
lish branches. Its curricula, technical and academic, outlines courses
of study leading to collegiate work, but are so arranged as to prove
of advantage also to the student that does not intend to take an
advanced course.
The purpose of the military system is the conduct of educational
work in a way directly promotive of individual power and efficiency.
Military duty is not allowed to absorb time and effort disproportion-
ate to its benefits, but, on the contrary, soldierly excellence is used
to arouse and stimulate scholarly ambition. High-grade scholastic
work is supplemented by a course of training that secures the best
physical culture, impresses habits of neatness, system, and punctu-
ality; schools in self-restraint, cultivates self-reliance, and educates
to quick responsive action, obedience to law, and the exercise of author-
ity under a consciousness of personal responsibility. The department
is modeled after that of the United States Military Academy. The
theoretical course, limited to the first and second classes, includes the
study of the tactics and the elements of milit>ary science. The prac-
tical course, participated in by all cadets, consists of drills in infantry,
artillery, and cavalry (optional) tactics, and in guard duty, inspec-
tions, and other exercises incident to a military establishment. The
equipment of the department consists of breech loading steel guns,
Gatling guns, mortars. United States cadet muskets, carbines, sabers,
and pistols. There are also signal flags, heliographs, and appliances
for hospital corps work.
In moral training it is designed that a strong religious, but not sec-
tarian, influence shall prevail. To this end daily devotional exercises
are conducted in the assembly hall, a weekly recitation is made in
Bible, and on Sunday morning cadets attend divine service in the
city. Sittings are held in churches of several denominations to meet
as fully as possible the preference of patrons.
In fine the system of education employed at the Pennsylvania Mili-
tary College is planned to enable young men to prosecute scholastic
work, undergraduate and preparatory, under influences specially help-
ful to the development of well-rounded manhood.
XXI.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE.
By Prof. WllililAM A. Buokhout, 1868.
The Pennsylvania State College had its origin in the desire of many
thoughtful citizens of the State to elevate the business of agriculture.
Intelligent farmers joined with professional men in an effort to place
the pursuit of agriculture on a higher and more scientific basis, and
thus in some degree counteract the movement which took much of
the best blood and talent from the farms into the uncertainties of
commercial and professional life. They planned an institution which
should dignify and elevate the farmer's occupation and contribute to
the material and social well-being of the Commonwealth. If the
State College, which finally crowned their plans with success, has
become something more than an agricultural school, it has never lost
sight of its original aim — the elevation of agriculture to the enriching
and ennobling of the farmer's life.
THE FARMERS' HIGH SCHOOL.
The movement for the establishment of an agricultural school first
took definite shape in "An act to incorporate The Farmers' High
School of Pennsylvania," which was approved by the governor April
13, 1854. It is provided by the third section of this act "that the
president and vice-presidents of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural
Society, and 'the presidents of the several county agricultural societies
which shall, at any time, have been organized more than one year,
shall be ex officio members of and constitute the board of trustees,
which said trustees and their successors in office are he#by enacted
and declared to be a body politic and corporate in law, with perpetual
succession by the name, style, and title of The Farmers' High School
of Pennsylvania.
The board of trustees thus created was required to meet on the
second Thursday of June following, at Harrisburg, "and proceed to
the organization of the institution, and selection of the most eligible
site within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for its location, where
they shall purchase, or obtain by gift, grant, or otherwise, a tract of
land containing at least 200 acres, upon which they shall procure such
improvements and alterations to be made as will make it an institu-
tion properly adapted to the instruction of youth in the art of farm-
ing, according to the meaning and design of this act." The board of
183
1
184 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
trustees was also required to meet quarterly at the institution, and
oftener if necessary. The course of instruction prescribed in the
sixth section was **a knowledge of the English language, grammar,
geography, history, mathematics, chemistry, and such other branches
of the natural and exact sciences as will conduce to the proper edu-
cation of a farmer." By the eighth and last section of this act it was
made lawful for the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society to
appropriate out of its funds to the objects of this act the sum of
110,000.'^
No organization ever occurred under this charter. The scheme
in manj'^ particulars was impracticable. A corporation was created
for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an agricultural school,
without any capital stock, with no revenue, no contribution by the
State, and no means of obtaining any funds except by the donations
of private individuals and one existing corporation.
By an act approved February 22, 1855, this first charter of incorpo-
ration was repealed and another one granted, naming a smaller and
more efficient body of trustees. The board of trustees soon organ-
ized and appointed a committee to select a location for the proposed
institution. This committee, after a full ^nd careful consideration of
the various sites proposed, reported in favor of locating the institu-
tion upon a tract of 200 acres of land in Harris Township, Center
County, offered for that purpose by the late' Gen. James Irvin, of
Bellefonte. The report of the committee was adopted by the board,
and the donation of General Irvin accepted. The board of trustees
soon afterwards purchased an additional 200 acres, adjoining the tract
donated, for the price of $12,000. Thus the proposed institution
became the owner of 400 acres of valuable land in the midst of a fer-
tile and prosperous farming region and near the geographical center
of the State.
The location of the school was unique. The nearest railroad station
was Spruce Creek, 22 miles away; the post-ofl&ce was Boalsburg, over
4 miles to the east, and the mail came but three times a week. This
isolation \mi6 not accidental. On the contrary, it was of set purpose.
A cardinal point in the minds of the trustees was to have an institu-
tion remote from the attractions and allurements of city life,** located
upon a farm large enough to afford opportunity for every kind of farm
labor, which was to be accounted of equal value with class-room instruc-
tion. The labor of students was also in part to pay their expenses,
and in view of this the entire charge for board, room rent, tuition, etc. ,
was fixed at $100 per year. It is beyond dispute that these conditions
were fully met in the location selected. The land was high and roll-
ing, averaging 1,100 feet above tide, nearly midway between the
*Law8 of 1854, 342-344.
* By an act of March 17, 1859, the county court was prohibited from granting a
license to sell intoxicating liquors within 2 miles of the school.
The PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 185
Juniata and the West Branch of the Susquehanna and overlooking a
wide expanse of valle3% the country to the east particularly being of
exceptional fertility and agricultural importance. Upon every side
rose mountain ridges of moderate elevation, which made a fitting
frame to a varied landscape of unusual beauty and attractiveness.
It will be noticed that even by the act of 1855 the legislature gave
nothing toward the expenses of founding this new institution of
learning; as by the act of 1854 it authorized the State agricultural
society to give $10,000 for that purpose, and then left the board of
trustees to beg whatever other funds they might need. The board
having obtained subscriptions and donations, in addition to the land,
amounting to $25,000 toward the erection of suitable buildings,
applied to the legislature in 1857 for aid. By an act approved May
20, 1857, the legislature appropriated $25,000 absolutely and $25,000
additional conditioned upon raising an equal sum by private sub-
scription. This was subsequently done, and the trustees received
from the State treasurer the $50,000 thus appropriated. With these
funds the building was commenced, and the western wing was com-
pleted and opened for the admission of students on the 20th of Feb-
ruary, 1859. The project had attracted so much attention and
received such favorable notice that a relatively large number of stu-
dents applied for entrance. But the lack of suitable and sufficient
accommodations — only about one-fourth of the projected building
had been completed — and the crude condition of the farm and sur-
roundings were serious obstacles to success.
PRESIDENT PUGH.
It was not until the close of 1859 that a president of the school was
chosen in Dr. Evan Pugh, who had spent several years in special scien-
tific study in German universities and in agricultural investigation
with Lawes and Gilbert at Rothamstead. He fully espoused the
ideas of the founders, and entered upon the work with great energy
and enthusiasm. In his inaugural address, in 1860, he said:
It was my fortune to visit all the agricultural schools and colleges of impor-
tance and many of no imjwrtance during my six years' residence in Europe, and
in none of them is the fundamental idea of thorough study and manual labor,
together with the idea of the dignity of labor, maintained as it is at the present
moment in the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. * * *
While Europe has failed, while America has not succeeded with a single exam-
ple, and while our effort is watched with misgiving and doubt, let us resolve that
it shall be proven here that Pennsylvania can solve this great question of com-
bined labor and thorough study in an institution of learning.
The task proved to be no light one. Although two years had been
given to the work of preparation on the farm and in the erection of
buildings, neither the time nor the means were at all adequate, and
the first years were passed in much discomfort and discouragement.
186 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVAMA.
A further appropriation of $49,900 by the legislature, made April 18,
1861, was 8olely for the completion of the elaborate building originally
planned, and did but little, if anything, toward satisfying the press-
ing needs for the equipment of the departments of instruction. The
failure of the contractor, through the stress of the times, produced a
local irritation which was not allayed for many years, and the ina-
bility to provide means and apparatus for satisfactorj' instruction in
practical agriculture, together with a growing dissatisfaction with the
isolation of the institution, alienated many who had been the friends
and promoters of the movement. There was but one course of study
oflFered, and the school year was practically of but one session, begin-
ning about the middle of February and ending early in December.
Four classes were recognized. They were designated by numbers-
first (senior), second, third, and fourth. Each student was required
to perform three hours of manual labor per day, and assignments were
made to particular parts of the farm or garden, as the season or
weather permitted. There were also various special det-ails, such as
the care of animals, culinary, janitor, and other service in the college
building, which were arranged on application to the president. The
list of details was changed and published monthly, though it was no
unusual thing for a student to retain the same detail for several months
consecutively. The first class graduated in December,1861, after spend-
ing three years in the institution. Their dissertations were chiefly upon
chemical subjects, analyses of ores, fertilizers, etc., and showed the
superior attractiveness and strength of that department. Up to this
time the institution was known locally as the ' 'Farm School," and legally
as the **Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania." Desiring a name that
would more distinctly indicate the grade and character of instruction
which it was designed to offer, it was changed in 1862 to the "Agricul-
tural College of Pennsylvania," and, in order to provide for students
unable to enter the lowest college class, a preparatory department was
organized. The civil war introduced another and distinct obstacle to
thesuccessof the young institution. Under the excitement and stimu-
lus of the times many students entered the Army, and finally, in
1864, it became necessary to suspend all school exercises for more
than four months. As a consequence no class was graduated in that
year, and the continuity of work and plans generally were much inter-
rupted.
THE LAND GRANT OF 1862.
In 1862 the now well-known Morrill bill passed Congress. By it
the State of Pennsylvania was entitled to 780,000 acres of public land
for the " endowment, support, and maintenance of at least one college
where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific
and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such
branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic
arts in such manner as the legislatures of the States shall respectively
'l^HE PENNSYLVANtA STATE COLLEGE. ISi
prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of
the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life."
By an act of the legislature of Pennsylvania approved April 1, 1863,
the State accepted this trust and pledged its faith to carry the same
into effect. The sale of these public lands, however, was delayed and
hampered by provisions in the act of acceptance, and by lack of piH)-
visions also, so that the sale was not completed until 1807, wIhmi the
total proceeds were found to be $439,186.80. Meanwhile there was
sharp rivalry between the different educational institutions of the
State, several of which considered themselves eligible to receiver the
benefit of this fund.
At a special meeting of the judiciary committee of the legislature
at Harrisburg March 3, 1864, Dr. Pugh reviewed the situation as
follows:
Several propositions in relation to this land scrip have been presented to the
committee, which, so far as I understand them, embrace — •
First. A proposition to divide the fund among three or four old institutions,
letting each establish a professorship of agriculture and the mechanic arts and
employ a teacher of military tactics.
Second. A proposition to divide it among a large number of literary institutions,
involving the necessity of giving some to all that combine to apply for it.
Third. A proposition to establish a school of agriculture in one place, a school
of mechanic arts in another, and a military school in a third.
He then proceeded to discuss these propositions, and concluded by
saying that^ —
The land-scrip fund is not more than sufficient to endow one college, and hence
should not be divided, and that it should be given to the Agricultural CJollege of
Pennsylvania until some other institution having a better claim upon it shall apply
for it.
In a report upon a plan for the organization of colleges for agricul-
ture and the mechanic arts, addressed to the trustees at about this time.
President Pugh detailed the organization and equipment necessary
for an industrial institution of the first grade which would be possible
for the State of Pennsylvania to secure by appropriating the proceeds
of the land-scrip fund to its existing agricultural college. lie* showed
the resources of the more prominent American colleges, and displayed
a grasp of the situation and a farsightedness which argued well for
the success of the institution over which he presided. But unfortu-
nately and most unexpectedly, for he was a young man of vigorous,
even rugged, health, he was soon after stricken down in the midst of
his labors and died in April, 1864. To his sudden and untimely death
may be ascribed the check which the institution received and the chief
reason for its want of success during the next few years. To the
chaii of chemistry, the only one at all well equipped, was called Dr.
George C. Caldwell, the friend and associate of Dr. Pugh in Europe,
while the presidency was filled lat** in the year ]>y tlie ehH*tion of Dr.
William U. AUen, long associated with (virard College, in Philadelphia.
188 53DUOATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
In 1864 the college building, the work upon which had been delayed
and interrupted for various reasons, was finally completed and thrown
open for the use of students.
In the report of that year the deficit in running expenses was found
to be so great that the annual charge was increased to $200, with the
statement that it was hoped that when the endowment was secured
there could be a return to the old rate.
Provision was made at this time for military drill, and the manual
labor of one day was given up to make place for it. With the close
of 1866 Dr. Allen retired and Gen. John Fraser, who had occupied the
chair of mathematics for two years, became president. For some time
there had been a growing feeling that the manual-labor system was
not a success. While much work had been done, it was largely of the
roughest kind of farm labor, acknowledged to be of but little educa-
tional value and carried on under circumstances not calculated to
instill any love for agriculture in the minds of the students. Its
advocates seemed unable to devise any means adequate to redeem it
from the reproach into which it had fallen, and the time seemed ripe
for a change.
REORGANIZATION.
By an act approved February 19, 1867, the entire proceeds of the
Congressional land grant were appropriated to the agricultural college
on condition that the trustees establish, conduct, and maintain in
connection with the college three experimental farms — one near the
college, one in the eastern, and one in the western part of the State —
and $43,886.50 was immediately set apart for that purpose. In antici-
pation of this action and the substantial financial basis which it was
expected this new fund would furnish, several radical changes in the
management of the institution had been recommended to and adopted
by the trustees at their meeting in September, 1866. The character
of these changes will appear from the following quotations:
The rule requiring every student to work three hours daily on the farm, having
proved uniformly injurious to the financial and educational interests of the col-
lege, shall cease to be enforced at the end of the present term.
Provision was made for the voluntary labor of students and their
payment therefor.
The physical exercise given by the three hours' labor rule will be fuUy replaced
to the students of the college department by the daily military drill which will
hereafter be required of them. The students of the preparatory department will
be exercised one hour daily in a gymnasium which will be provided for their use.
Agriculture will be taught as an experimental science, and will be placed under
the care of a professor of agriculture, who will give instruction by means of books
and lectures in the class room, numerous experiments on the farm, and agricul-
tural excursions. Every student in this department will be required to assist in
the work connected with the experiments and to record them in a memorandum
book, which will be examined from time to time by his instructor.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 189
The college year was divided into two terms of twenty weeks each,
and the expenses were raised to $260 per year.
Three iour-year courses of study were established — general science,
agriculture, and literature. A graded system of military instruction
was also adopted in connection with military drill, which all students
were required to take unless excused because of conscientious scruples
or physical disability. The faculty was increased in number, and a
strong effort was made to secure young, energetic, and enthusiastic
men of special fitness for their particular departments. Liberal pro-
vision was made for superintendence and instruction in the prepara-
tory department, together with practice work in the various subjects
of study. Such practical work and original investigation, here first
called "practicum," had never before been systematically established
except in chemistry. A course in mechanical and civil engineering
and one in mining and metallurgy were projected and partially
arranged for.
Notwithstanding the increased charges to students and the larger
income the financial condition of the institution was not improved.
The larger number of instructors and the various obligations incurred
in the acceptance of the land-scrip fund proved a serious drain upon
the resources at hand. The number of students rapidly diminished,
partly because of the increased expense, partly because of the higher
standard of admission, and a lack of confidence in the stability of the
college. No class had been graduated in 1867, and when, in June,
1868, the last of the old students passed out there were but few to take
their places. The presidency was again vacated in this year, and
several changes made in the interest of economy and retrenchment
did not increase confidence in the future of the institution. When
Dr. Thomas H. Burrowes, formerly State superintendent of public
instruction, took the presidency in 1867 he was given full power to do
what seemed to him wise in order to relieve the stress of the situation.
He applied himself vigorously to the task and personally superin-
tended the management of the farm as well as the work of instruction.
He was especially active in putting the farm into first-class condition
and in securing recognition from the farmers of the State. There was
practically but one course of study maintained, and the old arrange-
ment of sessions and vacations and the manual labor system were
restored as being more in harmony with the surroundings. An
'* annual harvest reception" was held during the last four or five days,
of the spring term. During the forenoons the classes were examined,
and while the professors and students were thus engaged the college
and farm were open to the inspection of guests. In the afternoons
military drill was given and newly invented implements and machin-
ery tried.
In the evenings lectures were delivered by the faculty and others,
and literary and social entertainment given by the students' societies.
190 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
A generous circular of invitation proffering free entertainment was
sent out, i)ut in the second year of its trial that which was long after-
wards known as the "big day" brought so large and heterogeneous a
body of visitors, many of whom had little knowledge of or interest in
the institution, that the plan was modified and became a trial of farm-
ing implements, particularly reajHirs. Gradually this was done away
with, as other times and places proved more satisfactory to the manu-
facturei's. Early in June, 1871, and very shortly after Dr. Burrowes's
death. Rev. Dr. James Calder became president. It was at this time
that the privileges of the college were first opened to young women.
On application to the faculty two were given provisional entrance and
a resolution drawn up recommending this change to the board of
trustees. The resolution was approved at the next meeting of the
board. The studies were again cast into three courses: An agricul-
tural, a scientific, and a classical. The number of students slowly
increased, and for some time the average attendance during the year
was about 150, including preparatory and music pupils, while from
three to seven graduates were sent out each year. Up to this time the
college had been conducted on the general plan of a boarding school.
All students except those living in the immediate neighborhood
roomed and boarded in the college building. About 1873 students
began to live outside of the college, and in a short time the boarding
department ceased to be maintained, though for some years thereafter
private boarding clubs continued to use parts of the college building.
But little encouragement was given to associations other than the
established literary societies and those of the most general character.
Differentiation in courses of study had but just begun, and was more
in name than fact, while community of life and method were marked
on almost every hand. The means of access were somewliat improved,
but Bellefonte, 12 miles distant, was the nearest available railroad sta-
tion. No class was graduated in 1872, and the college year was then
made to begin in August and end in July. In 1874 the name was
again changed to the Pennsylvania State College. This change of
name was considered needful because " agricultural college " not only
failed to express the breadth of purpose contemplated by the laws
under which the college received its endowment, but misled many as
to its real character, leading them to suppose that it was alone for
those who intended to be farmers. In 1876 the long vacation was
changed from winter to summer, and the college was brought more
nearly in line with the other educational institutions of the State than
it had been at any previous time. The chief peculiarities were in the
requirement of military drill and manual labor. The drill was car-
ried on with comparative regularity and success. Uniforms were
required, and for a time were worn at all public and general college
exercises, and a regular system of guards and control was attempted.
Military tactics became a part of the curriculum in 1876, but it was
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 191
not until 1877 that an Army officer was detailed by the Government to
take charge of the military department. Previous to that time it was
under the care of some member of the faculty. The manual-labor
system up tc 1878 or 1879 was on substantially the same basis as in
the earlier years, excepting that the junior and senior classes were not
required to do other than their laboratory work. Students or classes
were detailed for labor of particular kinds, according to the needs of
the farm or garden. The superintendent of the farm and his foremen
had charge of the work. The professors took but little part in it and
had no responsibility in the matter. The poverty of its results was
so apparent that it became a matter of frequent concern to the fac-
ulty, but it was not until after many conferences and reports from
committees that a more satisfactory basis was established.
In this the aim was to undertake no labor of any kind which was
not distinctly educational in its character, and when this end had
been attained the student was to pass on to something else. There
was to be no labor for the mere sake of labor; this was to be relegated
to cases of discipline, where it was given as a punishment. The dif-
ferent sections, moreover, were to be under the superintendence and
direction of the members of the faculty, to each of whom was
assigned some particular line of '*practicum" work. In this scheme
the laboratory practice was accounted a part, and it was enlarged and
extended so as to embrace work in physics, botany, and other sciences,*
not before treated in this way. It is obvious that this arrangement
could but partially relieve the difficulty. The facilities and means
of instruction, the apparatus and appliances necessary for carrying
on the work, were not increased by it, and but meager funds were
available for carrying out the plan thus devised. At the same time
the courses of study were under revision, and the adjustment to their
needs, which each year made more evident, was a matter of anxious
and prolonged consideration by the faculty in committee and other-
wise. In great measure it was au attempt to make one dollar go as
far as two, and one man do the work of two. In those years of toil
under discouragement and disadvantages, hardly possible to properly
weigh at this time, there was kept steadily in view the obligations of
the institution to the organic acts under which it had been established
and was supported, and unusual care was taken to keep within the
spirit of those requirements. Looking back upon that time, more-
over, we may see all along the slow working out of the principles of
industrial education in all of their ramifications as they became
revealed by practical experience and needs. The greatest lack was
in the line of mechanical work, for which special tools and shops
were needed. The small beginnings of this work in a cramped, iU-
lighted room in the cellar of the main building, with a few of the
simplest tools only, and facilities for but a few students at a time,
would appear ridiculous in comparison with the elaborate provisions
192 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
of later time, were it not that the difference lies not in the principles
involved, but in the means and facilities for their illustration and
demonstration.
This expansion of the ideas of general industrial education met with
more real opposition than any other feature in the growth of the insti-
tution, an opposition none the less real because it was to a large
extent covert, and often vacillating. It has been the fate of very
many of the industrial colleges of this day to have fallen into the
hands of aud to have come under the patronage of men whose educa-
tion and life have been so dominated by their classical environment
and training that no other seems lo them a real education. To such
men industrial (education means but the adding of so much of indus-
trial work as the old-time courses of study will permit. Every step in
industrial education has been in the face of such prejudice more or
less openly displayed. Almost every new subject introduced has
meant substitution for or crowding out of some other and older one
long regarded as an essential to a liberal education. Progress under
such circumstances is slow, and it is probably best that it should be
slow, thus avoiding extremes and giving opportunity for each new
step to prove its own inherent value and strength. Although the
organic law relative to general industrial education was that under
which the college received its support, and had been in force since
1868, the institution was for many years thereafter generally and
locally known as the agricultural college, and three persons out of
four looked upon it as a purely agricultural institution, the only
object of which was to teach agriculture. This was made the more
prominent in the eyes of the public because of the three experimental
farms which had been established as aforesaid, and the management
of which had given rise to much ill-feeling and acrimonious discus-
sion. Much had been hoped from field experimentation of various
kinds. It had been carried on with little or no accompanying labora-
tory tests and often under circumstances which rendered the results
either doubtful or of minor value. The chemical examination of
commercial fertilizers had not yet come under legal control. The
farms were appealed to for information which they were unable to or
did not give. Their silence or inability was interpreted to mean their
improper management or control and the diversion of funds for their
support to other purposes. The influence of the grange was solicited
and employed, and the feeling that the institution had failed to meet
its obligatioDs was deep and widespread. It was in a measure inten-
sified by personal animosities and jealousies arising from changes in
the faculty and board of trustees. Meanwhile, the college itself,
somewhat removed from the centers of turmoil, and outside of the
horizons of strongest criticism, was going on quietly about its daily
work, becoming stronger and better with each year, and slowly solv-
ing within its own walls the real problems of industrial education.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 193
A glance at the financial condition at this time will show somewhat
the difficulties and hindrances of the situation. The sole income
was $30,00C per year, which was derived from a State bond, the pro-
ceeds of the land scrip sales, and an addition of nearly $90,000 given
by the State as partial compensation for the meager amount which
that sale had produced.
The expenses were not only the salary list and general expense for
maintenance and repairs, but also the interest upon a mortgage debt
of $80,000 for the completion of the building, as before mentioned, and
upon a constantly increasing floating debt which it was found not pos-
sible to avoid.
