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ROBERT  L.  CARUTHERS,  LL.D. 

Founder 

President  of  Board,   1842-1882 

Professor   of   Law,    1868-1882 


A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 


A  HISTORY  OF 
CUMBERLAND 
UNIVERSITY 


1842-1935 


By 
WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE 

OF  THE  CLASS  OF  1886 

Sixth   President  of   the   University 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  AUTHOR 

LEBANON,  TENNESSEE 
1935 


COPYRIGHT,  1935 

BY 

WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE 


SET  UP,  PRINTEDj  AND  BOUND  BY  THE 
PARTHENON  CRAFTSMEN  AT  NASHVILLE, 
TENNESSEE,    UNITED    STATES    OF    AMERICA 


DEDICATED 
To  THE  Trustees,  Faculty,  Students,  and  Friends 

OF 

Cumberland  University 


PREFACE 

This  history  is  a  record  of  ninety-three  years  of  dis- 
tinguished service  in  the  field  of  education.  It  was  origi- 
nally designed  to  be  in  commemoration  of  the  Ninetieth 
Anniversary  of  the  Founding  of  Cumberland  University, 
an  anniversary  which  was  celebrated  with  appropriate 
ceremonies  October  13,  14,  1932.  The  actual  publication, 
however,  has  been  unavoidably  delayed.  The  story  here 
presented  is  the  first  more  or  less  complete  history  of  the 
University.  The  first  step  in  this  direction  was  a  sketch 
of  eight  magazine  pages  written  by  Dr.  Thomas  C.  An- 
derson, second  President  of  the  University,  and  published 
in  the  Thelogical  Medium,  December,  18  58.  The  second 
was  sixty-seven  pages  of  an  outline  of  the  history  from 
1842  to  1876,  written  by  Dr.  J.  Berrien  Lindsley,  of  Nash- 
ville, and  published  in  the  Theological  Medium,  October, 
1876.  Still  another  was  a  sketch  of  fifteen  pages  in  the 
History  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  by  Dr. 
Benjamin  W.  McDonnold,  third  President  of  the  Univer- 
sity. 

Feeling  the  need  of  a  history  more  comprehensive  and 
one  that  would  more  adequately  cover  the  life  of  the  in- 
stitution from  the  beginning  to  the  present,  the  authorities 
of  the  University  asked  the  writer  more  than  four  years 
ago  to  undertake  the  task.  He  had  been  gathering  mate- 
rial at  odd  times  for  the  preceding  ten  years,  and  had 
cherished  for  a  still  longer  period  the  idea  of  writing  a 
brief  history  of  the  institution.     Much  information  had 

(7) 


8  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

been  already  obtained  from  the  older  men  of  the  Uni- 
versity. The  information  received  from  the  late  Chancel- 
lor Green  concerning  some  of  the  earlier  events  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  University  was  especially  valuable.  The  au- 
thor was  intimately  associated  with  him  in  the  University 
Faculty  for  a  period  of  twenty-iive  years.  Chancellor 
Green's  connection  with  the  University  extended  through 
the  first  four  administrations,  1842-1919.  The  author  has 
been  connected  with  all  the  administrations  except  the 
first  three.  Doubtless  he  will  be  pardoned  for  saying  that 
the  institution  has  been  a  very  significant  part  of  his  life. 
The  author's  actual  connection  with  the  University,  in- 
cluding the  two  years  of  his  student  days,  1884-86,  has 
extended  over  a  period  of  forty-three  years.  Many  of  the 
items  recorded  here  are  matters  of  personal  knowledge. 

The  writing  of  this  narrative  has  been  a  very  pleasant 
task.  The  work  has  been  done  with  one  object  only  in 
view,  that  the  good  may  live  on.  In  reciting  this  history 
and  telling  something  of  its  heroes,  there  is  no  disposition 
to  abide  or  even  linger  in  the  past.  The  account  here  given 
is  written  purely  for  the  people  of  to-day  and  for  the 
generation  that  follows.  A  leading  educator,  Dr.  J.  H. 
Snowden,  says:  "The  present  is  always  an  outgrowth  of 
the  past,  and  we  must  always  go  back  to  understand  and 
decide  present  issues.  Life  has  deep  roots,  and  we  are 
what  we  are  to-day  because  of  what  we  did  yesterday." 

In  the  progress  of  the  history  of  the  University  there  was 
naturally  here  and  there  a  bit  of  discord  or  controversy 
which  has  not  been  included  here.  The  foregoing  state- 
ment is  perhaps  an  adequate  record  of  it,  since  there  is  no 
lack  of  better  and  more  useful  material.     The  difficulty 


PREFACE  9 

has  been  to  include  all  the  useful  and  more  important 
facts.  The  author  has  endeavored,  however,  to  keep  in 
mind  the  main  facts  in  the  institution's  history,  the  se- 
cret of  its  power  and  growth,  its  leading  spirits,  its  con- 
tribution in  character,  culture,  and  service,  and  the  mis- 
sion which  it  aims  to  fulfill  in  the  future. 

In  the  text,  credit  has  been  given  to  most  of  the  au- 
thorities quoted.  It  would  be  impossible  in  a  limited  space 
to  mention  all.  The  writer  acknowledges  here  his  indebt- 
edness to  all  sources  not  mentioned  by  name.  Various 
libraries  have  been  consulted,  and  special  thanks  are  due  to 
the  librarians  of  the  Tennessee  State  Library  and  of  the 
Carnegie  Library,  of  Nashville.  Many  files  of  news- 
papers have  been  examined,  and  a  file  of  the  University 
catalogue  from  1845  to  193  5  has  been  extensively  used; 
also  certain  manuscripts  bearing  on  the  early  history  of 
the  institution.  Permission  has  been  granted  for  using  a 
few  quotations  from  Theodore  Roosevelt's  Winning  of  the 
West. 

Special  thanks  are  due  to  those  who  have  read  the 
manuscript  and  made  suggestions  for  the  improvement  of 
the  same.  For  these  services  gratitude  is  expressed  to 
President  E.  L.  Stockton;  Alfred  A.  Adams,  Sr.,  Trustee; 
Prof.  Walter  B.  Posey,  Ph.D.,  Birmingham-Southern  Col- 
lege; Dr.  James  E.  Clarke,  Nashville;  and  Dr.  James  H. 
Miller,  Lebanon. 

WiNSTEAD  Paine  Bone 

Lebanon,  Tennessee, 
September  1,  1935. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Land  and  the  People 1 J 

II.  Cumberland  University  Established 36 

III.  President  Franceway  Ranna  Cossitt,  1842-1844.  ...  55 

IV.  President  Thomas  C.  Anderson,  1844-1866 66 

V.  President  Anderson's  Closing  Years 87 

Teachers  in  the  College  of  Arts,  1842-1866 

VI.  President  Benjamin  \V.  McDonnold,  1866-1873 103 

VII.  Chancellor  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  1873-1902 112 

VIII.  Teachers  in  the  College  of  Arts,  1873-1914 125 

IX.  President  David  Earle  Mitchell,  1902-1906 135 

Acting  President  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  1906-1909 

X.  President  Winstead  Paine  Bone,  1909-1914 141 

XI.  President  Samuel  Andrew  Coile,  1914-1916 148 

Acting  President  Homer  Allin  Hill,  1916-1917 

XII.  President  Edward  Powell  Childs,  1917-1920 152 

Acting  President  Andrew  Blake  Buchanan,    1920- 
1922 

XIII.  President  John  Royal  Harris,  1922-1926 156 

XIV.  President  Ernest  Looney  Stockton,   1926- 163 

XV.  The  Law  School,  1847-193  5 18  5 

XVL  Teachers  in  the  Law  School,  1847-1935 191 

XVIL  The  Theological  School,  18  54-1909 203 

XVIIL  Teachers  in  the  Theological  School,  1854-1909.  ...  227 

XIX.  The  Other  Schools 242 

XX.  The  Student  Body 252 

XXI.  Extending  Aid  to  Students 263 

XXII.  The  Alumni 266 

XXIII.  Cumberland's   Notable  Record 274 

XXIV.  Cumberland,  To-day  and  To-morrow 279 

Appendices 289 

Index 299 

(11) 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
Robert  L.  Caruthers,  LL.D Frontispiece 

Facing 
Page 

Franceway  Ranna  Cossitt,  D.D 48 

Thomas  C.  Anderson,  D.D 64 

C.  G.  McPherson,  D.D.,  N.  Lawrence  Lindsley,  LL.D.,  Gen- 
eral A.  P.  Stewart,  LL.D.,  J.  M.  SaflFord,  Ph.D 72 

Andrew  Hays  Buchanan,  LL.D 72 

Benjamin  W.   McDonnold,   LL.D 80 

Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  LL.D 96 

Edward  Ewing  Beard,  LL.D 104 

William  Duncan  McLaughlin,   LL.D 104 

Robert  Verrell  Foster,  LL.D 112 

Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  LL.D 128 

Dean  J.  I.  D.  Hinds,  LL.D.,  Professor  E.  E.  Weir,  Principal 

W.  J.  Grannis,  Dean  J.  R,  Henry 136 

David  Earle  Mitchell   136 

Winstead  Paine  Bone,  LL.D 144 

Samuel  Andrew  Coile,  D.D. 160 

Edward  Powell  Childs,  A.M 168 

Andrew  Blake  Buchanan,  D.D 168 

Dayton  A.  Dobbs,  LL.D 176 

John  Royal  Harris,  D.D 192 

Abram  Caruthers,   LL.D 200 

Nathan  Green,   Sr.,   LL.D 200 

Richard  Beard,  D.D.,  S.  G.  Burney,  LL.D.,  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick, 

D.D.,  C.  H.  Bell,  D.D 232 

James  Monroe  Hubbert,  D.D.,  John  Vant  Stephens,  D.D., 

Finis  King  Farr,  D.D.,  Robert  G.  Pearson,  D.D 232 

(13) 


14  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Facing 
Page 

Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  LL.D. 240 

W.   F.   Hereford,   D.D.,   Mrs.    Hereford,   Grace   Hereford, 

Nannie  Hereford    256 

Cordell  Hull,  LL.D 264 

Grafton  Green,  LL.D 264 

First  University  Building   (burned  in  1863) 272-273 

Divinity  Hall    272-273 

Corona  Hall    272-273 

Caruthers  Hall    272-273 

Memorial  Hall    272-273 

Campus  and  Memorial  Hall 272-273 

Men's  Dormitory    272-273 

The  University  Band,  1934-1935    272-273 

Winning   the   Game 272-273 

Three   Residences    , 272-273 


Chapter  I 
THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

Cumberland  University,  organized  in  1842  at  Leb- 
anon, Tennessee,  was  appropriately  named,  for  the  coun- 
try in  which  is  was  estabHshed  was  known  in  the  earUer 
days  of  its  history  as  the  Cumberland  Country,  a  terri- 
tory lying  partly  in  Tennessee  and  partly  in  Kentucky. 
The  Cumberland  College  of  Princeton,  Kentucky,  which 
began  its  existence  in  March,  1826,  had  this  name;  and  it 
was  at  first  supposed  this  institution  would  be  removed  to 
Lebanon,  but  the  removal  did  not  take  place.  Lebanon  is 
in  the  heart  of  the  Cumberland  Country.  It  is  situated 
six  miles  from  the  Cumberland  River.  A  few  miles  to 
the  east  are  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  which  are  a  part  of 
the  Appalachian  system  and  extend  from  West  Virginia 
along  the  border  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky  across  Ten- 
nessee into  Alabama.  The  ridges  of  the  Cumberland 
Mountains  are  more  or  less  a  level  country,  forty  or  fifty 
miles  wide  and  from  1,500  to  2,000  feet  in  height.  It  is 
said  that  the  mountains  and  river  were  named  for  the 
famous  Duke  of  Cumberland,  "William  Augustus,  the 
third  son  of  George  II,  and  the  hero  of  the  history- 
making  battle  of  Culloden. 

In  his  History  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  John  W.  Mo- 
nette  throws  some  light  on  the  use  of  the  word  Cumber- 
land: 

"As  early  as  1748,  Dr.  (Thomas)  Walker,  of  Virginia, 
in  company  with  Colonels  Woods,  Patton,  and  Buchanan, 

(15) 


16  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Captain  Charles  Campbell,  and  a  number  of  hunters,  made 
an  exploring  tour  upon  the  western  waters.  Passing  Pow- 
ell's Valley,  he  gave  the  name  'Cumberland'  to  the  lofty 
range  of  mountains  on  the  west.  Tracing  this  range  in  a 
southwestern  direction,  he  came  to  a  remarkable  depression 
in  the  chain;  through  this  he  passed,  calling  it  'Cumber- 
land Gap.'  To  the  western  side  of  the  range  he  found  a 
beautiful  mountain  stream  which  he  named  'Cumberland 
River,'  all  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland."  ^  This 
version  of  the  origin  of  the  name  of  the  mountains  and  the 
river  is  accepted  by  Dr.  J.  G.  M.  Ramsey  in  his  Annals  of 
Tennessee,  and  by  Theodore  Roosevelt  in  his  Winning  of 
the  West? 

Before  bringing  into  this  narrative  what  is  known  as  the 
"Cumberland  Settlement,"  it  may  be  well  to  mention  two 
others  which  it  followed  in  time,  and  with  which  it  was 
closely  connected.  In  1769  the  famous  "Watauga  Settle- 
ment was  made  on  the  Watauga  River,  one  of  the  head- 
waters of  the  Holston  and  Tennessee.  Three  years  later 
the  "Watauga  Association"  was  formed  by  John  Sevier, 
James  Robertson,  and  others,  this  being  the  "first  written 
constitution  made  by  native  Americans."  In  1775  in 
Central  Kentucky,  after  the  victorious  and  significant  bat- 
tle of  the  Great  Kanawha  had  been  fought  against  a  large 

^  Vol.  I,  p.  314,  footnote.  John  W.  Monette's  valuable  history  was  printed 
by  Harper  Brothers  in  1846.  On  the  statement  quoted,  he  cites  these  au- 
thorities: "Winterbotham's  America,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  25,  26;  Marshall's  History 
of  Kentucky,  Vol.  I,  p.  6;  Hall's  Sketches  of  the  West,  Vol.  I,  pp.  239,  240. 
See  also  Phelan's  History  of  Tennessee,  pp.  13,  14. 

^  The  quotation  from  Monette  is  found  in  Ramsey's  Annals  of  Tennessee, 
pp.  65,  66.  Roosevelt's  Winning  of  the  West,  Vol.  I,  p.  174,  says:  "One  ex- 
plorer found  and  named  the  Cumberland  river  and  mountains,  and  the  great 
pass  called  Cumberland  Gap."  In  a  footnote  he  states  that  the  explorer  was 
Dr.  Thomas  Walker,  of  Virginia,  a  "genuine  explorer." 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  17 

and  combined  force  of  Indians,  and  Daniel  Boone  had 
marked  out  the  Wilderness  Road,  the  Transylvania  Colony 
was  formed.  In  1780  James  Robertson,  John  Donelson, 
their  families,  and  other  pioneers  from  the  Watauga  Set- 
tlement and  elsewhere  found  a  new  home  on  the  banks  of 
the  Cumberland.  The  site  of  this  new  home  (first  known 
as  French  Lick,  or  the  Bluff,  where  M.  Charleville,  a 
French  trader  from  New  Orleans,  had  a  store  among  the 
Shawnee  Indians  as  far  back  as  1714)  was  called  Nash- 
borough,  later  Nashville,  the  present  capital  of  the  State, 
thirty  miles  west  of  Lebanon.  The  settlement  was  known 
as  the  "Cumberland  Settlement,"  and  the  independent 
government  which  they  set  up  was  called  the  "Cumber- 
land Compact."  ^ 

It  was  natural  enough  to  give  the  name  of  the  new  coun- 
try to  some  educational  institution.  In  1824  a  noted  edu- 
cator, Dr.  Philip  Lindsley,  of  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  after 
declining  the  presidency  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey, 
came  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  accept  the  presidency  of 
Cumberland  College  in  that  city.  That  institution  was 
chartered  as  Cumberland  College  in  1806,  but  on  Novem- 
ber 27,  1826,  its  legal  name  was  changed  to  that  of  the 
University  of  Nashville.^ 

The  Scotch-Irish  Settlers 

From  the  very  beginning  in  1780  to  the  present  time, 
the  population  of  the  Cumberland  Country  and  of  the 

Ramsey's  Annals  of  Tcnnenee,  p.  45;  Hamer's  Tennessee — A  History, 
p.  105;  Matthews'  James  Robertson,  pp.  182-195;  West's  History  of  the 
American  People,  pp.  302,  303. 

'  Goodspeed's  History  of  Tennessee,  p.  442;  Theological  Medium,  October, 
1876,  p.  390. 


18  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

larger  Southwest  has  been  prevailingly  Scotch-Irish.  On 
the  meaning  of  the  term  "Scotch-Irish,"  Dr.  T.  C.  An- 
derson, the  second  President  of  Cumberland  University, 
in  his  Life  of  George  Donnell  (18  58),  says: 

"About  the  year  1610  the  emigration  from  Scotland  to 
Ireland  commenced.  All  the  northern  and  central  parts 
of  Ulster  were  settled  by  Scotch  immigrants.  Some  Eng- 
lishmen settled  the  southern  part,  and  built  Londonderry, 
Coleraine,  and  Hillsborough.  The  colonists,  in  order  to 
distinguish  themselves  from  the  Scots,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  native  Irish,  on  the  other,  called  themselves  Scotch- 
Irish.  And  this  appellation  they  brought  with  them  when 
they  immigrated  to  America.  Taken  in  the  limited  sense, 
the  term  applies  only  to  the  descendants  of  the  Scotch 
immigrants.  ...  In  its  comprehensive  sense,  the  term  in- 
cludes all  the  Protestant  Irish  whose  ancestors  were  Brit- 
ons, whether  English  or  Scotch,  whether  resident  in  Ireland 
or  America."  ^ 

It  may  be  well  to  add  that  some  of  the  above  mentioned 
emigrants  from  Scotland  were  really  Englishmen  who  had 
resided  in  Scotland  for  a  century  or  more.  William  Mason 
West,  speaking  of  the  Scotch-Irish  immigration  to  Amer- 
ica, says: 

"The  volume  of  this  immigration  to  America  increased 
rapidly,  and  it  has  been  estimated  that  between  1720  and 
1750  it  amounted  to  an  average  of  12,000  a  year.  .  .  . 
The  Scotch-Irish  cam.e  mainly  through  the  ports  of  Phila- 
delphia in  the  north  and  Charleston  in  the  south.  Many 
stopped  in  the  settled  areas;  but  a  steady  stream  passed  on 
directly  to  the  mountains  and  over  them.     Reaching  the 

^  Life  of  George  Donnell,  pp.  30,  31. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  19 

Appalachian  valleys  in  the  far  north  and  south,  the  two 
currents  drifted  toward  each  other,  until  they  met  in  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  in  western  Virginia.  And  thence,  just 
before  the  American  Revolution,  under  leaders  like  Boone 
and  Robertson,  they  began  to  break  through  the  western 
wall,  to  make  a  fourth  frontier  at  the  western  foothills  and 
farther  west,  in  what  we  now  call  Kentucky  and  Tennes- 
see. Until  about  18  50,  the  Scotch-Irish  were  the  typical 
American  frontiersmen,  especially  in  the  great  middle 
"West  and  Southwest.  They  showed  a  marvellous  power  to 
assimilate  other  elements  that  mingled  with  them, — Ger- 
man, French,  Welsh,  and  even  the  real  Irish  and  real 
Scotch,  when  these  came,  in  small  numbers,  just  before  the 
Revolution.  They  have  furnished,  too,  many  leaders  to 
our  national  life, — such  as  Andrew  Jackson  and  Stonewall 
Jackson,  Horace  Greeley,  Jefferson  Davis,  Patrick  Henry, 
William  McKinley,  Woodrow  Wilson."  ^ 

In  the  Proceedings  of  the  Congress  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
in  America,  Columbia,  Tennessee,  May  8-11,  1889,  ad- 
dresses were  delivered  by  Ex-Governor  Proctor  Knott,  Pro- 
fessor George  Macloskie,  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.D.,  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Wirt  Henry,  Rev.  David  C.  Kelley,  D.D.,  Colonel 
A.  K.  McClure,  Hon.  Benton  McMillin,  Rev.  John  S.  Mac- 
intosh, and  Hon.  W.  S.  Fleming.  This  volume  contains  a 
mine  of  information  about  the  Scotch-Irish  in  America, 
especially  in  the  Southwest.  A  notable  list  of  men  of  na- 
tional reputation  was  given,  statesmen,  orators,  poets,  jur- 
ists, divines,  inventors,  and  soldiers.  Dr.  Kelley  said: 
"The  Scotch-Irish  have  contributed  more  to  constitutional 
liberty  than  any  other  people.  .  .  .  We  have  the  indomitable, 

^West's  History  of  the  American  People,  pp.   144,   145. 


20  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

prudent,  calculating,  metaphysical,  God-fearing,  tyrant- 
hating  Scotch  brought  by  marriage  into  blood  relationship 
with  the  brave,  reckless,  emotional,  intuitive,  God-loving, 
liberty-adoring  Irish"  (p.  144).  People  like  these  pro- 
duced the  Mechlenburg  Declaration  (p.  147).  The  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church  was  called  the  Scotch-Irish 
Church  (172). 

President  Anderson  also  in  his  Life  of  Donnell  gives  a 
long  list  of  Scotch-Irish  names  of  people  who  settled  in  the 
Cumberland  country. 

Some  of  these  went  first  from  Virginia  to  North  Caro- 
lina before  going  to  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  There 
were  among  them  some  Germans  and  some  French  Hugue- 
nots. John  Sevier,  a  "Watauga  settler,  a  hero  of  King's 
Mountain,  and  the  first  Governor  of  Tennessee,  was  of 
Huguenot  descent. 

It  was  quite  appropriate  that  a  Scotch-Irish  Congress 
should  be  held  in  Middle  Tennessee,  the  very  heart  of  the 
Scotch-Irish  settlements  in  the  Great  Southwest.  Dr.  Kel- 
ley  was  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  Arts  of  Cumberland 
University,  and  Dr.  John  Hall  was  the  eloquent  pastor  of 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  York  City. 
The  purpose  was  to  celebrate  the  achievements  of  the 
Scotch-Irish  who  came  to  America.  From  the  North  Ire- 
land Country  they  had  come  to  Virginia,  North  Carolina, 
and  South  Carolina,  and  thence  over  the  mountains  to 
Tennessee  and  the  bordering  states.  They  were  a  hardy, 
self-reliant  people,  with  the  true  pioneer  spirit  within  them, 
and  they  rapidly  settled  the  new  wilderness  country. 

This  new  wilderness,  especially  that  part  of  it  known 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  21 

as  the  Cumberland  Country,  was  regarded  as  the  "Ca- 
naan of  the  West,"  or  the  "Eden  of  the  Red  Man";  for  it 
was  the  common  hunting  ground  of  four  tribes  of  In- 
dians— the  Creeks,  the  Chickasaws,  the  Cherokees,  and 
the  Shawnees.  The  time  here  referred  to  was  a  httle  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

Nevertheless,  we  cannot  understand  so  well  our  people 
and  their  problems  today  without  some  reference  to  their 
historical  background.  We  must  know  something  of  the 
men — backwoodsmen  they  were,  mostly  Presbyterian 
Scotch-Irish — who  settled  this  Cumberland  Country. 
Some  of  their  forefathers  had  followed  Oliver  Cromwell. 
They  were  the  Puritans  of  the  Southern  colonies,  some- 
what different  from  populations  elsewhere  in  hereditary 
traits,  and  splendid  material  they  were  out  of  which  to 
make  patriotic  citizens  and  devout  followers  of  the  Man 
of  Galilee. 

Only  a  few  references  to  this  history  can  be  given  here. 
Much  more  information  can  be  gathered  from  the  va- 
rious histories  of  Tennessee  by  such  historians  as  Monette, 
Ramsey,  Putnam,  Haywood,  Phelan,  Garrett,  and  McGee; 
and  also  from  The  Safeguards  of  American  Liberty,  by 
William  Bentley  Swaney,  an  alumnus  of  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity. One  of  the  ablest  and  one  of  the  most  satisfactory 
books  on  the  subject  is  Theodore  Roosevelt's  Winning  of 
the  West  (1905).  Almost  as  good  for  our  purpose  is  the 
very  interesting  and  splendidly  written  Life  of  George 
Donnell,  by  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson. 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  referring  to  the  Scotch-Irish  as  "a 
peculiar  and  characteristically  American  people,"  and  as 


22  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

the  "backwoodsmen"  of  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Cumber- 
land Settlement,  says: 

"The  backwoodsmen  were  Americans  by  birth  and 
parentage,  and  of  mixed  race;  but  the  dominant  strain 
in  their  blood  was  that  of  the  Presbyterian  Irish — the 
Scotch-Irish  as  they  were  called.  Full  credit  has  been 
awarded  the  Roundhead  and  the  Cavalier  for  their  leader- 
ship in  our  history;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  we  have  wholly 
realized  the  importance  of  the  part  played  by  that  stern 
and  virile  people,  the  Irish  whose  preachers  taught  the 
creed  of  Knox  and  Calvin.  These  Irish  representatives  of 
the  Covenanters  were  in  the  west  almost  what  the  Puritans 
were  in  the  northeast,  and  more  than  the  Cavaliers  in  the 
south.  Mingled  with  the  descendants  of  many  other 
races,  they  nevertheless  formed  the  kernel  of  the  distinc- 
tively and  intensely  American  stock  who  were  the  pio- 
neers of  our  people  in  their  march  westward,  the  van- 
guard of  the  fighting  settlers,  who  with  axe  and  rifle 
won  their  way  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Rio  Grande 
and  the  Pacific. 

"Among  the  dozen  or  so  most  prominent  backwoods- 
men of  the  west  and  southwest,  the  men  who  were  lead- 
ers in  exploring  and  settling  lands,  and  in  fighting  the 
Indians,  British  and  Mexicans,  the  Presbyterian  Irish  stock 
furnished  Andrew  Jackson,  Samuel  Houston,  David 
Crockett,  James  Robertson;  Lewis,  the  leader  of  the  back- 
woods hosts  in  their  first  great  victory  over  the  north- 
western Indians;  and  Campbell,  their  commander  in  their 
great  victory  over  the  British.  The  other  pioneers  who 
stood  beside  the  above  were  such  men  as  Sevier,  a  Shenan- 
doah Huguenot;  Shelby,  of  Welsh  blood;  and  Boone  and 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  23 

Clark,  both  of  English  stock,  the  former  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  latter  from  Virginia. 

"That  these  Irish  Presbyterians  were  a  bold  and  hardy 
race  is  proved  by  their  at  once  pushing  past  the  settled 
regions  and  plunging  into  the  wilderness  as  the  leaders  of 
the  white  advance.  They  were  the  first  and  the  last  set 
of  immigrants  to  do  this;  all  others  have  merely  followed 
in  the  wake  of  their  predecessors.  But,  indeed,  they  were 
fitted  to  be  Americans  from  the  very  start;  they  were 
kinsfolk  of  the  Covenanters;  they  deemed  it  a  religious 
duty  to  interpret  their  own  Bible,  and  held  for  a  divine 
right  the  election  of  their  own  clergy.  For  generations 
their  whole  ecclesiastic  and  scholastic  systems  had  been 
fundamentally  democratic.  In  the  hard  life  of  the  frontier 
they  lost  much  of  their  religion,  and  they  had  but  scant 
opportunity  to  give  their  children  the  schooling  in  which 
they  believed;  but  what  few  meeting-houses  and  school- 
houses  there  were  on  the  border  were  theirs.  .  .  .  More 
than  any  others  they  impressed  the  stamp  of  their  peculiar 
character  on  the  pioneer  civilization  of  the  west  and  south- 
west. A  single  generation  passed  under  the  hard  condi- 
tions of  life  in  the  wilderness  was  enough  to  weld  together 
into  one  people  the  representatives  of  these  numerous  and 
widely  different  races  .  .  .  one  in  speech,  thought,  and  char- 
acter. .  .  .  They  had  lost  all  sympathy  with  Europe  and 
things  European;  they  had  become  as  emphatically  prod- 
ucts native  to  the  soil  as  were  the  tough  and  supple 
hickories  out  of  which  they  fashioned  the  handles  of  their 
long,  light  axes.  Their  grim,  hard,  narrow  lives  were  yet 
strangely  fascinating  and  full  of  adventurous  toil  and 
danger;   none  but   natures   as  strong,   as   freedom   loving. 


24         A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

as  full  of  bold  defiance  as  theirs  could  have  endured  ex- 
istence on  the  terms  which  these  men  found  pleasurable. 
. .  .  Thus  the  backwoodsmen  lived  on  the  clearings  they  had 
hewed  out  of  the  everlasting  forests;  a  grim,  stern  people 
.  .  .  the  love  of  freedom  rooted  in  their  very  heart's  core. 
.  .  .  They  were  also  upright,  resolute,  and  fearless,  loyal  to 
their  friends,  and  devoted  to  their  country.  In  spite  of 
their  many  failings,  they  were  of  all  men  best  fitted  to 
conquer  the  wilderness  and  hold  it  against  all  comers."  '^ 

In  his  Life  of  George  Donnell,  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson  de- 
votes several  interesting  chapters  to  the  history  of  the 
Scotch-Irish — their  life  in  North  Ireland,  their  coming  to 
America,  their  thrilling  experiences  in  North  Carolina, 
and  their  achievements  in  the  Cumberland  Country  of 
Tennessee.  From  this  writer  one  may  learn  that  Rev. 
George  Donnell's  father,  George  Donnell,  Sr.,  was  a  ruling 
elder  in  the  Alamance  Presbyterian  Church  in  North  Caro- 
lina. Dr.  David  Caldwell  was  the  able  and  broad-minded 
pastor  of  this  church.  The  colonial  governor,  William 
Tryon,  and  his  tyrannical  and  insolent  tax  collectors,  un- 
dertook to  collect  fraudulent  taxes  from  the  Scotch-Irish, 
who  protested  in  public  meetings  against  the  corrupt 
officers,  adopted  resolutions  to  the  effect  that  they  would 
pay  no  more  taxes  except  in  accordance  with  law,  and, 
further,  that  they  would  pay  no  more  taxes  than  the  law 
allows.  Governor  Tryon  then  came  with  his  army  to 
quell  those  protesting,  now  called  the  Regulators.  In  1771 
a  battle  was  fought  at  Alamance  Creek.  Nine  of  the 
Regulators  and  twenty-seven  of  the  Royalist  party  were 
killed,  and  the  Regulators  were  defeated.    Thus  "Almance 

^  Winning  of  the  West,  pp.  134,  138,  139,  141,  170. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  25 

was  baptized  with  the  first  blood  of  the  Revolution."  On 
May  20,  1775,  the  Scotch-Irish,  though  defeated  at  Ala- 
mance, met  in  Charlotte  and  adopted  a  ''Declaration  of 
Independence,"  the  first  on  American  soil,  since  it  was 
adopted  more  than  a  year  before  the  Declaration  by  the 
Continental  Congress,  Philadelphia,  July  4,  1776.  Two 
of  the  resolutions  taken  from  the  Mechlenburg  Declara- 
tion are  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  that  we,  the  citizens  of  Mechlenburg  coun- 
ty, do  hereby  dissolve  the  political  bonds  which  have  con- 
nected us  with  the  mother  country,  and  hereby  absolve 
ourselves  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and  ab- 
jure all  political  connection,  contract,  or  association  with 
that  nation,  who  have  wantonly  trampled  upon  our  rights 
and  liberties,  and  inhumanly  shed  the  blood  of  American 
patriots  at  Lexington. 

"Resolved,  that  we  do  hereby  declare  ourselves  a  free 
and  independent  people;  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  a 
sovereign  and  self-governing  association,  under  the  con- 
trol of  no  power,  other  than  that  of  our  God  and  the 
General  Congress;  to  the  maintenance  of  which  inde- 
pendence we  solemnly  pledge  to  each  other  our  mutual 
co-operation,  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  most  sacred 
honor."  " 

This  was  a  great  document,  and  one  which  immortal- 
ized its  makers.  This  was  no  sounding  of  a  retreat.  These 
men  did  not  turn  their  backs,  but,  as  Robert  Browning 
would  say,  marched  "breast  forward."  They  "never 
dreamed,  though  right  were  worsted,  wrong  would  tri- 
umph."    When  the  Revolution  of  1776  came,  they  were 

"Life  of  Donnell,  pp.  43-48;  McGee's  History  of  Tennessee,  pp.  39,  40. 


26  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

in  "the  thickest  of  the  fight."  Vast  throngs  of  these 
people,  who  immigrated  into  Tennessee,  carried  this  spirit 
with  them.  Those  who  were  reHgious  prized  the  Bible, 
the  Iiymn  book,  and  the  catechism.  "They  feared  God. 
but  nothing  else." 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  "War,  and  as  late 
as  1794,  the  Creek  and  Cherokee  Indians  continued  their 
depredations  against  the  Cumberland  Settlements.  Dr. 
T.  C.  Anderson,  in  his  Life  of  George  Donnell,  and  Dr. 
Richard  Beard,  in  his  Biographical  Sketches,  tell  how  Col- 
onel Joseph  Brown,  who  later  became  a  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  minister  and  a  staunch  friend  of  Cumber- 
land University,  led  a  body  of  soldiers,  including  the 
young  and  gallant  Andrew  Jackson,  against  the  Indians 
occupying  the  Nickajack  towns  twenty  miles  below  Chat- 
tanooga, on  the  south  side  of  the  Tennessee  River,  and 
drove  them  out  of  the  country.  Then  an  immense  tide  of 
immigration  from  East  Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  and 
Virginia  flowed  into  the  valleys  of  the  Cumberland  River.*^ 

In  1796  Tennessee,  with  76,000  inhabitants  and  John 
Sevier  as  the  first  governor,  was  formally  admitted  as  a 
state  into  the  Union.  In  1783  Martin  Academy,  Dr.  Sam- 
uel Doak's  School,  was  incorporated  by  North  Carolina. 
In  1795  the  territorial  legislature  chartered  Martin  Acad- 
emy as  Washington  College.  In  1794  Greene  College, 
with  Rev.  Hezekiah  Balch  as  president,  was  founded  at 
Greeneville,  Tennessee.  Blount  College  (later  the  Uni- 
versity of  Tennessee)   was  founded  at  Knoxville  in  1796 

^  See  Anderson's  Life  of  Donnell,  p.  84,  and  Beard's  Sketches,  pp.  217-239. 
President  Anderson  uses  the  spelling,  Nickajack.  So  does  Ramsey  in  his 
Annals.  Judge  T.  E.  Matthews  in  his  fames  Robertson,  1934,  pp.  36J-369, 
prefers  Nickojack. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  27 

with  Rev.  Samuel  Carrick  as  president.  One  of  our  his- 
torians says  this  was  "probably  the  first  non-sectarian 
college  chartered  in  the  United  States." 

When  Tennessee  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  1796, 
there  were  only  three  counties  in  Middle  Tennessee — 
Davidson,  Sumner,  and  Tennessee  (Montgomery).  "Until 
1799,  when  the  first  wagon  road  was  opened  from  Knox- 
ville  to  Nashville,  the  country  had  been  approached  by  a 
solitary  Indian  trail,  or  path,  through  the  dense  forest 
and  the  interminable  cane-break,  barely  wide  enough  to 
admit  a  single  pack  horse."  Canebreaks  covered  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country  which  in  1799  was  organized  into 
Wilson  County,  and  in  which  is  located  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity. The  Presbyterians  were  the  first  to  bring  the 
gospel  to  the  Cumberland  Country.  The  gospel  was  un- 
doubtedly needed,  for  many  of  the  pioneers  had  their 
minds  centered  on  material  possessions,  and  so  forgot  God. 
Atheism  was  quite  common  and  was  easily  spread. 

In  the  fall  of  1799  Rev.  William  McGee,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  preached  the  first  sermon  heard  in  Wilson  Coun- 
ty. It  was  delivered  in  the  residence  of  William  McClain. 
Mr.  McClain  was  the  father  of  the  first  male  child  born  in 
the  county,  Josiah  S.  McClain,  who  for  a  long  period  was 
a  Trustee  of  Cumberland  University,  and  the  grandfather 
of  Grafton  Green,  the  present  Chief  Justice  of  the  Ten- 
nessee Supreme  Court.  The  first  church  in  Wilson  County 
was  the  Spring  Creek  Presbyterian  Church,  organized  near 
Lebanon  in  1800.  It  was  organized  by  Dr.  James  Hall,  a 
noted  Presbyterian  minister  of  North  Carolina;  and  Rev. 
Samuel  Donnell,  from  the  famous  Alamance  Church  in 
North  Carolina,  was  the  first  pastor.     Rev.  George  Don- 


28  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

nell,  who  had  much  to  do  in  the  founding  of  Cumber- 
land University,  was  for  a  time  a  member  of  that  church, 
and  his  father  was  a  ruHng  elder  in  it.^° 

To  further  emphasize  the  important  role  played  by  the 
Scotch-Irish  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  it  may  be 
stated  that,  even  if  we  include  only  the  paternal  ancestry, 
six  of  our  Presidents  were  of  Scotch-Irish  descent:  Andrew 
Jackson,  James  K.  Polk,  James  Buchanan,  Chester  Alan 
Arthur,  William  McKinley,  and  Woodrow  Wilson. 

The  Great  Revival  of  1800 

The  men  who  established  Cumberland  University  came 
out  of  the  "Great  Revival  of  1800,"  which  had  its  origin 
in  the  Cumberland  Country.  This  history-making  re- 
vival, which  burned  so  brightly  and  whose  light  shone  so 
far  down  the  stream  of  time,  was  lighted  at  Presbyterian 
altar  fires.  The  church  of  Scotland  was  born  in  a  great 
awakening  under  John  Knox  and  others  like  him.  "Near 
the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century,"  says  Dr.  Edwin  F. 
Hatfield,  "under  the  ministry  of  such  divines  as  Wishart, 
Cooper,  and  Welsh,  all  Scotland  was  visited  by  an  ex- 
traordinary effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  mightily  were 
men  affected,  that  the  whole  General  Assembly,  four  hun- 
dred ministers  and  elders,  while  renewing  their  solemn 
league  and  covenant,  with  sighs  and  groans  and  tears, 
were  swayed  by  the  Spirit  as  the  leaves  of  the  forest  by 
the  mighty  rushing  wind  of  the  driving  tempest."  In 
the  notable  work  begun  in  1630  under  the  preaching  of 
Bruce  and  Livingston  as  many  as  five  hundred  citizens  of 

^"Anderson's  Donnell,  p.  85;  Goodspeed's  History  of  Tennessee,  Wilson 
County,  pp.  841,  860. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  29 

Scotland  were  converted  in  a  day.  Again  in  1638,  when 
the  covenant  was  signed,  and  the  whole  country  was 
moved,  in  one  day  Livingston  saw  one  thousand  men  and 
women,  with  the  tears  falling  down  their  faces,  giving 
themselves  to  God.^^ 

A  century  later  another  remarkable  revival  swept  over 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  under  the  leadership  of 
Wesley  and  Whitefield;  and  this  great  work  was  per- 
petuated in  America,  under  the  powerful  preaching  of 
Edwards,  Bellamy,  and  the  Tennents.  In  1800  the  same 
work  was  continued  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  by  such 
men  as  James  McGready,  William  McGee,  and  Finis  Ewing. 
This  was  a  successful  and  widespread  movement,  and  one 
which  had  a  profound,  uplifting,  and  permanent  effect 
upon  the  people  who  came  under  its  influence.  The  meet- 
ing held  by  James  McGready  at  Gasper,  in  Logan  County, 
Kentucky,  in  July,  1800,  is  said  to  have  been  "the  first 
camp-meeting  ever  held  in  Christendom."  Revivals  of 
religion  are  to  be  judged  by  the  fruit  they  bear.  They 
bear  good  fruit  when,  to  use  the  language  of  the  De- 
sign of  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  they  enable 
men  "to  possess  a  portion  of  the  spirit  of  the  original 
propagators  of  the  faith,  prepared  to  make  every  sacrifice, 
to  endure  every  hardship,  and  to  render  every  service 
which  the  promotion  of  pure  and  undefiled  religion  may 
require." 

^^  Article  on  Revivals  in  the  Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopedia,  pp.  2039-2040, 
by  Dr.  Edwin  Francis  Hatfield,  Moderator  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  1883.  See  also  Cossitt's  Life  of  Ewhig  and  Mc- 
Donnold's  Church  History.  In  W.  B.  Posey's  Development  of  Methodism  in 
the  Old  Southwest,  1783-1824,  there  is  a  chapter  on  revivals,  pp.   17-34. 


30  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

The  Movement  for  Education 

As  other  great  spirits  east  of  the  Cumberland  Moun- 
tains, in  the  oldest  communities  of  Tennessee,  these  men 
of  the  Cumberland  Country  believed  in  education  and  in 
a  teaching  church,  and  hence  in  training  intelligent  lead- 
ers, whether  ministers  or  laymen.  The  need  was  very 
great,  and  it  was  recognized  as  such. 

Says  William  Mason  West: 

"The  Southwest,  we  have  seen,  was  a  self-developed 
section.  Except  for  Henderson's  futile  project  [his  land 
scheme  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee],  there  was  no  pater- 
nalism. No  statesman  planned  its  settlements;  no  general 
directed  the  conquest  of  territory;  no  older  government. 
State  or  federal,  fostered  development.  The  land  was  won 
from  savage  man  and  savage  nature  by  little  bands  of  self- 
associated  backwoodsmen,  piece  by  piece,  from  the  Wa- 
taugua  to  the  Rio  Grande,  in  countless  bloody  but  isolated 
skirmishes,  generation  after  generation.  Settlem.ent  pre- 
ceded governmental  organization."  ^^ 

Even  New  England  had  scarcely  made  a  start  in  ele- 
mentary public  school  education  in  1830.  Massachusetts, 
led  by  Horace  Mann,  created  its  first  State  Board  of  Edu- 
cation in  1837.  It  was  not  until  this  period  that  there 
came  to  be  a  more  or  less  general  demand  for  free  educa- 
tion. Private  academies  and  colleges,  backed  by  various 
Christian  denominations,  came  first.  To  the  churches 
must  be  given  the  credit  for  leading  the  way  in  American 
education,  a  fact  forgotten  by  many.  The  people  of 
New  England  and  the  tidewater  States  had  the  best  start 
and  the  decided  advantage  in  the  field  of  the  higher  edu- 

^"  West's  History  of  the  American  People,  p.  257. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  3  1 

cation.  They  had  Harvard,  Yale,  King's  College,  the  Col- 
lege of  New  Jersey,  William  and  Mary,  and  numerous 
other  institutions  of  higher  learning.  The  wealth  of  the 
country  was  concentrated  in  those  centers.  The  flowering 
of  American  literature  had  its  origin  in  those  communi- 
ties. They  had  the  printing  presses,  the  newspapers,  the 
books,  and  the  public  libraries.  It  is  said  that  the  credit 
for  having  the  first  public  library  is  to  be  given  to  Charles- 
ton, South  Carolina.  The  Atlantic  States  and  the  North- 
east had  the  orators,  the  writers,  the  historians,  and  the 
scientists.  They  had  Noah  and  Daniel  Webster,  Calhoun, 
Irving,  Bryant,  Edward  Everett,  Joseph  Worcester,  Emer- 
son, Hawthorne,  Holmes,  Longfellow,  Lowell,  Poe,  Whit- 
tier,  Bancroft,  Prescott,  Agassiz,  Dana,  Gray,  Kent,  and 
Story. 

The  South  and  Southwest  had  a  later  start,  and  the  least 
developed  resources  with  which  to  make  adequate  provi- 
sion for  education,  whether  public  or  private.  Then, 
after  the  Civil  War,  when  nearly  all  was  swept  away,  an 
entirely  new  beginning  had  to  be  made.  The  recovery 
has  been  a  slow  process,  and  the  progress  has  been  im- 
peded by  many  unforeseen  difficulties. 

The  movement  for  education  in  the  Cumberland  Coun- 
try began  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in  1806,  or  even  earlier. 
This  effort,  as  we  have  seen,  flowered  into  the  old  Univer- 
sity of  Nashville,  now  a  part  of  the  George  Peabody  Col- 
lege for  Teachers.  By  1830  the  Cumberland  Country  had 
rapidly  extended  its  boundaries,  so  to  speak,  until  it  in- 
cluded Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and 
some  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  River.     At  any  rate 


32  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

the  problems  of  church  extension  and  education  covered 
all  this  area  and  more.^^ 

The  church  needed  an  educated  ministry,  and  there 
were  young  people  in  rapidly  growing  numbers  to  be  edu- 
cated. But  the  educators  were  few.  It  was  not  until 
during  Governor  Neill  S.  Brown's  administration  (1847- 
49)  that  the  Tennessee  Legislature  was  induced  to  levy  a 
tax  for  the  support  of  public  schools,  and  this  provision 
was  only  poorly  carried  out.  The  office  of  State  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction  in  Tennessee  was  created  in 
1835,  abolished  in  1843,  re-created  in  1865,  provided  for 
in  the  constitution  of  1870,  and  again  created  in  1873,  dur- 
ing the  administration  of  Governor  John  C.  Brown.  But 
the  church  has  had,  and  still  has,  its  own  field  and  its  own 
task,  especially  in  the  matter  of  Christian  education.  It 
would  be  unwise  to  delegate  this  task  to  any  other  agen- 
cy, even  if  it  desired  to  do  so.  Its  ministerial  and  mis- 
sionary recruits  and  other  workers  specially  trained  for 
Christian  service  always  have,  and  always  will,  come,  as  a 
rule,  from  the  Christian  college.  In  some  way  the  stu- 
dents from  these  colleges  get  a  good  start  in  education,  as 
is  proved  by  their  usual  high  standing  in  the  graduate 
schools  throughout  the  nation. 

But  Christian  colleges  in  the  Cumberland  Country  could 
never  have  been  established  without  the  self-denial,  devo- 
tion, heroism,  and  courage  of  the  men  who  founded  them. 
Nor  could  it  be  said  that  they  were  founded  when  not 
needed.     These  colleges  were  founded  when  society  could 

^'^  Goodspeed's  History  of  Tennessee,  p.  442;  Peabody  Reflector  and  Alum- 
ni News,  October,  1933,  article  by  J.  E.  Windrow,  Alumni  Secretary,  on 
"George  Peabody  College  and  the  Lindsley  Family."  Also  Theological  Me- 
dium, October,  1876,  article  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Lindsley,  p.  390. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  33 

not  do  without  them,  and  society  should  be  glad  to  ac- 
knowledge its  indebtedness.  Adequate  buildings,  equip- 
ment, endowment,  libraries,  and  laboratories  were  not  yet 
provided.  The  resources  for  supplying  these  needs  were 
purely  local  and  very  meager.  There  were  neither  Boards 
nor  Foundations.  There  were  no  philanthropists  to  whom 
appeal  could  be  made.  Educational  enterprises  like  these 
must  of  necessity  begin  with  nothing  except  hunger  and 
thirst,  faith  and  resolution,  consecration  and  industry. 
Nevertheless,  the  capacity  for  self-help,  expenditure  of 
self  and  the  finest  form  of  altruism,  was  not  absent. 

The  first  effort  of  some  of  these  pioneers  west  of  the 
Cumberland  Mountains  was  to  establish  Cumberland  Col- 
lege at  Princeton,  Kentucky,  in  1826.  The  promoters 
were  agitating  this  movement  in  1825  and  even  some 
years  earlier.  They  began  with  a  preparatory  school  and 
a  college  in  log  houses.  The  enterprise  was  not  very  pre- 
tentious, but  it  was  theirs.  They  had  recently  bought 
from  Mercer  "Wadlington,  for  six  thousand  dollars,  a  farm 
of  several  hundred  acres  near  Princeton,  on  which  they 
might  build  a  liberal  arts  college;  a  farm  school  it  was, 
where  young  men  (it  was  not  co-educational)  could  earn 
something  to  help  pay  their  way.  Rev.  Franceway  Ranna 
Cossitt,  D.D.,  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  College,  Vermont, 
was  the  first  president.  Prof.  C.  G.  McPherson  and  Dr. 
T.  C.  Anderson  were  among  the  teachers.  There  were 
five  presidents  of  the  College  from  1826  to  1861,  one  of 
whom  was  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  who  later  did  his  greatest 
work  in  Cumberland  University. 

Many  distinguished  men  were  graduated  from  this 
school,   a   few   of  whom   may   be  mentioned   here:    Rev. 


34  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

A.  J.  Baird,  D.D.,  an  eloquent  and  able  pastor  of  the  First 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  in  Nashville  and  a  theo- 
logical lecturer  in  Cumberland  University;  Dr.  B.  W.  Mc- 
Donnold,  the  third  president  of  Cumberland  University; 
Rev.  William  A.  Scott,  D.D.,  of  a  San  Francisco  theo- 
logical seminary,  and  a  leading  Presbyterian  on  the  Pacific 
Coast;  Judge  R.  C.  Ewing,  at  one  time  Professor  of  Law 
in  Trinity  University;  Rev.  Herschel  S.  Porter,  D.D.,  the 
eloquent  minister  who  held  pastorates  in  Philadelphia, 
Pittsburgh,  and  Memphis;  and  Dr.  Stanford  G.  Burney, 
Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  in  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity. But  there  were  insurmountable  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  the  success  of  the  school  in  Princeton.  The  principal 
one  was  the  lack  of  money. ^^ 

A  little  prior  to  1842,  such  men  as  Robert  Donnell,  one 
of  the  foremost  preachers  of  his  day,  began  to  think  of 
another  location.  This  idea  was  opposed  by  the  trustees 
and  some  of  the  friends  of  the  Princeton  institution,  such 
men  as  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  Dr.  Milton  Bird,  and  Rev.  Joel 
Lambert.  Nevertheless,  in  March,  18  54,  twelve  years  later, 
Dr.  Richard  Beard  rem.oved  to  Lebanon  to  become  a  theo- 
logical professor  in  Cumberland  University.  To  do  so,  he 
resigned  as  president  of  Cumberland  College.  This  he  did 
in  February,  18  54.  Cumberland  College  continued  its 
work  in  some  form  until  1861,  so  one  may  glean  from  a 
sketch  of  the  college  written  in  1876  by  Dr.  Richard 
Beard,  above  mentioned.  No  part  of  the  material  assets 
of  that  institution  ever  came  to  Lebanon;  however,  four 
of  its  most  valuable  men  came,  Prof.  C.  G.  McPherson, 

^^  Dr.  Richard  Beard's  "History  of  Cumberland  College,"  Theological 
Medium,  April,  1876,  pp.  13  0-172. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE  3  5 

Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt,  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson,  and  Dr.  Richard 
Beard. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Macon  A.  Leiper,  Libra- 
rian of  the  Kentucky  Collection  at  the  Western  Kentucky 
State  Teachers'  College,  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  the 
author  has  permission  to  use  a  quotation  from  an  intimate, 
family  letter  written  by  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt  to  his  brother, 
Ambrose  Cossitt,  Claremont,  New  Hampshire,  November 
22,  1828.  The  letter  is  true  to  the  facts,  although  it  seems 
to  be  in  violation  of  his  usual  modesty.  The  reference  is 
to  Cumberland  College,  while  Dr.  Cossitt  was  its  presi- 
dent: 

"This  college  owes  its  existence  to  me.  This  is  ac- 
knowledged by  all.  I  proposed  the  plan,  the  Synod  adopt- 
ed it.  I  have  had  a  great  share  in  its  location,  organiza- 
tion and  progress.  I  look  upon  it  with  the  eye  of  a  parent, 
and,  as  its  first  President,  my  interests  are  identified  with 
it.  It  receives  abundant  patronage  from  most  of  the 
Western  States.  We  have  students  from  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Missouri,  Arkansas,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Alabama, 
Louisiana,  and  Georgia.  This  College  is  far  surpassing  the 
older  Colleges  of  the  West,  and  has  now  a  greater  number 
of  students,  it  is  said,  than  any  other.  The  labouring  plan 
suits  the  wealthy  planters.  They  have  seen  the  evil  of 
raising  their  children  without  labour.  .  .  .  The  rich  and 
the  learned  universally  approve  of  this  plan.  Some  rea- 
sons have  led  me  to  believe  that  this  plan  of  a  College  will 
eventually  become  universal.  They  are  introducing  our 
system  into  several  other  Colleges." 


Chapter  II 
CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED 

At  its  meeting  in  May,  1842,  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  appointed  a  com- 
mittee, with  Rev.  Robert  Donnell  as  its  chairman,  to  re- 
ceive bids  for  the  location  of  a  college.  On  July  1,  1842, 
this  committee  met  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  "to  select  a 
suitable  location  for  the  establishment  of  a  new  institu- 
tion," to  use  the  words  in  the  brief  history  by  Dr.  J.  Ber- 
rien Lindsley.  Due  notice  had  been  given  to  the  public 
before  the  meeting  of  the  committee.  The  committee 
received  and  deliberated  upon  bids  from  several  commu- 
nities. It  decided  that  the  best  bid  was  made  by  a  delega- 
tion of  citizens  from  Lebanon,  Tennessee.  Their  offer,  to 
secure  the  location,  was  $10,000  in  cash  for  the  erection  of 
a  college  building.  It  is  to  be  understood  that  this  was 
the  first  unit  of  the  building,  and  did  not  include  the 
two  wings,  which  were  not  erected  until  18  58-59. 

The  committee  immediately  appointed  a  Board  of  Trus- 
tees. On  July  9  the  Board  of  Trustees  met  and  went  into 
a  permanent  organization,  with  Robert  L.  Caruthers  as 
President  and  Josiah  S.  McClain  as  Secretary.  Steps  were 
taken  also  in  the  selection  of  a  faculty.  F.  R.  Cossitt, 
D.D.,  was  selected  as  President;  Rev.  C.  G.  McPherson,  as 
Professor  of  Mathematics;  and  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson,  as 
Professor  of  Languages.  There  was  as  yet  no  charter,  and 
hence  no  legal  name  for  the  institution.  At  the  same 
meeting  a  committee  on  preliminary  matters  was  appoint- 

(36) 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  37 

ed.  On  July  29  the  Board  had  another  meeting  at  which 
the  previously  appointed  committee  reported  that  fifty 
students  could  get  boarding  in  Lebanon  at  two  dollars 
per  week,  including  washing,  fuel,  and  lights.  At  this 
meeting,  also,  the  salary  of  the  president  was  fixed  at 
twelve  hundred  dollars  and  that  of  the  professors  at  one 
thousand  dollars,  with  a  proviso  that  no  buildings  or  other 
property  of  the  institution  should  be  responsible  for  said 
salaries;  and  it  was  also  provided  that  the  trustees  in- 
dividually should  incur  no  liabilities  for  the  payment  of 
said  salaries — any  deficiency  in  salary  to  be  paid  at  any 
future  time  when  funds,  properly  set  aside  for  salaries, 
shall  have  sufficient  surplus,  after  meeting  current  ex- 
penses.^ 

The  Trustees,  for  the  most  part,  were  members  of  the 
local  church,  of  which  Rev.  George  Donnell  was  the  pas- 
tor.- Practically  all  of  the  $  1 0,000,  which  had  been  pledged 
to  secure  the  location,  came  from  the  Trustees.  Robert 
L.  Caruthers,  the  President  of  the  Board,  was  the  chief 
donor.  The  entire  amount  promised  was  paid  into  the 
treasury  at  once,  and  the  contract  was  let  for  the  erection 
of  the  building  on  South  College  Street.  This  building 
was  first  occupied  in  February,  1844.  In  the  meantime 
the  classes  were  taught  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  now  an  old  church  building  on  North  Cumber- 
land Street. 

The  new  building  when  completed,  and  especially  after 
the  two  wings  were  added  in   18  58-59,  was  one  of  the 

^Theological  Medium,  October,  1876,  pp.  386,  387,  388. 

"On  January  10,  1844,  the  Trustees  adopted  a  resolution  to  the  effect  that 
a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  Board  should  be  members  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church. 


38  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

handsomest  college  buildings  in  the  entire  South.  Such 
was  the  opinion  expressed  to  the  present  writer  by  the 
late  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons,  a  philanthropist  of  Chicago,  who 
visited  Lebanon  and  Cumberland  University  not  long 
after  the  completion  of  the  building.  The  Trustees  were 
proud  of  their  achievement  in  the  erection  of  this  building, 
judging  by  expressions  in  the  catalogue  and  by  the  ap- 
proval of  the  friends  of  the  institution  in  various  parts 
of  the  country.  At  the  time,  1859,  it  was  adequate  for 
the  housing  of  the  College  of  Arts,  the  Law  School,  the 
Theological  School,  and  for  dormitory  purposes. 

Without  hesitation  one  can  say  that  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity was  founded  by  men  of  the  highest  type.  They 
were  all  leading  citizens  and  churchmen.  In  the  first 
place,  much  was  due  to  the  church  in  Lebanon,  founded 
by  Rev.  George  Donnell,  the  great-grandfather  of  the 
present  Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts  of  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity, William  Donnell  Young.  Here,  in  Lebanon,  was 
organized  in  1845  the  first  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
Church.  Here  originated  the  plan  for  the  organization 
of  the  Woman's  Board  of  Missions;  here  were  the  men 
who  were  chiefly  responsible  for  calling  into  being  the 
Theological  School  of  the  University;  and  here  was  pub- 
lished one  of  the  earliest  church  papers.'^ 

Lebanon  was  a  suitable  place  for  the  location  of  a  Chris- 
tian institution  of  learning.  The  town  was  founded  in 
1802  by  liberty-loving  Americans,  nearly  all  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.     Some  of  them  were  in  the  Revolutionary 

^  The  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  which  met  in  Lebanon  in  1845 
provided  for  the  organization  of  a  Board  of  Education,  or  Educational  So- 
ciety. The  publication  of  the  Banner  of  Peace,  the  church  paper,  was  begun 
in  Lebanon  in  1844. 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  39 

War.  Lebanon  has  been  always  noted  for  its  people  of 
culture.  It  has  had  in  its  citizenship  many  men  of  promi- 
nence, both  in  the  State  and  in  the  Church.  It  has  fur- 
nished four  Governors  of  Tennessee:  James  C.  Jones,  1841- 
45;  William  B.  Campbell,  1851-53;  and  Robert  L. 
Caruthers,  1863,  who  did  not  serve,  owing  to  the  Civil 
War  going  on  at  that  time.  The  noted  Sam  Houston,  the 
hero  of  Texas  Independence,  was  a  resident  of  Lebanon 
for  one  year,  1818-19,  and  during  this  period  rose  rapidly 
as  a  practicing  lawyer.  He,  too,  was  Governor  of  Ten- 
nessee, that  is,  from  1827  to  the  time  of  his  strange  and 
untimely  resignation  in  April,  1829.  Also,  Lebanon  has 
had  five  congressmen:  Samuel  Hogg,  1815-17;  Robert  L. 
Caruthers,  1841-43;  William  B.  Campbell,  1865-67;  Ed- 
ward I.  Golladay,  1871-73;  and  Haywood  Y.  Riddle, 
1875-79.  Samuel  Hogg  was  one  of  Lebanon's  first  town 
commissioners  (1807-09).  James  C.  Jones,  Robert  L. 
Caruthers,  Edward  I.  Golladay,  and  Haywood  Y.  Riddle 
were  all  Trustees  of  Cumberland  University.  James  C. 
Jones  was  United  States  Senator  from  1851-57.  Henry 
Cooper,  a  professor  of  law  in  Cumberland  University  for 
two  years,  1866-68,  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Sen- 
ate over  ex-President  Andrew  Johnson. 

For  nearly  a  century  Lebanon  has  been  a  center  for 
meetings  of  the  presbytery,  the  synod  or  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  Church.  Lebanon  has  had  the  honor  and 
privilege  of  entertaining  the  General  Assembly  four  times 
—in  1838,  1845,  1855,  1878.  The  historical  importance 
of  all  these  gatherings,  and  of  many  others  akin  to  them, 
was  due  in  no  small  measure  to  the  influence  and  leader- 


40  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ship  of  the  heroic  and  stalwart  men  connected  with  Cum- 
berland University. 

The  First  Trustees 

In  the  summer  of  1842  the  committee  which  selected 
Lebanon  as  the  site  of  the  new  institution  also  appointed 
the  following  leading  citizens  of  Lebanon  to  serve  as  a 
Board  of  Trustees:  James  C.  Jones,  Zachariah  Tolliver, 
Thompson  Anderson,  Nathan  Cartmel,  M.  A.  Price,  Jo- 
siah  S.  McClain,  Miles  McCorkle,  Andrew  Allison,  "William 
L.  Martin,  Jordan  Stokes,  Benjamin  R.  Owen,  Thomas  J. 
Munford,  and  Robert  L.  Caruthers.  These  men  secured  a 
charter  for  the  institution  from  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee on  December  30,  1843.  As  was  the  case  with  the 
charter  of  Washington  and  Jefferson  College,  this  charter 
made  no  reference  to  any  particular  denomination  of 
Christians.  All  but  two  of  the  Trustees,  however,  were 
members  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
loyalty  of  the  institution  to  the  welfare  of  the  Church, 
under  whose  patronage  it  was,  and  with  which  it  was 
closely  affiliated,  has  not  been  easy  to  excel.^ 

The  shortest  term  of  service  of  the  first  Trustees  was 
that  of  Thomas  Anderson,  who  ceased  to  be  a  member  of 

*  The  list  of  Trustees,  as  originally  appointed  by  the  Assembly  Committee, 
did  not  include  two  names  given  here:  James  C.  Jones  and  M.  A.  Price,  but 
included  Robert  M.  Burton  and  Joseph  W.  Allen  (Minutes  of  the  Board, 
July  9,  1842).  Robert  L.  Caruthers  and  Joseph  W.  Allen  were  not  present  at 
this  first  meeting.  Nor  were  they  present  at  meetings  of  the  Board  July  16, 
July  23,  July  29,  July  3  0.  Joseph  W.  Allen  was  present  on  August  9  and 
August  15.  Robert  L.  Caruthers  was  present  for  the  first  time  May  1,  1843. 
He  was  a  member  of  Congress.  The  list  of  Trustees  as  given  above  is  the 
list  as  it  appears  in  the  original  charter,  secured  December  3  0,  1843:  For 
some  reason  Robert  M.  Burton  and  Joseph  W.  Allen  did  not  continue  to 
serve.  There  is  no  mention  of  the  charter  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Board  until 
January  12,  1844,  the  time  of  "the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  under  the 
charter  of  incorporation,"  the  Minutes  say. 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  41 

the  Board  January  3,  1846.  Robert  Looney  Caruthers 
served  as  president  until  his  death  in  1882.  His  succes- 
sor, Dr.  Andrew  B.  Martin,  served  as  president  of  the 
Board  from  1882  until  his  death  in  May,  1920.  Dr. 
Martin's  successor  was  Dr.  Dayton  A.  Dobbs,  who  is  still 
the  president  of  the  Board. 

The  Founder  of  the  University 

Judge  Robert  Looney  Caruthers  had  more  to  do  with 
the  founding  of  Cumberland  University  than  any  other 
person.  He  was  born  near  Carthage,  Tennessee,  July  31, 
1800,  and  studied  at  Washington  College,  in  East  Ten- 
nessee. According  to  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin,  and  the  Biograph- 
ical Directory  of  Congress,  1928,  he  was  also  a  student  of 
Greeneville  College,  Greeneville,  Tennessee.  He  read  law 
under  Judge  Samuel  Powell,  Greeneville,  and  he  began  the 
practice  of  it  in  Carthage.  He  was  Clerk  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Tennessee  Legislature,  in  1823;  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Sam  Houston  Attorney  General  in 
his  district  in  1827;  and  was  commissioned  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral of  the  Militia  in  1834.  He  served  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature in  1 8  3  5 ;  in  the  United  States  Congress,  1841-43;  and 
in  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States,  1861-63." 

Many  were  the  calls  which  he  had  to  public  service.  He 
was  a  presidential  elector  in  1841;  succeeded  John  Bell  in 
Congress  in  1841,  for  a  term  of  two  years;  was  presiden- 
tial elector  in  1844;  was  appointed  by  Gov.  W.  B.  Camp- 
bell a  judge  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court  in  18  52,  suc- 
ceeding  Nathan   Green,    Sr.,    and    served   until    the   Civil 

"  See  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin's  Address  on  the  Lite  and  Character  of  Judge 
Robert  L.  Caruthers,  June  6,  1883  (printed  in  catalogue,  1883,  and  in  pam- 
phlet form). 


42  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

War;  was  re-elected  by  the  legislature  in  18  53,  and,  on  a 
change  in  the  constitution,  by  the  people  in  18  54.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Peace  Congress  in  Washington  in 
1861,  joining  Robert  Hatton  and  others  in  doing  every- 
thing possible  to  avert  war.  He  was  elected  Governor  of 
Tennessee  in  1863,  but  did  not  serve,  owing  to  the  terrible 
war  that  was  raging. 

From  the  very  beginning,  Judge  Caruthers  was  a  staunch 
supporter  of  the  University,  in  all  its  departments.  He 
was  made  Professor  of  Law  in  the  University  in  1868, 
which  position  he  held  until  his  death.  He  was  a  ruling 
elder  in  the  Lebanon  congregation,  and  was  a  frequent 
member  of  the  presbytery,  synod,  and  General  Assembly. 
Abram  Caruthers,  the  first  professor  of  law  in  Cumber- 
land University,  was  his  brother.  Caruthers  Hall,  built  in 
1877,  was  named  for  him.  The  Caruthers  Literary  Society 
also  takes  his  name.  "His  influence  for  good  was  wide- 
spread, deep  and  permanent."  In  1845,  when  a  great  fire 
swept  through  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  Judge  Caruthers 
contributed  a  thousand  dollars  to  the  sufferers. 

At  the  time  of  the  revival  of  religion  which  was  held 
under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  George  Donnell  in  the  Leban- 
on Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  in  1831,  two  of  the 
nieces  of  the  wife  of  President  Andrew  Jackson  united 
with  this  church.  One  of  these  nieces  was  the  wife  of 
Col.  Robert  M.  Burton  and  the  other,  the  wife  of  Judge 
Robert  L.  Caruthers,  who  became  a  member  of  the  church 
before  her  husband  did.  In  a  letter  written  to  Colonel 
Burton  by  Andrew  Jackson  from  Washington,  D.  C, 
November  24,  1831,  the  President  says  that  he  is  gratified 
to  learn  that  his  nieces  have  joined  the  church.     He  only 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  43 

wishes  their  two  husbands  would  follow  their  example. 
He  rejoices,  however,  with  his  nieces  on  their  happy 
change.  He  closes  his  letter  by  saying:  "There  is  no  real 
content  and  happiness  in  this  world,  except  the  consola- 
tions of  religion  derived  from  the  promises  contained  in 
the  Scriptures.  Have  my  little  namesake  (Andrew  Jack- 
son Burton)   presented  to  the  Church  in  baptism."  '' 

This  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  referred  to  by  President 
Jackson,  had  much  to  do  with  the  shaping  of  the  life  of 
Robert  L.  Caruthers,  who  in  some  real  sense  may  be  called 
the  Founder  of  Cumberland  University. 