When in 1878 the State lifted this mortgage debt a ray of hope shot
across the path that had so long been beclouded, which was as valu-
able perhaps for the implied obligation and paternity of the State as
for the direct gift made. But the immediate and pressing needs of
the college were still in excess of its funds for support, and the
model farms were a constant drain upon the treasury. The difficul-
ties in satisfactory management of the two outlying farms became so
pronounced that their sale began to be agitated. The idea grew, but
slowly. The favorite project of the founders of the institution and
that upon which the gift of the original land-scrip proceeds had
hinged was not easily set aside. About this time the experiment
station idea began to loom above the horizon, and it gradually became
evident to all parties concerned that in it was the solution of the diffi-
culty. It was still several years later before the farms were sold and
the proceeds turned into the treasury. Meanwhile, various changes
had taken place in the faculty, and to other difficulties were added
those of internal management incident to changing and divided
authority and the introduction of new methods and elements. For-
tunately the most serious effect was but temporary, and it is correct
to say that at no time were the fundamental principles of industrial
education lost sight of or even obscured. The mechanic art work,
industrial drawing, and military drill, together with the practicum
work in the different departments, were all maintained and slowly
amplified a& means and time would permit.
Probably in nothing was more real difficulty experienced than in
answering and satisfying the queries of the public, with whom all
success is measured by the number of students in attendance and who
can not understand, much less appreciate, the obligations, moral as
well as legal, which inhere in the charter of an institution of learning.
That the college did not grow so rapidly as its friends had hoped was
due to a variety of causes difficult to correlate or estimate the individ-
ual value of, but no less potent in results. To its isolation much has
commonly been attributed, but this has been a mixed factor and has
worked in both ways, for while doubtless preventing a widespread
knowledge of the institution among the people of the State, it has
5099—02 13
194 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
been also by that isolation daring the days of its youth and immatu-
rity that the institution has been able to override and outgrow the
criticism and opx)osition, which has lost much of its vigor by the fric-
tion of distance, and thus to tide over periods of weakness which
might otherwise have proved fatal.
PRESIDENT ATHERTON.
To the last fifteen years should be credited not only a natural and
healthy and internal growth and expansion along all the lines prop-
erly belonging to the institution, but also and particularly the recog-
nition of the paternity of the State and the full establishment of that
relation. How difficult this task, under how much of discouragement
and opposition it has been accomplished, no one not an eyewitness and
a closely interested observer can fully appreciate. It called for an
alertness and an acute grasp of the situation in all its relations, as
that situation varied and fluctuated from time to time, joined with a
power of sustained labor when exigencies arose, that few men would
have been willing to undertake, even were they able to do so. It has
raised the institution from the position of one practically local, even
provincial in some respects, to that plane to which its history and ante-
cedents entitled it in theory, but which had long been denied it in
fact, namely, the State College of Pennsylvania. Looking back over
the events of that time, one may now see the different 8tex>s by which
this result has been secured and may read their significance. The
first one, the establishment of an experiment station, proved abortive
under the ax of executive disapproval. Since then every measure
brought to the attention of the legislature has been, somewhat cau-
tiously, perhaps, at first, but later heartily indorsed, and has provided
in succession commodious buildings for the experiment station, the
departments of botany and horticulture, of physics and chemistry, of
military science, and of civil, mechanical, and mining engineering,
besides seven dwelling houses for the professors of the institution and
a separate dormitory for young women.
In addition to these new structures, the original main building has
been altered from time to time in order to meet the need for better
accommodations, and much of it has thus been practically rebuilt.
Always noted for its massive size and a dignified simplicity befitting
its industrial purpose, the changes have preserved these features at
the same time that they have enhanced its usefulness and beauty.
While still largely used as a dormitory, it contains also the chapel,
library, and various recitation rooms, together with the natural his-
tory and industrial museums and the general offices. The improve-
ment of the farm and campus and the erection of farm buildings, the
addition of laboratory apparatus, and expensive machinery for heat-
ing and lighting from a central station — all these have materially
changed the face of affairs and added a new and modem plant to the
r
li^
'!i '
f
I
f
ii
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 195
property which thirty-eight years ago witnessed the crude beginivings
of industrial education in Pennsylvania.
It can no longer be said that the State has failed or refused to pro-
^vide for the child of her adoption. She has risen by degrees to the
jE^ituatioU) as shown by her acceptance of the land-script act of the
XJnited States; and, though somewhat grudgingly at first, she has later
^^^th commendable generosity guaranteed her support as new needs
jBtrose. The nation, moreover, has still more distinctly and unequivo-
^cally fixed the status of industrial education in this country by its act
«f 1890, supplementing that of 1862, under which the State College is
iihe beneficiarj^ in Pennsylvania.
In its thirty-eight years of existence 336 students have been gradu-
ied in the full courses of study. Of this number 13 were young
women. Twenty-four of the graduates are engaged directly in agri-
culture or closely allied industries; 59 are doctors, lawyers, or min-
isters; 40 are teachers, for the most part in industrial institutions;
189 are in business more or less technical; 16 are dead, and 8 are
unknown.
The first class was graduated in 1861. Owing to interruption caused
by the war, and by changes in couraes of study, none were graduated
in 1864, 1867, and 1872. The average number graduating in classes
^^ '^he last five years has been 29. Of the several thousand students
spent longer or shorter time at the institution many are occupying
jt, . oions of trust and responsibility, and are leading citizens in their
ective localities. Various circumstances prevented their com-
ing the full course required for taking a degree, but they have
J ried away much of the spirit and influence which a college life
tumishes, and have often proved their loyalty to their alma mater.
Many of them would never have gone beyond the common schools
^ d it not been for the opportunities which the State College afforded
3m.
SCHOOLS AND COURSES OP INSTJIUCTION.
The organization of technical instruction in the college allows a
wide range of election by courses, but very little by special subjects.
If a student wishes to take up electrical engineering, for example, he
finds a course in that subject carefully arranged, based on extended
inquiry and observation, tested by experience, containing as f -^r as
practicable everything that is essential and nothing unessential, and
at the same time providing a considerable amount of general and
liberalizing studies of which every educated man may properly be
expected to have at least an elementary knowledge. He also finds
himself, as a member of a school, following his special line of work
in close and sympathetic relation with fellow-students engaged in
allied but distinct portions of the same general field, and his concep-
tions are thus made more definite as to the proper limits of his own
i
196 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
specialty, at the same time that they are broadened by association
with collateral branches of the same great department of knowledge.
It is believed that such a course, systematically pursued, is far
more useful to the great majority of undergraduate students than
any permissible election by subjects could possibly be. Some cases
occur, however, where a student before entering coUege has satisfac-
torily completed a portion of the prescribed work, or where he wishes,
for particular reasons, to specialize in some direction more fully than
is provided for in the established course. In such cases a selection
of some other branch of work is allowed, but only on condition that
the substitute chosen shall be fully equal, both in educational and in
technical value, to the subject omitted. The course in electrical
engineering has been taken merely as an example. The same remarks
apply to each of the regular technical courses.
The number of four years' courses now organized is 12, as follows:
I. Classical course.
II. General courses: A general science course, a Latin scientific
course.
III. Technical courses: A course in agriculture, a course in biology,
a course in chemistry, a course in civil engineering, a course in elec-
trical engineering, a course in mathematics, a course in mechanical
engineering, a course in mining engineering, a course in physics.
Besides these regular courses there are 8 short courses — 4 in agri-
culture, 1 in chemistry, 2 in mining, and an elementary course in
mecnanics.
Provision is also made for an extensive range of elective work in
ancient and modern languages, psychology, ethics, pedagogics, his-
tory, and political science.
The courses above enumerated are so arranged as in general to
occupy a student's full time, and each of them, except the classical
course, leads to the degree of bachelor of science.
Besides these courses, students who are fully prepared to enter
the freshman class may elect from the separate branches above named
a sufficient number of hours to form a full course leading to the degree
of bachelor of arts or bachelor of philosophy.
The English, mathematics, and chemistry, and either French or
German of the freshman year are required of all candidates for any
degree.
Students pursuing the classical course take both the Latin and the
Greek of the freshman and sophomore years in place of French and
German, and may continue one or both of the former studies during
the junior and senior years.
Students pursuing the Latin scientific course take the Latin of tho
freshman and sophomore years in place of English, and may either
continue Latin or pursue an elective course during the junior and
senior years.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE. 197
Students who are candidates for the degree of bachelor of philosophy
may select, under the direction of the faculty, such studies scheduled
for a given session as will fill up their time, the regular allotment in
the case of candidates for a degree being fifteen hours a week of reci-
tations and lectures and ten hours of practicum. The practicum work
in language, history, and similar subjects is carried on under the
direction of the instructor, and consists of research on assigned topics,
practice in etymological investigation, digesting, abstracting, bibli-
ography, antiquities, etc., according to the main line of study chosen.
In addition to the above courses at the college, the school of agri-
culture offers a carefully prepared course of home reading and study
upon technical agricultural and horticultural subjects, substantially
upon the Chautauqua plan. This course is open to all without charge,
excepting the actual cost of the books, which may be purchased by
students in this course at a considerable reduction from the publishers'
prices. It aims to meet the wants of those who feel the need of a
better understanding of the underlying principles of their calling, but
who, for various reasons, can not take any of the courses offered by
the college.
The several courses and branches of instruction are grouped in the
following schools, in order to bring into close relations all the subjects
lying within a special field, and thus secure greater concentration
and effectiveness of work than would otherwise be practicable :
1, School of agriculture. — Course in agriculture (four years); spe-
cial course in agriculture ; short lecture course (twelve weeks) ; cream-
ery men's course (six weeks) ; dairy course (six weeks) ; Chautauqua
course (home reading and study).
2, School of natural science. — Course in biology; course in chem-
istry; short course in chemistry (two years).
3, School of mathematics and physics. — Course in mathematics;
course in physics.
-4. School of engineering. — Course in civil engineering; course in
electrical engineering; course in mechanical engineering; elementary
course in mechanics (two years).
5. School of mines. — Course in mining engineering; short course in
mining (two years); short lecture course (twelve weeks).
6. School of language and literature. — Classical course; modern lan-
guages; Latin scientific course; general science course.
7. School of history y political science, and philosophy. — The several
subjects included in this school are incorporated more or less exten-
sively into all the four years' courses, but separate courses in them
have been arranged.
XXII.
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE, LORETTO.
This institution, situated in Loretto, Cambria County, Pa., about
4^ miles distant from Cresson Springs, on the direct route of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad between Philadelphia and Pittsburg, is under the
immediate charge of the Franciscan Brothera. It was founded by
Rt. Rev. Michael O'Connor, Bishop of Pittsburg, in the year 1845.
The bishop then invited a few Franciscan Brothers from Ireland to
make a foundation on the Alleghenies, and from that time the com-
munity has increased in members, especially of German and American
parentage.
The college was chartered in 1858 by an act of the legislature, with
the usual privileges of conferring honors and degrees. The location
is the most healthy in the State, the Allegheny Mountains being pro-
verbial for pure water, bracing air, and picturesque scenery. The
scholastic year commences September 1 and closes about the end of
June following. Students are admitted from 8 years of age to man-
hood; board and tuition payable in advance.
The full course of studies embraces Christian doctrine, reading, pen-
manship, English grammar, arithmetic, geography, rhetoriCj ancient
and modern history, natural and mental philosophy, geology, astron-
omy, use of the globes, algebra, geometry, plane and spherical trigonom-
etry, engineering, surveying, drawing, architecture, book keeping,
commercial law, instrumental and vocal music, composition, together
with Latin, Greek, German, and French languages.
Shorthand (the Pernin system) and typewriting are included in the
course.
Board of trustees, — Very Rev. E. A. Bush, V. F. ; Brother Athana-
tius, O. S. F. ; Brother Angelus, O. S. F. ; Brother Ambrose, O. S. F. ;
Brother Ignatius, O. S. F. ; Brother Alphonsus, O. S. F.
Brother Thomas, O. S. F., prefect of studies and general discipline;
Brother Felix, O. S. F., second prefect of studies and discipline; Rev.
F. O'Shea, chaplain; Dr. Murphy, Loretto, Pa., physician.
Officers and professors. — President, Brother Athanatius, O. S. F. ;
Vice-president, Brother Angelus, O. S. F. Treasurer, Brother Igna-
tius, O. S. F. Secretary, Brother Ambrose, O. S. F. ; Brother Angelus,
O. S. F. ; Brother Ambrose, O. S. F. ; Brother Paul, O. S. F. ; Brother
Thomas, O. S. F. ; Brother Ignatius, O. S. F.; Brother Benedict,
O. S. F. ; Brother Basil, O. S. F.j Brother John, O. S. F. Procurator,
Brother Alphonsus, O. S. F.
198
XXIII.
ST. VINCENT COLLEGE, BEATTY.
This institution, under the management of members of the Order
of St. Benedict, well known throughout the civilized world, is situated
1 mile southeast of Beatty, a station on the Pennsylvania Central
Railroad, 39 miles from the city of Pittsburg. It was founded in the
year 1846 by the late Right Rev. Boniface Wimmer, O. S. B., presi-
dent of the American Casinese Congregation of Benedictines and first
mitred abbot of St. Vincent Abbey, which lies in close proximity to
the college.
Right Rev. B. Wimmer was bom at Thalmassing, in Bavaria, Jan-
uary 14, 1809; was ordained to the priesthood July 31, 1831; was
invested with the habit of St. Benedict, September 14, 1832; was
admitted to the customary vows of the order December 29, 1833; came
to America September 16, 1846; was appointed abbot by papal brief
September 17, 1855; was raised by a similar document in 1883 to the
dignity of archabbot, and died December 8, 1887, full of years, leaving
as an imperishable monument to his memory an institution whose
career in all its departments has been one of constant success; the
13 students of the first collegiate year having increased to over 300
during the past scholastic term.
The college is incorporated with power to confer the usual academic
honors and degrees. It has three distinct courses — the theological,
the classical, and the commercial.
The theological is completed in three years, and comprises theol-
ogy — dogmatic, moral, and pastoral — ecclesiastical history, liturgy,
canon law, sacred eloquence, Gregorian chant.
The classical course is completed in eight years.
The first year (first grammar) comprises religious instruction, Latin,
English grammar and composition, German, history and geography,
arithmetic, penmanship.
Second year (second grammar): Religious instruction, English
grammar and composition, German, history and geograpliy, arithme-
tic, penmanship, Latin.
Third year (freshman): Religious instruction, Latin, Greek, Eng-
lish rhetoric, German, history and geography, algebra, elocution,
natural history.
Fourth year (sophomore) : Religious instruction, Latin, Greek, Eng-
lish rhetoric, German, history and geography, algebra, geometry,
elocution, botany.
199
200 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Fifth year (junior): Religious instruction, Latin, Greek, English
literature, German, history and geography, algebra, geometry, elocu-
tion, chemistry.
Sixth year (senior): Religious instruction, Latin, Greek, English
literature, German, history and geography, algebra, geometry, elocu-
tion, chemistry.
Seventh year (philosophy): Logic, ontology, cosmology, natural
theology, physics and chemistry, mathematics, Latin, Greek, Hebrew,
De Locis Theologicis and introduction into Sacred Scriptures (New
Testament).
Eighth year (philosophy) : Psychology, ethics, history of philosophy,
physics continued, astronomy, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, hermeneutics,
introduction into Old Testament.
The classes of the theological course, as well as those of philosophy
in the classical, are taught in the Latin language.
The commercial course is completed in three years and embraces
the following branches: Religious instruction, bookkeeping, English,
German, penmanship, arithmetic, history, geography, algebra, geom-
etry, trigonometry, national philosophy, chemistry, political economy,
commercial law, and elocution.
The degree of bachelor of arts is conferred upon students who pa«s
a satisfactory examination in all the languages and sciences taught in
the classical course.
Students who pass a satisfactory examination in all the branches
prescribed in the commercial coui^se receive the title of master of
accounts.
The present board of trustees consists of Right Rev. Andrew Hin-
tenach, O. S. B., president; Rev. Louis Haas, O. S. B., vice-president;
Rev. Vincent Huber, O. S. B., secretary; Very Rev. Oswald Moos-
mueller, O. S. B. ; Rev. Dominic Block, O. S. B. ; Rev. Albert
Robrecht, O. S. B. ; Rev. Mark Kirchner, O. S. B.
There is also an alumni association connected with this institution,
the object of which is to unite former students of the college. The
present officers are: Rev. J. M. Decker, of Erie, Pa., president; Dr.
J. A. Oldshue, of Pittsburg, Pa., first vice-president; M. P. Flattery,
Mus. D., Albany, N. Y., second vice-president; Thomas J. Kreuzer,
M. A., Baltimore, Md., third vice-president; Rev. H. G. Gauss,
Mus. D., Milton, Pa., treasurer; Prof. John C. Johnson, A. M., South
Orange, N. J., recording secretary; W. J. Curran, Pittsburg, Pa.,
corresponding secretary.
XXIV.
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE.
By Prof. W. P. Holgomb.
ITS ORIGIN.
Swarthmore College was founded that the young men and women in
the Society of Friends might receive a liberal education. When the
separation of the society took place in 1827 and 1828 the leading schools
passed under the control of the Orthodox Friends, and for over forty
years after this "that portion of the society which embraced much
the largest number of members within the limits of Philadelphia,
New York, and Baltimore Yearly Meetings had not a single institu-
tion calculated to center the learning and science of the society and
to foster and encourage liberal education." The movement which
culminated in the founding of Swarthmore originated among the mem-
bers of Baltimore Yearly Meeting. About the year 1851 Martha E.
Tyson, of Baltimore, wife of Nathan Tyson, her counsel and support
in all that she did for the cause of education, spoke to the meeting at
length on the lack of education in the society. In 1852 the meeting
appointed a committee of prominent Friends to consider the status of
education. In 1854 they made an elaborate report* to the Yearly
Meeting, recommending the establishment of a Friends' boarding
school, and foreshadowing in several particulars the subsequent plans
for Swarthmore College. From lack of general appreciation of the
subject the matter slumbered till 1860, when Martha Tyson again
brought it forth in an able article published in Friends' Intelligencer,
in which she proposed that the Friends of New York, Philadelphia,
and Baltimore Yearly Meetings should unite in endowing a school
"for the education of teachers, where the religious influence, the
talents, and the literary and scientific learning of the best minds in
these meetings might combine together and, under the divine bless-
ing, produce a happier state of things in our society.''^ About two
months after this a select company of Friends gathered in the parlors
of the Tysons one evening, and discussed with great animation the
question of a new school. As a result of this a public m.eeting was
held in Baltimore on the 2d of October, 1860, when the venerable Ben-
jamin Hallowell presented the plan of establishing a school where
the children of both sexes could receive an education equal to that
of the best institutions of learning in the country, and could be espe-
• Friends' Intelligencer, 1854. ^'Ibid., July 28, 1860.
201
202 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
cially qualified to take charge of family and neighborhood schools.
Benjamin Hallowell was widelj^ known as a mathematician, as a
veteran teacher, and as principal of a flourishing school at Alexandria,
Va., and was an acceptable minister of the gospel. He, like Martha
Tyson, had long cherished the desire to see the standard of education
raised in the society, and their joint influence was an important factor
in enlisting Friends in the cause. At the Baltimore Yearly Meeting,
held after the meeting of October 2, a committee was appointed to
prepare an address, setting forth the objects in view and soliciting
the cooperation of the large bodies of Friends in Philadelphia and
New York. The "address" was read to conferences of Friends in
those cities. It is a paper of much interest, as it shows us what the
prime movers of the project believed to be the true nature of an
education.
What was uppermost in their minds was an education that was
very practical in its bearing on the after lives of the students. The
care which should always be exercised over the moral and spiritual
welfare of the students was a matter of first importance in any scheme
of education which Friends might devise. To quote from the address:
" Particularly should provision be made for an extensive practical
acquaintance with the natural sciences, as chemistry, philosophy,
astronomy, geology, botany, and agricultural chemistry, and to some
extent with the arts of agriculture and horticulture. Physiology
should also be studied so far as to give the students a knowledge of
their own physical system and of those laws which it is necessary to
observe in order to maintain them in health. Means of instruction in
these different branches would especially be needed in the department
of the education of teachers, in order that they may be properly edu-
cated and trained to take charge of Friends' children in different
neighborhoods, and make them acquainted with the names and uses
of the various plants, rocks, etc., how to bud a tree, to train and trim
grapevines and flowers, and thus occupy their leisure time and waste
energies in a healthy, rational, and useful employment. * * * it
is desirable, too, that such of the girls as do not already know how,
should be instructed in the best way to make bread, butter, cake, and
every kind of plain cooking and household employment. Under
judicious, cheerful, and concerned direction and' training this could
be made by turnc, among the girls, an important and useful part of
their recreation and amusement."* It was thought that $150,000
would be suflicient to erect and equip a school building and have a
fund for the aid of those who desired to teach. It was proposed that
each student thus assisted should, on completion of his course, be
informed how much he owed the institution, and would be expected
to pay it back within ten years, if able. This was in order to preserve
self-respect and independence, so essential to true formation of char-
* Friends' Intelligencer, vol. 18, p. 73.
8WARTHM0EB COLLEGE. 208
acter. A part of the education of those fitting themselves to teach
was to embrace the best modes of conducting and governing schools
and the practical exercise of hearing the recitations of classes in the
presence of an experienced teacher. Instruction in pedagogics, it
will be seen, was thus early a part of the plan for the new school.
A definite plan was proposed in the "address" for the formation of
an association and election of a board of trustees or managers.
Friends' children were to have the preference, but others were to be
admitted if they would subscribe to the imposed regulations. With
the publication and circulation of this document the concern assumed
definite shape, and a preliminary organization was effected under the
name of "The Friends' Union Boarding School Association," which was
soon changed to "Friends' Educational Association."
In December, 1862, at the first annual meeting of the association, a
board of managers was selected, composed of 16 men and 16 women,
residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York.
The responsibility of the undertaking now rested with them. The
war being in progress, the funds were not easily raised. At times
Friends were inclined to temporarily abandon their project, but
partly through the eloquent persuasions of Martha Tyson were
induced to persevere.*
The idea of having a boarding school soon grew into that of having
a college, and at the annual meeting of the "association" in Decem-
ber, 1863, "Swarthmore College" was proposed as the name for the
new institution.^ It was accepted and inserted in the constitution of
the Friends' Boarding School Association in place of that inconven-
ient title. ^ It was an especially happy choice, being not only a beau-
tiful and euphonious name, but historically dear to Friends as the
name of the residence of George Fox in England during his later
years and consequently a central spot in the early history of the
society. After the name for the college came its local habitation.
The funds were being raised in shares of stock of $25 each, and the
constitution required the site to be chosen by vote of the stockhold-
ers. In 1864 it was decided by a large majority of votes to select a
tract of 94 acres at Westdale, Delaware County, Pa., 10 miles west of
Philadelphia. Accordingly it was purchased for $21,444.96. It was
an excellent choice. Nature had given the place exceptional advan-
tages in healthf ulness, beauty, and distant prospect. It was an his-
toric spot, having been the birthplace of Benjamin West, whence its
name. Friends were at once attracted t6 the place, and the Friends'
Social Lyceum, of Philadelphia, organized in 1863, at once inaugu-
rated the plan of holding annual reunions on the grounds in the month
•Essay on Edncation in the Society of Friends, by Edward Parrish. Published
by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1866.
**The name was probably first suggested by Lucretia HAott.
** Friends' Intelligencer, December 12, 1863.
204 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
of June. These reunions were attended by hundreds of Friends,
many from a long distance, and were of annual occurrence till the
opening of the college. They increased the interest in Swarthmore,
and consequently the subscriptions to the stock. In the spring of
1864 the managers procured a charter for the college from the legis-
lature of Pennsylvania. The capital stock, then $50,000, was limited
by charter to $300,000, but by act of 1870 the limit was increased to
$500,000.
EDWARD PARRISH, THE FIRST PRESIDENT, 1864-1870.
To labor in conjunction with the board in raising funds, planning
buildings, and organizing a faculty the managers chose one of their
number, Edward Parrish, of Philadelphia, to be the first president of
the college he labored so untiringly to create. He was born in Philadel-
phia in 1822, and was the seventh son of Dr. Joseph Parrish, who was
in his day an eminent physician in a city that has long been renowned
for its medical men. His parents were Friends, and they gave their
son Edward an education at the Friends' School in Philadelphia, where
he learned the elementary branches and pursued to some extent the
higher branches, and among them the classics. Manifesting an apti-
tude for scientific pursuits, he became an apprentice in the pharma-
ceutical store of his brother Dillwyn in 1838, and afterwards attended
lectures at the College of Pharmacy, where he took a degi*ee in 1842.
He was engaged in the drug business for many years after this, a part
of the time with his brother. Meanwhile he kept up his scientific
studies. Locating near the University of Pennsylvania, he was
thrown into contact with the medical students there and learned their
needs of practical instruction "in the art of prescribing, preparing,
and dispensing medicines." He opened a "school of practical phar-
macy" in 1849, under the encouragement of the university professors,
giving his first course of instruction to a class of 14. He continued
giving instruction in his school till he was elected to the chair of
materia medica in the College of Pharmacy in 1864. Besides con-
tinuing in the drug business he engaged in writing suitable text-
books for his students, and took an active part in the scientific meet-
ings of the College of Pharmacy. In 1867 he became the professor of
pharmacy in that institution. Of his professorship one who knew
him well has said, "Professor Parrish was always popular with the
students; his free and open manner, the interest he took in the class
individually and collectively, and above all his good delivery as a
speaker rendered him a favorite and gave him influence."*
From 1845 to 1852 he was a trustee of the college, and from 1854
until he was appointed to a professorship (1864) was its secretary.
At different times he was honored by being elected recording secre-
• Memorial of Prof. Edward Parrish, by William Procter, jr. Philadelphia, 1873.
SWABTHMOBE COLLEGE. 205
tary, vice-president, and president of the American Pharmaceutical
Association. His scientific work was mainly that of a popularizer
rather than an investigator. His biographer says of him : "His ready
pen was always at command to bring together in order the results of
reflection and inquiry, whether these related to the ethics of phar-
macy, the by-laws of the association, or the advantages of education,
general or special. Moreover, though not himself possessed of an
inventive genius, he delighted in new inventions or improvements in
pharmacy, and was always ready to encourage their authors, and to
be the means of spreading a knowledge of them by tongue or pen."*
In 1858, in a trip to Europe, he greatly widened his acquaintance
with men in his own special field of study. During these years he
was a consistent and active member of the Society of Friends. Soon
after the movement for higher education among Friends began he
dedicated himself to the work. He was one of the incorporators of
Swarthmore, a member of its first board of managers, and served as
its secretary from 1864 to 1868. In company with William Dorsey and
Edward Hoopes he visited and addressed with them numerous con-
ferences to arouse the interest of Friends everywhere and raise sub-
scriptions. Of his great services in this direction the managers have
left this record:
One of the pioneers engaged in enlisting the minds of Friends in the great work
of founding a college, he was a most earnest and indefatigable laborer in the
canse, and it was largely owing to his personal exertions that success so early
crowned our efforts. Very many of the stockholders wiU remember that their inter-
est in Swarthmore was first awakened by his voice and pen. By conversation in
that wide circle of Friends in which he moved, and where he was so much beloved;
by extensive correspondence, by public addresses, and by his work entitled ** Edu-
cation in the Society of Friends " he did much to arouse attention to the impor-
tance of estabhshing among us an institution for higher culture — culture not of
the mind alone, but of the heart as well; and thus, in connection with his untir-
ing efforts to secure the means necessary to carry out this design, he performed a
labor destined to have a lasting influence for good upon our religious society and
upon the community at large. ^
From his election to the presidency in 1864 till the opening of the
college in 1869 the work of raising funds and oi'ganizing a staff of
teachers received a large share of his time. When the college opened,
he-became professor of ethics, chemistry, and natural science. It was
then possible for him to combine these three subjects, for the fresh-
man was the highest class the flrst year. Allusion has been made to
his qualities and popularity as a teacher. He was a man, too, whose
courteous and gentle manner and beauty of character well qualifled
him to be a model to the youth under his influence. The position,
however, of president of a new college, where discipline was at first
complicated by educating the two sexes together and housing them
* Memorial of Prof. Edward Parrish, by William Procter, jr. Philadelphia, 1873.
** Managers' report in fourth annual catalogue.
206 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
all in one vast building, and where tlie whole machinery of education
had to be organized, was a difficult one to fill. President Parrish was
not so successful as a disciplinarian and organizer as he was as a teacher.
To-day, with the complete organization that prevails, and a much
larger and an experienced faculty to sustain him, he would not have
found his position beset with such difficulties. In the middle of the
year 1870-71 he resigned the presidency of the institution he loved so
well. He was soon after appointed by President Grant to represent the
Government in an effort to make pacific arrangements with the Indians,
and it was while on this mission that his death occurred at Fort Sill,
in Indian Territory, on the 9th of September, 1872, just two days
after the opening of Swarthmore's third year. As a fitting tribute to
his memory, and to perpetuate his name more generally among the
students, it has been recently proposed that the main building of the
college* should be called Parrish Hall, a proposition eminently just
and praiseworthy.
ERECTING THE BUILDING.
The corner stone of the college was laid on the 10th of May, 1866.
A main building was first erected 348 feet long, three stories high,
and surmounted by a Mansard roof. This structure consisted of a
center building, with offices, library, parlor, dining room, assembly
and study hall, laboratories, and museum; two wings, each a hundred
feet long, occupied chiefly on the first floor by class rooms and on the
others by dormitories, and two return wings, each 92 feet deep, con-
taining dormitories and bathrooms. When completed, it was a plain,
solid, well-proportioned, and imposing stone building, with an out-
look from its south windows not easily equaled or surpassed. When
the chairman of the building committee delivered the keys to the
board of managers, $205,480 had been expended for construction.
The treasurer's report for December, 1871, after the work of building
and furnishing was about completed shows the following expenditures
for property:
West Dale $27,086.13
Construction accotint 277, 056. 98
Famishing account _ 26, 700. 10
Expenses of organization _ _ 10, 686, 55
Total 341,479.76
the amount thus far expended to found and equip a Friends' college —
more than twice the sum originally contemplated in 1860.
THE COLLEGE OPENS.
On the 8th of November, 1869, Swarthmore first opened its doors
to students, and 82 girls and 88 boys entered. There was a teaching
force of 11 resident professors and teachers and 3 nonresident profess-
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE. 207
ors to receive them and set them to work. On the 10th of Novem-
ber the inaugural exercises of the college were held, and President
Parrish in his address outlined the system of training that was pro-
posed in the new institution. Six lines of study were to run through
the whole college course: Mathematics, natural and physical sciences,
languages, history and geography, literature, intellectual and moral
philosophy. In reference to the coeducation of the sexes, which, at
that time was not much thought of in colleges east of Oberlin, John
D. Hicks spoke very confidently and well on behalf of the managers.
He said :
We have superadded a system for the joint edncation of the sexes, carrying out
the principle we have long recognized in our society of equal rights — not for ail
men, but for all men and women. We not only propose to give them equal oppor-
tunities for culture, but equal rewards and honors, as a measure for their attain-
ments. In this joint education we will but imitate the natural order of our lives.
Observation abundantly teaches us that the greatest happiness, the highest moral
and social attainments, are produced by the joint influence of the two sexes. Act-
ing and reacting on each other, a healthful stimulus will be felt that will not only
facilitate study and aid in government, but tend to preserve the home influence.
We hope in so doing to prepare the minds of the students of Swarthmore with a
more correct idea of social life, so that when they leave the college and go out into
the world they will do it under circumstances more favorable for their best inter-
ests than could have been had their education been separate. We undertake this
peculiarity of our scheme of instruction with confident expectations of the best
results. *
In all the twenty years' history of the college there has been no
cause to doubt the wisdom of their course in educating the two sexes
together, but every year strengthens the belief that the managers
adopted a sound and wise educational policy.
A PREPARATORY AND COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT.
As the value of a collegiate education was not generally appreci-
ated among Friends when Swarthmore began her career, and there
were few Friends' schools able to fit students for entrance to college,
it was necessary to have a preparatory school at Swarthmore, and at
first this was the major part of the institution. On classifying by
examinations those who first entered, 20 were found qualified for the
freshman class, and the others were placed in three graded classes of
the preparatory school, named A, B, and C, with 24, 74, and 52 stu-
dents, respectively. For purposes of instruction B and C were divided
into three sections each.
THE COLLEGE COURSES.
The standard of scholarship set may be gleaned from the freshman
course as contained in the first catalogue:
• Friends' Intelligencer, Vol. XXV, pp. 624-635.
208 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT — FRESHMAN YEAR.
1, History and geography, — Smith's Ilistor^ of Greece. Liddell's
History of Rome. Kiepert's Atlas Antiquus.
2, English, — Shaw's Manual of English Literature. Themes. Elo-
cution.
3, Latin, — Hanson and Rolfe's Latin Poetry. Livy (Lincoln's
selections). Harkness's Grammar and Prose Composition. Baird's
Classical Manual.
i. Mathematics, — Alsop's Algebra continued through quadratic
equations. Gummere's Plane Trigonometry and Surveying.
5, Natural science, — Botany, zoology, physiology and hygiene.
6, Chemistry, — Elements of inorganic.
7, Ethics, — ^Dymond's Essays. Lectures.
ELECTIVE STUDIES.
L Oreek, — Soph ocles's Grammar. Xenophon's Anabasis. Arnold's
Prose Composition.
2, German, — Whitney's Grammar. Adler's Reader. Composition.
3, French, — Fenelon's T616maque. Histoire de Charles XII. Gram-
maire Frangaise de Noel et Chapsal. Thames.
4, Practical chemistry, — Laboratory exercises. Synthesis.
Of the four electives two were to be chosen. Greek, it will be
noticed, was not required, not even for entrance to the college, and
it was always an elective for the A. B. degree till 1886 when it was
made a required study in the classical course for the sophomore year
and above. Students were required, as stated in the earliest cata-
logues, to select a sufficient number of electives to make not less than
15 nor more than 20 exercises a week, exclusive of reading and speak-
ing, writing, natural history, and free-hand drawing.
THE FIRST FACULTY.
The first faculty consisted of only four members — ^President Parrish,
Helen G. Longstreth, the matron; Edward H. Magill, A. M., princiiial
of the preparatory school, and Clement L. Smith, A. M., the secretary,
now a professor of Latin in Harvard University.
The chair of President Parrish has already been mentioned. Pro-
fessor Magill held the professorship of Latin and French, and Profes-
sor Smith that of Greek and German, and was acting professor of
mathematics. The matron presided over the social affairs, and had
especial charge of the girls and young women. History and English
literature were united the first year under one professorship. The
duties of this chair were performed the first year by Maria L. Sanf ord,
who next year became the professor of history, and acceptably filled
this position until her resignation at the close of the year 1878-79.
The other instructors were classed as teachers and lecturers.
8WARTHM0EE COLLEGE. 209
EDWARD H. MAGILL, SECOND PRESIDENT, 1872-1890.
After the resignation of President Parrish, the duties of the of&ce
were filled by Professor Magill, who was inaugurated as president in
1872. He was of Irish-English descent a century and a half back.
He was born in Solebury, Bucks County, Pa., in 1825, and lived the
first fourteen years of his life on his father's farm. He next attended
the Westtown Boarding School two years. At 16 he began his career
as a teacher by opening a private school in his father's wagon house,
and teaching 25 pupils, each paying him 3 cents a day when present,
nothing when absent. Few college presidents can show such modest
beginnings. The wagon loft was his schoolroom only a year. He
continued teaching in various schools until he reached his twenty-fifth
year. Mathematics had been his principal study and subject in
teaching at first, but at the age of 21 he determined to study the lan-
guages. He prepared for college at Easthampton, and entered the
freshman class at Yale College in 1850. The next year he entered
Brown University and graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1852,
and received A. M. in 1855. His student life was one of constant
application to study, as is well exemplified by the anecdote of his
falling and fracturing his arm at Brown and passing the night in com-
mitting a Greek verb to memory.
In 1852 he became principal of the classical department of the Provi-
dence High School, where he remained till 1859, when he was appointed
submaster of the Boston Latin School. Here he was under the
infiuence of the celebrated Francis Gardiner, who became his model
as teacher and discipliuarian. During his submastership he pub-
lished a French grammar and a series of French reader, which have
been widely used. In 1867 he was appointed to the principalship of
the preparatory school in Swarthmore. He resigned his position in
the Latin school and devoted a year to foreign travel. On the open-
ing of the college in 1869 he assumed his duties as principal and pro-
fessor of Latin and French. His high scholarship and signal success
as a teacher in the New England schools and his experience as a dis-
ciplinarian made him qualified for the new position of principal and
professor and for the ofl&ce of president, which he was soon called
upon to fill. He has continuously held the presidency, in active serv-
ice, till the beginning of the present year. His long term comprises
nearly all of Swarthmore's history as a college. During the first years
of his presidency he was professor of mental and moral philosophy,
but never gave any instruction in this department. From 1878 to 1885
he held the professorship of Latin, teaching the advanced classes, and
during the two years previous to June, 1889, he taught the advanced
classes in French. For many years he has generally had a special
class in phonography, which recited in the evenings. It has been the
testimony of many of his students that they never knew a more inspir-
6099—02 14
210 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ing, enthusiastic, and thorough teacher than President Magill. His
greatest single service to Swarthmore while president has, perhaps,
been the securing, by means of small subscriptions, of an endowment
of $40,000 for the professorship of mathematics, which resulted in
securing three other endowments of professorships with like amounts
at the same time. In one other particular has he been of great serv-
ice to the cause of higher education. A few years ago he started a
movement to form an association of the colleges of Pennsylvania simi-
lar to the organization of the New England colleges. Provost Pepper,
of the University of Pennsylvania, Presidents Seip, of Muhlenberg,
and Appel, of Franklin and Marshall, and others warmly seconded
the idea, and the association which was formed for Pennsylvania has
now widened its scope of usefulness by becoming **The Association
of Colleges of the Middle States and Maryland." In connection with
his labors in the college association he has been endeavoring to
influence the legislature of Pennsylvania to pass a law granting to
colleges which provide suitable instruction in pedagogics the same
privilege that is extended to the normal schools, of allowing graduates
to teach in the public schools without being examined. In recogni-
tion of his services in the cause of education Haverford College, in
June, 1887, conferred upon him the degree of LL. D. On the 17th of
June, 1889, after twenty years of faithful service to the college, he
resigned the presidency, to take effect in June, 1890, asking for a
year's leave of absence in which to repair his health and engage in
study, and desiring to return as professor of French. The board
accepted his resignation and appointed him to the French professor
ship.
PROGRESS OP THE COLLEGE.
By the cooperation of the managers, president, and faculty there
has been a marked growth in the educational facilities at Swarthmore.
At the opening of the college there was but one course laid down,
leading to the degree of A. B. In 1872-73 the teaching force had
become large enough to establish a four-years' scientific course and
a four-years' engineering course. In 1876-77 a fourth course was
Introduced, leading to the degree of B. L. The leading features of
these four courses as now constituted are, viz: In the classical course
Latin is required the first.three years and is elective the fourth; Greek
is elective the first year and required the last three. Enough of mathe-
matics, history, and political science, philosophy, natural science, and
modern languages is required to make it a course of liberal training.
The science and letters courses are also intended to be so arranged.
The course in science, leading to B. S., provides for chemistry, physics,
biology, and mathematics as the leading studies, with subsidiary
studies about the same as the classical course. The letters course
differs from the others in requiring more of the modern languages —
French, German, and English — and history. The engineering course
SWAETHMOEE COLLEGE. 211
is arranged with a view to preparing its graduates for immediate use-
falness in the office, works, or field, either in civil or mechanical
engineering, and consequently must consist chiefly of studies fitting
for such professional life. The further progress of the college in its
increased facilities for instruction will be noted further on.
THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM.
After a long experience in constantly changing the courses of study,
trying to find some system which would meet the varied tastes of the
students, without letting them take an unwise mixture of studies, the
above four courses have been provided, and in each course from four to
eight periods, out of twenty required, are elective above the freshman
year, eight not being allowed before junior year, and not in all the
courses then. This scheme of studies is the most successful the faculty
has been able to devise, and in practice it works better than any pre-
vious system. Another improvement in the courses of study has been
to divide the year into two semesters, and instead of containing a large
number of studies twice a week during the year, it is found a great
improvement in most studies to have them four times a week for a
half year. On that general principle the majority of the studies are
now pursued.
THE NORMAL DEPARTMENT — AN EXPERIMENT.
In 1878-79, in conformity with the idea of the founders of Swarth-
more that a normal department should be included, an attempt was
made to establish one. Lectures on the theory and practice of teaching
were given to those preparing to teach, and these "practice teachers''
of the college tried their 'prentice hands on the youngest class in the
preparatory school under the eye of the professor. A teacher's diploma
was given those graduates of the college who took three years of the
normal work, and certificates to those who took one or two years.
This plan was kept up several years with varying success. When
well managed, those who took the course and afterwards taught testi-
fied that it was of much benefit to them. It was not altogether satis-
factory, however, to have the older students practicing on the younger,
and this feature of the pedagogical department was abandoned several
years ago.
Instruction is still given in pedagogics, and a plan has been fol-
lowed out with good results of having the student teachers form a
class of pupils, one of their number acting as their teacher, under the
eye of the professor, and in this manner reviewing the elementary
branches which they will be called upon to teach in the public or
private schools and in which they are quite rusty by the time they
reach the junior or senior year.
212 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THE ANNUS MIRABILIS.
By the year 1881 the college had collected a small but well-selected
library, a valuable museum, and quite a respectable amount of chem-
ical and physical apparatus. On the night of September 25 of that
year the college experienced the misfortune of a great fire, which
consumed the whole main building excepting the Friends' library, in
a fireproof alcove, and a professor's room above. The engineering
department fared better, as it was temporarily in a part of the gym-
nasium, a detached building, which was unharmed. Colonel Hyatt,
of the Pennsylvania Military Academy, at Chester, came over with
breakfast for all in the morning, and in a ringing little speech told
the boys to "stick to their alma mater;" and they did. Two large
boarding houses were rented in the borough of Media, 3 miles away,
and there, in two weeks after the fire, the college resumed its work.
All but three students returned. The quarters were greatly crowded
and the work badly hampered, but all managed to endure and exist,
hoping for better things.
REBUILDING.
The solid walls of the college remained uninjured by the fire, and
the work of reconstruction was at once begun. There was an insur-
ance of $130,000, and the friends of the college raised $145,000 more
to restore and refurnish the building. The work was forward enough
by the middle of June, 1882, to allow the commencement exer-
cises to be held in the assembly room, while the walls were yet
unplastered. By October the work was so nearly completed that the
college reopened in the old place. The arrangements of the building
were much improved in the reconstruction.
SCIENTIFIC HALL.
During the year of the rebuilding a scientific hall was also erected,
at a cost of $20,000, and furnished with 15,000 worth of machinery
and apparatus. This was the gift of Samuel Willets, of New York,
who was president of the board of managers, and Joseph Wharton,
of Philadelphia, the present president of the board. It is a stone
building, planned for the departments of engineering, physics, and
chemistry, and contains lecture rooms, laboratories, machine shop,
foundry, drafting rooms, woodworking shop, weighing room, etc.
The department of engineering and mechanic arts alone has over
$10,000 worth of machinery and apparatus, and the other departments
are well equipped.
THE OBSERVATORY.
A great addition to the department of mathematics and astronomy
was the building and equipping of an observatory, at a cost of 16,000,
in the year 1886. The money was raised by personal solicitations by
SWAETHMOBE COLLEGE. 213
the professor in charge of the departments and was given in numer-
ous small contributions from the alumni, managers, and others. The
observatory has a transit of 3 inches aperture and an equatorial of
6, constructed by Warner & Swasey, of Cleveland. It is otherwise
well equipped for thorough class work, having a spectroscope, microm-
eter, etc.
THE MUSEUM AND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY.
The museum, which had been under the efl&cient care of Dr. Joseph
Leidy, like nearly everything else, had to begin anew after 1881. The
Doctor patiently went to work collecting and classifying specimens
anew, and now there is an admirable collection of shells, birds, min-
erals, skeletons, etc., collected with reference to illustrating the lec-
tures in natural history. A department of biology is the most recent
in its organization, but is now well equipped for work.
THE LIBRARY.
In 1871 enough books had accumulated in the library for the
appointment of a librarian. By 1881 3,600 books had been collected,
and these were destroyed by fire. The alumni promptly came for-
ward and raised a fund to be spent for the purchase of books imme-
diately needed, J. Reece Lewis, of the class of 1875, giving 11,000.
No single gift to the college has ever given the faculty more genuine
pleasure than this from one of its graduates. Since the exhaustion
of this fund there has been no other till recently, when an endow-
ment of a thousand dollars was left the library by Dillwyn Parrish.
Books that have been purchased of late years have been bought
mostly at the request of professors out of the current income of the
college. There are now about 9,000 volumes on the shelves. The
Friends' historical library contains an additional 1,075 volumes relat-
ing purely to Friends, and it is the aim of the college to make this a
complete collection of the literature of Friends. The libraries of the
student societies contain 2,897 volumes, making a total of nearly
13,000 bound volumes in all the libraries. The general library is now
crowded for space, and a library building with facilities for students
to work in and an endowment to support it are among the greatest
needs that now exist. Swarthmore has been slow to recognize that of
all the agencies for instruction, after the professors, the library stands
first. It is the only department in use by all the students, and its
facilities should be greatest. Since writing the above it has been
made public that Edgar A. Brown, a member of this year's senior
class, who died before he could complete his course, bequeathed
$5,000 to the library, to which he was devotedly attached. When
this handsome gift is realized, the present deficiencies will be largely
overcome as to books.
214 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
FACULTY AND INSTRUCTORS.
It but remains to speak of the professors to indicate the growth of
educational facilities at Swarthmore. The faculty and instructors the
present year number 22 against 14 in 1870. There are among these
two graduates of Harvard, two of Johns Hopkins, and one of Yale,
Amherst, Union, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Troy Poly-
technic Institute, Mercer College, Georgia, Women's Medical College,
Philadelphia, and the Massachusetts Normal Art School. Six are
graduates of Swarthmore. Several of the professors have studied
abroad and have taken every opportunity to fit themselves for suc-
cessful teaching. The faculty of government and instruction has 11
members, not including 2 who are abroad studying. The following
are the professorships for 1889-90: Professoi'ship of French, engi-
neering, Greek and English literature, mathematics and astronomy,
Latin, history and political science, rhetoric and logic, mental and
moral philosophy, chemistry, natural history, art and mechanical
drafting, physics, German, and assistant professorship of elocu-
tion. Five of the professorships are provided with an assistant each.
There is also a director of physical culture for the young men and
one for the young women and a lecturer on physiology and hygiene
to the young women. Of the long list of professors and instructors
who have taught at Swarthmore some time during the past twenty
years mention can be made of only a few who, by their long and
efl&cient service, have especially identified themselves with Swarth-
more.
ARTHUR BEARDSLEY.
In 1870 Professor Beardsley, then of the State University of Min-
nesota, was elected to the professorship of applied mathematics and
physics in Swarthmore, but did not accept the position. In May,
1872, he was again offered the professorship and accepted. He had been
a student at Bowdoin College, had graduated in civil engineering at
the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, had been an engineer on the
Hoosac tunnel, and for three years previous to his call to Swarthmore
had been engaged in organizing an engineering department in the
University of Minnesota. This department at Swarthmore, which
had already been begun, was now thoroughly organized by Professor
Beardsley and calls were made for greater facilities. It was due to
his exertions that the money was raised for the scientific hall, which
has been of the greatest advantage to the engineering, physical, and
chemical departments. A well-equipped machine shop has been fitted
up for his department, the machinery having been secured at his
solicitation. He has one assistant to help him in the workshops and
one in drafting. His present title is that of professor of engineering
and director of the workshops. In addition to his labors in his own
special department, he was for several years the college librarian and
SWABTHMOBE COLLEGE. 215
introdaced an efficient system of classification. He has also had
charge of the Friends Historical Library, for which he has gained
many valuable books by correspondence with Friends in England and
elsewhere. None but a librarian can appreciate the amount of careful
work he has gratuitously bestowed upon this little library.
Professor Beardsley has held his professorship nearly eighteen
years, and is now the senior professor at the head of one of the most
flourishing departments. His graduates can be found holding respon-
sible positions as engineers in various parts of our country. In June,
1889, the board of managers conferred upon him the degree of Ph. D.,
the second instance in which this degree has been conferred by the
college.