The  death  of  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers  occurred  in 
October,  1882,  and  he  was  buried  in  Lebanon.  At  the 
request  of  the  Trutsees  and  Faculty,  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin, 
Professor  of  Law  in  Cumberland  University,  and  the  then 
recently  elected  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  de- 
livered, in  Caruthers  Hall  on  June  6,  1883,  an  address  on 
the  Life  and  Character  of  Judge  Caruthers.  This  ad- 
dress was  printed  in  the  catalogue  of  1883,  and  also  in 
pamphlet  form.  Among  other  things  Dr.  Martin  said: 
"In  professional  life,  Judge  Caruthers  represented  the  high- 
est type  of  lawyer  in  this  country.  He  was  laborious  and 
conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  his  professional  engage- 
ments. The  high  moral  standard  by  which  he  measured 
all  his  actions,  controlled  his  relation  with  Court,  Clerk 
and  brother  Lawyer." 

The  closing  tribute  to  Judge  Caruthers  is  taken  from  the 
Bench  and  Bar  of  Tennessee,  written  in  1898  by  the  late 
Joshua    W.    Caldwell,    an    able    lawyer    of    Knoxville,    an 

President  Jackson's  entire  letter  appears  in  President  Anderson's  Life  of 
Doniiell,  pp.  2  30,  231. 


44  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

alumnus  of  another  institution.  Making  a  slight  change 
by  way  of  abbreviation,  his  statement  is  as  follows: 

"His  character  was  marked  by  an  extraordinary  purity. 
The  moral  faculties  were  always  dominant.  He  was  sin- 
cerely pious,  genuinely  benevolent  without  ostentation, 
and  the  sure  supporter  of  every  well-considered  work  of 
temperance,  morality,  or  religion.  He  was  a  man  of  firm- 
ness and  decision,  and  therefore  not  only  well  inclined,  but 
also  efficient  in  well  doing.  His  mental  gifts  were  large 
and  various. 

"Albert  D.  Marks  and  A.  B.  Martin  rank  him  high  as 
an  advocate.  Marks  declared  he  was  the  best  advocate 
Tennessee  ever  had.  He  is  not  said  to  have  been  an  orator 
or  declaimer,  but  an  irresistible  reasoner,  controlling  courts 
and  juries  by  the  force  of  logic  and  of  a  strong,  command- 
ing personality.  Everything  that  has  been  written  of  him 
is  commendatory.  Such  faults  as  he  may  have  had  have 
been  entirely  obscured  from  public  view  by  his  many  ex- 
cellent qualities.  He  was  one  of  the  good  and  able  men 
who,  toward  the  end  of  the  first  half  of  this  century,  gave 
to  the  little  town  of  Lebanon  and  to  its  schools,  the  unique 
and  enviable  reputation  which  they  have  had  and  which 
they  still  retain. 

"The  names  of  Green,  Caruthers,  Stokes,  Martin  and 
others  remind  us  invariably  of  Lebanon  and  Cumberland 
University,  and  the  Law  School.  To  these  men  largely, 
Lebanon  is  indebted  for  the  fact  that  for  fifty  years  it 
has  been  one  of  the  chief  centers  of  education  and  religious 
life  in  the  South.  Its  influence,  always  good,  has  extended 
into  all  the  States  of  the  South  and  Southwest.  It  has  been 
a  conservative,  sound,  orthodox  and  beneficent  influence. 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  45 

All  honor  to  the  little  town  and  its  admirable  University 
for  the  good  they  have  done  and  the  good  they  are  doing. 
May  they  continue  to  prosper  and  remain  steadfast  in  up- 
holding the  standards  of  culture  and  faith."  ^ 

On  January  30,  1883,  Congressman  James  D.  Richard- 
son, of  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee,  delivered  an  address  on 
the  Life  of  Judge  R.  L.  Caruthers  before  the  Tennessee 
Grand  Lodge,  in  Nashville.  Judge  Caruthers,  he  said,  was 
twenty-five  years  of  age  and  present  in  the  Grand  Lodge, 
April  25,  1825,  when  Andrew  Jackson  formally  presented 
to  his  brothers  in  Masonry  General  Lafayette,  the  French 
soldier  and  statesman,  so  much  loved  by  the  American 
people.  The  church  life  of  Judge  Caruthers  was  perhaps 
the  main  feature  emphasized  in  Congressman  Richardson's 
address.  Judge  Caruthers  was  often,  he  said,  a  member 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  Church,  beginning  in 
1835: 

"At  this  session  (1835)  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  to  draft  rules  for  the  regulation  of  that  body, 
which  he  did,  and  the  rules  as  reported  by  him  were  adopt- 
ed. He  was  on  the  committee  to  report  upon  the  establish- 
ing of  a  denominational  paper.  On  his  motion,  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  compile  the  statistics  of  the  Church. 
A  resolution,  offered  by  him,  was  adopted,  looking  to  a 
friendly  correspondence  between  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church  and  other  Churches,  which  was  the  first 
step  taken  by  this  Church  in  that  direction.  Subsequent 
to  183  5  he  was  a  member  of  the  following  General  Assem- 
blies: 1945,  '50,  '52,  '54,  '58,  '60,  '67,  '71,  '74, 
'76,   '77,   '78,   '80,   '81.      In   all   these   bodies   he   took    a 

^Caldwell's  Bench  and  Bar  of  Tennessee,  pp.   145,   146. 


46  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

prominent  part,  leading  in  many  important  questions,  en- 
gaging in  the  most  interesting  discussions,  and  acting  upon 
the  m.ost  prominent  committees.  Without  entering  into 
details,  the  following  m.ay  be  mentioned  as  items  of  spe- 
cial interest:  In  1845  he  was  a  member  of  Com_mittee  on 
Correspondence,  which  had  under  consideration  for  the 
first  time  the  subject  of  the  organic  union  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church  with  another  denomination.  In 
1850  he  was  the  author  of  the  resolution  adopted  to  elect 
a  fraternal  delegate  to  attend  the  General  Assem.bly  of 
the  New  School  Presbyterian  Church.  This  was  the  in- 
auguration of  the  system  of  exchange  of  fraternal  dele- 
gates by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church.  At  this  session  he  was  the  author  of  the 
following  resolution:  'That  this  General  Assembly  looks 
with  concern  and  disapprobation  upon  attem.pts  from  any 
quarter  to  dissolve  the  union,  and  would  regard  the  suc- 
cess of  any  such  movement  as  exceedingly  hazardous  to 
the  cause  of  religion,  as  well  as  to  civil  liberty;  and  this 
General  Assembly  would  strongly  recommend  to  all  Chris- 
tians to  make  it  a  subject  of  prayer  to  Almighty  God  to 
avert  from  our  beloved  country  a  catastrophe  so  direful 
and  disastrous."  He  procured  the  unanimous  adoption  of 
this  resolution,  which  he  deemed  necessary  in  that  era  of 
political  excitement. 

"He  took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  the  discussion 
in  18  54  of  the  proposition  to  revise  the  Confession  of 
Faith,  and  contributed  materially  to  the  defeat  of  the 
measure  as  then  presented  believing  such  a  step  at  that 
time  was  im.practicable.  In  18  58  he  was  a  member  of  the 
committee   to   report   upon   the   plan   proposed   for   con- 


CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  47 

ducting  the  business  of  publishing  books  for  the  use  of 
the  Church.  At  the  session  of  1867,  he  was  appointed  on 
the  committee  to  submit  a  revised  Form  of  Government 
for  the  church.  A  report  from  this  committee  was  sub- 
sequently submitted,  but  the  matter,  after  undergoing 
various  changes  and  amendments,  finally  failed  of  adop- 
tion, mainly  because  the  proposed  changes  were  not  as  ex- 
tensive as  desired  by  the  Church.  In  the  Assemblies  of 
1874,  '7G,  '77,  '78,  and  '80  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Judi- 
ciary Committee.  In  this  position  he  was  thoroughly  at 
home;  for  it  he  was,  by  his  legal  ability  and  judicial  at- 
tainments, pre-eminently  qualified.  His  reports  as  chair- 
man were  exceptionally  able,  settling  many  very  important 
and  vexed  questions,  and  these  reports  are  now  accepted 
as  standards  of  authority  by  the  Church.  At  the  session 
of  1881,  he  was  made  one  of  a  com.m.ittee  appointed  to 
review  the  preparation  of  a  thorough  and  complete  re- 
vision of  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Government  of  the 
Church.  Upon  this  work  he  spent  much  time  and 
thought,  contributing  valuable  aid,  especially  upon  the 
portion  devoted  to  the  Constitution  and  Rules  of  Gov- 
ernment. The  report  of  this  committee  was  submitted  to 
the  General  Assembly  of  1882,  and  after  amendments, 
was  approved  and  submitted  for  the  action  of  the  Pres- 
byteries, without  which  no  amendment  or  revision  can 
become  binding.  A  sufficient  number  of  Presbyteries  have 
already  approved  to  justify  the  statement  that  the  re- 
vision will  be  the  organic  law  of  the  Church.  This,  it  is 
believed,  is  the  first  instance  in  the  history  of  a  Christian 
denomination  where  the  standard  of  doctrines  has  been 
re-stated  without  schism  and  division,  a  high  compliment 


48  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

to  him  and  his  associate  committee-men.  This  work  was 
the  last  he  did  for  his  church,  for  which  he  had  labored 
so  long  and  accomplished  so  much. 

"It  is  a  fact,  and  his  brethren  will  not  say  I  state  it  too 
strongly  that  his  place  cannot  now  be  filled  in  his  Church. 
It  was  a  source  of  comfort  to  him  to  see  his  denomination 
increase  from  a  few  thousand,  when  he  became  a  member, 
to  over  one  hundred  thousand  at  the  date  of  his  death, 
and  to  see  it  extended  from  the  local  districts  in  Tennes- 
see and  Kentucky,  where  it  was  then  confined,  to  nearly 
all  the  sections  of  the  Union.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent 
piety,  and  unaffected  devotion,  and  did  not  use  religion 
as  a  cloak  to  cover  up  or  keep  himself  warm.  As  stated, 
he  was  in  early  life  imbued  with  religious  fervor,  and 
throughout  his  long  career  was  a  sincere  and  serious  Chris- 
tian. Such  a  churchman  commands  our  profoundest  ad- 
miration." '^ 

James  Chamberlain  Jones,  another  one  of  the  original 
Trustees,  was  a  statesman  of  no  mean  ability.  For  a  pe- 
riod of  nine  years,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, and,  being  an  ardent  friend  of  the  University,  did 
what  he  could  to  promote  its  interests.  He  was  born  in 
Davidson  County,  Tennessee,  near  the  "Hermitage,"  the 
home  of  Andrew  Jackson,  April  20,  1809,  and  died  in 
Memphis,  October  20,  18  59.  He  was  a  citizen  of  Lebanon 
from  1830  to  1850;  a  member  of  the  Legislature  two 
terms,  1837-41;  and  a  presidential  elector  on  the  Harrison 
and  Tyler  ticket  in  1840.  Twice  (in  1841  and  in  1843) 
he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee  over  his  distin- 
guished opponent,  Hon.  James  K.   Polk,  who,  in   1844, 

*C.  p.  Quarterly,  pp.  261,  263. 


FRANCEWAY    RANNA   COSSITT,    D.D. 
President,    1842-1844 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  49 

was  elected  President  of  the  United  States.  It  was  in  1843 
that  Governor  Jones  and  the  Legislature  made  Nashville 
the  permanent  capital  and  established  at  Nashville  a  school 
for  the  blind  and  at  Knoxville  a  school  for  deaf  mutes. 
Phelan,  in  his  History  of  Tennessee,  says  that  Jones  was  a 
figure  of  national  importance  and  that  he  was  frequently 
mentioned  as  a  suitable  candidate  for  the  presidency  by 
leading  papers  in  other  states  as  well  as  in  his  own.  He 
was  regarded  as  being  a  national  hero  and  was  known  as 
the  "Ajax  of  the  Whigs."  He  threw  all  his  strength  to 
Henry  Clay,  the  Whig  candidate,  in  1848.  Later,  he 
became  a  Democrat,  and  supported  James  Buchanan  in 
18  56.  In  18  50  he  removed  to  Memphis  and  became  the 
president  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad.  In 
1851  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  where  he 
served  for  a  period  of  six  years.*^ 

Josiah  Scott  McClain  was  a  Trustee  from  the  beginning 
in  1842  to  the  time  of  his  death,  April  6,  1876,  a  period 
of  thirty-four  years,  lacking  six  years  of  serving  as  long 
as  Judge  R.  L.  Caruthers.  He  was  born  January  1,  1799, 
being  the  first  male  child  born  in  Wilson  County.  He 
was  the  son  of  W.  A.  McClain,  one  of  the  first  two  settlers 
in  the  county.  Josiah  McClain  began  his  public  life  as 
a  school  teacher.  He  was  county  court  clerk  for  a  period 
of  forty  years,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank,  a  di- 
rector of  the  Tennessee  and  Pacific  Railroad,  a  member  of 
the  Church  Board  of  Missions,  and  a  ruling  elder  in  the 
local  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  "He  was  a  man 
of    steady    perserverancc,    unwavering    integrity,    quiet, 

"  Phelan's  History  of  Tennessee,  p.  412;  McGec's  History  of  Tennessee, 
pp.  159-164;  Hamer's  Tennessee,  pp.  301-303;  Theoloiiical  Medium,  October, 
1876,  pp.  399-401. 


50  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

modest,  unostentatious."  One  of  his  daughters  became  the 
wife  of  the  late  Chancellor  N.  Green,  fourth  head  of  the 
University.^  ^ 

Jordan  Stokes,  Sr.,  was  a  Trustee  from  1842  to  August 
24,  1866,  a  period  of  twenty-four  years.  He  was  a  lawyer 
of  ability,  a  man  of  unusual  culture,  and  one  of  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  Lebanon.  He  came  to  this  university 
town  in  1841  and  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Samuel 
Caruthers,  who  was  later  a  member  of  Congress  from 
Missouri.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Tennessee  Legislature, 
1851-52,  and  was  the  Speaker  of  the  House.  He  was  op- 
posed to  secession  and  remained  a  Union  man  throughout 
the  Civil  War.  He  was  regarded  as  a  great  orator.  One 
of  his  greatest  addresses  was  delivered  at  VanderbUt  Uni- 
versity on  the  Centenary  of  American  Methodism. 

Rev.  Robert  Donnell  was  a  Trustee  from  1847  to  1851. 
He  had  much  to  do  in  locating  Cumberland  University 
in  Lebanon,  and,  on  a  number  of  occasions,  contributed 
liberally  to  the  financial  support  of  the  institution.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  to  the  University, 
1845-46;  a  lecturer  of  divinity  to  young  men  in  the  Uni- 
versity preparing  for  the  ministry,  1846-48;  and  pastor  of 
the  local  church  for  the  same  period.  His  Scotch-Irish 
ancestors  settled  in  North  Ireland  prior  to  1688.  They 
were  all  Presbyterians,  and  participated  in  the  conflict  be- 
tween James  II  and  William  of  Orange.  He  was  born  in 
Guilford  County,  North  Carolina,  in  April,  1784,  being 
the  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Bell)  Donnell.  His  father 
was  an  elder  in  the  famous  Almanac  Church,  of  which 
Dr.  David  Caldwell  was  the  pastor;  a  participant  in  the 

^°  Theological  Medium,  October,  1876,  p.  401. 


CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY   ESTABLISHED  51 

battle  of  Guilford  Court  House;  and  was  also  in  the  army 
which  drove  Cornwallis  out  of  North  CaroHna,  during 
the  Revolutionary  War.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of 
Samuel  Bell,  the  great-grandfather  of  John  Bell,  the  Con- 
stitutional candidate  for  the  presidency  in  1860  and  one  of 
Tennessee's  most  famous  citizens.  His  parents  removed 
from  North  Carolina  to  Hendersonville,  Tennessee,  in 
1790,  and  two  years  later  to  Spring  Creek,  eight  miles 
from  Lebanon.  Here  he  spent  his  boyhood,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  Spring  Creek  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  which  Samuel  Donnell  was  the  pastor.  This 
promising  young  man  became  an  ordained  minister  in 
1811,  and,  throughout  his  useful  career,  was  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  eloquent  ministers  in  his  denomination. 
He  was  moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  church 
in  1837." 

Many  men  looked  to  him  as  a  guide  at  all  times,  one 
who  was  fair-minded  and  generous,  one  who  could  see  all 
sides  of  a  question,  and  one  who  sought  the  best  interests 
of  all  parties  in  a  controversy. 

This  great  leader  and  friend  of  humanity  died  at  his 
home  in  Athens,  Alabama,  May  24,  1855.  On  the  monu- 
ment erected  to  his  memory,  are  these  well-chosen  words: 
"Self-made,  of  gigantic  mind  and  commanding  person, 
social  in  feelings,  fervent  in  devotion,  chaste  in  style, 
graceful  in  attitude,  eloquent  in  manner,  logical  in  argu- 
ment, urbane  in  deportment,  uniform  in  piety,  consecrated 
in  his  calling,  his  praise  is  in  all  the  churches." 

In  all  the  ninety-three  years  of  Cumberland's  history, 

"  Dr.  David  Lowry's  Life  of  Robert  Donnell;  Beard's  Biogiapbical  Sketches, 
pp.   101-119;   McDonnold's  History. 


52  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

about  fifty  former  students  (nearly  all  graduates)  of 
Cumberland  University  have  served  as  Trustees.  Nathan 
Green,  Jr.,  1845  A.B.,  1848  LL.B.,  was  the  first  to  serve 
in  this  capacity.  He  was  a  Trustee  from  1850  to  1855. 
His  election  as  a  Trustee  was  the  first  to  be  confirmed  by 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church. 

The  second  alumnus  to  serve  as  a  Trustee  was  Robert 
Hatton,  1847  A.B.,  1851  LL.B.,  one  of  the  foremost  citi- 
zens in  the  history  of  Lebanon.  He  was  born  in  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio,  November  2,  1826,  of  English  and  Hugue- 
not descent,  and  was  well-trained  religiously.  His  father 
was  a  Methodist  minister.  A  part  of  his  boyhood  was 
spent  in  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and  Pittsburgh,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Lebanon,  Tenn- 
essee, in  partnership  with  Jordan  Stokes,  Sr.,  1850-52, 
and  was  later  a  partner  of  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  1852-55. 
He  was  a  tutor  in  the  University  one  year,  1847-48,  and 
a  Trustee  from  November  13,  18  54,  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  May  31,  1862.  From  185  5  to  18  57  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Tennessee  House  of  Representatives,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  was  the  unsuccessful  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor. He  was  elected  in  August,  18  59,  to  the  Thirty- 
sixth  Congress.  He  was  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the 
ablest  members  of  that  Congress. 

Early  in  1860,  the  Neiu  York  Times  said  of  him: 
"Robert  Hatton,  of  Tennessee,  then  obtained  the  floor 
for  a  set  speech,  and  at  once  commanded  attention.  .  .  . 
Decidedly  Mr.  Hatton  has  more  of  the  studied  graces  of 
an  orator  than  any  member  yet  seen  on  the  floor.  His 
features  are  full,  round,  and  appropriate,  seldom  violent, 
never  grotesque,  but  always  emphatic,  and  with  an  inclina- 


CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY  ESTABLISHED  5  3 

tion  to  the  florid  order.  .  .  .  His  voice  is  musical  and  full 
of  the  church-organ  tone;  and  he  speaks  with  the  deliber- 
ativeness  of  a  man  determined  to  say  nothing  in  support  of 
which  he  is  not  willing  to  stand  a  pistol  shot." 

Robert  Hatton,  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  Judge 
Abram  Caruthers,  Judge  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  Judge  Nathan 
Green,  Jr.,  and  others  who  might  be  mentioned,  were  op- 
posed to  secession,  and  did  what  they  could  to  prevent  the 
war.  On  February  8,  1861,  Robert  Hatton,  while  yet  in 
Congress,  made  a  strong,  eloquent  and  notable  plea  for 
peace  and  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  In  his  letter  of 
January  13,  1861,  to  Dr.  N.  Lawrence  Lindsley,  his  for- 
mer teacher  in  Cumberland  University,  he  said  that  in- 
judicious leaders  on  both  sides  in  the  great  conflict  were 
"leading  the  people  to  a  common  ruin,"  and  that  "rea- 
son and  patriotism  are  overrun  by  passion  and  selfish- 
ness." He  indicated,  however,  in  this  letter  the  course 
he  would  finally  pursue,  if  the  worst  came  (the  war 
which  he  loathed).  And  so,  in  accordance  with  that, 
soon  after  his  return  home,  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier, 
and  was  made  a  Colonel  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee  Regi- 
ment. He  was  not  the  kind  of  man  who  could  be  coerced, 
by  any  means  whatsoever,  in  a  matter  like  this,  and  he 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  men  who  had  different  political 
views. 

This  striking  and  heroic  figure  was  made  a  Brigadier- 
General  in  the  Confederate  Army,  May  23,  1862,  on  the 
recommendation  of  Generals  Anderson,  Smith,  and  Jo- 
seph E.  Johnston,  and  was  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  Fifth  Brigade  (First,  Seventh,  and  Fourteenth  Ten- 
nessee Regiments),  First  Division,  First  Corps,  Army  of 


54  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Virginia.  He  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  near 
Richmond,  Virginia,  May  31,  1862.  The  line  of  his  troops 
were  formed  on  that  day  under  the  eyes  of  Generals  Jo- 
seph E.  Johnston  and  Robert  E.  Lee.  General  Hatton's 
body  was  buried  in  Lebanon,  March  24,  1866,  having  been 
removed  for  that  purpose  from  the  burial  ground  in  Vir- 
ginia. His  death  was  universally  mourned,  and  his  mem- 
ory is  kept  green  to  this  day.  His  monument  stands  today 
on  the  public  square.  The  high  character  of  his  Chris- 
tian life  was  very  much  like  that  of  Jackson  and  Lee.  The 
history  of  Cumberland  University  has  received  much  of 
its  significance  from  the  type  of  men  who  created  it  and 
left  their  impress  upon  it  for  the  good  of  the  great  throng 
of  students  who  have  come  under  its  beneficent  influence 
from  time  to  time.^^ 

'^"  Life  of  General  Robert  Hatfon,  by  James  Vaulx  Drake,  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, 1867. 


Chapter  III 
DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT 

1842-44 

It  is  with  much  satisfaction  that  one  can  look  back  to 
Cumberland  University's  first  president,  Franceway  Ranna 
Cossitt,  D.D.  He  was  a  man  of  unquestioned  scholarship, 
and  a  courtly  gentleman  of  great  dignity  of  character. 
He  was  refined  in  his  manners,  gentle  in  his  disposition, 
yet  firm  in  his  convictions  and  a  fine  disciplinarian.  He 
belonged  to  the  classical  school  of  educators.  He  was  not 
untried  when  he  came  to  Cumberland,  for  he  had  served  a 
little  more  than  sixteen  years  (March,  1826,  to  June,  1842) 
as  the  president  of  the  college  at  Princeton,  Kentucky. 
He  showed  there  what  he  could  do.  It  is  not  strange  that 
he  had  the  confidence  of  a  great  host  of  the  friends  of 
Christian  education.^ 

This  fine  and  gifted  friend  of  our  people,  regarded  on 
every  hand  as  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  was  from  far- 
away New  England.  He  was  born  in  Claremont,  New 
Hampshire,  April  24,  1790,  of  English  descent.  His  an- 
cestors took  the  side  of  Charles  I  in  the  conflict  with  Crom- 
well and  the  Parliament.  But  the  descendants  of  the  two 
sides  worked  together  admirably  in  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity. In  1813  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Middle- 
bury  College,  in  Vermont.  He  received  his  theological 
education  at  the  General  Episcopal  Seminary,  New  Haven, 

'  Chancellor  Green's  Echoes  from  Caruthers  Hall,  pp.  204-206,  Dr.  Richard 
Beard's  Biogral}h/cal  Sketches,  pp.  154-191;  Theological  Medium,  1876,  p.  388. 

(55) 


56  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Connecticut,  an  institution  which  was  later  transferred 
to  New  York  City.  He  received  his  Hcensure  to  preach 
at  the  hands  of  Bishop  Brownell,  of  Connecticut.  In  1839 
he  received  from  his  alma  mater  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity;  and  also,  at  about  the  same  time,  he  received  the 
same  degree  from  Cumberland  College,  in  Kentucky.  Of 
all  those  who  came  from  New  England  to  the  South  and 
Southwest,  there  was  no  worthier  representative  than  he. 
In  1821,  he  was  a  young  minister  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church,  teaching  school  at  a  little  place  called  New 
York,  near  Clarksville,  Tennessee.  He  had  previously 
taught  in  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  and  in  the  Vine  Hill 
Academy,  in  North  Carolina.  In  1822,  he  decided  to  be- 
come a  minister  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  he  continued  as  such  to  the  day  of  his  death  in  1863. 
He  was  the  first  Stated  Clerk  which  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  that  church  ever  had,  and  continued  as  such  from 
1829  to  1834.  He  was  made  Moderator  of  the  Assembly 
in  1834. 

The  first  president  of  the  University  was  one  of  the 
foremost  advocates  in  favor  of  establishing  a  college  in 
the  Cumberland  Country,  which  was,  as  has  been  already 
indicated,  poorly  supplied  with  educational  facilities.  The 
leaders  of  this  movement  were  Finis  Ewing,  Samuel  King, 
Robert  Donnell,  F.  R.  Cossitt,  John  and  William  Barnett 
and  Ephraim  Ewing.  The  college  which  they  wished  to 
establish  (and  which  was  established  at  Princeton,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1826)  had  four  objectives:  (1)  A  system  of  edu- 
cation adapted  to  young  men  of  slender  means,  but  who 
had  energy  enough  to  unite  manual  labor  with  their  stud- 
ies.    (2)  Cheapness.     (3)  Regard  for  health  in  the  midst 


DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT  57 

of  intellectual  pursuits.  (4)  The  education  of  young  men 
preparing  for  the  ministry.  Dr.  Cossitt  advocated  all  four 
of  these  objectives,  especially  the  fourth. 

It  was  an  easy  matter  then  for  the  Trustees  of  Cumber- 
land University  to  unite  in  calling  Dr.  Cossitt,  with  his 
equipment  and  experience,  to  the  presidency  of  the  insti- 
tution. As  we  have  already  seen,  the  date  of  this  action 
was  July  9,  1842.  At  the  same  time,  the  Trustees  appoint- 
ed Cornelius  G.  McPherson,  A.B.,  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics, and  Thomas  C.  Anderson,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Lan- 
guages. Dr.  Cossitt  did  not  assume  the  active  duties  of 
the  presidency  until  February,  1843,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  second  term.  The  duty  of  opening  the  school  was  laid 
upon  Professor  McPherson.  The  opening  took  place  in 
September,  1842,  but  there  is  no  record  which  shows  the 
exact  day. 

There  were  forty-five  students  the  first  year.  The  late 
Chancellor  Nathan  Green  was  one  of  them.  "While  the 
number  of  students  was  small,  and  evidently  less  than  there 
was  good  reason  to  expect,  yet  those  inaugurating  the  en- 
terprise were  not  discouraged.  There  was  not  yet  a  dollar 
of  endowment  on  hand,  nor  had  any  been  pledged  when 
the  work  was  begun.  It  was  an  enterprise  of  faith;  but 
the  Trustees  stood  solidly  behind  it  and  would  not  will- 
ingly allow  it  to  fail.  As  early  as  the  fall  of  1842,  Rev. 
Herschel  S.  Porter  (a  young  man  who  later  became  one 
of  the  distinguished  ministers  of  his  church)  was  employed 
as  a  general  agent  to  secure  permanent  endowment;  but 
he  labored  only  a  few  months  in  this  work,  securing  only 
about  four  thousand  dollars  in  interest  bearing  notes.  The 
beginning,  as  one  can  see,  was  small.     It  was  like  the  mus- 


5  8  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

tard  seed  in  the  parable;  and  one  may  confidently  believe 
that  the  history  of  Cumberland  has  had  in  it  some  of  the 
power  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  mentioned  in  the  parable. 

Cumberland  University  had  its  beginning  in  a  church 
house.  There  was  no  other  place  to  go.  There  is  indeed 
something  beautiful  in  the  fact  that  Cumberland  had  its 
beginning  in  a  house  of  prayer.  The  Lebanon  Church,  of 
which  George  Donnell  was  the  pastor,  did  a  beautiful 
thing  when  it  showed  its  willingness  to  give  the  infant  in- 
stitution its  first  shelter.  That  church  house  is  still  stand- 
ing today  on  North  Cumberland  Street.  It  is  here  that 
the  classes  were  taught  from  September,  1842,  to  Febru- 
ary, 1844,  when  the  removal  was  made  to  the  new  college 
building  erected  on  the  large  and  beautiful  campus  on 
South  College  and  Spring  Streets.  It  was  then,  as  Dr.  T. 
C.  Anderson  tells  us,  that  the  college  classes  were  more 
regularly  organized.  Dr.  Cossitt  gave  himself  at  once  to 
the  regular  work  of  teaching  as  well  as  to  that  of  adminis- 
tration. 

Both  Dr.  Cossitt  and  Professor  McPherson  were  schol- 
ars of  no  mean  ability;  and  both  were  teachers  of  experi- 
ence, thoroughly  conversant  with  the  college  standards  and 
requirements  of  that  period.  Most  of  their  students  were 
college  students;  the  others  were  not  quite  ready  for  col- 
lege. There  was  no  catalogue  for  the  first  two  years,  and 
hence  the  prescribed  course  of  study  is  not  now  available. 
But  one  may  be  certain  that  it  was  not  less  than  the  one 
Dr.  Cossitt  and  Mr.  McPherson  used  at  Princeton,  Ken- 
tucky. It  must  have  been  about  the  same  as  the  one  print- 
ed in  the  catalogue  of  1845-46.  In  the  year  just  men- 
tioned, the  catalogue  gives  the  four-year  course  for  the 


DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT  59 

College  of  Arts  and  also  a  four-year  course  for  the  Pre- 
paratory School. 

Both  Dr.  Cossitt  and  Professor  McPherson  were  excel- 
lent disciplinarians.  One  would  readily  infer  as  much  from 
one  of  the  several  accounts  handed  down  to  us.  Apparently 
the  first  publication  ever  issued  by  the  University  made  its 
appearance  early  in  1843,  two  years  before  the  publication 
of  the  first  catalogue.  It  was  a  book  of  rules — twenty-one 
mortal  pages  of  them.  These  were  rules  for  the  Faculty, 
rules  concerning  admission  and  graduation,  rules  about  the 
"Location  of  Students,"  "Damages,"  "Dismissions,"  and 
other  things  besides.  On  January  14,  1843,  a  committee  of 
three  Trustees — McClain,  Stokes,  Owen — was  appointed  to 
draft  these  By-laws,  after  consulting  with  Dr.  Cossitt  and 
Professor  McPherson.  One  may  well  believe  that  Dr.  Cos- 
sitt was  really  the  author  of  the  By-laws,  although  he  did 
not  formally  take  charge  of  the  work  of  his  office  until 
February,  1843.  At  any  rate  they  were  in  force  during  his 
administration.  Some  of  them  seem  quaint  to-day.  There 
were  at  least  fourteen  chapters  of  them.  A  few  selections 
will  suffice. 

"Chapter  VII. — Of  Punishment,  Crimes  and  Misde- 
meanors. 

"Section  5.  If  any  student  shall  break  open  the  door  of 
another,  or  privately  pick  his  lock  with  any  instrument, 
he  shall  be  admonished  or  expelled,  as  the  nature  of  the 
ofFense  may  deserve. 

"Section  7.  The  President,  a  Professor  or  a  Tutor,  shall 
have  authority  to  break  open  and  enter  any  College  cham- 
ber or  study  at  all  times,  at  discretion. 

"Section  8.  If  any  student  shall  play  at  hand  or  foot- 


60  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ball  in  the  College  building,  or  in  the  College  yard,  or 
throw  anything  in  which  the  College  buildings  may  be  in 
danger  of  damage,  he  shall  be  admonished,  sent  home  or 
dismissed. 

"Section  10.  If  any  student  shall  ring  the  College  bell, 
except  by  order  of  the  President,  a  Professor  or  a  Tutor, 
he  shall  be  punished  at  the  discretion  of  the  Faculty. 

"Section  26.  No  student  shall,  without  permission,  go 
to  a  greater  distance  than  two  miles  from  the  College,  at 
any  time  during  the  continuance  of  the  session. 

"Section  27.  No  student  shall  keep,  for  his  use  or  pleas- 
ure, any  horse,  carriage,  dog  or  servant;  except  when  his 
parents  or  guardian  shall,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Fac- 
ulty, allow  him  a  horse  for  the  purpose  of  healthful  exer- 
cise." 

"Chapter  XIV. — Oi  Religious  Exercises  and  the  Sab- 
bath. 

"Section  8.  Every  student  boarding  within  the  town 
corporation,  or  within  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  the  Col- 
lege building,  shall  attend  morning  prayers  in  the  College 
chapel  at  sunrising." 

Yet,  on  page  13  of  the  yellow  old  pamphlet  one  may 
read,  "Whereas,  the  laws  of  the  College  are  few  and  gen- 
eral." 

In  a  letter  received  July  5,  1935,  from  Mrs.  Macon  A. 
Leiper,  Librarian,  Kentucky  Collection  in  the  Teachers' 
College,  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  some  light  is  thrown  on 
the  probable  authorship  of  the  "By-Laws  of  Cumberland 
University."  In  the  Collection  just  mentioned  is  a  pam- 
phlet with  the  following  title:  "Laws  of  Cumberland  Col- 
lege at  Princeton,  Kentucky.     Enacted  by  the  Board  of 


DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT  61 

Trustees,  December  24,  1827."  This  book  of  Laws  for 
Cumberland  College  has  thirteen  chapters  and  110  sec- 
tions. In  the  headings  of  the  chapters  are  the  following 
subjects:  Trustees,  Faculty,  Manager  of  Farm,  Steward, 
Admission  to  College  and  Courses  of  Study,  Conduct  of 
Students,  Honorary  Degrees,  Commencements  and  Exami- 
nations, Vacation,  Library,  Corresponding  Secretary,  Clerk, 
and  Religious  Exercises.  Dr.  Cossitt  was  the  President  at 
the  time. 

One  of  the  primary  aims  in  the  establishment  of  the 
University  was  the  education  of  candidates  for  the  min- 
istry, so  one  may  learn  from  several  different  sources,  espe- 
cially from  the  brief  history  by  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson.  By 
an  act  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  all  candidates  for  the  min- 
istry of  all  denominations  were  exempted  from  the  pay- 
ment of  tuition.  There  is  no  record  of  the  number  of 
such  students  attending  the  first  year.  In  1843-44  there 
were  76  students,  of  whom  21  were  candidates  for  the 
ministry;  in  1844-45  there  were  82  students,  of  whom  16 
were  candidates;  in  1845-46  there  were  98  students,  of 
whom  2  5  were  candidates;  in  1846-47  there  were  148  stu- 
dents, of  whom  30  were  candidates.  This  tuition  was 
paid  neither  by  the  students  nor  by  friends  on  the  out- 
side; it  was  a  gift  gladly  made  by  the  institution  (through 
its  professors)  to  the  students,  or,  we  may  say,  to  the 
Church.  And  a  spirit  such  as  this  has  always  prevailed 
in  Cumberland  University. 

In  September,  1843,  the  organization  of  the  Faculty 
was  completed  for  the  time  being  by  the  inauguration  of 
Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson  as  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages, 
and  Dr.  N.  Lawrence  Lindsley,  as  Professor  of  Modern 


62  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Languages.  More  extended  reference  to  these  two  men 
is  made  elsewhere.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  addition 
of  these  men  to  the  Faculty  added  much  to  its  efficiency 
and  strength.  Cumberland  now  had  four  of  the  best 
teachers  in  the  country  in  its  College  of  Arts.  There  were 
also  tutors  who  acted  as  instructors  of  those  not  ready  for 
college. 

A  charter  for  the  institution  was  not  secured  until  De- 
cember 30,  1843.  It  was  secured  from  the  Legislature  of 
Tennessee  on  that  date.  Some  have  erroneously  said  that 
it  was  secured  in  1844.  The  charter  name  of  the  institu- 
tion is  "Cumberland  University."  It  may  be  that  the 
trustees  always  intended  to  call  it  by  that  name.  By  some, 
however,  it  was  called  Cumberland  College  during  the  first 
year.  The  Commencement  Program  of  1843  calls  it  Cum- 
berland College.^ 

If  the  college  at  Princeton,  Kentucky,  had  been  removed 
to  Lebanon,  as  was  at  first  contemplated,  it  might  have 
been  so  called.  But  the  removal  did  not  take  place,  a  num- 
ber of  careless  statements  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 
There  would  have  been  serious  objections  to  having  two 
different  institutions  with  the  same  name.  In  the  second 
place  the  Trustees  had  the  idea  from  the  beginning  of  se- 
curing a  university  organization  according  to  the  plan  of 
other  American  institutions  of  establishing  a  group  of 
professional  schools  around  a  College  of  Arts  as  a  central 
unit.  This  was  the  main  reason  why  our  predecessors 
called  it  a  university. 

The  preamble  of  the  charter  of  1843  recites  that  "an 

"  The  original  printed  program  is  in  the  possession  of  the  University.  In 
the  minutes  of  several  of  the  meetings  of  the  Trustees  in  1842,  the  institution 
is  referred  to  as  "Cumberland  College." 


DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT  63 

association  of  the  citizens  of  Lebanon,  Wilson  County,  has 
been  voluntarily  formed  for  the  erection  of  a  Literary 
Institution  near  said  town,"  and  that  funds  have  been  se- 
cured by  contribution  for  that  purpose.  Also,  that  the 
Board  of  Trustees  have  purchased  a  site  and  erected  build- 
ings thereon.  This  is  followed  by  the  name  of  the  insti- 
tution, the  names  of  the  Trustees,  the  definition  of  their 
powers,  and  the  degrees  that  may  be  conferred.  The  char- 
ter of  1843  also  provided  that  "any  person  or  society,  or 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  may  found  a  professorship  of  Agri- 
culture by  endowing  the  same,"  and  also  that  "any  evan- 
gelical church,  or  any  number  of  members  of  the  same, 
may  establish  a  Theological  professorship  in  said  Institu- 
tion, by  endowing  the  same  with  the  consent  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees." 

In  January,  1844,  the  Trustees  themselves  contributed 
one  thousand  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  laboratory  ap- 
paratus, and  a  few  months  later  Foster  G.  Crutcher  gave 
to  the  institution  a  large  bell.  The  movement  was  also 
begun  for  a  college  library.  From  the  beginning  in  1842, 
when  Rev.  H.  S.  Porter  was  appointed  endowment  agent, 
the  Trustees  were  convinced  that  endowment  was  indis- 
pensable if  permanence  was  to  be  secured.  In  the  fall  of 
1843,  Rev.  S.  G.  Burney  and  John  McPherson  were  ap- 
pointed endowment  agents.  They  labored  for  a  short 
time,  with  little  success. 

In  April,  1844,  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson,  on  account  of  de- 
clining health,  resigned  as  professor  of  Ancient  Languages. 
The  Board  declined  to  accept  his  resignation,  but  supplied 
the  place  to  the  end  of  the  term  by  the  temporary  appoint- 
ment of  Dr.  N.  Lawrence  Lindslcy.    The  appointment  was 


64  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

made  permanent  in  the  following  September.  Dr.  Ander- 
son renewed  his  resignation  September  1,  and  at  this  time 
it  was  accepted.  On  September  30,  1844,  President  Cossitt 
and  Professor  McPherson  both  tendered  their  resignations, 
and  at  that  time  retired  from  their  work  in  the  Univer- 
sity. Their  retirement  was  regretted  on  all  sides,  and  it 
laid  a  great  burden  upon  the  institution  at  a  critical  time 
in  its  history.  Although  Dr.  Anderson  was  still  in  feeble 
health  (and  continued  so  until  his  death  in  1882),  yet 
because  of  his  outstanding  ability  and  fitness  he  was  pre- 
vailed upon  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  accept  the  presi- 
dency, at  least  temporarily. 

Dr.  Cossitt  did  not  leave  Lebanon,  but  made  it  his  home 
until  his  death  in  1863.  He  felt  that  the  duties  in  connec- 
tion with  the  university  were  too  much  for  him.  He  pre- 
ferred the  work  of  the  editorial  chair,  and  so  became  for 
a  number  of  years  the  editor  of  the  leading  church  paper, 
The  Banner  of  Peace.  He  was  a  chaste  and  vigorous  writ- 
er, as  is  clearly  shown  in  his  newspaper  articles  and  in  his 
excellent  biography  of  Finis  Ewing.  He  was  interested 
also  in  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions.  The  Board  of  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions  was  organized  in  Lebanon  in  1845. 
Dr.  Cossitt  was  the  second  President  of  this  Board.  It  was 
through  his  influence  that  the  church  began  its  work  in 
Japan  rather  than  in  China. 

While  Dr.  Cossitt  served  Cumberland  University  only 
a  comparatively  brief  time  as  its  president,  he  gave  the 
institution  all  the  benefit  of  his  experience  and  all  the 
weight  of  his  influence,  both  of  which  meant  much  to  the 
University  just  beginning  its  career.  Dignified,  circum- 
spect and  modest,  he  always  made  himself  a  whole-hearted 


THOMAS  C.  ANDERSON.   D.D. 
President,    1844-1866 


DR.  F.  R.  COSSITT,  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENT  65 

companion  with  his  newly  made  friends.  He  was  respect- 
ed and  admired  and  honored  by  all.  His  residence  on 
West  Main  Street  was  a  two-story  colonial  brick  building, 
which  was  torn  away  recently  to  make  room  for  a  gram- 
mar school  building.  Congressman  Edward  I.  Golladay, 
a  Trustee  of  the  University,  was  his  son-in-law;  and  a 
granddaughter  was  for  many  years  a  much  beloved  resi- 
dent of  Lebanon.  Dr.  Cossitt  died  in  Lebanon,  February 
3,  1863. 

In  the  sketches  of  his  life  by  Dr.  J.  Berrien  Lindsley  and 
the  late  Chancellor  Green,  he  is  referred  to  as  "the  inde- 
fatigable, high  spirited,  indomitable,  and  yet  unobtrusive 
and  meek  Cossitt."  It  is  further  very  truthfully  said  of 
him:  "No  man  can  go  through  the  long  record  of  his  edi- 
torial and  educational  labors  without  forming  the  highest 
opinion  of  his  intellectual  and  moral  worth;  and  also  with- 
out astonishment  at  his  patience  and  heroism.  Indeed 
there  were  giants  in  those  days.  Cumberland  University 
may  well  take  an  honest  pride  in  its  first  president."  ^ 

'  Theological  Medium,  October,  1876,  p.  388.  Echoes  from  Caruthers 
Hall,  pp.  204,  20  5. 


Chapter  IV 
THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON 

1844-66 

Thomas  C.  Anderson,  D.D.,  became  President  Sep- 
tember 30,  1844,  and  retired  from  this  position,  which  he 
had  so  much  honored,  August,  24,  1866.  He  was  emi- 
nently fitted  for  the  work  to  which  he  was  called.  His 
administration,  which  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty- 
two  years,  was  both  able  and  successful.  He  had  the  con- 
fidence of  the  friends  of  the  University,  and  under  his 
wise  and  tactful  leadership  the  institution  enjoyed  great 
prosperity.  He  was  quiet  and  unassuming;  a  man  of  fine 
culture  and  classical  scholarship;  and  a  leader  with  the 
highest  Christian  ideals.  Through  his  splendid  efforts, 
the  University  was  placed  in  the  front  rank  of  southern 
institutions. 

The  second  President  of  the  University  was  born  Octo- 
ber 21,  1801,  near  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  being  the  youngest 
son  of  Rev.  Alexander  Anderson,  a  brilliant  young  minis- 
ter of  his  day  whose  career  was  all  too  brief.  Samuel 
Thomas  Anderson,  '51  A.B.,  D.D.,  Moderator  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  his  church  in  1869,  also  a  missionary  to 
the  Island  of  Trinidad,  at  a  later  time  the  Acting  Presi- 
dent"^^ of  Trinity  University  (1882-83),  and  in  1881  ap- 
pointed a  theological  professor  in  Cumberland,  was  a 
grandson  of  Rev.  Alexander  Anderson,  and  a  nephew  of 
President  T.  C.  Anderson.  President  Anderson  was  three 
years  of  age  when  his  father  died.     During  his  boyhood 

(66) 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  1.  C.  ANDERSON      dl 

his  greatest  religious  impression,  aside  from  the  influence 
of  his  mother,  was  received  from  the  preaching  of  Rev. 
James  McG ready,  and  yet  he  remained  for  several  years 
under  the  impression  that  morality  was  all  there  was  of 
religion.  From  a  sketch  of  his  life  written  in  1882  by 
Dr.  M.  B.  Dewitt,  of  Nashville,  we  learn  that  rather  early 
in  his  career  he  "became  a  successful  teacher,  having  en- 
joyed the  instruction  of  several  fine  classical  teachers."  ^ 

In  1830  he  was  employed  by  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt  as  a  tutor 
in  Cumberland  College  in  Kentucky,  while  com-pleting  the 
requirements  for  the  A.B.  degree,  which  he  secured  in 
June,  1831.  He  then  served  as  a  regular  professor  in  the 
College  for  one  year,  when  he  resigned  to  enter  the  minis- 
try. In  1836  he  labored  as  an  evangelist  with  Rev,  J.  M. 
McMurry  in  Missouri  and  Illinois,  and  later,  with  Rev. 
Matthew  Houston  Bone  and  Rev.  Hugh  Bone  Hill,  in 
Ohio.  He  laid  the  foundation  for  churches  in  Covington 
and  Piqua,  Ohio. 

In  the  summer  of  1842  he  had  accepted  the  call  of  the 
Trustees  to  become  the  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages. 
He  was  at  the  time  (1838-42)  the  pastor  of  the  church  of 
his  denomination  in  "Winchester,  Tennessee.  One  has  it 
on  his  own  authority  that  this  pastorate  was  the  happiest 
period  of  his  life.  He  had  in  his  church  an  unusually 
fine  board  of  elders,  led  by  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  who  later 
became  a  professor  of  law  in  Cumberland  University. 
While  engaged  in  a  camp  meeting  near  Winchester  just 
before  the  time  to  take  up  his  duties  as  a  professor,  Dr. 
Anderson  was  stricken  with  a  heart  disease,  which  made 

^Cumberland  Presbyterian,  June  1,  1882.  C.  P.  Quarterly  Review,  Octo- 
ber, 1882. 


68  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

him  an  invalid  for  life.  Not  long  after  this  he  removed 
to  Lebanon,  but  because  of  poor  health  could  not  enter 
upon  his  duties  as  a  professor  before  September,  1843. 
As  has  been  previously  stated,  he  retired  from  teaching 
work  in  April,  1844,  owing  to  feeble  health.  And  yet 
about  a  month  after  the  board  had  accepted  his  resigna- 
tion as  a  professor,  he  reluctantly  and  with  much  trem- 
bhng  of  heart  accepted  the  presidency. 

To  indicate  further  his  feelings  in  the  matter,  it  seems 
best  to  quote  his  own  words:  "Thus  when  I  thought  my- 
self free  from  further  responsibility,  and  I  was  busily  ma- 
turing plans  for  a  quiet,  retired  life,  I  found  myself  un- 
expectedly elevated  to  the  presidency  of  an  institution 
without  funds,  apparatus,  library,  or  cabinet;  an  institu- 
tion to  which  I  knew  the  majority  of  the  Church  were 
looking  as  their  last  fond  hope  for  an  educated  ministry. 
My  position  was  embarrassing  in  the  extreme.  I  would 
have  most  gladly  shrunk  from  the  responsibility,  but  the 
responsibility  was  laid  upon  me,  and  I  resolved  at  once  to 
devote  the  shattered  remnant  of  my  life  to  the  work  as- 
signed me." 

"With  all  the  vigor  at  his  command.  President  Anderson 
took  up  the  burden  laid  upon  him  by  the  Trustees,  and 
began  in  a  commendable  and  effective  way  the  execution 
of  his  task.  Dr.  N.  Lawrence  Lindsley,  the  Professor  of 
Modern  Languages,  was  offered  the  chair  of  Mathematics, 
made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Professor  McPherson. 
He  declined  the  offer,  but  agreed  to  supply  the  department 
temporarily,  while  the  "labor  of  the  department  of  Lan- 
guages was  divided  between  him  and  President  Anderson." 
On  January  22,  1845,  Lieutenant  A.  P.  Stewart,  Assistant 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      69 

Professor  of  Mathematics  in  the  MiHtary  Academy  at 
West  Point,  was  elected  by  the  Trustees  as  the  Professor  of 
Mathematics  in  the  University.  He  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment, but  did  not  begin  his  work  in  the  department  until 
May,  1845.  From  February  until  May,  Louis  A.  Lowry, 
A.B.,  was  the  teacher  of  mathematics.  On  February  22, 
1845,  J.  H.  Sharp,  M.D.,  was  elected  to  the  Department  of 
Natural  Science,  which  position  he  held  until  September 
4,  1847.  With  this  Faculty  of  four  strong  men,  the  Col- 
lege of  Arts  began  its  work  in  September,  1845.  The 
catalogue  of  1845-46  announces  Judge  Abram  Caruthers 
simply  as  Professor  of  Law.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  this 
professor  delayed  his  coming,  and  his  work  as  a  teacher 
of  law  did  not  begin  until  October  1,  1847. 

On  February  27,  1845,  the  Board  of  Trustees  appointed 
Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  as  Professor  of  International  Law  and 
Political  Economy.  At  that  time  he  was,  and  had  been 
since  1831,  a  member  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court,  but 
for  this  reason  felt  that  he  could  not  accept  the  offer  of 
the  University.  On  May  27,  of  the  same  year.  Honorable 
Abram  Caruthers,  a  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  was  elect- 
ed to  this  professorship.  He  agreed  to  accept  it,  but,  as 
heretofore  stated,  delayed  his  coming.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  Trustees  had  not  yet  established  a  Law  Department  in 
the  University,  although  they  had  doubtless  contemplated 
doing  so. 

At  the  close  of  the  school  year,  1844-45,  the  first  cata- 
logue was  published.  From  the  catalogue  of  1846-47,  we 
learn  that  the  Preparatory  School  had  been  entirely  reor- 
ganized, with  a  four-year  course,  and  that  the  College  of 
Arts  also  had  a  four-year  course.    The  course  in  the  Pre- 


70  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

paratory  School  had  three  years  of  Latin,  three  of  Greek, 
and  an  introductory  course  in  Algebra.  There  was  an 
English  course  for  those  not  preparing  for  college.  In  the 
College  of  Arts  the  Freshman  year  included  Sallust,  Cicero 
(Orations) ,  and  two  courses  from  Xenophon.  Horace  and 
Homer  were  studied  in  the  Sophomore  year;  Cicero  (De 
Oratore)  and  Graeca  Majora,  in  the  Junior  year;  and 
Circero  (De  Officiis)  and  Sophocles,  or  Euripides,  or 
Aeschylus,  in  the  Senior  year.  These  were  some,  but  not 
all,  of  the  studies  in  the  Classical  Department.  There  was 
also,  for  all  college  students,  a  Department  of  Mathematics 
and  Natural  Philosophy.  The  studies  in  this  department 
included  College  Algebra,  Plain  and  Spherical  Geometry, 
Trigonometry,  Descriptive  and  Analytical  Geometry,  Dif- 
ferential and  Integral  Calculus,  Surveying,  Mechanics, 
Hydrostatics,  Optics,  Electricity,  Magnetism,  and  Astron- 
omy. The  Rhetorical  and  Ethical  Departments  included 
Natural  Philosophy,  Rhetoric,  Logic,  International  Law, 
Political  Economy,  Natural  Theology,  Geology,  Mental 
and  Moral  Philosophy,  and  Evidences  of  Christianity. 

One  finds  the  catalogue  of  1845  saying:  "Although  the 
circumstances  that  surrounded  the  University  at  its  estab- 
lishment were  dark  and  somewhat  gloomy,  we  congratu- 
late its  friends  and  patrons  on  the  success  that  has  attend- 
ed it  thus  far,  and  the  bright  and  brightening  prospects 
that  are  beginning  to  dawn  upon  our  infant  institution." 
On  May  29,  1845,  the  University  Treasurer  was  ordered 
to  invest  all  endowment  moneys  on  hand  in  Lebanon  and 
Nashville  turnpike  stock.  On  January  27,  1845,  the 
Trustees  began  the  accumulation  of  a  library  fund,  "the 
faculty  to  have  the  power  to  exclude  unsuitable  books." 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      71 

The  first  time  a  student  was  ever  expelled  from  the  insti- 
tution was  on  November  1,  1845. 

The  first  three  agents  for  endowment  were  not  very  suc- 
cessful. But  in  1845  Rev.  J.  M.  McMurry,  of  Lebanon,  a 
brother-in-law  of  President  Anderson,  was  employed  to 
solicit  gifts  for  the  permanent  endowment  fund.  He 
raised  seven  thousand  dollars  during  the  first  three  months, 
which  encouraged  him  to  go  on  with  the  work.  By  the 
spring  of  18  52,  the  fund  had  reached  through  his  efforts 
the  sum  of  sixty  thousand  dollars,  the  greater  part  of 
which  was  in  notes  (potential  endowment),  given  by  in- 
dividuals, the  interest  to  be  paid  annually,  the  principal  to 
be  paid  at  the  death  of  the  donor.  The  gathering  of  these 
funds  was  a  slow  and  arduous  process.  Most  of  the  gifts 
were  in  small  sums,  and  represented  real  sacrifice  on  the 
part  of  the  givers.  There  were  no  large  givers,  for  it  was  a 
land  of  meager  resources.  But  the  number  of  students 
grew  all  the  while,  and  the  institution  was  rapidly  gaining 
in  prestige. 

In  1846  the  Eductlonal  Committee  of  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  Church  said  In  its  report  on  Cumberland 
University: 

"It  has  a  fine,  large  college  edifice,  a  president,  four  pro- 
fessors, two  tutors,  and  seventy-six  students;  twenty-one 
of  whom  are  ordained  ministers,  licentiates  and  candidates 
for  the  ministry." 

In  1847  the  Assembly  said: 

"Cumberland  University  now  ranks  among  the  first 
institutions  of  the  country.  .  .  .  There  are  at  present  and 
have  been  during  the  collegiate  year  about  120  students, 
about  80  of  whom  are  professors  of  religion,  and  almost 


72  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

all  are  distinguished  for  industry  and  orderly  deportment. 
The  Rev.  Robert  Donnell  and  the  President  deliver  weekly 
lectures  on  Theology  and  Ecclesiastical  History  to  a  class 
of  28  young  men  who  are  preparing  for  the  ministry. 
More  than  $25,000  has  been  secured  toward  the  endow- 
ment." 

The  catalogue  of  1846  says: 

"No  church  judicatory  has  any  control  over  this  insti- 
tution or  any  connection  with  it,  but  as  it  is  under  the 
influence  and  voluntary  patronage  of  Cumberland  Presby- 
terians, it  is  gratifying  to  the  Trustees  to  find  that  their 
highest  judicatory,  at  its  annual  sessions,  takes  such  favor- 
able notice  of  its  progress." 

This  same  catalogue  further  says: 

"The  Trustees  disavow  any  wish  or  intention  to  control 
or  improperly  influence  the  religious  opinions  of  its  stu- 
dents; they  would  with  one  voice  rebuke  any  attempt  to 
abridge  in  the  smallest  degree  the  freedom  of  conscience. 
Religious  bigotry  and  intolerance,  together  with  every 
species  of  sectarian  exclusiveness,  are  carefully  avoided, 
and  can  find  no  advocacy  either  with  the  Faculty  or  Board 
of  Trustees.  Morality  and  respect  for  the  claims  of  re- 
ligion will  ever  be  urged  on  the  student,  as  objects  of  his 
first  and  highest  regard;  still  no  effort  has  been,  or  will  be, 
made  to  shackle  the  conscience,  or  influence  the  mind  by 
sectarian  prejudice." 

Those  conducting  the  affairs  of  the  institutions  at  the 
time  also  declare  that  it  has  been  one  of  their  chief  aims 
to  select  a  Faculty  with  superior  qualifications.  That  they 
succeeded  was  not  questioned  then  nor  is  it  questioned 
now. 


PROFESSOR   C.   C.    McPHERSON 


N.    LAWRENCE    LINDSLEY,    LL.D. 


GENERAL   A.    P.    STEWART,    LL.D.  JAMES    M.    SAFFORD,    Ph.D. 

Professors  in  the  College  of  Arts 


ANDREW    HAYS    BUCHANAN,   LL.D. 
Professor  of  Mathemafics,   1853-1911 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      73 

In  the  catalogue  of  1846-47  one  sees  that  the  college 
year  began  October  1,  and  ended  on  July  28.  August  and 
September  were  the  vacation  months.  Several  familiar 
names  are  found  in  the  list  of  students,  including  T.  C. 
Blake,  W.  E.  Beeson,  J.  C.  Bowdon,  E.  I.  Golladay,  D.  M. 
Grissom,  and  W.  M.  Reed.  Dr.  T.  C.  Blake  became  a  pro- 
fessor in  Cumberland,  a  Trustee  in  the  same,  and  a  Mod- 
erator, and  later  Stated  Clerk,  of  the  General  Assembly; 
Dr.  W.  E.  Beeson,  president  of  Trinity  University;  Dr. 
J.  C.  Bowdon,  president  of  Lincoln  University;  E.  I.  Golla- 
day, a  Trustee  and  a  congressman;  D.  M.  Grissom,  a  noted 
newspaper  editor  in  St.  Louis;  and  Rev.  Wiley  M.  Reed,  a 
much  loved  pastor  in  Nashville. 

For  eleven  years,  1845-5  5,  the  annual  catalogue  con- 
tained a  list  of  about  twenty  men  of  distinction  as  a  Board 
of  Visitors.  This  was  not  a  charter  requirement,  but  sim- 
ply an  appointment  of  the  University  authorities  that  the 
men  appointed  might  inspect  the  work  of  the  institution, 
give  counsel  to  those  in  charge,  and  take  a  wider  interest 
in  the  institution.  A  few  changes  were  made  in  the  list 
from  year  to  year,  but  some  were  members  of  this  board 
during  the  eleven  years.  Some  of  the  more  familiar  names 
were  as  follows:  A.  O.  P.  Nicholson,  Rev.  Carson  P.  Reed, 
Governor  W.  B.  Campbell,  Governor  Aaron  V.  Brown, 
Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  Dr.  S.  G.  Burney,  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt, 
Robert  Donnell,  Dr.  James  W.  Hoggatt,  Finis  E.  McLean, 
Joseph  W.  Allen,  Gov.  James  C.  Jones,  Howell  E.  Cobb, 
Dr.  Reuben  Burrow,  Gen.  William  Smarct,  Hon.  Jesse 
J.  Finley,  Judge  J.  M.  Howry,  and  Hon.  Alexander  Alli- 
son. Hon.  A.  O.  P.  Nicholson  was  offered,  but  did  not 
accept,  places  in  the  cabinets  of  Presidents  Polk  and  Pierce, 


74  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

yet  later  became  a  United  States  Senator;  at  one  time  was 
associated  with  Judge  Caruthers  in  bringing  out  a  "Digest 
of  Tennessee  Statutes";  and  later  became  the  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court.  The  distinguished 
ministers,  Reed,  Burney,  Cossitt,  Donnell,  and  Burrow, 
were  moderators  of  the  General  Assembly  of  their  church. 
Judge  Cobb  was  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Geor- 
gia. Governor  Brown  was  Postmaster  General  under 
President  James  Buchanan. 

On  January  5,  1847,  the  Trustees  appointed  a  commit- 
tee of  its  members  to  consider  the  advisability  of  estab- 
lishing a  Law  Department.  The  committee  reported  fa- 
vorably on  February  22,  when  definite  action  was  taken 
to  establish  the  Department.  The  first  step  in  the  organi- 
zation was  the  election  on  the  date  mentioned  of  Judge 
Abram  Caruthers  as  the  first  professor,  with  a  salary  of 
$1,500.  In  his  brief  sketch  of  the  University,  President 
Anderson  says:  "This  was  the  first  attempt  toward  the 
establishment  of  a  Law  School  in  Tennessee  or  in  the 
Southwest."  Within  five  to  ten  years  it  was  regarded 
as  being  in  the  first  rank  among  the  law  schools  of  the 
United  States,  both  in  attendance  and  in  the  quality  of 
work  done. 

The  announcement  of  the  Law  Department  and  its 
course  of  study  was  printed  in  the  catalogue  of  1846-47. 
It  was  announced  that  the  course  of  study  would  require 
two  years  for  its  completion.  The  course  for  the  Junior 
year  would  include:  The  Law  of  Nations,  the  Science  of 
Government,  Constitutional  Law,  and  Municipal  Law. 
The  textbooks  would  be  Vattel's  Law  of  Nations,  the  Fed- 
eralist, Story  on  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      75 

Commentaries  of  Blackstone  and  Kent.  The  textbooks 
for  the  Senior  year  would  be:  Coke  on  Littleton,  Stephens 
on  Pleading,  Greenleaf  on  Evidence,  Chitty  on  Contracts, 
Story  (three  volumes)  and  Russell  on  Crimes.  In  addi- 
tion it  was  said:  "The  Bible  will  be  studied  by  every  stu- 
dent and  regarded  as  a  textbook  in  both  Classes,"  but,  as 
was  indicated,  without  sectarian  teaching. 

In  April,  1847,  the  Trustees  ordered,  for  democratic  and 
not  military  reasons,  that  students  should  wear  suits  that 
were  uniform.  On  November  6,  1847,  more  land  was 
bought  adjoining  the  University  buildings. 

In  January,  1848,  Professor  N.  L.  Lindsley's  health 
failed,  for  which  reason  he  tendered  his  resignation.  But 
the  Trustees  declined  to  accept  it,  permitting  him,  how- 
ever, to  retire  for  a  season  until  his  health  could  be  re- 
gained. He  had  suffered  from  an  almost  fatal  attack  of 
bronchitis.  But  his  health  was  gradually  re-established, 
and  he  continued  his  connection  with  the  University  until 
October  13,  1849.  When  Professor  Lindsley's  health 
failed,  the  Trustees  elected  Professor  William  Mariner, 
A.M.,  of  West  Tennessee  University,  Assistant  Professor 
of  Languages,  who  remained  with  the  University  until 
1860.  On  June  27,  1848,  Professor  J.  H.  Sharp,  Profes- 
sor of  Natural  Science,  having  resigned  his  position,  the 
Trustees  elected  Professor  James  Merrill  Safford,  Ph.D., 
Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Geology.  Dr.  Safford  was  to 
begin  with  a  salary  of  $600,  and  this  was  to  be  increased 
later  to  $1,000.  He  had  received  much  of  his  training  in 
science  at  Yale,  and  came  with  the  highest  recommenda- 
tions from  the  Science  Department  there.  He  remained 
with  Cumberland  until  1873. 


76         A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

The  institution's  gain  in  prestige  is  clearly  indicated  in 
a  bit  of  praise  which  came  from  Hon.  Aaron  V.  Brown, 
Governor  of  Tennessee.  In  one  of  his  official  messages  to 
the  Legislature,  October  6,  1848  (Senate  Journal,  p.  25) 
he  says: 

"Our  Universities  and  Colleges  are,  in  a  general  way, 
meeting  the  just  expectation  of  their  friends.  Some  new 
ones  have  been  recently  established  in  the  State,  founded 
chiefly  if  not  entirely  on  the  enlightened  liberality  of  in- 
dividuals, which  promise  soon  to  rival  their  older  predeces- 
sors in  the  diffusion  of  sound  and  wholesome  intelligence 
among  the  people.  Among  these  it  may  not  be  consid- 
ered invidious  to  mention  the  one  in  Lebanon,  whose  rising 
reputation  gives  fine  promise  of  its  future  usefulness  to  the 
State." 

On  July  4,  1849,  a  cholera  epidemic  made  its  appearance 
in  Lebanon,  and  was  not  checked  before  the  middle  of 
September.  As  soon  as  the  epidemic  appeared,  most  of 
the  students  went  to  their  homes,  three  weeks  before  the 
close  of  the  term.  All  this  seriously  interfered  with  the 
Commencement,  July  31,  1849.  The  student  body  was 
not  so  large  in  1849-50.  Yet  the  catalogue  of  1850  shows 
153  students.  The  gloom  overhanging  the  institution  in 
October,  1849,  was  greatly  increased  by  the  resignation 
of  Professor  A.  P.  Stewart,  who  accepted  a  position  in  the 
University  of  Nashville  for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which 
period  he  resumed  his  labors  in  the  University. 

On  January  16,  18  50,  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee 
granted  an  amendment  to  the  charter  which  recited  that 
all  vacancies  in  the  Board  of  Trustees  shall  be  submitted 
for  confirmation  or  rejection  to  the  General  Assembly,  or 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      77 

the  Synod  in  which  said  institution  is  located,  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church.  The  provision  for  con- 
firmation or  rejection  by  either  the  Assembly  or  the  Synod 
was  tentative  on  the  face  of  it,  and  had  to  be  amended 
later.  This  was  done  in  the  charter  amendment  of  18  58, 
providing  for  the  confirmation  or  rejection  by  the  Assem- 
bly. In  18  50  the  Assembly  confirmed  the  election  of  a 
Trustee  for  the  first  time.  The  Trustee  was  Nathan 
Green,  Jr. 

In  the  Charter  of  1843  and  in  the  amendment  of  18  50 
there  was  no  mention  of  any  provision  for  a  Law  Depart- 
ment or  for  a  Theological  Department.  The  charter  pro- 
vision for  these  two  Departments  or  Schools  was  delayed 
until  the  charter  was  amended  March  2,  18  58,  by  the 
Legislature.  In  the  amendment  of  18  58  it  was  provided 
that  the  number  of  Trustees  should  be  reduced  from  thir- 
teen to  nine  as  soon  as  there  were  sufficient  vacancies  by 
death  or  resignation.  Certain  other  necessary  changes 
were  made  to  meet  the  new  conditions,  but  the  essential 
features  in  previous  charters  were  preserved.  The  amend- 
ed charter  of  18  58  gave  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Church  the  veto  power  in  the  election  of  Trustees,  but 
did  not  grant  to  the  General  Assembly  the  power  to  ap- 
point either  an  entirely  new  board  of  trustees  for  the 
University  or  a  new  board  to  receive  any  funds  collected 
by  the  University  for  any  of  its  departments.  There  was 
never  any  legal  authority  for  calling  the  Law  Department 
the  "Lebanon  Law  School,"  nor  was  there  ever  any  legal 
authority  for  calling  the  Theological  Department  the 
"Lebanon  Theological  Seminary." 

Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  Rev.  Robert  Donnell,  Dr. 


78  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

F.  R.  Cossitt,  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  and  President  Anderson 
were  among  the  first  to  really  desire  and  plan  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  Theological  School,  President  Anderson 
in  his  historical  sketch,  Theological  Medium,  Decem.ber, 
18  58,  says:  "While  there  were  usually  from  thirty  to  forty 
young  men  in  the  college  preparing  for  the  ministry,  it 
was  a  source  of  deep  regret  that  they  were  receiving  no 
theological  instruction."  And  in  view  of  the  urgent  need 
of  such  instruction,  President  Anderson  was  induced,  as 
early  as  March,  1846,  to  commence  a  course  of  weekly  lec- 
tures for  the  benefit  of  students  in  the  college  who  were 
preparing  for  the  ministry.  The  principal  subjects  em- 
braced in  these  lectures  were:  Preparation  for  the  Pulpit, 
the  Manner  of  Preaching,  Pastoral  Duties,  Management 
of  Revivals,  Church  Polity,  Ecclesiastical  History,  and 
Expositions  of  Prophecy.  The  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Lebanon — at  first,  Rev.  Robert  Donnell,  and  subsequently, 
Rev.  David  Lowry — delivered  lectures  to  the  class  upon 
Systematic  Theology,  and  various  practical  subjects. 
President  Anderson,  in  his  historical  sketch,  also  said: 
"As  early  as  1849,  a  plan  for  the  establishment  of  a 
Theological  School  was  discussed  in  the  General  Assembly; 
but  no  definite  action  was  taken  until  1852,  when  the  As- 
sembly adopted  a  resolution  favoring  the  establishment  of 
a  Theological  Department  in  the  Cumberland  University. 
On  March  13,  18  54,  Rev.  Richard  Beard,  D.D.,  was  in- 
augurated Professor  of  Systematic  Theology,  and  entered 
immediately  upon  the  duties  of  his  office.  At  this  date 
no  endowment  for  the  department  had  been  created,  but 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  citizens  of  Leba- 
non, became  responsible  to  the  professor  for  a  moderate 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      79 

salary.  Rev.  W.  D.  Chadick  was  appointed  general  agent 
for  the  endowment  of  the  department;  and,  in  eight 
months,  he  succeeded  in  raising  about  nineteen  thousand 
dollars.  But  having  received  a  call  to  the  pastoral  charge 
of  the  church  in  Huntsville,  Alabama,  he  retired  from  the 
agency.  No  further  effort  was  made  to  increase  the  en- 
dowment until  18  56,  when  the  Rev.  "W.  E.  "Ward  accepted 
an  agency  for  that  purpose;  and,  during  the  year,  he 
raised  about  nine  thousand  dollars,  when  he  resigned  to 
take  charge  of  the  Banner  of  Peace." 

Dr.  William  E.  Ward,  here  referred  to,  received  the 
A.B.  degree  from  the  College  of  Arts  in  1851,  and  later 
was  a  student  in  the  Law  School  (1851-52)  and  in  the 
Theological  School  (1854-56).  He  was  one  of  the  most 
loyal  friends  of  the  institution — one  of  its  strongest  sup- 
porters— and  never  deserted  it  in  a  critical  hour.  He  was 
the  founder  and  for  many  years  the  president  of  Ward 
Seminary,  Nashville,  an  institution  which  is  a  constituent 
part  of  Ward-Belmont  College  today. 

Until  1850  the  Preparatory  School  was  taught  by  tutors 
selected  from  the  higher  classes  in  the  College  of  Arts.  In 
February,  18  50,  R.  P.  Decherd,  A.B.,  was  made  Principal 
of  the  Preparatory  School,  and  he  was  assisted  by  W.  J. 
Grannis,  A.M.,  who  had  recently  arrived  from  New  York 
State.  Professor  Decherd  continued  with  the  School  un- 
til 18  54;  the  latter,  until  1902. 

The  School  of  Engineering  was  established  in  18  52,  with 
Professor  A.  P.  Stewart  as  its  head.  The  course  included 
studies  in  Mathematics,  Surveying,  and  Civil  Engineering, 
requiring  three  years  for  completion.  A  certificate  was 
granted  at  the  end  of  the  course  if  successfully  completed. 


80  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Professor  Stewart  was  assisted  at  times  by  Professor  An- 
drew Hays  Buchanan,  who  became  Professor  of  Engineer- 
ing in  185  5. 

In  18  54,  Professor  J.  M.  Saflford  was  appointed  State 
Geologist,  the  work  of  that  office  requiring  him  to  be  ab- 
sent from  the  University  during  the  summer  months. 
For  this  reason  Benjamin  C.  Jilson,  Ph.B.,  was  appointed 
Associate  Professor  of  Mineralogy,  Chemistry,  and  Geol- 
ogy, and  he  continued  as  such  for  two  years,  18  54-56. 

Professor  A.  P.  Stewart  resigned  again  in  18  54  to  go 
to  the  University  of  Nashville.  Rev.  T.  C.  Blake,  '51  A.B., 
was  elected  to  take  his  place  as  Professor  of  Mathematics, 
in  which  position  he  labored  two  years,  1854-56. 

The  growing  reputation  of  the  University  secured  a 
steady  increase  of  patronage,  both  to  the  College  and  the 
Law  School.  In  18  54  the  College  of  Arts  numbered  222 
students,  and  The  Law  School,  87;  in  1855,  the  total  num- 
ber was  329;  in  1856,  393;  in  1857,  455.  As  early  as 
18  52,  Judge  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  resigned  his  position  as 
Chief  Justice  of  the  State  Supreme  Court,  and  devoted  his 
whole  time  to  the  Law  School.  The  increase  of  patronage 
was  such  that,  in  1856,  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  a  graduate  of 
the  College  and  Law  School,  who  had  been  for  several 
years  in  successful  practice,  was  elected  Professor  of  Law. 

President  Anderson,  in  his  historical  sketch  of  1858, 
says: 

"In  consequence  of  the  multiplication  of  departments, 
and  the  constant  increase  of  students,  the  want  of  addi- 
tional buildings  becam_e  the  source  of  great  inconvenience 
and  perpetual  annoyance.  So  urgent  was  the  necessity 
that,  in  July,  1856,  Professor  Blake  resigned  the  Chair  of 


BENJAMIN  W.   McDONNOLD,   LL.D. 
President,   1866-1873 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      81 

Mathematics,  for  an  agency  to  collect  funds  for  the  exten- 
sion of  the  University  buildings;  and  Professor  Stewart 
was  again  called  to  that  department.  Professor  Blake  had 
been  in  the  field  nine  months,  and  had  succeeded  in  raising 
about  $12,000,  when  he  was  called  to  take  the  pastoral 
charge  of  the  church  in  Lebanon. 

"The  Board  of  Trustees,  in  July  last  (18  58),  resolved  to 
add  two  spacious  wings  to  the  present  buildings.  The 
work  has  been  commenced,  and  will  be  prosecuted  to  com- 
pletion. When  completed,  the  buildings  will  be  sufiScient- 
ly  ample  for  the  accommodation  of  six  hundred  students. 
And  should  the  increase  continue  in  the  future,  as  it  has 
in  the  past,  it  will  reach  that  number  within  two  years. 
The  prosperity  of  the  institution  has  no  parallel  in  the 
history  of  the  institutions  of  this  country." 

The  larger  part  of  the  money  raised  for  the  purpose 
of  adding  the  two  large  wings  to  the  University  building 
was  contributed  by  the  citizens  of  Lebanon.  Throughout 
the  history  of  the  University  the  citizens  of  Lebanon  have 
made  the  main  contribution  to  the  erection  of  buildings. 
The  money  raised  in  the  field  (in  Lebanon  and  elsewhere) 
by  Dr.  T.  C.  Blake,  above  referred  to,  was  secured  largely 
through  the  sale  of  current  scholarships  of  $500  each,  to 
be  paid  for  in  tuition,  which  in  the  last  analysis  was  paid 
by  the  professors  of  the  institution. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War,  the  largest  attendance  of  stu- 
dents was  in  18  5  8.  The  attendance  in  the  various  de- 
partments was  as  follows:  In  the  College  of  Arts,  165; 
Preparatory  School,  117;  Theological  School  (exclusively), 
5;  Engineering  School,  6;  Law  School,  188.  Total  attend- 
ance for  the  year,  481.     There  were  thirty-three  students 


82  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

taking  courses  in  both  the  Theological  School  and  the  Col- 
lege of  Arts.  The  students  in  the  College  of  Arts  were 
distributed  as  follows:  Freshmen,  41;  Sophomores,  52; 
Juniors,  42;  and  Seniors,  30.  It  was  during  this  same 
year  (18  58)  that  the  Theological  School  had  its  first  grad- 
uating class,  which  was  four  in  number.  Cumberland 
University  conferred  upon  them  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Divinity.  The  endowment  of  the  Theological  School 
consisted  of  subscriptions  and  notes,  many  of  which  were 
never  paid,  and  the  rest  were  swept  away  by  the  Civil 
War. 

Cumberland  University  was  in  the  path  of  the  devastat- 
ing armies  of  the  Civil  "War.  Buildings,  endowment,  li- 
braries, apparatus,  and  other  equipment  were  all  swept 
away.  Those  who  loved  the  institution  most  were  made 
painfully  aware  of  the  meaning  of  war,  although  they 
had  taken  what  steps  they  could  to  prevent  it.  They  did 
not  all  fight  on  the  same  side.  As  a  rule,  however,  they 
respected  each  other.  The  Christian  denomination  with 
which  the  institution  was  connected  was  not  rent  asunder 
by  the  four  years  of  terrible  strife  as  were  most  other 
religious  bodies,  a  fact  which  brings  some  comfort  and 
satisfaction  to  those  who  are  espousing  the  cause  of  Cum- 
berland University  today. 

When  the  Civil  War  began  in  April,  1861,  the  work 
of  the  Law  School  was  at  once  discontinued,  and  most  of 
the  law  students  enlisted  in  one  army  or  the  other,  going 
generally  with  the  states  from  which  they  came  to  Cum- 
berland. Some  of  them  became  distinguished  leaders.  The 
College  of  Arts  continued  its  work  in  a  more  or  less 
crippled  condition  until  the  fall  of  Fort  Donelson,  about 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      83 

the  last  of  February,  1862.  The  College  classes  were 
taught  by  President  Anderson,  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  and 
Professor  Andrew  Hays  Buchanan.  During  the  rest  of 
the  period  of  the  Civil  War,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it.  Dr. 
Anderson  taught  a  private  school. 

One  of  the  students  in  the  College  of  Arts  from  Sep- 
tember, 1861,  to  March  1,  1862,  was  John  WiUiam  Bur- 
gess, whose  father  was  a  planter  near  Pulaski,  Tennessee. 
This  young  man  espoused  the  Union  cause,  and  became 
a  soldier  and  an  officer  in  the  Federal  Army,  spending 
much  of  the  time  of  the  war  in  Nashville.  He  later  be- 
came a  graduate  of  Amherst  College;  a  Professor  in  Knox 
College;  a  student  in  the  University  of  Gottingen  and  Ber- 
lin, in  Germany;  a  professor  of  history  in  Amherst;  a 
dean  of  the  School  of  Political  Science  in  Columbia  Uni- 
versity; a  visiting  professor  in  a  university  in  Austria. 
In  the  February  and  March,  1933,  numbers  of  the  Atlan- 
tic, two  articles  were  published  on  "A  Civil  War  Boyhood" 
from  the  pen  of  Professor  Burgess,  who  died  early  in  1931. 
From  the  first  one  of  these  articles  a  few  sentences  are 
quoted  here  which  will  illustrate,  from  one  point  of  view, 
the  period  which  we  are  here  considering: 

"It  was  in  the  midst  of  such  a  topsy-turvy  period  that  I 
entered  college.  The  institution  to  which  I  was  sent  was 
Cumberland  University  at  Lebanon,  Wilson  County,  Ten- 
nessee. The  University  consisted  then  of  a  Preparatory 
School,  a  College  of  Arts  and  Letters,  a  Law  School,  and  a 
Divinity  School. 

"Sometime  in  early  September  of  1861,  I  was  fitted  out 
with  a  trunk  of  clothing,  a  box  of  books,  a  box  of  tallow 
candles,  and  a  Negro  boy,  and  started  from  my  home  in 


84         A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Giles  County  to  the  University  at  Lebanon,  some  eighty 
miles  away.  A  lumbering  family  coach,  drawn  by  two 
stout  horses  and  guided  by  a  Negro  driver,  conveyed  me 
and  my  boy,  together  with  all  my  other  paraphernalia,  to 
my  destination.  I  was  accompanied  by  a  man  named  "Wil- 
liam Lewis,  who  was  acquainted  with  the  route  and  with 
a  number  of  people  residing  along  it  at  whose  houses  we 
might  find  lodging,  for  it  was  a  three-day  journey  by  the 
means  of  travel  at  my  command.  It  was  a  monotonous 
and  uneventful  ride  through  the  county  towns  of  Lewis- 
burg,  Shelbyville,  and  Murfreesboro,  and  in  the  evening 
of  the  third  day  we  arrived  at  our  destination. 

"Lebanon  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  prettiest  of  Ten- 
nessee's county  towns,  situated  in  a  rolling  limestone  re- 
gion with,  consequently,  snow-white  roads  and  evergreen 
forests,  and  built  regularly  around  a  square,  in  the  center 
stood  the  Courthouse.  The  business  houses,  law  offices, 
doctors'  offices,  and  hotel  occupied  the  four  sides  of  the 
square,  and  the  dwellings  faced  the  streets  radiating  there- 
from. The  University  stood  upon  an  eminence  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  town,  and  consisted  of  a  large 
brick  building  devoted  entirely  to  the  purposes  of  instruc- 
tion. There  were  no  dormitories;  the  students  boarded 
with  the  families  in  the  town.  .  .  . 

"The  institution  was  presided  over  at  that  time  by  the 
Reverend  Thomas  Anderson,  who  in  the  absence  of  the 
Professor  of  Latin,  taught  that  subject.  .  .  .  The  Reverend 
Dr.  Beard,  professor  in  the  Divinity  School,  taught  Greek 
in  the  absence  of  the  Professor  of  Greek,  and  the  noted 
Professor  of  Mathematics,  Mr.  Buchanan,  was  still  at  his 
post.    The  School  of  Law  had  suspended  operations,  since 


THE  SECOND  PRESIDENT,  DR.  T.  C.  ANDERSON      8  5 

most  of  the  students  in  this  school  had  already  enlisted  in 
the  Confederate  Army.  President  Anderson  taught  logic, 
rhetoric,  and  philosophy.  These  subjects  composed  the 
entire  curriculum  of  the  college  [at  that  time]. 

"I  soon  made  acquaintances  among  the  leading  families 
of  the  town — the  Cahals,  the  Caruthers',  the  Greens,  the 
Stokes',  the  McDonnolds,  the  Hattons,  and  others.  It  was 
a  very  cultivated  society  of  old  Whig  families,  and,  while 
yielding  to  the  Secessionist  majority  and  government,  was 
Unionist  in  spirit.  The  jurists — Cahal,  Caruthers,  and 
Green — were  old  men,  and  this  fact  somewhat  removed 
them  from  the  political  arena  and  sheltered  them  from 
attack. 

"My  period  of  study  at  Cumberland  University  was 
profitable,  and  my  life  in  Lebanon  was  all  too  short.  It 
extended  only  from  the  beginning  of  September,  1861, 
to  the  end  of  February,  1862.  On  the  last  Sunday  evening 
of  this  latter  month,  I  was  sitting  in  the  Prebyterian 
Church  listening  to  a  sermon  from  the  pastor.  Dr.  Mc- 
Donnold,  when  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  was  heard  out- 
side, and  a  moment  afterward  the  rider  appeared,  spurred 
and  booted,  in  the  aisle  of  the  church  and  strode  up  to 
the  pulpit.  He  handed  the  pastor  a  slip  of  paper  and  then 
retired.  With  ashen  cheeks  and  trembling  lips  the  pastor 
read  the  contents  of  the  message  to  the  waiting  and  ex- 
pectant congregation.  'Mill  Springs  is  lost.  Fort  Donel- 
son  has  fallen.  The  remainder  of  Crittenden's  army  is  re- 
treating toward  Lebanon,  and  the  Bowling  Green  forces 
are  retiring  upon  Nashville.'  This  meant  that  the  first 
line  of  the  Confederate  armies  in  the  west  had  been  driven 


86  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

back  on  both  flanks,  and  that  the  center  was  rapidly  re- 
treating in  order  to  save  itself  from  capture." 

When  Burgess  was  a  student  in  Cumberland,  the  court 
house  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  public  square.  One  of 
his  Fraternity  brothers  was  R.  L.  C.  White,  who  wrote  sev- 
eral interesting  letters  during  the  Civil  War  to  another 
Fraternity  brother,  Frank  Pate,  of  Concord,  Tennessee,  but 
who  was  then  a  soldier  in  the  Southern  army.  These  letters 
are  printed  in  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  magazine,  February,  1935. 
To  indicate  White's  feelings  at  the  time,  a  few  sentences 
may  be  quoted  from  the  letters: 

"The  mournful  tidings  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Henry,  which 
burst  upon  us  like  a  thunder-clap  from  a  clear  sky,  are  fol- 
lowed, as  I  write  [February  9,  1862],  by  the  painful  rumor 
of  the  capture  of  Florence  and  Tuscumbia,  Alabama.  But 
the  triumph  of  the  enemy  can  be  but  temporary.  We  know 
the  God  of  justice  and  right,  the  great  Captain-General  of 
the  Universe  sides  with  the  Stars  and  Bars;  we  know  our 
soldiers  are  'true  and  tried,'  and  our  generals  are  brave  and 
skilful;  we  know  we  are  in  the  right.  .  .  .  And  we  know, 
finally,  that  we  are  battling  in  the  cause  of  truth,  while  our 
foes  are  the  blind  and  infatuated  worshippers  of  the  most 
stupendous  'Error'  of  this  or  any  age."  In  another  letter, 
March  17,  1862,  he  says:  "Although  the  Feds,  have  been  in 
possession  of  Nashville  and  Gallatin  for  three  weeks,  we 
Lebanonians  have  not  yet  been  molested.  We  'are  expect- 
ing every  minute  to  be  our  next,'  however.  .  .  .  'Cumb. 
Univ.'  has  'played  out,'  finally.  The  Prep,  still  continues 
under  Grannis  and  Old  Tom."  Later,  R.  L.  C.  White 
became  the  Supreme  Keeper  of  Records  and  Seal,  Knights 
of  Pythias  of  the  World. 


Chapter  V 
PRESIDENT  ANDERSON'S  CLOSING  YEARS 

Cumberland  University  was  one  of  the  chief  suffer- 
ers from  the  havoc  made  by  the  Civil  War.  From  Dr.  J. 
Berrien  Lindsley,  of  Nashville,  from  Dr.  B.  W.  McDon- 
nold,  the  third  President  of  the  University,  and  from 
others,  a  few  facts  have  been  gathered  together  here.  For 
the  most  part  the  language  is  that  of  the  persons  men- 
tioned. 

When  the  survivors  of  the  war  got  back  to  Lebanon, 
the  town  was  a  picture  of  desolation.  The  fences  were 
gone,  the  shade-trees  had  been  cut  down,  houses  had  been 
burned,  and  the  people  were  impoverished  and  heart- 
broken. The  outlook  for  starting  the  work  of  the  Uni- 
versity again  was  somewhat  gloomy.  Some  of  the  Trus- 
tees and  other  friends  said  the  situation  was  hopeless.  The 
University,  which  had  enjoyed  considerable  prosperity  be- 
fore the  dreadful  conflict,  had  less  than  nothing  left.  One 
of  the  best  educational  buildings  in  the  entire  South,  with 
all  its  contents,  had  been  burned  to  the  ground  in  1863, 
the  blame  for  which  rests  on  soldiers  of  both  armies.  Four 
years  before  this  disaster,  the  two  spacious  wings  had  been 
added  to  the  building.  The  building  of  1844  was  110 
feet  long  and  40  feet  wide,  and  three  stories  high.  The 
additions  of  18  59  included,  besides  the  wings,  a  tower  and 
a  colonnade  in  front;  and  the  completed  building  was  more 

(87) 


88  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

than  three  times  as  large  as  the  building  first  erected.  A 
part  of  the  building  was  used  as  a  dormitory.  There  was 
a  large  chapel  on  the  first  floor.  The  chapel  was  used  for 
student  assemblies  and  commencement  occasions.  There 
are  those  still  living  who  attended  commencement  recep- 
tions in  this  building;  a  building  which  Dr.  Anderson 
says  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  600  students.  The 
classes  of  the  College  of  Arts,  the  Law  School,  and  the 
Theological  School  were  taught  here,  and  in  this  building 
were  also  the  library,  the  laboratories  and  the  museum. 
The  loss  of  this  structure,  so  well  adapted  to  educational 
uses,  was  a  great  blow  to  the  life  of  the  institution. 

A  large  part  of  the  money  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  building  had  been  secured  on  the  scholarship  plan. 
For  example,  five  hundred  dollars  entitled  the  donor  to  a 
fifteen-year  tuition  scholarship.  The  calculation  was  that 
the  rent  of  the  rooms  in  the  dormitory  section  would  pay 
the  expense  incurred  in  granting  tuition  to  the  users  of  the 
scholarships.  The  money  rent  would  seem  to  be  the  same 
as  interest  on  endowment.  But  when  the  building  was 
burned,  this  source  of  revenue  was  lost.  The  same  must 
be  said,  however,  concerning  all  endowment  notes  and 
other  investments,  about  $150,000  in  all,  which  were  like- 
wise swept  away  by  the  war.  To  make  matters  worse, 
some  of  the  scholarships  hung  over  the  institution  after 
the  war. 

There  were  other  debts,  too,  of  a  more  pressing  char- 
acter. The  roof  on  the  burned  building  was  still  not  paid 
for.  Old  claims,  whose  names  were  legion,  began  to  come 
to  hand  the  very  moment  the  attempt  was  made  to  re- 
organize.   These  all  amounted  to  several  thousand  dollars. 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        89 

All  of  tliem  were  paid  off  finally.  The  funds  for  this  pur- 
pose were  obtained  chiefly  by  dividing  the  beautiful  cam- 
pus into  building  lots  and  selling  them. 

Nearly  all  the  institution  had  after  the  war  was  its  name 
and  its  debts.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  in  less  than  six  months 
after  the  close  of  the  war,  President  T.  C.  Anderson  and 
Dr.  Richard  Beard  reopened  the  work  of  the  College  of 
Arts  in  a  rented  hall,  which  was  bare  and  dreary.  The 
number  of  students  is  not  now  known,  but  there  were  not 
many.  No  catalogue  was  printed  in  that  year.  The  two 
law  professors,  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  and  his  son,  Nathan 
Green,  Jr.,  met  one  day  in  the  summer  of  1865  to  con- 
sider the  advisability  of  reopening  the  Law  School.  The 
father  doubted  the  wisdom  of  it.  The  son  was  anxious  to 
make  the  effort.  The  decision  was  in  favor  of  reopening 
the  school.  Judge  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  passed  away  March 
30,  1866.  There  were  only  twenty  students  in  the  Law 
School  the  first  session,  and  forty-three  for  the  year.  Their 
names  are  printed  in  the  catalogue  of  1866-67.  Most  of 
them  had  seen  service  in  the  late  war.  The  tragedy  of  the 
situation  must  have  been  seen  when  the  number  was  com- 
pared with  188,  the  number  of  law  students  in  18  5  8. 

President  T.  C.  Anderson,  feeling  that  he  should  give 
way  to  a  younger  man,  resigned  August  24,  1866.  A 
few  months  later,  Rev.  B.  W.  McDonnold,  D.D.,  was 
called  to  take  the  place  so  ably  filled  by  Dr.  Anderson. 
During  the  twenty-two  years  in  which  Dr.  Anderson 
served  as  president,  he  also  served  as  professor  of  Belles 
Lettres  and  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy. 

Dr.  B.  W.  McDonnold  had  a  profound  regard  for  his 
predecessor.    It  was  a  worthy  tribute  which  he  paid: 


90  A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

"President  Anderson's  administration  was  long  and  pros- 
perous. A  man  of  deep  piety  whose  heart  was  set  far 
more  on  the  kingdom  of  Christ  than  on  any  Hterary  fame 
or  interest,  he  struggled  nobly  to  train  up  a  cultivated 
army  of  Christian  soldiers.  Broken  down  in  health  before 
he  became  connected  with  the  institution  and  continuing 
an  invalid  during  all  the  remainder  of  his  life,  he  yet  man- 
aged to  do  a  noble  service  for  his  church  in  the  long 
years  he  spent  as  President  of  the  University." 

Dr.  Stanford  G.  Burney,  a  professor  in  the  University 
from  1877  to  1893,  and  who  was  well  acquainted  with 
President  Anderson  for  a  period  of  forty  years,  said  at 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1882: 

"President  Anderson  was  a  man  of  positive  character, 
of  bold  and  striking  mental  qualities.  His  conceptions 
were  clear  and  well  defined,  his  convictions  strong,  and  his 
feelings  correspondingly  deep.  .  .  .  What  he  believed  to 
be  his  duty  was  his  rule  of  conduct.  ...  As  a  consequence 
of  his  clear  convictions  and  deep  feeling,  he  displayed  great 
energy  in  every  department  of  labor.  His  will  power  was 
very  great.  .  .  .  He  did  not  readily  yield  to  discouragements 
or  unfavorable  circumstances.  Obstacles  only  prompted 
to  more  vigorous  eflFort." 

Dr.  M.  B.  Dewitt,  a  prominent  minister  and  editor  of 
the  church  and  father  of  Judge  John  H.  Dewitt,  of  the 
Tennessee  Court  of  Appeals,  was  a  student  under  Presi- 
dent Anderson,  and  paid  him  this  tribute  in  1882: 

"President  Anderson  was  strong  in  faith,  firm  and  clear 
in  purpose,  broad  and  liberal  in  views,  fixed  and  resolute 
in  will,  and  finely  adapted  in  qualities  of  character  and 
culture  for  the  high  and  responsible  station  to  which  he 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        91 

was  called.  His  administrative  power  was  remarkable,  as 
the  experiment  proved;  and  under  his  genial,  paternal  and 
dignified,  yet  wise  and  steady  exercise  of  authority,  the 
institution  soon  assumed  and  maintained  with  ever  increas- 
ing volume  a  tone  of  real  life  which  gave  it  in  a  few  years 
a  commanding  place  among  the  great  schools  of  the  coun- 
try. He  had  the  fortunate  faculty  of  creating  due  respect 
and  inspiring  sincere  love  in  the  hearts  of  the  youth  who 
flocked  in  enlarging  numbers  to  the  halls  of  the  University. 
His  insight  into  human  nature  was  something  very  unus- 
ual. He  read  men's  characters  almost  by  intuition,  and  was 
rarely  mistaken  in  his  judgment.  His  common  sense  was 
a  distinguishing  characteristic  in  every  department  of  life, 
and  as  an  adviser  he  was  without  a  superior.  He  knew 
how  to  stir  the  better  elements  in  a  boy's  soul  and  to  de- 
velop the  finer  features  of  manhood.  As  a  rule,  if  he 
could  not  reach  and  help  a  difficult  case,  it  was  useless  for 
his  associates  to  try."  Dr.  Dewitt  spoke  of  President  An- 
derson as  "the  father  of  the  Theological  School." 

Dr.  J.  Berrien  Lindsley,  of  NashviUe,  and  brother  of 
Dr.  N.  Lawrence  Lindsley  (for  several  years  a  professor 
in  Cumberland  University),  wrote  in  1876  the  following 
tribute  to  President  Anderson: 

"His  course  was  distinguished  by  a  genial,  magnani- 
mous, liberal  and  Christian  view  of  his  great  responsi- 
bilities and  duties.  He  was  pre-eminently  noted  for  prac- 
tical wisdom  in  dealing  with  all  the  interests  of  the  Uni- 
versity, and  common  sense  was  one  of  his  peculiar  char- 
acteristics in  all  matters  of  counsel,  whether  public  or 
private.  True  to  the  highest  ideal  of  Christian  princi- 
ple, he  never  deviated  from  a  conscientious  discharge  of 


92         A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

duty  on  all  occasions,  but  the  nobility  of  his  nature  kept 
him  far  above  the  narrowness  of  bigotry,  or  the  petty 
prejudices  of  party.  Tennessee  never  gave  birth  to  a  no- 
bler son,  Cumberland  University  never  had  a  more  faith- 
ful servant.  His  domestic  life  was  as  beautiful  in  its  sim- 
plicity and  easy  dignity,  as  real  and  firm  in  its  purity  of 
character,  as  consistent  in  its  Christianity,  as  his  public  ca- 
reer was  honorable  in  its  conduct  and  commanding  in  its 
influence." 

After  his  retirement  as  President  of  the  University,  he 
was  made  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Missions,  still  located  in 
Lebanon.  He  remained  in  this  position  until  the  Board 
was  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  it  was  consolidated  with 
two  other  boards  of  like  character.  He  remained  in  Leb- 
anon until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  3,  1882. 
His  daughter,  Miss  Amanda  Anderson,  was  a  woman  of 
education  and  culture,  and  a  much  beloved  teacher  in 
Lebanon  for  forty  years  or  more. 

On  May  31,  1882,  in  Caruthers  Hall,  several  addresses 
were  delivered  as  a  tribute  to  Dr.  Anderson's  memory. 
The  speakers  were  his  former  students,  as  were  many  of 
the  alumni  who  were  present  in  the  large  audience  of  citi- 
zens and  University  people,  in  whose  esteem  Dr.  Anderson 
held  such  a  large  place.^ 

Dr.  J.  C.  Provine,  for  many  years  President  of  the 
Board  of  Publication,  Nashville,  said: 

"He  studied  logic  with  Paul,  rhetoric  with  David,  his- 
tory with  Moses  and  the  evangelists,  prophecy  with  Isaiah, 
the  Christian  graces  with  the  beloved  disciple,  and  the  art 
of  preaching  with  Him  who  spake  as  a  man  never  did.  .  .  . 

^  C.  p.  Quarterly  Review,  pp.  234-250. 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        93 

In  his  mind  originated  a  plan  for  the  first  effort  in  his 
Church  for  a  theological  school.  He  introduced  the  im- 
portant enterprise  by  voluntarily,  without  compensation, 
delivering  lectures  on  pastoral  theology,  continuing  them 
through  a  series  of  years,  until  a  regular  theological  de- 
partment was  established.  It  was  my  privilege  to  attend 
his  lectures  for  two  years  or  more,  and  I  can  truthfully 
say,  for  sound  logic  and  practical  usefulness  I  have  never 
heard  them  excelled,  either  in  the  schools  of  our  own  or  any 
other  Church." 

Dr.  C.  H.  Bell,  President  of  the  Board  of  Missions,  St. 
Louis,  regarded  him  as  a  genius: 

"With  an  aggressive  mind  and  large  amount  of  com- 
mon sense.  President  Anderson  possessed  admirable  ad- 
ministrative qualities,  becoming  the  chief  officer  of  a  young 
university  struggling  against  many  adverse  influences.  .  .  . 
We  fondly  cherish  his  memory,  because  he  honored  and 
made  all  the  more  honorable,  through  his  genius  and  mag- 
nanimity, the  grand  old  institution  so  dear  to  our  hearts." 

Dr.  J.  M.  Gill,  President  of  the  Assembly  Board  of 
Trustees,  Elkton,  Kentucky,  remembered  much  to  admire: 

"He  impressed  me  as  a  man  of  great  firmness  and 
strength  of  will.  ...  In  his  firm,  care-worn  face  there  was 
always  an  expression  of  benevolence  and  good  will.  .  .  . 
As  an  instructor  he  had  few  equals." 

Dr.  A.  H.  Buchanan,  Professor  of  Mathematics,  Cum- 
berland University,  regarded  him  as  a  great  leader: 

"As  President  of  Cumberland  University,  he  was  uni- 
versally beloved  by  the  faithful  and  diligent,  the  wayward 
and  wild;  and  no  student,  long  associated  with  him,  could 
fail  to  receive  impressions  for  good  to  last  with  his  life. 


94         A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Very  few  of  us,  perhaps,  who  were  his  students,  will  ever 
know  how  much  of  the  little  good  that  may  be  in  our 
characters  is  due  to  his  influence.  In  his  daily  contact  with 
the  student,  the  man's  religion  made  you  feel  its  reality; 
his  interest  in  your  success  made  you  look  to  him  as  a 
father;  his  kindness  made  you  suspect  you  were  his  favor- 
ite. Always  rejoicing  in  your  success,  sympathizing  in 
your  difficulties  and  discouragements,  and  grieving  for 
your  waywardness,  he  had  such  a  hold  upon  the  hearts  of 
all  that  they  rarely  ever  saw  any  fault  in  him.  .  .  . 

"No  man  ever  did  or  perhaps  ever  will  do  more  for  his 
beloved  institution,  and  the  basis  of  that  devotion  to  its 
interest  was  that  it  afforded  him  such  a  wide  field  of  use- 
fulness in  his  Master's  vineyard." 

President  T.  C.  Anderson's  efforts  were  much  strength- 
ened by  the  able  and  distinguished  members  of  his  Facul- 
ty to  whom  references  have  been  already  made.  A  more 
detailed  account  of  some  of  these  is  given  here. 

Nathaniel  Lawrence  Lindsley,  A.M.,  LL.D.,  friend  and 
valued  correspondent  of  Joseph  E.  Worcester,  the  lexicog- 
rapher, and  of  Edward  Everett,  the  great  orator,  became 
Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin  in  Cumberland  University, 
September  21,  1844,  and  served  in  this  capacity  until  Oc- 
tober 13,  1849.  He  was  born  in  Princeton,  New  Jersey, 
Septem.ber  11,  1816,  being  the  son  of  a  distinguished  fa- 
ther, Philip  Lindsley,  D.D.  Through  the  influence  of 
President  Andrew  Jackson,  a  warm  personal  friend,  young 
N.  L.  Lindsley  received  an  appointment  to  the  West  Point 
Military  Academy  where  he  remained  two  years  until  his 
health  failed.     He  was  graduated  from  the  University  of 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        95 

Nashville  with  the  A.B.  degree  in  1836,  in  the  most  bril- 
liant period  of  his  father's  career. 

In  1841  Dr.  Lindsley  married  the  daughter  of  Moses  B. 
Stevens,  and  settled  on  a  large  estate  near  Lebanon,  Ten- 
nessee. His  greatest  work  was  done  for  eager  students  in 
Cumberland  University.  The  late  Chancellor  Green  said 
of  him: 

"He  was  in  a  marked  degree  without  guile,  bold,  fear- 
less, determined."  He  was  a  devout  and  consistent  church 
member,  also  a  ruling  elder,  and  was  widely  known 
through  his  highly  prized  articles  in  the  leading  church 
papers.  He  was  also  the  founder  of  a  noted  school  for 
young  women,  known  as  Greenwood  Seminary,  four  miles 
east  of  Lebanon.  In  the  standard  work.  Resources  of  Ten- 
nessee, Dr.  Lindsley  is  referred  to  as  one  long  recognized 
throughout  the  country  as  "Tennessee's  great  educator  and 
scholar." 

During  the  school  year,  January  22,  1845,  Lieutenant 
Alexander  Peter  Stewart,  Assistant  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics in  the  Military  Academy  at  "West  Point,  was  elect- 
ed Professor  of  Mathematics  and  continued  as  such  until 
October  1,  1849,  when  he  resigned.  He  served  in  this 
capacity  again  from  April  3,  18  50,  to  August  2,  18  54,  and 
from  June  28,  18  56,  to  September  2,  1869.  He  was  of- 
fered on  one  or  more  occasions  the  presidency  of  the  Uni- 
versity. In  1869  he  went  into  business  in  St.  Louis.  In 
1874  he  became  the  President  of  the  University  of  Missis- 
sippi. He  was  one  of  the  generals  of  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy, one  of  the  ablest  under  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  so 
the  latter  said.  He  was  a  ruling  elder,  an  active  church 
worker,  and  a  man  of  the  deepest  piety.    Prior  to  the  Civil 


96         A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

"War,  in  1856,  according  to  good  authority,  he  organized 
in  Cumberland  University  what  has  been  called  "the  first 
College  Y.  M.  C.  A.,"  and  he  was  the  first  president  of 
the  same. 

Alexander  Peter  Stewart  was  born  October  2,  1821,  at 
Rogersville,  Tennessee.  His  first  schooling  was  received 
from  a  revolutionary  soldier,  a  Mr.  Crawford,  in  the 
mountains  of  East  Tennessee;  in  a  classical  school  in  Rog- 
ersville, Tennessee;  in  a  school  at  Winchester,  Tennessee; 
and  at  West  Point. 

General  Stewart  entered  the  West  Point  Military  Acad- 
emy in  183  8  as  a  cadet  from  Winchester,  Tennessee.  He 
was  graduated  in  1842  in  the  same  class  with  Generals 
Rosecrans,  Pope,  and  Longstreet.  During  the  Civil  War  he 
was  made  Brigadier  General,  November  8,  1861;  Major 
General,  June  2,  1863;  and  Lieutenant  General,  June  23, 
1864.  In  1890  the  United  States  Congress  passed  an  act 
to  make  a  National  Park  of  the  battlefields  around  Chatta- 
nooga and  Chickamauga.  General  Stewart  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  take  charge  of  this  work, 
which  position  he  held  until  his  death  in  1908. 

During  his  connection  with  Cumberland  University, 
General  Stewart  had  a  wonderful  hold  upon  his  students. 
His  influence  was  always  positive,  good  and  lasting.  He 
was  a  model  to  his  students  in  industry,  thoroughness,  sys- 
tem, wisdom,  and  piety.  General  Stewart  and  Dr.  N.  L. 
Lindsley,  two  of  the  most  distinguished  teachers  which 
the  College  of  Arts  ever  had,  led  the  way  in  giving  Cum- 
berland University  a  recognition  which  few  Southern  in- 
stitutions could  claim. 

Professor  William  Mariner,  A.M.,  became  Assistant  Pro- 


NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.,  LL.D. 

Chancellor,   1873-1902 

Law  Professor,   1856-1919 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        97 

fessor  of  Languages,  December  31,  1847,  and  continued  in 
the  department  until  October  1,  1849,  when  he  accepted 
the  Chair  of  Mathematics,  a  position  which  he  held  until 
July  12,  18  50.  On  this  last  date  he  became  Professor  of 
Ancient  Langauges,  in  which  department  he  did  the  great- 
est work  of  his  life.  The  present  writer's  teacher  of  Greek 
in  Trinity  University,  Dr.  S.  T.  Anderson,  always  said 
Professor  Mariner  was  one  of  the  greatest  teachers  he  ever 
had  and  that  this  really  great  teacher  extended  wide  the 
fame  of  Cumberland  University.  Professor  Mariner  was 
born  in  Portland,  Maine;  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Boston  and  in  Harvard  University;  and  later 
studied  in  Paris,  France.  He  taught  thirteen  years  in 
Cumberland  University.  From  1869  to  1873  he  was  one 
of  the  editors  of  the  leading  church  paper.  In  1876  he 
became  Professor  of  Latin  in  Lincoln  University,  Lincoln, 
Illinois.  He  was  a  wonderful  classical  scholar,  a  great 
teacher,  and  an  unusually  industrious  worker.  He  was  an 
earnest  Christian,  and  for  many  years  taught  a  large  class 
of  young  men  in  the  Sunday  School,  besides  being  an  elder 
in  the  church. 

James  Merrill  SaflFord,  M.D.,  Ph.D.,  was  the  Professor 
of  Chemistry  and  Geology  in  Cumberland  University  from 
1848  to  1873.  He  received  this  appointment  on  the  strong 
recommendation  of  the  famous  scientist,  Benjamin  Silli- 
man.  Dr.  Safford  was  educated  at  Ohio  University,  under 
President  William  Holmes  McGuffey,  and  at  Yale  College, 

Dr.  Safford  became  State  Geologist  of  Tennessee  in  18  54 
and  filled  this  oflEce  for  six  years.  His  vacations  only  were 
devoted  to  this  work.  His  "Geology  of  Tennessee,"  pub- 
lished by  the  State   in    1869,   received  high  praise   from 


9S  A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Dana,  Hall,  and  others  in  this  country  and  Europe,  includ- 
ing F.  H.  Bradley  and  General  E.  Kirby  Smith.  In  1873 
he  became  a  teacher  in  Ward  Seminary  and  also  in  the 
University  of  Nashville,  In  1875  he  became  a  Professor 
of  Mineralogy  and  Geology  in  Vanderbilt  University.  He 
married  the  widow  of  Dr.  Benjamin  R.  Owen,  one  of 
Cumberland's  original  Trustees.  He  was  an  elder  in  the 
local  church.^ 

Thaddeus  C.  Blake,  D.D.,  was  the  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics in  Cumberland  University  from  August  2,  18  54, 
to  June  28,  1856.  It  was  in  1846  that  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  College  of  Arts,  registering  as  a  student  from 
Fayetteville,  Tennessee,  In  1851  he  received  the  A.B.  de- 
gree, in  a  college  class  of  eight,  including  "W.  E.  "Ward, 
H.  B.  Buckner,  and  S.  T.  Anderson.  In  his  senior  year  he 
served  as  a  tutor,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  bril- 
liant young  men  attending  the  institution  during  this  pe- 
riod. When  he  came  to  Cumberland,  he  was  a  young  man 
without  means,  and  he  let  it  be  known  that  he  was  wilHng 
to  work  in  order  to  pay  his  way  through  school. 

Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers  became  very  much  interest- 
ed in  him,  and  took  him  into  his  own  home.  This  kind- 
ness was  never  forgotten  by  the  young  man,  as  he  often 
expressed  his  gratitude  for  this  timely  assistance.  One  of 
his  books  was  dedicated  to  Judge  Caruthers.  From  1857 
to  1867  Dr.  Blake  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
of  which  Board  Judge  Caruthers  was  the  president.  Also, 
Dr.  Blake  was  Judge  Caruthers'  pastor  at  one  time.  Few 
men  loved  Cumberland  University  more  than  did  Dr. 
Blake  and  Judge  Caruthers.     Both  before  and  after  the 

^  See  Speer's  Prominent  Temtes^eanz,  pp.  483-485. 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years        99 

Civil  War,  Dr.  Blake  was  quite  successful  in  raising  money 
for  the  institution;  in  18  58,  for  the  completion  of  the  im- 
posing University  building;  after  the  Civil  War,  for  build- 
ings, endowment,  and  current  expenses. 

In  1874,  Dr.  Blake  was  made  Moderator  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  his  Church.  He  was  Stated  Clerk  of  the 
same  from  1883  to  1896.  As  a  teacher  of  Mathematics, 
his  methods  were  similar  to  those  of  General  A.  P.  Stew- 
art, who  preceded  and  followed  him.  His  intellectual  abil- 
ity and  his  high  Christian  character  made  him  a  much  re- 
spected leader  among  men.  His  articles  often  appeared  in 
the  newspapers,  and  several  books  of  a  denominational 
character  were  written  by  him.  He  was  born  in  Lincoln 
County,  Tennessee,  March  17,  1825,  and  died  at  his  home 
in  Nashville,  February  9,  1896. 

One  of  his  lifelong  friends,  Mr.  Joseph  W.  Allen,  of 
Nashville,  a  successful  business  man  who  lived  formerly 
in  New  Orleans  and  in  Lebanon,  wrote  a  fine  tribute  of 
him  soon  after  Dr.  Blake's  death.  He  said  Dr.  Blake  never 
tired  of  telling  of  the  beneficent  influence  of  Judge  Ca- 
ruthers  and  his  wise  counsels,  and  that  his  interests  and 
love  for  Cumberland  University  were  very  great.  Mr. 
Allen  added: 

"If  he  had  been  a  business  man  he  would  have  been 
eminently  successful,  and  would  have  accumulated  a  large 
fortune.  His  good  judgment,  his  intuitive  knowledge  of 
men,  his  energy,  industry,  absolute  honesty  and  sacred  re- 
gard for  truth,  would  have  led  to  success  in  any  occupa- 
tion. His  courtesy  and  kind  manners  made  friends  wher- 
eever  he  went." 

An  interesting  letter  from  Daniel  M.  Grissom: 


100       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

"God  bless  the  brave  old  University  and  all  connected 
with  it."  This  is  the  last  sentence  in  a  letter  written  to 
the  present  writer  (at  that  time  Alumni  Secretary),  Octo- 
ber 15,  1928,  by  Cumberland  University's  oldest  former 
student  at  that  time,  Daniel  Morrison  Grissom,  '50  College 
of  Arts,  Kirkwood,  Missouri,  a  suburb  of  St.  Louis.  Mr. 
Grissom  was  born  January  26,  1830,  at  Owensboro,  Ken- 
tucky. Not  long  ago  he  passed  way,  being  more  than 
one  hundred  years  of  age. 

The  greater  part  of  his  life,  Mr.  Grissom  was  a  news- 
paper reporter  or  editor.  He  was  first  connected  with  the 
St.  Louis  Evening  News,  and  later  with  the  St.  Louis  Re- 
publican, the  latter  being  a  paper  which  was  absorbed 
by  the  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat.  He  v/as  a  student  in 
Cumberland  University,  1846-48.  A  few  years  ago  there 
was  a  feature  article  about  him  filling  a  page  in  several 
of  the  great  dailies  of  the  country,  in  which  he  first  gives 
a  graphic  account  of  the  report  which  he  made  of  the  fa- 
mous Douglas  and  Lincoln  Debate  in  Alton,  Illinois,  in 
1858,  and  then  refers  to  his  days  in  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity as  the  happiest  of  his  life.  He  remembers  General  A. 
P.  Stewart,  who  was  his  teacher  of  Mathematics;  Dr.  F.  R. 
Cossitt,  a  former  president  of  the  University;  Governor 
James  C.  Jones  and  others  whom  he  met  in  Lebanon. 

In  the  letter,  above  referred  to,  Mr.  Grissom  says: 
"When  your  letter  of  October  2  was  brought  to  me,  I 
glanced  at  it  and  saw  the  postmark  'Lebanon.'  I  cannot 
describe  the  thrill  of  mixed  marvel,  delight,  and  wonder 
that  swept  through  me.  After  leaving  college,  without 
graduating,  I  kept  up  a  correspondence  for  several  years 
through  several  friends  and  Professor  Stewart,  who  sent 


PRESIDENT  Anderson's  closing  years      101 

me  the  catalogues  for  a  time.  But  this  stopped  finally, 
and  the  brave  and  dear  old  town  became  all  but  forgotten. 
The  most  delightful  path  I  have  ever  trod  was  that  from 
Dr.  Cossitt's  residence,  past  Josiah  McClain's,  past  General 
Robert  L.  Caruthers',  and  up  to  the  college.  Among 
those  whom  I  was  glad  to  meet  every  day,  going  and  com- 
ing, were  Robert  Hatton,  that  brave  and  conscientious 
soldier  who  met  his  death  in  a  Virginia  battle  in  our  Civil 
War;  Benjamin  and  R.  P.  Decherd,  Robert  Green,  and 
his  brother,  Nathan.  .  .  .  God  bless  the  brave  old  Univer- 
sity and  all  connected  with  it." 

Vivid  memories  of  a  Los  Angeles  Alumnus: 
In  a  letter  to  Judge  E.  E.  Beard  in  1921,  Mr.  John  Hyde 
Braly,  '57  A.B.,  '74  A.M.,  Los  Angeles,  said:  "I  have  be- 
fore me  the  Cumberland  Alumnus  of  April,  1921.  Yes- 
terday I  looked  through  it  again,  and  became  much  in- 
terested in  the  publication,  and  especially  in  the  article 
entitled,  'Men  Who  Helped  to  Make  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity Famous,'  by  W.  P.  Bone.  Nearly  all  the  names  men- 
tioned in  that  article  are  very  familiar  to  me.  I  have  seen, 
talked  with,  and  was  quite  familiar  with  most  of  the  men 
mentioned — David  Lowry,  Dr.  Cossitt,  Dr.  T.  C.  Ander- 
son, and  others.  I  spent  one  year  in  the  family  of  Dr.  An- 
derson, and  one  in  the  home  of  Professor  Mariner.  The 
faces  and  names  are  passing  in  review  before  my  mind 
now;  Abram  and  Robert  Caruthers,  the  Greens,  General 
Stewart,  Professor  SajSFord,  and  Professor  Grannis.  Henry 
Bone,  who  recently  died  in  Texas,  was  one  of  my  class- 
mates. He  and  I  were  rather  particular  friends.  Nathan 
Green  was  a  young  law  professor  in  those  early  days.  I 
knew  him  quite  well,  and  in  recent  years  I  corresponded 


102       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

with  him.  He  was  a  marvelous  man.  His  father,  the 
dear  old  Judge  Green,  I  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  men 
I  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing.  He  was  the  type  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  fully  as  tall,  but  very  much  finer  look- 
ing.' 


Chapter  VI 
DR.  B.  W.  McDONNOLD,  THE  THIRD  PRESIDENT 

1866-73 

Benjamin  W.  McDonnold,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  was  elected 
President  of  the  University  near  the  close  of  the  year, 
1866.  Owing  to  ill  health  and  the  greatness  of  the  task 
before  him,  President  Anderson  had  resigned  on  August 
24,  1866,  and  the  Board  had  accepted  the  resignation. 
The  presidency  was  then  offered  to  General  A.  P.  Stewart, 
but  this  offer  was  declined  by  him,  because  he  felt  that  his 
usefulness  would  be  greater  if  his  labors  were  devoted  to 
some  other  task. 

In  the  summer  of  1866,  Dr.  McDonnold,  who  in  1860 
was  made  Professor  of  Pastoral  Theology  in  Cumberland 
University  and  who  was  during  the  early  period  of  the 
Civil  War  pastor  of  the  local  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  was  recalled  to  Lebanon  to  teach  mathematics  in 
the  College  of  Arts.  So,  when  Dr.  Anderson  resigned,  Dr. 
Richard  Beard,  Dr.  McDonnold,  and  Julius  Blau  were  left 
to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  College  of  Arts.  The  Trus- 
tees, however,  had  recently  employed  Dr.  T.  C.  Blake  to 
raise  a  building  fund,  and  he  had  been  pushing  that  work 
with  much  energy  and  success.  He  was  kind  and  generous 
enough  to  give  Dr.  McDonnold  much  assistance  in  ad- 
vertising the  schools,  in  interesting  fathers  and  mothers  in 
the  matter  of  sending  their  sons  to  Cumberland,  and  in 
providing  the  proper  facihties  for  those  students  who 
came.     These  two  devoted  men  worked  long  and  late,  and 

(103) 


104       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

were  tireless  in  their  labors.  Dr.  McDonnold  ad- 
vanced his  own  money  in  order  to  get  things  done,  and 
earned  the  gratitude  of  students  and  friends  of  the  Uni- 
versity. The  College  of  Arts  matriculated  one  hundred 
and  twenty  students  during  that  year.  Much  of  this  work 
was  done  before  Dr.  McDonnold  became  President,  and 
when  the  institution  was  without  a  head. 

The  friends  of  the  University  felt  that  Dr.  McDonnold 
had  come  upon  the  scene  for  such  a  time  as  this,  the  period 
which  came  almost  immediately  after  the  ravages  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  March  24,  1827,  in 
Overton  County,  Tennessee,  less  than  a  hundred  miles  east 
of  Lebanon.  When  six  years  of  age  he  could  repeat  the 
Church  Catechism;  he  began  to  prepare  for  the  ministry 
in  his  twelfth  year;  became  a  candidate  under  the  care  of 
the  presbytery  when  he  was  sixteen;  and  memorized  the 
entire  New  Testament  when  he  was  seventeen.  He  studied 
by  the  light  of  the  pine-knot,  or  while  following  the  plow. 
After  studying  under  Thomas  Calhoun,  of  Wilson  Coun- 
ty, and  under  David  Cochrane,  a  distinguished  classical 
teacher  of  West  Tennessee,  he  became  a  student  in  Cum- 
berland College,  Princeton,  Kentucky,  where  he  received 
the  A.B.  degree  in  1849,  seven  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  Cumberland  University.  After  teaching  mathe- 
matics in  Bethel  Seminary  a  year,  he  succeeded  Dr. 
Herschel  S.  Porter  as  a  pastor  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  remained  only  a  short  time.  In  1852,  he 
went  back  to  Bethel  and  taught  there  again  for  several 
years.  His  work  in  Lebanon  in  1860  and  1861  has  al- 
ready been  mentioned.  During  a  part  of  the  Civil  War 
he  served  as  a  chaplain  in  the  army. 


EDWARD  EWINC  BEARD,  LL.D. 

Treasurer,   1873-1923 

Professor  of   Law,    1913-1923 


WILLIAM    DUNCAN    McLAUCHLIN,    LL.D. 
Professor,   Latin  and  Creek,    1870-1914 


DR.  B.  W.  MCDONNOLD,  THIRD  PRESIDENT       105 

When  Dr.  McDonnold  was  recalled  to  Lebanon  in  the 
summer  of  1866,  he  was  thought  of  at  first  as  a  teacher 
only.  But  finally,  after  weeks  of  fruitless  effort  in  the 
search  for  a  president,  the  Trustees  turned  to  Dr.  McDon- 
nold, who  was  not  only  teaching  in  the  College  but  was 
also  serving  as  pastor  of  the  local  Cumberland  Presbyte- 
rian Church.  The  pastoral  relations  continuing,  the 
church  paid  the  greater  part  of  his  salary.  The  Trustees 
were  able  to  pay  only  about  four  hundred  dollars  for  his 
services  as  President.  "There  was  no  endowment,  and 
there  was  no  money  belonging  to  the  institution,"  so  one 
said  who  knew  the  facts.  The  Trustees,  teachers,  and 
other  friends  of  the  University  were  almost  filled  with  de- 
spair. Some  one,  in  writing  too  strongly  of  them,  says: 
"They  were  stunned  and  bewildered,  heartbroken  and 
without  hope."  It  is  true  all  endowment  and  other  money, 
all  buildings,  with  their  contents,  and  all  real  estate,  were 
gone.  Only  debts  remained.  But  the  institution  still 
lived  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  evidence  of  that  is  given 
here. 

It  was  about  this  time,  that  Dr.  W.  E.  Ward,  an  alum- 
nus of  the  College  of  Arts,  and  later  President  of  Ward 
Seminary,  of  Nashville,  visited  the  ruins  of  the  buildings  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1863  and  wrote  on  one  of  the  columns  still 
standing  at  the  time  the  word  ^'Kesurgam"  (I  will  arise). 
He  was  voicing  the  faith  in  his  own  heart,  and  the  incident 
gave  birth  to  the  watchword,  "E  Cineribus  Resurgo"  (I 
arise  from  the  ashes).  This  Latin  motto,  coupled  with  a 
figure  of  the  phoenix,  the  bird  of  immortality,  was  placed 
upon  the  seal  of  the  University,  where  it  still  remains. 


106       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ever  reminding  the  students  who  go  out  from  the  insti- 
tution of  the  immortal  influence  of  their  alma  mater. 

While  at  first  the  situation  was  most  discouraging  and 
enough  to  try  the  heart  of  the  strongest  man,  yet  Presi- 
dent McDonnold  and  others  cooperating  with  him,  shared 
the  hopeful  spirit  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Ward.  The  President  did 
not  eat  idle  bread,  nor  did  he  wait  for  someone  else  to  pre- 
pare an  easy  place  for  him.  He  worked  as  a  man  of  faith 
who  had  heard  the  call  of  God;  enlisted  the  aid  and  coop- 
eration of  a  great  many  pastors  and  churches;  and  culti- 
vated the  friendship  of  a  great  many  people  in  a  wide  ter- 
ritory. Through  his  wise  and  energetic  activities,  the  par- 
ents of  many  young  men  to  be  educated  had  their  eyes 
turned  toward  Cumberland  University.  In  the  midst  of 
the  after-the-war  confusion  and  desolation.  Dr.  T.  C. 
Blake,  '54  A.B.,  went  out  into  the  field  and  secured  $30,- 
000  in  notes  and  cash. 

But  Dr.  McDonnold  had  much  more  than  a  will  to 
work.  Men  were  attracted  to  him  as  soon  as  they  heard 
him  speak.  He  had  a  clear  voice  and  very  distinct  enun- 
ciation. One  easily  understood  and  remembered  what  he 
said.  His  convictions  easily  became  his  hearers'  convic- 
tions, so  clear  was  the  impression  made,  the  late  Chancel- 
lor Green  tells  us.  Then,  too,  Dr.  McDonnold  was  a  man 
of  extensive  learning  and  a  speaker  of  ability  and  persua- 
sive power.  He  sought  in  every  way  to  qualify  himself 
for  his  responsibility  as  an  educator  and  for  the  office  he 
occupied.  He  was  satisfied  with  nothing  less  than  the 
best  in  methods  of  education  and  in  gathering  funds  for 
the  institution. 

Chancellor  Green  once  said  that  perhaps  no  one  ever 


DR.  B.  W.  MCDONNOLD,  THIRD  PRESIDENT       1  07 

connected  with  the  University  labored  for  its  prosperity 
more  than  did  Dr.  McDonnold.  He  collected  cash  for 
running  expenses;  provided  buildings  for  all  departments; 
and  put  the  entire  institution  in  working  order.  In  1870- 
71,  there  were  33  5  students  in  attendance,  and  there  was 
a  good  attendance  also  in  the  other  years.  In  other  ways 
also  the  institution  was  making  substantial  gains. 

The  year  1866-67  was  one  of  the  most  difficult  years 
for  the  University  as  well  as  for  the  new  president.  It 
was  more  difficult  than  1842,  the  year  of  the  beginning, 
when  it  was  much  easier  to  secure  gifts  for  salaries  and 
building  purposes.  As  to  the  Faculty  for  1866-67,  the 
catalogue  shows  that  the  President  was  also  Professor  of 
Mental  and  Moral  Sciences;  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  Professor 
of  Latin  and  Greek;  Julius  Blau,  Professor  of  Modern 
Languages;  A.  H.  Buchanan,  Professor  of  Mathematics; 
Eli  G.  Burney,  Assistant  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek; 
H.  S.  Kennedy,  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  School;  New- 
ton Jefferson  Finney,  teacher  in  the  Preparatory  School; 
T.  M.  Thurman,  tutor.  N.  Green,  Jr.  and  Henry  Cooper 
were  Professors  in  the  Law  School.  Dr.  Richard  Beard 
taught  the  six  students  in  the  Theological  School.  Profes- 
sor A.  H.  Buchanan  evidently  declined  to  serve,  for,  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  teaching  in  Arkansas  until 
1869.  After  the  printing  of  the  catalogue  of  1866-67, 
a  printed  slip  was  inserted  to  the  effect  that  General  A.  P. 
Stewart  had  been  added  to  the  Faculty,  and  would  teach 
Mathematics,  and  also  that  Professor  J,  M.  Safford  would 
teach  the  Natural  Sciences.  Professor  Stewart  remained 
with  the  Faculty  for  two  years,  or  until  the  summer  of 
1869,  when  Professor  A.  H.  Buchanan  came  back  to  the 


108       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

University  to  become  Professor  of  Mathematics.  Judge 
R.  L.  Caruthers,  who  was  always  ready  to  help  in  the  time 
of  need,  guaranteed  the  payment  of  Professor  Buchanan's 
salary.  General  Stewart,  on  retirement  from  the  work  of 
the  University,  went  to  St.  Louis  to  live.  Later,  he  be- 
came the  President  of  the  University  of  Mississippi. 

In  President  McDonnold's  administration,  no  printed 
code  of  by-laws  was  used,  such  as  had  been  used  previously. 
The  students  were  required,  however,  to  be  gentlemen  and 
prepared  to  recite.  When  a  student  was  not  doing  well, 
the  parent  was  advised  to  withdraw  him  from  the  institu- 
tion. 

The  necessity  of  securing  permanent  endowment  was 
not  forgotten.  Some  gifts  for  this  purpose  were  secured. 
But  they  were  not  many,  nor  were  they  ever  very  large. 
The  largest  gift  was  from  the  Finley  estate  in  1869  and 
amounting  to  about  $15,000.  In  1858  Judge  Ephraim 
Ewing,  of  Russellville,  Kentucky,  made  a  donation  of  a 
piece  of  property  in  Chicago  to  the  University  for  the 
Theological  School.  It  was  a  dead  expense  to  the  Univer- 
sity until  it  was  sold  during  President  McDonnold's  ad- 
ministration. The  proceeds  of  the  sale  amounted  to  $12,- 
000.  When  the  property  was  first  donated,  the  Ewing 
Professorship  was  established  in  the  Theological  School. 

About  the  time  when  Dr.  McDonnold  became  president, 
the  Trustees  decided  to  buy,  for  $16,000,  the  Abram 
Caruthers  property  (later  known  as  Divinity  Hall)  con- 
sisting of  a  large  brick  residence  and  sixty  acres.  They 
made  a  first  payment,  using  a  part  of  the  building  fund 
raised  by  Dr.  T.  C.  Blake.  This  created  some  dissatisfac- 
tion, for  the  College  of  Arts  was  still  without  a  permanent 


DR.  B.  W.  MCDONNOLD,  THIRD  PRESIDENT       109 

home.  The  Trustees  then  turned  the  property  over  to  the 
College  of  Arts  for  its  use.  But  there  was  still  a  mortgage 
on  the  property;  and  when  it  was  about  to  be  sold  for 
$8,760,  the  balance  due,  the  property  was  bought  for  the 
Theological  School  with  $8,760  of  the  money  received  for 
the  sale  of  the  Ewing  property  in  Chicago.  The  building, 
known  as  Divinity  Hall,  was  used  by  the  Theological 
School  until  1896. 

Besides  the  subscriptions  made  in  Lebanon  for  the  cur- 
rent expenses  of  the  University,  President  McDonnold 
raised  $2,000  or  more  each  year  by  a  plan  called  by  him 
"Cash  Endowment,"  which  was  nothing  more  than  annual 
subscriptions  for  current  expenses.  It  was  only  a  tem- 
porary measure,  but  was  nevertheless  a  m.eans  of  carrying 
the  institution  through  a  difficult  period.  It  was  during 
this  period  that  the  University  was  hurt  by  an  insurance 
scheme,  known  as  the  "Ball  Endowment,"  a  plan  of  life 
insurance,  taken  for  the  benefit  of  the  University,  a  total 
of  $169,000,  to  be  paid  in  ten  years.  By  this  plan  some  of 
the  good  friends  of  the  University,  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
or  more,  lost  some  of  their  money,  through  the  insolvency 
of  an  insurance  company.  The  plan  was  opposed  by 
President  McDonnold,  and  also  by  Judge  Nathan  Green, 
Jr.,  who  became  his  successor. 

In  1869  Dr.  George  Tucker  Stainback,  a  friend  of  the 
University  and  a  pastor  at  Columbus,  Mississippi,  visited 
one  of  his  parishioners.  Col,  Abram  Murdock,  and  se- 
cured his  promise  to  donate  to  the  University  the  library  of 
his  father.  Dr.  James  Murdock,  formerly  a  Professor  of 
Oriental  Languages  in  Yale  College.  It  was  a  library  of 
two  thousand  volumes,  and  some  of  them  were  of  ancient 


110       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

date  and  rare  value.  The  gift  was  made  through  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Church,  and  the  Theological 
School  of  the  University  established  the  Murdock  Profes- 
sorship of  Church  History  in  recognition  of  the  gift.  In 
fact,  the  gift  was  made  on  the  condition  that  the  pro- 
fessorship be  established.  It  was  in  this  period  also  that 
the  libraries  of  Dr.  A.  M,  Bryan,  Dr.  G.  L.  Winchester, 
and  Dr.  J.  C.  Bowdon  were  presented  to  the  institution. 
In  the  meantime,  Dr.  L.  C.  Ransom,  of  Memphis,  Tennes- 
see, and  Dr.  J,  S.  Grider,  of  Kentucky,  were  doing  some 
effective  work  in  securing  funds  for  the  University. 

In  July,  1871,  the  Medical  College  of  Memphis,  which 
had  been  operating  under  its  original  charter  for  nineteen 
years,  at  this  time  in  a  building  of  its  own,  donated  by  the 
City  of  Memphis,  became  the  Medical  Department  of 
Cumberland  University.  It  had  been  reorganized  in  1868, 
after  some  interruptions  made  by  the  Civil  War.  When 
it  became  a  Department  of  Cumberland,  it  had  only  a 
contractual  relation  with  the  University.  It  had  a  faculty 
of  nine  professors,  with  Alexander  Erskine,  M.D.,  as  Dean. 
It  had  a  separate  Board  of  Trustees,  twelve  in  number, 
with  Hon.  Henry  G.  Smith  as  President.  In  1871-72 
there  were  twenty-six  students,  from  the  six  states  of 
Tennessee,  Arkansas,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia,  and 
Virginia,  with  ten  graduates  for  the  year.  The  connec- 
tion of  this  Medical  School  with  Cumberland  University 
continued  for  two  years,  1871-73,  when  it  was  terminated 
by  mutual  consent. 

After  the  Civil  War,  it  was  more  difficult  than  ever  for 
candidates  for  the  ministry  to  secure  sufficient  means  to  at- 
tend either  the  College  of  Arts  or  the  Theological  School. 


DR.  B.  W.  MCDONNOLD,  THIRD  PRESIDENT       111 

Concerning  this  difficulty  and  how  it  was  met,  President 
McDonnold  said: 

"The  citizens  of  Lebanon  were  no  longer  able  to  give 
free  board  to  candidates  for  the  ministry.  Dr.  T.  C. 
Blake  suggested  the  establishment  of  a  camp  for  them 
similar  to  the  quarters  or  barracks  occupied  by  soldiers. 
Provisions  were  solicited  from  the  surrounding  churches. 
As  many  of  the  probationers  had  been  soldiers  in  the  war, 
this  plan  was  the  more  readily  adopted.  A  former  board- 
ing house,  with  several  small  buildings  surrounding  it,  was 
purchased  for  $5,000  and  named  Camp  Blake.  The  money 
to  pay  for  this  property  was  secured,  and  an  ample  supply 
of  provisions  was  also  obtained." 