WILLIAM HYDE APPLETON.
tn the same year with Professor Beardsley came Professor Apple-
ton, fresh from Bonn and the university life of Germany, where he
had been studying a year and a half after his short experience as
tutor at Harvard. He had gone to school to President Magill when
the latter taught in Providence. He graduated at Harvard in the
class with Robert Lincoln in 1864. He studied law, but belles-lettres
won him over from Blackstone and Kent, and he never practiced the
profession. He was appointed to the professorship of Greek and
German in 1872. In 1872 he gave a course of lectures on English
literature to the sophomore class, and the following year, the course
in modem languages having been formed, leading to the degree of
B. L., he began giving systematic critical instruction in various
authors, taking up Chaucer and Spenser in 1876-77. Dr. Joseph
Thomas, of Philadelphia, the author of the Gazetteer and Biographical
Dictionary, nominally held the professorship of English literature,
delivering lectures at the college once a week for a half year, but the
chief instruction in English literature has always been given by Pro-
fessor Appleton. In 1881-82 he obtained a year's leave of absence
and spent a large part of the year temple haunting amid the ruins of
Athens, with Pausanias as his Baedeker. In 1887 the chair of Ger-
man was given to another professor, and Professor Appleton then
became Professor of Greek and English literature, the two subjects
most congenial to his literary tastes. In his teaching of languages he
has always considered authors more from the purely literary than the
philological standpoint, dwelling rather upon the ennobling and i)oetic
sentiments, the grace of diction of an author, than upon a minute
study of roots. He includes enough of philological study, however,
to enable the student to see whether he has the taste for the science.
His courses of lectures and readings in English literature have always
been deservedly very popular with the students of all courses.
In June, 1888, the board of managers, in testimony of tlieir appre-
ciation of his merits as a teacher and scholar, conferred upon liim the
216 EDUCATION IK PENNSYLVANIA.
degree of Ph. D., this being the first instance of Swarthmore giving
such degree. During the present year he is acting president of the
college and has just declined the presidency tendered him by the
board, preferring to devote his whole time to teaching, which he
regards as his life work.
SUSAN J. CUNNINGHAM.
Professor Cunningham entered Swarthmore as an instructor in
mathematics during the first year of the college. She was formerly a
special student in Vassar College, which had opened its doors five
years before Swarthmore. In 1874 she became the professor of mathe-
matics, which position she has since continuously filled with eminent
success. To further qualify herself for her work she has taken many
of her summer vacations for studj^ under a university professor either
in England or at Harvard or- Princeton. For many years she has
given all the instruction in pure mathematics in the collegiate depart-
ment and has consequently always carried a heavy programme of
work. Her course in mathematical astronomy has been greatly im-
proved by the addition of a well-equipped observatory, the result of
her personal solicitations for contributions. In addition to the regu-
lar amount of class-room work. Professor, Cunningham has in the
past always taken much of her time in giving special gratuitous
instruction to those students who have entered college poorly pre-
pared in mathematics or have found the mathematical road particu-
larly difl&cult. In 1888, in consideration of her long and faithful
services as professor of mathematics, the board of managers conferred
upon her the degree of doctor of science.
LECTURERS.
The two most eminent lecturers ever engaged in lecturing regularly
at the college have been Dr. Joseph Leidy and Dr. Joseph Thomas,
of Philadelphia. Dr. Leidy began to give weekly lectures in natural
history during the second year of the college, and continued these
till 1885 when he was released from the lectureship, at his request, and
was made emeritus professor of natural history. He is still the curator
of the museum. Dr. Thomas was made lecturer on English literature
in 1873-74 and continued to give weekly lectures on this subject dur-
ing half of year till 1887. During two years of this time he also gave
a course of lectures on American and another upon Grecian history.
Aside from the value of their lectures, the stimulating effect of having
two such distinguished scholars connected with Swarthmore has been
felt by students and teachers alike. It has been the policy of the col-
lege to secure eminent lecturers to deliver single lectures or brief
courses every year since the college first opened. Goldwin Smith,
Thomas Hughes, Matthew Arnold, Mary Livermore, Julia Ward Howe,
8WABTHM0EE COLLEGE. 217
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and William Goodyear have been
among those whom it has been the good fortune of Swarthmore stu-
dents to see and here.
RELIGIOUS EXERCISES.
This clause from the catalogue explains the character of religious
instruction at Swarthmore:
While care is taken to inculcate the doctrine that religion is a matter of prac-
tical daily life, and is not confined to the observance of set forms or the promulga-
tion of religious tenets, the regular assembling for religious purposes is carefully
observed. On First-day morning a religious meeting is held, attended by students,
teachers, and members of the household, and occasionally by visiting Friends.
The meeting is preceded by First-day school exercises, consisting of the recitation
of passages of Scripture prepared by members of the different classes, and the
reading of a portion of Scripture at the close. The daily exercises are opened by
a general meeting for reading selected portions of Scriptures, or other suitable
books, and for imparting such moral lessons as circumstances seem to require,
followed by a period of silence before entering upon the duties of the day.
These morning "meetings" during the week are held in the large
assembly hall of the college building, and on First days in the meet-
inghouse, erected in 1879. During the past three years Professor
Smith has been conducting a class on First-day afternoons for the dis-
cussion and study of the principles and writings of Friends, religious,
and moral questions of the day, the Scriptures, or the lives of eminent
men or women. It has always been a custom at the college for the
students to assemble in the parlors on First-day evenings, and join in
the singing of religious hymns. Attendance upon religious exercises
of the college is required of all students.
STUDENT SOCIETIES AND PAPER.
In 1871 the young women founded a literary society for their own
sex and named it the '' Somerville," in honor of Mary Somerville, the
English mathematician. This society has grown so large that it now
meets in two sections in order that all members may have greater
opportunity of taking part in the exercises. Its annual reunions,
which bring together a large body of former students, are character-
ized by their dignity and earnestness of purpose, and form an impor-
tant feature in the student life of the college. A society was formed
among the young men in the same year, and first styled the " Erodel-
phian," but later changed to "Eunomian." The " Delphic," a rival
society, was organized in 1873 by other young men, who felt them-
selves excluded from the Erodelphian. The three societies now have
their own libraries and reading rooms. In the early days of the col-
lege it was the custom for each class to have its own " class society,"
which was composed of both sexes, but these took time that was
needed for study or for the regular literary societies, and were abol-
218 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ished. steps are being taken to raise funds for a Somerville and a
Delphic hall, and at no distant day each society will have its own
building. In 1880 the students, headed by James E. Verree, of the
class of 1881, began publishing a college paper called the ** Phoenix,"
which has been published each month of the academic year. Verree
became its first editor.
ATHLETICS.
During 1871 a gymnasium was erected, the means having been
raised by private subscription, and an instructor of gymnastics was
at once engaged. At times there has been no instructor provided,
but since the introduction of the Sargent system a few j^ears ago
regular instruction has always been given to both sexes. Regular
field athletics began about the year 1878. Joseph Fitch, of New
York, of the class of 1879, was the prime mover in this important
change. Races were run on the country road at first, with a farmer's
fence as the grand stand. The athletic association finally built a fine
track. The director of physical culture keeps constant watch over
those training for the sports, to check them from excess of exercise
and to properly guide them. Since the development of athletics at
Swarthmore it has been noticeable that the character of the discipline
has greatly improved, surplus energy being worked off into legitimate
channels. Football, baseball, and lawn tennis are favorite games.
Boating on Crum Creek was in favor in the early history of the col-
lege, but is so no longer. The grounds, which now contain upward
of 260 acres, afford ample facilities for every sport, and lovers of
nature and class poets find inspiration in the beautiful woods which
skirt the banks of the classic ** Crum."
ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE.
During the earlier years of the college students were admitted only
on examinations held at Swarthmore, but about the year 1881 the
policy was begun of admitting to the freshman class without exami-
nations on presentation of certificates from certain schools. A list is
published by the college of all Friends' preparatory schools entitled
to have their students admitted on certificates. The schools on their
part agree to prepare the students in all the branches which the col-
lege requires for admission. A rule has recently been adopted by the
faculty making the list of schools subject to annual revision, and when
students sent from any school fall below the standard for entrance
that school will be removed from the list. For several years, there
being few Friends' schools able to prepare students for college, it was
necessary to have a preparatory school in connection with the col-
lege. Then, too, the boarding-school idea was as far as many Friends
had advanced toward a higher education. This preparatory school
was a chief source of supply to the college till other schools raised
their standards and became desirous of sending students to Swarth-
8WABTHM0RE COLLEGE. 219
more. As this desirable end has been gradually attained the prepara-
tory school has been slowly lessened till this year, when it was abol-
ished by the board of managers. Provision will be made, however, for
instructing all who may be within one year of entering the college, and
this class will be known hereafter as the subcoUegiate class. There
are a few others besides Friends' schools whose graduates are permitted
to enter the freshman class. With one or two exceptions, students
from preparatory schools are admitted to advanced standing in the
college only on examinations. The requirements for admission to
the college are stated as follows in the last catalogue, pages 25-26:
1. Mathematics. — Arithmetic, — Fundamental rules, fractions (com-
mon and decimal), denominate numbers, percentage and its applica-
tions, proportion, and the metric system. Algebra. — Through equa-
tions of the second degree of one unknown quantity. Oedmet/ry. —
The whole of plane geometry.
2. English, — The candidate will be asked to write a few pages upon
some assigned subject or from dictation. This exercise will be exam-
ined with reference to grammar, spelling, paragraphing, punctuation,
and the use of capitals. An examination will also be given in the
principles of grammar.
S, History. — A thorough preparation in the outlines of the history
of the United States and of England, an amount equivalent to Scud-
der's or Eggleston's United States and Gardiner's or Edith Thomp-
son's England.
4' Geography. — The general facts of physical geography, descrip-
tive and political geography, especially of the United States and
Europe.
In addition to the above the candidate will be examined in one of
the following subjects as he may elect:
5. Latin — Caesar, Gallic Wars, four books; Virgil's ^neid, six books;
Allen's Latin Composition.
6. French. — ^The candidate should be familiar with the grammar,
especially with the formation and use of verbs. He should be able
to read easy French at sight, and to translate simple English sen-
tences into correct French.
7. German. — The preparation in German should occupy one year.
For reading and translating, same as in French.
Candidates for the classical section must pass the above examina-
tion in Latin. Students from a few other schools have been admitted
on certificate when the faculty has evidence that their grade of
scholarship is satisfactory. At present more than half of those
entering the college are admitted by certificate.
SECOND DEGREES.
At first the college pursued the then customary policy of bestowing
the master's degree three years after graduation on the presentation
220 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
of a thesis. The degrees of A. M., M. L., and M. S. are now only con-
ferred when graduates have pursued and passed examinations in
regular courses of study laid down by the faculty. By residing at
the college the degree may be taken in one year; otherwise the
course must occupy not less than two. The degree of C. E. is con-
ferred after three years of successful professional practice in positions
of responsibilty upon presentation of an acceptable thesis on an
engineering subject.
TUITION FEES, ENDOWMENTS, AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
The college, not having any endowments for professorships till
recently, has been obliged to be self-supporting. The cost for tuition,
board, and use of text-books was $350 a year till 1881, when it was
fixed at $450, with a reduction of $100 to all whose parents were
members of the Society of Friends. This continues to be the rate,
and as more than half the students are Friends, the average tuition
paid by college students falls under $400. Several thousand dollars
are annually taken from the annual proceeds to assist in educating
some deserving students, especially those desiring to teach.
Samuel Willets, the first president of the board of managers,
bequeathed the institution $100,000 at his death in 1883, the income
"to be applied to educate in part or in whole such poor and deserving
children as the committee on trusts, endowments, and scholarships
of said college may from time to time judge and determine to be
entitled thereto." He also directed that five perpetual scholarships
of $5,000 each should be bought, one for each of his five grandchil-
dren. A few other scholarships have been purchased, giving the
holders the right to send students to Swarthmore, but there are no
free scholarships offered by the college.
In 1888 four chairs were endowed with $40,000 each; the professor-
ship of mathematics, endowed through subscriptions; of history and
political economy, by Joseph Wharton; of Latin, by Isaac H/ Cloth-
ier; and of natural history, by Isaiah V. Williamson — all of Philadel-
phia. At the death of Mr. Williamson a further sum of $25,000 was
given the college. He had already endowed it with $25,000 before
1888. As fast as the endowments have been made the facilities for
instruction have been expanded, so that Swarthmore now claims to
offer opportunities for pursuing thorough collegiate courses in such
leading branches of knowledge as the English literature and lan-
guage, Greek, Latin, French, German, history, philosophy, political
science, biology and natural history, mathematics, chemistry, phys-
cs, civil engineering and mechanic arts, vocal and physical culture.
THE ALUMNI.
In 1873 Swarthmore graduated her first class, consisting of 5 young
women and 1 young man. The time-honored custom of having
8WABTHM0BE COLLEGE. 221
the salutatory and valedictory orations was then adopted, but has
since been abandoned. Helen Magill, the daughter of the presi-
dent, was the first salutatorian, and Maria C. Pierce the valedictorian.
With the graduation of the class of 1889 the total number of gradu-
ates became 222, just 100 of them being women and averaging 13
to each class. Twenty-nine more took their degrees in 1890. An
alumni association was formed in 1874, with Maria C. Pierce as its first
president. The association has no voice in the management of the
college, and so far has existed chiefly for social purposes, holding an
annual reunion on the evening of each commencement day. About
25 of the alumni have received their second degrees at Swarth-
more, and a large number of them may be found in the professions
of teaching, law, engineering, medicine, in business, and in politics.
THE MANAGERS.
It seems a fitting close to this sketch of Swarthmore to dwell last
upon its most faithful and generous friends, the managers. They
have ever given liberally of their time and means to make the college
a success, and the success of their unselfish efforts has justified the
trust reposed in them by the stockholders. Whenever the finances
have permitted, they have generously appropriated funds to the needs
of the departments, and often extraordinary expenses have been met
from their private resources. Samuel Willets, the first president of
the board of managers, was while he lived a most generous friend of
the college. He was a wealthy merchant of New York City, who
from the first was interested in the establishment of Swarthmore, and
who by his financial aid really made it possible for Friends to open a
college when they did. His generosity and support to Swarthmore
continued to the day of his death. The memory of this venerable
man is inseparably connected with that of the college in the minds of
Swarthmore's early gi*aduates. Space will not permit of further per-
sonal mention of other managers who, by their generous labors and
gifts to the college, entitle them to a place here. To better acquaint
themselves with the needs of the college they have organized the fol-
lowing committees: On instruction; museum and laboratorj^; Friends'
library; finance; buildings and property; trusts, endowments, and
scholarships; trustees of endowed professorships, and an executive
committee. Every week during the session some of the managers
visit the institution to give it their friendly oversight. The account
of their stewardship is rendered to the stockholders in their annual
report. In twenty-one years under their fostering care Swarthmore
has grown from the rank of a college that was scarcely more than a
boarding school with but a limited range of studies to an honorable
position among the smaller colleges of the land.
222 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
RECENT CHANGES.
In September, 1891, the managers elected Charles De Garmo, Ph. D.,
of the State University of Illinois, to the presidency of the college, to
succeed Dr. Appleton, who had resigned. He accepted the position
and at once entered upon the duties of ofl&ce. Dr. De Garmo is a
graduate of the University of Halle, and is well known in this country
for his writings upon psychological and pedagogical questions and for
his services in the cause of public-school education. He has assumed
the duties of the chair of philosophy and pedagogics in addition to
those of president.
Through President De Garmo's influence an additional professor-
ship has been established — that of political economy and social
science. The creation of this chair, in addition to the previously
established professorship of history and political science, now enables
the college to offer much more and far better instruction in these
important fields of study. Greek is now required for the degree of
A. B. in each of the four years of the college course.
The alumni association started a movement to increase the endow-
ment fund of the library to 110,000 by small subscriptions, and the
fund has just been raised (December, 1892). SuflBcient funds have
also been raised to warrant the erection of Somerville Hall, the build-
ing to contain a gymnasium for the young women and rooms for the
Somerville Literary Society.
Howard W. Lippincott, of Philadelphia, a graduate of Swarthmore
College in the class of 1875, has founded and endowed a fellowship
at Swarthmore, in the sum of $10,000, as a memorial to his father.
XXV.
THIEL COLLEGE OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH,
GREENVILLE.
By Prop. Jos. R. Titzel, A. M.
From the time of its formation, in 1845, the Pittsburg Synod of the
Evangelical Luthern Church felt the need of an institution of learn-
ing within its territory sacred to the cause of Christian education and
pledged to the distinctive faith and life of the Lutheran Church. The
establishment of such an institution, in which "The Word of God
would be the supreme law, and the chief thing in study, discipline,
and government," was the cherished thought of the leading members
of the synod for more than a quarter of a century. Academies were
established at Zelienople, Leechburg, and Greensburg, and these for
a time afforded opportunity for preparatory instruction to the synod's
beneficiaries preparing for the Gospel ministry. In time, these schools
passed away, but the want, which they had in a measure supplied,
became all the more pressing.
Early in the year of 1865 Mr. A. Louis Thiel, a member of the Ger-
man Lutheran Church, of Pittsburg, Pa., came to the Rev. W. A.
Passavant, D. D., one of the pastors of the Pittsburg Synod, to con-
sult him in regard to the most useful way of appropriating 14,000
which he and his wife had set apart, as a tenth part of their income
for years past, for some good purpose, and which he begged him to
employ according to his best judgment in doing good. The need of
an educational institution for the Lutheran Church in western Penn-
sylvania was suggested, and the proposition to use the money in
founding such a school was favorably received.
The matter was made the subject of mutual prayer between Mr.
Thiel and his adviser. After the lapse of more than a year, the summer
resort known as **The Water Cure," in Phillipsburg, Beaver County,
Pa., was bought for 15,500 as a suitable place for beginning the pro-
posed school. A few months later a house and lot adjoining the
former purchase was bought by Mr. Thiel for a teacher's residence,
when, on September 10, 1866, with five pupils present. Rev. E. F.
Giese, A. M., opened the first session of the academy, which in course
of time became Thiel College.
"Thiel Hall," as this academy was named in honor of Mr. Thiel,
with all its grounds, was formally set apart to the interests of higher
223
224 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Christian education October 21, 1866, with appropriate ceremonies.
Dr. C. Porterfield Krauth, of Philadelphia, and the Rev. Geo. A.
Wenzel, of Pittsburg, delivering the principal addresses at the dedi-
cation. On the 16th of October, 1869, that the usefulness of the school
might be increased, and that its churchly character might be made
fixed and stable, Mr. and Mrs. Thiel united in offering the entire
property known as Thiel Hall to the Pittsburg Synod, then in session
at Greensburg, Pa., with two very liberal conditions attached: (1)
That the property, or its proceeds if it be sold, shall be regarded as
sacred to the cause of Christian education in connection with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church, and (2) that it is to be regarded as
the commencement of a synodical institution in connection with the
Pittsburg Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The gift was received, with thanks to the generous donors and with
the pledge of the faith of the synod that the conditions upon which
the offer was made would be faithfully and solemnly observed. In
compliance with the second condition of the gift, the synod at the
same meeting took the necessary preliminary steps for the establish-
ment of a college within its boundaries. Accordingly the first board
of trustees was elected, consisting of 24 members — 12 ministers and 12
laymen — the president of the synod being a member ex officio. The
board at its first meeting, March 8, 1870, adopted a charter, which was
afterwards approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Geary
April 14, 1870.
By the will of Mr. Thiel, who died February 16, 1870, his life insur-
ance, together with the residue of his whole estate, after the death of
his wife and the payment of numerous other bequests, was bequeathed
to the proposed college for an endowment fund. The life policy,
amounting to *22,543, was made the basis of a professorship of the
German language. The residuary interest, which on settlement
amounted to $59,720, was set apart for general endowment, and the
income from the whole Thiel fund was sacredly devoted to the pay-
ment of professors' salaries.
The first session of Thiel College opened in Thiel Hall, Phillipsburg,
Pa., September 1, 1870, the board resolving that, until further arrange-
ments should be made, Thiel College should embrace only the fresh-
man and sophomore classes, together with the usual studies in the
preparatory department, and that the teaching force should consist
of a first and a second professor and a principal of the preparatory
department. The board elected the Rev. H. E. Jacobs, A. M., first
professor; the Rev. William F. Ulery, A. M., second professor; and
the Rev. David McKee, A. M., principal of the preparatory depart-
ment. The salaries of the professors were fixed at $1,000 each; that
of the principal at $800. Mr. Jacobs, who had served as an instructor
for several years in Thiel Hall Academy, declining the position ten-
dered him, the Rev. H. W. Roth, A. M., then pastor of Grace Church,
THIEL COLLEGE OP THE LUTHEBAW OHUEOH. 225
Pittsburg, was elected to the first professorship and entered upon his
duties at the opening of the school year, in September, 1870.
The location of the college at Phillipsburg for many reasons was
not satisfactory, and a committee of the board was charged with the
selection of a more desirable site. The committee, after carefully
considering the various places in the western part of the State, to
which they were limited by the terms of the charter, finally accepted
a very flattering offer made by the citizens of Greenville, Mercer
County. Their offer consisted in 5 acres of land, $20,000 for the erec-
tion of a suitable building, and the old Greenville Academy, valued
at $3,000. It was afterwards found that the title of the academy was
vested in a citizen, and that the college could not hold the property.
The directors of the public schools also tendered the use of two of
their best rooms free of rent for one year. These offers were accepted
May 9, 1871, and steps were at once taken for the removal of the col-
lege to Greenville. The transfer was consummated in September,
1871, the second collegiate year being opened at this time in the
building of the Greenville Academy.
The site selected for the college buildings is a beautiful elevation
then about half a mile north of the city limits, but now included
within the city. Dr. Daniel B. Packard gave 7 acres of land here,
Mr. Samuel Ridgeway 1 acre, and individuals of the board purchased
15 acres, making the original plot contain 23 acres. In 1876 the whole
Ridgeway farm was purchased for $9,500, making in all a campus of
63 acres, 2 of which are native forest.
BUILDINGS.
The first building, named Greenville Hall in honor of generous gifts
of the citizens of Greenville, was erected 1872-1874. Its corner stone
was laid August 15, 1872. Rev. W. A. Passavant, D. D., of Pitts-
burg, delivered the principal address on this occasion, in which he
gave the history of the institution and the purpose of the Pittsburg
synod in its establishment, emphasizing in this connection the reli-
gious character of the school, and openly affirming that if the word of
God were not made the great thing in the whole future of Thiel Col-
lege it would sooner or later become, in the strong language of Luther,
"a great gate of hell." Greenville Hall is a substantial brick struc-
ture, three stories high, 63 by 76 feet in dimension, and contains
28 rooms, with wide halls running the length of the entire building.
The cost of its erection was $22,649.79, of which the citizens of Green-
ville paid $14,307. It was dedicated June 25, 1874, Revs. H. E. Jacobs
and J. G. Pf uhl delivering the addresses.
Memorial Hall, a three-story, brick- veneered structure, containing
chapel hall, recitation rooms, and three halls for the literary societies
of the college, was erected in 1885-86. The money for this building
was collected principally from the churches belonging to the Pitts-
6099--02 15
226 EDUCATION m PENNSYLVANIA.
burg synod. The corner stone was laid June 25, 1885, Rev. E. Bel-
four, D. D., of Pittsburg, delivering the address. With the opening
of the fall term in 1886 the building was occupied, and on November
10 it was formally dedicated, receiving the name Memorial Hall from
the fact that its erection had been resolved upon by the Pittsburg
synod in 1883, the Luther memorial year, as a tribute to the great
reformer.
The hoarding hall. — The farmhouse obtained in the property pur-
chase in 1876 proving inadequate for the boarding department, a
suitable building was erected in 1882, at a cost of $2,733.51, containing
a dining room 22 by 56 in size, together with a kitchen, rooms for
the superintendent and helpers, and furnishing lodgings and home
privileges for the lady students in the college.
Daily Hall, so named in honor of Mr. Jesse Daily, a citizen of
Greenville, who generously gave the means for its erection, is the
fourth of the Thiol College buildings. It is a two-story, brick- veneered
edifice, and is designed for lodging rooms for the lady students, and
contains also music and art rooms, parlors, and the office, study, and
private rooms of the lady principal. Its corner stone was laid Octo-
ber 11, 1889, with appropriate ceremonies, the Rev. D. H. Geissinger,
A. M., of Easton, Pa., delivering the address. The building at this
date (September, 1890) is nearing completion and will be occupied
early in the ensuing college year.
DEPARTMENTS.
Thiol College is a coeducational school, and offers its privileges and
opportunities alike to both sexes. It comprises a preparatory depart-
ment, a collegiate department, a department of music, and a depart-
ment of art.
1. The course of study in the preparatory department, while afford-
ing a substantial, well-balanced academic training, is designed espe-
cially to fit the faithful student for entrance into the freshman class.
Three years are required to complete the course of study in this
department.