This  arrangement  continued  for  a  period  of  five  years, 
and  each  year  there  were  from  fifty  to  seventy  young  men 
who  were  provided  for  in  this  way.  It  had  the  general 
supervision  of  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  whose  sympathy  for  such 
young  men  was  unfailing. 

The  physical  strength  of  President  McDonnold  was  not 
equal  to  the  strain  he  was  under  for  seven  years  of  arduous 
toil.  Breaking  in  health,  he  resigned  his  office  in  1873,  but 
continued  to  reside  in  Lebanon.  After  a  period  of  rest  He 
gave  himself  to  evangelistic  work  in  Texas,  California,  and 
Pennsylvania.  The  present  writer,  during  his  student 
days,  1884-86,  heard  him  preach  and  lecture  on  several 
occasions.  By  his  contemporaries  he  was  looked  upon  as  a 
distinguished  scholar,  educator,  preacher,  evangelist,  and 
writer.  At  the  request  of  the  Church  Board  of  Publication 
he  accepted  the  task  of  writing  a  History  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  He  died  at  his  home  on  North 
Cumberland  Street  in  Lebanon  February  27,  1889. 


Chapter  VII 

THE  FOURTH  HEAD  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY, 
CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR. 

1873-1902 

On  August  20,  1873,  the  Trustees,  having  accepted  the 
resignation  of  President  B.  W.  McDonnold,  elected  Judge 
Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  a  Professor  in  the  Law  School,  as  the 
fourth  head  of  the  University.  The  distinguished  gentle- 
man who  so  ably  held  this  place  for  thirty  years  or  more 
possessed  rare  qualities  of  leadership.  He  had  a  command- 
ing presence  and  was  much  revered  for  his  princely  Chris- 
tian character.  His  faith,  courage,  and  high  purpose  in- 
spired men  with  confidence,  called  forth  the  best  in  others, 
and  helped  to  mold  diverse  elements  into  a  splendid  unity. 
It  was  with  a  new  outlook  for  the  University  that  the  Trus- 
tees elected  him  to  his  position.  By  way  of  recognizing 
this  fact,  they  took  ofl&cial  action,  and  called  him  Chan- 
cellor rather  than  President.  From  the  beginning  in  1842 
he  had  been  connected  with  the  University,  in  one  way  or 
another.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  February  18,  1919,  it 
was  remembered  that  he  had  been  connected  with  the  Uni- 
versity, as  student,  trustee,  professor,  or  Chancellor,  for 
seventy-seven  years.  One  could  well  say  that  he  lived  his 
whole  life  for  Cumberland.^ 

Chancellor  Green,  son  of  Nathan  and  Mary  Green,  was 
born  at  "Winchester,  Tennessee,  February  19,  1827.  He 
registered  as  a  student  from  Winchester  in  1842;  received 
the  A.B.  degree  in  1845   and  the  LL.B.  degree  in  1849. 

^  See  Speer's  Prominent  Tennesseans,  pp.  435-437. 

(112) 


ROBERT  VERRELL  FOSTER,   LL.D. 
Professor  of  Theology,    1877-1909 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  113 

From  1850  to  1856  he  served  as  Trustee.  In  18  56  he  was 
made  a  Professor  of  Law,  which  position  he  occupied  until 
the  day  of  his  death.  At  the  latter  date  he  was  referred  to 
as  the  oldest  alumnus.  His  term  of  service  as  Chancellor 
extended  from  1873  to  1902,  at  which  time  he  resigned 
that  oflfice.  He  acted  as  President,  however,  three  years 
more,  1906-09.  For  twenty  years  he  served  as  Dean  of  the 
Law  School,  and  for  twenty  years  as  President  of  the 
Alumni  Association.  While  Chancellor  he  added  much 
strength  to  the  University  in  all  its  departments,  especially 
in  the  Theological  School,  which  perhaps  attained  its 
greatest  development  during  his  administration. 

When  Chancellor  Green  assumed  his  oflSce  in  September, 
1873,  the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Arts  was  as  follows: 
A.  H.  Buchanan,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Mathematics;  William 
H.  Darnell,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Belles-Lettres  and  Mental 
and  Moral  Science;  William  Duncan  McLaughlin,  A.M., 
Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek;  John  I.  D.  Hinds,  A.M., 
Professor  of  Physical  Science,  French,  and  German.  The 
Law  Professors  were  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  and  Robert  L. 
Caruthers.  The  Theological  Professors  were  Richard 
Beard,  D.D.,  Systematic  Theology,  and  Rev.  William  H. 
Darnall,  A.M.,  Church  History.  William  J.  Grannis, 
A.M.,  was  the  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  School.  The 
Business  College  and  Telegraph  Institute,  organized  in 
September,  1873,  had  the  following  teachers:  Rev.  Thomas 
Toney,  A.M.;  J.  D.  Cunningham,  M.Acct.;  W.  Howard 
Sutton,  M.Acct.;  Frank  Goodman,  M.Acct.;  and  Lizzie  A. 
Schaut.  Dr.  J.  M.  Safford's  place  in  the  College  of  Arts 
had  been  taken  by  J.  I.  D.  Hinds.  D.  S.  Bodenhamer  and 
H.  T.  Norman  had  retired  from  the  Preparatory  Faculty, 


114      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

and  William  J.  Grannis  had  returned  to  the  place  he  had 
occupied  before  the  Civil  War.  The  Medical  Department 
had  been  discontinued  (1873). 

The  Trustees  at  this  time  were:  Robert  L.  Caruthers, 
President;  Joseph  S.  McClain,  Secretary;  Andrew  B.  Mar- 
tin, Treasurer;  Judge  William  H.  Williamson,  Edward  I. 
Golladay,  William  H.  Darnall,  and  Haywood  Y.  Riddle. 
James  H.  Britton  was  the  Faculty  Treasurer,  and  J.  I.  D. 
Hinds  was  the  Librarian.  There  were  students  as  follows: 
Freshmen,  16;  Sophomores,  39;  Juniors,  21;  Seniors,  18; 
Preparatory,  70;  Law,  87;  Engineering,  1;  Theological, 
12;  Business  College,  96.  Total,  360.  There  were  forty- 
seven  candidates  for  the  ministry.  At  the  close  of  the 
year.  May  30,  1874,  S.  P.  Chestnut,  D.D.,  of  Nashville, 
preached  the  Commencement  sermon;  on  Wednesday  eve- 
ning, June  3,  Major  (later.  Chief  Justice)  W.  D.  Beard,  of 
Memphis,  delivered  the  Commencement  address;  and  on 
the  evening  of  June  4,  Judge  W.  H.  Williamson,  of  Leb- 
anon, delivered  the  address  to  the  Alumni  Society.  It  may 
be  observed  that  this  is  almost  the  first  mention  of  an 
alumni  organization.     It  existed  chiefly  in  name  only. 

Not  all  the  work  of  a  modern  executive  of  a  college  or 
university  was  undertaken  by  Chancellor  Green.  His 
salary  as  an  executive  was  small.  Nothing  was  allowed  to 
interfere  with  his  duties  or  efficiency  as  a  Professor  of  Law. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  was  the  presiding  officer  always, 
and  his  supervision  was  over  all  the  departments.  His  in- 
fluence was  felt  on  all  sides:  in  the  Faculty  m.eetings,  which 
were  comparatively  frequent;  in  the  meetings  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  where  his  counsel  was  highly  valued; 
and  before  the  public,  which  always  revered  him.     In  the 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  115 

clearest  and  most  charming  English  he  could  interpret  the 
University  to  any  company  anywhere  who  might  come 
under  the  sound  of  his  voice.  If  the  University  ever  need- 
ed legal  counsel,  it  had  the  ablest  that  could  be  secured: 
Chancellor  Green,  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  Dr.  Andrew 
B.  Martin,  and  Judge  Edward  Ewing  Beard. 

All  the  Departments  of  the  University  had  in  him  an 
influential  friend.  The  Theological  School  grew  most  of 
all.  Prior  to  the  Civil  War,  and  for  a  few  years  after  it, 
the  attendance  in  that  School  was  small  and  the  outlook 
was  discouraging,  according  to  the  annual  statements  in 
the  catalogues  and  in  Dr.  Richard  Beard's  account  in  his 
"Fifty  Years  as  a  Teacher."  In  1873  Dr.  William  H. 
Darnall,  pastor  of  a  local  church,  was  made  Acting  Pro- 
fessor of  Church  History.  On  September  30,  1877,  Dr. 
S.  G.  Burney,  R.  V.  Foster,  A.M.,  and  W.  H.  Darnall, 
A.M.,  were  inaugurated  as  Professors  in  the  Theological 
School.  Dr.  Darnall  resigned  his  position  at  the  end  of 
one  year,  1877-78.  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick,  the  pastor  of  a 
church  in  Nashville,  was  elected  in  1880  to  take  his  place. 
In  1893  Dr.  J.  M.  Hubbert,  another  Nashville  pastor,  was 
elected  Dean  and  Professor  of  Pastoral  Theology.  Three 
additional  professors  were  added  in  1894. 

In  1893  the  following  Deans  were  elected:  Dr.  J.  M. 
Hubbert,  Dean  of  the  Theological  School;  Dr.  J.  I.  D. 
Hinds,  Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts;  and  Judge  Nathan 
Green,  Dean  of  the  Law  School.  Courses  in  all  Depart- 
ments were  revised  and  strengthened.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  Chancellor  Green  had  able  assistance  in  carrying  on 
the  work  of  the  University.  Prof.  Andrew  Hays  Buch- 
anan was  gaining  great  fame  as  one  of  the  leading  mathe- 


116      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

maticians  of  the  entire  country,  and  especially  in  his  work 
in  the  Geodetic  Survey  of  Tennessee.  Dr.  Jesse  S.  Grider, 
a  former  student,  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick,  and  Rev.  E.  J. 
McCroskey,  also  a  former  student,  did  some  valiant  service 
in  raising  funds  for  the  University  in  its  time  of  need. 
Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  in  1873,  soon  after  Judge 
Green  became  Chancellor,  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  the 
University's  friend  in  every  time  of  need,  bought  for 
$10,000  the  Corona  Institute  property  on  West  Main  Street, 
and  presented  it  to  the  University  for  the  use  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Arts.  This  building  had  been  the  home  of  a  col- 
lege for  young  women,  of  which  institution  Dr.  David  C. 
Kelley,  '52  A.B.,  was  the  president.  This  building  was  the 
home  of  the  College  of  Arts  from  1873  to  1896,  when 
this  College  was  removed  to  the  Memorial  Hall,  on  the 
main  campus. 

Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  illustrious  father. 
Chancellor  Green  made  the  religion  of  the  Man  of  Galilee 
a  matter  of  the  first  importance  in  his  life.  He  was  a 
ruling  elder  in  the  local  church  for  sixty-five  years  and  a 
man  of  the  highest  integrity,  always  maintaining  an  un- 
blemished character.  Only  a  short  time  before  his  death 
he  delivered  his  two  most  famous  lectures.  One  was  on 
the  "Bible"  and  the  other  on  "There  Are  Others."  The 
latter  was  based  on  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  other 
social  teachings  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles.  His  own  life 
had  much  to  do  with  shaping  the  lives  of  the  students  of 
the  University,  whether  in  the  Law  School,  the  Theological 
School,  or  the  College  of  Arts.  For  thirty  years  or  more 
he  was  the  leader  of  the  choir  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  was  a  man  of  dignity  and  much  culture,  had  fine 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  117 

musical  tastes,  and  was  always  a  regular  attendant  at 
church,  Sunday  school,  and  prayer  meeting.  During  all 
his  public  life  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school.  His 
voice  was  frequently  heard  in  prayer  meetings,  board  meet- 
ings, and  other  church  meetings.  It  was  not  a  mere  for- 
mality, but  a  conscientious  habit,  to  attend  two  church 
services  on  Sunday.  The  sick  were  never  forgotten  by 
him.  An  ardent  friend  was  he  of  ministers  of  religion  of 
all  churches,  and  always  one  of  the  most  liberal  supporters 
of  the  church  and  worthy  causes.  Hundreds  of  students 
were  known  to  say  that  the  greatest  contribution  to  their 
lives  came  from  the  notable  example  of  Chancellor  Green 
in  his  religious  life. 

As  a  teacher  of  the  law,  he  had  no  superior  on  American 
soil.  His  father  before  him  was  a  great  lawyer,  a  great 
teacher  of  law,  and  for  twenty  years  a  Judge  of  the  Ten- 
nessee Supreme  Court.  His  son,  Grafton  Green,  '91  A.B., 
'92  LL.B.,  is  the  present  Chief  Justice  of  the  Tennessee 
Supreme  Court.  But  neither  one  stands  in  any  need  of 
luster  from  the  names  of  the  other  two.  Nathan  Green, 
Jr.,  the  subject  of  this  account,  probably  taught  more 
lawyers  than  any  other  law  teacher  in  the  United  States. 
Only  a  few  years  before  Judge  Green's  death.  United 
States  Senator  Joseph  W.  Bailey,  a  great  constitutional 
lawyer,  said  to  the  present  writer,  "I  regard  him  as  the 
ablest  teacher  of  law  in  America."  He  always  spoke  clear- 
ly, concisely,  and  in  the  purest  English.  His  statements 
were  arguments.  His  illustrations  were  always  remem- 
bered. His  teachings  were  burned  into  the  consciousness 
of  his  students.  Students  who  could  not  get  interested  in 
their  work  in  other  law  schools  "found  themselves"  under 


118       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Judge  Green  and  learned  the  law.  Every  recitation  was 
conducted  on  a  high  plane.  It  was  a  serious  business.  The 
teacher's  flushed  face,  the  fire  in  his  eyes,  and  the  indomit- 
able purpose  all  indicated  that. 

Some  of  this  teacher's  time  was  given  to  writing — not 
to  the  writing  of  law  books,  as  was  the  case  with  Abram 
Caruthers  and  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin.  As  a  popular  writer  he 
reminded  one  of  his  famous  contemporary,  Dr.  Theodore 
L.  Cuyler,  for  he  charmed  his  readers  in  very  much  the 
same  way.  His  first  important  effort  was  a  book  entitled 
The  Tall  Man  of  Winton,  in  which  the  hero,  Nat  Grafton, 
was  none  other  than  Chancellor  Green's  illustrious  father, 
Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  so  long  a  Professor  of  Law  in  Cumber- 
land University.  Although  it  was  a  small  volume,  it 
gripped  the  attention  of  every  reader.  Another  book  was 
his  Sparks  fro7n  a  Backlog  ( 1891 ) ,  known  far  and  wide  as 
a  popular  and  interesting  book,  which  set  forth  the  prac- 
tical philosophy  of  Judge  Green's  life.  It  was  a  collection 
of  articles  written  for  newspapers  under  his  pen  name, 
"Over  Forty." 

Chancellor  Green  was  also  the  editor  of  another  popu- 
lar book,  Echoes  from  Caruthers  Hall,  1889.  This  was  a 
collection  of  scholarly  lectures  delivered  by  members  of 
the  University  Faculty  in  Caruthers  Hall,  1884-86.  The 
editor  of  these  lectures  concludes  the  book  with  eight 
sketches  written  by  himself  on  "The  Old  Guard."  These 
sketches  are  of  persons  who  were  formerly  connected  with 
the  Faculty,  none  of  whom  was  then  living,  except  Dr. 
McDonnold.  The  list  includes  the  following:  Robert 
Looney  Caruthers,  Franceway  Ranna  Cossitt,  Thomas  C. 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  119 

Anderson,  Benjamin  W.  McDonnold,  Nathaniel  Lawrence 
Lindsley,  Richard  Beard,  and  Nathan  Green,  Sr. 

Cumberland  University  undoubtedly  gained  in  pres- 
tige through  the  administration  of  Chancellor  Green.  He 
was  a  tower  of  strength  in  all  the  deliberations  for  the 
welfare  of  the  University,  Few  men  had  greater  insight 
or  moved  among  his  fellows  with  more  tact.  It  was  his 
personal  influence  that  held  all  the  working  forces  so  well 
together  in  the  after-the-war  period.  There  were  other 
great  souls,  however,  who  helped  the  Chancellor  in  his 
wonderful  work.  First  of  all  there  was  Robert  L.  Caruth- 
ers,  with  whom  were  associated  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin  and  Judge 
E.  E.  Beard.  In  the  group  also  was  Dr.  A.  H.  Buchanan, 
for  a  long  period  the  mainstay  of  the  College  of  Arts. 
With  Dr.  Buchanan,  mention  should  be  made  of  Dr. 
J.  I.  D.  Hinds,  Dr.  W.  D.  McLaughlin,  and  Prof.  E.  E. 
Weir.  Along  with  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  of  the  Theological 
School,  may  be  mentioned  also  Dr.  W.  H.  Darnall,  Dr. 
S.  G.  Burney,  Dr.  R.  V.  Foster,  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick, 
and  Dr.  J.  M.  Hubbert. 

No  great  effort  was  put  forth  to  get  students.  Such  a 
procedure  was  perhaps  considered  somewhat  undignified. 
The  students  came  because  of  the  reputation  and  merit  of 
the  teachers.  The  money  for  current  expenses  was  always 
limited.  But  a  great  and  creditable  work  was  being  done 
all  the  while  notwithstanding  the  limited  resources. 

From  1873  to  1878,  the  law  classes  were  taught  in 
Corona  Hall.  The  growth  in  attendance  was  such  as  to 
make  more  adequate  quarters  imperative.  In  1877  Judge 
Robert  L.  Caruthers  gave  to  the  University  a  deed  to  the 
lot  on  which  Caruthers  Hall  now  stands.     In  addition  he 


120       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

gave  $10,000  for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building  which 
was  to  contain  recitation  rooms  for  the  Law  School,  a  large 
room  for  a  library,  and  an  auditorium  which  was  to  be 
used  for  University  exercises  and  for  other  public  pur- 
poses. The  leading  spirit  in  raising  the  additional  $25,000 
or  more  for  the  building  was  Judge  E.  E.  Beard,  the 
Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  To  him  the  credit  is 
to  be  given  for  carrying  the  project  through.  Excepting  a 
liberal  gift  from  Mrs.  James  W.  Hoggatt,  of  Clover  Bot- 
tom Farm,  Donelson,  Tennessee,  all  the  money  was  raised 
in  Lebanon,  mostly  from  the  immediate  friends  of  the 
University. 

Another  wonderful  enterprise  carried  through  during 
Chancellor  Green's  administration  was  the  building  of 
Memorial  Hall,  which  has  a  present-day  value  of  $200,000. 
First  a  campus  of  fifty-five  acres  was  secured  on  the  south- 
western border  of  the  town.  This  was  in  1892,  and  the 
corner  stone  for  the  new  building  was  laid  in  that  year. 
The  occasion  was  regarded  by  all  as  a  very  important  one. 
The  University  was  soon  to  begin  its  work  on  a  new 
campus,  in  a  new  building,  and  on  a  larger  scale.  A  great 
throng  was  present,  and  an  interesting  program,  consisting 
of  addresses  and  music,  was  carried  out.  The  main  address 
of  the  occasion  was  made  by  Baxter  P.  FuUerton,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  pastor  of  the  Lucas  Avenue  Church,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri. 

The  plan  of  the  building  was  drawn  by  Dr.  J.  I.  D. 
Hinds,  Professor  of  Chemistry,  who  gave  much  time  to 
the  carrying  forward  of  the  entire  enterprise.  The  archi- 
tect was  Col.  W.  C.  Smith,  well-known  citizen  of  Nash- 
ville, and  a  friend  of  the  University.    The  construction  of 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  121 

the  building  was  held  up  from  time  to  time  because  of  a 
lack  of  funds. 

The  Treasurer  believed  in  the  policy  of  "paying  as  you 
go,"  a  policy  which  he  could  not  quite  adhere  to  toward  the 
end.  Not  a  great  while  after  the  completion  of  the  build- 
ing it  was  announced  that  the  sum  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars  or  more  was  due  the  contractors.  The  greater  part 
of  the  money  previously  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
building  had  been  raised  in  Lebanon,  and  Lebanon  had 
been  apparently  drained  dry.  In  a  small  way  a  crisis  had 
been  reached.  The  remainder  of  the  money  must  of  ne- 
cessity be  raised  by  a  certain  time.  It  was  simply  a  ques- 
tion of  getting  $20,000  more  from  people  who  thought 
they  had  already  done  their  utmost. 

Those  present  at  a  meeting  called  to  consider  the  situa- 
tion included  nine  Trustees,  six  members  of  the  Theolog- 
ical Faculty,  six  or  eight  members  of  the  College  Faculty, 
two  members  of  the  Law  Faculty,  two  members  of  the 
Preparatory  School  Faculty,  and  the  financial  agent.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  discussion  there  were  only  four  pres- 
ent who  believed  the  amount  could  be  raised.  Judge  E.  E. 
Beard,  the  Treasurer,  believed  it  could  be  done.  He  made 
a  great  appeal  to  that  effect.  It  deeply  stirred  and  con- 
vinced all  present.  The  entire  company  was  finally  unani- 
mous in  saying,  "We  can  raise  the  money,  and  we  'W'ill." 
In  a  few  minutes  $10,000  or  more  was  subscribed.  The 
financial  agent.  Rev.  E.  J.  McCroskey,  went  into  the  field 
and  soon  found  ten  persons  who  gave  $1,000  each  in  cash. 
In  a  short  time  the  whole  amount  due  on  the  building  was 
paid.  The  sky  was  opened  and  the  light  shone  through. 
On  other  occasions  as  well  the  same  thing  has  happened. 


122       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Men  of  faith,  grit,  and  industry  can  carry  the  load  of  a 
great  cause  with  God's  help  and  blessing. 

Memorial  Hall  was  first  occupied  in  September,  1896. 
The  College  of  Arts  had  the  whole  of  the  first  floor,  the 
Theological  School,  the  second.  The  third  floor  was  left 
in  an  unfinished  condition  until  several  years  later,  when 
it  was  finished,  gradually  as  the  needs  arose,  at  a  cost  of 
$10,000  or  more.  At  first  it  was  heated  by  stoves,  but 
several  years  later  it  was  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by 
electricity.  Mrs.  E.  J.  Hale,  of  Morristown,  Tennessee, 
gave  $1,000  for  furniture  and  other  equipment  for  the 
Theological  library.  For  that  reason  it  was  named  the  Hale 
Library.  Mr.  D.  E.  Mitchell  gave  $3,000  to  the  Reference 
Library  of  the  College  of  Arts,  and  this  was  called  the 
Mitchell  Library.  The  University  offices  and  the  Chem- 
istry Laboratory  were  on  the  first  floor.  Later,  the  Chem- 
istry Laboratory  was  moved  to  the  third  floor,  where  it  is 
at  present.  The  College  Chapel  was  built  in  chapel  form, 
but  not  as  a  separate  building.  It  was  an  extension  of  the 
central  section,  western  side,  of  Memorial  Hall.  The  ac- 
coustic  properties  of  the  chapel  proved  to  be  bad,  and  for 
this  reason  it  was  later  converted  to  gymnasium  purposes. 
The  Athletic  Field  was  located  at  first  (1896)  on  the 
northwestern  section  of  the  campus.  Later  (1922)  it  was 
moved  to  the  southwestern  section. 

In  1896  Mrs.  R.  J.  (Angelina)  McDaniel,  of  Hopkins- 
ville,  Kentucky,  left  a  bequest  of  $20,000  to  the  Theo- 
logical School.  Mrs.  Sarah  Blakey,  also  of  Hopkinsville, 
Kentucky,  made  a  gift  of  $14,000  to  the  endowment  of 
the  College  of  Arts.  The  College  of  Arts  also  received  the 
sum  of  $12,000  from  the  estate  of  Mrs.  Margaret  Cham- 


CHANCELLOR  NATHAN  GREEN,  JR.  123 

bers,  of  Missouri.  Mrs.  James  W.  Hoggatt,  Donelson, 
Tennessee,  had  earlier  in  Chancellor  Green's  administra- 
tion made  generous  gifts  to  the  University,  besides  the 
gift  previously  mentioned. 

It  was  during  Chancellor  Green's  administration  that 
Judge  E.  E.  Beard  presented  to  the  University  the  library 
of  his  father,  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  who  for  twenty-eight 
years  had  been  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology.  Later, 
the  library  of  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick,  for  fifteen  years  Pro- 
fessor of  Church  History,  was  presented  by  his  widow. 

In  1886  the  Lebanon  College  of  Young  Ladies  was  or- 
ganized, with  Prof.  Benjamin  S.  Foster,  a  brother  of  Dr. 
R.  V.  Foster,  as  its  president.  This  institution  had  no  con- 
nection with  Cumberland  University  until  1894,  when  it 
became  the  Cumberland  University  Annex.  The  two 
schools  were  still  under  separate  charters  and  management, 
but  had  a  contractual  relation  with  each  other.  The  rela- 
tion continued  until  1898,  when  it  was,  by  mutual  con- 
sent, dissolved. 

Cumberland  University  itself  was  a  school  for  young 
men  exclusively  until  1897,  when  it  became  co-educa- 
tional. Since  Cumberland  took  that  step,  one  has  scarcely 
ever  heard  an  objection.  Many  of  the  best  institutions  in 
the  country  had  already  become  co-educational.  Oberlin 
College  was  the  first  to  become  so  (1830).  The  young 
women  have  held  as  many  first  places  in  scholarship  as  the 
young  men. 

The  catalogue  material  for  all  departments  and  schools 
have  had  their  place  in  the  University  catalogue  from  the 
dates  of  their  organizations.  The  Law  School  also  printed 
a  separate  catalogue  from  1848  to  1860,  in  1868,  and  from 


124      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

1898  to  the  present  time.  The  Theological  School  printed 
a  separate  catalogue  from  1895  to  1909. 

Chancellor  Green  did  not  believe  in  a  multiplicity  of 
rules.  He  laid  down  general  principles  and  expected  every 
young  man  to  be  a  gentleman.  In  the  catalogue  of  1881, 
the  College  Code,  as  it  was  called,  was  printed  as  follows: 
Semper  praesens,  semper  paratus.  From  1881  to  1917,  this 
statement,  or  one  like  it,  appeared  in  the  catalogue  each 
year. 

Ex-Chancellor  Green  again  became  associated  with  the 
University  in  an  administrative  capacity.  In  1906  he  was 
elected  as  Acting  President,  and  served  three  years. 


Chapter  VIII 
TEACHERS  IN  THE  COLLEGE  OF  ARTS 

1873-1909 

The  College  of  Arts  was  the  oldest  part  of  the  Uni- 
versity, and  around  it  as  a  center  each  of  the  other  depart- 
ments took  its  place.  It  will  be  appropriate  here  to  give 
some  account  of  the  leading  teachers  in  the  College  of  Arts 
during  Chancellor  Green's  administration  of  nearly  thirty 
years. 

Cumberland's  greatest  mathematician,  and  one  of  its 
chief  pillars  of  strength,  was  Andrew  Hays  Buchanan, 
LL.D.,  who  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  the  University 
in  18  53.  He  was  elected  August  2,  18  54,  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Anderson,  to  the  chair  of  Civil 
Engineering,  and  remained  in  this  position  until  the  early 
spring  of  1862.  From  1862  to  1865  he  was  topographical 
engineer  of  Generals  Braxton  Bragg  and  Joseph  E.  John- 
ston, in  which  field  he  did  distinguished  service.  From 
1866  to  1869  he  taught  school  in  Arkansas.  He  was  born 
in  Boonsboro,  Arkansas,  June  28,  1828,  and  died  in  Leb- 
anon, Tennessee,  August  11,  1914.^ 

In  1869  during  the  administration  of  President  Mc- 
Donnold  he  was  again  made  Professor  of  Mathematics  and 
Engineering,  in  which  position  he  remained  until  June  3, 
1911.  It  will  be  seen  that  his  actual  teaching  experience 
in  connection  with  the  University  extended  over  a  period 
of  about  fifty  years,  the  greater  part  of  which  was  during 
the  administration  of  Chancellor  Green. 

'  See  Speer's  Prominent  Tennesseam,  pp.   148,   149. 

(125) 


126       A  HISTORY   OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

During  a  period  of  twenty  years,  1876-96,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Superintendent  of  the  United  States  Coast 
and  Geodetic  Survey,  he  spent  each  year  the  four  months' 
vacation  season  in  the  triangulation  of  Tennessee.  It  is 
said  that  the  accuracy  and  satisfactoriness  of  this  work 
was  not  excelled  in  any  other  state  in  the  Union.  It  is  also 
said  that  on  account  of  the  high  regard  for  him  through- 
out the  country,  Professor  Buchanan  had  flattering  calls 
to  some  of  the  larger  institutions.  But  none  of  these  calls 
could  tempt  him  away  from  Cumberland,  so  great  was  his 
loyalty  to  his  own  institution.  Cumberland  was  never  able 
to  pay  more  than  a  small  salary,  but  he  worked  on  and  on 
faithfully,  never  losing  faith  in  the  enterprise  with  which 
he  was  connected  and  always  feeling  that  his  principal  re- 
ward was  in  the  splendid  lives  he  was  helping  to  mold  in 
Cumberland  for  service  in  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  our 
great  country. 

In  1902-03  Professor  Buchanan  was  again  employed  by 
the  Government,  this  time  to  establish  the  line  between 
the  States  of  Virginia  and  Tennessee,  a  work  which  fur- 
ther enhanced  his  reputation.  His  reports  were  never 
questioned.  He  was  the  author  of  a  textbook  on  Plane  and 
Spherical  Trigonometry. 

Professor  Buchanan  put  truth  and  accuracy  and  moral 
conviction  above  everything  else.  With  Henry  Clay 
Trumbull,  Robert  E.  Speer,  Thomas  H.  Huxley,  and 
others,  he  believed  that  a  lie,  when  properly  defined,  was 
never  justifiable.  His  faithfulness  in  his  church  life  has 
been  scarcely  ever  excelled.  He  was  a  ruling  elder  and  a 
Sunday-school  teacher  for  fifty  years.  He  had  a  great 
mind  and  only  the  loftiest  aims  in  life.     Included  in  the 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  COLLEGE  OF  ARTS  127 

many  honors  heaped  upon  him  was  the  LL.D.  degree  be- 
stowed by  Lincoln  University,  Lincoln,  Illinois. 

In  the  list  of  Cumberland's  most  famous  teachers  was 
Wilham  Duncan  McLaughlin,  A.B.,  of  the  Class  of  1868. 
Throughout  his  life  he  was  a  tireless  and  brilliant  student, 
and  it  was  not  long  until  his  studies  led  to  the  A.M.  and 
Ph.D.  degrees,  which  he  received  from  Cumberland.  He 
became  Adjunct  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek  in  Cumber- 
land University,  July  22,  1870,  and  continued  in  this  posi- 
tion until  August  17,  1872,  on  which  date  he  was  made 
full  Professor  of  these  languages.  In  this  department  he 
labored  without  interruption  until  June  3,  1914,  when  he 
retired,  to  reside  with  relatives  in  Birmingham,  Alabama. 
In  1920  he  returned  to  the  University  and  taught  one  year 
more.  He  was  born  in  Bessemer,  Alabama,  March  11, 
1847,  and  died  in  Birmingham,  December  25,  1934.  His 
body  was  buried  in  the  city  cemetery,  Lebanon,  Tennessee. 

In  June,  1923,  he  received  from  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws,  of  which  honor  he  was 
eminently  worthy.  He  was  a  general  favorite  with  col- 
lege students,  and  unusually  successful  in  inspiring  his 
students  to  become  lovers  of  the  ancient  classics,  in  the 
atmosphere  of  which  he  revelled.  In  June,  188  5,  and  in 
June,  1893,  Professor  McLaughlin's  classes  in  Greek  re- 
produced quite  successfully  plays  written  by  classic  Greek 
authors,  using  the  original  text.  He  was  an  elder  in  the 
church,  a  Sunday-school  teacher,  and  a  much  beloved 
citizen. 

Dr.  John  Iredell  Dillard  Hinds,  as  an  educator,  chemist, 
author,  and  college  administrator,  added  much  to  the  in- 
fluence and  fame  of  Cumberland  University.     He  was  one 


128       A  HISTORY   OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

of  the  best-known  and  most  influential  Presbyterian  lay- 
men in  the  South.  The  many  students  who  once  sat  in  his 
classes  and  honored  his  attainments  and  character  are  scat- 
tered far  and  wide  over  the  nation. 

This  eminent  and  scholarly  teacher  was  born  in  Guil- 
ford County,  North  Carolina,  December  17,  1847,  and 
died  March  4,  1921,  in  Nashville.  From  Piney  Grove, 
Arkansas,  he  came  to  Cumberland  University  in  1871. 
From  this  institution  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1873, 
and  the  LL.D.  degree  in  1903.  The  Ph.D.  degree  was 
received  from  Lincoln  University,  Illinois.  He  was  a 
graduate  student  in  the  University  of  Berlin  in  1880-81, 
and  a  graduate  student  in  Harvard  in  1882. 

Dr.  Hinds  was  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Biology  in 
Cumberland  University,  1873-99;  the  Dean  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Arts  of  Cumberland  University,  1894-99;  Pro- 
fessor of  Chemistry  in  the  University  of  Nashville,  and 
Peabody  College  for  Teachers,  1899-1911;  and  Dean  of 
the  Peabody  College  for  Teachers,  1907-11.  During  the 
last  year  of  this  period  he  was  the  Acting  President  of  that 
institution.  He  returned  to  Cumberland  University  in 
1911  and  served  as  Professor  of  Chemistry  until  June  3, 
1914.  From  1914  to  1917  he  taught  the  science  subjects 
in  the  Castle  Heights  School.  After  that  time  he  served 
as  the  metallurgist  of  the  Southland  Exploration  Company 
and  as  the  Chemist  for  the  State  of  Tennessee.  In  1921 
he  became  a  resident  of  Nashville. 

Quite  numerous  were  his  religious,  educational,  and 
scientific  interests.  He  was  a  member  of  the  International 
Sunday  School  Lesson  Committee,  1884-1902;  the  Super- 
intendent of  Platform  for  the  Monteagle  (Tennessee)  As- 


ANDREW    BENNETT   MARTIN,    LL.D. 
President  of  Board,    1882-1920 
Professor  of  Law,    1878-1920 


TEACHERS  IN   THE  COLLEGE  OF  ARTS  129 

sembly,  1891-1902;  a  Fellow  of  the  American  Association 
for  the  Advancement  of  Science;  a  member  of  the  Amer- 
ican Chemical  Society;  a  member  of  the  Deutche  Chem- 
ische  Gesellschaft;  a  member  of  the  World's  Congress  of 
Applied  Chemistry;  a  member  of  the  Advisory  Council 
of  the  Simplified  Spelling  Board;  a  member  of  the  Simpli- 
fied Spelling  Society  of  Great  Britain;  and  a  member  of  the 
Author's  League  of  America. 

While  in  Cumberland  he  was  too  busy  to  write  much. 
He  went  to  Peabody  that  he  might  write  more.  He  was 
the  author  of  The  American  System  of  Education,  1884; 
The  Use  of  Tobacco,  1900;  Charles  Darwin,  1900;  In- 
organic Chemistry,  1902;  Chemistry  by  Experiment,  1902; 
Qualitative  Analysis,  1910.  Dr.  Hinds  was  also  a  frequent 
contributor  to  scientific  and  literary  journals,  including 
the  Journal  of  the  Am-erican  Chemistry  Society  and  the 
London  Chemistry  News. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Dr.  Hinds'  studies  and  labors  cov- 
ered a  wide  range.  His  learning  was  extensive  In  char- 
acter, and  yet  exact  and  profound.  Those  who  knew  him 
remember  him  for  the  simplicity  of  his  life,  the  quietness 
of  his  demeanor,  his  great  and  untiring  Industry,  and  for 
the  many  good  traits  and  the  sterling  qualities  of  his  char- 
acter. He  was  an  elder  In  the  local  church,  and  for  many 
years  the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Edward  Ellis  Weir,  '77  A.B.,  became  the  Professor  of 
English  and  Philosophy  in  1880.  Later,  in  1893,  he  be- 
came the  Professor  of  Philosophy,  which  position  he  re- 
tained until  his  resignation  in  1909.  He  was  born  in 
Ashbysburg,  Kentucky,  October  15,  18  54.  Two  of  his 
brothers,  so  favorably  known  to  the  student  body,  were 


130       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

merchants  in  Lebanon,  and  one  of  his  sons  is  a  teacher  in 
Berea  College.  Few  men  were  better  qualified  than  Pro- 
fessor Weir.  He  had  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  fields  of 
ancient  and  modern  philosophy.  Although  a  diligent 
student  always,  he  had  unusual  devotion  to  his  pupils. 
He  was  an  elder  in  the  local  church  and  a  teacher  in  the 
Sunday  school.  In  1909  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Oklahoma  City,  where  he  died  September  21,  1917.  His 
death  was  due  to  a  street  car  accident. 

Prof.  Isaac  W.  P.  Buchanan,  Ph.D.,  son  of  Dr.  A.  H. 
Buchanan,  became  Professor  of  Pure  Mathematics  in  1893. 
He  resigned  his  position  in  1902  to  become  the  Head- 
master of  the  newly  established  Castle  Heights  School, 
which  he  aided  in  founding.  He  was  born  in  Cane  Hill, 
Arkansas,  April  18,  1866.  The  greater  part  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  Lebanon.  From  Cumberland  University, 
which  to  a  wonderful  extent  is  linked  with  his  father's 
name,  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1885  and  the  Ph.D. 
degree  in  1 892.  For  one  year  he  was  head  of  a  boys'  school 
in  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  1888-89;  the  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics, Lincoln  University,  Illinois,  1889-91;  and  Princi- 
pal of  Fort  Worth  High  School,  1891-93.  Later  he  studied 
in  Harvard  University  a  year. 

As  a  teacher,  he  was  eminently  qualified  and  popular 
with  his  students.  In  the  field  of  Civil  Engineering  he 
showed  considerable  talent.  For  many  years  he  assisted 
his  noted  father  in  the  Geodetic  Survey  of  Tennessee.  In 
the  field  of  invention  he  had  considerable  success.  He  is  a 
musician,  a  choir  leader,  a  church  oflEicer,  and  has  been  for  a 
long  period  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school.     He  resides  in 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  COLLEGE  OF  ARTS  131 

Lebanon,  and  is  a  teacher  in  the  Castle  Heights  Military 
Academy. 

Laban  Lacy  Rice,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  became  Professor  of 
English  Language  and  Literature  in  1894.  From  Cumber- 
land he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1891  and  the  Ph.D. 
degree  in  1894.  He  was  the  son  of  L.  M.  Rice,  a  tobacco 
merchant  of  Louisville,  Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Dixon, 
Kentucky,  October  14,  1870.  In  1897  he  became  asso- 
ciate editor  of  the  church  paper  in  Nashville.  Two  years 
later  he  returned  to  the  Professorship  of  English  Lan- 
guage and  Literature  in  Cumberland,  which  work  he  pur- 
sued with  ability  and  vigor  until  June,  1906,  when  he  be- 
came Headmaster  of  Castle  Heights  School. 

Professor  Rice  showed  much  ability  and  insight  in  the 
field  of  Enghsh  Literature.  In  1904  he  was  Professor  of 
English  in  the  Peabody  Summer  School.  In  later  years  he 
published  several  interesting  and  well-written  books.  In 
1902  he  was  the  editor  of  TJoe  Ciunberland  Presbyterian 
Quarterly,  a  magazine  of  Religion,  Philosophy,  Science, 
and  Literature.  In  his  student  days,  he  and  his  brother, 
Cale  Young  Rice,  were  Cumberland's  star  athletes.  For 
many  years  he  was  president  of  the  Cumberland  Athletic 
Association.  He  was  always  interested  in  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
work.  For  several  years  he  was  a  member  of  State  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Executive  Committee.  For  a  number  of  years,  too, 
he  served  as  an  elder  in  the  church  and  as  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school.  He  owns  a  summer  camp 
for  girls,  and  has  his  residence,  in  Mayland,  Tennessee. 

James  Smartt  Waterhouse,  A.M.,  became  Assistant  Pro- 
fessor of  Biology  in  1898,  which  position  he  occupied  two 
years.     In   1900  he  became  Professor  of  Chemistry  and 


132       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Biology,  in  which  work  he  continued  until  his  untimely 
death  in  1909.  Although  one  of  the  youngest  members 
of  the  Faculty,  he  was  entrusted  to  a  large  extent  with  the 
direction  of  the  affairs  of  the  College  of  Arts.  He  was  one 
of  the  choicest  spirits  ever  connected  with  the  University. 

This  comparatively  young  educator  was  discreet,  tactful, 
alert,  and  untiring  in  his  industry;  and  was  an  indispensable 
factor,  so  it  seemed  to  many,  in  the  ongoing  of  the  College. 
He  was  loved,  honored,  and  willingly  followed  by  all. 
They  knew  that  he  would  always  be  on  guard  if  any  vital 
interest  was  at  stake.  Much  did  he  have  to  do  with  the 
successful  direction  of  athletics  and  with  the  religious  work 
carried  on  by  the  student  body.  The  church,  too,  had  in 
him  an  ardent  worker.  His  taking  away  at  the  time  of  his 
highest  usefulness  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  Univer- 
sity. 

Cale  Young  Rice,  A.M.,  was  Professor  of  English  Lan- 
guage and  Literature  in  Cumberland  University  two  years, 
1896-98.  He  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Cumberland 
University  with  the  Class  of  1893,  and  later,  1896,  re- 
ceived the  A.M.  degree  from  Harvard  University.  He  was 
one  of  Cumberland's  most  famous  athletes.  Since  leaving 
Cumberland  he  has  devoted  himself  to  literary  pursuits. 
He  has  published  several  volumes  of  poems,  and  has  taken 
a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  Southern  writers.  He  re- 
sides in  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

The  following  is  an  incomplete  list  of  his  books  of 
poems:  From  Dusk  to  Dusk,  1898;  With  Omar,  1900;  Song 
Surf,  1900;  Nirvana  Days,  1908;  Many  Gods,  1910; 
Charles  di  Tocca  (poetic  drama),  1903;  David  (poetic 
drama),  1904;  also  plays  and  lyrics,  including,  Yolanda  of 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  COLLEGE  OF  ARTS  133 

Cyprus,  1906;  A  Night  in  Avignon,  1907 \  The  Immortal 
Lure,  1911;  Porzia,  1913.  The  author  is  a  member  of  the 
Poetry  Society  of  America  and  also  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Institute  of  Social  Sciences. 

Clara  Earle,  A.B.,  A.M.  (Arkansas),  received  her  college 
and  university  education  before  coming  to  Cumberland  in 
1902  to  be  the  head  of  the  Department  of  Modern  Lan- 
guages. She  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Arkansas;  spent  some  time  in  study  in  Paris,  France; 
and  was  well  equipped  for  her  work.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  a  famous  father,  the  late  F.  R.  Earle,  D.D.,  of  Cane 
Hill  College,  Arkansas.  During  her  connection  with 
Cumberland  she  was  the  Dean  of  Women,  and  was  a  use- 
ful member  of  the  College  Faculty.  Her  work  with 
Cumberland  was  continued  until  June,  1914.  Since  that 
time  she  has  been  connected  with  the  College  of  the 
Ozarks,  Clarksville,  Arkansas. 

Charles  Hulin  Kimbrough,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  was  a  talented 
and  eflScient  worker  for  the  University.  From  1904  to 
1914  he  was  the  Professor  of  English  Language  and  Litera- 
ture in  the  College  of  Arts.  Besides  his  assistance  in  carry- 
ing on  the  work  of  the  College  was  invaluable.  He  was  a 
native  of  Alabama,  but  he  came  to  Cumberland  as  a  stu- 
dent from  Texas.  From  Cumberland  University  he  re- 
ceived the  A.B.  degree  in  1903;  the  A.M.  degree  in  1905; 
and  the  Ph.D.  degree  in  1911.  In  1903-04  he  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Theological  School  of  the  University.  Not 
many  have  excelled  him  as  an  instructor.  He  made  a 
wonderful  impression  upon  his  students,  whether  in  the 
classroom  or  out  of  it.     After  leaving  Cumberland  he  be- 


134      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

came  a  Professor  of  English  Literature  in  the  University 
of  Tulsa,  and  also  the  Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts. 

Kate  Adelle  Hinds,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  I.  D. 
Hinds,  was  the  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Biology  in 
Cumberland  University  from  1909  to  1911.  She  received 
from  Cumberland  the  A.B.  degree  in  1904;  the  A.M.  de- 
gree in  1906;  and  the  Ph.D.  degree  in  1910.  She  is  Mrs. 
Willard  H.  Steele.  Her  husband  is  one  of  the  chief  sur- 
geons of  Chattanooga.  At  the  time  of  this  writing  (1933) 
she  is  the  Regent  for  Tennessee  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution. 


Chapter  IX 
DAVID  EARLE  MITCHELL,  THE  FIFTH  PRESIDENT 

1902-06 

David  Earle  Mitchell,  the  fifth  head  of  the  Univer- 
sity, became  President  in  the  summer  of  1902,  soon  after 
receiving  the  A.B.  degree  from  the  University.  Out  of 
deference  to  his  predecessor,  he  asked  to  be  called  President 
instead  of  Chancellor.  The  Trustees,  accordingly,  changed 
the  title  of  the  office.  The  new  President  was  a  Pennsyl- 
vanian,  having  been  born  in  Monongahela  City,  February 
7,  1876.  In  1893  he  was  graduated  from  the  State  Normal 
at  CaHfornia,  and  was  then  principal  of  the  high  school  at 
Roscoe.  From  1895  to  1900  he  was  editor  of  a  paper  in 
Uniontown  and  an  extensive  dealer  in  coal  and  iron  prop- 
erties. He  came  to  Cumberland  as  a  business  man  of 
considerable  experience.  His  young  wife  came  with  him, 
and  both  were  valuable  additions  to  the  church,  school, 
and  community. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  the  youngest  man  the  Trustees  had 
ever  honored  with  the  presidency  of  the  University. 
Nevertheless,  they  believed  in  him  and  in  his  business 
ability.  A  business  man  such  as  he  and  one  who  had  al- 
ready established  friendly  relations  with  men  of  influence 
in  the  business  world  would  most  likely  prove  to  be  a 
suitable  leader  at  this  time.  Even  before  his  graduation 
from  the  University  in  1902,  Mr.  Mitchell  placed  a  $3,000 
heating  plant  in  Memorial  Hall  and  $3,000  worth  of  new 
books  and  furnishings  in  the  Reference  Library  of  the  Col- 

(135) 


136       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

lege  of  Arts.  In  1903  he  gave  a  similar  amount  for  the 
interior  of  the  unfinished  College  Chapel.  The  General 
Assembly  of  the  Church  which  was  meeting  that  year  in 
Nashville  came  out  to  Lebanon  to  be  present  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  this  Chapel. 

In  1903  Dr.  Mitchell  led  the  way  also  in  the  erection, 
at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  of  the  Men's  Dormitory.  Of  this 
amount,  $8,000  was  his  own  contribution.  All  told,  his 
contributions  to  the  University  in  money  have  amounted 
to  about  $50,000,  besides  his  own  salary.  For  four  years 
he  paid  from  his  own  purse  the  salary  of  the  Dean  of  the 
Theological  School,  and  for  a  year  or  two  paid  the  princi- 
pal part  of  the  salary  of  a  professor  in  the  College  of  Arts. 
For  two  years,  1902-04,  he  paid  the  salary  of  the  Regis- 
trar, Paris  Marion  Simms,  '99  A.B.,  '02  B.D.  The  Uni- 
versity Office  was  furnished  with  much  better  equipment, 
and  much  work  was  done  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the 
University. 

The  Registrar  carried  on  an  extensive  correspondence 
for  two  years  with  alumni,  gathering  up  much  material 
for  an  alumni  office  which  was  not  yet  in  existence.  All  of 
this  work  was  inspired  by  President  Mitchell.  He  believed 
in  keeping  in  touch  with  the  alumni,  in  order  to  enlist 
their  interest  in  the  University,  to  secure  their  co-operation 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  institution,  and  also  to  let  them 
know  that  the  institution  wishes  to  render  a  valuable  service 
to  them.  He  was  always  devising  plans  by  which  needy 
and  promising  students  could  get  an  education.  As  much 
as  any  other  this  leader  seemed  to  understand  and  to  be  in 
sympathy  with  the  young  people  whose  history  and  asso- 
ciations led  them  to  choose  Cumberland  University  as  their 


DEAN    J.    I.    D.    HINDS,    Ph.D. 


PROFESSOR    E.    E.    WEIR 


PRINCIPAL   W.    J.    CRANNIS 


DEAN    J.    R.    HENRY,    D.D. 


DAVID  EARLE  MITCHELL 
President,    1902-1906 


DAVID  EARLE  MITCHELL,  FIFTH  PRESIDENT      137 

alma  mater.  Seeing  these  young  people,  he  was  impressed 
all  the  more  with  the  need  for  supporting  and  extending 
the  work  of  the  institution. 

President  Mitchell  was  interested  in  all  departments  of 
the  University.  He  neglected  no  one  of  them  in  his  think- 
ing or  in  his  plans.  It  was  chiefly  through  him  that  Dr. 
J.  R.  Henry  came  to  the  Theological  School  as  Dean  and 
Professor  of  Practical  Theology.  The  same  interest  was 
shown  in  the  coming  of  Dr.  R.  G.  Pearson  as  Professor  of 
English  Bible  in  the  Theological  School.  He  took  the  lead 
in  establishing  a  School  of  Music  in  the  University,  with 
Prof.  Eugene  Feuchtinger  and  his  assistants  in  charge. 
Much  of  the  equipment  for  this  department  was  supplied 
by  him. 

It  was  during  his  administration  that  athletics  occu- 
pied a  much  larger  place  in  the  student  activities  and  that 
Cumberland  had  its  most  famous  football  team,  the  one 
which  defeated  the  teams  of  the  foremost  institutions  of 
learning  in  the  South. 

The  church,  the  Sunday  school,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and 
other  religious  organizations  had  an  earnest  supporter  in 
President  Mitchell.  He  became  the  teacher  of  the  largest 
Men's  Bible  Class  the  Lebanon  Presbyterian  Church  ever 
had.  The  class  was  named  for  him.  He  led  the  way  in 
sending  a  missionary  to  Japan  and  another  to  China.  His 
interest  was  shown  in  the  daily  College  Chapel  service. 
The  Church  Union  consummated  in  1906  was  ardently 
supported  by  him. 

The  work  of  President  Mitchell  was  more  than  one  man 
could  carry.  Being  much  absorbed  in  business,  he  was 
away  from  the  institution  much  of  the  time.    His  work  at 


138       A   HISTORY   OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

home  was  so  arranged  that  much  of  it  could  be  carried  on 
by  others.  In  1906  he  resigned  his  position  as  the  head  of 
the  University.  But,  for  a  number  of  years  thereafter, 
he  continued  his  labors  for  it.  In  1911  he  paid  for  the  in- 
side work  of  the  present  College  Chapel.  Much  work  for 
the  Alumni  Association  was  done  by  him.  He  was  the 
president  of  it  for  a  number  of  years,  1914  to  1922.  Much 
credit  is  due  him  for  suggestions  and  help  in  starting  the 
Cumberland  AlMmmis,  the  alumni  magazine.  All  told,  he 
gave  about  $1,200  for  the  support  of  this  magazine.  It  is 
that  kind  of  help  and  co-operation  that  makes  history, 
and  it  is  the  kind  that  Cumberland  needs  to  supply  better 
facilities  for  the  eager  and  promising  students  of  to-day 
and  to-morrow.  Since  leaving  Cumberland,  Mr.  Mitchell 
has  devoted  himself  to  business  pursuits. 

ACTING  PRESIDENT  GREEN 

1906-09 

President  Mitchell  was  followed  by  the  highly  honored 
and  respected  former  Chancellor  Green,  who  was  now 
called  upon  to  act  as  President.  This  he  kindly  consented 
to  do,  although  his  duties  in  the  Law  School  had  come  to 
be  more  arduous.  For  three  years,  1906-09,  he  continued 
to  be  the  presiding  officer,  conferred  all  the  degrees,  and 
kept  administrative  matters  going  in  the  right  direction, 
to  the  delight  of  all. 

This  untiring  servant  of  the  University  kept  up  his 
connection  with  it  to  the  day  of  his  death,  February  18, 
1919.  On  the  morning  of  that  day  he  met  his  class  in 
Real  Property.  His  mental  powers  continued  unabated  to 
the  end.     His  students  continued  under  the  spell  of  his 


DAVID  EARLE  MITCHELL,  FIFTH  PRESIDENT       139 

eloquence  as  long  as  he  taught.  On  the  evening  of  the  day 
just  referred  to,  after  pleasant  conversation  with  his  son 
and  others,  he  lay  down  quietly  to  sleep,  and  so  passed 
away.  His  taking  away  was  universally  mourned.  A 
great  throng  gathered  at  his  burial,  and  many  tributes 
were  paid.  The  length  of  his  service  for  the  University 
has  not  been  equaled  by  any  other  who  ever  served  the  in- 
stitution. The  Green  Memorial  Fund  was  established  in 
his  honor. 

His  lifelong  colleague,  Dr.  A.  B.  Martin,  for  nearly 
forty  years  President  of  the  Board,  paid  him  this  tribute: 
"By  the  faith  of  one  man  only,  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers, 
the  University,  in  its  three  main  departments,  was  estab- 
lished. And  by  the  faith  of  one  many  only  (Judge  Nathan 
Green,  Jr. ) ,  it  survived  the  wreck  of  four  years  of  bloody 
strife.  It  is  the  faith  in  the  souls  of  such  men  that  holds 
the  world  up  and  moves  it  forward.  I  remember  those 
dark  days  of  doubt.  I  cannot  forget  his  heroic  struggles 
and  his  determination  to  set  the  University  in  all  its  de- 
partments upon  its  feet  again." 

Dr.  Martin,  in  his  tribute,  called  attention  to  Chan- 
cellor Green's  rugged  character,  to  the  resemblance  to  his 
noted  father,  and  to  his  delicacy  of  feeling,  gentleness  of 
speech,  and  esthetic  taste.  He  was  a  peacemaker,  a  com- 
forter of  the  sorrowing,  a  lover  of  music  and  flowers.  A 
man  of  wide  learning  was  he,  a  profound  lawyer,  upright, 
wise  in  counsel,  pure-minded,  loving,  and  beloved.  His 
life  of  seventy-seven  years  in  Lebanon  left  its  impress  for 
good.    "He  was  the  noblest  Roman  of  them  all." 

The  Nashville  Banner  said:  "Judge  Green  was  about  the 
grandest  and  most  extraordinary  old  man  Tennessee  ever 


140      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

produced,  and  no  institution  in  the  State  has  done  more 
for  its  credit  than  the  Law  School  of  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity. Judge  Green's  memory  deserves  the  highest  honor  at 
the  hands  of  Tennessee  and  such  a  historic,  widely  known 
institution  over  which  he  so  long  presided  is  an  asset  to 
the  State  which  its  people  should  take  care  to  preserve.  His 
continuance  in  active  work  was  longer  than  that  of  Glad- 
stone, 'the  grand  old  man  of  history.'  " 

On  account  of  the  Church  Union,  which  took  place  in 
1906,  the  charter  was  amended  in  1907  so  as  to  give  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America  the  right  to  confirm  or  reject  the  elec- 
tion of  trustees,  with  the  requirement  added  that  three- 
fourths  of  the  trustees  shall  be  members  of  that  Church. 


Chapter  X 
WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE,  THE  SIXTH  PRESIDENT 

1909-14 

On  June  3,  1909,  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone,  who  had  filled  the 
chair  of  New  Testament  Greek  and  Interpretation  in  the 
Theological  School  from  1894  to  1909,  and  had  served  as 
Dean  of  the  same  from  1906  to  1909,  became  the  sixth 
President  of  the  University.  He  served  in  this  position 
from  June,  1909,  to  June,  1914. 

Dr.  Bone  had  been  offered  this  position  in  April,  1909, 
not  long  after  the  adverse  decision  given  by  the  Tennessee 
Supreme  Court,  April  3,  1909,  on  the  validity  of  the  union 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  consum- 
mated in  May,  1906.  This  was  an  unexpected  decision. 
All  the  other  State  Supreme  Courts,  twelve  or  more,  and 
the  United  States  Supreme  Court  decided  the  Church 
Union  was  valid.  Some  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  coun- 
try had  assured  the  two  Church  Committees  on  Union  that 
the  civil  courts  would  sustain  them.  In  entire  good  faith 
on  both  sides  the  Church  Union  had  been  consummated. 
It  was  a  serious  step  to  take,  and  much  was  involved  in  it. 
It  was  a  matter  of  some  moment  in  the  history  of  both 
churches. 

In  the  important  case  referred  to,  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity was  not  a  litigant,  but  it  later  proved  to  be  true  that 
the  institution  was  destined  to  be  the  chief  sufferer  from 
the  adverse  decision.     One  cannot  easily  calculate  the  hurt 

(141) 


142       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

and  injury  which  immediately  came  to  the  University,  and 
the  harm  has  continued  to  this  day.  No  other  institution 
in  the  group  to  which  it  belonged  was  crippled  as  much  or 
in  the  same  way.  The  situation  was  without  a  parallel  else- 
where. It  was  a  time  when  "Good  Samaritan"  friends  had 
the  opportunity  of  performing  a  great  service. 

Without  much  delay  three  lawsuits  involving  the  title j:o 
all  the  property  of  the  University  were  brought  against  it, 
and  they  were  quietly  left  hanging  over  the  institution  for 
four  years.  Two  suits  were  brought  in  the  state  courts 
and  one  in  the  Federal  Court  to  test  the  title  to  the  prop- 
erty. They  were  brought  by  the  opponents  of  the  Church 
Union.  The  long  wait  made  all  the  work  of  the  institu- 
tion more  difficult.  The  President  of  the  University  was 
compelled  to  spend  much  of  his  time  for  several  years  con- 
vincing the  alumni,  friends,  and  the  general  public  that 
the  institution  could  and  must  be  maintained. 

The  suits  against  the  University  were  never  brought  to 
trial.  The  litigants  who  brought  the  suits  made  several 
proposals  for  a  settlement.  They  finally  came  with  a 
proposal  to  release  all  claim  to  the  property  of  the  Univer- 
sity or  any  Department  of  it  on  the  condition  that  the 
Trustees  of  the  University  pay  $37,500  to  the  legal  repre- 
sentatives of  those  claiming  to  be  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church.  The  Trustees,  feeling  that  the  University 
had  been  hurt  too  much  already  by  the  delay,  reluctantly 
agreed  to  accept  the  proposition  when  ratified  by  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  those  claiming  to  be  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church,  meeting  in  May,  1913.  The  result  of 
the  proposal  and  ratification,  on  the  terms  mentioned,  was 


WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE,  SIXTH  PRESIDENT       143 

an  agreed  decree  in  the  Chancery  Court,  Lebanon,  Ten- 
nessee, July  9,  1913. 

This  settlement  came  something  more  than  ten  years 
after  the  official  launching  of  the  Union  Movement  and 
more  than  seven  years  after  the  consummation  of  the 
Union  itself.  This  long  period  of  waiting,  during  which 
little  or  nothing  could  be  done  to  increase  the  financial 
strength  of  the  institution,  was  a  supreme  test  of  the  loy- 
alty and  devotion  of  those  connected  with  the  University. 
Nevertheless,  they  did  not  waver  at  any  time,  but  toiled 
on,  and  made  progress. 

But  the  cloud  had  undoubtedly  a  golden  lining.  First 
of  all  the  Trustees  proved  faithful  to  their  trust,  and  were 
more  determined  than  ever  to  further  in  every  way  pos- 
sible the  work  of  the  institution.  They  had  unwavering 
faith  in  a  great  cause  and  the  altruistic  spirit  of  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Master  in  their  hearts.  There  were  many  others 
also  who  gave  whole-hearted  co-operation.  Baptists, 
Methodists,  and  others  gave  hearty  assurance  of  their  will- 
ingness to  help.  This  offer  was  not  in  words  only,  but  was 
also  expressed  in  deeds  which  were  highly  appreciated. 

Then,  too,  the  President  had  great  faith  in  the  Church 
which  the  Union  made.  He  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Church  Union  Committee,  1905-06.  He  had  been  per- 
sonally assured  by  members  of  the  two  Committees  that  the 
Union  would  prove  a  great  blessing  to  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity. Dr.  Edgar  A.  Elmore,  of  Chattanooga,  who  was  a 
speaker  at  the  Synod  of  Tennessee  in  1906,  said  it  was  now 
possible  for  Cumberland  to  be  abundantly  provided  for. 
Then  Dr.  Robert  Mackenzie,  the  genial  Secretary  of  the 
College  Board  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 


144      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

States  of  America,  in  his  New  York  oflSce  and  on  other 
occasions,  assured  the  President  of  the  University  that 
Cumberland  would  in  a  substantial  way  come  into  its  own. 
He  said  the  alumni  should  be  organized  and  preparation 
made  for  a  better  day,  and  this  was  done.  The  response 
to  these  eflforts  was  good  enough  to  convince  those  in 
charge  of  the  institution  that  their  labors  would  not  be 
in  vain. 

Owing  to  the  inability  of  the  Theological  School  to  se- 
cure adequate  funds  for  conducting  its  work,  it  was  dis- 
continued by  action  of  the  Trustees  in  1909.  It  was 
surrounded  by  conditions  for  which  the  Trustees  were  not 
responsible.  If  funds  were  available,  that  School  could  be 
set  up  again.  Not  counting  the  theological  students  in  the 
catalogue  of  1909,  there  were  249  students  in  the  Uni- 
versity that  year.  In  the  catalogue  of  1914,  five  years 
later,  there  were  392  students,  a  gain  of  143. 

When  Dr.  Bone  became  President  in  June,  1909,  there 
was  a  deficit  of  $1,500  in  the  College  of  Arts  and  a  deficit 
of  $500  in  the  Theological  School  at  the  time  it  was  dis- 
continued; and  these  amounts  were  added  to  the  budget 
to  be  raised. 

While  the  salaries  in  the  College  of  Arts  were  small, 
they  were  all  increased  in  1909,  and  they  were  guaranteed 
for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  University.  The 
President  asked  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  this  be  done, 
and  that  the  salaries  of  additional  persons  be  added  to  the 
budget. 

During  this  period  the  President  had  the  wise  counsel 
of  members  of  the  Board,  and  especially  of  the  Board's 
Treasurer,  Judge  Edward  Ewing  Beard.     A  conservative 


WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE,   LL.D. 
President,    1909-1914 


WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE,  SIXTH  PRESIDENT       145 

course  was  pursued.  The  tuition  and  other  fees  and  in- 
terest on  endowment  went  as  far  as  possible  toward  paying 
current  expenses,  and  the  President  raised  the  rest,  with 
the  exception  of  the  timely  aid  from  the  Church  Board  of 
Education.  The  Board  of  Trustees  borrowed  no  money 
during  the  five-year  period.  All  attorneys'  fees  due  be- 
cause of  the  litigation  on  account  of  the  Church  Union 
and  all  salaries  and  all  other  expenses  were  paid;  also,  the 
$2,000  in  the  form  of  a  previous  deficit  above  referred  to. 
The  institution  owed  nothing  on  June  3,  1914.  There 
was  some  money  left  in  the  treasury  on  that  date  for  the 
next  administration,  some  of  which  was  used  in  improving 
the  Athletic  Field. 

During  the  five-year  period  referred  to,  some  gifts  were 
made  to  the  University.  Two  gifts  amounting  to  $5,600 
were  added  to  the  endowment.  One  was  a  gift  of  $5,000 
from  Mrs.  D.  Willis  James,  of  New  York  City.  The  other 
was  a  gift  of  $600  from  an  estate  in  Texas.  In  addition  to 
this,  Mrs.  I.  H.  Goodnight,  Franklin,  Kentucky,  deeded  a 
piece  of  land  to  the  University  which  was  later  sold  for 
$4,200.  During  this  period  also  the  University  received 
from  the  United  States  Court  of  Claims  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  the  sum  of  $8,000  as  damages  for  the  occupancy 
of  the  University  buildings  by  Federal  soldiers  in  1863. 
The  President  was  instrumental  in  securing  a  gift  of  $30,- 
000  from  Mr.  J.  C.  Biles,  a  Presbyterian  elder  of  McMinn- 
ville,  Tennessee.  This  sum  was  written  into  his  will,  but 
was  not  turned  over  until  his  death  several  years  later.  It 
is  very  apparent  that  it  would  have  been  unwise  to  solicit 
immediate  gifts  of  endowment  during  the  first  four  years 
of  Dr.  Bone's  administration,   while  the   title  to   all   the 


146       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERXAND   UNIVERSITY 

property  of  the  institution  was  being  contested.  He  was 
instructed  by  the  Trustees  not  to  do  so. 

From  1909  to  1914,  the  Law  School  had  a  larger  num- 
ber of  students  than  it  had  had  during  any  previous  period 
in  its  history.  While  this  much  could  not  be  said  of  the 
other  departments,  there  was  a  good  increase  in  them  also. 
From  1907  to  1913,  the  University  successfully  enter- 
tained each  year  a  splendid  Bible  Conference,  the  greatness 
of  which  is  remembered  still.  As  a  rule  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  persons  outside  of  Lebanon  attended  the  con- 
ference. 

During  this  period  two  valuable  teachers  were  added  to 
the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Arts.  One  of  them  was 
Professor  "Walter  Hugh  Drane,  A.M.,  formerly  Dean  of  the 
College  of  Engineering,  University  of  Mississippi.  He 
came  as  the  successor  of  Professor  A.  H.  Buchanan,  who 
resigned  in  June,  1911.  He  remained  with  Cumberland 
as  the  Professor  of  Mathematics  from  September,  1911,  to 
June,  1924.  Professor  Drane  was  eminently  qualified  for 
his  work,  and  was  always  a  popular  teacher.  He  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  methods  of  school  administration  and 
had  a  good  conception  of  the  objectives  of  education.  His 
counsel  was  valuable  in  Faculty  meetings  and  in  the  ef- 
forts to  improve  the  college  curriculum.  He  was  a  Pres- 
byterian elder.  In  1923  he  resigned  to  take  a  professor- 
ship in  Austin  College,  Texas,  and  to  become  Dean  of  the 
College  there. 

The  other  teacher  was  Homer  Allin  Hill,  A.M.,  Professor 
of  Biology,  who  began  his  work  in  Cumberland  in  1912 
and  continued  until  June,  1918.     Professor  Hill  later  be- 


WINSTEAD  PAINE  BONE,  SIXTH  PRESIDENT       147 

came  Acting  President,  and  further  reference  will  be  made 
to  him. 