2. The collegiate department covers a four-years' course of study.
The curriculum embraces all the branches usually included in what
is known as a "liberal course of education." The study of the
German language and literature is made a part of the regular course
and is required for graduation. There are no parallel or elective
courses. Religious studies, which are distinctively Lutheran, are
required of all Lutheran pupils. Hebrew is an optional study, but
is urged on all in the senior class who have in view the study of
theology. By resolution of the synod "the Word of God, the cate-
chisms of Luther, and sacred and church history are a part of the
regular course of instruction, and one hour in each week in each class
is devoted to the study of the catechisms of Luther, the Augsburg
THIEL COLLEGE OF THE LUTHERAN OHUBOH. 227
Confession, and church history." Any student may be excused from
these studies when his parents or guardians request it in writing.
The ladies' course embraces the studies of the collegiate depart>-
ment. A diploma ad gradum artium baccalaureum is awarded to the
ladies who complete this course. A special shorter ladies' course in
literature, history, music, and art is now being arranged by direc-
tion of the trustees, and all completing this course will be granted a
" certificate of proficiency."
3. The department of music was established in the year 1881, with
Miss Emma H. Swingle as director. The course of study in this depart-
ment is arranged to afford a thorough and systematic instruction in
both vocal and instrumental music. A regular and complete plan of
study in the history and theory of music is also provided for all who
wish to master this subject. Miss Swingle was succeeded as director
in this department by Prof. T. Merril Austin, A. M., now in charge
of the musical department in Westminster College, New Wilmington,
Pa. Professor Austin resigning, Col. William Washburn, A. M., was
placed in charge, and continued until 1887, when Miss Julia Acker-
man, M. B., the present incumbent, was elected.
4. The department of art was established in the year 1889, with
Miss Sadie E. Leech as superintendent. It is the aim in this depart-
ment to educate the pupils in the principles of art, and to train both
eye and hand in the study of elementary forms, advancing as rapidly
in d'rawing and painting as they are able. Good success has already
been attained in this department.
EQUIPMENT.
In addition to the building described above, the college possesses a
good library, which is free to all students. The library is especially
rich in the department of early English literature. The college also
has a museum, the geological and mineralogical sections of which are
well filled. The laboratory is provided with apparatus as well for
independent investigation as for class-room demonstrations.
ENDOWMENT AND RESOURCES.
Thiel College has experienced much inconvenience from the lack of
means necessary for carrying on its work. From Mr. A. L. Thiel's
gifts and bequests the nominal sum of $87,763 has been received; but
of this sum, owing to depreciation of stocks and other losses, only
about $33,000 are now productive. The Bassler professorship of
Biblical literature and church history was established in 1882 by the
sale of sch6larships at $500 each, the certificate of scholarship enti-
tling the holder to the privilege of having one pupil under instruction
in perpetuo. This professorship was named in honor of the late Rev.
Gottlieb Bassler, a charter member of the Pittsburg Synod and
director of the Orphan's Home, at Zelienople, Pa., a man eminent for
228 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
his piety and for his zeal for the faith of the Lutheran Church and
higher Christian education. Forty of these scholarships have been
issued, five of which owing to nonpayment are not available, leaving
this endowment worth $17,500.
Thiel College has also been the recipient of minor benefactions and
donations, the principal one of which was a gift in December, 1884,
of $1,327, by an individual who does not wish his name made public,
on the condition that the amount be applied to the payment of the
salarj'^ of Prof. Joseph R. Titzel.
In 1881, with a view to increasing the efficiency of the college, Rev.
D. M. Kemerer was appointed financial secretary by the board of
trustees. His duties were, in general, to visit the various Lutheran
charges in connection with the Pittsburg Synod, and in every way
possible to promote the general welfare of the college by creating an
interest in the institution, by securing students, by increasing the
endowment fund, and by the collection of money for much-needed
buildings. After three years of laborious effort, his resignation was
accepted June, 1883, the board of trustees expressing its entire satis-
faction with the present results of his services.
Since 1884 the Pittsburg Synod has made an annual appropriation
to the support of the college, and with this appropriation, together
with the income from tuitions and endowments, the college has been
able to meet its current expenses and pay the salaries of its professors.
SOCIETIES.
Three literary societies are maintained by the students — two by the
young men, one by the young women. Friday evening of each week
is devoted to the meetings of these societies. All secret societies
and Greek letter fraternities are forbidden by the rules of the insti-
tution.
DEGREES.
The degree of bachelor of arts is conferred on all who complete the
prescribed course of study in the collegiate department. The master's
degree is conferred in courses upon such graduates of the college as
have entered one of the learned professions or present satisfactory
evidence of attainment in science or literature. A post-graduate
course has also been arranged, leading to the degree of doctor of
philosophy. The requirement for enrollment in this course is that
the applicant shall be a graduate of a reputable college, the equivalent
of two years of faithful study is required, and the degree is awarded
only upon satisfactory examination.
In the history of the college the honorary degrees in theology and
literature have been bestowed but infrequently and with wise
discretion.
XXVI.
URSINUS COLLEGE, COLLEGEVILLE, PA.
By Rev. H. T. Spanolxr, A. M.
Institutions, like poets, are born, not made. They are the out-
growth of the times in which they spring into being, either as the
expression of the reigning life of the day, or as the product of the
exigencies of the times. The former class are created by established
human authorities; the latter have their birth in the throes of history,
and seem to be directly the children of Providence.*
Ursinus College owes its origin to the development of tendencies in
the Reformed Church after 1850 that threatened to unhinge the his-
torical position of the church. The necessities of the church brought
it into being. Its roots are embedded in the history of the times. Its
ecclesiastical legitimacy rests on the same historical basis as that of
the revival of learning and the Protestant Reformation in the six-
teenth century.
The first meeting of the men whose convictions impelled them to
undertake the founding of an institution of liberal learning was held
in the city of Philadelphia in the month of November, 1868. On the
30th day of the same month, at a meeting of the friends favorable to
the establishment of a collegiate institution, the following paper was
adopted :
The nndersigned ministers, members, and friends of the Eeformed Church,
residing within the limits of Philadelphia Classis, realizing the imx>ortance of
establishing in onr midst a collegiate institntion which shall afford the usual
advantages of a higher religious and literary education, herewith agree to unite
in an effort to found snch an institution, and to make the necessary arrangements
for opening it as soon as possible under the management of a suitable board of
trustees. It is expressly understood and agreed that the religious and moral
principles upon which the institution shall be based shall be those of the Heidel-
berg Catechism and historically distinctive of the Reformed Church, and that
this object shall be definitely secured and provided for in the charter.
To this document 15 names are appended, nearly all of which
appear in the list of incorporators. On December 29 another meet-
ing was held, at No. 26 North Fifth street, Philadelphia, at which a
board of directors was agreed upon. January 12, 1869, is the date on
which the formal organization of the board was effected and a com-
mittee appointed to prepare a charter. The work of this committee
was approved on Febiniary 3, and on the 5th of February, 1869, the
230 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
view to its more complete organization, but owing to the resignation
of Rev. Whitteker as professor of Latin, Professor Shanor was assigned
part of the college Latin. At the end of the scholastic year he resigned
to accept the Latin professorship in Gustavus Adolphus College, St.
Peters, Minn.
The board of trustees in June, 1890, elected Prof. B. F. Sawvel,
Ph. D., of Youngstown, Ohio, to the chair of English language and
literature. At the same time Miss E. A. Kaehler, of Grermantown,
Pa., was chosen to the position of principal of "Daily Hall" and
instructor in German.
THE FACULTY.
The faculty as now constituted is as follows: Rev. A. 6. Voigt,
A. M., acting president and professor of German language and litera-
ture; Rev. D. McKee, A. M., professor of mathematics; Rev. H. Gil-
bert, Ph. D., professor emeritus of German language and literature
and instructor in French and Hebrew; Rev. Joseph R. Titzel, A. M.,
professor of Greek language and literature; S. H. Miller, A. M., pro-
fessor of natural sciences ; B. F. Sawvel, Ph. D. , professor of English
language and literature; Miss Julia Aekerman, M. B., instructor in
music; Miss Sadie Leech, instructor in art; Miss E. A. Kaehler, princi-
pal of ladies' department and instructor in German; Harry J. Smeltzer,
A. B. , tutor in academic department.
CONCLUSION.
Since its establishment Thiel College has matriculated 565 students.
Of these 123 young men and 31 young women have been graduated.
The existence of Thiel College, and its success as an institution for
higher Christian education, are owing in no small degree to the
efforts of Rev. W. A. Passavant, D. D. , who long cherished the thought
of establishing a Lutheran-college in western Pennsylvania, and whose
influence in behalf of Thiel has secured for it the cordial support of
many friends. Simple justice also requires the naention of Dr. Roth's
efforts and wise administration during the sixteen years of his connec-
tion with the institution.. The school is now well equipped. Its work
in the past has been solid and substantial, and with the advantages
now of good buildings, ample apparatus, and a strong faculty, the
prospects of greater success in the future are most encouraging.
The wi'iter of this sketch has made free use of ''The history of Thiel
College," in the Pennsylvania College Book, by Dr. H. W. Roth, first
president of Thiel College; also of the address by Rev. W. A. Passa-
vant, D. D., delivered at the laying of the corner stone of Greenville
Hall; of the minutes of the Pittsburg Synod from 1865 till the pres-
ent date, and of the faculty's minute book and Thiel College cata-
logues.
[The officers of the faculty in 1902 are Rev. Theophilus B. Roth,
D. D., president; Prof. John E. Sandt, A. M., secretary; Rev. Edward
L. Baker, A. M., librarian.]
XXVI.
URSINUS COLLEGE, COLLEGEVILLE, PA.
By Rev. H. T. Spanolxr, A. M.
Institutions, like poets, are born, not made. They are the out-
growth of the times in which they spring into being, either as the
expression of the reigning life of the day, or as the product of the
exigencies of the times. The former class are created by established
human authorities; the latter have their birth in the throes of history,
and seem to be directly the children of Providence.*
Ursinus College owes its origin to the development of tendencies in
the Reformed Church after 1850 that threatened to unhinge the his-
torical position of the church. The necessities of the church brought
it into being. Its roots are embedded in the history of the times. Its
ecclesiastical legitimacy rests on the same historical basis as that of
the revival of learning and the Protestant Reformation in the six-
teenth century.
The first meeting of the men whose convictions impelled them to
undertake the founding of an institution of liberal learning was held
in the city of Philadelphia in the month of November, 1868. On the
30th day of the same month, at a meeting of the friends favorable to
the establishment of a collegiate institution, the following paper was
adopted:
The tindersigned ministers, members, and friends of the Reformed Church,
residing within the limits of Philadelphia Classis, realizing the imx>ortance of
establishing in onr midst a collegiate institution which shall afford the nsnal
advantages of a higher religious and literary education, herewith agree to unite
in an effort to found such an institution, and to make the necessary arrangements
for opening it as soon as possible under the management of a suitable board of
trustees. It is expressly understood and agreed that the religious and moral
principles upon which the institution shall be based shall be those of the Heidel-
berg Catechism and historically distinctive of the Beformed Church, and that
this object shall be definitely secured and provided for in the charter.
To this document 15 names are appended, nearly all of which
appear in the list of incorporators. On December 29 another meet-
ing was held, at No. 26 North Fifth street, Philadelphia, at which a
board of directors was agreed upon. January 12, 1869, is the date on
which the formal organization of the board was effected and a com-
mittee appointed to prepare a charter. The work of this committee
was approved on February 3, and on the 5th of February, 1869, the
231
23!^ rifCCATios is fesssylvaxla.
a/A of Imnf/rpfmuUm wsm pr^jcawi Innn. the legislature of Pennsylva-
nia. Tlie inMrument provides that the board of directors shall at
fim^ fofftiHUfi of Jamen Koons, »r., Rer, J. Knipe, W. D. Gross, H. W.
KratsSy A. Kline, If, K. liomish, Abraham Hnnsicker, sr., J. W. Sua-
d^frland, John Wie«t, A, W, Myers, Rev. IL IL W. Hibshman, A. Van
HaaK^n, Kev, J, IL A, Bamberger, Rev. J. T. Wiehle, Rev. Jacob
iMblfnan, jr, Emanael Longaere, George Sehall, W. L. Graver, Rev.
William Sorber, Nathan Pennypacker, and Rev. N. (Jehr, of whom,
at a meeting held in Philadelphia Febmary 10, Mr. A. Kline was
ehoHen (lermanent president of the board and IL W. Kratz, esq.,
Tlie meeting of the directors on the 3d day of Febroary, 1869, was
held, eu!4Mr(\inf^ to previous arrangement; at Freeland, Pa., in the
buildings oc^mpied by Freeland Seminary, a property to which the
attention of the founders of Ursinus CoU^e had been repeatedly
(^IUhI by the Bev. IL IL W. Hibshman, the pastor of St. Luke's
K<;foniied Church, Trappe, as a suitable location for the new college.
To his interest and activity this community is indebted, under Prov-
idence, for the privilege of having a higher institution of learning in
its midst. At the same meeting the purchase of the property was
consummated.
The records from which these facts are culled do not give a hint as
to the time when the name for the institution was adopted, or as to
th(5 [H^rHon who sug^CMted it. The purpose of the founders in choos-
ing the name Ursinus is, however, very manifest. The name of this
iuHtitution was to be an exponent of its principles. The first section
of the article of the constitution which sets forth its aim says:
The religiouH and moral principles of the college shall always be those of the
EvaiiKelical Protestant Chnrch, and in essential historical harmony with those of
tho Hofonued Church as represented by him whose distinguished name the insti-
tution tx)ars.
The first Hteps toward the organization of the faculty were taken at
II meeting held in Philadelphia June 7, 1869. At that time the Rev.
Dr. liomberger was unanimously elected president of the college.
On the 10th of February, 1870, the Rev. H. W. Super, A. M., was
oIocUhI vice-prosidont and professor of mathematics; J. Shelly Wein-
berger, A. M., professor of Latin and Greek; the Rev. J. Van Haagen,
A. M., professor of German; J. W. Sunderland, LL. D., professor of
(OieniiHtry and natural history, and J. Warren Royer, M. D., lecturer
on physiology. These gentlemen severally accepted the positions to
which they had been elected, on July 2, 1870. Ten days later Prof.
W. II. Snyder was elected to take charge of the academic department.
The next step in the development of the institution is recorded in
the minutes of September 6, 1870, as follows:
Th« fbnnal opening of the institution was held this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the
cdlogo building. The opening address was dehvered by the Bev. H. H. W.
UBSINU8 COLLEGE. 288
Hibshman. The different professors were inducted into their respective chairs by
the president of the meeting, Mr. Anthony Van Haagen. Addresses were made
by Dr. J. H. A. Bomberger and Rev. H. W. Snper. Music by the Collegeville
Comet Band.
Before the close of the first academic year, on June 1, 1871, the
directors took another forward step by adopting the following:
Whereas Ursiniis College has been founded for the purpose of serving the
cause of evangelical Protestant Christianity by providing the fullest opjwrtunity
for obtaining a thorough and complete Christian education, calculated to qualify
all who may avail themselves of it for the highest and holiest duties of life; and
Whereas the charter of the college expressly provides for the accomplishment
of this purpose: Therefore,
Besolved, That a theological course of study be provided in addition to the pre-
scribed academic and collegiate courses, to go into effect with the opening of the
fall term of the next academic year.
To Dr. Bomberger, Revs. J. Dahlman, jr., and Abraham Hunsicker,
sr., was committed the duty of arranging this course of study.
The attendance of students during the first year was large enough
to overcrowd the buildings, and the president reported to the board
on September 12, 1871, that it had become necessary to provide rooms
for some students near by. A committee was immediately appointed
to procure plans for an additional building, and the present east wing
was built during the spring and summer of 1872. The idea of erect-
ing such a wing was already in the mind of the first committee
appointed to mature plans for raising funds February 10, 1869.
After the institution had been provided with sufficient buildings
and equipments and the faculty strengthened by the addition of
Prof. Samuel Vernon Ruby, esq., A. M., Ph. D., in September, 1872,
its work was carried forward with steadfast devotion and success by
those intrusted with it. The quality of the work done in the different
departments has been improving all these years, while the number of
students has been variable, because largely dependent upon circum-
stances beyond the control of the faculty. The advent of Professor
Reichenbach in the academic department in 1878 brought to it all
the advantages of thorough discipline and wide experience in teaching.
The collegiate and theological departments have been strengthened
by the work of Professor Stibitz in Latin and in Hebrew. The instruc-
tion in all the departments of the institution is thoroughly organized,
and the college stands second to none in the State in this respect.
The first class graduated by the college left its halls in 1873, and
consisted of five men. In 1872 already two young men had gone forth
from the theological department. Every year since 1873 has contrib-
uted its quota to the list of graduates until the numbers now stand at
124 collegiate and 69 theological alumni.
284
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
A table showing the attendance of students at Ursinus is here given;
Year.
Students.
Year.
Students.
Year.
Students.
1860
188
127
120
148
118
119
117
107
1876-77
121
115
70
•60
76
115
118
116
1884-«
131
186»-70
1877-78
1885-86
153
1870-71
1878-79
188ft-87
121
1871-72
1879^80
1887-88
162
1872-78 \
1880-81
1888-89
180
1878-74
1881-82
1889-90
154
1874-75
1882-83
1875-76
1883-84
•Approximate number.
A careful comparison of the results attained during the different
periods reveals some very instructive history to those acquainted with
the inner life and progress of the institution, while the import of the
record for the whole period, a total of 2,675, is exceedingly creditable
and gratifying.
\
XXVII.
AUGUSTINIAN COLLEGE OF ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA,
VILLANOVA, PA.
By Rev. P. M. Shberan, Pre»ident
The College of St. Thomas of Villanova, Roman Catholic, situated in
Delaware County, Pa., about 12 miles west of Philadelphia, is con-
ducted by the Augustinian Fathers. In 1841 land was bought for
college purposes. In 1843 the college was opened under the presi-
dency of Rev. John P. O'Dwj'^er, O. S. A. In 1848 by an act of the
legislature the college was empowered to grant such degrees as were
granted in other colleges and universities of the United States. In
1856 the degree of bachelor of arts was first conferred. In 1876 the
alumni association was organized.
To become a student of Villanova religious tenets other than those
of the Catholic Church are no obstacle.
The college draws no funds from the State.
Besides the lay department there is also the ecclesiastical depart-
ment, under the charge of a rector and three professors.
Attached to the college is a farm of about 200 acres.
236
XXVIII.
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE.
By President J. D. MorvAT.
Washington and Jefferson College owes its origin to the union of
two colleges — Jefferson College, located at Canonsburg, and Washing-
ton College, located at Washington — ^both within the county of Wash-
ington, and but 7 miles apart. Each college was the outgrowth of an
academy, and the academies resulted from an educational movement
which began about the year 1780. The complicated relations of the two
colleges, how there came to be two colleges so near together, and why
they were not earlier united, can not be clearly understood without
some account of the early schools and academies.
THE EARLY SCHOOLS.
The Presbyterian ministers who settled in the county along with the
pioneers were strong in their convictions that the higher education
should go hand in hand with religion, and began, before the Indian
warfare had wholly passed away, to gather boys into schools. Their
primary purpose was to educate them, and their ultimate purpose was to
fit some of them to become ministers and missionaries. Three of these
schools were founded in different parts of the county — one by the
Rev. John McMillan, D. D., at Chartiers, about 2 miles from Canons-
burg; one by the Rev. Thaddeus Dod at Amity, about 10 miles south
of Washington, and one by the Rev. Joseph Smith at Buffalo, about
8 miles west of Washington — ^very wisely distributed. These schools
were held in rude log-cabin structures, without floors, a small open-
ing filled with oiled paper serving the purpose of a window. The date
of the opening of these schools is uncertain, but Dr. McMillan's and Mr.
Dod's schools were certainly opened as early as 1782,* and Mr. Smith's
in 1786. They are all to be reckoned among the earliest classical
schools in the country west of the Alleghany Mountains. They were
in no sense rival schools, nor does it appear to have been the design
of their founders that they should grow into chartered academies, and
later into colleges. They were temporary expedients to be supported
until their work could be undertaken by more permanent institutions.
Recent efforts to prove the priority of any one of them have not been
•A persistent tradition, fifty years ago, gave 1780 as the date of the opening of
Dr. McMillan's log-cabin school, bnt the only contemporary testimony of record
gives the date as prior to 1783.
286
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE. 239
liam Wylie, Thomas Swearengen, James Snodgrass, Ebenezer Hen-
derson, James Duncan, James Allison, Joseph Doddridge, Darsey
Pentecost, James Dunlavy, Daniel McLean, William Kerr, Philip
Doddridge, and Alexander Campbell.
The educational forces of the county were now withdrawn from
Washington and concentrated at Canonsburg. As already stated,
the principal of the Washington Academy became the first principal
of the Canonsburg Academy, taking many of his pupils with him.
A conference of ministers and citizens held in July, 1791, indorsed
the effort to build up the new academy. Similar approval was given
by the Synod of Virginia at a meeting held October 1, 1791, and by
the Presbytery of Redstone a fortnight later. The educational pio-
neers of the county, McMillan and Smith, gave their approval, and
Thaddeus Dod sent his son as a pupil. It was evidently accepted as
the one academy for the county, taking the place of the one which
the friends of libei*al education had hoped to establish at the county
seat. But this auspicious beginning brought about the resurrection
of the academy at Washington, and the rivalry began which was
destined to continue for more than a half century.
In 1794 a charter was obtained from the supreme court of the State,
in which the incorporators were designated "The Academy and
Library Company." The nine trustees provided for in the charter
are not known, but probably consisted of the same persons found
recorded in connection with the first minutes of the board, bearing
date of January 25, 1796, viz, John Canon, John McDowell, Craig
Ritchie, Robert Ralston, Thomas Brecken, James Allison, James
Foster, David Gault, and Alexander Cook. At the meeting held
January 25, 1796, James Allison was elected president and Alexander
Cook, secretary; and at the same meeting a petition to the legisla-
ture was adopted prajdng that Canonsburg might be selected as the
place if the legislature should determine to establish a college west
of the mountains. Similar efforts were subsequently made in October,
1800, but it was not until January 15, 1802, that the act was passed by
which Jefferson College was chartered.
In addition to the trustees already mentioned the following per-
sons were trustees during the period of the academy: Revs. Joseph
Patterson, Thomas Marquis, Boyd Mercer, John McMillan, James
Power, James Dunlap, John McPherrin, David Smith, William Swan,
John Smith, John Riddle, James Hughs, and Thomas Moor, and
Judge Edgar, William Findley, esq., John Wright, esq., and Robert
Galbraith, esq.
The teachers engaged at different times included, besides David
Johnston and Samuel Miller, already mentioned, James Mountain,
John Watson, subsequently the first president of Jefferson College,
Thomas E. Hughs, James Carnahan, who afterwards became presi-
dent of Princeton College, and Joseph Stockton.
238 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Washington to revive their academy and to provide for it a tempo-
rary building, erected on four lots donated by John and William
Hoge, the principal proprietors in the town. The successive princi-
pals of the academy were James Dobbins, Benjamin Mills, and Rev.
Matthew Brown. It was in the spring of 1805 that Rev. Matthew
Brown became principal of the academy and pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of Washington. He was assisted as principal,
first by David Elliott, later his successor in both positions, and after-
wards by George Baird; and such was the success of the institution
under their management that on the 28th of March, 1806, an act was
passed by the legislature granting the trustees the charter of a college.
The library of the academy owed its origin to a donation of £50
from Dr. Benjamin Franklin as early as 1790. The legislature in
1797 made a second grant of aid to the amount of $3,000, which was
devoted to the completion of the stone building, two stories high and
30 by 35 feet, begun in 1793, and still standing as the central portion
of the old college building and which took the place of the first struc-
ture erected.
THE ACADEMY AT CANONSBURG.
Dr. John McMillan and Rev. Matthew Henderson, after the burn-
ing of the court-house and the suspension of the academy at Wash-
ington, visited the town and endeavored to awaken interest enough
to secure the resumption of the academy, but in vain. Then, dis-
couraged, they visited Col. John Canon, the founder of Canonsburg,
who promptly offered to give a lot and to advance the money for the
erection of a building on it for an academy. They accepted his offer,
and, abandoning further effort in Washington, united with ministers
and citizens from all parts of the county to found and sustain an
academy at Canonsburg. It was organized at once in the summer of
1791 and held its first session in the open air under the shade of some
sassafras bushes about half a mile from the village. There were
present two pupils, William Riddle and Robert Patterson, and as
visitors Revs. McMillan, Smith, and Henderson, Judges Allison and
McDowell, and Craig Ritchie, esq. After a prayer by Mr. Henderson
the two boys recited from " Corderii Colloquia," and another prayer
by Mr. Smith closed the first session. Dr. McMillan was the recog-
nized leader and directed these exercises, and Mr. Johnson, the late
principal of the Washington Academy, was the teacher. In the fall
of 1791 the new stone building was fit to be occupied, in part at least,
and Mr. Samuel Miller, who had taught the English school of the
place, was employed to teach the English branches and mathematics,
while Mr. Johnson, as principal, taught the classics. Under these
instructors the academy fiourished and the attendance of students
from the region about exceeded the expectations of the founders.