After  June  3,  1914,  when  Dr.  Bone's  term  as  President 
ended,  he  became  Professor  of  Bible,  Philosophy,  and  Ethics 
in  the  College  of  Arts,  in  which  position  he  still  continues 
to  labor. 


Chapter  XI 

PRESIDENT 

SAMUEL  ANDREW  COILE,  THE  SEVENTH 

1914-16 

In  February,  1914,  the  Board  of  Trustees  acted  on  the 
resignation  of  President  W.  P.  Bone,  the  resignation  to 
take  effect  on  June  3,  1914.  At  the  same  meeting  of  the 
Board,  Samuel  Andrew  Coile,  D.D.,  became  the  President- 
elect, his  term  of  office  to  begin  June  3,  1914.  It  was  on 
this  date  that  Dr.  Coile's  inauguration  took  place. 

Dr.  Coile  had  been  the  pastor  of  the  Lebanon  Presby- 
terian Church  for  seven  years,  1907-14,  and  had  been  dur- 
ing this  period  one  of  the  popular  and  effective  leaders  in 
church  work  in  the  State,  giving  special  attention  to  the 
promotion  of  Foreign  Mission  work.  "When  the  local  con- 
gregation lost  its  church  house  through  the  adverse  deci- 
sion of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court  on  the  Church  Union, 
Dr.  Coile  proved  to  be  a  strong  and  effective  leader  in 
the  erection,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  of  the  new  church  build- 
ing on  West  Main  Street. 

From  1901  to  1907  Dr.  Coile  had  served  as  President  of 
Tusculum  College,  an  institution  situated  about  250  miles 
east  of  Lebanon.  He  had  been  successful  in  interesting 
persons  of  wealth  in  Tusculum  College  so  as  to  secure  sev- 
eral large  gifts  for  that  institution.  Dr.  Coile  was  a  good 
speaker,  a  clear  thinker,  and  was  much  interested  in  reli- 
gious and  educational  work.  One  of  the  first  steps  taken 
by  President  Coile  was  to  ask  the  Board  of  Trustees  to 

(148) 


SAMUEL  ANDREW  COILE,  SEVENTH  PRESIDENT  149 

have  the  charter  of  the  University  changed  so  that  the 
membership  in  the  Board  might  be  increased  from  nine  to 
fifteen.  This  change  was  duly  made  in  1914.  Some 
changes  were  made  also  in  the  Faculty  list. 

Oscar  Newton  Smith,  A.M.  (Princeton),  a  teacher  of 
Modern  Languages  and  one  of  the  Headmasters  at  the 
Castle  Heights  School,  was  made  Professor  of  Latin  Lan- 
guage and  Literature  and  Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts. 
Peyton  Ward  Williams,  A.M.  (Alabama),  was  made  Pro- 
fessor of  English  Language  and  Literature.  After  serving 
one  year,  he  was  followed  by  Professor  E.  L.  Stockton, 
A.M.,  who  remained  in  this  position  until  his  election  to 
the  presidency. 

Dr.  W.  P.  Bone,  A.M.,  was  made  Professor  of  Biblical 
Literature  and  Greek.  Herman  F.  Schnirel,  A.M.,  be- 
came the  Professor  of  Modern  Languages.  Professor 
Schnirel  was  followed  in  1915  b)'  W.  Patton  Graham,  a 
graduate  of  Emory  and  Henry,  who  had  received  the  A.M. 
degree  from  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  had  studied 
at  the  University  of  Grenoble  in  France,  and  at  Chicago 
University.  He  remained  two  years  with  the  University, 
1915-17.  James  Otto  Graham,  B.S.  (Clemson),  M.S. 
(University  S.  C),  became  Professor  of  Chemistry,  re- 
maining with  the  University  four  years,  1914-18. 

President  Coile  added  a  department  of  Home  Economics 
with  Anna  Augusta  Weigel,  A.M.  (Tennessee),  in  charge. 
This  proved  for  a  time  to  be  a  popular  department.  Rooms 
in  Memorial  Hall  were  supplied  with  good  equipment  for 
this  work.  Miss  Weigel  served  only  one  year  and  was 
followed  by  Mildred  Hungerford  for  one  year. 

During  President  Coile's  administration  the  net  attend- 


150       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ance  of  students  was  increased  from  392  to  416.  Some 
improvements  were  made  in  the  department  of  athletics.  A 
new  grandstand  was  built  on  the  athletic  field.  The  pres- 
byteries and  synods  were  visited,  and  their  co-operation 
asked.  All  student  activities  had  the  President's  sympathy 
and  watchful  oversight.  The  religious  welfare  of  the  stu- 
dents was  not  neglected.  All  students  who  were  having  a 
struggle  to  get  an  education  found  a  warm  friend  and 
practical  helper  in  Dr.  Coile. 

President  Coile  resigned  his  position  in  the  University 
near  the  close  of  his  second  year.  Homer  Allin  Hill,  A.M., 
Professor  of  Biology,  was  then  made  temporarily  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Arts,  and  Dr.  W.  P. 
Bone  was  asked  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  devote  a  por- 
tion of  his  time  to  soliciting  endowment. 

Oscar  Newton  Smith  was  Professor  of  Latin  Language 
and  Literature  from  1914  to  1918.  He  had  been  teaching 
Latin  and  Modern  Languages  at  Castle  Heights  School, 
Lebanon,  from  1903  to  1914.  When  he  came  to  his  posi- 
tion in  Cumberland  he  was  made  Dean  of  the  College  of 
Arts.  He  was  quite  popular  as  a  Dean  and  also  as  a  Pro- 
fessor. He  had  a  dynamic  personality  and  took  great  in- 
terest in  his  subjects,  his  work,  and  the  student  body. 
Those  fond  of  athletics  found  in  him  an  ardent  supporter 
of  every  game  that  was  played. 

Professor  Smith  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  "Westfield 
College  in  Illinois  in  1887,  and  was  later  Professor  of  Latin 
in  Sweetwater  College.  He  received  the  A.M.  degree  from 
Princeton  University,  taught  in  Pennington  Seminary,  New 
Jersey,  and  also  in  the  Princeton  Summer  School. 

In  1917  he  was  sent  with  the  American  army  to  serve  as 


SAMUEL  ANDREW  COILE,  SEVENTH  PRESIDENT  151 

a  Y.  M.  C,  A.  Secretary  in  France,  where  he  remained  until 
the  Armistice  was  signed.  After  that  time  he  became  a 
field  worker  for  the  University  of  Tennessee.  His  death 
occurred  June  1,  1932,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  Tennessee. 

ACTING  PRESIDENT  HILL 

1916-17 

A  few  weeks  after  Professor  Hill  had  been  made  Chair- 
man of  the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Arts,  it  became  evi- 
dent to  the  Board  and  others  that  the  University  must 
have  at  least  an  Acting  President.  The  result  was  that 
Professor  Hill  was  appointed  Acting  President,  the  duties 
of  which  position  he  creditably  performed  until  April  9, 

1917,  when  the  new  President,  Dr.  E.  P.  Childs,  appeared 
and  at  once  took  charge.  Acting  President  Hill  had  re- 
ceived the  A.B.  degree  from  Park  College  in  1897,  and  the 
A.M.  degree  from  the  University  of  Missouri  in  1902.  Ad- 
ditional graduate  work  was  done  in  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. From  1904  to  1911  he  had  taught  science  in  St. 
John's  Military  Academy. 

Acting  President  Hill  made  a  good  administrator  and 
was  prudent  in  the  management  of  all  matters  connected 
with  his  offices.  A  close  watch  was  maintained  over  the 
University  budget  in  order  to  prevent  a  deficit.  As  a  re- 
sult, no  debt  was  hanging  over  the  institution  in  April, 
1917. 

His  interest  in  his  work,  in  the  University,  in  the  alum- 
ni, in  the  student  body,  in  Lebanon,  and  in  the  church 
was  well  maintained.  He  was  a  Presbyterian  elder,  a  Sun- 
day school  teacher,  a  member  of  the  Glee  Club,  and  of  the 
church  choir.    He  resigned  as  Professor  of  Biology  in  June, 

1918.  He  resides  in  Huron,  South  Dakota. 


Chapter  XII 

EDWARD  POWELL  CHILDS,  THE  EIGHTH 
PRESIDENT 

1917-20 

The  eighth  President  of  the  University  was  Edward 
Powell  Childs,  an  educator  of  considerable  experience.  He 
was  a  Presbyterian  elder  and  a  leader  in  church  work.  He 
assumed  his  duties  as  President  on  April  9,  1917,  in  a 
vigorous  and  business-like  manner.  In  this  capacity  he 
labored  for  more  than  three  years,  resigning  his  position  on 
June  10,  1920. 

After  his  coming  some  changes  were  made  in  the  courses 
of  study.  President  Childs  laid  less  stress  than  some  on 
the  study  of  Latin  and  Greek  and  the  Social  Sciences. 
Doubtless  this  was  partly  due  to  his  education  and  train- 
ing. In  1894  he  had  received  the  B.S.  degree  from  Denison 
University,  and  in  1917  the  A.M.  degree  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wisconsin. 

His  previous  teaching  and  administrative  experience  was 
as  follows:  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  Fargo  College, 
North  Dakota,  1891-93;  Instructor  in  Mathematics  in 
Denison  University,  1894-95;  Professor  of  Mathematics 
and  Dean  of  the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Arts,  Univer- 
sity of  New  Mexico,  1899-1901;  President  of  the  Normal 
and  Collegiate  Institute,  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  1907- 
16;  Assistant  in  the  Department  of  Education,  University 
of  Wisconsin,  1916-17. 

When  President  Childs  assumed  his  duties  in  Cumber- 

(152) 


EDWARD  POWELL  CHILDS,  EIGHTH  PRESIDENT     15  3 

land  he  made  no  special  changes  in  the  Faculty.  George 
B.  Hussey,  Ph.D.,  was  made  the  Professor  of  Modern  Lan- 
guages in  the  place  of  Professor  W.  P.  Graham,  who  had 
been  called  to  the  University  of  Virginia.  Daisy  Allen, 
from  Agnes  Scott  College,  became  instructor  in  the  De- 
partment of  Home  Economics. 

The  period  here  under  consideration  was  a  difficult  one. 
President  Childs  had  before  him  many  of  the  educational 
problems  occasioned  by  the  World  War.  In  1918-19  quite 
a  number  of  young  men  became  students  of  the  Univer- 
sity to  receive  training  preparatory  to  going  to  military 
camps,  if  needed  by  the  Government.  Complying  with 
the  regulations  of  the  Government  involved  a  multitude 
of  details.  After  the  declaration  of  war  in  1917  many  of 
the  older  young  men  were  called  to  the  war  zone,  from 
which  some  of  them  never  returned.  Dean  Smith  got 
leave  of  absence  to  go  to  France  as  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secre- 
tary. Professor  E.  L.  Stockton  became  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Sec- 
retary at  one  of  the  military  camps  in  this  country. 

Madame  Louise  Eppinger  was  Professor  of  Modern  Lan- 
guages for  two  years,  1918-20,  taking  the  place  which  had 
been  held  by  Dr.  Hussey.  H.  E.  Beierly,  A.M.,  LL.D., 
was  the  Professor  of  Biology  and  Physics  for  the  year  1918- 
19;  James  Oscar  Baird,  A.M.,  became  the  Professor  of 
Chemistry  in  1918  and  has  continued  in  this  capacity  ever 
since,  except  one  year,  1925-26.  Professor  C.  C.  Lemon, 
A.M.,  was  Professor  of  Biology  and  Education  two  years, 
1919-21. 

During  the  period  here  under  consideration,  the  Uni- 
versity lost  its  two  great  law  professors,  Judge  Nathan 


154      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Green,  Jr.,  who  died  February  18,  1919,  and  Dr.  Andrew 
B.  Martin,  who  died  May  19,  1920. 

In  January,  1920,  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone  was  elected  Alumni 
Secretary  by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  "to  keep,"  as  they  ex- 
pressed it,  "the  rolls  of  the  alumni."  He  was  already  serv- 
ing as  Alumni  Secretary  by  appointment  of  the  Alumni 
Association.  In  1919  Dr.  Bone  had  given  the  entire  sum- 
mer vacation  to  work  on  the  alumni  rolls.  In  February, 
1920,  the  work  of  the  Alumni  Association  was  better  or- 
ganized, and  was  expanded  and  made  more  definite.  An 
Alumni  Board  was  appointed  and  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone  was 
elected  the  editor  of  the  Alumni  magazine,  the  Cumber- 
land Alumnus,  which  made  its  first  appearance  in  April, 
1920. 

Near  the  beginning  of  President  Child's  administration, 
George  H.  Rossman,  Master  of  Accounts,  was  appointed 
Business  Manager.  Later  the  Trustees  elected  Mr.  Ross- 
man  Assistant  Treasurer.  President  Childs  continued  as 
the  head  of  the  University  until  June  20,  1920.  During 
the  summer  he  accepted  a  place  in  the  Faculty  of  Trinity 
University,  Texas.  He  became  also  the  Dean  of  the 
College  of  Arts  in  that  institution. 

Acting  President  Andrew  Blake  Buchanan 

1920-22 

On  April  12,  1920,  Andrew  Blake  Buchanan,  D.D.,  was 
made  Vice-President  of  the  University.  This  was  a  matter 
of  much  interest  to  the  alumni  and  friends  of  Cumberland, 
and  the  announcement  was  well  received.  While  this 
was  a  new  step  to  take  on  the  part  of  the  University,  it 
was  recognized  that  Dr.  Buchanan  was  in  every  way 
worthy  and  that  his  election  would  be  well  received. 


EDWARD  POWELL  CHILDS,  EIGHTH  PRESIDENT     1  5  5 

Dr.  Buchanan  was  an  alumnus  of  the  institution,  hav- 
ing received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1879  and  the  B.D.  degree 
in  1883.  Later  he  spent  two  years  in  Union  Theological 
Seminary  in  New  York  City.  The  next  thirty  years  he 
spent  in  the  pastorate  in  Illinois  and  Texas.  The  new  Vice- 
President,  a  son  of  Professor  A.  H.  Buchanan,  was 
made  Acting  President  on  the  retirement  of  President 
Childs.  Dr.  Buchanan  was  a  man  of  ripe  experience  and 
scholarship  and  eminently  qualified  to  represent  the  grow- 
ing interests  of  the  University. 

In  1920  a  change  was  made  from  a  relationship  with 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America  to  one  with  three  synods  of  the 
same  Church.  The  charter  was  amended  so  as  to  give  the 
three  Synods  of  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  and  Alabama  the 
right  to  nominate  the  Trustees  of  the  University. 

In  1921  a  purchase  was  made  of  the  Hinds  residence  on 
West  Main  Street  as  a  hall  of  residence  for  young  women 
students.  Mr.  D.  E.  Mitchell  paid  a  part  of  the  cost  of 
the  same.  About  the  same  time,  Mr.  Mitchell  bought  the 
residence  and  lot  east  of  the  Men's  Dormitory  and  pre- 
sented it  to  the  University. 

Acting  President  Buchanan's  fine  spirit  and  superior 
wisdom  did  much  for  the  institution.  After  two  years, 
that  is,  on  April  1,  1922,  he  chose  to  go  back  to  the  pas- 
torate. During  the  last  year  of  his  administration,  the 
total  attendance  of  students  was  500,  the  largest  number 
in  the  history  of  the  University  up  to  that  time.  This  sur- 
passed the  record  of  18  58,  which  was  481,  the  highest 
number  prior  to  1922.  Dr.  Buchanan  resides  at  Goose 
Creek,  an  oil  town,  in  Texas. 


Chapter  XIII 
JOHN  ROYAL  HARRIS,  THE  NINTH  PRESIDENT 

1922-26 

On  June  7,  1922,  John  Royal  Harris,  D.D.,  of  Nash- 
ville, became  the  ninth  President.  He  was  inaugurated  un- 
der the  most  favorable  circumstances.  There  were  con- 
gratulations and  manifestations  of  good  will  on  all  sides. 
The  Faculty,  alumni,  and  the  general  public  were  unani- 
mous in  approval.  The  enrollment  for  the  preceding  year 
was  the  largest  in  the  history  of  the  institution. 

President  Harris  was  an  alumnus  of  the  University, 
having  received  from  it  the  B.D.  degree  in  1894.  Not 
many  people  knew  the  institution  better  than  he.  He  was 
devoted  to  it  in  a  whole-hearted  way,  revered  its  tradi- 
tions, honored  its  history,  and  adhered  to  its  Christian 
ideals. 

President  Harris  was  favorably  and  nationally  known. 
In  all  his  life  he  had  been  a  fighter  in  a  good  cause;  and 
had  touched  life  on  many  sides.  Men  of  the  State  knew 
him  as  well  as  men  of  the  church.  He  had  many  friends 
and  acquaintances  in  other  denominations.  Men  of  the 
business  community  knew  him  and  had  confidence  in  him. 
He  could  plead  a  cause  eloquently,  being  gifted  on  the  plat- 
form. His  chief  gift  was  in  administrative  leadership. 
He  had  organizing  ability;  was  possessed  of  a  high  Chris- 
tian character;  and  was  industrious  as  well  as  capable,  al- 
ways giving  attention  and  energy  to  the  duties  of  his 
office.     Difficulties  did  not  discourage  him,  and  a  disaster 

(156) 


JOHN  ROYAL  HARRIS,  NINTH  PRESIDENT        157 

like  the  burning  of  the  Men's  Dormitory  did  not  appall 
him.  Large  demands  were  made  by  him  on  the  alumni 
and  friends  of  the  institution.  The  response  to  this  de- 
mand was  encouraging  to  the  new  leader. 

President  Harris  was  born  near  Murfreesboro,  Tennes- 
see, March  7,  1869,  a  descendant  of  General  John  Coffee. 
After  his  graduation  from  Cumberland,  he  was  pastor  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  at  Lewisburg,  Ten- 
nessee, nine  years,  1894-1903,  and  then  pastor  of  the 
Shady  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  Pittsburgh,  four- 
teen years,  1903-17.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  was 
Superintendent  of  the  Dry  Federation  of  Pennsylvania  for 
two  years.  He  then  became  a  lecturer  for  the  National 
Reform  Association  three  years,  two  years  of  that  time 
having  his  headquarters  at  Nashville,  1920-22. 

This  does  not  include  all  the  activities.  For  three  years 
he  was  Superintendent  of  the  Tennessee  Anti-Saloon 
League,  1900-03;  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Reserve 
Militia,  and  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard; 
Chaplain  of  the  Confederate  Veterans;  and  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Temperance  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  of  America. 

At  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Cumberland  as  President, 
Dr.  James  E.  Clarke,  editor  of  the  Presbyterian  Advance, 
said  of  him: 

'Tt  is  a  profound  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  announce 
that  Dr.  John  Royal  Harris  has  accepted  the  Presidency 
of  Cumberland  University,  and  is  to  be  inaugurated  in 
June.  A  Tennessean  by  birth  and  long  one  of  the  State's 
fearless  leaders  in  every  good  work.  Dr.  Harris  brings  to 
his  Alma  Mater,  one  of  Tennessee's  historic  institutions, 


158       A  HISTORY   OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

the  rich  experience  of  a  vigorous  Christian  life  devoted  in 
large  measure  to  successful  administrative  leadership." 

Dr.  Harris  had  a  genial  word  for  every  one,  yet  he  was 
courageous  and  fearless  in  fighting  for  a  great  cause.  As 
some  one  has  said,  "He  knew  where  to  set  the  smiling  win- 
dows of  humor  in  the  structure  of  his  addresses,"  but  this 
same  humor  was  used  frequently  against  the  iniquities  of 
the  day.  On  many  a  day  he  went  forth  in  his  campaign 
in  behalf  of  American  patriotism,  industrial  justice,  and 
the  application  of  Christian  principles  to  the  relations  of 
men.  His  voice  always  rang  true  against  the  supremacy 
of  might  or  money  over  righteousness. 

Under  President  Harris'  leadership,  the  attendance  at 
the  University  had  an  encouraging  increase.  The  net  total 
of  students  during  the  four  years  of  his  administration 
was  as  follows:  512  in  1922-23;  660  in  1923-24;  750  in 
1924-25;  and  650  in  1925-26. 

A  School  of  Commerce  was  added,  and  also  a  School  of 
Journalism.  In  1922  Andrew  P.  "Whitlock,  B.S.,  was  ap- 
pointed Business  Manager,  and  served  in  this  capacity  for 
two  years.  It  was  his  duty  to  look  after  the  business  de- 
tails of  the  administration,  to  act  as  Superintendent  of 
Buildings  and  Grounds,  and  as  an  agent  in  financial  mat- 
ters. He  was  followed  by  Jeff  Castleman,  who  became  the 
Bursar.  His  duties  were  such  as  the  name  indicated.  Mr. 
Castleman  was  Bursar  until  March,  1926. 

In  1922  a  plan  was  put  into  operation  in  accordance  with 
which  alumni  and  friends  made  subscriptions  for  a  five- 
year  period  to  the  running  expenses  of  the  University. 
The  subscription  was  called  an  Equivalent  Endowment 
Bond.    There  was  no  stipulation  to  pay  the  amount  on  the 


JOHN  ROYAL  HARRIS,  NINTH  PRESIDENT       159 

face  of  the  bond.  Only  the  annual  interest  on  the  amount 
was  to  be  paid.  Ten  or  fifteen  thousand  dollars  were  col- 
lected each  year  in  this  way.  The  Goodnight  land  in  Nash- 
ville, the  gift  of  Mrs.  I.  H.  Goodnight,  Franklin,  Ken- 
tucky, was  sold  for  $4,250.  The  $30,000  bequest  from 
the  estate  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Biles,  of  McMinnville,  was  received. 
Other  sums  were  added  to  the  endowment.  Additions  were 
made  to  the  library  of  the  College  of  Arts.  Extensive  pur- 
chases of  new  books  were  made  to  the  library  of  the  Law 
School.  One  of  the  outstanding  events  during  President 
Harris'  administration  was  the  rebuilding  of  the  Men's 
Dormitory,  a  handsome  brick  building,  finished  in  stone. 
The  dining-room  and  kitchen  had  been  on  the  fourth 
floor,  which  was  only  about  two-thirds  the  length  of  the 
other  floors.  The  burning  of  that  building  put  consterna- 
tion into  the  hearts  of  Faculty  and  friends;  but  before  the 
ending  of  that  day,  President  Harris  had  begun  plans  for 
rebuilding. 

The  fire  occurred  on  March  3,  192  5.  On  September  9, 
six  months  later,  the  new  building  was  ready  for  occupan- 
cy. The  foundation  and  a  part  of  the  walls  survived  the 
fire.  Mr.  A.  W.  Hooker  and  Mr.  C.  D.  Fakes  furnished 
the  materials  for  rebuilding,  without  charging  any  com- 
mission. About  seventy  individuals  gave  $100  each  for 
refurnishing  the  rooms.  Mr.  T.  B.  Moreland,  Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania,  gave  $2,000  toward  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Dormitory.  The  kitchen  and  dining-room  were  brought 
to  the  first  floor.  The  new  building  has  four  full  stories. 
Nine  new  rooms  were  added.  The  new  building  was  in 
every  way  more  satisfactory  than  the  old  one,  which  was 
built  in  1903.     Besides  all  this,  President  Harris  did  much 


160       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

to  interest  alumni  and  new  as  well  as  old  friends  in  the 
welfare  of  the  University. 

But  early  in  the  summer  of  1926,  Dr.  Harris  was  taken 
with  a  fatal  illness.  He  was  taken  to  the  best  surgeons  for 
an  operation.  There  was  no  hope  for  recovery.  On  Sep- 
tember 12,  1926,  he  was  taken  from  us.  While  his  voice 
is  heard  no  more,  his  spirit  inspires  those  who  are  carrying 
on  the  work  of  the  University.  The  announcement  of  his 
death  brought  a  large  number  of  telegrams  and  letters  to 
the  University  and  the  family.  The  body  lies  in  the  same 
cemetery  with  those  of  Cossitt,  Anderson,  McDonnold, 
Abram  and  Robert  Caruthers,  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  and 
Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  Burney,  Kirkpatrick,  Foster,  Buchanan, 
Martin,  Hinds,  and  others. 

On  the  occasion  of  his  death,  the  Nashville  Banner  said: 

"With  his  passing  there  came  to  an  end  the  career  of  a 
man  who  had  labored  faithfully  and  accomplished  much 
for  the  advancement  of  education,  religion  and  civic  right- 
eousness. ...  As  a  teacher,  a  pastor,  and  a  crusader  for 
temperance  he  won  more  than  ordinary  success  and  ren- 
dered more  than  ordinary  service.  .  .  .  Under  Dr.  Harris' 
guidance  Cumberland  has  grown  and  prospered,  and  its 
bright  prospects  for  the  future  and  its  excellent  achieve- 
ments of  the  last  four  years  are  monuments  to  Dr.  Harris' 
ability  and  devotion." 

The  executive  committee  of  the  Tennessee  College  As- 
sociation expressed  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  one  of  its  mem- 
bers from  the  fellowship  and  councils  of  the  committee, 
and  from  the  chairmanship  of  the  Association's  Committee 
on  Publicity. 

In  the  summer  of  1923,  George  Frank  Burns  was  called 


SAMUEL   A. 
President, 


COILE,   D.D. 
1914-1916 


JOHN  ROYAL  HARRIS,  NINTH  PRESIDENT        161 

to  the  Professorship  of  Latin  and  Greek  in  the  College  of 
Arts,  which  position  he  creditably  filled  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  December  29,  1928.  He  was  born  in  Lamar,  Ar- 
kansas, March  27,  1883.  As  a  student  in  Cumberland  he 
registered  from  Chattanooga;  received  from  Cumberland 
the  A.B.  degree  in  1911,  and  the  M.A.  degree  in  1913. 

During  the  time  of  his  connection  with  Cumberland 
University  as  a  student,  1907-11,  and  as  a  teacher  in  the 
Preparatory  School,  1910-13,  he  was  a  leader  in  athletics 
and  in  Christian  work.  He  was  President  of  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  and  editor  of  the  Cumberland  Weekly,  the  students' 
paper.  From  1913  to  1916  he  was  a  student  in  Lane 
Theological  Seminary,  being  at  the  same  time  a  tutor  in 
New  Testament  Greek.  After  his  graduation  from  Lane, 
he  was  pastor  of  churches  in  Dyer,  Milan,  and  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  and  in  Jacksonville,  Texas. 

From  the  day  of  graduation  from  Cumberland,  he  was 
a  loyal  alumnus,  always  working  for  the  University's  good 
and  expressing  in  some  way  his  devotion  to  it.  Many  of  his 
articles  were  printed  in  the  Cumberland  Alumnus,  and  in 
other  papers  and  magazines,  and  including  one  on  "The 
Return  of  Classical  Studies,"  not  long  before  his  death. 
Since  his  death  a  book  of  his  poems  has  been  published. 

Having  been  a  star  athlete  himself,  he  always  had  a 
place  on  the  Athletic  Committee,  and  he  was  the  Faculty 
Supervisor  of  the  Christian  activities  of  the  student  body. 
By  all  he  was  regarded  as  a  valuable  teacher  and  a  choice 
spirit. 

The  University  Secretary 

In  March,  1926,  during  the  last  months  of  President 
Harris'  administration,  Andrew  Jackson  Cash,   a  college 


162       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

and  university  accountant,  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  was 
appointed  University  Secretary.  The  office  was  created  by 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  their  object  being  to  give  the  busi- 
ness executive  of  the  University  a  more  definite  task  and 
one  with  a  wider  field  of  activity.  As  outlined  by  them,  the 
University  Secretary  is  to  be  the  chief  business  officer  of  the 
University  and  the  chief  executive  head  of  all  departments, 
officers,  and  employees  of  the  University  not  attached  to 
the  instructional  staff.  He  is  to  see  that  the  rules  and 
regulations  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  with  reference  to  the 
management  of  all  property,  funds,  lands,  buildings,  and 
contracts  are  faithfully  carried  out. 

The  University  Secretary  is  to  supervise  the  collecting 
and  receiving  of  all  moneys  arising  from  gifts,  bequests, 
or  otherwise  for  the  benefit  of  the  institution,  and  of  all 
fees  and  any  money  from  any  source  due  to  the  Univer- 
sity or  to  any  of  its  departments.  He  is  to  keep  proper 
books  of  account,  fully  setting  forth  the  financial  condi- 
tion and  transactions  of  the  University,  and  be  able  when 
required  to  do  so  to  give  a  full  report  on  all  receipts  and 
disbursements,  and  to  show  correctly  the  financial  condi- 
tion of  the  University  or  any  of  its  departments.  And 
the  Secretary  shall  furnish  a  surety  bond  to  the  Univer- 
sity for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties. 


Chapter  XIV 
ERNEST  LOONEY  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT 

1926— 

On  the  death  of  President  Harris,  Dean  Ernest  Looney 
Stockton,  who  was  also  Professor  of  EngHsh  Literature, 
was  appointed  by  the  Trustees  as  Acting  President.  He 
seemed  to  be  the  logical  man  to  take  up  the  work. 

Professor  Stockton  was  born  in  Newbern,  Tennessee, 
September  1,  1888.  He  received  the  following  degrees 
from  Cumberland  University:  A.B.,  1914;  A.M.,  1915; 
LL.B.,  1916.  Additional  courses  were  taken  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago  and  in  the  George  Peabody  College  for 
Teachers.  In  1915  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  English. 
The  Summer  School  in  the  University  had  him  as  its  first 
Director.  The  local  Presbyterian  Church  made  him  an 
elder.  For  eight  years  he  served  as  teacher  of  the  Men's 
Bible  Class.  He  was  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  worker  during  the 
World  War;  Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts  from  1917  to 
1926,  and  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  1924. 

Professor  Stockton  ably  sustained  himself  as  head  of  the 
English  Department.  He  has  eyes  to  see  the  beautiful  in 
literature,  and  easily  catches  its  spirit.  He  goes  back  to 
God  in  everything,  placing  all  on  a  rocklike  basis;  knows 
well  the  value  of  the  imagination  in  the  study  of  history 
and  literature;  has  an  abundance  of  color  and  melody  in 
his  speech,  and  crowns  it  all  with  the  faith  of  a  Christian. 

Acting  President  Stockton  made  no  serious  changes  in 

(163) 


164      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

President  Harris'  policies.  Some  changes  were  made  in  the 
curriculum.  Though  a  layman,  the  new  leader  attended 
the  church  courts,  where  he  pleaded  the  University's 
cause;  and  he  has  been  frequently  asked  to  supply  pulpits 
and  deliver  commencement  addresses.  It  was  also  to  his 
credit  that  he  zealously  guarded  the  standards  of  the  Uni- 
versity. 

On  May  31,  1927,  Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  of  the  class 
of  1914,  who  was  becoming  rapidly  and  favorably  known 
in  the  educational  field  as  Acting  President  of  Cumberland 
University,  was  now  unanimously  elected  President.  Dur- 
ing the  preceding  year  he  had  shown  tact  and  industry  in 
handling  the  affairs  of  the  institution,  moving  forward  in 
his  work  with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  Faculty 
and  student  body.  It  was  not  surprising  that  the  an- 
nouncement of  his  election  by  the  Board  had  the  ap- 
proval of  the  University  family,  the  alumni,  and  the  gen- 
eral public.  The  new  President,  the  tenth  in  the  history 
of  the  University,  received  congratulations  from  all  sides. 

The  new  leader  is  almost  entirely  a  product  of  the  Uni- 
versity. He  has  been  connected  with,  and  hence  is  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with,  almost  every  phase  of  life  and 
activity  in  Cumberland,  thoroughly  understanding  its 
spirit  and  aims;  and  his  loyalty  to  it  is  unquestioned.  He 
knows  full  well  the  struggles  through  which  his  Alma 
Mater  has  passed,  knows,  too,  what  its  merits  are,  is  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  its  strategic  importance  to  a  vast 
number  of  young  people  who  need  its  help,  and  has  a 
strong  faith  in  its  future. 

Without  any  large  financial  help  at  any  time  in  its  his- 
tory,  Cumberland  has  made  substantial  progress  in  the 


ERNEST  L.   STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT      165 

things  worth  while.  Through  the  loyalty  of  the  Faculty 
and  its  spirit  of  sacrifice  and  co-operation  results  have  been 
achieved  which  have  not  been  attained  by  scores  of  institu- 
tions with  ten  or  twenty  times  the  financial  strength. 
President  Stockton  has  had  some  share  in  the  University's 
growth  and  prosperity. 

Not  only  has  he  demonstrated  his  loyalty  in  many  ways; 
he  gives  evidence  that  he  desires  to  perpetuate  in  a  whole- 
hearted way  the  institution's  history  and  Christian  ideals. 
President  Stockton  has  been  indefatigable.  His  mind 
works  unceasingly  on  plans  for  a  larger  and  better  Cumber- 
land, and  he  is  not  easily  discouraged  in  presenting  his 
cause. 

Early  in  the  new  administration,  in  June,  1927,  the 
Trustees  and  officers  of  the  University  adopted  plans  for  an 
expansion  program  which  called  for  the  projection  of  a 
campaign  with  an  ultimate  objective  of  a  million  dollars. 
The  campaign  was  projected  so  as  to  cover  a  period  of 
years,  and  it  was  to  be  under  the  leadership  of  a  selected 
group  of  men.  The  beginning  was  made  on  the  campus 
with  the  officers  of  administration,  Faculty,  and  student 
body.  The  sum  of  $22,000  was  subscribed.  A  larger 
amount  was  subscribed  by  the  citizens  of  Lebanon.  It 
was  reported  that  the  total  amount  subscribed  was  $200,- 
000.  The  campaign  was  interrupted  by  the  low  financial 
state  of  the  country. 

The  uses  to  which  the  million  dollars,  when  raised,  would 
be  applied  were  stated  to  be  as  follows:  Permanent  En- 
dowment, $500,000;  Dormitory  for  Women,  $100,000; 
Heating  Plant,  $50,000;  Gymnasium,  $75,000;  Library, 
$75,000;  other  needs,  $200,000. 


166       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

It  was  a  definite  conviction  of  the  authorities  that 
Cumberland  must  meet  the  need  for  buildings,  equipment, 
and  endowment  if  it  is  to  measure  up  to  the  required  serv- 
ice of  to-day  and  to  assure  future  academic  effectiveness 
to  young  men  and  women  of  the  country  whose  financial 
resources  are  limited,  but  whose  very  Kves  are  teeming 
with  ambition  for  education  that  they  may  be  adequately 
equipped  to  serve  worthily  and  effectively  their  State  and 
nation. 

The  inauguration  of  President  Stockton  took  place  on 
January  20,  1928,  when  many  noted  educators  and  col- 
lege officials  were  present.  The  exercises  of  the  day  began 
with  an  address  on  Education  just  before  the  noon  hour 
by  Dr.  James  S.  Thomas,  of  the  University  of  Alabama, 
and  closed  with  the  evening  reception  to  delegates,  alumni, 
Trustees,  Faculty,  students,  and  friends.  There  were  six 
other  addresses:  "Education  and  Citizenship,"  by  Dr. 
James  E.  Clarke,  editor  of  the  Presbyterian  Advance;  "The 
Training  of  Christian  Leaders,"  by  Dr.  F.  E.  Stockwell, 
College  Secretary,  Board  of  Christian  Education,  Presby- 
terian Church,  U.  S.  A.;  "Values  of  a  College  Education," 
by  Dr.  H.  M.  Edmonds,  Independent  Presbyterian  Church, 
Birmingham,  Alabama;  "Our  Presbyterian  Colleges,"  by 
President  S.  T.  Wilson,  Maryville  College;  "Standards  of  a 
Liberal  Arts  College,"  by  Dr.  Shelton  J.  Phelps,  George 
Peabody  College  for  Teachers;  and  the  Inaugural  Address 
on  "Cumberland  in  a  New  Era  of  Education,"  by  President 
Stockton. 

President  Wilson  was  unable  to  be  present  in  person. 
His  admirable  address  on  "Presbyterian  Colleges"  was  read 
by  his  representative,  Professor  Edwin  Ray  Hunter.    Presi- 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       1  G7 

dent  Wilson,  reciting  the  story  of  the  Presbyterian  Col- 
leges (including  Cumberland)  said: 

"All  this  creditable  story  of  the  service  rendered  the 
State  in  the  way  of  education  even  when  the  State  itself 
was  rendering  no  service  in  that  line  arouses  the  well- 
warranted  pride  of  Presbyterians  and  stimulates  the  cour- 
age and  zeal  of  those  who  are  building  up  such  noble  foun- 
dations. 

"You  will  be  encouraged  and  stimulated  in  your  efforts 
to  attain  at  Cumberland  the  highest  standards  of  scholar- 
ship by  the  knowledge  that  long  before  the  present  general 
elevation  of  standards,  our  fathers  made  incalulable  sacri- 
fices in  their  efforts  to  reach  the  very  highest  standards 
then  attainable  of  endeavor  and  scholarship. 

"And  another  worthy  inheritance  that  you  have  re- 
ceived from  our  educational  leaders  of  other  days  has  been 
an  eager  desire  to  help  worthy  and  needy  young  people. 

"You  are  beginning  the  defense  of  your  Verdun.  In 
the  face  of  all  possible  evils  that  would  impair  your  work, 
you  can  have  but  one  battle  cry,  'They  shall  not  pass.' 

"But  it  does  not  rest  with  you  alone — this  winning  of 
success  for  Cumberland.  Besides  a  president,  a  college 
must  have  an  army  behind  the  president,  an  army  of  loyal, 
self-sacrificing,  wide-awake  trustees,  faculty,  alumni,  old 
students,  friends  of  the  institution,  who  will  fight  whole- 
heartedly and  enthusiastically  for  the  financial,  educational 
and  moral  success  of  the  school." 

President  Stockton  delivered  the  following  Inaugural 
Address: 

"Cumberland  needs  neither  apology  nor  eulogy.  She 
has  a  long  and  enviable  record  of  eighty-five  years  of  ef- 


168       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

fective  service  in  the  training  of  men  and  women  for 
leadership  in  missions,  business,  teaching,  the  ministry,  the 
law,  the  judiciary,  and  eminent  statesmanship.  She  served 
in  an  age  when  the  South,  especially  this  particular  section, 
needed  tragically  higher  educational  institutions.  Cumber- 
land was  one  of  the  3  9  colleges  founded  in  the  South  before 
1845,  and  was  one  of  the  first  six  colleges  founded  in  Ten- 
nessee before  1850,  others  being  the  University  of  Nash- 
ville (1785),  Tusculum  (1794),  University  of  Tennessee 
(1794),  Washington  College  (1795)  and  Maryville 
(1819).  During  two  and  one-half  centuries  (1636  to 
1900)  the  South  founded  61  colleges  and  universities  out 
of  the  national  total  of  472. 

"These  were  conditions  in  the  old  era  of  our  history. 
They  lead  us  logically  to  a  consideration  of  our  so-called 
new  era.  The  achievements  of  the  institutions  without 
adequate  material  equipment  and  productive  endowment 
have  been  nothing  less  than  miraculous,  but  such  miracles 
will  not  permit  us  to  drift  along  in  an  age  of  progressive 
movements.  We  must  endeavor  to  meet  the  new  demands 
and  to  make  necessary  changes. 

"The  small  college  should  be  careful  not  to  over- 
emphasize research  and  specialization,  because  research  is 
not  the  predominant  aim  of  the  college;  however,  the  im- 
parting of  what  is  known  and  the  giving  of  training  in  the 
methods  and  spirit  of  research  to  those  who  are  to  be  re- 
searchers is  one  of  the  aims  of  the  college.  We  should  be 
certain  that  specialization  is  that  particular  preparation 
which  will  result  in  practical  applications  to  life-tasks,  and 
which  will  be  used  thereby  in  the  advancement  and  im- 
provement of  conditions  in  human  society.     The  attempt 


EDWARD    P.    CHILDS,    A.M. 
President,   1917-1920 


ANDREW    B.    BUCHANAN,    D.D, 
Acting  Preident,    1920-1922 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       169 

to  perform  such  functions  forces  colleges  to  provide  more 
adequate  facilities  and  income.  Colleges  must  have  build- 
ings, books,  and  modern  equipment.  These  mere  things 
are  elemental  necessities  for  a  standard  college.  To  meet 
such  increased  demands,  the  administration  of  Cumberland 
is  promoting  successfully  an  expansion  fund  campaign  for 
a  million  dollars,  part  of  which  will  be  used  to  increase 
the  permanent  endowment,  the  remainder  to  be  used  to 
erect  much  needed  buildings  and  to  supply  modern  equip- 
ment for  libraries  and  laboratories.  Hence  our  great  ob- 
jectives— endowment  and  support  for  standardization  and 
membership  in  the  Southern  Association.  We  hope  to  suc- 
ceed in  order  that  we  may  perpetuate  the  significant  serv- 
ices of  this  institution. 

"A  rather  unusual  occurrence  in  our  history  was  the 
almost  unprecedented  recovery  of  the  institution  after  the 
Civil  War.  Another  interesting  fact  is  the  persistence  of 
the  fixed  curriculum  and  the  time  required  for  gradua- 
tion. Legal  education,  like  all  other  types  of  professional 
education,  has  been  modified  as  the  direct  outcome  of  in- 
creasing wealth,  of  the  ability  to  pay  for  expert  services, 
and  of  the  increasing  complexity  of  modern  life.  Our 
international  relations  and  the  rise  of  corporations  and  of 
great  industrial  establishments  have  affected  our  schools 
of  law  and  business. 

"Neverthless,  law  schools  have  responded  to  the  move- 
ment for  standardization  more  slowly  than  medical  schools. 
There  are  good  reasons  for  this  slowness:  First,  medical 
science  is  more  exact,  uniform,  and  international;  second, 
our  early  common  law,  statutory  laws,  and  former  ma- 
chinery for  the  administration  of  justice  were  derived  from 


170      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

England  where  no  similar  scholastic  organization  existed; 
third,  the  state  and  other  associations  have  been  unable  to 
command  as  much  co-operation  as  the  medical  associations. 
In  government  and  law,  America  has  been  forced  to  work 
out  her  own  peculiar  experiments  and  standards.  A.  Z. 
Reed  shows  the  diversified  requirements  of  law  schools  in 
the  time  spent  in  study,  time  devoted  in  school  to  study, 
and  in  the  preparation  before  beginning  professional  study. 
Not  until  1905  did  the  American  Association  of  Law 
Schools  require  three  years  of  resident  study.  Within  a 
period  of  twenty-five  years  or  less  the  requirements  for 
graduation  have  become  practically  uniform  to  the  extent 
that  159  of  the  167  law  schools  require  three  years  of 
study,  seven  require  two  years  and  one  requires  one  year. 
In  1910  only  four  of  the  140  medical  schools  allowed 
students  to  devote  part  time  to  their  study,  but  60  of  the 
124  law  schools  allowed  part  time  or  mixed  study.  There 
was,  however,  better  agreement  between  the  medical  and 
law  schools  in  their  requirements  for  preparation  before 
beginning  professional  study;  112  of  the  136  medical 
schools  required  high  school  education  or  less,  while  31  of 
the  43  full-time  law  schools  (there  were  81  part-time  and 
mixed  law  schools)  required  the  same.  Since  1910  the 
medical  and  law  schools  have  made  uniform  and  fixed 
pre-professional  requirements.  Emphasis  upon  fixed 
standards  of  administration  has  caused  a  decrease  in  the 
number  of  medical  schools,  but  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  law  schools. 

"According  to  this  good  authority,  therefore,  we  may  be 
justified  in  our  own  slowness  to  make  too  radical  changes; 
we  are  not  opposed,  however,  to  needed  and  constructive 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       171 

Standardization.  One  of  our  greatest  problems  will  be,  in 
some  future  day,  and  in  some  way,  to  raise  the  standards  of 
the  law  school.  The  law  school  is  an  integral  and  essen- 
tial part  of  the  institution  which  the  founders  of  Cumber- 
land have  conceived  and  dedicated  to  the  service  of  our 
country.  It  is  a  complement  to  the  College  of  Arts  and 
Science  as  that  college  is  a  prerequisite  to  it.  Both  are 
needed  to  meet  the  demands  made  upon  the  generation 
now  under  instruction." 

President  Stockton,  like  President  Harris  and  others,  has 
been  eager  to  let  friends  everywhere  know  of  the  merits 
of  Cumberland  and  its  desire  to  serve.  The  advantages, 
aims,  and  strategic  importance  of  Cumberland  have  found 
in  him  an  eloquent  spokesman,  and  many  have  listened. 
One  man  made  a  $100,000  subscription,  and  has  paid 
$10,000.  In  1932  Mr.  Thomas  W.  Martin,  of  Birming- 
ham, gave  $12,000  to  be  used  as  a  scholarship  fund.  Num- 
bers of  smaller  gifts  have  been  made.  Other  gifts  have 
been  pledged. 

In  1928  the  charter  was  amended  so  as  to  increase  the 
membership  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-seven,  and  give  the  Alumni  Association  the  right 
to  nominate  three  alumni  for  membership  on  the  Board. 
The  first  Alumni  Trustees  elected  were:  John  J.  Hooker, 
Lebanon,  for  one  year;  M.  M.  Morelock,  Haynesville,  La., 
for  two  years;  and  Dr.  R.  B.  Gaston,  Lebanon,  for  three 
years.  Following,  in  order,  were  these:  A.  S.  Maddox, 
Washington,  D.  C;  John  J.  Hooker,  Nashville;  Benjamin 
H.  Littleton,  Washington,  D.  C;  Thaddeus  A.  Cox,  John- 
son City. 

In  January,   1929,  Cumberland  University  was  elected 


172       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

to  membership  in  the  Am^erican  College  Association. 
Cumberland  is  also  on  the  list  of  southern  institutions  ap- 
proved by  the  Southern  Association  of  Colleges  and  Sec- 
ondary Schools.  President  Stockton  and  his  co-laborers 
at  Cumberland  have  zealously  guarded  the  standards  of  the 
institution.  The  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Southern  As- 
sociation have  been  in  nearly  every  instance  rigidly  fol- 
lowed. The  curriculum  has  been  from  time  to  time 
strengthened.  The  library  for  the  College  of  Arts  and 
Science  and  the  library  for  the  Law  School  have  been  im- 
proved. The  qualifications  for  the  members  of  the  Faculty 
have  not  been  overlooked. 

The  following  teachers  have  been  added  to  the  Faculty 
of  the  College  of  Arts  during  the  administration  of  Presi- 
dent Stockton.  J.  Albert  Beam,  A.M.  (Wooster),  M.D. 
(Illinois),  of  Tiffin,  Ohio,  for  a  number  of  years  a  medical 
missionary  in  China,  was  Professor  of  Biology  three  years, 
1927-30.  Mrs.  Y.  P.  Wooten,  A.M.,  who  had  been  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Preparatory  School  seven  years,  1920-27,  a  na- 
tive of  Tennessee,  a  resident  of  Lebanon,  and  a  post- 
graduate student  of  the  George  Peabody  School  for  Teach- 
ers, was  made  Acting  Professor  of  Education  in  1927. 

Joseph  Couley  Reagan,  Ph.D.,  was  made  Professor  of 
Economics  in  1927  and  served  as  such  until  1929.  He 
was  born  in  Texas,  a  nephew  of  the  Congressman,  John  H. 
Reagan,  of  Texas,  obtained  his  literary  education  in  George 
Washington  University,  and  received  the  Ph.D.  degree 
from  Chicago  University  in  1921. 

Juanita  Helm  Floyd,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  of  Evansville,  In- 
diana, who  received  the  Ph.D.  degree  from  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, studied  in  Paris,  France,  was  editor  of  the  writings 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT        173 

of  Balzac,  and  had  taught  in  the  Woman's  College,  "Win- 
ston-Salem, North  Carolina,  was  made  Professor  of  Ro- 
mance Languages  in  1928,  and  served  one  year.  Floyd 
Revell  Williams,  A.M.  (Princeton),  who  had  received  the 
A.B.  degree  from  Cumberland,  became  Professor  of  Greek 
and  Latin  in  1929,  served  two  years,  and  then  resigned  to 
study  for  the  Ph.D.  degree.  Ralph  Tinsley  Donnell,  A.M. 
(Tennessee),  a  native  Tennessean,  who  received  his  col- 
lege training  in  Cumberland,  became  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics in  1929.  Eudora  Orr,  A.B.  (William  and  Mary), 
was  Professor  of  French  and  Dean  of  Women  from  1929 
to  1931. 

Laurence  Major  Dickerson,  Ph.D.,  who  was  born  in 
Cadiz,  Ohio,  June  26,  1899,  received  the  B.S.  degree  from 
William  and  Mary  College  in  1924  and  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Virginia  the  M.S.  degree  in  1929  and  the  Ph.D. 
degree  in  1930,  was  made  Professor  of  Biology  in  1930  and 
served  until  December,  1934.  E.  George  Saverio,  Ph.D., 
became  Professor  of  Modern  Languages  in  1930,  and  served 
until  December,  1934.  Fie  was  born  in  Vienna,  Austria, 
studied  music  in  that  city,  received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1913 
and  the  A.M.  degree  in  1914  from  the  College  of  Montana, 
and  the  Ph.D.  degree  in  1924  from  the  University  of  Tex- 
as. Robert  James  Wherry,  Ph.D.,  who  was  born  in  Mid- 
dletown,  Ohio,  May  16,  1904,  received  three  degrees  from 
Ohio  State  University,  B.S.  in  1925,  M.A.  in  1927,  and 
Ph.D.  in  1929.  He  became  Professor  of  Psychology  and 
Economics  in  1929. 

Graves  H.  Thompson,  Ph.D.,  of  Charleston,  West  Vir- 
ginia, was  appointed  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek  in  1930. 
He  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Hampden-Sydney  Col- 


174      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

lege  and  the  A.M.  and  Ph.D.  degrees  from  Harvard  Uni- 
versity. Virginia  Adams,  of  Lebanon,  who  received  the 
A.B.  degree  from  Hollins  College,  was  made  Assistant  in 
French  in  1932,  and  served  two  years.  Edd  Winfield  Parks, 
A.B.  (Harvard),  M.A.  and  Ph.D.  (Vanderbilt),  of  Obion, 
Tennessee,  was  appointed  Professor  of  English  in  June, 
1933,  and  served  until  December,  1934. 

In  June,  1931,  President  Stockton  received  the  LL.D. 
degree  from  Centre  College.  In  October,  1931,  he  was 
elected  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  Tennessee.  The  action 
was  appropriate  because  of  the  educational  importance  of 
the  meeting  at  that  time.  The  meeting  of  the  Synod  a 
year  later,  October,  1932,  was  held  in  Lebanon,  and,  al- 
though a  layman,  President  Stockton  preached  the  opening 
sermon. 

On  November  14,  1931,  President  Stockton  made  an 
address  on  the  Liberal  Arts  College  Movement.  It  was  a 
part  of  a  national  campaign  in  the  interest  of  this  move- 
ment. President  Stockton  was  the  broadcasting  speaker 
for  Tennessee.    Among  other  things  he  said: 

"The  leading  issue  in  American  higher  education  is  this: 
Shall  educational  gigantism  prevail  or  shall  the  policy  pre- 
vail of  a  wide  distribution  of  educational  opportunity  and 
inspiration  for  our  youth?  Shall  Mainstreetism  overtake 
us,  or  shall  the  colleges  scattered  here  and  there  redeem 
America?  ...  It  is  evident  that  our  best  leaders  fear  that  a 
national  worship  of  wealth,  pleasure,  knowledge,  and  pow- 
er during  the  last  decade  of  infatuation  with  things  will 
influence  our  people  to  believe  that  the  Liberal  Arts  Col- 
lege has  lost  its  place  in  the  educational  program  of  the 
nation. 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT        175 

"The  purpose  of  the  Liberal  Arts  College  Movement, 
reaching  its  climax  to-night  in  a  national  broadcast,  is  not 
to  defend  the  four-year  arts  college.  It  needs  no  defense. 
Its  record  of  production  and  achievement  throughout  the 
history  of  our  nation  stands  unimpeachable.  The  Liberal 
Arts  College  is  older  than  our  national  government.  .  .  . 

"Disproportionate  emphasis  on  research,  on  technical 
and  vocational  processes  in  higher  education,  should  not 
tempt  us  to  forget  indispensable  and  stable  foundations. 
We  should  not  make  the  mistake  of  building  our  educa- 
tional structure  on  sand.  The  superstructure  may  be  varied 
and  gorgeous,  but  unless  the  base  rests  upon  solid  rock 
of  lasting  fundamentals  we  will  face  failure  in  our  efforts 
to  produce  men  and  women  who  are  to  be  the  living 
embodiments  of  the  moral  soundness  and  culture  upon 
which  the  beauty  and  welfare  of  society  depend.  After 
all,  education  on  the  higher  levels  of  research  and  profes- 
sional training  must  have  as  its  essential  materials  men  and 
women  whose  personalities  are  characterized  by  moral  ex- 
cellence, intellectual  superiority,  and  spiritual  purpose." 

The  Ninetieth  Anniversary 

Thursday  and  Friday,  October  13  and  14,  1932,  were 
two  of  the  most  interesting  days  in  the  history  of  the 
University.  It  was  the  occasion  of  the  Ninetieth  An- 
niversary, celebrating  Cumberland's  fruitful  and  distin- 
guished service  to  the  world  between  the  years  1842  and 
1932.  For  this  significant  occasion  a  great  program  had 
been  prepared,  and  it  was  wonderfully  executed,  the  credit 
for  the  same  going  to  President  Stockton  and  those  co- 
operating.    The  substance  of  the  account  given  here  is 


176       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

taken  from  the  columns  of  the  Cumberland,  AlumnMs, 
October,  1932,  Robert  W.  Adams,  editor. 

At  the  exercises  of  the  first  day  and  a  part  of  the  sec- 
ond, the  Synod  of  Tennessee  was  in  session  and  partici- 
pating. Many  alumni  and  other  friends  were  present. 
The  opening  sermon  was  preached  by  an  alumnus,  Dr. 
Ernest  M.  Bryant,  of  Humboldt,  Tennessee,  his  subject 
being,  "The  Relation  of  the  Christian  College  to  Human 
Progress."  In  the  last  analysis,  he  said,  "the  success  of  our 
colleges  must  be  m.easured  by  the  fidelity,  the  truthfulness, 
purity,  courage,  and  self-sacrifice  in  the  lives  of  those  com- 
ing out  from  them.  Judged  by  this  standard,  the  Chris- 
tian college  takes  first  place." 

Rev.  Herman  L.  Turner,  of  Atlanta,  presided  at  the 
first  luncheon.  Dr.  Henry  M.  Edmonds,  of  Birmingham, 
and  Dean  James  D.  Hoskins,  of  the  University  of  Ten- 
nessee, made  striking  addresses  on  Education,  paid  tribute 
to  Cumberland's  record  and  achievements,  and  spoke  of 
the  University's  obligations  to  the  future.  The  late  Dr. 
Frederick  E.  Stockwell,  of  the  Board  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  delivered  an  address  on  "The  Congenial  Impera- 
tive," saying:  "The  congenial  imperative  is  within  our- 
selves. Thinkers  are  the  need  of  the  hour  and  the  day. 
.  .  .  The  chief  part  of  our  task  as  educated  men  and  women 
is  to  create  adequate  ideals." 

The  Symposium  for  Christian  Leaders  was  presided  over 
by  Dr.  Howard  I.  Kerr,  of  the  Hillsboro  Presbyterian 
Church,  Nashville.  Mr.  Hugh  R.  Munro,  president  of  the 
First  National  Bank,  Montclair,  New  Jersey,  delivered  an 
address  on  "Adequate  Educational  Objectives,"  which,  he 


DAYTON   A.    DOBBS,   LL.D. 
President  of  the   Board,    1920 — 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       177 

urged,  were  Culture  and  Character.  He  said:  "The  cul- 
tural person  is  one  who,  through  the  pursuit  of  knowledge 
by  orderly  processes  of  thought,  through  moral  discipline 
and  the  cultivation  of  the  higher  avenues  of  taste  and  judg- 
ment, has  reached  a  maturity,  poise  and  breadth  of  vision 
corresponding  to  the  highest  capacities  of  his  nature.  .  .  . 
The  Christian  church  has  not  only  taken  the  leading  part 
in  extending  higher  education,  but  has  been  the  most  po- 
tent influence  in  behalf  of  intellectual  progress." 

Weaver  Keith  Eubank,  '16  A.B.,  '31  D.D.,  a  loyal  alum- 
nus, and  pastor  of  the  Ninth  Presbyterian  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, was  the  second  speaker  on  Christian  Leader- 
ship. "The  trouble  is,"  he  said,  "we  have  been  devoting 
all  our  time  to  the  study  of  creation  and  have  practically 
repudiated  the  Creator.  What  I  mean  is,  we  have  pushed 
Christ  out  to  the  circumference  and  we  have  made  the 
possession  of  knowledge  of  the  universe  the  center.  .  .  . 
Christ  and  his  teachings  are  to  be  kept  at  the  center  of 
things." 

Mrs.  Mary  Forrest  Bradley,  of  Memphis,  the  third  speak- 
er. President  of  the  Tennessee  Synodical  and  granddaughter 
of  General  Nathan  Bedford  Forrest,  brought  greetings 
from  the  Christian  women  of  Tennessee. 

John  J.  Hooker,  '23  A.B.,  '24  LL.B.,  alumni  Trustee,  and 
practicing  attorney  of  Nashville,  presided  at  the  Anniver- 
sary Dinner.  Dr.  O.  Bell  Close,  pastor  of  the  Fewsmith 
Memorial  Church,  Belleville,  New  Jersey,  made  a  plea  for 
the  Christian  college,  and  praised  Cumberland's  record  of 
service.  "While  the  great  State  and  public  universities," 
he  said,  "are  turning  out  men  and  women  trained  for  high- 
ly technical  work,  we  must  look  to  schools  with  Cumber- 


178       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERXAND  UNIVERSITY 

land's  background  and  ideals  to  produce  leaders.  .  .  .  O 
Cumberland,  mother  of  great  men,  give  us  another  gen- 
eration of  great  leaders!"  He  was  convinced,  he  said,  that 
the  American  public  and  Christian  education  have  some 
interest  in  Cumberland  University.  J.  Ridley  Mitchell, 
'04  LL.B.,  a  member  of  Congress  from  Tennessee,  placed 
Cumberland  with  the  best  of  Southern  institutions,  and 
found  the  miracle  of  it  all  in  what  had  been  given  rather 
than  in  what  had  been  received. 

After  the  dinner,  there  was  a  great  meeting  at  which 
Dr.  J.  E.  Clarke,  editor  of  the  Presbyterian  Advance,  pre- 
sided. The  topic  of  the  evening  was  Religion  and  Educa- 
tion. Dr.  Floyd  Poe,  '01  A.B.,  '04  B.D.,  pastor  of  the 
City  Temple,  Dallas,  Texas,  was  the  speaker.  His  topic 
was  "The  Remarriage  of  Religion  and  Education."  His 
address  was  in  part  a  review  of  his  life  as  a  student  in  the 
University,  where,  as  he  said,  religion  and  education  were 
joined  together  in  the  lives  and  teachings  of  those  under 
whom  he  studied.  "The  race  is  on,"  he  said,  "between 
education  and  disaster.  We  are  fighting  for  our  lives.  In 
the  early  history  of  our  country,  education  was  running 
to  catch  up  with  religion,  but  religion  is  now  running  to 
catch  up  with  education.  .  .  .  We  cannot  have  education 
in  one  age  and  religion  in  another." 

The  Academic  Procession,  consisting  of  visiting  dele- 
gates, oflScers,  and  alumni,  five  hundred  in  number,  was 
formed  at  Memorial  Hall  and  proceeded  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church  for  the  Anniversary  Exercises,  with  Presi- 
dent Stockton  and  the  speaker.  Dr.  Robert  L.  Kelly,  lead- 
ing. President  Stockton  presided,  and  Dr.  Dayton  A. 
Dobbs,  of  Nashville,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       179 

gave  the  welcoming  address,  speaking  of  Cumberland's 
three  obligations,  as  to  the  heritage  of  the  past,  the  needs 
of  the  present,  and  the  youth  of  the  future.  Dr.  Guy  E. 
Snavely,  President  of  Birmingham-Southern  College  and 
Secretary  of  the  Association  of  Colleges  and  Secondary 
Schools  of  the  Southern  States,  made  the  response  for  the 
visitors.  "An  institution  that  has  weathered  the  storms 
and  survived  the  struggles  of  ninety  years  not  only  merits 
congratulations,  but  is  deserving  of  veneration.  ...  I  have 
become  well  acquainted  with  Dr.  Ernest  L.  Stockton,  the 
present  presiding  genius  of  this  institution.  His  record  as 
an  inspiring  college  teacher,  forceful  and  friendful  dean, 
and  successful  president  is  a  notable  one."  Dean  William 
D.  Young,  of  the  College  of  Arts,  then  presented  the  dele- 
gates present  from  forty-two  colleges  and  universities;  and 
each  one  responded  with  some  word  of  congratulation  and 
good  wishes.  In  extending  official  greetings,  President 
Alex  Guerry,  of  the  University  of  Chattanooga,  repre- 
sented the  Tennessee  College  Association;  President  Charles 
A.  Anderson,  of  Tusculum  College,  represented  the  Pres- 
byterian College  Union;  and  Dr.  A.  L.  Crabbe,  of  the 
George  Peabody  College  for  Teachers,  represented  Dr. 
Joseph  Roemer,  President  of  the  Southern  Association  of 
Colleges  and  Secondary  Schools. 

The  Anniversary  Address  was  delivered  by  Dr.  Robert 
L.  Kelly,  Executive  Secretary  of  American  Colleges,  New 
York  City.  His  subject  was,  "The  Development  of  the 
American  College,"  and  he  traced  the  development  through 
three  periods,  the  reign  of  law,  the  era  of  liberty,  and  the 
era  of  liberty  under  law.  "The  era  of  liberty  under  law," 
he  said,  "attempts  to  guarantee  safety  in  the  college  for 


180      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Student  interest,  provided  that  interest  shows  signs  of  per- 
manency and  is  supported  by  demonstrated  student  ca- 
pacity; it  stands  for  trust  in  discipline,  freedom  in  thought, 
co-operation  in  action,  boldness  in  experimentation,  and 
encourages  the  free  play  of  the  creative  impulse.  .  .  .  The 
call  is  for  men  of  social  and  moral  insight  and  intelli- 
gence. There  must  not  only  be  insight  and  intelligence, 
but  the  will  to  distinguish  between  one's  personal  welfare 
and  the  welfare  of  his  fellow-man.  It  is  a  fight  for  the 
life  of  civilization." 

At  the  close  of  this  address  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Letters  was  conferred  on  two  guests  of  honor.  Dean  James 

D.  Hoskins,  University  of  Tennessee,  and  President  Guy 

E.  Snavely,  Birmingham-Southern  College;  and  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Laws  on  six  others:  Hugh  R.  Munro,  Mont- 
clair,  New  Jersey;  W.  W.  Faw,  Tennessee  Court  of  Ap- 
peals; Floyd  Poe,  City  Temple,  Dallas,  Texas;  John  Caruth- 
ers,  Okmulgee,  Oklahoma;  Charles  M.  A.  Stine,  Dupont 
Company,  Wilmington,  Delaware;  Winstead  Paine  Bone, 
Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Philosophy,  Cumber- 
land University. 

At  the  second  luncheon.  Judge  A.  B.  Neil,  of  the  Law 
School,  presided.  The  subject  was  Cumberland's  Con- 
tribution. Dr.  E.  L.  Orr,  '07  B.D.,  said:  "To  have  set 
young  people  forward  on  the  path  toward  their  particular 
achievement  and  to  have  followed  them  with  sympathetic 
support  until  they  became  shining  lights  bv  hundreds  and 
thousands  in  industry,  statesmanship,  the  ministry,  educa- 
tion, law,  commerce,  agriculture,  manhood,  womanhood, 
brotherhood,  sensing  always  the  finest  human  relationships 
— that  is  Cumberland's  contribution  to  Culture."     Gor- 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       181 

don  Browning,  '15  LL.B.,  a  member  of  Congress  from 
Tennessee,  spoke  of  Cumberland's  contributions  to  Law 
and  Politics,  maintaining  that  Cumberland's  greatness  lies 
not  so  much  in  the  notable  record  of  her  alumni  as  in  her 
contribution  through  them  to  the  true  American  spirit. 
Dr.  William  Pearson  Lockwood,  '13  A.B.,  '31  D.D.,  speak- 
ing of  his  school  days  in  Cumberland,  in  an  appealing 
address,  said:  "Cumberland  has  given  her  tithe,  for  at 
least  one-tenth  of  her  graduates  have  gone  into  full-time 
Christian  service."  Dr.  James  E.  Clarke,  of  Nashville, 
speaking  on  "To-Morrow,"  suggested  three  things  essen- 
tial to  greater  service,  "The  preservation  of  a  noble  herit- 
age, adaptation  to  the  needs  of  to-day,  and  constancy  to 
the  Christian  ideal  of  life." 

Judge  John  H.  DeWitt,  of  the  Tennessee  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, presided  at  the  Symposium  for  Lawyers.  Chief 
Justice  Grafton  Green,  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court, 
spoke  on  "The  Relation  of  State  and  Federal  Courts," 
stating  that  it  is  not  good  practice  to  transfer  State  cases 
to  Federal  Courts,  when  and  if  the  State  afforded  ample 
protection.  Judge  John  A.  Pitts,  '71  LL.B.,  spoke  on  "The 
Passing  of  Legal  Technicalities,"  affirming  that  the  rules 
of  legal  procedure  have  become  more  simple  and  direct, 
giving  way  to  sound  reason  in  the  protection  of  human 
rights. 

Byrd  Douglas,  '17  LL.B.,  a  practicing  attorney  of  Nash- 
ville and  a  former  instructor  in  Cumberland,  presided  at 
the  Symposium  for  Scientists  and  Industrialists.  Dr. 
Charles  M.  A.  Stine,  Vice-President  and  Chemical  Director 
of  the  E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  and  Company,  of  Wil- 
mington,  Delaware,   delivered    an    inspiring   and    instruc- 


182       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

tive  address  on  "Chemistry  and  Our  Industrial  Frontiers." 
"All  effort,  whether  scientific  or  otherwise,  fails  in  its 
purpose,"  he  said,  "if  it  does  not  react  to  the  benefit  of 
mankind.  We  stand  to-day  on  new  industrial  frontiers. 
Nitrogen  from  the  air,  motor  fuels  and  oil  from  coal; 
building  materials  from  annual  crops;  rubber  from  coal, 
limestone,  and  salt;  solvents  and  synthetic  resins  from  coal, 
water,  and  air;  the  air  conditioning  of  ordinary  homes  by 
economical  chemical  refrigeration  processes;  swifter  eco- 
nomical transportation;  more  efficient  methods  of  the  pres- 
ervation and  distribution  of  foodstuffs  appear  on  the  hori- 
zon. This  expansion  of  our  industrial  frontiers  has 
undoubtedly  added  to  the  health  and  happiness  of  the 
American  people.  ...  As  scientific  knowledge  has  become 
more  profound,  it  has  come  to  reinstate  an  omniscient  God 
in  His  rightful  place.  Science  has  become  aware  of  a 
spiritual  world  and  the  greatest  scientists  of  the  day  do 
reverence  before  this  God." 