Among the first pupils were Abraham Scott, Robert Patterson, Wil-
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE. 241
sincerely thought by the trustees a compliment to Mr. Jefferson
which he deserved."
The measures taken by the board in organizing the college faculty
indicate the poverty of the institution. They resolved that the faculty
should consist of a president or principal, a professor of divinity, and
a professor of mathematics. The principal was authorized to teach
moral philosophy, logic, rhetoric, geograi)hy, and languages, on a
salary of £150 a year, and provide his tutors at his own expense. The
professor of mathematics and natural philosophy had a salary of £100.
These two, the president and one professor, continued to constitute
the college faculty (the professor of divinity not doing college work)
until 1818.
The first principal elected by the board was Rev. John Watson,
whose early career was somewhat remarkable. An orphan and com-
pelled to labor, he spent his spare hours in reading; and, without
instruction and without a grammar, he made considerable progress in
reading Horace with the aid of an old, mutilated Latin dictionary.
Judge Addison, finding him late at night reading Horace by the fire-
light, became interested in him and helped him by gifts of better
books; and by their careful study he became sufl&ciently proficient in
Latin and Greek to be employed at the age of 19 as a tutor in the
Canonsburg Academy. Eighteen months later he entered the College
of New Jersey and graduated in 1797. But his career as president
was very short. Elected August 29, 1802, he died November 30, 1802.
The first class, graduated in the fall of 1802, consisted of 5 men, 4
of whom became effective ministers, and 1, Israel Pickens, a lawyer,
member of Congress, governor of Alabama, and United States Senator.
One of the ministers. Rev. William McMillan, D. D., became president
of Jefferson College, and later president of Franklin College, Ohio.
The other members of this first class were Revs. Johnson Eaton, John
Rea, and Reed Bracken.
The second principal. Rev. James Dunlap, a graduate also of the
College of New Jersey, was 60 years of age when he entered on the
joint work of president of the college and pastor of the church of
Millers Run, about 6 miles distant. He held the office for eight years,
resigning April 25, 1811. During this time $3,000 had been received
from the State, and 11,600 had been bequeathed by a Rev. Mr. Clark,
and in 1809 the total amount of invested money was reported by the
treasurer as 17,190.
The third principal was Rev. Andrew Wylie, who had been gradu-
ated from the new college in the autumn of 1810. He was elected
April 29, 1812, at the age of 23 years, and continued in office until
April, 1816. During this period a most serious and promising nego-
tiation for a union with Washington College was conducted, but it
failed, and rivalry and conflict broke out afresh. Dr. Wylie was sus-
pected of favoring the offer made by Washington College, and finding
6099—02 16
240 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The curriculum of studies required in order to secure the Latin cer-
tificate, as determined by the trustees in 1799, included the following:
The first three books of SelectaB Profanis, six books of Ovid, the EJclogues and
G^rgics of Virgil, and the first six ^neids, all Horace, and the Orations of Cicero.
Then in Greek the usnal parts of the Greek New Testament, the first four books
of Xenophon's Cyropaedia and four books of Homer's Iliad. In mathematics, the
whole of arithmetic, the first six books of Euclid's Elements, Simpson's Algebra
to the fiftieth problem, trigonometry, surveying, Martin's Natural Philosophy,
Astronomy, and Geography, comprising the use of the globes; rhetoric, logic, and
moral philosophy.
Among the students of the academy whose names do not appear
among the alumni of the college were such men as the following:
Revs. Cephas Dod, Elisha McCurdy, Thomas E. Hughes, Thomas
Marquis, Robert Johnston, Joseph Stockton, Samuel Tate, James Sat-
terfield, Obadiah Jennings, D. D., William Neill, D. D., James
Ramsey, D. D., James Hoge, D. D., and Gilbert McMaster, D. D., all
ministers, and the following laymen: Thomas McGiffen, esq., Joseph
Patterson, Hon. George Torrence, James Power, M. D., and many
others.
It was during the academic period that the two literary societies,
still existing, were founded — the Philo, August 23, 1797, by John
Watson, afterwards the first president of Jefferson College, and the
Franklin, November 14, 1797, by James Carnahan, who had been a
pupil of Watson's and afterwards teacher for some time in the acad-
emy and later president of Princeton College, N. J.
The subscriptions of the people of that early time to support the
new institution reveal at once the poverty of pioneer settlers and their
devotion to the cause of education. The men contributed wheat, rye,
or corn, from 1 to 5 bushels each, and the women, linen, from 3 to 6
yards each. ** One subscription was to be paid in whisky."
JEFFERSON COLLEGE.
The charter which changed the academy into a college bears the
date of January 15, 1802. Why the new college was called Jefferson
is not known, nor is it known whether the name was selected by the
trustees or by the legislature. It has seemed strange to many that a
college founded and controlled by deeply religious men should bear
the name of one whose general attitude toward Christianity was one
of hostility. Dr. Smith, in his History of Jefferson College, remarks
that Mr. Jefferson " had been inducted into the office of President of
the United States in March, 1801. His Administration, for some
time, was like a continued ovation. The party who had borne him
triumphantly forward to this high station were in the utmost state
of exultation. To call this first college in the West, the first seat of
science in the valley of the Mississippi, after the idol of the people
would be thought on all sides most felicitous. It might have been
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE. 241
sincerely thought by the trustees a compliment to Mr. Jefferson
which he deserved."
The measures taken by the board in organizing the college faculty
indicate the poverty of the institution. They resolved that the faculty
should consist of a president or principal, a professor of divinity, and
a professor of mathematics. The principal was authorized to teach
moral philosophy, logic, rhetoric, geography, and languages, on a
salary of £150 a year, and provide his tutors at his own expense. The
professor of mathematics and natural philosophy had a salary of £100.
These two, the president and one professor, continued to constitute
the college faculty (the professor of divinity not doing college work)
until 1818.
The first principal elected by the board was Rev. John Watson,
whose early career was somewhat remarkable. An orphan and com-
pelled to labor, he spent his spare hours in reading; and, without
instruction and without a grammar, he made considerable progress in
reading Horace with the aid of an old, mutilated Latin dictionary.
Judge Addison, finding him late at night reading Horace by the fire-
light, became interested in him and helped him by gifts of better
books; and by their careful study he became sufficiently proficient in
Latin and Greek to be employed at the age of 19 as a tutor in the
Canonsburg Academy. Eighteen months later he entered the College
of New Jersey and graduated in 1797. But his career as president
was very short. Elected August 29, 1802, he died November 30, 1802.
The first class, graduated in the fall of 1802, consisted of 5 men, 4
of whom became effective ministers, and 1, Israel Pickens, a lawyer,
member of Congress, governor of Alabama, and United States Senator.
One of the ministers. Rev. William McMillan, D. D., became president
of Jefferson College, and later president of Franklin College, Ohio.
The other members of this first class were Revs. Johnson Eaton, John
Rea, and Reed Bracken.
The second principal, Rev. James Dunlap, a graduate also of the
College of New Jersey, was 60 years of age when he entered on the
joint work of president of the college and pastor of the church of
Millers Run, about 6 miles distant. He held the ofl&ce for eight years,
resigning April 25, 1811. During this time $3,000 had been received
from the State, and $1,600 had been bequeathed by a Rev. Mr. Clark,
and in 1809 the total amount of invested money was reported by the
treasurer as $7,190.
The third principal was Rev. Andrew Wylie, who had been gradu-
ated from the new college in the autumn of 1810. He was elected
April 29, 1812, at the age of 23 years, and continued in office until
April, 1816. During this period a most serious and promising nego-
tiation for a union with Washington College was conducted, but it
failed, and rivalry and confiict broke out afresh. Dr. Wylie was sus-
pected of favoring the offer made by Washington College, and finding
5099—02 16
242 . EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
his position uncomfortable on this account he resigned. The subse-
quent discussions established the fact that his conduct during the
negotiations had been entirely proper, but his acceptance of the
presidency of Washington College a year later did not tend to allay
suspicion.
Rev. William McMillan, a member of the first class graduated,
elected principal September 24, 1817, next presided over the college.
During his administration a new building was in process of erection,
and was nearly completed when he resigned August 14, 1822. He
was succeeded by Rev. Matthew Brown, D. D., who had been the presi-
dent of Washington College from its foundation to 1817. Under Dr.
Brown's presidency the college made its most rapid progress. The
number of students increased from 110 in 1823 to 220 in 1845, and the
faculty increased from the principal and two professors to the princi-
pal and five professors. The new college building, begun in the
previous administration, was completed, and by the year 1833 another
building was added to it. The college did not succeed, however, in
getting endowment.
In June, 1824, a proposition was received from four physicians
residing in Philadelphia to organize a second medical school in Phila-
delphia and to become connected with Jefferson College under cer-
tain conditions. These persons were Joseph Klapp, M. D., George
McClelland, M. D., John Eberle, M. D., and Jacob Green, esq. By
the action of the trustees the medical faculty was established and
named *' Jefferson Medical College." It was provided that vacancies
in the faculty should be. filled by appointment of the college trustees
upon nomination of the medical faculty. Jefferson College was not
to receive any fees from the medical college except the usual diploma
fee to the principal, and the medical college should have no claim on
the funds of the college. A year later the board of trustees was
authorized by the legislature to appoint 10 trustees for the medical
college, which was done. Later, the control of the medical college
was committed almost completely to the 10 trustees in Philadelphia,
and about the only advantage to Jefferson College arising from this
nominal connection was the annual service of Prof. Jacob Green as
an instructor in chemistry, mineralogy, etc., he coming to Canons-
burg every summer for that purpose. In the year 1837 the medical
college became wholly independent.
In 1830 an attempt was made to furnish assistance to indigent stu-
dents by purchasing a farm and giving them opportunity to earn
something by labor on it. A provisional purchase was made, but a
few years' experience satisfied the board that the scheme was not
practicable.
Dr. Brown resigned the presidency September 27, 1845, having
brought the institution up to as high a standard of popularity and
efficiency as limited pecuniary resources would admit.
WASHINGTON AND JEFFEBSON COLLEGE. 243
The next president elected was the Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge,
D. D., who resigned the pastorate of the Second Presbyterian Church
of Baltimore, Md., to accept the presidency. He remained but two
years, resigning June 9, 1847, to accept a call to Lexington, Ky. ; but
his brief service gave an impetus to the institution.
Rev. Alexander Blaine Brown, D. D., an alumnus of 1825, son of
ex-President Dr. Matthew Brown, was next called to the presidency,
October 14, 1847. Dr. Brown had been professor of belles lettres for
six years, was popular, and in every way well qualified for the posi-
tion, which he occupied as long as his health would permit — nine
years.
Rev. Joseph Alden, D. D., a graduate of Union College, New York,
was next called from the professorship of moral philosophy in Lafayette
College. During the six years of his administration the college was
in the most flourishing condition of its history, until the breaking out
of the civil war, in 1861, reduced the attendance from an average of
266 to 185. Dr. Alden resigned November 4, 1862, and was succeeded
by Rev. David H. Riddle, D. D., an alumnus of the college and a,
son-in-law of "Dr. Matthew Brown. Dr. Riddle contihued president
until the union of the college with Washington College, when he
became a professor in the faculty of the new organization. The sepa-
rate existence of Jefferson College ceased when the union took place,
in 1865. During its life there were 1,950 men graduated, of whom
940 became ministers, 428 lawyers, 208 physicians, and 374 had other
occupations.
We turn back now to trace the history of
WASHINGTON COLLEGE.
The charter was dated March 28, 1806. In December of the same
year the faculty was organized by the election of Rev. Matthew Brown,
principal; James Reed, professor of mathematics and natural phi-
losophy, and Isaac Blair, M. D., professor of medicine. The chair of
ancient languages was not regularly filled until 1815, but these lan-
guages were taught by young men acting as tutors. These temporary
instructors became afterwards men of distinction. One of them,
Andrew K. Russell, afterwards settled in Newark, Del., as a preacher
and teacher, is spoken of as the founder of Newark College. Another,
Christopher Rankin, became a member of Congress, and the third,
T. M. T. McKennan, became a Congressman and Secretary of the
Interior under President Fillmore.
For the first nine years, then, the college faculty consisted of the
principal, one professor, and one instructor. The income was small,
allowing but $500 for the salary of the principal and $350 for that of
the professor. The apparatus must have been wanting altogether, for
in 1811 the board, at the earnest solicitation of the faculty, appointed
a committee to *' consider the subject of the purchase of maps of Asia
246 EDUCATION IK PENNSYLVANIA.
place, but both to be under one board and one faculty. This plan
was acceptbd in substance by the two boards, and a new charter
petitioned from the legislature. The new charter authorizing the
union bears date of March 4, 1865. The new board was to consist of
31 members, 15 of which were to be named by each board, and the
sophomore, junior, and senior classes were to be at Canonsburg, the
freshman class and the preparatory and scientific departments at Wash-
ington. Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards was called to the presidency, and
the faculty organized by combining the professors of the two colleges.
The college seemed to prosper for a while. The attendance exceeded
for three years the aggregate attendance of previous years. But the
form of union never gave entire satisfaction, and difficulties of
administration began to multiply. The public distrusted the i)erma-
nency of the union and refused contribution to the endowment, and
before the end of the third year it became universally evident that
consolidation must take place. The board of trustees by unanimous
vote asked the legislature for an amendment to the charter, which
provided that the college departments should be brought together in
one place, the place to be determined by a two-thirds vote of the
trustees. This supplement to the charter was passed February 26,
1869, and the board met in the First Presbyterian Church of Pitts-
burg April 20, 1869, and, on the eighth ballot, the requisite two- thirds
vote was cast in favor of Washington. This was an unexpected event.
As the board was composed of members chosen half by Jefferson and
half by Washington, it was not thought possible that either place
could obtain a two-thirds majority, but the offer of $50,000 by citizens
of Washington had great weight in securing this result. The property
in Canonsburg was set apart for the use of an academy organized
under a separate board of trustees and arrangements made to carry
on all departments of college work at Washington. Just previous to
the vote which located the college at Washington President Edwards
resigned, and Rev. Dr. S. J. Wilson, a professor in the Western Theo-
logical Seminary at Allegheny, was appointed president pro tempore.
Dissatisfaction on the part of those who preferred Canonsburg now
arose and took the form of active, persistent opposition, which crip-
pled the college for years. Before the college opened in September,
1869, a United States judge issued an injunction forbidding the pro-
fessors who had been at Canonsburg to teach the upper classes in
Washington, and suits were entered in the State courts to determine
the legality of the union. This opposition created doubt as to the
permanency of the consolidation and led large numbers of the upper
classes to go to other colleges. Diverting in this way the small
streams of patronage which had flowed steadily from many places
toward this college, the various institutions which profited by the
injunction continued to profit at our expense for years after the injunc-
tion was dissolved
WASfllNOTON AND J]e:B*FEBSOir COLLEGE. 247
On January 3, 1870, the supreme court of the State decided unani-
mously in favor of the legality of all the steps taken by the board, and
the injunction was dissolved. The college was now put into full oper-
ation. But appeal was taken to the Supreme Court of the United
States on the ground that the scholarships sold by Jefferson College
constituted a contract to furnish tuition in Canonsburg, which obli-
gation was annulled by the law authorizing the consolidation. The
court, however, did not take this view of the case, and confirmed the
decision of the State courts. Dr. Brownson succeeded Dr. Wilson as
president pro tempore October 1, 1869, and served until the election
of Rev. Dr. George P. Hays, August 3, 1870. Under Dr. Hays's effi-
cient administration the college slowly but steadily recovered lost
patronage. An addition was made to the main college building at a
cost of $80,000, which practically made a new building of it. By the
gift of $41,000 by Dr. F. J. Le Moyne, of Washington, two chairs were
endowed — applied mathematics and agriculture and correlative
branches. Rev. Dr. Beatty, by an additional gift of $25,000, endowed
, the Steubenville chair of Greek and the philosophy of language.
During the eleven years of Dr. Hays's presidency the assets of the col-
lege were increased by the amount of $86,500, and the attendance of
students increased from 110 to 185. Dr. Hays resigned June 3, 1881.
The present incumbent of the presidency, the Rev. James D. Moffat,
D. D., was elected in December, 1881, and entered on the active duties
of his office January 4, 1882. The steady advance which character-
ized the preceding administration has continued. The attendance of
students has risen from 185 to 370. The memorial chair of Latin has
been endowed by the bequest of $30,000 by the late Dr. Beatty, making
his gifts exceed $100,000.
To the property of the college there have been added the athletic
grounds, purchased at a cost of about $7,000, from which we have
since derived about $5,000 on account of the oil taken from it; an
observatory has been erected and enlarged; the libraries of the col-
lege and the literary societies have been united and placed in the old
prayer hall, where a reading room has been fitted up and is kept sup-
plied with leading periodicals. A new building has been placed on
the campus and occupied principally as a gymnasium, but so con-
structed that it can readily be transformed into a large audience room
for commencement and contest occasions, seating 1,500 people. This
building with its apparatus has cost about $40,000.
Prizes have been endowed or are supported by annual gifts to the
number of seven, distributing annually $575 to encourage superior
work, and five scholarships have been endowed to assist worthy stu-
dents needing pecuniary aid — two of $1,000 each by Rev. J. C. Ely, of
the class of '74, and four of $2,000 each by the late Rev. Dr. James
H. Dinsmore, of the Washington class of 1836.
The faculty has been enlarged by the addition of a professor of
248 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
English langaage and literature, a professor of German language and
literature, a professor of chemistry, a professor of French and Spanish,
and a professor of physical culture.
Although the financial improvement has not been great, it demon-
strates the valui^ of the union of the colleges. The total endowment
of the two colleges in the sixty years of their history amounted to
$91,081, when all debts were paid ; now our endowment is over $250,000,
and buildings, grounds, and apparatus may be set down at $250,000
more, and provision has been made for the addition of $260,000 more,
of which $100,000 will be for the endowment>of the presidency as a
memorial to his parents, by Mr. J. V. Thompson, of Union town. Pa.,
and $50,000 for a library, by Mr. Wm. R. Thompson, of Pittsburg,
Pa., as a memorial to his mother, and $10,000 by his wife for main-
tenance of the library, also a memorial.
Since 1865 there have been graduated 1,108 men, of whom about 365
entered the ministry, 245 the legal, and 108 the medical profession.
PRESENT ORGANIZATION.
The present organization of the college includes a preparatory and
a college department. The former is conducted strictly as a prepara-
tory school for college classes, nothing being taught in it but Latin,
Greek, German, English, physics, history, French, and mathematics,
with rhetorical exercises. The applicant for admission must be
sufficiently versed in common school studies, including arithmetic, to
leave them unstudied henceforth.
The preparatory department is conducted as an academy, in a
building of its own and under its own faculty, under the general
supervision of the college faculty, however. A boarding and rooming
building was erected in 1901 at a cost of $100,000, and all nonresi-
dent students of the academy are required to live in this building
under the supervision of the principal and teachers.
The college department offers three courses of study leading to two
degrees. The classical course leading to the degree of A. B. in-
cludes Latin, Greek, German, and English; mathematics, botany,
chemistry, physics, geology, and astronomy; mental, political, and
moral philosophy; Bible study and physical training, as required
studies, with elective studies in junior and senior years consisting of
ancient and modern languages, Hebrew, pure and applied mathe-
matics, analytical chemistry, advanced physics, biology, mineralogy,
history, international law, and history of philosophy.
The courses leading to B. S. are termed scientific and Latin scien-
tific. The required studies of these courses differ from the classical
course chiefiy in the substitution of German and French and natural
science for Greek. In the Latin scientific course, which is the one
usually chosen by students who study for the B. S. degree, the Latin
required is the same as in the classical course.
WASHINGTON AND JEFFEBSON COLLEGE. 249
In recent years laboratory work has been introduced as far as pos-
sible in science study, and chemical, biological, physical, and mineral-
ogical laboratories have been fitted up with modern appliances. In
applied mathematics field work is relied on chiefly, and, although no
special degree is yet offered, many graduates who have elected applied
mathematics have entered at once upon civil engineering.
Since the completion of the gymnasium, which ranks among the
largest and best equipped in the countrj'^, a medical director has been
employed, and exercises are prescribed, after medical examination,
to each student. These include two class drills and two individual
exercises each week.
AUTHORITIES.
(1) Minutes of Washington College trustees from November 15,
1787, to 1865.
(2) Minutes of Jefferson College trustees from 1830 to 1865. The
earlier minutes are lost, but their principal contents are preserved.
(3) The History of Jeffei*son College, by Rev. Joseph Smith, 1857,
out of print.
(4) History of old Redstone, by same author.
(5) Minutes of Redstone Presbyteiy, the first ecclesiastical organi-
zation in western Pennsylvania.
(6) Proceedings and addresses at the semicentennial celebration
of Washington College, held June 17 to 19, 1856; pamphlet of 76
pages. The addresses of special historical value in this pamphlet
are those of Rev. Dr. Brownson on the history of the college, and of
T. H. Elliott, M. D., on deceased alumni.
(7) Centenary memorial of the planting and growth of Presbyterian-
ism in western Pennsylvania, containing historical addresses in a
convention held in Pittsburg, December 7-9, 1875, published in book
form, 445 pages; out of print.
(8) History of Washington County, 1881.
(9) Historical sketch of Washington and Jefferson College, by
President J. D. Moffat, read at the quarter century celebration in
1890; pamphlet.
(10) Biographical and historical catalogue, 527 pages, issued in
1890.
XXIX.
WAYNBSBURG COLLEGE.
By President A. B. MiiiLBR.
Waynesburg College was chartered by the legislature of Pennsyl-
vania in 1850, its charter conferring on "the president and professors
the power to grant and confirm such degrees in the arts and sciences
to students of the college and other persons entitled thereto by pro-
ficiency in learning, professional eminence, or other meritorious dis-
tinction as are granted in other colleges and universities in the
United States." In the autumn of 1851, under the presidency of
Rev. Joshua Loughran, the work of instruction was inaugurated in
the first erected college building. It was the design to set up also a
female seminary, over which was placed Miss M. K. Bell as principal.
The intended building for the seminary was not erected, however,
and after a few years' experience in a necessary partial mingling of
the two schools in recitations and general supervision, a coeducational
college was the permanent result. All the courses of instruction in
the college are open to males and females on the same conditions.
The college is ecclesiastically under the control of the Pennsylvania
Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which body annually
elects a board of 11 trustees, and also a board of trustees for the man-
agement of the endowment fund of the college. The synod in accept-
ing the guardianship of the institution, as tendered by the trustees
in the autumn of 1853, thus formulated its reasons therefor:
(1) No denomination can discharge its obligations to maintain the
purity of the Scriptures, and to present their doctrines in an efficient
manner, without institutions of learning.
(2) No denomination can maintain a respectable standing without
institutions of learning.
(3) Only institutions of a high grade can give character and effi-
ciency to a church, in order to do which an institution must have liberal
support.
(4) The benefits of a union between churches and colleges are
reciprocal.
(5) One well-established and influential college will serve the
interests of the church more efficiently than several feeble ones.
The college graduated its first class in 1852, which was composed
of four young ladies. In 1853 it graduated four ladies and four gen-
tlemen, one of the latter of whom, Rev. A. B. Miller, has been identi-
fied with the entire history of the college, having entered as a student
250
WAYNESBUBG COLLEGE. 251
at the opening of the work in 1851, and having been elected a professor
the day of his graduation. In 1858 Mr. Miller was elected to the
presidency of the college, which position he continues (1890) to fill,
having served thirty-two years.
The endowment fund of the college is only about $45,000, the inter-
est of which, with tuition paid in some departments and an annual
contingent fee of $15 paid by every student, is the source of support
for a faculty. The annual attendance is more than 200, males slightly
in excidss.
A new building, completed in July, 1890, erected at a cost of
upward of $60,000, is one of the most spacious and conveniently
arranged in the State. The structure is of brick, on a sandstone
foundation costing over $15,000. The location is one scarcely sur-
passed for beauty or healthf ulness. The college was one of the first
in the United States to admit both sexes, and its friends and legal
gup,rdians seem well satisfied that the experiment has been very sat-
isfactory. The faculty of the college unitedly echo the sentiment of
Bishop Bowman, who said:
I have taught twenty-seven years under both systems, and I am prepared to
say that the good influence of the mingling of the sexes was manifest from the
start. It was peculiarly salutary in the matter of morals.
Waynesburg College, though under the control of an ecclesiastical
body, is practically unsectarian, and is patronized by all denomina-
tions in the region in which it is located. Perfect freedom is allowed
to students in matters of religious faith, preference of a place attend-
ing worship, etc. The laws of the college forbid the introduction of
the "doctrinal points that divide the Protestant churches" in the
religious instruction of the students. All the students are required
to attend religious services on the Sabbath and to attend daily reli-
gious exercises in the college chapel, the direction of which exercises
is committed to the president. Some provision has been made for
aiding students preparing for the ministry. The students hold a
prayer meeting in the afternoon of each Sunday in term time and
maintain an active Young Men's Christian Association.
The courses of study have been arranged with much care. Cen-
turies of experience have proved the value of the study of the clas-
sics as a means of culture, while the knowledge derived therefrom is
a key to the most wonderful civilizations of the past. With due
regard to the greatly increased list of sciences now entitled to a place
in a liberal course, this institution still encourages the study of
Greek and Latin.
The method of instruction is continually directed to the mastery
of the structure of these noble languages, as a chief object of their
study in college. Constant attention is given also to the acquiring
of a good vocabulary of words by memorizing choice selections. Dur-
ing the preparatory course, daily recitations are made in both Ian-
252 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
gnages, every lesson requiring both oral and written exercises in
syntax. This exercise is kept up in connection with the reading les-
sons till an accurate knowlege of the idioms is acquired. After the
first session of the sophomore year the grammar is not taught as a
separate study.
The student's ear is constantly exercised, as well as the eye, and
by recitations in concert the mastery of the inflections of words
becomes easy, and what so many have looked upon as " dreary gram-
mar" becomes a delightful exercise and a study of absorbing inter-
est. Attention is continually directed also to the Greek and Latin
roots, from which our own language has derived many words, and to
the points of similarity and difference between our own language
and these noble languages of antiquity.
In other branches the mastery of a suitable text-book is held to be
the most direct means of definite knowledge. The student is required
to know what the text-book teaches, but is allowed entire freedom in
his methods of expression. It is assumed that effort is the essential
condition of development, and every student is from the first put
under the necessity of thinking for himself, and required in his turn,
before his class, to explain and illustrate the topic assigned. By
way of explanation, new illustrations, and judicious questions, the
professor adds what may be necessary to a full understanding of the
subject under discussion. Free intercourse among the pupils, and
between pupils and professors, by question, debate, criticism, and
argument, secures interest in the recitation room, and leads the stu-
dent forward in that development which imparts increased mental
power and activity.
XXX.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
By W. J. Holland, D. D., LL. D.
Almost immediately after the first families had settled in what is
called Allegheny County, private schools sprang into being. The
educational aspirations of the people of the little frontier village
which bore the name of Pittsburg found their highest expression in a
school which, having its beginning in 1870, was formally incorporated
by an act of the legislature of Pennsylvania in February, 1787, as
The Pittsburgh Academy. The first two sections of the act are worthy
of reproduction. They are as follows:
Section 1. Whereas the education of youth ought to be a primary object with
every government; and
Whereas any school or college yet established is greatly distant from the
country west of the Allegheny Mountains; and
Whereas the town of Pittsburgh is most central to that settlement, and
accommodations for students can be most conveniently obtained in that town:
Therefore,
Section 2. Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted, by the representatives of the
freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in general assembly met, and by the
authority of the same. That there may be erected, and hereby is erected and
established, in the town of Pittsburgh, in the county of Westmoreland, in this
State, an academy or school for the education of youth in useful arts, sciences,
and literature, the style, name, and title of which shall be "The Pittsburgh
Academy."
This was probably the first institution of learning incorporated on
the continent west of the Allegheny Mountains and north of the Ohio.
The first incorporators were Rev. Samuel Barr, Rev. James Finley,
Rev. James Power, Rev. John McMillan, Rev. Joseph Smith, Rev.
Matthew Henderson,- Gen. John Gibson, Col. Priestly Nevil, William
Butler, and Stephen Bayard, James Ross, David Bradford, Robert Gal-
braith, George Thompson, George Wallace, Edward Cook, John More,
William Todd, Alexander Fowler, esqs.. Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, and
Thomas Parker. James Finley was a younger brother of President
Finley, of the College of New Jersey, and James Power, John McMil-
lan, and Joseph Smith were graduates of the same institution.
Some of the men who were concerned in the establishment of the
Pittsburgh Academy were also the founders of the Washington Acad-
emy and of the Jefferson Academy at Canonsburg, Pa., and their
names are held in grateful remembrance in western Pennsylvania as
those of the pioneers who securely laid the foundations alike of
church and state upon the frontier.
254 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The first principal was George Welch, who began his labors on
April 13, 1789. He was followed by James Mountain. From the year
1807 to the year 1810 the principalship of the Pittsburgh Academy
was held by Rev. Robert Patterson, who was succeeded in 1810 by the
Rev. Joseph Stockton.
Mr. Stockton, in the year 1805, had taken charge of the Meadville
Academy, from which at a later date sprang Allegheny College. He
removed from Meadville, and, coming to Allegheny, took charge of the
Pittsburgh Academy as its principal, which relation he held from
1810 until the reincorporation of the academy in 1819 as the Western
University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Stockton was the author of the
Western Calculator and the Western Spelling Book, both of which
works reached a very large circulation and were the forerunners of
the almost innumerable elementary treatises upon arithmetic and
spelling which are being turned out to-day in vast quantities to meet
the demands of the millions who compose the school population of the
valley of the Mississippi.
In 1819 the growth of the school had been great enough to suggest
to those who were its friends that it would be advisable to enlarge the
scope of its curriculum and to transform it into a university. At that
early date communication between the country about the headwaters
of the Ohio and the older settlements in the East was difficult and
expensive. The rapid increase of population suggested that Pitts-
burg, which prophetic eyes recognized as destined to be a city, fur-
nished a proper location for an institution of learning planned upon
broad and comprehensive lines. As the founders of the University of
Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, had recognized the importance
of making liberal provision for the education of the youth in the
eastern portion of the State, so the friends of education who were
interested in the Pittsburgh Academy felt that like provision should
be made in the western half of the State. It was a notable company
of distinguished men who united in asking from the legislature a
charter of incorporation for the university. The names of the incor-
poratoi*s, as they appear, are James Allison, Henry Baldwin, LL. D.,
Abner Barker, John Black, D. D., Robert Bruce, D. D., John Darragh,
Ebenezer Denny, George Evans, Hon. Walter Forward, John Gil-
more, Francis Herron, D. D., Robert Moore, Peter Mowry, John
McPherrin, Morgan Neville, George Poe, jr., J. Postlethwaite, John
Reed, Samuel Roberts, William Robinson, jr., John Scull, John M.
Snowden, George Stevenson, M. D., Joseph Stockton, D. D., William
Wilkins, and John Young.
James Allison, whose name appears first upon the list, was a man
of note, one of the organizers of the Beaver County bar, and twice
elected a member of Congress.
Judge Henry Baldwin was one of the most prominent jurists of
western Pennsylvania.
WESTERN UNIVEE8ITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 255
Abner Barker was one of the leading merchants of Pittsburg.
John Black was the pastor of the First Reformed Presbyterian
Church of Pittsburg, a man of profound learning and great influence.
Robert Bruce was distinguished as a scholar and as a clergyman.
He was pastor of the First Associate Presbyterian Church.
John Darragh was a leading lawyer.
Maj. Ebenezer Denny was a distinguished officer in the Revolution-
ary war; took part in the expeditions of Harmar and St. Clair, being
aid-de-camp to General St. Clair; rendered service during the war of
1812, and in 1816 was elected the first mayor of the city of Pittsburg.
Hon. Walter Forward was twice a member of Congress, First Comp-
troller of the Treasury under W. H. Harrison, Secretary of the
Treasury under Tyler, and minister to Denmark under Taylor, and,
finally, judge of the United States district court of western Penn-
sylvania, in which position he died in 1852.
Francis Herron was for fifty years the pastor of the First Presby-
terian Church of Pittsburg, a man whose name is universally revered,
and who was a leader in every good work in the city of his adoption.
Peter Mowry was a physician and public-spirited citizen, who took
an active interest in all the enterprises looking toward the welfare of
the community.
Samuel Roberts was, like his associates, Baldwin and Forward, an
ornament to the bench of Allegheny County, having succeeded Judge
Addison, the first law judge commissioned in the county, in 1803. He
died in 1820.
William Robinson, jr., was one of the leading citizens and largest
landholders in the region.
John Scull was the founder of the Pittsburg Gazette.
John M. Snowden was an associate judge of the county from 1840
to 1845. He established the Farmers' Register in Greensburg in 1798,
removed to Pittsburg in 1811, published here the Commonwealth and
the Mercury, and was mayor of the city at various times, county
recorder, and director of the Bank of Pittsburg, being widely known
as one of the leading citizens of the community.
William Wilkins was made a judge of the fifth district in 1820; was
appointed judge of the district court of the United States in western
Pennsylvania in 1824; became a United States Senator in 1831; was
made minister to Russia in 1834, and was Secretary of War for the
United States under President Tyler from 1844 to 1845.
The names of Baldwin, Forward, Robinson, Snowden, Scull, and
Wilkins are all perpetuated in the names of townships within the
county.
George Evans, John Gilmore, Robert Moore, John McPherrin, Mor-
gan Neville, John Poe, jr., J. Postlethwaite, John Reed, Dr. George
Stevenson, and John Young were scarcely less distinguished than
the illustrious men of whom I have already made mention, and who
256 EDUCATION IN PENNSYJjVANIA.
were associated with them in the first board of trustees of the uni-
versity.
From such a body of men it is not conceivable that educational
measures could have emanated tlfat would be destitute of the loftiest
purpose. It is impossible to study the charter which these men secured
for the infant university without realizing that they were far in
advance of the times in which they lived. The plans which they laid
out were broad and generous, marked by no narrow conception of the
functions of such an institution as they proposed to call into exist-
ence. It is worthy of note that at this early date they made provision,
ardently as many of them were attached to the tenets of the various
denominations to which they belonged, for the admission to the bene-
fits of the institution of all persons without respect to creed or color,
and demanding only of those who should teach the possession of the
requisite ability and that high moral character which are fundamental
requisites in those who would be instructors of youth.
The charter was granted by the legislature on the 19th of February,
1819. Owing to the unfortunate destruction of all the early records
in the great fire of 1845 we are compelled, in attempting to reconstruct
the history of the institution in the early years of its existence, to rely
very much upon such fragmentary information as can be gathered
from various sources. The files of the Pittsburg Mercury contain a
call for a meeting of the board of trustees of the Western University
of Pennsylvania, to be held on October 4, 1819. Whether this was
the first regular meeting of the board of trustees or not it is impossi-
ble, perhaps, to decide. The first years were plainly a period of tran-
sition, and classes and faculty were undoubtedly merely in process of
organization.
The legislature of Pennsylvania embodied in the charter a provision
granting the university 40 acres of vacant land belonging to the Com-
monwealth, " bounded by or adjoining the outlets of the town of Alle-
gheny." This tract is now included in the parks of the city of
Allegheny. The title of the Commonwealth to this land was found to
be defective. To atone for the miscarriage of its benevolent inten-
tions the legislature in 1826 passed an act appropriating $2,400 a year
for five years to the university. It was not until 1830 that the univer-
sity building, which was regarded as a remarkable structure for that
day, was erected. The money received from the State was employed
in its construction. It stood at what is now the comer of Third avenue
and Cherry alley, and was destroyed in the great fire of 1845. The
work of the university meanwhile was carried on in the quarters which
had been occupied by the academy. The first regular organization of
a faculty seems to have taken place in 1822. In that year the president
of the board. Dr. Gteorge Stevenson, announced that —
The trustees have the satisfaction to inform their fellow-citizens of the West that
they have at length succeeded in organizing the institution committed to their
WESTERN UNIVEB8ITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 257
charge by the legislature of the State. * * * Although from unfortunate cir-
cumstances the funds derived from the late Pittsburg Academy have fallen far
short of the amount calculated on, the treasurer has latterly been enabled to dis-
charge every debt for which the trustees were responsible. * * * Until the
means of the university may be so arranged as to meet the expenses attendant on
the erection of more suitable accommodations the several classes will be taught in
the buildings occupied by the Pittsburg Academy. * * * The proposed system
of education is on a plan the most approved and practicable, embracing all those
departments of science and literature generally taught in colleges in the United
States.
The gentlemen elected to compose the faculty are:
1. The Rev. Robert Bruce, principal, and professor of natural philosophy, chem-
istry, mathematics, etc.
2. The Rev. John Black, professor of ancient languages and classical literature.
3. Rev. E. P. Swift, professor of moral science and the general evidences of
Christianity.
4. The Rev. Joseph McElroy, professor of rhetoric and belles-lettres.
5. The Rev. Charles B. Maguire, professor of modem languages and universal
grammar.
From the acknowledged talents and superior acquirements of the reverend gen-
tlemen who have undertaken to discharge the arduous duties of the highly respon-
sible stations assigned them, there is reason to believe that the means of instruction
in the Western University will not be inferior to those of any literary establish-
ment in Pennsylvania.
The price of tuition in the classical department is $25 per annum, and $30 in the
collegiate department. * * *
Conformably to a resolution of the board, the trustees, faculty, and students
will assemble at the university buildings at 10 o'clock on Friday, the 10th of May
next, and thence proceed to the First Presbyterian Church, or. Wood street, where
an inaugural address will be delivered by the principal.
The reverend clergy of all denominations, physicians, gentlemen of the bar,
officers civil and military, members of the corporation, and citizens generally are
respectfully invited to be present on an occasion so highly interesting to the
community.
The inauguration of the faculty took place at the appointed time
and place and in a manner which, according to the programme which
has been preserved, reflected a far greater sense of the importance of
the occasion than the subsequent attitude of the community toward
the institution for many years seems to render explicable.
Hon. Wilson McCandless, one of the distinguished alumni of the
university, upon the occasion of the reopening of the institution on
the evening of Friday, June 19, 1856, gave an account of the first
inauguration of the faculty of the institution, which, being the testi-
mony of an eyewitness, is well worthy of reproduction in this con-
nection :
The nucleus of this institution [said the judge] was the old Pittsburg Academy,
whence emanated many master spirits who have illustrated the genius of our Gov-
ernment and people. The Western University was first inaugurated in 1822 with
flattering and brilliant expectations. I was an academy boy then, and remember
well the installation of the first faculty. It was a public pageant in which the
people and civic authorities participated, and was attended vrith more than ordi-
5099—02 17
258 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
nary pomp and ceremonial. There was a procession, with mnsic, banners, and
badges, in which the city fathers, the judiciary, gentlemen of the different learned
professions, the trustees, and students marched to the old First Presbyterian
Church, where the venerable and accomplished Dr. George Stevenson, the presi-
dent of the board, delivered the inaugural address to the faculty, which was
happily responded to in the solid, massive eloquence of the Rev. Dr. Bruce, the
princix)al.
One of the earliest steps of the gentleman who had been intrusted
with the duty of caring for the interests of the university was to
appoint a committee who were charged with the task of preparing a
plan of government and arranging the curriculum. On the 4th of
July, 1822, Jonathan H. Walker, Morgan Neville, Alexander John-
ston, jr., Harmar Denny, George Poe, jr., Walter Forward, and Alex-
ander Brackenridge, who composed the committee, presented their
report, which reveals that in many respects they contemplated a course
of study which was in the matter of thoroughness and breadth of
scope materially in advance of the curriculum of the older and more
securely established institutions of learning in the eastern portions of
the United States.
The work of translating the intentions of the founders into facts
was undertaken with hearty zeal by the learned men who composed
the faculty. Dr. Bruce, the principal, was a graduate of the Univer-
sity of Glasgow, as was also his associate. Dr. Black. Rev. C B.
Maguire, who was the first Roman Catholic priest permanently located
in the city, and the founder of the church now known as St. Paul's
Cathedral, was a man of great learning and ready wit. Dr. Swift was
one of the foremost clergymen of the Presbyterian denomination in
the country and one of the founders of the board of home missions
and of the board of foreign missions of that denomination. Dr.
McElroy after a few years removed to New York City and for well
nigh half a century was the pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian Church
in the metropolis.
That these distinguished men faithfully did the work which was
committed to their charge is attested by the character and subsequent
careers of those who enjoyed their instructions. The first class was
graduated in 1823 and consisted of but 3 members. The honor of
heading the long roll of the alumni of the institution belongs to
Thomas C. Guthrie, who twenty years after graduation received the
honorary degree of doctor of divinitj^ from Franklin College, and
until the year of his death, in 1876, was an honored and successful
clergyman of the United Presbyterian Church. The class of 1824
numbered 7 graduates, one of whom, Hon. W. W. Irwin, twenty years
after his graduation was made United States Minister to Denmark,
having previously been the mayor of Pittsburg and a member of Con-
gress. The class of 1825 graduated 10 members, the first name on the
roll being that of Daniel Agnew, who is revered to-day as one of the
most eminent members of the legal profession in Pennsylvania, hav-
WE8TEEN UNIVEB8ITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 259
ing been for many years the chief justice of the supreme court of the
State. Judge Agnew to-day (1896) enjoys the distinction of being the
oldest living alumnus of the university and is one of three or four of
the oldest college graduates in the United States.
The years which followed the first organization of the university
Appear to have been years of prosperity, so far as the work of instruc-
tion was concerned, but no effort was appai*ently made to add to the
resources of the institution by securing an endowment. The funds
received from the State were employed in the erection of a building,
which was completed in 1830. The sole reliance of the faculty appears
to have been the fees paid by the students, and accordingly the com-
pensation which they received was exceedingly scanty, though they
adhered faithfully to their posts. In 1835 Dr. Bruce resigned the
principalship, and the office was for one year filled by the Rev. Gilbert
Morgan. At the end of the year Dr. Bruce resumed the duties of the
office and continued in it until in 1843, when Rev. Heman Dyer, who,
had been called to the chair of mental and moral science during the
preceding year, was made the principal of the institution, and con-
tinued to discharge the duties of the office until 1*849.
In 1845, under the principalship of Dr. Dyer, occurred the great
disaster known as "The Great Fire," by which almost the entire
lower portio^^ of the city of Pittsburg was destroyed. The fire devoured
the building of the university, together with its contents. With the
proceeds of the insurance and the money derived from the sale of
the ground upon which the building had stood another building was
erected upon Duquesne Way. It was completed and occupied in the
fall of 1846.
In July, 1849, this new edifice was burned down. It was then
decided by the trustees to temporarily suspend the work of instruction.
In the month of August following a committee, consisting of Messrs.
Thomas Bakewell, W. H. Denny, William J. Totten, and Orlando
Metcalf, was instructed to invest the funds, consisting of $9,600,
obtained from the insurance of the building and its contents, and the
sale of the furniture, a portion of which had been rescued from the
building at the time of the fire. In December following the trustees
sold the ground upon which the building had stood for $7,000.
On the 29th of January, 1851, at a meeting of the trustees held in
the Third Presbyterian Church, a committee was appointed with
instructions to ascertain a new site upon which to rebuild. The com-
mittee having failed to find a suitable site a new committee, consist-
ing of Messrs. Thomas Bakewell, John Harper, Dr. R. B. Mowry, and
W. H. Denny, was appointed for the same purpose on March 24, 1853.
The funds of the institution, which had been judiciously managed by
Mr. Harper, who acted as the treasurer of the board, were reported
at that time to amount to the sum of $26,414. The committee reported
in favor of the purchase of a site at the corner of Ross and Diamond
260 BDUOATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Streets, in the city of Pittsburg. The lot had a frontage of 93 feet on
Ross street and 100 feet on Diamond street. The price of $8,200
was paid for the site, and a contract for the erection of a new building
was on June 9, 1854, let for the sum of $13,300.
By an act of the legislature passed February 19, 1855, the university
was given power to borrow money upon its property to the amount of
$10,000, and to issue bonds therefor, and exempting such bonds and
the mortgage securing the same from taxation. It was also enacted
by the legislature that members of the board of trustees absenting
themselves from four successive meetings of the board, unless pre-
vented from being present by sickness or absence from Allegheny
County, shall be regarded as having vacated their positions.
The work of instruction was resumed on the 8th of October, 1855;
and on December 19, 1856, the newlj'^ electe^l principal, Rev. John F.
McLaren, D. D., and his associates in the faculty were formally
inducted into office. The address upon that occasion was delivered
by the Right Rev. George Upfold, D. D., bishop of the diocese of Indi-
ana, who, during a portion of his stay in Pittsburg, where he had been
the rector of Trinity Church, had filled the position of president of
the board of trustees.
From this time dates the beginning of a new and fruitful era in the
development of the work of the university. Dr. McLaren held the
principalship for only three years, but during that time great progress
was made in gathering together a body of students whose subsequent
careers reveal that they undoubtedly profit/cd by the instruction which
they received. Among their names we find not a few who have
attained to eminence in various vocations. In 1858, Dr. McLaren
having resigned, George Woods, LL. D., was elected the principal of
the university. Dr. Woods, who had graduated at Bowdoin College,
was eminently qualified, both by his attainments and extensive expe-
rience as an educator, to discharge the difficult and laborious duties
of the position to which he had been summoned by the trustees. He
brought with him enthusiasm and succeeded in enlisting the active
sympathy and financial support of men of wealth to a degree never
before reached by his predecessors. The first bequest ever made to
the institution was received in August, 1858, and consisted of a valu-
able collection of geological specimens, bequeathed by the late Thomas
Hind. In October of the following year a considerable sum of money-
was raised, largely through the efforts of Mr. John Harper, to purchase
apparatus for the equipment of a chemical laboratory. In 1861 a
large room on the first floor of the building was fitted up as a gymna-
sium, and in the month of May following a stirring appeal for money"
with which to endow professorships in the institution was issued. In
April, 1863, a lot fronting 23 feet on Ross street and extending 100 feet
along the southern boundary line of the university property was pur-
chased for the sum of $2,200.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 261
On October 3, 1864, it was announced that the effort to secure the
endowment of a chair of the natural sciences in the sum of $20,000 had
been crowned with success by securing subscriptions to this amount
from various gentlemen of liberal spirit. The sum of $1,200 for the
pajnnent of the salary of a professor in this department had been pre-
viously pledged for one year by Mr. William Thaw and Mr. Josiah
King.
The names of the gentlemen who by their generosity laid the foun-
dations of the first endowed chair in the institution deserve to be held
in grateful and lasting remembrance. They were the following well-
known citizens: William Thaw, James Park, jr., Isaac Jones, Alex-
ander Mmick, William Nimick, S. M. Kier, Hon. J. K. Moorhead,
Nathaniel Holmes, Alexander Bradley, William Frew, H. B. Wilkins,
Josiah King, and Joseph McKnight. In June, 1865, the name of this
chair was changed to that of the chair of chemistry and mineralogy,
and it was reported that by judicious investment of the principal sub-
scribed by the donors the amount had been increased to the sum of
$22,000, which it has since remained.
In March, 1865, a chair of civil engineering was established, and in
June following the chair of astrophysics was endowed in the sum of
$20,000. At the same time the entire property of the Allegheny
.Observatory was conveyed in trust to the university by the Allegheny
Astronomical Society. The property consisted of 10 acres of land on
Observatory Hill in the city of Allegheny, together with the buildings
of the observatory and the residence of the director, with all the
furniture and equipment.
The observatory was at the time of this transfer in charge of a some-
what eccentric gentleman, who by reason of his taste for mathematical
and astronomical inquiries and his activity in securing the funds for
the establishment of the observatory had been made the director.
Increasing infirmities made it necessary for the trustees to effect a
•change, and they were so signally fortunate as to call to the chair of
astrophysics a young man whose name has since become one of the
most illustrious in the annals of astronomy and physics. In 1867
Samuel P. Langley was chosen to fill the chair of astronomy and was
made the director of the observatory. After twenty years of most
distinguished service, in which his researches and discoveries secured
for him recognition as one of the leading scientific men of the age, he
became the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, a worthy suc-
cessor to Joseph Henry and Spencer F. Baird.
The year 1870 was marked by an ineffectual attempt to organize a
department of legal instruction in the university. The gentlemen
chosen as professors in this department resigned shortly after their
election, though Hon. R. B. Carnahan, Hon. J. W. T. White, and
others continued during the winter to lecture upon legal themes.