With  these  significant  words,  the  exercises  of  the  Nine- 
tieth Anniversary  came  to  a  beautiful  close;  many  felt  the 
power  of  it  all  and  looked  forward  to  the  coming  of  a  new 
day.    Some  remembered  the  words  of  John  Oxenham: 

"God  grant  wisdom  in  these  coming  days, 
And  eyes  unsealed  that  we  clear  visions  see 
Of  that  new  world  that  He  would  have  us  build, 
To  Life's  ennoblement,  and  His  high  ministry." 

The  leading  editorial  of  the  Nashville  Banner,  October 
12,  1932,  was  concerning  the  Ninetieth  Anniversary  of 
Cumberland  University.  One  of  the  distinguished  visitors 
at  the  celebration  pronounced  it  the  best  editorial  he  had 


ERNEST  L.  STOCKTON,  TENTH  PRESIDENT       183 

ever  read  in  a  daily  newspaper  about  one  of  the  Christian 
colleges.  A  few  quotations  froin  the  editorial  are  given 
here: 

"The  memorial  celebration,  with  a  two-day  program, 
beginning  to-morrow,  of  the  ninetieth  anniversary  of  the 
establishment  of  Cumberland  University  will  be  a  notable 
event.  It  is  an  institution  which  has  both  made  history 
and  seen  it  made.  .  .  .  Robert  L.  Caruthers  and  the  small 
group  of  courageous  spirits  establishing  at  Lebanon  in 
1842  in  Cumberland  University  an  institution  which  was 
to  make  State  and  nation  debtors  for  a  service  through  the 
passing  decades  of  immeasurable  value — these  men  were 
empire  builders  in  as  true  a  sense  as  were  Sevier,  Blount, 
Robertson,  and  Jackson.  Few  institutions  in  the  land  can 
point  to  a  record  of  equal  achievements  to  those  of 
Cumberland  University. 

"It  is  fitting,  indeed,  that  the  celebration  of  the  Nine- 
tieth Anniversary  should  be  the  impressive  event  which  is 
assured.  Cumberland  has  kept  abreast  of  the  times,  but  it 
has  never  surrendered  its  ideals  to  a  spirit  of  materialism. 
It  has  builded  character  as  the  surest  foundation  for  in- 
dividual growth  and  power  and  for  the  social  structure. 
.  .  .  The  adoption  several  years  ago  by  the  Trustees  and 
administrative  officers  of  an  expansion  program  which 
called  for  the  projection  of  a  campaign  with  an  ultimate 
objective  of  $1,000,000  was  timely  and  wise.  The  need 
of  buildings,  equipment,  and  endowment  was  too  clearly 
realized  to  be  ignored  without  permitting  this  great  con- 
structive force  in  the  life  of  the  state  and  nation,  with 
students  from  three-fourths  of  the  states  now  enrolled,  to 


184      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

falter  in  its  advance,  to  fail  to  meet  demands  constantly 
increasing." 

The  year  1932-33  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  history  of 
the  institution.  The  net  student  attendance  at  Cumber- 
land in  all  departments  since  1921  has  been  as  follows: 
500  in  1921-22;  512  in  1922-23;  662  in  1923-24;  750  in 
1924-25;  734  in  1925-26;  729  in  1926-27;  650  in  1927- 
28;  620  in  1928-29;  613  in  1929-30;  603  in  1930-31;  614 
in  1931-32;  and  681  in  1932-33.  The  Commencement  in 
1933  was  one  of  the  most  notable.  The  Nashville  Banner, 
May,  1933,  said  of  it: 

"Cumberland  University  to-day  is  observing  its  ninety- 
first  Commencement,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  Tennesseans 
that  this  institution,  whose  history  reaches  back  to  the 
golden  days  of  the  State,  will  graduate  this  year  the  largest 
class  in  its  history. 

"Lying  behind  the  present  Cumberland  is  a  past  rich  in 
achievement,  achievement  measured  in  the  lives  of  men 
who  have  gone  from  the  University  halls  into  the  world 
beyond.  Cordell  Hull,  premier  in  the  Cabinet  of  one  of 
the  most  notable  administrations  the  country  has  known, 
is  but  one  of  many  Cumberland  University  alumni  who 
have  accomplished  notable  successes  in  national  fields  of 
usefulness. 

"In  this  year's  graduating  class,  thirty-four  of  the  forty- 
eight  States  are  represented,  as  are  fifty-three  of  Tennes- 
see's ninety-five  counties.  Nashville's  representatives  num- 
ber twelve. 

"Though  Cumberland  University  is  approaching  the 
century  mark  ...  its  usefulness  is  growing  with  its  added 
years." 


Chapter  XV 
THE  LAW  SCHOOL 

1847-1935 

On  February  27,  1845,  the  Board  of  Trustees  embodied 
the  idea  of  estabhshing  a  law  professorship  in  the  Univer- 
sity in  the  following  resolution:  "Resolved,  That  Hon.  N. 
Green  be  appointed  Professor  of  Law  and  Political  Econ- 
omy in  Cumberland  University."  This  was  the  father  of 
Chancellor  Nathan  Green,  Jr.  On  May  27,  1845,  the  min- 
utes of  the  Board  record  the  fact  that  Hon.  N.  Green,  Sr., 
then  a  member  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court,  declined  to 
accept  the  appointment,  owing  to  circumstances  over  which 
he  had  no  control.  At  this  meeting.  May  27,  Hon.  Abram 
Caruthers,  then  a  judge  of  the  circuit  court,  was  elected  to 
this  professorship,  which  he  agreed  to  accept.  Neverthe- 
less, he  found  later  that  he  could  not  enter  upon  the  pro- 
fessorship at  that  time.  The  proper  financial  arrange- 
ments and  guarantees  were  yet  lacking. 

On  January  9,  1847,  nearly  two  years  later,  the  Board 
of  Trustees  appointed  Jordan  Stokes,  William  L.  Martin, 
and  Robert  L.  Caruthers  a  committee  to  "take  into  con- 
sideration the  propriety  and  practicability  of  establishing 
a  Law  Department  in  the  University."  On  February  22, 
1847,  this  committee  made  the  following  recommendations: 
"1.  That  a  Department  of  Law  be  now  established  in  the 
University,  and  that  it  be  opened  to  the  reception  of  stu- 
dents the  first  Monday  in  October  following,  if  fifteen 
pupils  can  be  obtained."     There  were  other  recommenda- 

(185) 


186       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

tions  made,  among  which  there  was  this  one,  "that  pro- 
fessors of  established  reputation  shall  be  elected;  and  to 
secure  for  the  office  competent  talents  and  qualifications, 
they  do  now  fix  the  salaries  of  professors  at  $1,500."  The 
Trustees  adopted  immediately  the  recommendations  of  the 
committee,  and  thus  the  Department  of  Law  was  estab- 
lished on  February  22,  1847. 

The  Trustees  immediately  proceeded,  upon  the  nomina- 
tion of  Hon.  Jordan  Stokes,  to  the  election  of  Judge  Abram 
Caruthers  as  the  first  Professor  of  Law.  The  minutes  of 
the  Board  show  that  on  August  30,  1847,  Judge  Robert 
L.  Caruthers,  his  generous  brother,  guaranteed  the  salary 
of  the  Professor  of  Law  for  the  first  three  years.  The  ac- 
count of  the  matter  shows,  however,  that  the  tuition  fees 
were  practically  sufficient  to  pay  the  salary.  Judge  Abram 
Caruthers  delivered  his  inaugural  address  in  July,  1847. 
This  address  was  printed  at  the  time  in  the  New  York 
Legal  Journal.  It  attracted  much  favorable  attention, 
since  it  advocated  the  textbook,  rather  than  the  lecture, 
method  of  teaching  law. 

On  October  1,  1847,  the  Law  School  was  opened  as  had 
been  planned.  The  first  recitation  was  held  in  the  law 
office  of  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers.  The  law  office  was  a 
brick  structure  and  stood  in  the  yard  of  the  Caruthers' 
residence  on  West  Main  Street.  It  was  removed  recently 
to  make  room  for  a  new  side  street.  Seven  students  were 
present  the  first  day.  It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Judge 
Abram  Caruthers  was  getting  out  the  first  edition  of  his 
History  of  a  Lawsuit,  which  has  been  a  textbook  in  the 
Law  School  from  that  time  until  the  present.  It  has 
undergone  several  revisions  and  is  a  good-sized  volume. 


THE  LAW  SCHOOL  187 

It  was  almost  entirely  re-written  by  Dr.  Andrew  B.  Mar- 
tin, who  was  a  Professor  of  Law  from  1878  to  1920.  The 
late  Chancellor  Green  was  one  of  the  seven  students  who 
were  present  on  the  first  day.  There  were  twenty-five 
students  during  the  first  year,  and  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Laws  was  conferred  upon  Henry  R.  Owen,  "William  C. 
Pollock,  and  Paine  P.  Prim  at  the  annual  commencement, 
July  28,  1848.  Paine  B.  Prim  was  later  a  member  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Oregon  for  many  years,  and  also  the 
Chief  Justice.  At  one  time,  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 
Cumberland's  Law  School  was  the  largest  in  the  United 
States.    There  were  181  students  in  1857-58. 

In  the  SotUhern  Magazine,  February,  1935,  Laura  Vir- 
ginia Hale  says: 

"The  South  was  the  pioneer  in  legal  education,  William 
and  Mary  having  established  a  chair  of  municipal  law  be- 
fore any  other  American  institution  had  deemed  one  neces- 
sary or  expedient.  From  that  time  law  schools  multiplied 
rapidly,  and  legal  education,  as  provided  for  the  young  men 
of  the  ante-bellum  South  was  more  extensive,  thorough, 
and  liberal  than  that  offered  in  any  other  section.  The  Uni- 
versity of  Virginia,  Transylvania,  and  Cumberland  were 
particularly  famous  for  their  law  schools,  Cumberland's 
being  in  18  58  the  largest  and  most  effective  in  the  coun- 
try." 

In  1848  Judge  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  was  elected  part-time 
Professor  of  Law.  He  was  still  a  member  of  the  Tennes- 
see Supreme  Court,  and  had  been  since  1831.  He  resigned 
his  position  as  a  member  of  this  court  in  18  52,  and  was 
then  full  professor  until  the  time  of  his  death.  Judge 
Bromfield  L.  Ridley,  one  of  the  chancellors  of  the  state, 


188       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

was  also  elected  in  1848  as  a  Professor  of  Law,  and  served 
until  1852.  In  1856  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  was  added  to  the 
Law  Faculty.  He  continued  in  this  position  for  a  period 
of  sixty-three  years.  John  Cartwright  Carter,  '58  LL.B., 
became  a  Professor  of  Law  in  1859,  and  served  one  year. 

After  the  Civil  War,  on  the  first  Monday  in  September, 
1865,  the  Law  School  was  reopened  in  the  Campbell 
Academy  building  with  twenty  students  and  two  profes- 
sors, Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  and  Nathan  Green,  Jr.  The  for- 
mer died  on  March  30,  1866.  Henry  Cooper,  a  young 
man  of  forty  years  and  a  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  was 
then  appointed  a  Law  Professor.  After  teaching  two  years 
he  resigned.  The  number  of  students  during  the  year 
1865-66  was  43.    The  following  year  it  was  77. 

In  1868  Robert  L.  Caruthers  was  elected  Professor  of 
Law,  which  position  he  held  until  near  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1882.  In  1870  Judge  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  taught 
his  classes  in  the  Baptist  Seminary  building  in  the  East 
Main  Street  section.  Judge  Caruthers,  being  feeble,  used 
the  library  room  in  his  residence  on  West  Main  Street. 
From  1873  to  1878  the  law  classes  were  taught  in  the 
Corona  Institute  building. 

Dr.  Andrew  B.  Martin  was  a  Law  Professor  from  1878 
to  1920.  Judge  Edward  Ewing  Beard  was  a  Law  Pro- 
fessor from  September,  1912,  to  July,  1923.  Judge  Wil- 
liam R.  Chambers  was  elected  Law  Professor  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1920,  and  served  until  the  last  of  December,  1934. 
Judge  Albert  Williams  was  appointed  Law  Professor  in  the 
summer  of  1923,  and  served  two  years,  when  he  resigned. 
He  served  again  as  Professor  of  Law  from  January,  1933, 
to  December,  1934.     Julian  Kenneth  Faxon,  Jur.D.  (Chi- 


THE  LAW  SCHOOL  189 

cago),  was  made  a  Professor  of  Law  in  the  summer  of 
1925.  He  resigned  in  June,  1930.  Judge  Albert  B.  Neil, 
of  Nashville,  was  elected  to  take  the  place  made  by  the  va- 
cancy. Sinclair  Daniel,  LL.B.,  President  of  Martin  Col- 
lege, was  a  member  of  the  Faculty  from  January  to  June, 
1932.  In  June,  1932,  Samuel  Burnham  Gilreath,  LL.B., 
was  elected  Professor  of  Law.  Currell  Vance,  A.B.,  LL.B., 
was  added  to  the  Law  Faculty  in  January,  1935. 

From  1847  to  18  53,  a  period  of  six  years,  the  course  of 
study  required  two  years  for  its  completion.  In  1853 
a  reduction  was  made  from  two  years  to  fifteen  months. 
This  arrangement  covered  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  in- 
cluding the  Civil  War  period.  In  1871  the  course  was 
further  reduced  so  that  the  course  might  be  completed  in 
one  year,  or  two  semesters.  Three  reasons  were  assigned 
at  the  time  for  making  the  change:  (1)  Most  Law  Schools 
in  the  United  States  had  shortened  the  time.  (2)  Owing 
to  the  conditions  after  the  Civil  War,  most  young  men 
were  limited  in  their  means.  (3)  With  better  textbooks 
and  better  methods  of  teaching  law,  it  was  believed  sat- 
isfactory results  could  be  obtained  in  one  year. 

Pursuant  to  an  action  of  the  Faculty  and  Trustees,  the 
catalogue  of  1932-33  announced  that  at  an  early  date  the 
course  leading  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws  would 
extend  over  a  period  of  two  years,  and  that  the  present 
one-year  course,  with  some  changes,  would  be  continued. 

As  will  be  seen  by  reading  the  foregoing  paragraphs,  the 
Law  School  has  been,  from  the  first  day,  a  constituent  part 
of  the  University.  Every  law  degree  that  was  ever  con- 
ferred in  Lebanon,  prior  to  1932,  was  conferred  under  the 
charter,  and  by  the  Faculty  and  Trustees  of  the  same. 


190      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Since  the  summer  of  1895,  there  has  been  a  summer 
session  of  the  Law  School.  At  that  time,  Dr.  Andrew  B. 
Martin  began  to  give  courses  in  business  and  commercial 
law,  domestic  relations,  and  similar  subjects,  but  in  such  a 
way  that  they  were  not  a  duplication  of  the  regular 
courses  given  during  the  school  year.  He  continued  to 
give  these  courses  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  or 
through  the  summer  of  1919,  the  last  before  his  death  in 
May,  1920.  This  work  was  carried  on  by  Judge  W.  R. 
Chambers  from  1920  to  1934.  In  June,  193  5,  Professor 
Samuel  Gilreath  began  his  work  as  the  teacher  of  the 
summer  session. 


Chapter  XVI 
TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL 

Judge  Abram  Caruthers,  LL.D.,  was  born  near 
Hartsville,  Tennessee,  January  14,  1803,  and  died  in  Ma- 
rietta, Georgia,  May  5,  1862.  He  received  his  first  educa- 
tion, along  with  his  brother  Robert,  at  Washington  Col- 
lege in  East  Tennessee.  While  yet  a  youth  he  was  thrown 
on  his  own  resources  and  had  to  struggle  with  poverty. 
It  was  clear  to  all  that  he  had  an  iron  will  and  plenty  of 
moral  fiber,  and  that  he  was  an  earnest,  patient,  and  un- 
tiring student,  noted  for  thoroughness.  He  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  Columbia,  Tennessee,  and  was  appointed 
Circuit  Judge  by  Governor  Carroll  in  1833.  His  decisions 
were  clear  and  vigorous,  and  the  Supreme  Court  regarded 
him  as  the  best  judge  in  the  State. 

This  eminent  teacher  began  his  work  as  Professor  of  Law 
in  Cumberland  University  in  1847.  The  first  thing  he  did 
was  to  write  a  book,  American  Latv,  an  introduction  to  the 
study  of  law.  Next  he  wrote  the  History  of  a  Laiu  Suit, 
a  condensed  treatise  on  pleading.  His  plan  of  teaching  was 
new  and  original.  In  less  than  one  year  he  was  accepted 
as  the  standard  authority  on  Tennessee  practice.  He 
taught  all  his  successors  in  the  Law  School  how  to  teach 
law.  It  was  his  originality,  accuracy,  clearness,  and 
strength  that  made  the  Law  School  one  of  the  most  famous 
in  the  United  States.  He  made  a  probably  larger  con- 
tribution to  legal  science  than  any  other  man  who  ever 
lived  in  Tennessee.     He  was  an  earnest  Christian,  a  ruling 

(191) 


192       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

elder,  and  a  man  whose  influence  was  only  for  the  good  of 
his  fellow-men. 

Congressman  John  M.  Bright,  of  Tennessee,  paid  him 
this  tribute:  "Modest  as  he  was  meritorious,  consistent  as 
he  was  conscientious,  useful  as  he  was  laborious,  exalted 
in  principle  as  he  was  liberal  in  spirit,  profound  as  he  was 
accurate,  sound  as  a  lawyer,  able  as  a  jurist,  popular  as  a 
professor,  successful  as  an  author,  irreproachable  as  a  citi- 
zen, exemplary  as  a  Christian,  and  the  founder  of  the  Law 
Department  of  Cumberland  University.  Such  was  Abram 
Caruthers." 

The  second  Professor  in  the  Law  School  was  Nathan 
Green,  Sr.,  LL.D.  He  was  born  in  Amelia  County,  Vir- 
ginia, May  16,  1792,  and  died  in  Lebanon,  March  30, 
1866.  He  studied  law  and  began  the  practice  of  it  in  his 
native  State.  Not  long  after  this  he  settled  in  Winchester, 
Tennessee,  where  he  lost  a  fortune  in  games  of  chance. 
Later  he  became  an  ardent  Christian  and  an  elder 
in  the  Church.  In  1826  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Senate  of  Tennessee.  In  1831  he  was  made  a  member  of  the 
Tennessee  Supreme  Court,  where  he  was  associated  with 
Catron,  Reese,  Turley,  and  McKinney.  In  1848  he  began 
to  assist  Judge  Abram  Caruthers  in  the  Law  School.  In 
1852  he  retired  altogether  from  the  Supreme  Court  and 
gave  his  whole  time  to  teaching  in  the  Law  School,  in 
which  work  he  remained  until  his  death. 

Young  men  in  large  numbers  came  to  Cumberland 
University  to  get  instruction  in  law  from  Caruthers  and 
Green,  two  of  the  greatest  law  teachers  in  the  entire  na- 
tion. Judge  Green  was  in  the  fulness  of  his  intellectual 
manhood.     He  had  already  done  much  to  build  up  the 


JOHN   ROYAL   HARRIS,    D.D. 
President,    1922-1926 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL  193 

judicial  system  of  the  State.  Besides,  he  had  a  wonderful 
and  magnetic  personahty,  was  tall,  imposing  in  person, 
had  a  deep-toned  and  impressive  voice,  earnest  and  dig- 
nified manner,  and  other  characteristics  which  would  at- 
tract attention  anywhere. 

Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812;  he 
was  patriotic,  always  advocating  law  and  order;  and  he  did 
all  that  he  did  with  all  his  might.  He  was  a  profound 
student  of  the  Bible,  was  no  mean  theologian,  loved  his 
church,  was  a  ruling  elder,  frequently  attended  the  church 
courts,  and  frequently  conducted  religious  exercises  at  the 
church  and  at  camp  meetings.  As  one  of  his  biographers 
states,  his  reasoning  was  "irresistibly  eloquent." 

Dr.  J.  Berrien  Lindsley  said  this  of  him: 

"He  was  a  teacher  of  righteousness  whose  voice  was 
heard,  felt,  and  remembered  throughout  the  State.  He 
was  indeed  the  Sir  Matthew  Hale  of  Tennessee.  Then,  in 
after  life,  his  influence  upon  the  crowds  of  ingenuous, 
eager  youth,  assembled  at  Lebanon,  was  most  attractive 
and  benign.  It  was  most  magnetic  and  elevating.  With- 
out underestimating  the  great  toils  and  worth  of  others, 
it  may  be  safely  said  that  no  one  of  Judge  Green's  con- 
temporaries, lay  or  clerical,  was  gifted  with  greater  facul- 
ties for  Christian  usefulness,  or  favored  with  a  wider  field 
of  service,  or  blest  with  a  richer  or  more  lasting  harvest." 

Judge  Bromfield  Ridley,  one  of  the  Chancellors  of  the 
State,  was  made  a  Professor  of  Law  in  the  University  in 
1848,  and  served  until  18  52.  He  and  Judge  Nathan 
Green,  Sr.,  began  their  work  in  Cumberland  University 
at  the  same  time.  Judge  Ridley  was  born  in  Granville 
County,  North  Carolina,  was  educated  in  the  University 


194      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel  Hill,  and,  later,  practiced 
law  in  Tennessee.  For  twenty  years  he  was  a  judge  of  the 
Chancery  Court.  He  devoted  much  labor  and  learning 
to  Equity  Jurisprudence.  A  man  of  unblemished  char- 
acter, of  much  talent,  and  of  unusual  legal  attainments, 
he  was  the  soul  of  honor.  As  a  churchman  he  was  widely 
revered  and  honored.  He  was  a  frequent  representative  in 
the  highest  church  courts;  and  was  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  Church  which  in 
1849  advised  the  establishment  of  a  Theological  Depart- 
ment in  Cumberland  University  under  ''the  patronage  of 
the  General  Assembly."  He  died  in  Murfreesboro,  Ten- 
nessee, August  10,  1869. 

John  Cartwright  Carter,  of  Waynesboro,  Georgia,  be- 
came a  Professor  in  the  Law  School  in  18  59,  and  served 
one  year.  He  had  received  the  LL.B.  degree  from  the 
University,  with  the  Class  of  18  58.  This  class  had  more 
brilliant  men  in  it  than  any  other  prior  to  the  Civil  War. 
Soon  after  the  beginning  of  hostilities  in  1861,  Professor 
Carter  entered  the  Southern  army.  On  account  of  his 
ability  and  merit,  he  soon  rose  to  distinction.  On  July  7, 
1864,  he  was  made  a  Brigadier  General.  At  the  battle  of 
Franklin,  Tennessee,  November  10,  1864,  he  was  mortally 
wounded  and  died  shortly  afterward.  He  was  noted  for 
his  wonderful  endurance,  energy,  courage,  and  faithful- 
ness in  the  discharge  of  duty. 

Owing  to  the  death  of  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  in  1866, 
Judge  Henry  Cooper  was  elected  to  take  his  place  in  the 
Law  School.  This  he  did  with  distinction.  He  was  born 
in  Columbia,  Tennessee,  August  22,  1827.  He  studied 
law  in  Shelbyville.     In  18  53  and  18  57  he  represented  his 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL  195 

county  in  the  Legislature.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was 
made  a  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court.  He  was  a  Professor 
in  the  Law  School  two  years,  1866-68,  and  then  became  a 
State  Senator.  In  1869  he  was  elected  over  Ex-President 
Andrew  Johnson  to  the  United  States  Senate.  He  was  an 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  After  one  term  in  the 
United  States  Senate,  he  engaged  in  the  mining  business 
in  Mexico.  On  February  3,  1884,  he  was  killed  by  Mexi- 
can bandits  in  Tierra  Blanca. 

Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  Professor  of  Law  forty-two 
years,  1878-1920,  was  a  man  of  marked  ability.  Possess- 
ing a  strong  personality,  throughout  a  long  and  useful 
life  he  was  a  leader  of  men.  And  yet  he  was  unselfish 
and  generous  and  always  seemed  glad  to  see  honors  and 
preferments  coming  to  other  men. 

This  eminent  teacher  was  a  self-made  man;  and  yet  he 
was  a  man  of  varied  and  accurate  learning,  having  a  great 
thirst  for  knowledge,  and  being  an  earnest  student  of  the 
best  books  and  of  the  great  movements  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived.  And  he  was  gifted  with  the  grace  and 
power  of  charming  and  elegant  and  eloquent  speech. 

His  master  passion  was  the  teaching  of  law,  and  he  never 
allowed  anything  to  interfere  with  that.  Moreover  he 
had  a  profund  admiration  for  the  legal  profession  and 
did  much  toward  lifting  it  to  a  higher  plane.  He  was  the 
soul  of  honor  itself  and  a  Christian  gentleman.  His  con- 
stant endeavor  was  to  create  in  his  students  a  love  for  their 
great  work  in  life,  coupled  with  a  high  regard  for  the 
law  of  the  land  and  a  reverence  for  high  moral  principle. 
But  he  was  not  merely  a  law  professor,  for  he  was  a  public 
spirited  citizen  as  well.     The  welfare  of  his  community, 


196       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

his  State  and  the  nation  was  always  on  his  heart.  More 
than  all  and  best  of  all  he  was  a  friend  of  Cumberland 
University.  This  institution  never  had  a  more  ardent  sup- 
porter. His  loyalty  to  it  never  wavered.  He  was  its  prin- 
cipal stay  in  many  a  dark  hour,  and  always  believed  there 
was  a  great  future  for  it. 

Dr.  Martin  was  born  near  Gordonsville,  Tennessee,  De- 
cember 9,  1836.  When  about  fifteen  years  of  age  he 
came  to  Lebanon,  and  found  employment  in  a  drugstore, 
where  he  earned  the  money  to  pay  for  his  tuition  in  school. 
He  was  talented,  had  a  bright  disposition,  and  early  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  such  men  as  Robert  and  Abram 
Caruthers,  N.  Green,  Sr.,  and  N.  Green,  Jr.  He  won  his 
way  by  his  own  efforts. 

This  promising  young  man  was  graduated  from  Cum- 
berland University  with  the  LL.B.  degree  in  1858.  In  his 
class  were  such  men  as  Leroy  B.  Valiant,  later  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Missouri;  E.  S.  Hammond,  who  became  a 
Federal  Judge;  B.  B.  Battle,  later  a  member  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Arkansas;  John  C.  Carter;  and  N.  N.  Cox,  of 
Franklin,  who  became  a  Congressman. 

Soon  after  his  graduation,  young  Martin  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  law  in  Lebanon  in  partnership  with  Judge 
W.  H.  Williamson,  '52  A.B.,  '54  LL.B.,  a  Trustee  of  the 
University.  "When  the  Civil  War  began,  he  entered  the 
Southern  army,  serving  for  a  time  as  a  major  on  General 
Robert  Hatton's  staff;  then  on  the  staff  of  General  Dibrell; 
and  finally  as  a  member  of  the  staflf  of  General  Joseph 
Wheeler.  After  the  Civil  War,  he  entered  again  upon  the 
practice  of  law.  Several  times  he  served  as  special  judge. 
From  1871  to  1873  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature. 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL  197 

In  1880  he  was  a  presidential  elector  on  the  Hancock 
ticket. 

This  great  leader  became  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  in  1866,  and  was  President  of  this  Board  from 
1882  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Judge  Green  and  Dr. 
Martin  did  not  engage  in  the  practice  of  law  while  teach- 
ing in  the  University. 

Dr.  Martin  was  frequently  called  upon,  however,  to 
serve  in  other  capacities.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Commissioners  of  Lebanon  for  ten  years  prior  to  his 
death.  He  was  a  ruling  elder  in  the  local  Presbyterian 
Church  for  more  than  fifty  years,  being  one  of  the  most 
useful  officers  the  church  ever  had,  always  liberal  with  his 
money  and  much  looked  to  for  his  wise  counsels.  He  was 
for  fifty  years  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  School  and  on  a 
few  occasions  represented  his  presbytery  in  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1878  he  received  the  LL.D.  degree  from 
Lincoln  University  in  Illinois.  Caruthers'  "History  of  a 
Law  Suit"  was  revised  and  almost  entirely  re-written  by 
him.    His  death  occurred  in  Lebanon,  May  19,  1920. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  said: 

"In  his  death  the  nation  has  lost  a  servant  of  preeminent 
ability  as  a  law  teacher  and  writer;  the  community  one 
of  the  most  valuable  and  distinguished  citizens  that  ever 
adorned  it;  Cumberland  University  a  friend  who  never 
wavered  in  his  loyalty  and  devotion  nor  grew  tired  in  his 
unselfish  services;  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  a  leader  who, 
for  fifty-four  years  as  a  member  and  thirty-eight  years 
as  chairman,  performed  his  duties  with  an  ability  and 
faithfulness  that  established  him  in  the  confidence  of  his 
associates." 


198       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Mr.  John  E.  Edgerton,  President  of  the  National  Manu- 
facturers' Association,  a  former  student  in  the  College  of 
Arts,  1897-98,  and  at  the  time  a  Trustee  of  the  Univer- 
sity, said: 

"When  he  went,  Lebanon  lost  its  most  distinguished 
citizen,  Tennessee  its  most  famous  law  teacher,  and  the 
nation  one  of  its  greatest  men.  Never  did  Cumberland 
University  have  a  more  devoted  friend  or  zealous  servant 
than  Dr.  Martin.  He  had  a  large  part  in  giving  to  its 
Law  School  a  reputation  second  to  none  on  the  American 
continent.  As  a  law  teacher  and  writer  his  name  will  rank 
among  the  most  illustrious  in  the  country.  ...  In  all 
these  years  there  never  was  a  moment  when  his  interest 
relaxed  or  when  his  abilities  were  not  equal  to  the  task. 
.  .  .  To  him  all  men  were  honest  except  those  who  had 
proved  themselves  to  be  otherwise.  The  movement  of  his 
mind  was  quick,  and  he  reached  his  conclusions  with  ex- 
traordinary alacrity;  yet  his  position  with  reference  to  any 
question  was  never  so  fixed  as  to  scorn  argument;  and  he 
would  abandon  as  gracefully  as  he  had  reached  it  a  con- 
clusion that  had  not  the  virtue  of  moral  conviction." 

Judge  Edward  Ewing  Beard,  Law  Professor,  was  an  able, 
conscientious  and  well-informed  lawyer.  He  kept  many  a 
client  out  of  the  court  house,  and  always  advised  justice 
and  fair  play.  Many  a  lawyer  went  to  Judge  Beard  as  to 
a  Cyclopedia  of  the  Law.  He  was  a  constant  reader  of  the 
law,  and  was  rarely  ever  caught  napping  as  to  the  latest 
Supreme  Court  decisions.  He  was  for  many  years  a  legal 
adviser  of  the  University. 

A  man  of  his  mold  would  naturally  be  a  public  spirited 
citizen.     He  was  mayor  of  Lebanon  two  or  three  terms, 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL  199 

and  had  the  confidence  of  all  classes.  The  ability  to  see 
both  sides  of  a  question  gave  him  strength  with  the  people. 
He  was  quiet  and  unostentatious.  Following  in  his  noted 
father's  footsteps,  he  was  an  outstanding  and  influential 
churchman.  Besides  being  a  faithful  ruling  elder,  he  was 
a  lifetime  teacher  of  a  Sunday-school  Class;  the  Moderator 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  Church,  May,  1891;  a 
member  of  the  Church  Union  Committee  from  1903  to 
1906;  a  member  of  the  Union  Committee  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  from  1906 
to  a  short  time  before  his  death.  For  a  long  period  he  was 
a  director  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

Judge  Beard  was  also  a  widely-read  student  of  art,  his- 
tory, politics,  and  books  of  travel.  Fie  kept  in  touch  with 
the  things  going  on  in  the  world.  By  means  of  travel  he 
knew  for  himself  most  of  the  territory  of  the  United 
States  and  most  of  the  countries  of  Europe. 

This  valuable  friend  of  Cumberland  University  was 
born  in  Princeton,  Kentucky,  August  27,  18  50,  being  the 
son  of  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  the  theologian.  The  late  W.  D. 
Beard,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court,  and 
the  late  Richard  Beard,  '59  A.B.,  a  leading  lawyer  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  were  his  brothers. 

One  of  the  finest  things  in  the  life  of  Judge  Beard  was 
his  devotion  to  the  University.  Unstintedly  he  gave  to  it 
his  best  efforts.  From  it  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in 
1870,  the  LL.B.  degree  in  1874,  and  the  LL.D.  degree  in 
1923.  He  was  made  a  Trustee  soon  after  his  graduation, 
and,  at  about  the  same  time,  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board, 
both  of  which  positions  he  held  until  near  the  time  of  his 
death.    At  his  life's  close,  it  was  said:  "The  spirit  of  Leba- 


200       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

non  and  of  Cumberland  was  nowhere  better  manifested 
than  in  his  Hfe  and  labors." 

Owing  to  the  Law  School's  growth,  Judge  Beard  became 
a  Professor  in  the  Law  School  in  the  year,  1911-12,  Dean 
in  1920,  and  continued  in  these  positions  until  his  death, 
June  18,  1924.  Thus  it  was  that  Edward  Ewing  Beard, 
one  of  nature's  noblemen,  a  great  and  lovable  man  in  every 
way,  patient,  faithful,  untiring,  lofty  in  purpose,  too  big 
to  be  ungenerous,  passed  seventy  years  of  a  fine  and  un- 
sullied life  in  Lebanon  and  in  connection  with  Cumber- 
land University,  an  institution  which  he  loved  next  to  his 
own  family  and  his  own  life.  He  was  the  last  of  the  Olifl 
Guard,  Cumberland's  Immortals. 

The  vacancy  in  the  Law  Faculty,  created  by  the  death 
of  Dr.  Andrew  B.  Martin  in  May,  1920,  was  filled  by  the 
election  of  Judge  William  Richard  Chambers,  of  Lebanon, 
Tennessee.  He  began  his  work  as  Professor  of  Law  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year,  and  continued  these  labors  until  De- 
cember 22,  1934.  In  the  summer  of  1924,  he  succeeded 
Judge  Beard  as  Dean  of  the  Law  School;  and  continued 
to  serve  as  Dean  until  May  31,  1933.  He  was  accurate  in 
his  scholarship  and  painstaking  in  his  work. 

Judge  Chambers  was  born  August  9,  18  59,  near  Leba- 
non. He  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Cumberland  as 
of  the  Class  of  1877,  and  the  LL.B.  degree  from  Vander- 
bilt  University  in  1881.  Cumberland  University  honored 
him  with  the  LL.D.  degree  in  1925.  From  1897  to  1899 
he  was  a  Representative  in  the  Tennessee  Legislature,  and 
from  1899  to  1901,  a  member  of  the  State  Senate.  Gov- 
ernor Robert  L.  Taylor  appointed  him  a  special  judge  of 


If- 


Abk/-,(vi   cAkUrHtRS,    LL.D. 
Professor  of  Law,    1S47-1862 


NATHAN  GREEN,  SR.,  LL.D. 
Law  Professor,    1848-1866 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  LAW  SCHOOL  201 

the  Court  of  Appeals  in  1898.  He  has  practiced  law  since 
1881,  and  now  resides  in  Lebanon. 

Judge  Albert  Williams  was  a  Professor  in  the  Law  School 
from  1923  to  1925.  He  was  born  in  Nashville,  May  30, 
1899.  His  college  education  was  received  at  Vanderbilt 
University.  In  1917  he  received  the  LL.B.  degree  from 
Cumberland  University.  He  was  the  State  High  School 
Inspector  for  Tennessee,  1917-18,  and  State  Superintend- 
ent of  Public  Instruction,  1919-21.  Governor  Austin 
Peay  appointed  him  Judge  of  the  Criminal  Court  of  the 
Fifth  Tennessee  Judicial  District,  April,  192  5,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  the  term  was  elected  to  the  same  position. 
He  was  the  editor  of  the  Nashville  Teunessean,  1923-24; 
and  Commissioner  of  Finance  and  Taxation  for  Tennessee, 
1927-29.  Since  that  date  he  has  been  a  practicing  attor- 
ney in  Nashville.  In  January,  1933,  he  again  became  a 
member  of  the  Law  Faculty  of  the  University,  and  acting 
Dean,  after  May  31,  1933.  He  resigned  both  positions 
near  the  close  of  December,  1934. 

In  1925,  Julian  Kenneth  Faxon  of  Chicago,  was  elected 
as  a  Professor  in  the  Law  School.  He  was  a  native  of 
Illinois.  From  the  University  of  Chicago  he  received  the 
following  degrees:  Ph.B.,  A.M.,  and  J.D.  The  last  men- 
tioned degree  was  received  for  work  done  in  the  Chicago 
University  School  of  Law.  Having  been  instructed  in 
the  case  method,  he  introduced  some  of  its  features  into 
his  teachings  in  Cumberland.  In  1930  he  resigned  to  go 
into  business  in  Texas. 

Judge  Albert  Bramlette  Neil,  of  Nashville,  was  made 
a  Professor  in  the  Law  School  in  September,  1930,  and 
is  still  in  this  position.     He  was  appointed  Judge  of  the 


202       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Criminal  Court  of  the  Tenth  Judicial  District  of  Davidson 
County  in  1910,  and  served  in  that  position  for  seven 
years.  In  1918  he  was  elected  Circuit  Judge,  and  has  con- 
tinued as  such  until  this  date.  He  was  born  in  Lewisburg, 
Tennessee,  in  1874.  His  college  education  was  received 
at  the  Winchester  Normal.  From  Cumberland  University 
he  received  the  LL.B.  degree  in  1896.  After  practicing 
law  in  Lewisburg  six  years,  he  practiced  law  in  Nashville 
several  years,  in  partnership  with  another  Cumberland 
graduate,  the  late  Judge  M.  H.  Meeks.  Judge  Neil's  abil- 
ity as  a  teacher  of  law  is  unquestioned.  His  learning  and 
wide  experience  give  him  much  prestige  in  his  work  in  the 
Law  School.  He  was  made  Dean  of  the  Law  School  in 
January,  193  5. 

Samuel  Burnham  Gilreath,  of  Etowah,  Tennessee,  was 
elected  Professor  in  the  Law  School  in  June,  1932.  He  was 
born  in  Cartersville,  Georgia,  being  the  son  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lemuel  Gilreath,  and  a  grandson  of  Judge  James 
Burnham,  of  Fayetteville,  Tennessee.  He  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Cartersville  and  at  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity. From  Cumberland  he  received  the  LL.B.  degree  in 
1925,  after  which  he  practiced  law  in  his  section  of  the 
State  until  he  came  to  his  present  position.  He  is  a  dili- 
gent student  and  well  versed  in  law  as  well  as  in  the  re- 
lated subjects. 

Currell  Vance,  a  practicing  attorney  of  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, was  elected  Professor  in  the  Law  School  in  Janu- 
ary, 193  5.  He  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Prince- 
ton University  and  the  LL.B.  degree  from  Vanderbilt 
University.  He  is  the  son  of  a  distinguished  clergyman. 
Dr.  James  L  Vance,  of  Nashville. 


Chapter  XVII 
THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL 

1854-1909 

One  of  the  chief  early  aims  of  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity was  the  literary  and  theological  education  of  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  life 
of  the  institution,  candidates  for  the  ministry  have  re- 
ceived free  tuition  regardless  of  the  Christian  denomina- 
tions to  which  they  belonged.  Many  of  the  best  families  in 
Lebanon  have  given  to  students  of  this  character  all  or 
a  part  of  their  board  and  lodging.  Members  of  the  Fac- 
ulty of  the  College  of  Arts,  of  the  Law  School,  and  of  the 
Theological  School  have  many  times  helped  them  liberally 
in  a  financial  way.  Of  course,  many  of  these  students  re- 
ceived help  also  from  outside  friends  and  from  the  Church 
Board  of  Education. 

The  foremost  advocates  of  theological  education  in  the 
denomination  with  which  the  institution  was  affiliated 
were  the  men  in  connection  with  Cumberland  University. 
Rev.  Robert  Donnell  was  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
which  located  the  institution  at  Lebanon.  He  was  the  first 
man  thought  of  as  a  theological  professor  in  the  institu- 
tion. Robert  Donnell,  President  F.  R.  Cossitt,  President 
T.  C,  Anderson,  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  Judge  Robert  L. 
Caruthers,  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  Dr.  David  Lowry,  and 
others  in  Lebanon  were  the  men  who  had  the  most  to 
do  with  the  matter  of  getting  others  interested  enough  to 
establish  a  Theological  School.     They  were  the  men  who 

(203) 


204      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Stood  back  of  the  movement  and  kept  it  going.  Robert 
Donnell  became  pastor  of  the  Lebanon  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  early  summer  of  1846.  Before  Mr. 
Donnell's  coming  to  Lebanon,  but  after  he  had  accepted 
the  call  to  the  church,  Judge  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  one  of 
the  elders  of  the  church  and  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  University,  wrote  to  him  as  follows: 

"It  would  be  very  desirable  to  see  some  brother  of 
wealth  endow  a  Professorship  of  Theology  in  our  Univer- 
sity, and  you  the  first  Professor.  We  hope  the  Lord  will 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  some  one  blessed  with  the  means 
to  perform  that  great  and  good  deed  before  many  years. 
But  before  this  is  done,  we  deem  it  important  to  have  a 
pastor  here  able  to  instruct  candidates  for  the  ministry." 
Even  before  Robert  Donnell  came,  President  Anderson  had 
been  already  giving  theological  lectures  to  the  ministerial 
students.  He  was  now  ably  assisted  by  "Father"  Donnell, 
as  he  was  known.  Dr.  J.  C.  Provine,  father  of  Dr.  W.  A. 
Provine,  at  present  a  Trustee  of  the  University,  had  the 
following  to  say  about  him:  "It  was  my  good  fortune  to 
be  a  student  in  Cumberland  University  during  the  time 
Father  Donnell  was  pastor.  .  .  .  His  regular  lectures  to  the 
theological  students  were  very  interesting  and  impressive. 
His  manner  was  plain  and  familiar,  characterized  by  af- 
fectionate tenderness  and  sympathy,  as  well  as  with  ear- 
nestness and  warmth."  E.  D.  Pearson,  later  President  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Missouri  Valley  College,  while  a 
student  in  the  University,  was  converted  under  "Father" 
Donnell's  ministry,  and  soon  entered  the  ministry  him- 
self. 

Some  of  the  early  catalogues,  as  far  back  as  1847,  an- 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  205 

nounced  lectures  on  theology  by  Robert  Donnell,  T.  C. 
Anderson,  and  David  Lowry,  who  followed  Mr.  Donnell 
as  pastor  of  the  local  church.  When  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  the  Church  met  in  18  52  it  voted  that  a  Theological 
School  should  be  established  as  a  department  in  Cum- 
berland University.  As  a  first  step  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  University  elected  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt  as  a  Pro- 
fessor of  Systematic  Theology.  He  declined,  however, 
to  serve,  "in  consideration  of  his  age  and  increasing  in- 
firmities"; and  Dr.  Richard  Beard,  President  of  Cumber- 
land College,  Princeton,  Kentucky,  was  on  April  22,  18  53, 
elected  by  the  Trustees  to  this  position,  but  did  not  begin 
his  work  until  March  13,  1954. 

On  May  4,  18  53,  Dr.  Beard  sent  to  Josiah  S.  McClain, 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity, a  letter  of  conditional  acceptance  of  the  position 
offered  him  by  the  Board.  The  essential  parts  of  the  let- 
ter are  given  here: 

"I  have  not  replied  before  this  for  the  reason  that  I 
wished  a  meeting  of  our  Board  of  Directory  previous  to 
my  doing  so,  and  have  not  been  able  to  secure  a  meeting 
until  last  evening.  I  regret  very  much  that  Dr.  Cossitt 
did  not  accept  the  nomination.  But  as  the  matter  is  now 
before  me,  I  hasten  to  make  the  following  response: 

"First.  I  have  never  desired  the  nomination,  and  do 
not  now  desire  the  appointment.  I  involuntarily  shrink 
from  it.  I  am  certainly  somewhat  aware  of  the  respon- 
sibility which  he  incurs  who  takes  the  position.  I  would 
have  preferred  its  being  assumed  by  another. 

"Secondly.  I  will  find  it  difficult  to  disengage  myself 
here.     The  subject  was  distinctly  presented  to  the  Board 


206       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

last  evening.  The  Board  seem  very  unwilling  to  give  me 
up.  I  hope  further  reflection  will  lead  them  to  juster  views 
of  the  question  than  they  seem  at  present  to  entertain. 
But  it  would  be  a  great  trial  to  me  to  leave  here  under 
circumstances  which  would  be  likely  to  endanger  the  vital 
interests  of  this  institution;  and  certainly  I  might  be  ex- 
pected to  consider  such  a  question  presented  in  such  as- 
pects as  a  question  of  duty. 

"Thirdly.  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty,  however,  yet  to  de- 
cline the  nomination.  The  way  before  me  is  dark.  I  am 
willing  to  let  the  nomination  come  before  the  Assembly. 
Of  course,  the  spirit  manifested  by  that  body  would  con- 
tribute very  much  towards  inclining  or  disinclining  me  to 
a  final  acceptance  of  the  situation.  I  make  this  statement 
in  view  of  the  probability  of  the  Assembly's  confirming 
the  the  nomination.  ...  I  would  consider  it  my  duty  to 
make  trial  of  the  situation  which  you  propose,  in  the  event 
of  the  nomination  being  confirmed." 

The  charter  of  the  University,  procured  in  1843,  au- 
thorized the  establishment  of  a  theological  professorship  by 
"any  evangelical  church"  or  any  person  or  persons,  by 
endowing  the  same.  But  no  professorship  was  endowed 
under  this  provision.  The  election  of  Dr.  Richard  Beard 
was  reported  by  the  Trustees  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  Church,  and  the  election  was  confirmed  by  that  body. 
The  Trustees  followed  this  rule  of  reporting  the  election 
of  professors  until  the  Theological  School  was  discontinued 
in  1909.  From  an  early  date,  18  50,  to  1920,  a  period  of 
seventy  years,  the  election  of  all  Trustees  was  submitted 
to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  for  confirmation 
or  rejection.     No  one  of  them  was  ever  rejected.     (Since 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  207 

1920,  because  of  a  change  in  the  charter  at  that  time,  the 
Trustees  have  reported  to  the  three  Synods  of  Tennessee, 
Mississippi,  and  Alabama,  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the 
United  States  of  America.) 

On  March  13,  18  54,  Dr.  Richard  Beard  was  inaugurated 
as  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  in  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity. The  subject  of  his  inaugural  address  was,  "Theol- 
ogy in  its  Scientific,  Experimental  and  Practical  Aspects." 
This  address  was  printed  in  the  Theological  Medium,  Au- 
gust, 18  54.  So  also  was  the  Charge  by  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossitt. 
By  direction  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Dr.  Cossitt  asked 
two  formal  questions,  involving  the  adoption  of  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  and  the  assumption  of  certain  duties  as 
a  professor  in  the  institution.  A  notable  charge  was  given 
to  the  new  professor,  who  is  referred  to  by  Dr.  Cossitt  as 
his  "former  student."  Turning  then  to  the  Trustees 
present  Dr.  Cossitt  said: 

"From  the  very  beginning  the  University  has  enjoyed  a 
high  degree  of  public  favor,  and  students  from  all  quar- 
ters have  assembled  here  to  enjoy  its  advantages.  Learned 
and  able  instructors  as  well  as  wise  and  salutary  regula- 
tions have  constituted  the  groundwork  of  your  success. 
.  .  .  The  growth  of  the  institution  encouraged  you  to  en- 
large its  sphere  of  usefulness  by  the  addition  of  a  depart- 
ment of  Law — the  first  known  in  Tennessee.  The  voice 
of  the  church  called  on  you  to  establish  a  Department  of 
Theology;  and  we  this  day  induct  the  first  Professor  into 
his  important  office.  .  .  .  When  the  walls  of  that  edifice 
which  now  overlooks  our  town,  shall  have  crumbled  and 
given  place  to  another  ten  times  as  large  and  a  hundred 
times  as  splendid  .  .  .  posterity  will  rejoice  in  the  wisdom. 


208       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

foresight,  labors,  and  sacrifices  of  their  ancestors,  and 
thank  God  for  the  blessings  which  they  so  richly  enjoy. 
Your  names,  gentlemen  and  brethren,  will  not  be  forgot- 
ten, nor  will  your  services  be  unappreciated.  Go  on  then 
with  your  noble  work;  and  your  children  will  rise  up  after 
you  and  call  you  blessed." 

The  way  in  which  the  Theological  School  was  started 
was  a  wonderful  example  of  faith,  consecration,  and  al- 
truism. Writing  of  this  feature,  Dr.  B.  W.  McDonnold, 
the  third  President  of  the  University,  says:  "As  this  de- 
partment had  at  first  no  endowment,  Dr.  Beard's  salary 
was  at  first  secured  by  private  contributions  from  the  citi- 
zens of  Lebanon."  "With  this  statement  Dr.  J.  B.  Lindsley, 
of  the  old  University  of  Nashville,  practically  agrees  when 
he  says:  "Members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  citizens  of 
Lebanon  became  responsible  to  the  Professor  for  his  sal- 
ary." This  is  a  (Quotation  from  the  statement  made  by 
President  T.  C.  Anderson  {Theological  Medium,  1858). 
Furthermore,  the  catalogue  of  1854  says,  "Rev.  David 
Lowry  and  President  Anderson  still  continue  their  lec- 
tures on  other  subjects  embraced  in  the  course."  Dr.  Da- 
vid Lowry  was  the  pastor  of  the  local  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian Church.  The  two  lecturers  gave  their  services 
without  remuneration.  This  was  a  noble  and  generous 
thing  to  do,  and  was  regarded  by  them  as  a  great  privi- 
lege. 

From  1854  to  1858,  the  number  of  strictly  theological 
students,  as  the  catalogues  indicate,  ranged  each  year  from 
four  to  seven.  These,  added  to  the  candidates  for  the 
ministry  who  were  pursuing  their  studies  in  the  College 
of  Arts  and  attending  some  of  the  theological  lectures  also, 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  209 

made  a  total  of  37  in  1854-55;  45  in  1855-56;  34  in  1856- 
57;  and  33  in  1857-58.  The  catalogues  for  these  years 
indicate  that  the  lack  of  financial  support  gave  much  con- 
cern to  the  Trustees.  Dr.  Richard  Beard  also  was  much 
discouraged,  so  he  says,  in  an  article,  "Fifty  Years  as  a 
Teacher,"  printed  in  the  Theological  Medium,  1879,  pp. 
1-27. 

In  18  58  the  charter  of  the  University  was  changed  so 
as  to  give  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  the  exclu- 
sive right  to  veto  the  election  of  Trustees.  The  charter 
amendment  in  18  50  did  not  definitely  do  this.  The 
amendment  of  1850  said: 

"Appointments  by  the  Board  of  Trutees  to  fill  vacancies 
in  their  own  body  shall  be  submitted  to  the  General  As- 
sembly, or  the  Synod  in  which  said  institution  is  situated, 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  at  their  next  ses- 
sion, after  such  appointment,  for  confirmation  or  rejec- 
tion. 

The  charter  as  amended  in  18  58  was  the  first  to  show 
the  erection  of  a  Theological  Department.  Some  dona- 
tions, chiefly  in  personal  notes,  were  made  to  the  endow- 
ment of  the  Theological  School  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 
all  of  which  were  swept  away  by  that  unhappy  conflict. 
Prior  to  the  burning  of  the  University  building  in  1863, 
the  classes  of  the  Theological  School  were  taught  in  that 
structure.  After  the  war,  the  Abram  Caruthers  proper- 
ty on  West  Main  Street,  consisting  of  a  large  residence 
and  one  or  two  other  buildings,  with  sixty  acres  of  land, 
was  bought  for  $8,760.  This  money  was  a  part  of  the 
$12,000  received  for  the  sale  of  the  Judge  Ephraim  Ewing 
property  in  Chicago.     The  Caruthers  property  just  re- 


210      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ferred  to  and  afterwards  known  as  Divinity  Hall,  was  the 
home  of  the  Theological  School  until  1896,  when  a  re- 
moval was  made  to  Memorial  Hall  on  the  main  campus  of 
the  University. 

In  1859  Dr.  B.  W.  McDonnold  was  appointed  Profes- 
sor of  Pastoral  Theology  and  Sacred  Rhetoric,  and  con- 
tinued his  service  as  Professor  until  1861.  In  1873  Dr. 
William  H.  Darnall  was  appointed  to  serve  temporarily 
as  Professor  of  Church  History.  In  1877  three  men  were 
inaugurated  as  Professors  in  the  Theological  School:  Dr. 
W.  H.  Darnall,  Church  History;  Dr.  S.  G.  Burney,  BiWi- 
cal  Literature;  and  Dr.  R.  V.  Foster,  Hebrew  and  New 
Testament  Greek. 

The  following  account  of  this  installation  was  printed  in 
the  Theological  Medium,  October,  1877: 

On  September  30,  1877,  exercises  of  a  very  interesting 
and  impressive  character  were  had  in  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian church,  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
inauguration  of  the  Rev.  S.  G.  Burney,  D.D.,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Darnall,  and  Rev.  R.  V.  Foster,  as  professors  in  the  Theo- 
logical Department  of  Cumberland  University.  Dr.  Bur- 
ney became  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature;  Dr.  Darnall, 
who  has  for  some  time  been  acting  Professor  of  Ecclesiasti- 
cal History,  was  formally  inducted  into  the  chair,  and  Mr. 
Foster  was  inaugurated  Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Greek. 
.  .  .  There  were  present  the  professors  and  students  of  the 
various  departments  of  the  University,  many  citizens  of  the 
town,  and  members  of  the  congregation  usually  worshiping 
there.  Dr.  Darnall  is  the  pastor  of  the  church,  and  having 
been,  for  some  years,  teaching  in  the  Theological  Depart- 
ment, he  did  not  deliver  an  address.     Professor  Burney 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  211 

and  Foster  delivered  admirable  addresses.  .  .  .  Rev.  Richard 
Beard,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology,  who  pre- 
sided on  the  occasion  by  request  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
placed  the  three  new  professors  under  the  obligations  of  a 
solemn  covenant,  into  which  they  entered  standing,  in  the 
presence  of  the  audience,  before  the  venerable  and  honored 
senior  instructor. 

In  1880  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick  was  made  Professor  of 
Church  History  to  take  the  place  of  Dr.  Darnall,  who 
resigned  in  1878.  Dr.  Claiborne  H.  Bell,  Lecturer  on 
Missions,  1880-84,  was  appointed  Professor  of  Missions  and 
Comparative  Religion  in  1884.  For  many  years  he  had  been 
President  of  the  Church  Board  of  Missions  in  St.  Louis. 
In  1876  Dr.  A.  J.  Baird,  of  Nashville,  became  a  Lecturer 
on  Pastoral  Theology,  and  continued  his  lectures  until 
1884,  when  Dr.  W.  J.  Darby,  of  Evansville,  was  appointed 
in  the  place  of  Dr.  Baird,  and  Dr.  J.  M.  Hubbert,  of 
Lincoln,  111.,  was  appointed  Lecturer  on  Preaching.  In 
1881  Dr.  S.  T.  Anderson,  of  Trinity  University,  Texas, 
was  elected  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature,  but  declined  to 
serve.  In  1888,  Dr.  W.  J.  Darby,  of  Evansville,  Indiana, 
was  elected  Professor  of  Practical  Theology,  but  declined 
to  serve. 

In  1893  James  Monroe  Hubbert,  D.D.,  at  that  time  pas- 
tor of  the  First  Church  in  Nashville,  was  called  to  be  Dean 
and  Professor  of  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Theology,  which 
positions  he  accepted.  Dr.  Hubbert  served  also  as  pastor 
of  the  Lebanon  Church,  and,  after  three  years,  as  Stated 
Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  intellectual  attainments,  quite  prominent  in 
church  circles,  and  one  who  administered  the  duties  of  his 


212      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

office  with  ability.  In  1893  owing  to  the  death  of  Dr.  S. 
G.  Burney,  Dr.  A.  D.  Hail,  a  missionary  in  Osaka,  Japan, 
was  elected  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology,  but  declined 
to  leave  his  position  in  the  mission  field. 

Late  in  1893,  Rev.  W.  P.  Bone,  Pastor  of  the  First 
Church,  later  the  City  Temple,  in  Dallas,  Texas,  was  called 
to  be  Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation  in  the 
Theological  School.  He  spent  nearly  a  year  in  further 
preparation  in  Chicago  University  before  assuming  his  du- 
ties in  September,  1894.  At  the  same  time  John  Vant  Ste- 
phens, D.D.,  of  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  began  his  work 
as  a  Professor  of  Biblical  History  and  Church  Law.  A 
year  later,  owing  to  the  death  of  Dr.  J.  D.  Kirkpatrick  in 
the  summer  of  1895,  Dr.  Stephens  was  transferred  to  the 
Professorship  of  Church  History.  In  April,  1894,  Rev. 
Finis  King  Farr  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  Hebrew  and 
Old  Testament  Interpretation,  but  pursued  his  studies 
more  than  a  year  in  Chicago  University  before  assuming 
his  duties  in  September,  1895. 

In  May,  1902,  Dr.  J.  M.  Hubbert  retired  as  Dean  and 
Professor  in  the  Theological  School.  During  his  adminis- 
tration the  institution  made  rapid  strides  in  its  effective- 
ness and  as  a  power  in  the  church.  Nearly  all  the  stu- 
dents were  college  graduates.  The  time  for  completing 
the  course  was  changed  in  1895  from  two  years  of  nine 
months  each  (Assembly  Plan  of  1852)  to  three  years  of 
seven  months  each.  The  courses  of  study  and  the  work 
done  by  the  Faculty  came  up  to  a  high  standard,  and  were 
a  credit  to  the  cause  of  Theological  Education. 

On  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Hubbert,  Rev.  James  Robert 
Henry,  pastor  of  the  Shady  Avenue  Church,  Pittsburgh, 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  213 

Pennsylvania,  was  called  to  take  his  place  as  Dean  and 
Professor  of  Practical  Theology.  Dean  Henry  had  previ- 
ously served  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Church  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, which  had  its  headquarters  in  Nashville.  Dean 
Henry's  period  of  service  continued  four  years,  1902-06. 
At  no  other  time  did  the  Theological  School  have  a  larger 
attendance. 

In  1903,  Robert  Gamaliel  Pearson,  D.D.,  of  Starkville, 
Miss.,  who  had  received  the  B.D.  degree  from  Cumberland 
in  1876,  was  added  to  the  Faculty  as  Professor  of  English 
Bible.  Dr.  Pearson  served  in  this  capacity,  and  very  suc- 
cessfully, from  1903  to  1909.  He  was  well  known 
throughout  the  South,  and  even  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  as  a  remarkable  evangelist. 

When  Dr.  J.  R.  Henry  resigned  as  Dean  and  Professor 
in  1906,  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone,  the  Professor  of  New  Testament 
Interpretation,  was  made  Dean.  This  was  the  year  of  the 
Church  Union  and  the  beginning  of  a  relation  with  a 
wider  church  program.  A  library  of  more  than  3,000 
well  selected  volumes  had  been  procured  in  the  years  be- 
tween 1896  and  1906.  The  selection  of  books  had  been 
carefully  made  and  each  of  the  six  departments  in  the 
Theological  School  got  its  share. 

Every  year,  beginning  in  1894,  the  students  were  fa- 
vored with  a  course  of  from  four  to  six  lectures  by  some 
man  of  ability  who  had  expert  knowledge  of  such  sub- 
jects as  "The  Pastoral  Office,"  "Foreign  Missions,"  or  "Sun- 
day School  Work."  Among  these  lecturers  were  President 
A.  B.  Miller,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Waynesburg  College;  Dr.  W. 
H.  Darnall,  Alabama;  President  James  D.  Moffatt,  Wash- 
ington and  Jefferson  College;  Dr.  H.  H.  Hamill,  Nash- 


214      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ville;  Dr.  A.  J.  Worden,  Secretary,  Sunday  School  Work, 
Philadelphia;  Morris  Ferguson,  Philadelphia;  J.  Beveridge 
Lee,  Philadelphia;  Charles  G.  Turnbull,  Editor,  Stmday 
School  Times;  Dr.  John  Balcom  Shaw,  Chicago;  Samuel 
J.  Nicolls,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  St.  Louis;  B.  P.  Fullerton,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  St.  Louis;  A.  D.  Hail,  D.D.,  Japan;  J.  B.  Hail, 
D.D.,  Japan;  President  W.  H.  Black,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Mis- 
souri Valley  College;  W.  J.  Darby,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Evans- 
ville;  President  A.  R.  Taylor,  LL.D.,  James  Milliken  Uni- 
versity; Marion  Lawrence,  Secretary,  International  Sunday 
School  Association;  Scott  F.  Hershey,  D.D.,  Newcastle, 
Pennsylvania;  Howard  W.  Pope,  D.D.,  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut; A.  H.  McKinney,  Ph.D.,  Philadelphia;  E.  G. 
McLean,  D.D.,  Chattanooga. 

From  1906  to  1909,  the  first  three  years  after  the 
Church  Union,  Dr.  "W.  P.  Bone,  the  Dean  of  the  Theologi- 
cal School,  had  as  one  of  his  tasks  the  work  of  raising 
three  or  four  thousand  dollars  each  year  from  outside 
friends  to  supplement  the  funds  on  hand  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  institution.  The  scholarship  funds  were  very 
limited  and  the  endowment  was  small. 

It  seem.ed,  however,  that  about  $100,000  was  in  sight 
for  the  additional  endowment  of  the  Theological  School. 
Doubtless  this  sum  would  have  been  secured,  except  for 
an  adverse  decision,  on  the  validity  of  the  union  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  the  United  States  of  America,  given  by  the  Ten- 
nessee Supreme  Court  on  April  3,  1909. 

The  disastrous  effects  of  this  decision  practically  equalled 
those  of  the  Civil  War;  and  were  as  much  to  be  regretted 
and  as  diflEcult  to  understand.    "With  much  reluctance  and 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  215 

certainly  against  the  wishes  the  Trustees  decided  to  dis- 
continue the  Theological  School,  which  had  had  for  fifty- 
five  years  a  wonderfully  useful  existence.  It  seemed  finan- 
cially impossible  to  continue  this  Department,  especially 
since  the  funds  were  tied  up  by  three  lawsuits  brought  by 
the  opponents  of  the  Church  Union.  After  the  discon- 
tinuance, the  new  and  independently  established  "Presby- 
terian Seminary  of  the  South"  (Assembly  Minutes,  1909, 
pp.  82,  83),  with  a  different  charter  and  in  no  wise  con- 
nected with  the  University  or  any  of  its  Departments, 
carried  on  its  work  in  Memorial  Hall  of  Cumberland 
University  for  one  year  without  rental  charge  until  its  re- 
moval to  Cincinnati,  to  become  affiliated  with  the  Lane 
Theological  Seminary.  The  Theological  School  of  Cum- 
berland University  was  not  the  institution  that  was  re- 
moved to  Cincinnati  or  elsewhere,  although  the  public, 
to  the  detriment  of  the  University,  received  that  impres- 
sion. 

All  bachelor  of  divinity  degrees  ever  conferred  in  Leba- 
non prior  to  1910  were  conferred  by  the  authority  of  the 
Trustees  of  Cumberland  University,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  the  University  charter.  The  total  num- 
ber of  students  receiving  the  Bachelor  of  Divinity  degree 
from  Cumberland  University  was  430.  About  300  others 
took  English  and  other  partial  courses,  but  did  not  re- 
ceive degrees.  The  main  work  of  the  Church  was  done 
by  these  men.  Many  of  them  occupied  prominent  pul- 
pits. Quite  a  number  of  them  became  moderators  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Church,  and  others  became  board 
secretaries,  home  or  foreign  missionaries,  college  presi- 
dents or  college  professors. 


216      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

The  Plan  of  1852  and  the  University  Charters, 
1843-1903 

In  1848  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church  appointed  a  Committee  to  take  into 
consideration  the  advisability  of  establishing  a  Theological 
School  (Assembly  Minutes,  1848,  p.  22). 

At  this  same  Assembly  (1848)  the  Committee  on  Edu- 
cation reported  the  following  item  concerning  Cumber- 
land University:  "The  completion  of  a  room  for  a  Theo- 
logical Department  has  been  ordered  by  the  Trustees,  and 
will  soon  be  accomplished;  and  some  measures  have  been 
taken  to  raise  means  for  a  Theological  Library  {Assembly 
Mimites,  1848;  Cumberland  University  catalogue,  1848, 
p.  25).  The  University  catalogues  of  1847  and  1848  show 
that  Robert  Donnell  and  President  Anderson  are  giving 
Lectures  in  Theology  and  Church  History,  and  that  the 
Trustees  are  hoping  to  get  endowment  for  a  "Theological 
Department." 

In  1849  the  Assembly  Committee,  appointed  in  1848, 
made  a  report  in  which  they  introduced  a  resolution  to 
the  effect  that  such  an  institution  be  established  in  Cum- 
berland College,  Princeton,  Kentucky,  and  another  in 
Cumberland  University,  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  "each  school 
to  be,  and  forever  remain,  under  the  entire  control  and 
management  of  the  Assembly."  The  form  of  this  resolu- 
tion was  the  subject  of  much  debate  {Assembly  Minutes, 
1849).  Four  days  later,  and  after  much  discussion,  the 
Assembly  passed  a  substitute  resolution  permitting  and 
requesting  the  two  institutions  mentioned  "to  create  an 
endowment  fund  for  the  establishment  of  such  schools, 
under  the  patronage  of  this  General  Assembly  {Assembly 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  217 

Minutes,  1849,  pp.  30-3  3;  Stephen's  Digest,  p.  519). 
The  words,  "entire  control  and  management  of  the  As- 
sembly," were  ehminated,  a  fact  not  mentioned  in  accessi- 
ble documents  later  than  the  Assembly  Minutes  of  1849. 

The  Trustees  approved  of  the  action  of  the  Assembly  of 
1849  with  reference  to  a  "Theological  Department"  {As- 
sembly MimUes,  18  50,  p.  42).  On  January  16,  18  50,  the 
Trustees  of  the  University  secured  an  amendment  to  the 
Charter  of  1843  (Charter  of  1843  printed  in  Asse^nbJy 
Minutes,  1901,  p.  87),  and  reported  the  same  to  the  As- 
sembly of  18  50  (amendment  of  18  50  printed  in  Assem- 
bly Minutes,  1901,  p.  88).  Referring  to  the  amendment, 
they  said  that  it  "requires  all  appointments  of  Trustees 
of  this  institution  hereafter  to  be  made,  to  be  submitted 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  approval  or  rejection,  with 
power  to  fill  the  vacancies  when  the  appointments  made  by 
the  Trustees  are  not  ratified"  {Assembly  Minutes,  18  50, 
p.  42).  The  Assembly  of  18  50,  acting  on  this  report, 
adopted,  after  accepting  an  amendment  by  Rev.  L.  R. 
Woods,  the  following  significant  resolution:  "That  the 
General  Assembly  approve  of  the  amended  charter  of 
Cumberland  University,  giving  her  the  right  of  confirm- 
ing or  rejecting  the  nominations  for  Trustees  of  said  Uni- 
versity, and  we  will  hereafter  accept  that  right"  {Assem- 
bly Minutes,  18  50,  p.  13).  The  right  to  fill  vacancies 
when  the  appointments  made  by  the  Trustees  are  not 
ratified,  was  not  accepted  by  the  Assembly  (and  hence 
the  Trustees  withdrew  that  ofifer  in  the  amended  Charter 
of  1858). 

In  18  50  the  General  Assembly  adopted  a  resolution  of- 
fered by  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson  to  the  effect  that  a  commit- 


218       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

tee  of  seven  be  appointed  by  the  Assembly  "to  mature  a 
plan  for  the  establishment  of  theological  departments"  in 
Cumberland  College  and  in  Cumberland  University.  The 
following  committee  was  appointed:  Dr.  Richard  Beard, 
Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson,  Dr.  Milton  Bird,  Hon.  Nathan  Green, 
Professor  Azel  Freeman,  Dr.  David  Lowry,  and  R.  R. 
Lansden  (Assembly  Minutes,  18  50,  p.  17).  Dr.  Beard  was 
at  that  time  President  of  Cumberland  College,  but  in 
18  54  became  the  first  Professor  of  Theology  in  Cumber- 
land University;  Dr.  Anderson  was  the  President  of  Cum- 
berland University;  Dr.  Bird  was  five  times  Moderator  of 
the  General  Assembly;  Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  was  Professor 
of  Law  in  Cumberland  University;  Dr.  Freeman,  a  profes- 
sor in  Cumberland  College,  became  the  first  president  of 
Lincoln  University;  and  Dr.  David  Lowry  was  the  pastor 
of  the  Lebanon  Church. 

At  the  Assembly  of  1852  the  Committee  reported  the 
plan  which  they  had  been  appointed  by  the  Assembly  to 
"mature."  It  is  known  as  the  Plan  of  1852.  It  covers 
nearly  five  pages  in  the  Assembly  Minutes,  and  contains 
seven  articles  and  forty-one  sections  {Assembly  Minutes, 
1852,  pp.  37-42).  The  Committee  was  not  appointed  to 
prepare  more  than  "plan";  and  a  plan  is  what  it  was.  Dr. 
B.  W.  McDonnold  in  his  History  of  the  Church  (p.  519) 
calls  it  a  "charter."  But  it  did  not  have  the  form  of  a 
charter,  nor  was  it  accepted  as  a  charter  by  either  the  Leg- 
islature, or  the  Assembly,  or  the  Trustees.  It  had  some 
uncertainties  in  it,  and  there  was  something  yet  to  be  done. 
As  yet  no  Theological  Department,  or  Departments,  had 
been  located.  As  adopted,  the  Plan  was  tentative,  as  was 
the  amendment  to  the  charter  of   1850.     The  Plan  was 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  219 

never  reduced  to  a  final  form  by  either  the  Assembly  or 
the  Trustees.  But  after  the  adoption  of  the  Plan,  "The 
Assembly  proceeded  to  locate  the  institution  provided  for 
in  said  report,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Lebanon, 
Tennessee"  {Assembly  Mimites,  1852,  p.  18).  After 
adopting  the  Plan  and  locating  the  Department,  the  As- 
sembly said  nothing  more  than  this  on  the  subject.  On 
June  15,  18  52,  the  Board  spread  on  its  Minutes  a  formal 
acceptance  of  the  Plan  of  1852.  In  this  declaration  of 
acceptance,  they  spoke  of  it  as  a  "plan."  This  formal 
acceptance,  however,  was  not  recorded  in  the  Minutes 
of  the  next  Assembly,  as  one  would  expect.  On  May  11, 
1853,  however,  the  Trustees  adopted  a  report  which  was 
sent  to  the  Assembly  of  18  53,  and  which  was  recorded  in 
the  Minutes  of  that  Assembly,  pp.  40,  41.  The  Trustees 
recited  in  this  report  their  efforts  to  raise  endowment  for 
the  Theological  Department,  and  asked  for  the  confirma- 
tion of  Dr.  Richard  Beard  as  a  professor  in  the  Depart- 
ment. 

On  March  2,  1858,  the  Trustees  secured  from  the  Legis- 
lature an  amendment  to  the  University  charter  (printed 
in  Assembly  Minutes,  1901,  pp.  89,  90).  It  is  mentioned 
in  the  Minutes  of  the  Legislature  as  an  "amendment."  On 
February  19,  18  58,  E.  I.  Golladay,  the  representative  from 
Wilson  County,  and  the  son-in-law  of  Dr.  F.  R.  Cossit, 
offered  an  amendment  to  Senate  Bill  79,  "in  order  to 
amend  the  charter  of  Cumberland  University"  (House 
Journal,  1857-58,  p.  613).  The  amendment  provided  that 
the  number  of  Trustees  (names  not  given)  should  be  re- 
duced from  thirteen  to  nine  as  soon  as  there  were  sufficient 
vacancies  by  death  or  resignation.     This  was  a  definite 


220      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

and  vital  amendment  to  the  charter  of  1843,  and  certainly- 
had  the  approval  of  the  Board,  twelve  of  whom  were  liv- 
ing at  the  time:  Robert  L.  Caruthers,  Jordan  Stokes,  Rob- 
ert Hatton,  W.  H.  Williamson,  Miles  McCorkle,  Andrew 
Allison,  Nathan  Cartmell,  Josiah  S.  McClain,  Zachariah 
Tolliver,  David  C.  Hibbitts,  O.  G.  Finley,  and  John  W. 
White  (Catalogue,  18  58).  The  first  four  were  lawyers; 
and  all  the  members  of  the  Board  were  noted  for  integ- 
rity of  character.  Robert  L.  Caruthers  was  President  of 
the  Board  (1842-1882),  and  a  member  of  the  Tennessee 
Supreme  Court   (1852-1861). 

The  record  of  the  charter  is  made  in  the  Public  Acts 
of  Tennessee,  1858,  Chapter  95.  The  title  of  the  Act 
was: 

"An  Act  to  incorporate  Spring  Hill  Academy,  in  the 
County  of  White,  and  for  other  purposes"  (Assembly 
Minutes,  1901,  p.  89). 

It  was  held  by  some  that  this  very  title  excited  suspicion. 
The  truth  is,  several  charters  were  included  in  the  Act. 
Nearly  the  same  language  had  been  used  by  the  Legisla- 
ture when  an  amendment  was  made  to  the  charter  of  1843 
in  1850  (referred  to  above) : 

"An  Act  to  incorporate  Farmers'  Academy,  in  Wilson 
County,  and  for  other  purposes"  {Assembly  Minutes, 
1901,  p.  88). 

There  was  nothing  suspicious  in  the  title  in  either  1850 
or  1858. 

The  Trustees  had  nothing  to  do  with  these  captions  or 
titles. 

The  amended  charter  of  18  5  8  gave  to  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  the  ex- 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  221 

elusive  right  to  confirm  or  reject  the  nomination  of  Trus- 
tees. The  amended  charter  of  18  50  did  not  do  this,  but 
on  the  other  hand  made  it  possible  for  this  to  be  done  by 
either  the  Assembly  or  the  Synod  in  which  the  University 
was  located  (Assembly  Minutes,  1901,  pp.  88,  89).  This 
fact  shows  that  the  amendment  of  18  58  was  absolutely 
necessary  in  order  to  make  the  charter  agree  with  the  ac- 
tions of  the  Assembly  of  18  50  {Assembly  MimUes,  1850, 
p.  13). 

In  the  charter  of  1843  and  in  the  amendment  of  18  50 
there  was  nothing  to  show  the  erection  of  either  a  Law 
School  or  a  Theological  School.  The  provision  for  these 
two  Departments  in  the  amended  charter  of  18  5  8  was  in 
accordance  with  the  facts  in  the  case  and  in  thorough 
agreement  with  the  Plan  of  1852,  which  called  for  the 
erection  of  a  Theological  Department.  There  was  never 
any  legal  right  in  any  University  charter  for  calling  the 
Law  Department  the  "Lebanon  Law  School."  The  fact 
that  some  did  this,  however,  was  a  more  or  less  bad  custom 
which  later  caused  the  University  some  trouble.  Nor 
was  there  any  authority  in  the  Plan  of  18  52  or  in  any  of 
the  University  charters  for  calling  the  Theological  Depart- 
ment the  "Lebanon  Theological  Seminary,"  or  even  the 
"Theological  Seminary."  This  custom  was  misleading, 
and,  in  later  years,  gave  rise  to  much  confusion  and  mis- 
understanding, leading  to  an  occasional  denial  that  it  was 
a  Department  at  all. 

In  1873  the  Assembly  said  it  would  be  better  to  have 
"a  separate  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  control  of  the 
funds,  appointment  of  professors,  etc.,"  of  the  Theologi- 
cal School,  but  took  no  action  {Assembly  Minutes,  1873, 


222       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

p.  29).  In  1894  the  Assembly  asked  the  Trustees  to  con- 
sider the  advisabihty  of  placing  "the  Literary  School  under 
the  Synods  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Albama,  and  Mis- 
sissippi," and  report  to  the  Assembly,  if  there  be  "legal 
barriers  preventing  separation  between  the  Literary  and 
Theological  Departments"  {Assembly  Minutes,  1894,  pp. 
3  5,  36).  But  there  was  no  provision  like  this  in  the  Plan 
of  1852.  In  1895  the  Trustees  reported  to  the  Assembly 
that  there  were  "serious  and  insuperable  legal  barriers  in  the 
way."  They  were  unable,  they  said,  to  see  "how  the 
Church  would  receive  greater  benefits,"  or  how  the  Theo- 
logical School  could  "be  any  more  the  School  of  the  Church 
than  it  is  now"  {Assembly  Minutes,  1895,  pp.  129,  130). 
The  Assembly  of  1895  concurred  in  this  answer,  adopting 
the  language  of  the  Committee's  report,  which  said:  "... 
relative  to  the  advisability  and  legality  of  placing  the 
Theological  School  under  a  separate  Board  of  Managers, 
and  as  a  matter  of  expediency  and  law  the  Committee  rec- 
ommend that  the  General  Assembly  concur  in  said  an- 
swer of  the  Board  of  Trustees"  {Assembly  Minutes,  1895, 
p.  40). 

In  1895  the  Assembly  appointed  a  Permanent  Commit- 
tee, to  be  a  Board  of  Visitors  to  the  Theological  School, 
with  five  defined  powers.  The  Assembly  of  1897  modified 
these  instructions,  and  in  the  modification  said  the  advice 
of  the  Visitors  to  the  Theological  School  "ought  not  to 
be  mandatory."  Thus  that  part  of  the  instructions  given 
in  1895  was,  in  the  language  of  the  Assembly,  "rescinded" 
{Assembly  Minutes,  1897,  p.  60). 

In  1901  the  Assembly  adopted  a  "Historical  Statement" 
as  to  the  relation  of  the  Theological  School  to  Cumber- 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  223 

land  University,  and  appointed  a  Committee  of  seven  to 
confer  with  the  Trustees  of  the  University  {Assembly 
Minutes,  1901,  pp.  74-90).  The  Committee  conferred 
with  the  Trustees,  March  19,  20,  1902.  All  communica- 
tions were  in  writing,  and  are  found  in  the  Assembly 
Minutes,  1902,  pp.  68a-88a.  The  Trustees  went  to  great 
lengths,  so  they  thought,  in  what  they  offered  to  do  in  the 
way  of  making  charter  amendments.  The  Committee 
found  no  fault  with  the  Trustees  as  to  their  management 
of  the  Theological  School.  They  reported  also  to  the  As- 
sembly of  1902  that  "all  negotiations  with  the  Board  of 
Trustees  were  conducted  with  the  utmost  courtesy,  and 
that  due  consideration  was  shown  your  Committee  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees"  {Assembly  Minutes,  1901,  90a,  91a). 
The  Committee  of  seven  members  made  two  reports.  Six 
made  a  majority  report,  and  one,  a  minority  report. 

In  their  effort  to  come  to  an  agreement  with  the  ma- 
jority Committee,  the  Trustees  said:  "It  is  further  agreed 
that  the  charter  shall  be  amended  so  that  the  endowment 
now  held  or  that  may  hereafter  be  held  by  the  Trustees 
of  Cumberland  University  for  the  benefit  of  the  Theologi- 
cal School  or  Department  shall  be  subject  to  the  control 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Provided  that 
said  control  shall  be  consistent  with  the  trusts  attaching  to 
said  fund,  and  shall  be  exercised  alone  through  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  said  University,  and  provided,  further,  that 
the  possession  and  legal  title  of  all  of  said  fund  shall  for- 
ever remain  in  the  said  Trustees  of  Cumberland  University 
for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  school  as  a  department 
of  said  institution,  and  that  no  part  thereof  shall  ever  be 
removed  to  any  other  place  or  be  transferred  to  any  other 


224      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

person  or  corporation  or  diverted  to  any  other  use  than 
that  of  said  Theological  School  or  Department  of  said 
University  at  Lebanon,  Tennessee.  And,  provided  further, 
that  investments  of  the  said  endowment  shall  be  made  as 
heretofore  {Assembly  Minutes,  1901,  p.  77a). 

The  minority  Committee  was  in  favor  of  accepting  these 
proposals.  He  took  the  view  that  the  Trustees  had  always 
acted  in  "strict  conformity"  with  the  provisions  of  the 
Plan  of  18  52;  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  serving  at  the 
time  the  amendment  to  the  charter  of  18  5  8  was  secured, 
were  men  of  honor,  Christian  men  above  reproach;  that 
"direct  control"  of  the  Theological  School  was  in  conflict 
with  the  Plan  of  18  52  and  the  will  of  the  Church  as  ex- 
pressed in  previous  Assemblies;  and  that  documents  bind- 
ing on  the  Trustees  are  equally  binding  on  the  Assembly. 

The  Assembly  of  1901  and  the  report  of  the  majority 
committee  to  the  Assembly  of  1902  made  certain  observa- 
tion as  to  the  amended  charter  of  1858: 

1.  That  the  charter  of  1843  provides  that  a  church  may 
establish  a  theological  professorship,  by  endowing  the  same; 
that  it  may  also  appoint  the  professor;  and  that  the  char- 
ter of  18  58  does  not  so  provide. 

2.  That  the  amended  charter  of  1850  gives  to  the  As- 
sembly the  power  to  appoint  the  Trustees;  and  that  the 
charter  of  18  5  8  does  not  so  provide. 

3.  That  the  charter  of  18  58  gives  to  the  Trustees  the 
power,  in  the  event  any  department  is  discontinued,  to 
use  its  funds  in  the  support  of  some  other  department  of 
the  University. 

4.  That  the  Assembly  had  no  notice  of  the  procurement 
of  the  charter  of  18  58. 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL  225 

5.  That  this  charter  does  not  hmit  the  terms  of  service 
of  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

The  Trustees,  in  their  report  to  the  Assembly  of  1902, 
repHed  to  these  observations  as  follows: 

1.  That  the  Assembly  of  18  52  asked  the  Trustees  to  ap- 
point theological  professors. 

2.  That  while  the  Trustees  offered  in  18  50  to  give  to 
the  Assembly  the  right  to  appoint  Trustees,  the  Assem- 
bly did  not  choose  to  accept  that  offer,  but  accepted  only 
the  right  to  confirm  or  reject  the  nominations  of  Trustees. 

3.  That  the  Plan  of  18  52  does  not  anticipate  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  Theological  School;  that  if  the  Trus- 
tees made,  in  the  church  papers,  any  pledge  based  on  that 
contingency,  only  the  funds  raised  under  the  pledge  would 
be  affected;  that  there  are  no  such  funds  in  the  hands  of 
the  Board;  and  that  this  voluntary  offer,  to  make  a  re- 
fund, in  case  of  a  discontinuance,  could  be  withdrawn, 
and  was  withdrawn  in  the  amendment  of  18  58. 

4.  That  there  is  no  sure  evidence  that  the  Trustees  failed 
to  report  the  amended  charter  of  1858  to  the  Assembly 
of  1858;  that  the  Assembly  Minutes  show  that  the  Trus- 
tees made  a  report,  also  that  this  report  was  not  recorded 
by  the  Assembly  (Assembly  Minutes,  1858,  pp.  12,  68); 
and  that  the  knowledge  of  the  amendment  would  not  and 
could  not  be  withheld  from  the  Assembly.  Their  view 
was  that  the  charter  of  18  58  was  in  harmony  with  agree- 
ments of  the  Assemblies  of  1849,  18  50,  and  18  52. 

5.  The  Trustees  offered  to  change  the  charter  so  as  to 
limit  the  terms  of  service  of  members  of  the  Board.  (This 
proposed  action  was  not  required  of  the  Board  in  the  Plan 
of  1852  or  in  any  of  the  University  charters.) 


226       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

On  October  2,  1902,  a  second  Committee,  one  appointed 
by  the  Assembly  of  1902,  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  en- 
tered into  an  agreement.  The  Assembly  of  1903  ratified 
this  agreement  (Assembly  Minutes,  1903,  pp.  7,  97,  59a, 
60a).  In  conformity  with  this  agreement,  the  Trustees, 
on  September  1,  1903,  procured  another  amendment  to  the 
charter,  limiting  the  terms  of  service  of  members  of  the 
Board,  and  dealing  with  the  method  of  electing  and  dis- 
missing theological  professors  (Record  of  Charters,  1903, 
State  Capitol,  Nashville,  Tennessee). 

The  Assembly  of  1901  made  the  following  declaration: 
"...  also,  that  the  Assembly  hereby  declare  its  unqualified 
approbation  of  the  loyal  and  self-sacrificing  service  ren- 
dered by  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Cum- 
berland University  (Assembly  Minutes,  1901,  p.  92). 


Chapter  XVIII 
TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL 

Richard  Beard,  D.D.,  the  first  professor  in  the  Theol- 
ogical School,  was  a  scholar  of  ability,  a  learned  theologian, 
a  princely  gentleman,  and  one  highly  esteemed  for  the 
dignity,  purity,  and  gentleness  of  his  character.  He  was 
born  near  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  November  27,  1799,  and 
died  in  Lebanon,  December  2,  1880,  revered  by  all.  One 
of  his  biographers  spoke  of  him  as  "the  old  man  eloquent." 

Having  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Cumberland  Col- 
lege, Princeton,  Kentucky,  in  1832,  he  was  immediately 
made  Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin  in  that  institution,  and 
occupied  this  Chair  until  1838,  a  period  of  six  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  was  made  Professor  of  Greek  and 
Latin  in  Sharon  College  in  Mississippi.  From  September, 
1843,  to  February,  18  54,  he  served  very  eflSciently  as  Presi- 
dent of  Cumberland  College,  his  alma  mater.  His  inaug- 
uration as  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  in  Cumber- 
land University  took  place  on  March  13,  18  54.  His  teach- 
ing work  began  at  once,  or  as  soon  as  his  classes  could  be 
organized,  and  continued  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

Dr.  Beard  was  a  great  scholar,  very  methodical,  and  ex- 
ceedingly painstaking  in  his  work.  Among  the  products 
of  his  labors,  besides  his  many  newspaper  and  magazine 
articles,  were  three  large  volumes  on  Systematic  Theology, 
two  volumes  of  Biographical  Sketches,  a  volume  of  Ser- 
mons and  Essays,  and  a  volume  on  the  work  of  his  Church. 

(227) 


228       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

He  was  always  courteous,  considerate  of  others,  and  ever 
ready  to  help  any  one  in  need.  It  is  said  of  him  that  no 
corrupt  communication  ever  proceeded  from  his  mouth. 
For  sixty  years  he  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  influence, 
and  his  useful  labors  were  carried  on  almost  without  inter- 
ruption. A  few  weeks  after  his  death,  his  successor.  Dr. 
S.  G.  Burney,  said  of  him:  "As  a  teacher  he  was  earnest, 
faithful,  and  conscientious.  His  instruction  was  clear  and 
thorough,  and  his  manner  in  the  class-room  was  dignified 
and  impressive."  He  was  twice  (1845  and  1866)  made 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  Church.  One 
of  his  sons,  Richard  Beard,  was  a  lawyer  of  prominence  in 
Murfreesboro.  Another,  "W.  D.  Beard,  of  Memphis,  was 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Tennessee  Supreme  Court.  A  third, 
Edward  Ewing  Beard,  was  a  Trustee  of  the  University,  the 
Treasurer  of  its  Board,  and  a  professor  in  the  Law  School. 
Stanford  Guthrie  Burney,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  born  near  Mur- 
freesboro, Rutherford  County,  Tennessee,  April  16,  1814, 
was  the  able  successor  of  Dr.  Richard  Beard  as  Professor  of 
Systematic  Theology.  From  Cumberland  College,  Prince- 
ton, Kentucky,  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in  1841.  Dur- 
ing 1844  he  acted  as  an  agent  of  the  University.  In  1877, 
he  came  to  Cumberland  University  as  Professor  of  Biblical 
Literature  in  the  Theological  School.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  had  been  Professor  of  Philosophy  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Mississippi,  and  was  widely  known  as  an  able  teacher 
and  writer,  and  as  an  eloquent  preacher.  Dr.  Burney  was 
a  pastor  in  Nashville  a  year  and  a  half,  beginning  in  1841; 
in  December,  1844,  he  became  the  pastor  of  the  First 
Church  in  Memphis;  in  1850  he  became  pastor  in  Oxford, 
Mississippi,  and  preached  there  for  twenty -five  years.     In 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       229 

1852  he  founded  the  College  for  Women  in  Oxford,  and 
was  its  president  until  1860.  He  was  a  great  logician,  an 
acute  thinker,  a  metaphysician  of  the  first  rank,  and  had 
a  wonderful  capacity  to  get  other  men  to  think.  From 
his  facile  pen  came  the  following  books:  Soteriology, 
Atonement  and  Laiv,  Psychology,  and  Moral  Science.  In 
1860  he  was  made  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
his  Church.  Ripe  in  years  and  having  made  a  profound 
impression  upon  his  fellows,  he  quietly  passed  away  on 
March  1,  1893.^ 

Robert  Verrell  Foster,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Syste- 
matic Theology  from  1893  to  1909,  was  one  of  the  great- 
est scholars  and  teachers  ever  connected  with  the  Univer- 
sity. He  was  born  near  Lebanon,  August  12,  1845.  From 
Cumberland  University  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  in 
1870  and  the  B.D.  degree  in  1876.  Later  he  spent  a  year 
in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City.  In 
1884  he  was  honored  with  the  D.D.  degree  by  Trinity 
University,  and  in  1906  with  the  LL.D.  degree  by  Wash- 
ington and  Jefferson  College.  From  1877  to  1893  he  was 
Professor  of  Hebrew  and  New  Testament  Greek  in  the 
Theological  School,  and  then  for  sixteen  years,  Professor 
of  Systematic  Theology.  In  1909  he  became  Professor  of 
Systematic  Theology  for  one  year  in  the  Presbyterian 
Seminary  of  the  South.  In  1910  he  was  appointed  Profes- 
sor of  Philosophy  and  Ethics  in  the  College  of  Arts,  and 
remained  in  this  position  until  his  death,  January  27,  1914. 

One  of  the  greatest  things  about  him  was  his  capacity 
for  friendship.  In  his  quiet,  solid,  well-regulated,  courte- 
ous, thoroughly  Christian  life,  there  was  a  real  and  sufii- 

'  See  Speer's  Prominent  Teiniesseaiis,  pp.   15  8,  160. 


230       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

cient  basis  for  friendship.  He  was  a  friend  the  first  day 
one  met  him  or  sat  under  him  in  the  classroom. 

Quite  a  large  number  of  those  who  knew  him,  and  espe- 
cially his  students,  found  in  him  a  wise  counsellor.  Young 
men  loved  and  trusted  him  because  of  his  practical  wis- 
dom which  he  possessed  to  an  unusual  degree.  His  fitness 
for  giving  counsel  was  quite  generally  accepted.  His 
standards  of  education  were  high;  his  theological  views 
were  characterized  by  sanity,  clearness,  and  breadth;  his 
position  on  church  questions  were  cautious  and  conserva- 
tive; and  his  attitude  toward  others  was  inoffensive  and 
considerate. 

Another  reason  for  his  great  hold  on  men  was  the  vast 
extent  of  his  learning  and  the  accuracy  of  his  scholar- 
ship. He  was  always  a  laborious  student  and  knew  how  to 
scientifically  classify  what  he  had  learned.  In  his  earlier 
years  as  a  teacher  he  gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  prob- 
lems of  mathematics,  astronomy,  and  philosophy.  In  addi- 
tion he  had  a  marvellous  acquaintance  with  the  great 
things  in  literature  and  had  himself  a  considerable  power 
in  the  art  of  literary  expression.  His  poetic  temperament 
enabled  him  to  catch  the  true  spirit  of  poetry  and  to  con- 
vey its  message  to  others.  He  was  well-informed  on  many 
subjects,  and  was  scholarly  and  thorough  in  his  investiga- 
tions. No  mere  reader  was  he,  no  mere  purveyor  of  the 
thoughts  of  others.  He  himself  was  a  member  of  the  noble 
order  of  thinkers. 

His  first  great  work  was  in  the  field  of  biblical  scholar- 
ships. As  a  teacher  of  the  Bible  in  the  original  languages 
and  in  his  mother  tongue  he  was  outstanding.  As  a  theo- 
logian he  easily  occupied  a  place  in  the  front  rank.     It  was 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       231 

in  the  field  of  Systematic  Theology  that  he  excelled  most 
of  all.  His  study  of  church  history  or  any  of  the  theologi- 
cal sciences  was  not  in  vain.  He  knew  where  the  pitfalls 
were.  Knowing  the  fields  of  theology  and  philosophy  as 
he  did,  he  was  able  to  think  his  system  through.  The 
great  center  of  his  philosophy  was  "God."  A  personal  and 
loving  God  was  the  explanation  of  all.  It  was  the  idea  of 
God  that  fired  all  his  eloquence  in  the  classroom.  An 
evangelical  position  was  more  reasonable  to  him  than  any 
other,  and  in  this  he  found  the  greatest  freedom  of  the 
spirit. 

Furthermore  he  was  a  prolific  and  accomplished  writer. 
He  wrote  on  biblical  and  theological  themes  and  on  topics 
of  the  day,  always  saying  something  worth-while.  The 
Nashville  afternoon  paper  frequently  published  his  essays, 
and  these  interesting  papers  added  not  a  little  to  his  popu- 
larity and  fame.  He  wrote  several  books,  including  these: 
Old  Testament  Sttidies,  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  The- 
ology, and  A  Commentary  on  Romans.  But  his  greatest 
work  was  his  Systematic  Theology,  the  crown  of  his  liter- 
ary and  theological  activity. 

It  should  be  added  that  his  throne  was  in  the  classroom. 
It  was  there  that  he  poured  out  his  soul  to  his  pupils. 
They  regarded  him  as  a  great  teacher,  one  who  knew  his 
subjects  well,  who  had  the  power  to  define,  classify,  eluci- 
date, unfold,  and  inspire.  It  was  here  that  he  was  in  his 
happiest  vein,  and  made  his  pupils  friends,  disciples,  de- 
fenders. With  him  there  was  not  so  much  freedom  in  the 
pulpit.  He  would  scarcely  venture  a  sermon  without  a 
manuscript,  a  device,  however,  which  sometimes  added  to 
his  power. 


232       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBEPvLAND  UNIVERSITY 

The  fact  that  he  was  a  Christian  gentleman  was  the 
chief  element  in  his  greatness.  The  Christianity  of  Christ 
made  him  great,  softened  his  nature,  made  him  gentle, 
made  his  words  ring  true,  made  him  willing  to  lay  down 
his  life  as  a  sacrifice  for  others. 

John  Dillard  Kirkpatrick,  D.D.,  was  born  near  Leba- 
non, Wilson  County,  Tennessee,  July  8,  1836,  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  He  died  August  2,  1895,  and  his  death  was 
regarded  as  a  calamity  to  the  University.  Throughout  the 
Civil  War  he  was  a  gallant  soldier,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  At  one  time  he  was  the  chaplain  of  his  regiment, 
and,  at  another  time,  on  the  staff  of  General  John  H.  Mor- 
gan. After  the  war,  he  was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Good- 
lettsville  four  years,  1865-09,  and  then  pastor  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church  in  Nashville  six  years,  1869-75.  In  1875  he 
became  Financial  Agent  of  the  University.  In  1880  he 
was  appointed  Murdock  Professor  of  Church  History  in 
the  Theological  School,  in  which  work  he  continued  until 
his  death  fifteen  years  later.  When  the  end  of  his  useful 
life  came,  Chancellor  Green  paid  him  this  tribute:  "Soldier, 
scholar,  Christian  gentleman,  friend  of  the  students,  loved 
by  all." 

For  twenty  years  the  Faculty  and  Trustees  looked  to 
Dr.  Kirkpatrick  as  their  leader  in  the  financial  aflFairs  of 
the  institution.  When  friends  made  gifts  to  the  Univer- 
sity, he  was  the  one  consulted.  Such  confidence  did  peo- 
ple have  in  him  that  they  were  more  inclined  to  give  when 
he  presented  the  need,  whether  the  money  needed  was  for 
students,  buildings,  or  endowment.  During  his  last  ill- 
ness, his  chief  thought  and  last  wish  were  the  completion 
of  Memorial  Hall,  which  could  hardly  have  been  built 


lMt» 


RICHARD    BEARD,    D.D. 


S.    C.    BURNEY,    LL.D. 


^ 


^) 


f; 


J.    D.    KIRKPATRICK,    D.D.  C.    H.    BELL,    D.D. 

Professors   in   the  Theological   School 


DEAN     J.     M.     HUBBERT,     D.D. 


JOHN    VANT    STEPHENS,    D.D. 


FINIS  KING  FARR,  D.D.  R.   c.    PEARSON,   D.D. 

Professors   in   the  Theological   School 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       233 

without  his  aid.  It  was  a  pleasing  coincidence  that  the  last 
brick  that  was  to  go  into  the  building  was  laid  on  the  day 
of  his  death. 

As  to  church  management  and  the  practical  details  of 
a  minister's  life,  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  was  the  student's  best 
adviser.  His  private  library  was  a  good  one,  and  it  finally 
came  into  the  University's  possession.  His  activities  were 
varied.  During  the  greater  part  of  his  teaching  activity, 
he  taught  Biblical  Introduction  as  well  as  Church  History. 
He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  history  of  his  own  de- 
nomination and  its  leading  men.  From  1880  to  1884  he 
was  the  Managing  editor  of  the  Church's  Theological 
Quarterly.  It  was  by  his  fine  and  noble  life,  by  his  won- 
derful sympathy  and  unselfish  friendship,  by  his  distin- 
guished labors  for  the  Church  and  the  University,  and  by 
all  his  heroic  services  for  the  public  good  that  he  came  to 
have  such  a  large  place  in  the  public  esteem. 

Dr.  Kirkpatrick  was  a  very  religious  man.  As  Tenny- 
son would  say,  he  had  in  him  "the  passion  of  the  second 
life."  He  was  a  man  who  could  "hear  in  his  bosom  the 
drumbeat  of  eternity."  As  Dr.  R.  V.  Foster,  his  intimate 
colleague,  said,  "He  heard  the  soldier's  sunset  gun,  and 
went  to  rest." 

"A  whiter  soul,  a  fairer  mind, 
A  life  with  purer  course  and  aim, 
A  gentler  eye,  a  voice  more  kind 
We  may  not  look  on  earth  to  find, 
The   love   that   lingers  o'er  his   name 
Is  more  than  fame." 

It  may  be  said  that  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  could  make  more 


234      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBEPvLAND  UNIVERSITY 

friends  for  the  University  than  any  other  man  during  his 
connection  with  it.  Every  day  he  himself  Kved  according 
to  the  Golden  Rule.  His  chief  characteristic  was  unselfish- 
ness. His  chief  passion  was  to  help  others,  especially  stu- 
dents in  their  struggles.  No  one  else  was  altogether  like 
him  in  this  respect. 

"The  regal  pride  was  not  driven  from  its  throne, 
But  chastened  to  a  high  humility; 
The  opulent,  sweet,  worldly  wisdom  blent 
With  such  clear  innocence  of  worldly  guile." 

Claiborne  H.  Bell,  D.D.,  a  native  of  Mississippi  and  a 
son  of  Rev.  Robert  Bell,  a  missionary  to  the  Indians,  was 
appointed  Professor  of  Missions  and  Comparative  Reli- 
gion in  the  Theological  School  in  1884,  and  served  ably 
in  this  capacity  for  twenty-five  years.  His  death  occurred 
in  Lebanon,  November  15,  1909.  He  received  the  A.B. 
degree  from  Cumberland  University  in  18  53.  Later  he 
received  the  A.M.  and  D.D.  degrees.  Immediately  after 
the  Civil  War  he  became  the  President  of  the  College  for 
Young  Women  in  Oxford,  Mississippi.  The  college  was 
in  a  flourishing  condition  when  he  resigned  his  position 
there  in  1873. 

For  several  years  before  taking  up  his  work  in  Cumber- 
land University,  he  was  pastor  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
later  the  distinguished  President  of  the  Church's  Board 
of  Missions,  which  had  its  headquarters  in  that  city. 

This  much  revered  teacher  was  a  profound  student  of 
his  subjects.  Foreign  Missions,  Apologetics  and  Compara- 
tive Religion.     He  made  those  subjects  live  in  the  class- 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       23  5 

room.  One  would  not  soon  forget  his  forceful,  ringing 
words.    It  was  a  benediction  to  see  and  hear  him. 

Dr.  Bell  and  his  good  wife  were  chiefly  instrumental 
in  fitting  up  a  Mission  Museum  in  the  University.  They 
had  the  generous  assistance  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Van  Horn,  an 
alumnus  and  his  wife,  missionaries  in  Japan;  and  also 
the  assistance  of  Rev.  John  T.  Molloy  and  his  wife,  both 
graduates  of  the  Theological  School,  and  missionaries  in 
Yucatan,  Mexico. 

James  Monroe  Hubbert,  D.D.,  Dean  of  the  Theological 
School  and  Professor  of  Practical  Theology,  was  born  in 
Cassville,  Missouri,  June  15,  18  50.  His  work  in  Lebanon 
and  in  the  Theological  School  is  referred  to  elsewhere. 
He  received  the  following  degrees  from  Cumberland:  A.B. 
in  1875;  B.D.  in  1876;  and  D.D.  in  1884.  He  was  grad- 
uated from  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City, 
in  1879. 

Dr.  Hubbert  had  two  pastorates  before  coming  to  Leba- 
non. One  was  in  Lincoln,  lUinois,  1879-87;  the  other. 
First  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, 1888-93.  For  nine  years  he  was  Dean  of  the  Theol- 
ogical School,  Professor  of  Practical  Theology,  and  pastor 
of  the  local  church,  1893-02;  Stated  Clerk,  General  Assem- 
bly, Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  1896-1906;  and 
Assistant  Clerk,  General  Assembly,  Presbyterian  Church, 
United  States  of  America,  for  several  years,  beginning 
in  1907.  He  was  the  Moderator,  General  Assembly,  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church,  1889.  He  attended  the 
meetings  of  the  Pan-Presbyterian  Council,  Belfast,  Ireland, 
1884;  Washington,  D.  C,  1889;  Liverpool,  England,  1904. 
Two   famous   lectures  were   delivered   by   him,   "What   a 


236       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Backwoodsman  Saw  in  London,"  and  "The  Model  Wom- 
an." He  resided  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  from  1907 
to  October  6,  1934,  the  time  of  his  death,  which  was  caused 
by  an  automobile  accident. 

Winstead  Paine  Bone,  D.D.,  was  Professor  of  New  Tes- 
tament Interpretation  in  the  Theological  School  from  1894 
to  1909,  and  Dean  of  the  same  from  1906  to  1909.  Dr. 
Bone  was  born  in  Douglas,  Texas,  November  23,  1861. 
He  received  from  Trinity  University,  Texas,  the  following 
degrees:  A.B.  in  1883;  A.M.  in  1894;  and  D.D.  in  1907. 
He  received  from  Cumberland  University  the  B.D.  degree 
in  1886  and  the  LL.D.  degree  at  the  Ninetieth  Anniversary 
of  the  University  in  October,  1932.  He  spent  seven  years 
in  the  pastorate;  was  graduated  from  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  New  York  City,  in  18  88;  was  a  student  in  the 
University  of  Berlin  one  year,  1889-90;  and  nearly  a  year 
a  student  in  the  University  of  Chicago  (1894).  He  was 
a  student  under  Philip  Schaff  and  others  in  New  York; 
under  Bernhard  Weiss  and  Adolph  Harnack  and  others 
in  Berlin;  and  under  W.  R.  Harper,  Ira  M.  Price,  and 
others  in  Chicago. 

Dr.  Bone  spent  two  years  of  ten  months  each  in  Cum- 
berland under  Drs.  Burney,  Foster,  Bell,  and  Kirkpatrick. 
He  has  been  a  Professor  or  has  occupied  some  ofl&cial  ca- 
pacity in  Cumberland  for  the  past  forty-one  years.  He 
wrote  comments  on  the  Sunday  School  Lessons  for  twelve 
years,  and  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  religious 
papers  and  magazines.  For  one  year,  1905-06,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Church  Union  Committee.  From  1909 
to  1929  he  was  the  Secretary  of  the  Cumberland  Univer- 
sity Alumni  Association,  and  from  1920  to  1929,  the  editor 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       237 

of  the  Cumberland  Alumnus.  From  1909  to  1914  he  was 
the  President  of  the  University.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  Professor  of  Bibhcal  Literature,  Ethics  and  Philosophy. 

John  Vant  Stephens,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Church  History 
in  the  Theological  School  of  Cumberland  University  from 
1894  to  1909,  v/as  born  near  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  Septem- 
ber 16,  1857.  In  his  twenty-third  year  he  entered  col- 
lege, and  received  the  A.B.  degree  from  Lincoln  Univer- 
sity, Illinois,  in  1884.  After  completing  his  college  course 
he  spent  a  year  in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York 
City.  He  then  came  to  Lebanon,  where  he  completed  his 
theological  course  in  the  Theological  School  of  Cumber- 
land University,  being  a  member  of  the  class  of  1886,  and 
receiving  the  B.D.  degree. 

After  graduation  he  was  settled  over  a  mission  church 
in  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  His  success  in  this  field  led  the 
Oak  Street  Church  in  Chattanooga  to  call  him  there,  which 
call  he  accepted.  Later  he  served  as  Secretary  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions,  with  headquarters 
in  St.  Louis.  While  engaged  in  this  service  he  was  the 
editor  of  the  Missionary  Record,  improving  it  and  making 
it  a  standard  publication.  His  last  pastorate,  before  com- 
ing to  Lebanon,  was  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky. 

In  1909-10  Dr.  Stephens  taught  in  the  Presbyterian 
Seminary  of  the  South,  and  was  its  President.  In  1910 
he  became  Professor  of  Church  History  in  Lane  Seminary, 
Cincinnati,  which  service  he  continued  until  May,  1932, 
when  he  retired,  rounding  out  thirty-eight  years  of  con- 
tinous  service  as  a  theological  teacher.  He  resides  in  Cin- 
cinnati. 

The    following    books    were    written    by    him:    Infant 


238       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Church  Membership,  The  Causes,  The  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian Digest,  The  Evolution  of  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian Co7ifession  of  Faith,  Presbyterian  Governnient, 
The  Presbyterian  Churches,  and  The  Providential  Purpose 
of  Our  Country.  For  four  years  he  was  the  editor  of  the 
Teacher's  Monthly  Sunday  School  Magazine.  Some  years 
ago  he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  which  prepared 
the  Intermediate  Catechism  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
In  193  5  he  pubHshed  a  small  but  attractive  volume,  Ctcm- 
berland  University  Theological  School. 

Finis  King  Farr,  D.D.,  was  Professor  of  Hebrew  and 
Old  Testament  Interpretation  in  the  Theological  School 
from  September,  1895,  to  May,  1909.  He  was  one  of 
Cumberland's  best  products  and  filled  a  large  place  in  the 
history  of  the  institution  in  which  he  taught.  His  student 
days,  filled  as  they  were  with  worthy  achievement,  are  re- 
membered still.  His  fourteen  years  as  a  Professor,  with 
his  unusual  teaching  ability,  his  keenness  of  insight  and 
power  of  lucid  statement,  made  the  pursuit  of  knowledge 
under  his  direction  worth  while. 

This  gifted  teacher  was  born  in  College  Mound,  Mis- 
souri, November  11,  1870,  being  the  son  of  a  noted  fa- 
ther, William  Benton  Farr,  D.D.  He  entered  Cumberland 
University  as  a  student  in  1887,  and  became  a  graduate 
of  the  Department  of  Engineering  in  1889.  After  his 
graduation  he  spent  three  years  as  a  civil  engineer,  and  then 
decided  to  enter  the  ministry.  In  September,  1892,  he  en- 
tered the  Theological  School  of  Cumberland  University, 
and  was  graduated  with  the  B.D.  degree  in  June,  1894. 
Later  he  received  the  A.B.  degree  as  of  the  class  of  1889. 
In  April,  1894,  he  was  elected  Professor  in  the  Theological 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       239 

School,  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  spend  a  year 
or  more  in  postgraduate  study  in  the  Divinity  School  of 
the  University  of  Chicago.  This  course  he  pursued,  taking 
his  principal  work  under  such  men  as  William  Rainey  Har- 
per and  Ira  M.  Price.  His  work  in  Chicago  had  to  do 
chiefly  with  biblical  Hebrew  and  other  Old  Testament 
studies,  and  it  was  to  these  subjects  he  was  assigned  when 
he  took  up  his  work  in  Cumberland  University. 

After  beginning  his  work  in  Cumberland,  Dr.  Farr 
spent  several  summer  quarters  in  study  at  Chicago  Univer- 
sity, from  which  he  received  the  A.M.  degree  in  1911. 
Missouri  Valley  College,  Marshall,  Missouri,  conferred 
upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  in  1906.  It 
was  regarded  as  a  privilege  to  hear  him  in  the  classroom 
or  elsewhere. 

In  the  year,  1909-10,  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  Presbyte- 
rian Seminary  in  the  South.  In  1910  he  became  a  Profes- 
sor in  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  in  which  institution  he 
labored  until  his  death,  July  29,  1929. 

James  Robert  Henry,  D.D.,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylva- 
nia, succeeded  Dr.  J.  M.  Hubbert  as  Dean  and  Professor 
of  Practical  Theology.  He  entered  upon  this  work  in 
September,  1902,  and  retired  from  it  in  1906,  when  he 
returned  to  the  pastorate. 

Dr.  Henry  was  born  in  Cohutta,  Georgia,  and  was  the 
son  of  a  noted  minister,  Rev.  Samuel  Henry.  His  literary 
education  was  received  in  the  schools  of  Georgia.  From 
Cumberland  University  he  received  the  B.D.  degree  in 
1886.  He  was  a  member  of  a  class  of  nineteen,  three  of 
whom  became  Professors  in  the  Theological  School.  For 
three  years  after  graduation  he  was  pastor  at  Cleveland, 


240       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND   UNIVERSITY 

Tennessee.  At  the  end  of  this  period,  in  1889,  he  became 
the  Secretary  of  the  Church's  Educational  Society,  or 
Board  of  Education,  with  headquarters  in  Nashville. 
After  two  years  or  more  in  this  work,  he  resigned  and 
spent  a  year  in  Oxford  University,  England,  and  in  Euro- 
pean travel.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he  be- 
came the  pastor  of  the  Shady  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Pittsburgh. 

During  the  four  years  of  his  administration  as  Dean, 
the  Theological  School  was  quite  prosperous.  The  atend- 
ance  for  the  four  years  was  56,  7(),  67,  and  54,  the  largest 
in  its  history.  Dr.  R.  G.  Pearson  was  added  to  the  Faculty. 
During  this  period  a  larger  number  than  usual  of  promi- 
nent men  from  the  outside  delivered  courses  of  lectures 
to  the  student  body.  After  leaving  his  work  in  Lebanon, 
Dr.  Henry  had  three  pastorates:  Bridgewater,  Pennsyl- 
vania; Anna,  lUinois;  and  Fort  Myers,  Florida,  where  his 
death  occurred  February  24,  1930. 

For  a  period  of  six  years,  Robert  Gamaliel  Pearson,  D.D., 
an  eminent  evangelist  and  Bible  scholar,  was  Professor  of 
English  Bible  and  Evangelistic  Methods  in  the  Theological 
School.  He  began  this  work  in  1903  and  continued  until 
May,  1909. 

Dr.  Pearson  was  born  in  Mississippi,  June  9,  1847.  His 
Quaker  parents  had  come  to  that  State  a  short  time  before 
from  North  Carolina.  His  literary  education  was  received 
for  the  m.ost  part  at  Cooper  Institute,  in  Mississippi.  He 
received  the  B.D.  degree  from  Cumberland  University  in 
1876.  Then  followed  two  pastorates,  one  in  Tupelo,  Mis- 
sissippi, the  other,  in  Columbia,  Tennessee.  After  this, 
for  one  year,  he  was  co-pastor  with  Dr.  A.  J.  Baird,  of 


ERNEST  LOONEY   STOCKTON,   LL.D. 
President,    1926 — 


TEACHERS  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SCHOOL       241 

the  First  Church  in  Nashville.  Then  for  a  number  of 
years  he  gave  himself  to  evangelistic  work,  in  which  he 
had  much  success  and  on  account  of  which  he  became  na- 
tionally known.  His  health  failing,  he  and  Mrs.  Pearson 
spent  a  year  abroad,  the  time  being  given  to  travel  in 
France,  Greece,  Turkey,  Palestine,  Egypt,  and  Italy. 

Dr.  Pearson's  stay  in  Lebanon  is  described  by  one  of  his 
colleagues,  Dr.  F.  K.  Farr,  whose  words  are  quoted  by  Mrs. 
Pearson  in  a  sketch  of  her  husband's  life.  Among  other 
things.  Dr.  Farr  says:  "It  was  a  source  of  great  satisfaction 
to  the  Faculty  and  all  the  friends  of  the  Theological  De- 
partment of  Cumberland  University,  when,  in  1903,  Dr. 
R.  G.  Pearson  consented  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  Chair 
of  English  Bible  and  Evangelistic  Methods.  It  was  almost 
entirely  a  labor  of  love  on  Dr.  Pearson's  part;  the  institu- 
tion, with  its  limited  income,  was  not  able  to  promise  him 
an  adequate  salary.  Dr.  Pearson's  rich  experience  was  free- 
ly placed  at  the  service  of  his  students.  Flis  methods  and 
outlines  of  classroom  work  were  original  with  himself  and 
their  merit  was  proved  by  the  results.  In  the  difficult  task 
of  Faculty  criticism  at  'rhetoricals,'  Dr.  Pearson  led  his 
colleagues." 

During  three  summers,  1910  to  1912,  Dr.  Pearson  gave 
Bible  lectures  at  the  Montreat  Assembly  in  North  Caro- 
lina. He  died  in  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  in  March, 
1913.  He  was  a  Professor  in  the  Columbia  Theological 
Seminary  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In  1890,  a  volume  of 
his  sermons  was  published  in  Nashville  under  the  title, 
Truth  Applied.  A  second  volume  of  his  sermons,  edited 
by  Mrs.  Pearson,  was  published  in  Richmond,  Virginia, 
in  1913. 


Chapter  XIX 

OTHER  SCHOOLS 

Cumberland  University  has  had  a  number  of  schools 
besides  the  ones  mentioned  in  the  preceding  pages.  Some 
of  them  are  not  now  in  existence.  Nevertheless  they  must 
be  included  in  the  account  of  the  history  made. 

The  Preparatory  School 

1842-1902;    1910-1927 

The  Preparatory  School  and  the  College  of  Arts  had 
their  beginning  on  the  same  day  in  September,  1842.  T. 
N.  Jarman  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  Preparatory  School, 
beginning  his  work  on  September  9,  1842,  and  continuing 
for  two  years.  C.  L.  Price  assisted  him  for  five  months. 
B.  S.  Foster  taught  two  years,  1844-46.  R.  P.  Decherd 
began  his  work  in  this  School  on  January  3,  1846,  and 
continued  until  August  2,  1854.  He  was  made  Principal 
on  February  16,  1850. 

The  Preparatory  School  gave  its  graduates  a  good  prep- 
aration for  college.  The  course  as  printed  in  the  cata- 
logue of  1848  gave  two  years  of  Greek  and  three  of  Latin. 
Caesar  was  given  in  the  third  year;  Virgil  and  Cicero's 
Orations,  in  the  fourth  year.  Elementary  Geometry  and 
Elementary  Algebra  were  given  in  the  fourth  year. 

Students  in  the  Preparatory  School  were  taught  by 
tutors  from  1842  to  18  50,  when  the  School  came  to  have 
a  separate  Faculty,  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name.  The  classes 
were  taught  in  a  separate  building  from  1854  to  1902,  a 

(242) 


OTHER  SCHOOLS  243 

period  of  forty-eight  years.  Campbell  Academy,  which 
was  located  on  the  present  site  of  the  High  School,  was 
united  with  the  Preparatory  School  in  18  54.  The  Trustees 
at  that  time  leased  the  Campbell  Academy  building  for  a 
period  of  ninety-nine  years,  and  this  building  was  the 
home  of  the  Prepratory  School  from  1854  to  1902.  The 
Trustees  then  made  a  gift  of  their  lease  to  the  Lebanon 
High  School.  In  1902-03  the  old  building  was  torn  away 
and  a  new  building  was  erected  there  for  the  High  School. 

R.  P.  Decherd,  the  first  Principal  of  the  Preparatory 
School,  and  who  taught  in  it  from  1846  to  1854,  was  later 
made  a  Professor  in  Trinity  University,  Texas.  Other 
teachers  also  in  the  Preparatory  School  have  risen  to  promi- 
nence. S.  T.  Anderson  later  became  a  professor  in  Trinity 
University  and  its  Acting  Preisdent;  E.  B.  Crisman,  Presi- 
dent of  Trinity;  D.  S.  Bodenhamer,  a  Professor  in  Trinity; 
T.  C.  Blake,  E.  G.  Burney,  N.  Green,  Jr.,  G.  Frank  Burns, 
E.  L.  Stockton,  Icie  Kenton,  Mrs.  Y.  P.  Wooten,  William 
D.  Young,  Ralph  T.  Donnell,  professors  in  Cumberland 
University;  and  John  A.  Hyden,  professor  in  Vanderbilt 
University.  E.  L.  Stockton  became  the  President  of  Cum- 
berland University. 

The  man  who  made  the  Preparatory  School  such  a  great 
power  in  educational  circles  was  Professor  William  J. 
Grannis,  A.M.,  a  native  of  New  York  State,  born  at  Mor- 
ristown,  April  24,  1823.  He  was  educated  in  the  Jefferson 
Institute,  Watertown,  New  York,  and  in  the  New  York 
State  Normal,  at  Albany.  He  was  a  classical  scholar,  a 
gifted  teacher,  a  splendid  disciplinarian,  and  a  man  of 
culture.  He  had  both  the  A.B.  and  A.M.  degrees.  He  was 
an  elder  in  the  church,  and  a  Christian  of  the  highest  order. 


244      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

From  1862  to  1866  he  was  in  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment, Union  Army,  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Hundreds  of 
the  finest  young  men  who  were  graduated  from  the  College 
of  Arts  of  Cumberland  University  took  their  first  train- 
ing under  Professor  W.  J.  Grannis,  and  his  two  sons,  Her- 
bert W.  Grannis,  A.M.,  and  Harry  N.  Grannis.  Herbert 
Grannis  taught  Greek  and  Latin  in  the  Preparatory  School 
for  twenty-seven  years,  1875-1902. 

Cumberland  University  had  no  Preparatory  School  from 
1902  to  1910.  In  1909-10  there  was  a  sub-Freshman  class 
of  twenty-four  students,  who  lacked  a  little  of  being  ready 
for  college  entrance.  A  class  of  this  character  had  been 
provided  for  each  year  for  several  years  prior  thereto. 

To  show  how  the  attendance  at  the  Preparatory  School 
ran  throughout  its  history,  a  few  instances  may  be  taken 
from  the  catalogues  of  the  following  years:  114  in  1857; 
117  in  1858;  94  in  1859;  104  in  1860;  169  in  1869;  138 
in  1870;  130  in  1871;  74  in  1876;  99  in  1890;  56  in  1895; 
57  in  1898;  60  in  1912;  81  in  1914;  36  in  1918;  94  in 
1921;  104  in  1922;  123  in  1924;  95  in  1926;  66  in  1927; 
when  it  was  discontinued.  From  1910  to  1927  the  classes 
were  taught  by  a  separate  Faculty,  but  in  the  same  building 
with  the  College  of  Arts. 

The  School  of  Engineering 

1852-1912 

The  catalogue  of  1851  offers  "Instruction  in  Engineer- 
ing." It  says,  "Professor  Stewart  will  give  instruction  in 
Surveying  and  Engineering."  The  object  was  to  prepare 
students  for  the  profession  of  Engineering.  In  his  histo- 
rical sketch  of  1858,  Dr.  T.  C.  Anderson  says:  "In  1852, 
an  Engineering  School  was  established  as  a  department  of 


OTHER  SCHOOLS  245 

the  University,  and  Professor  Stewart,  a  graduate  of  the 
United  States  Military  Academy,  was  appointed  Professor 
in  that  department.  Some  of  the  graduates  of  this  school 
have  already  gained  distinction  in  practical  engineering. 
At  present  Professor  Buchanan  is  associated  with  Profes- 
sor Stewart  in  the  school." 

Professor  A.  P.  Stewart  was  the  head  of  the  department 
from  1852  to  1854,  from  1856  to  1861,  and  from  1867 
to  1869.  Professor  A.  H.  Buchanan  was  the  head  of  this 
school  from  1854  to  1856  and  from  1869  to  1911.  The 
work  of  the  Engineering  School  was  confined  almost  ex- 
clusively to  what  is  generally  called  Civil  Engineering, 
which  prepared  young  men  to  survey  lands,  and  build 
highways,  railroads,  bridges,  and  do  other  work  of  a  sim- 
ilar character.  A  certificate  was  given  for  a  course  of 
two  or  three  years  of  strictly  engineering  work.  When 
pure  mathematics  was  included,  a  degree  in  engineering 
was  given  on  the  completion  of  a  four-year  course.  The 
attendance  was  never  at  any  time  large.  The  number  of 
graduates — those  receiving  degrees — from  1852  to  1912 
— was  35.    The  school  was  discontinued  in  1912. 

The  Medical  Department 

1871-1873 

The  Medical  School  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  was  reor- 
ganized in  1868  under  its  original  charter.  This  Medical 
College  became  the  Medical  Department  of  Cumberland 
University  in  July,  1871.  It  had  only  a  contractual  rela- 
tion with  Cumberland,  and  a  separate  Board  of  Trustees. 
The  Memphis  School  had  a  Board  of  twelve  Trustees,  with 
Hon.  Henry  G.  Smith  as  its  president.  There  was  a  Fac- 
ulty of  nine,  composed  of  the  leading  physicians  of  Mem- 


246      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

phis,  with  Alexander  Erskine,  M.D.,  as  Dean.  The  twen- 
tieth annual  session  began  on  the  first  Monday  in  Octo- 
ber, 1872,  and  closed  March  1,  1873.  This  was  the  second 
and  concluding  year  as  a  department  of  Cumberland  Uni- 
versity. The  names  of  the  Medical  students  were  printed 
in  the  catalogue  of  1871-72  only. 

The  School  of  Music 

1903-35 

The  School  of  Music  was  established  in  1903,  with  Herr 
Eugene  Feuchtinger  as  the  Director.  This  was  during  the 
administration  of  President  D.  E.  Mitchell,  who  financially 
and  otherwise  made  possible  this  new  addition  to  the  work 
of  Cumberland.  Herr  Feuchtinger  was  an  accomplished 
musician  and  set  a  high  standard.  He  was  assisted  by 
C.  S.  Hertzog,  teacher  of  violin,  Elise  Tanner,  voice,  Nellie 
Hamilton  and  Minnie  McClain.  Professor  Feuchtinger 
was  born  and  musically  educated  in  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
many. 

In  1906  Robert  Paul  Gise  succeeded  Professor  Feuch- 
tinger. He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  a  student  in  the  best 
American  schools  of  music,  and  also  studied  under  Guil- 
mont  in  Paris.  Professor  Gise  was  an  accomplished  musi- 
cian and  a  gentleman  of  high  character.  With  his  assist- 
ants he  carried  on  his  work  in  Cumberland  until  the  time 
of  his  death,  April  9,  1917.  He  was  followed  by  James 
Isaac  Ayers  for  one  year. 

In  1918,  Professor  W.  H.  A.  Moore,  of  Vancouver,  Can- 
ada, was  elected  Director.  He,  too,  was  an  accomplished 
musician,  being  a  graduate  of  the  Conservatory  of  Music 
in  Stuttgart,  Germany.  Professor  C.  L.  Jaynes,  A.B.,  of 
Ohio  Wesleyan,  followed  Professor  Moore  in   1921,  and 


OTHER  SCHOOLS  247 

continued  as  the  head  of  the  School  of  Music  until  June, 
1922.  In  1922,  Professor  Moore  was  again  called  to  take 
charge  of  the  School  of  Music  and  he  continued  until  1927, 
when  Professor  Frederick  S.  Mendenhall,  A.B.,  A.M.,  of 
Ohio  Wesleyan,  became  the  Director.  Since  that  time 
there  has  been  no  Director.  Sue  Finley  was  instructor  in 
piano  from  1930  to  1933.  Mattie  Crowe  was  instructor 
in  voice,  1930-31.  Since  1931,  Theodora  Ferrell  has  been 
the  instructor  in  voice.  Eunice  Cutler  became  the  instruc- 
tor in  piano  in  1933. 

The  Business  College 

A  Commercial  School  was  established  in  1871  by  D.  S. 
Bodenhamer,  '70  A.B.,  and  H.  T.  Norman,  '60  A.B.,  and 
was  continued  as  such  until  June,  1873.  There  were  twen- 
ty-four students  the  first  year,  and  nineteen,  the  second. 
It  did  not  propose  to  confer  degrees.  In  1873  a  Business 
College  and  Telegraph  Institute  was  organized.  It  began 
its  work  on  September  1,  of  that  year.  The  principal  of 
this  School  was  Thomas  Toney,  A.M.  It  had  large  success 
from  the  beginning.  It  began  with  three  teachers  and  had 
six  the  second  year.  The  number  of  students  enrolled  the 
first  years  was  104.  Frank  Goodman,  later  the  head  of  a 
business  college  in  Nashville,  was  one  of  the  teachers.  In 
1874-75  the  enrollment  was  165,  and  in  1875-76  there 
were  168  enrolled.  The  Business  College  was  discontinued 
in  1876.  It  served  a  temporary  purpose  and  did  not  pre- 
tend to  do  more  than  the  name  implied.  John  Frizzell,  a 
prominent  layman,  who  later  became  the  Stated  Clerk  of 
the  General  Assembly  of  his  Church  and  who  was  hon- 


248       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ored  by  the  University  with  the  LL.D.  degree,  was  one 
of  the  teachers. 

The  School  of  Commerce 

1922-29 

The  School  of  Commerce  was  organized  in  1922  to 
meet  what  was  considered  a  need  in  modern  business.  J. 
Gordon  Wooten,  B.C.S.,  was  made  the  Director.  He  was 
assisted  by  James  N.  Bujac,  who  received  his  training  in 
the  Wharton  School  of  Commerce  and  Finance  and  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  A  four-year  course  was  of- 
fered leading  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  in  Com- 
merce. This  School  was  continued  six  years,  1922-28. 
Others  who  taught  in  this  School  were  Walter  B.  Posey, 
A.M.,  Floy  Grace  King,  B.S.,  O.  P.  Nash,  B.S.,  Floyd  W. 
McCollum,  A.M.,  and  J.  C.  Reagan,  Ph.D.  Since  1928, 
there  has  been  only  one  teacher  each  year  for  commercial 
subjects.  Agnes  Tilley,  A.B.,  taught  these  subjects  two 
years,  1928-30;  and  Gordon  B.  Walker,  LL.B.,  has  taught 
them  since  1930. 

The  School  of  Journalism 

1922-26 

In  1922  a  School  of  Journalism  was  established,  with 
Mary  Stahlman  Douglas,  of  Nashville,  as  Dean.  J.  Vernol 
Clarke,  B.S.,  of  Nashville,  was  Dean  for  the  year,  1923-24, 
and  it  was  called  the  Yancey  School  of  Journalism,  in 
honor  of  Richard  H.  Yancey,  '77  LL.B.,  premier  editor  of 
the  Nashville  Banner.  Edwin  Ray  Bentley,  A.B.  (Texas 
Christian  University),  was  also  a  teacher  in  this  School, 
1924-25.  In  1925  the  Schools  of  Commerce  and  Journal- 
ism were  united.    O.  P.  Nash,  B.S.,  was  the  teacher.    Not 


OTHER  SCHOOLS  249 

being  in  suflScient  demand,  subjects  in  Journalism  have  not 
been  taught  since  1926. 

The  Cumberland  University  Annex 

The  Lebanon  College  for  Young  Ladies  was  established 
in  1886.  The  founder  and  first  president  was  Benjamin  S. 
Foster,  LL.D.  This  school  was  continued  until  1909,  when 
the  building  which  it  owned  and  occupied  for  twenty- 
three  years  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire.  No  attempt  was 
ever  made  to  rebuild. 

In  1894  the  Lebanon  College  for  Young  Ladies  and 
Cumberland  University,  each  having  and  retaining  a  sep- 
arate Board  of  Trustees,  entered  into  a  contractual  rela- 
tion with  each  other,  the  former  institution  to  be  known 
as  the  Cumberland  University  Annex.  The  two  insti- 
tutions carried  on  their  work  as  before,  each  having  a  sep- 
arate campus.  But  the  courses  leading  to  the  A.B.  degree 
and  the  teachers  of  these  courses  were  to  be  practically  the 
same,  and  the  names  of  the  students  in  both  institutions 
were  printed  in  the  University  catalogue.  This  connection 
of  the  two  schools  was  continued  for  a  period  of  four 
years,  1894-98. 

The  Military  Department 

1894-97 

In  the  spring  of  1894,  Lieutenant  Charles  Gerhardt,  of 
the  Eighth  U.  S.  Infantry,  was  detailed  to  teach  Military 
Science  and  Tactics  in  the  University  to  such  students  as 
wished  to  take  such  a  course.  This  appointment  was  made 
through  the  influence  of  U.  S.  Senator  W.  B.  Bate,  '57 
LL.B.,  a  staunch  friend  of  the  University.  A  company  of 
fifty  students  was  formed  the  first  year,    1894-95,  with 


250      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

R.  L.  Keathley  and  R.  T.  Russell  as  First  and  Second  Lieu- 
tenants. There  was  nothing  very  warlike  in  these  opera- 
tions. Regular  textbooks  were  used.  A  few  of  the  prac- 
tical benefits  claimed  were:  Erect  carriage,  habits  of  obe- 
dience, gracefulness,  self-control,  concentration  of  mind, 
and  crystallized  patriotism.  All  the  equipment  was  sup- 
plied by  the  Government. 

Lieutenant  Gerhardt's  selection  for  this  work  could  not 
have  been  better  made.  He  was  in  every  way  worthy  and 
well  qualified.  He  was  a  man  of  the  best  character,  being 
a  fine  Christian  gentleman.  It  was  a  part  of  a  good  edu- 
cation to  be  under  him.  At  the  end  of  three  years,  how- 
ever, he  was  transferred  to  another  station.  Charles  R. 
Williamson  was  the  First  Lieutenant  in  1896-97.  The 
Company  was  disbanded  in  June,  1897,  since  the  students 
manifested  little  desire  for  the  continuance  of  the  Military 
Department. 

The  Summer  School 

1923- 

The  first  summer  session  which  had  any  connection  with 
the  College  of  Arts  was  held  in  1923.  There  was  a  demand 
for  it  on  the  part  of  college  students  who  were  behind  in 
their  work.  Others  took  the  summer  courses  so  they  might 
complete  the  regular  college  course  at  an  earlier  date,  or 
in  less  than  four  years.  Quite  a  number  of  public  school 
teachers  took  certain  courses  so  as  to  comply  with  require- 
ments of  the  State  Board  of  Education.  More  courses  than 
usual  in  Education  were  given  during  the  summer  session. 

Summer  courses  are  given  also  in  the  Law  School.  Dr. 
A.  B.  Martin,  Law  Professor,  gave  these  courses  in  law 
from  1895  to  1919.    From  1920  to  1934  these  courses  were 


OTHER  SCHOOLS  251 

given  by  Judge  W.  R.  Chambers.     He  was  followed  by 
Professor  S.  B.  Gilreath  in  1935. 

There  were  8  5  summer  school  students  in  all  depart- 
ments in  1923;  118  in  1924;  134  in  1925;  121  in  1926; 
155  in  1927;  110  in  1928;  123  in  1930;  99  in  1931;  102 
in  1932;  92  in  1933;  92  in  1934.  The  Deans  of  the  Sum- 
mer School  have  been  as  follows:  E.  L.  Stockton,  A.M.; 
W.  P.  Bone,  A.M.;  H.  L.  Armstrong,  A.M.;  and  W.  D. 
Young,  A.M. 


Chapter  XX 
THE  STUDENT  BODY 

THE  COLLEGE  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

1856-1935 

In  1841  George  Williams,  a  Christian  young  man,  began 
in  London,  England,  a  prayer  meeting  for  young  men. 
Out  of  this  prayer  meeting  arose  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association.    It  was  established  in  London  in  1 844. 