In 1871 Mr. William Thaw came forward with a most generous offer
262 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
to contribute the sum of $100,000 toward the permanent endowment
of the institution, provided a like amount should be raised by the
citizens of western Pennsylvania. The proposition was accepted, and
steps were immediately taken to secure the additional sum. It was
not, however, until 1875 that this movement was consummated and
the entire amount secured.
The movement to rehabilitate the university and make it an exjK)-
nent of the higher educational ambitions of the community had thus
far been so signally successful, and the hopes of its friends had been
so quickened, not only by the generosity of liberal men but by the
constantly increasing number of students, that it seemed proper to
make an effort to secure additional legislation which would serve
to increase the power and efficiency of the institution and enable it to
grow to those proportions which an institution located in a great citj'^
should strive to realize. Accordingly a committee was appointed to
prepare a bill supplementary to the charter, which was in 1872 enacted
into a law by the legislature of Pennsylvania. Under this act the
mayors of the two cities of Pittsburg and Allegheny became, together
with the presiding officer of the institution, ex officio members of the
board of trustees. The title of the presiding officer of the university .
was changed from that of principal to that of chancellor. The board
was constituted of 30 members in three classes of 10 each, each class
being elected to serve for three years, their membership expiring at
the end of the term for which they are elected, but provision being
made for their reelection, in case such reelection be deemed desirable.
The right was further given the corporation to take, receive, and
administer any gift, bequest, or trust which might be made over to
it upon any terms whatsoever which are not repugnant to the laws of
the Commonwealth or of the United States, provided that the net
annual income does not exceed the sum of $200,000.
Important additions to the teaching force of the university were
made in years immediately following the accession of Dr. Woods
to the position of principal. A preparatory department was formed
in 18()0, with H. H. Northup as principal. He was succeeded by
Joseph H. Montgomery, and he by the Rev. Samuel Findley. In 1863
Dorville Libby became the principal of the preparatory department
and held the position for two years, when he was succeeded by Jere-
miah E. Ayers, who, in 1869, was followed by Prof. Levi Ludden, who
continued to hold the position until in 1889, when this branch of
activity was discontinued, and the preparatory department became
the Park Institute, under which name it still exists as a most excel-
lent and flourishing school. Instruction in military tactics was
undertaken in 1862 under Maj. F. E. Chalfant and continued under
a succession of able officers detailed for this purpose from the Regu-
lar Army, until in 1882, when the buildings of the university were
sold to the county of Allegheny and steps were taken to secure new
WE8TEBN UN1VEE8ITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 268
and more commodious quarters. The year 1870 witnessed the advent
of Prof. Paul F. Rohrbacher to the chair of German, which he was
destined to fill with singular acceptance for a quarter of a century.
In 1872 Prof. John W. Langley became the professor of chemistry,
and continued in this position until 1875, when he was succeeded by
Prof. Francis C. Phillips, who has ever since held the chair with
marked acceptability and success. The year 1865 marked the coming
into the circle of the university of Prof. B. C. Jillson, who did a great
deal to promote the intelligent study of biology, he having been called
to what was known at that time as the chair of the natural sciences.
In the department of mathematics the same year was made memo-
rable by the election of Milton B. Goff, whose work as an educator
along his chosen lines was singularly successful and who later became
the chancellor.
The stream of benefactions which had begun to set in toward the
university shortly after the accession of Dr. Woods did not flow unin-
terruptedly in strong and steady stream, but scarcely a year passed
during his administration which did not witness some advance. In
1873 the university received the bequest of the large and valuable
library of the late Robert Watson, rich in choice editions of the
classics and in valuable works upon law. In the same year the cabi-
net of the Rev. Joseph Travelli was purchased by some of the friends
of the institution and incorporated in the rapidly growing museum,
which was located in rooms set apart for its reception.
The year 1875 was, on some accounts, one of the most memorable
years in the life of the institution, as it marked the final consumma-
tion of the effort to raise and complete an addition to the endowment
of $200,000 under the terms of the generous offer made by Mr. Wil-
liam Thaw. The completion of this effort, which was largely carried
to a successful conclusion through the unwearying labors of Chancel-
lor Woods, put the university into such a position that it seemed
proper to consider the advisability of seeking for a new and more
commodious site. The idea of removal was, however, finally aban-
doned, and it was determined to enlarge the buildings upon the ground
already occupied. This was accordingly done by a special committee
appointed for the purpose, consisting of Henry Lloyd and Alexander
Bradley, members of the board.
From the year 1875 to 1880 no marked change in the affairs of the
university took place. The work of the preparatory department
assumed, however, more and more importance, and it began to so over-
shadow the proper work of the university as to lead the trustees to
begin to discuss the advisability of altogether discontinuing it. To
longer maintain it seemed to be likely to create in the minds of the
people an utter misapprehension as to the true aims of the institution,
which were to provide the facilities for obtaining a thorough educa-
tion in the higher branches of human learning and more particularly
264 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
in the departments of the arts, philosophy, and the various profes-
sions. The agitation which began in 1880 was not, however, immedi-
ately successful, and it was only eight years later that the final reso-
lution was formed to dispense with the preparatory department, which,
while yielding a considerable revenue from tuition, had undonbteilly
done much to lower the standard of work and lessen the est-eem in
which the university was held by the people.
Chancellor Woods resigned his office in the spring of 1880, and was
succeeded by the Rev. Henry M. McCracken, D. D., LL. D. Unsuc-
cessful attempts were made at this time to establish a school of medi-
cine and a school of law. While these attempts bore no immediate
fruit, a most important addition to the faculty was made in the person
of Prof. Daniel Carhart, the distinguished author of well-known works
of instruction in civil engineering. His advent to the faculty paved
the way for the later development of the engineering schools, which at
the present time are important and flourishing parts of the university.
On June 16, 1882, the buildings of the universit}^ at the corner of
Ross and Diamond streets, were sold to the county of Allegheny, which
required them for temporary use as a court-house during the erection
of the new edifice upon Grant street, which finally replaced the one
destroyed by fire. The consideration received from the authorities of
the county was $80,000. The sale of the buildings was followed by
the lease of the unoccupied portions of the theological seminaries of
the United Presbyterian and Reformed Presbj^rian churches on
North avenue, Allegheny, and here, until 1890, the work of instruction
was carried on under man}- difficulties and disadvantages.
In July, 1884, Chancellor McCracken resigned his office; and Prof.
Milton B. Goff was elected as his successor.
In the year 1888 steps were taken to provide new buildings for the
university and to recast the entire curriculum. A special committee
was appointed with power to investigate the whole subject, institute
all necessary inquiries, visit other institutions, and prepare plans for
the new buildings. This committee consisted of Messrs. J. B. Scott,
chairman of the board; Charles J. Clarke, Rev. W. J. Robinson, D. D.,
William J. Sawyer, Hon. J. C. Newmyer, Hon. R. B. Carnahan, Wil-
liam Thaw, jr., Reuben Miller, and Milton B. Goff, chancellor. As a
final result of the labors of the committee, approved by the board, the
preparatory department was discontinued, a curriculum of reasonable
hardness, comparing favorably with that of the more advanced insti-
tutions of the country, was adopted, a school of engineering was pro-
vided for, and a large laboratory for the departments of chemistry
and engineering and a noble building intended for the use of the
collegiate department and the scientific collections of the university
were erected upon the site secured at the time the Allegheny Observa-
tory was conveyed to the university. The new buildings are placed
WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 265
west of the observatory in such a way as not to interfere with the
prosecution of astronomical research in the latter institution.
The buildings were brought to practical completion in the fall of
the year 1889, and the work of instruction began in the new quarters
in January, 1890.
Meanwhile the university had sustained a great and apparently irrep-
arable loss in the death, upon August 17, 1889, of William Thaw, to
whom, perhaps more than to any other individual, it owes its present
prosperity and its standing as one of the foremost institutions of learn-
ing in the country. Not alone by his great benefactions during his
lifetime, which were supplemented by the generous provisions of his
will, but by his intelligent and painstaking oversight of all the
affairs of the institution, he paved the way for that broader develop-
ment which has taken place so rapidly in recent years. Though not
the founder of the university, he deserves to be held in lasting remem-
brance as its preserver, for without his generous care and wise counsel
it would not be what it is.
The lamented death of Mr. Thaw was followed in the fall of the
year 1890 by the untimely death of Chancellor Goff.
In the spring of 1891 Rev. William J. Holland was elected to fill
the position made vacant by the death of Chancellor Goff. During
the administration of Dr. Holland many changes have been made.
Prof. James E. Keeler was chosen to the directorship of the Allegheny
Observatory, to succeed Prof. S. P. Langley, whose duties as the sec-
retary of the Smithsonian Institution made it impossible for him any
longer to maintain his connection with the university. The engineer-
ing school was strengthened by the establishment of a chair of elec-
trical engineering, to which Prof. Reginald A. Fessenden, of Purdue
University, was called. A course in mining engineering was also
provided, and steps were taken to strengthen the departments of col-
legiate instruction. A post-graduate system was adopted, and courses
of post-graduate study in various branches were laid out. In the
summer of 1892 the Western Pennsylvania Medical College was
amalgamated with the university as its medical department. In 1893
and 1894 considerable additions were made to the instrumental equip-
ment of the various laboratories of the institution, particularly to the
observatory, which received a new and valuable spectroscopic outfit,
planned by Professor Keeler and constructed by Mr. J. A. Brashear.
The funds for this purpose were kindly provided by Mrs. William
Thaw. In 1895 a department of legal instructioji was added and the
Pittsburg College of Pharmacy was united with the university as one
of its departments. In the spring of 1896 steps were taken to estab-
lish a department of dentistry, and in October of that year this
department was formally opened under the name of the Pittsburg
Dental College. Early in the administration of Chancellor Holland
266 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the bequest of $100,000 made by Mr. William Thaw became available
for the use of the university. Various other gifts of money and
numeious gifts of apparatus and specimens have been made from
time to time. Among the most noteworthy of these have been the
gifts of the Misses Smith and the gifts of various scholarships by
Hon. F. R. Brunot and his wife, and various citizens contributing to
the fund for the entertainment, in 1894, of the Grand Army of the
Republic. For the establishment of a department of mining engi-
neering $100,000 was raised in 1897, and for the rehabilitation of the
Allegheny Observatory in 1898 the sum of $150,000.
The number of students in attendance has grown steadily during
recent years. At the time Chancellor Goff died the university was
in a transitional state and the total enrollment was a little under
100 students. The enrollment in November, 1900, amounted to 822
students in all departments, distributed as follows:
Collegiate 65
Engineering 104
Law 69
Medicine 317
Pharmacy 87
Dentistry 1 8S
Total 822
Among the more important gifts aside from those already mentioned
was the gift by Mr. Adam Reineman, of the city of Allegheny, of the
Brereton Mansion, to be used as a maternity hospital in connection
with the medical department of the universitj^ and the gift of the
Emma Kaufmann Clinic b}'^ Mr. Isaac Kaufmann. New and commo-
dious buildings have been erected for the medical department, and
were occupied early in the year 1897.
The university, which has survived so many and such sore vicissi-
tudes, is already on the highway to an assured and successful future.
The days of struggling infancy are past, and with the exception of the
University of Pennsylvania, its elder sister in the eastern metropolis
of the State, it is to-day the largest and most flourishing institution
of learning in the Commonwealth. Representing as it does the edu-
cational ambitions of the metropolis of the western half of the State,
it may be confidently predicted that in the years to come it will not
fail to receive that care from the friends of learning in the region
where it is located which such institutions fitly receive, and when it
shall have reached the same length of life which has been reached by
other and older institutions of like grade will be found to be even
more firmly established and more abundantly equipped for usefulness
than many others which liave not passed through such baptisms of
fire and such stress of storm as it has weathered.
XXXI.
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, NEW WILMINGTON.
By Prof. S. R. Thompson.
The origin of this institution appears to have been as follows:
In 1851, at a meeting of the Shenango Presbytery of the Associate
Presbyterian Church, the Rev. George C. Vincent proposed that the
academical school, which he was then conducting at Mercer, Pa.,
should be taken under the care of the Presbytery and made a Pres-
byterial academy. Mr. Edward McElree thereupon suggested that
the Presbytery undertake the establishment of a college. This propo-
sition meeting with favor, the Presbytery proceeded to take steps to*
carry it into effect.
Accordingly, in March, 1852, a charter was obtained from the legis-
lature. By the terms of this charter the control of the college was-
vested in a board of twelve trustees, to be elected by the Presby*
teries of Shenango and Ohio.
In 1858 the college with all its property was transferred to the
First Synod of the United Presbyterian Church, a new organization
formed by the union of the Associate and Associate Reformed Pres-
byterian churches. This synod took the college under its care in
September, 1859, and a new charter was obtained which provided for
a board of 24 members.
As soon as the first board was organized it was decided to open the
college at once. The Rev. George C. Vincent and the Rev. D. H. A.
McLean were elected professors, and the work of instruction was
begun April 26, 1852.
For a time the classes were heard in the Associate Presbyterian
Church, but as soon as possible there was erected a two-story brick
building, which was used until 1855.
In the autumn of the first year, 1852, the Rev. John W. Harsha
and the Rev. D. H. Goodwillie were added to the corps of instructors.
In 1854 the faculty was organized. The Rev. James Patterson,
D. D., was chosen president; the Rev. A. M. Black, professor of
Hebrew; the Rev. George C. Vincent, professor of Greek; the Rev-
D. H. A. McLean, professor of mathematics; the Rev. John W. Har-
sha, professor of Latin; the Rev. J. A. Goodwillie, professor of natu-
ral sciences, and Miss J. S. Lowrie, adjunct professor of natural
sciences and mathematics.
At the beginning but 20 students were enrolled, but the increase^
was so rapid that in the first catalogue, published in June, 1853,
appear the names of 220 students.
267
268
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Wm. P. Shaw was graduated in 1854 and was the first graduat»e of
the college.
In the catalogue published in June, 1855, the freshman, sophomore,
and junior classes appear, and in 1856 a class of 5 was graduated.
From the beginning up to the date of this writing 35 classes have
b^en graduated, having in all 813 members. Of this number 234 have
entered the ministry, 120 have studied law, 31 have studied medicine,
124 have become teachers, and the others follow a variety of occupa-
tions. The whole number of graduates who have received the degree
of A. B. is: Ladies, 34; gentlemen, 533. The degree of B. S. : Ladies,
198; gentlemen, 40. Graduates in music: Ladies, 7; gentlemen, 1.
Coeducation has been the practice from the opening of the college.
Since the organization of the college the following persons have
served as presidents or professors. The dates given after the names
are the years when the names first appear in the catalogues and when
last. At different times members of the corps of instruction have
served as acting president for one or more years, but the writer is
unable to obtain a reliable statement of these.
PRESIDENTS.
Rev. James Patterson
Rev. Robert Audley Browne
Rev. E. T. Jeffers
Rev. R. G. Ferguson
PROFESSORS.
Rev. G. C.Vincent
Rev. John W. Hai'sha
Rev. D. H. Goodwillie
Rev. D. H. A. McLean
Rev. Andrew M. Black
Miss Jennette S. Lowrie
3ir. J. B. Cummings
Rev. William Findley
JRev. W. A. Mehard
Rev. W. H. Jeflfers
Miss Sai*ah McMichael
Mr. John D. Irons
Rev. John Knox McClurkin
Rev. John Edgar
Miss Oella J. Patterson
Mr. W. W. Wallace
Rev. W. C. Lawther
Mr. R. O. Graham
Rev. R. B. Taggart
Mr. John Mitchell
Mr. Samuel R. Thompson
Mr. T. M. Austin
Miss Margaret McLaughry
Mr. R. W. McGranahan
Mr. John Swan
From—
To—
1854
1866
1868
1870
1873
1883
1884
1852
1871
1852
1&56
1852
1853
1852
1856
1854
1863
1854
1856
185H
1887
1857
1866
1859
1889
1867
1869
1868
1869
1871
1872
1876
1884
1875
1880
1877
1887
1881^
1888
1888
1888
1880
1887
1884
1886
1882
1884
1885
1888
1889
1889
INSTRUCTORS.
The following-named persons have served as instructors for one or
more years during or following the dates annexed. Many others gave
instruction for a term or more, but as their names do not appear in
the catalogue they can not be given here:
WESTMINSTEB COLLEGE. 269
S. R. Thompson, 1856; J. B. McMichael, 1857; Joseph McKee, 1858;
James P. McKee, John Morrow, Miss Ella Mehard, and N. Coe Stew-
art, 1867; Mrs. M. H. Wilson, 1868; John D. Irons, Miss Mary Ste-
venson, 1870; John D. Shafer, 1872; J. K. McClurkin, John Edgar,
Nathan Winegart, Kenneth Mcintosh, 1874; Andrew H. Harshaw,
1875; R. H. Carothers, Mary E. Rippey, 1876; D. M. McKinley, H. W.
Lowry, T. R. Lewis, Ella N. Reed, W. C. Lawther, W. B. Smiley^
1878; R. O. Graham, 1879; John McNaugher, John C. Rolfe, John
Mitchell, 1881; W. M. Milroy, 1884, Mary A. Morrison, 1886; Alice
B. Finley, Ada M. Strock, J. C. Adair, 1887; Linnie Hodgen, W. A.
Fankbonner, 1888; Anna M. Wallace, H. J. Hotchkiss, J. M. Robert-
son, 1889.
BUILDINGS.
The first erected was a small two-story brick with three rooms. It
still stands near the campus, and is occupied as a residence. The
second building was 90 by 58 feet, and three stories high. This was
first occupied in 1855, and was burned in February, 1861. A new
building 100 by 68 feet and three stories high was erected as soon as
possible, and was occupied in 1863. This building, which is still
occupied, contains four society halls with library rooms adjacent, a
library, a reading room, an art room, a museum, a laboratory for
botanical and mineralogical work, and six recitation rooms.
In 1881, the senior class raised money to erect a building which
has since been used for a chemical laboratory. This building con-
tains the junior chemical laboratory, with accommodations for 36
students, a large mathematical room, a chemical lecture room, an
analytical laboratory, with complete accommodations for 1^ students
in analytical chemistry, and a private laboratory for the professor of
chemistry.
In 1884 was completed the building used for a ladies' boarding hall
and musical conservatory. This building, which cost some *4,000,
which is modern in style, and first class in all its appointments,
stands on a sloping hillside, overlooking for many miles the beauti-
ful valley of the Neshannock.
THE COLLEGE PROPERTY.
The value of all the property belonging to the college, including
buildings, is estimated at about $90,000. The endowment fund at
present consists of available funds not far from $125,000.
The college in its earlier days began selling perpetual scholarships
for $100 apiece. This absurd practice — absurd because no college
can educate a student in perpetuity for $6 a year — was long since
abandoned. These perpetual scholarships, as far as possible, have
been taken up and destroyed, so that the endowment named above
is mostly in cash invested in mortgage loans or other interest-bearing
securities.
270 , EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
In the earlier years of the college the curriculum, following the
fashion of the times, was almost exclusively made up of Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, and the mathematics. English and the sciences received
l)ut scant attention. By degrees this arrangement was changed for
the better.
Since 1869 important changes have been made in the English depart-
ment. In that year was begun a series of yearly examinations in
*' English," which have been kept up in some form down to the
present.
The avowed object of these yearly examinations was to stimulate
students to keep up their knowledge of English studies, especially the
elementary ones, during the later years of their college life, so that
it could not be justly said of them, as some one said of the students
of an English university, that "if they were examined to get out on
what they were examined to get in, they never would get out in the
world."
From 1870 onward the annual catalogues show a steady increase in
the number of studies in the English language. For instance, in
1872, Kames Elements of Criticism appears as a junior class study, and
Fowler's English Grammar among the senior. Whitney's Language
and the Study of Language and Anglo-Saxon appear in 1873. In
1876, among the prescribed studies appear composition and rhetoric.
Trench on the Study of Words, "English Literature in Milton and
Shakespeare," and in 1882, "American Literature, with selections
from authors."
To make room for these additional studies without encroaching on
the classics, an additional year was added to preparatory course, mak-
ing it three years instead of two and the whole course seven years.
Following closely on this development of the English department
came a similar improvement and expansion of the scientific depart-
ment.
In 1879 facilities were pi^ovided for the study of analytical chemis-
try. This was in a small way, but in 1884 new quarters were pro-
vided for the chemical work and first-class facilities for analytical
work, both qualitative and quantitative, were supplied. These
improvements contemplated a full two years' course in chemical
analysis, in addition to the "study of a text-book with illustrative
experiments" hitherto furnished.
In 1889 a large room for experimental laboratory work by the jun-
ior students was fitted up. This room known as the junior chemical
laboratory — and which is distinct from the analytical laboratory — will
accommodate 36 students at once.
On the removal of the chemical department to its new quarters in
1884, the old chemical rooms were fitted up for a lecture room and
workshop for the physical department. As to the extension of this
department in the last six years, it is sufficient to say that more than
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE. 271
$1,500 worth of physical apparatus has been made in the shop and
nearly as much more purchased.
In 1886 a large room on the third floor of the main building was
fitted up with tables and microscope stands for laboratory work in
botany and mineralogy.
A college herbarium was begun in 1885, and the collection now
numbers some 500 or more species.
In 1887 a photographic outfit was procured, and since that time
over 400 lantern slides for the illustration of various subjects have
'been made.
In 1889 a complete apparatus for making permanent microscopic
mounts was provided, and since that date instruction in this subject
has been available to all students desiring it.
With this increased supply of the material of scientific instruction
naturally the modes of instruction changed from the old-fashioned
style, in which study of the text-book was the main part, to the modern
method, in which the students study nature rather than books which
tell about nature.
THE CONSERVATORY OP MUSIC.
In 1885 instruction was begun in this department. So rapid has
been its growth that already it requires the entire time of two
instructors and needs additional accommodations.
THE FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT.
Instruction in drawing and painting was first furnished in the col-
lege in 1887 and made a regular part of the college work. In 1888
permanent quarters were provided for it in the college buildings.
During the past year, 1890, the scientific course has been strength-
ened by adding another year of required scientific and mathematical
studies, with some additional Latin.
These details of the course of study are given to show some of the
steps by which the college of thirty-five years ago has, in subjects and
methods, kept up with the most esteemed modern ideas of college
work.
THE LIBRARY AND READING ROOM.
For many years a reading room was kept up by an association of
students and professors. By the same organization a course of popu-
lar lectures by the best talent in the country was given every year.
In 1889 the reading room was given over to the college faculty and
was made free to all students. When the college was burned in 1861
most of the books in the library were destroyed. By degrees the
library was built up again, principally by donations from the friends of
the college. In 1882 the policy was adopted of appropriating the
matriculation fee — paid by all students when first entering college —
to the purchase of books for the library. This plan gives a certain
272 EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
amount every year and makes it possible to add new books to the
library every year. Since 1884 the alumni, in accordance with action
taken that year at the annual reunion, have added a considerable
number of volumes.
Since 1885 the library has been kept open for the use of students
during each afternoon. This plan has made the library of mnch moie
value to the students and greatly increased their general acquaintance
with books and authors.
At present the college offers:
1. A solid classical curriculum containing a substantial coarse in
classics, including one year of Hebrew and two years of Glerman.
2. A scientific course in which additional scientific studies take the
place of Greek and Hebrew.
3. A literary and musical course which is one year shorter than the
scientific course, and in which instrumental and other musical studies
may be taken in lieu of certain studies required in the other courses.
4. A purely musical course five years in length, intended to be as
extensive and complete as any in the country.
In the comparison of the earlier years of the college with the pres-
ent some changes may be noted of interest to a student of educational
institutions :
Wlien the college was first fully organized, in 1854, every member
of the faculty but one was a clergyman, and this one exception was
a lady.
In those days the college was poor and the salaries paid were entirely
disproportioned to the labor required of professors. Accordingly
nearly all the professors held pastoral charges. The need for this
additional means of securing an income may be seen when it is told
that for a good many years the salary of the president was only J600
and that of a professor >?oOO.
In the present faculty there is but one clergj^man, the president,
and he has no pastoral charge, though he preaches to the students in
the college chapel. This marked change in the faculty is somewhat
curious and has taken place so slowly as to excite but little attention.
It has, perhaps, come from two causes :
1. A growing feeling that clergj^men consecrated to preach the gos-
pel should not be taken from this great work for which they have
made special preparation and placed in one for which they have had
no special preparation.
2. A recognition of the fact that modern methods of teaching-
demand more skill and si)ecial preparation on the part of the teacher,
and that the professional training which a clergyman receives in the
theological seminary has no special bearing on his aptness to teach
some special study in a college; but it takes three or four years of
time for a teacher to acquire a large amount of special training for
his particular work.
O
^26T 9 T 8VM
MAR 16^*^
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