It  has  been  maintained  by  some  that  the  first  College 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  ever  organized  in  any  country  was  established 
in  Cumberland  University  in  18  56  by  Professor  A.  P. 
Stewart,  LL.D.  The  statement  as  to  the  date  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  Cumberland  is  given 
on  good  authority.  The  University  Annuals,  or  Year 
Books,  of  1902,  1911,  1915,  1925,  1931  give  this  date  of 
the  organization  on  the  testimony  of  Chancellor  Nathan 
Green  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Buchanan,  who  were  members  of 
Cumberland's  faculty  in  1856.  Their  testimony  was 
given  prior  to  1902.  The  statement  made  by  them  in- 
cluded the  additional  facts  that  General  Stewart  organized 
the  Association  and  was  its  first  President.  The  Univer- 
sity catalogue  of  1858,  page  12,  has  the  following  para- 
graph and  heading  in  capital  letters: 

"YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

"The  young  men  of  the  University,  in  connection  with 
the  young  men  of  the  town,  have  organized  a  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  on  a  plan  similar  to  that  of 

(252) 


THE  STUDENT  BODY  25  3 

the  most  successful  institutions  of  the  kind.  Every  stu- 
dent should  be  under  the  restraining  influences  of  such  an 
association."  This  paragraph  is  printed  also  in  the  cata- 
logue of  18  59.  Even  the  catalogue  of  18  58  makes  the 
Cumberland  Association  as  old  as  any  other  in  America. 

Professor  (later  called  General)  Stewart  was  a  devout 
Christian  and  a  man  who  was  very  active  in  Christian 
work.  In  18  56  he  saw  a  great  opportunity  to  lead  the 
young  men  who  were  students  in  the  University  into  a 
deeper  Christian  experience  and  into  practical  forms  of 
Christian  service.  The  organization  which  he  effected  con- 
tinued in  a  prosperous  way  until  the  Civil  War.  After  the 
War,  the  organization  was  kept  up  with  more  or  less  ef- 
ficiency until  1881,  when  it  took  on  new  life  and  made 
greater  progress.  It  was  in  a  flourishing  condition  when 
the  present  writer  was  a  student  in  the  Theological  School 
(1884-86). 

During  all  these  years  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  been  a  potent 
force  in  Cumberland.  The  membership  has  come  from 
the  College  of  Arts,  the  Theological  School,  and  the  Law 
School.  Usually  there  have  been  Bible  study  classes  and 
classes  for  the  study  of  missions.  All  the  usual  com- 
mittees were  formed.  The  members  were  generally  active 
in  evangelistic  meetings,  in  mission  Sunday  schools,  and  in 
out-station  work.  Representatives  were  usually  sent  to 
State  and  district  meetings  and  to  Conferences  in  Blue 
Ridge  and  elsewhere.  The  meetings  of  the  Association 
were  held  from  1873  to  1896  in  Corona  Hall,  from  1896 
to  1903,  in  Memorial  Hall,  and  after  that  in  the  assembly 
room  of  the  Men's  Dormitory. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  students  in  the  Theological 


254      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

School  maintained  a  separate  organization,  having,  as  they 
said,  three  objectives:  (1)  The  development  of  the  devo- 
tional spirit  in  Bible  study.  (2)  To  develop  the  spirit  of 
missions.  (3)  To  keep  in  touch  with  world-wide  move- 
ments among  Christian  students. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

1904-35 

It  should  be  remembered  that  Cumberland  University 
did  not  have  co-education  until  1897.  A  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
was  not  organized  until  December  11,  1904.  Lucy  Paul, 
now  Mrs.  Paul  C.  Wakefield,  of  Greeneville,  Tennessee, 
was  the  first  President.  She  was  a  student  in  the  Theo- 
logical School  at  the  time.  The  object  of  this  organization 
is  to  promote  Bible  study  and  Christian  work  among  the 
young  women  of  the  University.  The  young  women  have 
been  richly  repaid  for  their  efforts,  and  the  University  has 
been  materially  aided  by  the  splendid  influence  exerted  by 
the  organization. 

The  Bible  Circle 

1885-1909 

The  Bible  Circle  was  organized  in  1885.  In  its  organiza- 
tion, Mrs.  C.  H.  Bell,  a  wife  of  one  of  the  professors,  was 
assisted  by  Mrs.  George  G.  Hudson  and  Mrs.  R.  T.  Phil- 
lips, wives  of  theological  students.  The  membership  was 
composed  of  the  wives  of  the  six  theological  professors 
and  the  wives  of  theological  students.  Weekly  meetings 
were  held  for  Bible  study  and  the  discussion  of  plans  for 
active  Christian  work.  There  were  usually  about  twenty 
members  of  this  organization.     The  Circle  was   discon- 


THE   STUDENT  BODY  255 

tinued  in  1909,  having  served  a  noble  purpose  for  twenty- 
four  years. 

The  Student  Volunteer  Band 

1886-1935 

The  Student  Volunteer  Band  was  organized  in  1886.  Its 
motto  was  "The  evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  gen- 
eration." Those  students  were  eligible  for  membership 
who  signed  the  following  declaration:  "It  is  my  purpose,  if 
God  permits,  to  become  a  foreign  missionary."  The  object 
of  the  organization  was:  "Fellowship  in  prayer,  aggressive 
mission  work,  and  preparation  for  life  work."  Having 
completed  the  preparation  for  their  work,  the  following 
members  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Band  became  foreign 
missionaries:  Bunta  Miyoshi,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  G.  Hud- 
son, John  Hail,  Abe  Yoshibumi,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  F. 
Hereford  went  to  Japan.  Gam  Sing  Quah,  T.  J.  Preston, 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Hopkins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Irving  G.  Boydstun, 
George  F.  Jenkins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ura  Brogden,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Nelson  A.  Bryan,  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hutchison  Rus- 
sell went  to  China.  A.  H.  Whatley  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  T.  Molloy,  and  C.  C.  Russell  went  to  Mexico.  Gilbert 
S.  Henry  went  to  India;  J.  L.  Hooper,  to  the  Philippine 
Islands;  E.  T.  Lawrence  and  Miss  Katherine  Childs,  to 
Persia.  Prior  to  1886,  Dr.  S.  T.  Anderson  went  to  Trini- 
dad and  Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth  to  China. 

About  forty  students  of  Cumberland  have  gone  to  the 
foreign  field.  In  more  recent  years  Mrs.  Richard  (Golden 
Stockton)  Baird  has  gone  to  Korea,  and  Grace  and  Nannie 
Hereford,  a  second  generation  of  Herefords,  have  gone  to 
Japan.  Not  all  of  the  members  of  the  Volunteer  Band 
have  gone  to  the  foreign  field,  but  all  have  gone  into  some 


256       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

form  of  Christian  service.    This  Band  is  known  at  the  pres- 
ent as  the  Life  Service  Group. 

The  Literary  Societies 

The  Amasagassean  Literary  Society  was  organized  in 
Cumberland  in  1842.  A  society  by  this  same  name  was 
organized  by  Dr.  Richard  Beard  in  Cumberland  College, 
Princeton,  Kentucky,  so  an  early  University  catalogue 
states.  The  one  organized  in  Lebanon  secured  its  charter 
from  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee  in  1848.  The  motto  of 
the  Society  is  "Nos  Palma  Manet."  Its  members  have 
come  chiefly  from  the  College  of  Arts.  Its  meetings  have 
been  nearly  always  held  in  the  College  of  Arts  building. 

The  Philomathean  Society  was  organized  in  Cumberland 
in  1844,  and  still  has  a  flourishing  existence.  The  motto 
is  "Nihil  Sine  Lahore."  Its  charter  was  secured  from  the 
Legislature  of  Tennessee  January  31,  1848.  Although  it 
was  organized  three  and  a  half  years  before  the  Law 
School  was  established,  its  membership  has  come  chiefly 
from  the  Law  School.  Its  meetings  since  1877  have  been 
always  held  in  Caruthers  Hall.  From  1844  to  1860  this 
society  occasionally  elected  to  honorary  membership  men 
quite  prominent  in  the  nation's  affairs.  In  the  University 
archives  are  autograph  letters  of  acceptance  from  these 
leaders,  such  as  Washington  Irving,  John  C.  Calhoun, 
James  Buchanan,  John  C.  Breckinridge,  Millard  Fillmore, 
Roger  B.  Taney,  Charles  Sumner,  Andrew  Johnson,  Robert 
Tombs,  Alexander  H.  Stephens. 

The  Heurethelian  Society  was  organized  in  1844.  Its 
motto  was  "Know  God,  Know  Thyself,"  The  Greek 
form  of  this  motto  was  used.     For  fourteen  years,  1880- 


DR.  W.   F.   HEREFORD  MRS.    HEREFORD 


GRACE    HEREFORD  NANNIE    HEREFORD 

Two   Generations  of    Foreign    Missionaries 


THE  STUDENT  BODY  257 

94,  this  society  published  the  college  paper,  known  as  The 
Student.  The  membership  of  the  Society  was  nearly  al- 
ways from  the  Theological  School  and  from  among  the 
candidates  for  the  ministry  in  the  College  of  Arts.  The 
Society  was  discontinued  in  1909.  Its  meetings  were  held 
for  many  years  in  Corona  Hall,  but  after  1896,  in  Memo- 
rial Hall.  For  a  number  of  years,  both  before  and  after 
the  Civil  War,  this  Society  occasionally  elected  some  noted 
or  outstanding  clergyman  as  an  honorary  member,  and 
their  autograph  letters  of  acceptance  are  in  the  archives 
of  the  University. 

The  Caruthers  Society  was  incorporated  in  April,  1874. 
Its  organization  was  due  to  a  division  in  the  Philomathean 
Society.  Its  membership  was  chiefly  from  the  Law  School, 
the  Society  having  been  named  for  Judge  R.  L.  Caruthers. 
But  it  had  some  members  from  the  College  of  Arts  and 
the  Theological  School.  Its  motto  was  "Esse  Quam  Videri 
Malim."  Its  place  of  meeting  has  been  always  in  Caruth- 
ers Hall. 

The  Lex  Society  was  organized  by  law  students  in  1914 
and  continued  its  activities  until  1930. 

The  Andrew  B.  Martin  Society  was  organized  by  law 
students  in  1924,  and  is  still  mentioned  in  the  University 
catalogue,  but  is  not  active  at  present. 

Student  Publications 

From  1876  to  18  80,  the  students  of  the  University  pub- 
lished a  monthly  literary  magazine,  the  name  of  which 
was  the  Cmuberland  University  Monthly  Magazine. 

From  1880  to  1894,  the  Heurethelian  Society  published 
The  Student.     It  was  a  monthly,  and  was  published  in 


258       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

magazine  form.  The  present  writer  was  editor  of  it  in 
1884-85.  All  the  students  of  the  University  supported  it. 
It  was  self-sustaining. 

From  1894  to  1914,  the  students  of  all  departments 
published  the  Cumberland  Weekly,  a  college  paper  of  four 
columns,  and  usually  of  four  pages.  The  cost  of  publica- 
tion was  always  paid  for  by  subscriptions  and  advertise- 
ments. 

The  name  of  this  publication  was  changed  in  1914-15 
to  The  Tattler.  But  this  name  was  not  popular  with  the 
student  body.  So,  from  1915  to  1922,  it  was  called  the 
Cumberland  Weekly  again.    It  was  self-sustaining. 

From  1922  to  1927  it  was  called  The  Kick-Off.  This 
name  served  a  temporary  purpose,  as  the  name  itself 
seemed  to  indicate. 

Since  1927,  the  name  of  the  publication  has  been  The 
Collegian,  and  that  is  the  name  it  has  to-day.  Apparently 
the  name  has  come  to  stay.  This  publication  has  been 
quite  a  credit  to  the  student  body,  and  it  has  been  a  loyal 
supporter  of  the  University. 

The  Phoenix 

1895-1935 

The  first  annual,  or  yearbook,  made  its  appearance  in 
1895.  It  was  very  appropriately  named  The  Phoenix. 
This  name  was  suggested  by  the  University  Seal,  on  which 
we  find  the  words,  E  Cineribus  Kesurgo,  and  an  image  of 
the  phoenix  bird,  the  emblem  of  immortality. 

The  first  issue  of  the  annual  was  quite  a  creditable  pro- 
duction, one  representing  the  entire  life  of  the  University 
for  the  year  1894-95,  and  edited  by  J.  Frank  Smith,  '95 


THE   STUDENT  BODY  259 

B.D.,  and  a  staff  of  assistants.  Frank  Smith  was  later 
pastor  of  the  City  Temple,  Dallas,  Texas,  and  the  Mod- 
erator of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
U.  S.  A.,  in  1918. 

Since  1895  The  Phoenix  has  not  been  issued  every  year,       ^^U.^ 
but  in  the  following  years:  1895,  1896,  1897,  1902,  1903,       i^o^; 
1904,  1905,  1911,  1915,  1916,   1923,  and  annually  since      ,^  ^^^ ■ 
that  time.     The  students  have  issued  this  yearbook  with 
much  interest  and  care.    It  is  regarded  as  a  valuable  way  in 
which  to  keep  a  record  of  the  varied  life  of  the  University. 
As  a  matter  of  economy,  a  smaller,  but  no  less  attractive, 
volume  was  printed  in  193  5,  under  the  title.  The  Cumber- 
land University  View  Book. 

Athletics 

From  the  very  beginning  Cumberland  University  has 
had  some  form  of  athletics.  For  many  years  baseball  was 
the  principal  game.  The  first  field  day  was  held  in  May, 
1894.  There  were  eleven  different  events,  such  as  run- 
ning, jumping,  throwing  the  hammer,  putting  the  shot, 
and  pole  vaulting.  The  first  football  team  was  organized 
in  1894.  Cumberland  has  had  football,  baseball,  and 
basketball  since  that  time,  except  that  football  was  dis- 
continued for  a  year  or  two  in  recent  years.  Tennis  and 
golf  have  been  quite  popular  games.  Cumberland  has 
never  had  a  gymnasium  building.  The  large  room  at  the 
rear  of  Memorial  Fiall,  originally  intended  for  the  College 
Chapel,  was  found  to  be  unsuitable  for  that  purpose,  and 
so  it  has  been  used  for  a  gymnasium.  Gymnasium  equip- 
ment was  placed  in  the  room  in   1900.     Later  the  room 


260       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

has  been  used  for  basketball.  Young  women  as  well  as 
young  men  have  had  basketball  teams. 

The  first  covered  grandstand  on  the  athletic  field  was 
erected  in  1914  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  campus. 
In  1922  the  southwestern  part  of  the  campus  was  selected 
for  athletic  sports.  Two  thousand  dollars  was  contributed 
by  Nashville  friends  for  this  field,  which  was  named  Kirk 
Field  in  honor  of  W.  H.  Kirkpatrick,  of  Nashville,  who 
contributed  one  thousand  dollars  for  this  purpose.  The 
credit  for  raising  this  fund  is  due  to  Byrd  Douglas,  '17 
LL.B.,  of  Nashville,  who  was  Athletic  Director  for  1922- 
23.  Under  Mr.  Douglas'  direction  Cumberland  had  a  pros- 
perous season  for  athletics.  Each  year  since  1902  the  Uni- 
versity or  the  Athletic  Association  has  employed  a  coach  or 
athletic  director. 

The  first  stars  in  baseball  were  L.  L.  Rice,  as  pitcher,  and 
his  brother,  Cale  Rice,  as  catcher.  James  R.  Rash  in  1895- 
96,  E.  D.  Kuykendall  in  1899-1900,  W.  L.  Seaman  in 
1900-01,  and  J.  S.  Kuykendall  in  1901-02,  led  the  way  as 
football  coaches.  A.  L.  Phillips,  A.B.,  "Washington  and 
Jefferson  College,  was  one  of  the  best  coaches  the  institu- 
tion ever  had.  During  his  stay  of  two  years,  1902-04,  he 
developed  the  best  football  team  in  the  history  of  Cumber- 
land. He  was  followed  by  another  good  coach,  John  S. 
Counselman,  1904-05.  Byrd  Douglas,  of  Nashville,  who 
got  his  athletic  instruction  at  Princeton,  was  coach  for  two 
years,  1917-18  and  1922-23.  The  second  year  he  was  as- 
sisted by  Lagrande  Guerry  and  Mims  Tyner.  James  Ruffin, 
from  Drury  College,  Springfield,  Missouri,  was  the  coach 
for  1919-20.  Later  came  Frank  Wilde,  1924-25;  Monte 
McDaniel,  1927-30;  Buchanan  Loser,  1930-31;  John  As- 


THE   STUDENT  BODY  261 

kew,  1931-32;  and  Gus  Morrow,  who  has  been  the  ath- 
letic leader  since  the  summer  of  1932,  when  he  got  to- 
gether and  trained  a  splendid  football  team,  composed 
mostly  of  College  Freshmen.  There  had  been  no  football 
the  two  preceding  years.  He  deserves  much  credit  for  his 
work  in  1932-34.  Eugene  Mcllwain  became  the  Physical 
Director  early  in  193  5. 

ALMA  MATER  SONG 

On  old  Lebanon's  western  border, 
Reared  against  the  sky, 
Proudly  stands  our  Alma  Mater, 
As  the  years  go  by. 

CHORUS 

Forward  ever  be  her  watchword, 
Conquer  and  prevail; 
Hail  to  thee,  our  Alma  Mater, 
Cumberland,  all  hail! 

Cherished  by  her  sons  and  daughters. 
Sweeter  memories  throng 
Around  our  hearts,  our  Alma  Mater, 
As  we  sing  this  song. 

CUMBERLAND,  MY  CUMBERLAND 

JUDGE    NATHAN    GREEN 

Old  Cumberland  is  marching  on, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 
And  many  a  victory  she  has  won, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 
Her  sons  are  known  in  all  the  land, 
Her  sons  are  true,  her  sons  are  grand, 
Her  sons  for  God  and  right  do  stand, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 


262       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Her  noble  boys  have  made  a  name, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 
And  filled  the  country  with  their  fame, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 

They  teach  and  toil  in  college  walls. 

And  speak  and  vote  in  senate  halls, 

And  ever  heed  their  country's  calls, 

Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 

CUMBERLAND 

FLOYD    POE 

O  Cumberland,  my  Cumberland! 
Proud  may  she  ever  stand. 
All  hail  her  past,  her  history! 
All  hail  her  future  destiny! 
Her  walls,  her  halls  are  ever  dear. 
Her  noble  men  we  will  revere; 
Her  heart,  to  our  hearts  ever  near, 
Cumberland,  my  Cumberland. 


Chapter  XXI 
EXTENDING  AID  TO  STUDENTS 

From  the  very  beginning  in  1842  it  has  been  Cumber- 
land's definite  poHcy  to  aid  needy  and  worthy  students. 
The  great  majority  of  Cumberland's  students  throughout 
its  history  have  had  to  struggle  with  the  handicap  of 
slender  means.  Many  who  came  with  nothing  but  a 
thirst  for  knowledge  were  not  allowed  to  go  away,  and 
any  others  could  get  an  education  at  moderate  cost. 
Cumberland  has  welcomed  and  honored  all,  but  its 
financial  aid  has  been  reserved  for  needy  and  struggling 
students. 

As  a  rule  those  who  have  had  the  management  of  thd 
affairs  of  Cumberland  have  used  the  funds  at  their  com- 
mand wisely  and  economically,  and  the  members  of  the 
Faculty  likewise  have  been  glad  to  do  their  part  in  making 
it  easier  for  students  to  get  an  education.  Owing  to  econo- 
mies that  were  necessary,  the  salaries  of  the  Faculty  have 
not  been  large.  Throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  institution  the  budgets  have  been  cut  to  the 
lowest  figure,  all  in  the  interest  of  the  students  enrolled. 
For  these  reasons  Cumberland  has  been  able  to  do  much  on 
a  comparatively  slender  income. 

The  cost  of  an  education,  to  the  student,  is  not  always 
to  be  estimated  by  what  is  printed  in  the  catalogue,  but 
rather  by  the  total  sum  taken  from  the  student's  purse. 
In  most  cases,  in  Cumberland,  this  has  been  surprisingly 
small.    From  1842  to  more  recent  years  the  college  tuition 

(263) 


264      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

was  rarely  more  than  $50  per  year.  From  1842  to  1876 
more  than  800  candidates  for  the  ministry  were  educated 
without  the  payment  of  tuition,  the  total  cost  for  this  tui- 
tion being  estimated  at  between  $40,000  and  $50,000.  Of 
course  this  burden  fell  on  members  of  the  Faculty,  a  burden 
which  they  were  more  than  glad  to  bear  because  of  their 
wonderful  spirit  of  altruism.  Since  1876  this  spirit  has 
not  changed. 

In  September,  1868,  Camp  Blake  was  established.  It 
was  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  T.  C.  Blake;  and  the  establish- 
ment was  intended  to  be  something  similar  to  barracks 
occupied  by  soldiers.  It  was  located  on  North  Cumber- 
land and  consisted  of  a  former  boarding  house,  with  sev- 
eral smaller  buildings  surrounding  it.  It  was  reserved  for 
candidates  for  the  ministry.  It  had  fifty-three  occupants 
the  first  year.  After  that  it  had  each  year  from  sixty  to 
seventy.  Each  one  paid  an  incidental  fee  of  $10.  The 
table  was  furnished  by  contributions  from  friends  of  the 
institution.  The  whole  matter  was  under  the  supervision 
of  Nathan  Green,  Jr.  Camp  Blake  was  necessary  because 
citizens  of  Lebanon  were  not  able  after  the  Civil  War  to 
furnish  board  and  lodging  without  charge,  except  in  a  few 
cases.  There  were  examples  of  this  generosity  for  fifty 
years  after  the  War. 

In  1875  a  co-operative  boarding  club  was  established  at 
Divinity  Hall  on  West  Main  Street;  and  here  until  1916 
the  club  continued  its  useful  existence.  Board  and  lodging 
here  could  be  obtained  for  $60  or  $70  a  year.  The  number 
of  students  who  shared  in  this  privilege  each  year  was 
fifty  or  more,  some  of  them  being  in  the  College  of  Arts 
and  some  in  the  Law  School.    Since  1903,  when  the  Men's 


li 


^^^iK'       ^^^^p. 


'':^ii  -ite'^^h^ 


CORDELL  HULL,  LL.D. 
Secretary  of  State 


GRAFTON   CREETsI     LL  D 
Chief  Justice,  Tennessee  Supreme  Court 


EXTENDING  AID  TO  STUDENTS  265 

Dormitory  was  built,  students  of  all  departments  could 
get  room  and  boarding  in  it  at  a  higher  rate  than  that 
which  prevailed  at  Divinity  Hall. 

Cumberland  has  had  for  many  years  a  self-help  depart- 
ment. Young  men  have  acted  as  care-takers  of  buildings, 
fired  furnaces,  waited  on  tables  in  boarding  departments, 
assisted  in  laboratories,  had  charge  of  bookstores,  served  as 
tutors  and  assistant  teachers,  and  have  served  the  Univer- 
sity in  various  other  capacities,  for  all  of  which  they  have 
received  remuneration.  Young  women  have  served  prin- 
cipally as  stenographers  and  clerks,  and  have  assisted  in 
libraries.  Employment  off  the  campus  has  been  secured 
also  for  both  young  men  and  young  women. 

At  various  times  loan  funds  have  been  used,  and  a  lim- 
ited number  of  current  and  permanent  scholarships  have 
been  made  available  for  students.  Scholarships  like  these 
in  large  numbers  are  needed.  While  Cumberland  has  no 
hospital,  the  health  of  students  has  been  a  matter  of  con- 
cern. In  hundreds  of  ways  students  have  been  able  to  see 
that  the  University  has  a  vital  concern  for  their  welfare, 
both  while  they  are  in  the  institution  and  after  they 
leave  it. 


Chapter  XXII 
THE  ALUMNI 

The  first  list  of  the  alumni  of  Cumberland  University 
was  printed  in  the  catalogue  of  18  52,  ten  years  after  the 
institution  was  established.  Lists  also  were  published  in 
1853,  1854,  1857,  and  1859.  In  these  catalogues  the  lists 
of  the  graduates  of  the  College  of  Arts  only  were  given. 
Until  1848  the  A.B.  degree  was  the  only  degree  granted. 
There  were  only  two  graduates  in  the  class  of  1843,  and 
both  became  lawyers.  Only  one  person  was  graduated  in 
1844,  and  he  became  a  minister.  In  the  class  of  1845 
there  was  only  one  graduate,  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  who  later 
became  a  Law  Professor  and  the  fourth  head  of  the  Uni- 
versity. 

The  catalogue  of  1868-69  gave,  in  addition  to  the  Col- 
lege of  Arts  list,  the  names  of  nineteen  theological  gradu- 
ates, beginning  with  the  four  names  in  18  58,  I.  N.  Biddle, 
S.  P.  Chesnut,  F.  R.  Earle,  and  R.  L.  McElree.  The  regu- 
lar work  of  the  Theological  School  was  begun  four  years 
earlier,  in  March,  18  54.  The  catalogue  of  1868-69  gave 
also  the  names  of  twelve  graduates  of  the  Engineering 
School,  and  published  for  the  first  time  the  list  of  the 
alumni  of  the  Law  School,  beginning  with  three  names  of 
the  class  of  1848,  Henry  R.  Owen,  W.  C.  Pollock,  and 
P.  P.  Prim. 

The  catalogue  of  1870-71  also  gives  all  the  graduates  of 
the  four  Departments  of  the  University.  These  lists  were 
then  published  a  few  times  between  1871  and  1903,  when 

(266) 


THE  ALUMNI  267 

a  complete  list  of  the  alumni  of  all  Departments  was 
given,  with  the  addresses  of  the  living  in  so  far  as  they 
were  known.  This  work  of  finding  out  who  were  living 
and  what  their  addresses  were  was  a  great  task.  It  was 
accomplished,  or  largely  so,  by  the  Registrar,  Paris  Marion 
Simms. 

The  Cumberland  University  Alumni  Association  had 
only  a  nominal  existence  prior  to  1920,  when  with  a  more 
definite  organization,  it  began  to  take  its  place  among  the 
working  Associations  of  the  country.  Beginning  in  18  56, 
there  was  at  commencement  time  an  address  to  the  alumni. 
There  was  mention  also  of  an  alumni  reunion  in  18  58.  In 
1873  Judge  W.  H.  Williamson  addressed  the  "Alumni  So- 
ciety." For  several  years,  beginning  in  1897,  there  was  an 
annual  "alumni  dinner."  For  twenty  years  prior  to  1920 
Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  was  President  of  the  Alumni  Associa- 
tion. For  a  number  of  years  J.  S.  Waterhouse  was  the 
Secretary.  W.  P.  Bone  followed  him  in  1909,  and  served 
somewhat  nominally  for  eleven  years.  In  January,  1920, 
W.  P.  Bone  took  up  the  work  in  a  more  thorough  way. 

In  February,  1920,  the  first  Alumni  Board  was  appoint- 
ed, and  it  was  asked  to  accept  the  business  responsibilities 
of  the  Association.  A  popular  meeting  could  not  transact 
the  business  of  the  year.  A  Board  was  needed  to  make 
contracts  and  do  business  with  other  business  concerns. 
The  first  Alumni  Board  consisted  of  the  following  per- 
sons: E.  E.  Beard,  '70  A.B.,  '74  LL.B.;  D.  E.  Mitchell,  '02 
A.B.;  J.  H.  Miller,  '86  B.D.;  A.  B.  Buchanan,  '79  A.B., 
'83  B.D.;  A.  B.  Humphreys,  '94  A.B.,  '95  LL.B.;  A.  B. 
Martin,  '58  LL.B.;  W.  L.  Harris,  '12  A.B.;  A.  W.  Hooker, 
'87  LL.B.;  Julius  Williams,  '03  LL.B.;  E.  G.  Walker,  '08 


268       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

LL.B.;  Julian  Campbell,  '08  LL.B.;  Homer  Hancock,  '02 
Arts;  Grafton  Green,  '91  A.B.,  '92  LL.B.;  E.  J.  McCroskey, 
'71  A.B.;  J.  O.  Baird,  '00  A.B.;  E.  L.  Stockton,  '13  A.B., 
'14  LL.B.;  R.  R.  Doak,  '93  B.S.,  '96  LL.B.;  W.  P.  Bone, 
'86  B.D. 

The  first  issue  of  the  Cumberland  Alumnus,  the  organ 
of  the  Alumni  Association,  was  published  in  April,  1920. 
It  had  twenty-eight  pages,  nine  inches  by  twelve  in  size; 
and  four  thousand  copies  were  printed.  This  was  sent  to 
all  alumni  whose  addresses  were  known,  and  to  many  other 
friends  of  the  University.  It  was  a  two-column  publica- 
tion, with  editorials,  feature  articles  with  halftone  cuts, 
news  about  the  institution,  and  fresh  items  concerning  the 
alumni  and  of  all  the  Schools  of  the  University. 

From  the  start.  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone,  the  Alumni  Secretary 
and  Editor,  made  the  Alumni  Office  solely  responsible  for 
the  publication  of  the  magazine.  From  April,  1920,  to 
June  1,  1929,  his  term  of  office,  the  magazine  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  expense  of  the  office  were  financed  by 
the  magazine  subscriptions,  alumni  dues,  advertisements, 
and  extra  liberal  subscriptions  of  the  alumni.  Charles  R. 
Williamson,  '97  A.B.,  gave  $1,500;  D.  E.  Mitchell,  '02 
A.B.,  $1,165;  Dr.  John  N.  Bone,  '04  A.B.,  $300;  John 
Hyde  Braly,  '57  A.B.,  $150;  Roland  F.  de  Fere,  '26  LL.B., 
$150.  There  were  other  gifts  of  lesser  size.  On  June  1, 
1929,  the  Secretary  and  Editor,  on  his  retirement,  an- 
nounced that  the  Alumni  Office,  in  every  department  of 
its  work,  was  free  from  debt. 

In  the  June  Alumnus,  1929,  Dr.  D.  A.  Dobbs,  President 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  said  of  Dr.  W.  P.  Bone,  the  retir- 
ing Secretary  and  Editor:  "He  had  the  happy  faculty  of 


THE  ALUMNI  269 

finding  out  facts  about  people.  This  gift  he  turned  to  the 
advantage  of  Cumberland  by  gathering  data  about  her 
sons  and  daughters  who  are  scattered  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  As  the  Secretary  he  was  the  Editor  of  the  Cumber- 
land Alumnus,  and  placed  it  in  high  rank  among  such  pub- 
lications. Part  of  the  work  necessary  was  that  of  securing 
funds  to  support  the  activities  of  his  office.  This  he  did  so 
well  that  when  he  resigned  the  other  day  he  reported  his 
office  as  free  from  debt.  No  one  will  ever  know  all  it  means 
to  the  University  to  have  had  the  foundation  of  the  office 
of  the  Alumni  Association  so  well  laid.  "With  a  file  of  the 
University  catalogues,  his  memory,  his  energy  and  equip- 
ment, Dr.  Bone  started  out  years  ago  to  compile  a  list  of 
graduates  and  former  students  of  the  institution.  The  file 
in  the  Alumni  Office  to-day  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
arduous  labor." 

Thomas  Marbury  Logan,  '20  A.B.,  was  appointed  Alum- 
ni Secretary  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  on 
June  4,  1929.  He  had  acted  as  Field  Secretary  since  Feb- 
ruary of  that  year.  For  the  preceding  six  years  he  had 
served  on  the  editorial  staffs  of  daily  newspapers  of  Los 
Angeles  and  San  Francisco.  Mr.  Logan  resigned  his  posi- 
tion October  1,  1929. 

Macey  Jones,  '27  A.B.,  who  had  assisted  the  first  two 
editors  for  nearly  two  years,  then  edited  the  alumni  maga- 
zine and  carried  on  the  work  of  the  Alumni  Office  until 
February,  1930. 

From  February,  1930,  to  June  1,  1933,  Robert  W. 
Adams,  '29  A.B.,  '30  LL.B.,  was  the  Editor  and  Secretary; 
and  his  work  was  done  in  a  very  creditable  manner.  Dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  the  time,  he  labored  without  the 


270       A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

aid  of  an  office  assistant,  and  all  the  while  he  gave  his 
entire  time  to  the  work  assigned  to  him.  He  began  his 
work  about  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  the  economic 
depression,  a  circumstance  which  made  his  task  all  the 
more  difficult.  On  June  1,  1933,  Thomas  Earle  Bryant, 
'28  A.B.,  Registrar  since  1927,  was  made  Alumni  Secre- 
tary and  Editor.  He  resigned  these  positions  in  October, 
1934.    His  successor,  at  this  date,  has  not  been  selected. 

The  Cumberland  Alumnus 

The  Cumherland  Alumnus  has  been,  since  1920,  the 
organ  of  the  Cumberland  University  Alumni  Association. 
Its  simple  object  has  been  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of 
the  University  and  its  alumni.  It  has  planned  to  give  the 
news  of  what  is  taking  place  at  the  institution  and  of  the 
efforts  being  put  forth  to  bring  the  University,  in  all  its 
departments,  into  a  larger  usefulness.  The  statistical  and 
financial  facts  are  published  from  time  to  time.  The 
alumni  learn  what  the  standards  are,  and  they  have  a 
right  to  know  the  facts.  But  one  of  the  principal  fea- 
tures of  this  publication  is  the  large  amount  of  alumni 
news  given  in  each  issue.  It  has  been  a  valuable  medium 
of  communication  between  the  alumni  themselves. 

The  Alumni  Association 

In  the  Alumni  Office,  in  Memorial  Hall,  are  kept  all  the 
alumni  records.  The  lists  are  on  cards,  kept  in  alphabetical 
order,  by  classes,  and  by  states  and  cities  or  towns.  Bio- 
graphical cards  are  kept  and  a  record  of  all  the  alumni 
activities  in  connection  with  the  institution.  The  Alumni 
Office  desires  to  know  something  of  what  each  alumnus  is 


THE  ALUMNI  271 

doing  for  his  alma  mater,  whether  it  be  in  the  way  of 
support  for  the  Alumni  Association  or  the  University  it- 
self. The  Alumni  Association  aims  to  be  no  burden  to  the 
University,  but  self-sustaining.  It  purposes  to  use  every 
dollar  that  comes  into  its  possession  as  a  genuine  contribu- 
tion to  the  welfare  of  the  institution,  as  much  so  as  money 
expended  from  the  treasury  of  the  University  itself. 

In  the  work  of  the  Association,  former  students  who  are 
not  graduates  are  accorded  the  same  privileges  granted 
the  graduates,  as  is  the  custom  in  most  institutions.  All 
former  students,  graduates  and  non-graduates,  are  asked  to 
pay  to  the  Association  annually  the  sum  of  two  dollars  for 
the  support  of  the  Alumni  Office  and  the  subscription  to 
the  Cumberland  Alumnus. 

Justin  Winsor,  formerly  the  Librarian  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, once  said  to  the  present  writer,  "The  best  way  to 
build  up  an  institution  of  learning  is  through  its  alumni." 
But  it  is  also  true  that  the  alumni  need  what  the  Univer- 
sity can  do  for  them.  The  Alumni  Association  dedicates 
itself  to  the  idea  of  doing  something  substantial  for  the 
alumni,  such  as  the  promotion  of  their  welfare  in  all  le- 
gitimate ways. 

The  alumnus  who  makes  the  institution  stronger,  makes 
his  own  degree  worth  more,  and  benefits  every  other  alum- 
nus to  the  same  extent.  No  man  ever  paid  all  his  obliga- 
tions to  alma  mater  when  he  paid  his  tuition  bills.  The 
contention  that  he  does  so  is  an  old  delusion,  which  a  cen- 
tury of  education  has  not  succeeded  in  killing.  A  more 
adequate  endowment  and  a  well-selected  student  body 
should  be  the  desire  of  every  loyal  alumnus.  The  Univer- 
sity in  its  ninety-three  years  of  interesting  history  has  been 


272       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

rich  in  achievements.  But  the  feeUng  of  many  of  the 
alumni  is  that  its  work  is  only  fairly  begun.  To  have  such 
a  vision  of  the  work  of  the  University  and  to  firmly  and 
intelligently  adhere  to  it  is  certain  to  produce  good  results. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  University  was  found- 
ed by  a  noble  type  of  Christian  men,  men  of  great  char- 
acter and  of  a  large  mold.  Great  souls  they  were,  and 
they  left  a  lasting  impression  on  the  institution  and  the 
country  at  large.  Whatever  greatness  the  institution  has  is 
due  not  to  material  equipment  or  large  endowments  but  to 
the  greatness  of  the  men  who  founded  it  as  well  as  to  the 
courage  and  ability  of  those  who  have  upheld  it. 

The  men  of  to-day  have  a  large  responsibility  and  a  big 
undertaking  in  completing  or  rather  in  carrying  farther 
the  work  so  nobly  begun.  It  is  necessary  not  only  to  make 
the  foundations  more  secure  but  also  to  make  whatever 
changes  are  needed  for  the  great  region  in  which  the  in- 
stitution is  located.  The  higher  standards  are  ever  to  be 
maintained  and  the  best  traditions  are  to  be  sacredly  kept. 

Cumberland  University  deserves  the  best  this  generation 
can  give.  More  than  eight  thousand  persons  have  been 
graduated  from  this  institution  and  thousands  more  have 
studied  within  its  walls.  Its  richest  inheritance  is  its  alum- 
ni, and  in  its  alumni  Cumberland  has  a  pardonable  pride. 
And  the  University  can  expect  its  alumni,  of  all  depart- 
ments, to  be  loyal  and  generous.  But  its  strength  does  not 
rest  in  its  alumni  alone.  It  has  many  friends  besides,  and 
the  love  for  it  has  grown  with  the  years. 

The  alumni  spirit  is  re-enforced  most  of  all  by  the  rec- 
ognition of  the  fact  that  higher  institutions  of  learning  are 
in  a  large  sense  the  gift  of  society  to  the  student,  and  that 


DIVINITY    HALL 


CORONA   HALL 


THE    UNIVERSITY    BAND,    1934-1935 


•••v..  :>,-..'? 


WINNING  THE  CAME 


Residence  of  Robert  L.  Caruthers 
Residence  of  President  Mitclnell 
Residence  of  Chancellor  Creen 


THE  ALUMNI  273 

what  the  student  enjoys  is  due  most  of  all  to  the  money, 
time,  energy,  and  life's  blood  given  by  others.  The  alumni 
spirit  in  the  true  sense  can  never  be  fully  satisfied  with 
anything  less  than  intelligent,  well-directed  service.  It 
always  calls  for  organization  and  co-operation.  It  is  will- 
ing to  work  in  the  harness;  is  glad  to  follow  as  well  as  to 
lead;  and  to  place  the  welfare  of  the  institution  above  per- 
sonal considerations.  It  calls  for  higher  standards,  and  is 
willing  to  spend  the  money  and  to  make  the  effort  to  reach 
them.  The  alumni  spirit  is  unselfish.  It  does  not  ask, 
"What  will  I  get  out  of  it?"  It  is  concerned  rather  with 
the  welfare  of  others,  especially  for  those  who  come  after 
us. 

Cumberland  University  is  interested  in  the  progress 
and  success  of  its  alumni,  and  wishes  to  serve  them  at  all 
times.  It  desires  to  perform  a  service  for  its  alumni  after 
graduation,  urging  a  deeper  interest  in  education  and  in- 
tellectual pursuits  and  in  the  social  welfare.  Much  satis- 
faction has  come  from  the  fact  that  Cumberland  men  gen- 
erally take  their  share  of  the  work  and  responsibility  in  the 
world  in  which  they  live.  But  it  is  also  right  to  say  that 
there  never  was  a  time  in  which  it  behooved  them  to  be 
more  wide-awake  to  the  changes  and  opportunities  of  this 
era  of  ours.  This  is  especially  true  here  in  the  advancing 
South.  Well -prepared  men  of  the  highest  order  are  called 
for.  Men  of  the  best  brain  are  needed.  As  a  rule,  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  our  alumni  should  come  to  Cumber- 
land to  get  their  training.  To  provide  adequate  facilities 
to  put  Cumberland  on  its  feet,  there  must  be  wide-awake 
alumni.  There  is  more  need  for  wide-awake  alumni  than 
for  money. 


Chapter  XXIII 
CUMBERLAND'S  NOTABLE  RECORD 

In  all  the  history  of  American  colleges  and  universities, 
the  record  made  by  Cumberland  University  is  one  of  the 
most  notable.  Its  chief  distinction  is  that  it  has  made 
men;  for  it  is  known  most  of  all  by  its  product.  It  has 
made  a  wonderful  contribution  in  spirit,  ideals,  and  service, 
and  has  played  a  distinguished  part  in  the  work  of  the 
world.  Indeed,  it  has  played  a  noble  and  illustrious  part  in 
business,  public  service,  administration  of  justice,  civic 
affairs,  church  life,  church  leadership,  missionary  activi- 
ties, Christian  activities.  Christian  education,  creative  edu- 
cation, literature,  statesmanship,  social  betterment;  and  has 
served  as  a  center  from  which  its  graduates  have  gone  out 
to  found  and  cherish  other  institutions  of  a  similar  char- 
acter, and  belonging  to  the  same  group. 

In  November,  1928,  President  E.  L.  Stockton  very  fitly 
said: 

"In  this  age  we  judge  the  value  of  the  individual  or  an 
institution  by  achievements.  The  fruits  of  labor  are  the 
strongest  testimony  of  worth  and  distinction.  We  are  face 
to  face  with  these  questions:  "What  have  you  done?  and 
"What  are  you  doing  now?  Cumberland  University  has  no 
fear  in  submitting  her  record  and  product  for  the  closest 
scrutiny;  in  fact,  the  more  her  career  and  her  splendid 
activities  are  known,  the  greater  is  the  appreciation  of  her 
monumental  work.  She  lives  and  will  live  forever  in  the 
character,  ideals,  and  deeds  of  her  sons  and  daughters,  who 

(274) 


Cumberland's  notable  record  275 

have  drunk  deeply  at  her  springs  of  wisdom  and  love. 
Walk  down  the  streets  of  Southern  cities  and  towns,  in- 
quire about  the  leading  lawyers,  ministers,  teachers,  and 
business  men,  who  have  made  churches,  communities,  laws, 
and  character.  You  will  find  that  Cumberland  men  stand 
in  large  numbers  in  the  front  ranks  of  leadership  and 
service." 

The  test  of  usefulness  is  indeed  the  supreme  test.  In  ac- 
counting for  the  success  of  Cumberland  one  must  take  into 
account  its  resources,  the  opposition  it  has  had  to  meet,  the 
hindrances  that  have  impeded  progress,  the  program  that 
has  been  undertaken,  and  the  toil,  sacrifices,  devotion,  loy- 
alty, and  heroism  of  those  who  would  not  desert  the  insti- 
tution's flag  when  the  odds  were  against  them.  The  con- 
tribution which  Cumberland  University  has  made  can 
hardly  be  duplicated  by  institutions  of  like  character  in 
any  part  of  our  great  country. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  include  all  of  Cumberland's 
alumni  who  have  attained  positions  of  emience  or  who  have 
rendered  distinguished  service.  An  incomplete  list  re- 
cently made  is  as  follows:  College  and  university  presidents, 
47;  college  and  university  professors,  106;  moderators  of 
church  national  assemblies,  21;  Justices,  United  States  Su- 
preme Court,  2;  United  States  Senators,  9;  Congressmen, 
66;  Federal  District  Judges,  10;  Federal  Circuit  Judges,  4; 
Federal  District  Attorneys,  12;  Generals,  8;  Governors, 
11;  State  Supreme  Judges,  42;  Judges,  Court  of  Appeals, 
12;  State  Attorney  Generals,  14;  Chancellors,  20;  District 
Judges,  65;  United  States  Ministers,  4;  Secretary  of  State, 
1;  other  high  positions,  50. 

Among  the  alumni  who  became  college  or  university 


276      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

presidents  were:  W.  E.  Beeson,  S.  T.  Anderson,  and  E.  B. 
Crisman,  Trinity  University;  W.  H.  Black  and  G.  H. 
Mack,  Missouri  Valley  College;  N.  Green,  Jr.,  Cumberland 
University;  J.  D.  Porter,  Peabody  College  and  University 
of  Nashville;  W.  E.  Ward,  Ward  Seminary;  and  Ira  Land- 
rith,  Belmont  College. 

Among  those  who  were  teachers  in  colleges  and  univer- 
sities were:  John  William  Burgess,  Columbia  University; 
Andrew  Allison  and  W.  A.  Bryan,  Vanderbilt  University; 
Shegehide  Arakawa,  Imperial  University,  Japan;  Count 
Heidei  Fukuoka,  Professor  of  Law,  Japan;  A.  H.  Buch- 
anan, W.  D.  McLaughlin,  J.  I.  D.  Hinds,  C.  H.  Bell,  R.  V. 
Foster,  N.  Green,  Jr.,  A.  B.  Martin,  and  E.  E.  Beard, 
Cumberland  University;  T.  W.  Galloway,  James  Milliken 
University;  H.  M.  Somerville,  first  Professor  of  Law,  Uni- 
versity of  Alabama. 

Among  the  foreign  missionaries  were:  S.  T.  Anderson, 
*52  A.B.,  Island  of  Trinidad,  and  Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth, 
'75  Arts,  China.  The  twenty-one  moderators  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Church  were:  S.  T.  Anderson,  E.  E. 
Beard,  C.  H.  Bell,  H.  C.  Bird,  W.  H.  Black,  T.  C.  Blake, 
S.  H.  Buchanan,  E.  B.  Grisman,  W.  J.  Darby,  M.  B.  DeWitt, 
F.  R.  Earle,  B.  P.  Fullerton,  J.  M.  Gill,  N.  Green,  Jr.,  A.  W. 
Hawkins,  J.  M.  Hubbert,  Ira  Landrith,  E.  G.  McLean, 
E.  E.  Morris,  J.  C.  Provine,  and  J.  Frank  Smith. 

With  S.  T.  Anderson  and  W.  R.  Lambuth  should  be 
mentioned  D.  C.  Kelley,  '52  A.B.,  a  missionary  to  China. 

The  nine  United  States  Senators  were:  Joseph  W.  Bailey, 
W.  B.  Bate,  Murphy  J.  Foster,  Thomas  P.  Gore,  Howell  E. 
Jackson,  W.  F.  Kirby,  James  B.  McCreary,  Park  Trammell, 
and  Cordell  Hull.     The  limited  space  wiU  not  allow  the 


CUMBERLAND'S    NOTABLE   RECORD  277 

mention  by  name  of  the  Governors,  Congressmen  of  the 
State  and  Federal  Judges.  For  many  years  Emory  Fisk 
Best  was  in  the  United  States  Interior  Department;  A.  H. 
Buchanan  was  Director  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey 
for  Tennessee;  Hunt  Chipley  for  years  has  been  Vice- 
President  and  General  Counsel  for  the  Southern  Bell  Tele- 
phone Company;  John  E.  Edgerton,  '01  Arts,  was  for 
many  years  President  of  the  National  Association  of  Manu- 
facturers; James  Davis  Porter  was  United  States  Envoy  to 
Chile;  and  James  D.  Tillman  was  United  States  Minister  to 
Ecuador.  In  1932  Cordell  Hull  was  elected  United  States 
Senator.  In  1933  he  was  made  Secretary  of  State  in  the 
President's  Cabinet,  and  later  was  Chairman  of  the  London 
Economic  Conference.  He  was  the  foremost  figure  of  the 
Montevideo  Conference.  He  is  an  outstanding  figure  in 
national  and  international  affairs.  In  an  address  delivered 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  May  5,  1934,  Secretary  of  State 
Hull,  speaking  of  Cumberland  University,  said: 

"This  school  was  created  at  a  vital  stage  of  our  history 
to  meet  crying  educational  needs.  Let  me  here  assert  with 
all  emphasis,  however,  that  urgent  and  important  as  those 
needs  were  at  that  juncture,  the  necessity  for  the  educa- 
tional services  of  Cumberland  University  is  immeasurably 
more  important  and  imperative  to-day  than  it  was  a  hun- 
dred years  ago."  In  another  connection,  speaking  of  the 
Law  School  in  particular,  he  said:  "No  greater  law  teach- 
ers than  Judge  Nathan  Green  and  Dr.  Andrew  B.  Martin 
ever  sat  before  a  class  of  law  students  in  any  university  in 
this  nation." 

In  1933  Edward  Albright,  LL.B.,  was  appointed  United 
States  Minister  to  Finland. 


278       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

In  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  magazine,  February,  193  5,  there  is 
an  account  of  a  banquet  given  February  9,  1911,  by  four 
hundred  fraternity  men  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  in 
New  York  City,  to  honor  four  Justices  of  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court.  The  late  Dwight  W.  Morrow,  United 
States  Senator,  was  the  toastmaster.  Justice  Horace  H. 
Lurton,  Cumberland  1867,  gave  reminiscences  of  his  days 
in  Lebanon  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  "In  the  fall  of 
1865,"  he  said,  "the  college  was  reopened  and  the  chapter 
was  reorganized.  New  men  to  the  number  of  twelve  or 
fourteen  were  taken  in.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  they 
were  youths  just  out  of  the  Civil  War.  The  spirit  of 
Betaism  knew  no  politics,  and  was  not  even  biased  by  the 
bloody  and  bitter  struggle  through  which  we  had  just 
passed.  Two  of  the  new  men  had  worn  the  blue  and  the 
rest  the  gray.  It  is,  I  believe,  the  earliest  instance  of  re- 
union." 

In  that  fall  of  1865,  the  qualifications  for  admission  into 
the  fraternity,  Justice  Lurton  went  on  to  say,  were  these: 

"First,  a  man  had  to  be  a  good  fellow  and  a  gentleman 
down  to  the  ground;  second,  he  had  to  be  a  good  student 
and  likely  to  win  college  honors.  If  we  found  that  he  was 
in  possession  of  qualities  like  these,  we  did  not  ask  what 
flag  he  had  fought  under,  nor  what  were  the  political 
views  he  entertained." 


Chapter  XXIV 
CUMBERLAND,  TO-DAY  AND  TO-MORROW 

In  the  preceding  pages  a  brief  history  of  the  first  ninety- 
three  years  of  Cumberland  has  been  given.  With  such  a 
background  of  distinguished  and  intensely  interesting  serv- 
ice rendered  in  the  field  of  Christian  and  creative  educa- 
tion, those  who  are  promoting  the  welfare  of  Cumberland 
thank  God  and  take  courage  in  facing  the  problems  and 
fighting  the  battles  of  the  future.  They  are  not  without 
hope  that  the  future  also  will  have  its  victories.  Indeed, 
they  are  already  planning  for  the  next  century,  and  for 
the  myriads  of  young  men  and  young  women  who  would 
be  passed  by  and  forgotten,  except  for  the  highly  valued 
and  much-needed  ministry  of  Cumberland  University. 

Cumberland  has  not  in  all  the  ninety-three  years  lost  its 
soul.  The  men  of  Cumberland  take  their  stand  now  as  al- 
ways for  high  standards  in  the  field  of  education,  and  for 
the  transformation  of  all  individual  and  social  programs, 
methods,  and  attitudes  by  the  all-conquering  principles  of 
Jesus  Christ.  All  else  fails,  when  the  wonderful  principle 
in  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samartian  is  forgotten,  or  when 
we  forget  to  be  our  brothers'  brother.  The  University 
was  founded  by  Christian  men,  on  Christian  principles, 
and  has  remained  throughout  its  history  true  to  the  Chris- 
tian purpose  of  its  founders.  There  have  been  many  re- 
ligious awakenings  in  the  University.  The  teachers  from 
the  beginning  have  been  for  the  most  part  men  of  positive 
Christian  character.  The  Bible  has  been  the  chief  text- 
book, and  the  Christian  atmosphere  has  prevailed. 

(279) 


280      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

The  main  departments  of  the  University  have  been  the 
College  of  Arts,  the  Preparatory  School,  the  Law  School, 
and  the  Theological  School.  The  College  of  Arts  has  al- 
ways had  a  high  standard,  both  for  entrance  and  gradua- 
tion, as  a  perusal  of  the  catalogues  will  show.  Both  before 
and  after  the  Civil  War  it  has  stood  in  the  front  rank,  so 
far  as  the  standards  are  concerned.  The  great  need  of 
Cumberland  is  money.  It  meets  all  the  other  requirements 
of  a  standard  institution.  It  lays  stress  on  complete  educa- 
tion, which  always  includes  instruction  in  the  Bible  and 
training  for  Christian  workers. 

The  Theological  School  during  its  history  of  fifty-five 
years  graduated  430  men  entering  the  Christian  ministry 
and  partially  trained  about  300  more.  This  includes  many, 
but  not  all,  of  those  who  were  previously  in  the  College  of 
Arts.  These  were  the  men  who  in  the  main  made  the 
Church  with  which  the  institution  was  connected.  Their 
ministry  was  carried  into  the  majority  of  the  States  of  the 
Union,  and  into  a  number  of  foreign  countries.  The  clos- 
ing of  the  Theological  School  was  a  calamity  and  a  great 
misfortune  to  the  Southland.  This  School  is  very  much 
needed  still. 

The  Law  School  has  been  always  worthy  to  take  its 
stand  by  the  other  departments.  It  has  been  always  Chris- 
tian, and  its  voice  has  been  eloquent  for  righteousness.  As 
is  the  case  with  the  other  departments,  its  chief  glory  has 
been  that  it  "makes  men."  This  claim  originates  for  the 
most  part  outside  of  the  University  circle.  Not  many 
schools  can  point  to  finer  specimens  of  manhood  and  good 
citizenship  among  its  graduates. 

Cumberland  University  may  be  called  a  mother  of  edu- 


CUMBERLAND  TO-DAY  AND  TO-MORROW        281 

cational  institutions.  The  impulse  for  building  Waynes- 
burg  College  in  Pennsylvania;  Lincoln  University  and 
James  Milliken  University  in  Illinois;  Trinity  University 
in  Texas;  Missouri  Valley  College  in  Missouri;  the  College 
of  the  Ozarks  in  Arkansas;  Bethel  College,  Ward  Seminary, 
Cumberland  College  (McMinnville) ,  and  Castle  Heights 
School  in  Tennessee;  Oxford  College  in  Mississippi;  Agnes 
Scott  College  in  Georgia;  and  one  or  more  schools  in  Cali- 
fornia, came  from  men  who  were  educated  in  Cumberland 
University,  or  who  had  been  in  some  direct  way  influenced 
by  it.  To  prove  this  we  have  only  to  think  of  the  Cumber- 
land men  who  have  been  connected  with  these  schools, 
such  as  Foster,  McKay,  Baker,  Richards,  Bowdon,  Good- 
night, Galloway,  Dyer,  Darby,  Hawkins,  Beeson,  Decherd, 
Anderson,  Gillespie,  Crisman,  Kirkes,  Hornbeak,  Simms, 
Black,  Laughlin,  Stewart,  Shepherd,  Mack,  Morris,  Hub- 
bert,  Crawford,  Neal,  Hurie,  Sherrill,  Dickens,  Johnson, 
Dishman,  Braly,  McEuen,  Keathley,  Ward,  Mitchell,  Buch- 
anan, Rice,  Armstrong,  Burney,  Bell,  Maddox,  Gaines,  John 
Hyde  Braly. 

These  and  a  larger  number  in  addition  have  taken  up 
the  burden  of  building  colleges  in  the  states  mentioned  and 
in  others  as  well.  While  all  this  takes  from  the  strength  of 
Cumberland,  in  one  sense  of  the  word,  it  adds  to  the  power 
of  an  institution  whose  chief  glory  has  been  to  give  rather 
than  to  receive.  It  is  bread  cast  upon  the  waters,  or  a  kind 
of  multiplication  of  the  loaves  on  the  Master's  part,  as  we 
may  well  believe.  This  part  of  Cumberland's  history  is 
almost  without  a  parallel  among  Southern  institutions. 

The  patronage  of  Cumberland  University  has  always 
come  from  a  rather  large  territory.    The  candidates  for  the 


282      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

ministry  have  come  from  Tennessee  (all  sections),  Ken- 
tucky, Alabama,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Texas,  Missouri, 
Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio,  and  Pennsylvania.  Students  of  the 
College  of  Arts  have  come  from  all  sections  of  Tennessee 
and  the  States  just  mentioned  and  New  Jersey  and  New 
York  and  some  foreign  countries.  Students  in  the  Law 
School  have  come  from  most  of  the  States  of  the  Union 
and  from  several  foreign  countries. 

Cumberland  University  stands  enshrined  in  the  hearts 
of  thousands  of  people  of  this  nation  of  ours.  This  love  for 
it  is  not  confined  to  the  people  of  one  denominational  com- 
munion. Its  history,  its  traditions,  and  its  present  power 
and  influence  constitute  a  great  inheritance  for  this  gen- 
eration. Its  value  to  the  alumni,  to  the  church,  to  our 
rising  generation,  and  to  the  world  at  large  cannot  possibly 
be  calculated.  L.  S.  Merriam,  in  his  History  of  Education 
in  Tennessee,  says:  "Men  of  scholarship  and  ability  have 
graced  the  halls  of  Cumberland  University.  To  their  un- 
selfish devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  institution  must  be 
attributed  a  large  part  of  its  success." 

Cumberland  University,  in  view  of  its  strategic  impor- 
tance and  its  present  opportunities  for  serving  a  large 
number  of  young  people  who  could  not  otherwise  be  served 
so  well,  is  asking  for  the  support  so  much  needed  and  which 
it  so  richly  deserves.  The  men  of  Cumberland,  who  to-day 
say  these  things,  are  simply  desiring  to  show  themselves 
the  worthy  successors  of  the  men  who  toiled,  prayed,  sac- 
rificed, and  struggled  in  other  days  to  promote  the  cause 
of  Christian  education  and  in  other  ways  as  well  to  fit 
their  students  for  a  citizenship  which  helps  to  make  our 


CUMBERLAND  TO-DAY  AND  TO-MORROW        283 

nation  great  in  ideals  and  leadership  and  to  make  the 
world  a  better  place  in  which  to  live. 

An  ideal  which  would  fit  Cumberland  wonderfully  well 
and  which  the  institution  has  been  eager  to  adopt  as  its 
own  is  the  one  which  the  late  President  E.  A.  Alderman 
gave  to  his  institution  when  he  was  the  head  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  North  Carolina.     It  is  as  follows: 

"My  ideal  for  this  University  is  that  it  should  be  a  place 
where  there  is  always  a  breath  of  freedom  in  the  air;  where 
a  sound  and  various  learning  is  taught  heartily  without 
sham  and  pretense;  where  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus 
furnish  forth  the  ideal  of  right  living  and  true  manhood; 
where  the  manners  are  gentle  and  courtesies  daily  multi- 
ply between  teacher  and  taught;  where  all  classes  and  con- 
ditions and  beliefs  are  welcome;  and  men  may  rise  in  ear- 
nest striving  by  the  might  of  merit;  where  wealth  is  no 
prejudice,  and  poverty  no  shame;  where  honorable,  even 
rough,  labor  of  the  hands  is  glorified  by  high  purpose  and 
strenuous  desire  for  the  clearer  air  and  the  larger  view; 
where  there  is  a  will  to  serve  all  high  ends  of  a  great  state 
struggling  up  out  of  ignorance  into  general  power;  where 
men  are  trained  to  observe  closely,  to  imagine  vividly,  to 
reason  accurately,  and  to  have  about  them  some  humility 
and  some  toleration;  where,  finally,  truth,  shining  patient- 
ly like  a  star,  bids  us  advance,  and  we  will  not  turn  aside." 

One  could  easily  say  Cumberland  is  just  such  a  place. 
But  close  akin  is  Oberlin's  ideal,  as  expressed  by  its  former 
President,  Henry  Churchill  King: 

"Oberlin  seeks  the  education  of  the  entire  man — physi- 
cal, intellectual,  aesthetic,  moral,  and  religious.  It  seeks  an 
education  looking  pre-eminently  to  the  service  of  the  com- 


284      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

munity  and  nation — the  indubitable  obligation  of  the 
privileged.  It  means  to  foster  the  spirit  of  rational,  ethical, 
and  Christian  democracy.  It  aims  to  train  its  students 
personally  to  share  in  the  great  intellectual  and  spiritual 
achievements  of  the  race,  to  think  in  world  terms,  to  feel 
with  all  humanity,  to  cherish  world  purposes." 

These  two  ideals  constitute  a  part  of  Cumberland's 
ideal,  and  are  repeated  here  for  that  reason.  When  the 
present  writer  was  the  editor  of  the  Cumberland  Alumnus, 
he  wrote  an  editorial  on  the  "Ideal  Christian  College,"  and 
it  appeared  in  the  issue  of  September,  1928.  It  is  reprinted 
here  without  alteration: 

"The  ideal  Christian  college  is  a  place  where  the  Christian 
religion  is  free,  warmly  welcomed,  and  not  flouted;  where 
young  and  intelligent  spirits  may  grow  to  manhood  and 
womanhood  in  a  truly  Christian  atmosphere;  and  where 
they  may  have  the  will  and  the  freedom  to  live  their  lives 
according  to  the  principles  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"It  is  a  place  where  ignorance  and  superstition  cannot 
easily  flourish,  but  where  there  is  a  sound  and  tested  learn- 
ing; where  the  pupils  are  earnestly  taught  to  subject  all 
their  beliefs  to  the  rigid  tests  of  logical  and  accurate  think- 
ing; and  where  progress  means  the  enrichment  of  life  by 
approach  to  the  higher  or  more  spiritual  ideals  and  not  its 
impoverization  by  the  reduction  of  everything  to  the  brutal 
levels. 

"It  is  a  place  where  the  Bible  is  the  greatest  textbook; 
where  it  holds  its  place  securely  as  a  book  whose  light 
shines  as  the  truth  that  makes  men  free  and  that  makes 
men  brothers;  and  it  is  a  place  where  truth  is  the  only 
touchstone,  and  where  the  processes  of  thinking  are  not 


CUMBERLAND  TO-DAY  AND  TO-MORROW        285 

turned  in  the  wrong  direction  by  the  bHnd  acceptance  of  a 
false  world  view. 

"There  are  many  Christian  colleges  which  approximate 
the  ideal  herein  set  forth.  We  are  inclined  to  believe  that 
Cumberland  does  this.  At  any  rate,  Cumberland  is  a 
place  where  we  have  been  always  taught  that  every  truth 
in  the  book  of  nature  is  God's  truth;  that  all  nature's  laws 
are  at  least  included  in  God's  ways  of  working;  that  the 
Christian  philosophy  is  the  only  one  which  faces  all  the 
facts;  that  the  religion  of  Christ  does  not  need  to  be  saved, 
but  that  men  do;  and  that  men  need  never  be  afraid  that 
error  will  ever  in  the  long  run  be  the  victor  in  the  contest 
with  truth." 

Cumberland,  revered 

By  thy  sons  thou  hast  blest 
With  love  and  light; 

Life  of  thine,  may  it  be 

Victorious,  noble,  free, 

Beautiful;  thy  days 
Forever  bright. 


THE  LIBRARY 

Until  18  63  the  books  of  the  Library  were  in  the  splendid 
University  building  erected  in  1843  on  College  Street.  From 
1873  to  1878  the  Library  for  all  departments  was  located  in 
Corona  Hall;  and  from  1878  to  1896,  in  Caruthers  Hall.  In 
1896  the  books  belonging  to  the  College  of  Arts  and  the  Theo- 
logical Department  were  removed  to  Memorial  Hall.  The  Theo- 
logical Library,  known  from  that  date  as  the  Hale  Library,  had 
two  large  rooms  on  the  second  floor  of  Memorial  Hall.  The 
Reference  Library  for  the  College  of  Arts,  known  as  the  Mitchell 
Library,  was  located  on  the  first  floor  of  Memorial  Hall.  In  re- 
cent years  these  two  libraries  have  been  consolidated;  and  occupy 
three  large  rooms  on  the  first  floor.  The  front  room  contains 
books  of  reference.  The  privileges  of  this  library  are  open  to  all 
students.     The  rooms  are  well  lighted  and  heated. 

The  Law  Library  is  located  in  a  large  and  comfortable  room  in 
Caruthers  Hall,  and  is  for  the  use  of  law  students  every  day  in 
the  week,  Sundays  excepted.  It  contains  more  than  6,500  vol- 
umes. Special  mention  may  be  made  of  the  National  Reporter 
and  Digest  Systems,  Corpus  Juris,  Ruling  Case  Law,  L.  R.  A., 
both  original  and  new  series,  American  Law  Reports,  Federal 
Cases,  United  States  Reports,  American  Reports,  American  Deci- 
sions, American  State  Reports,  English  Ruling  Cases,  and  British 
Ruling  Cases;  besides  a  great  collection  of  other  standard  law 
books.  The  Library  is  kept  up  to  date  by  the  constant  addition 
of  new  books  as  published.  All  of  the  published  opinions  of  the 
courts  of  last  resort  of  all  the  states  of  the  Union  during  the  last 
thirty-five  years,  together  with  all  the  inferior  Federal  Courts 
and  the  intermediate  Appellate  Courts  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
are  found  in  the  library. 

All  the  libraries  together  contain  15,500  volumes.  A  separate 
and  fireproof  building  is  badly  needed. 


(287) 


GREEK  LETTER  FRATERNITIES  AT 
CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

Beta  Theta  Pi   1854-99 

Alpha  Delta  Phi   1857-61 

Delta  Kappa  Epsilon 18  57-73 

Delta  Psi    1858-61 

Phi  Kappa  Sigma 1859-61 

Phi  Kappa  Psi 1860-79 

Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 1860 

Chi  Phi    1861-61 

Alpha   Gamma    1867 

Mystic  Seven 1867-73 

Alpha  Tau  Omega    1868-02 

Phi  Gamma  Delta 1869-78 

Sigma    Chi     1872-80 

Kappa  Sigma 1887-17 

Pi  Kappa  Alpha    1892-08 

Delta  Sigma  Phi   1912-18 

Lambda  Chi  Alpha   1918 

Sororities 

Sigma  Delta  Sigma   1926 

Delta  Phi  Omega    1926 

Iota  Tau  Tau    1929 

Clubs 

"C"  Club   (Athletics)    1928 

Mathematics  Club 1934 

English  Club   1933 

International  Relations  Club    1923 

Barristers'    Club    1932 

Cumberland  Players  (Dramatic  Art)  ....  1934 


(288) 


APPENDIX 

I,  GENERAL  OFFICIALS,  1842-193  5 

Presidents 

1842-44.  Franceway  Ranna  Cossitt,  D.D. 

1844-66.  Thomas  C.  Anderson,  D.D. 

1866-73.  Benjamin  W.  McDonnold,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

1873-02.  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  LL.D. 

1902-06.  David  Earle  Mitchell,  A.B. 

1906-09.  Acting  President,  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  LL.D. 

1909-14.  Winstead  Paine  Bone,  A.M.,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

1914-16.  Samuel  Andrew  Coile,  D.D. 

1916-17.  Acting  President,  Homer  Allen  Hill,  A.M. 

1917-20.  Edward  Powell  Childs,  A.M. 

1920-22.  Acting  President,  Andrew  Blake  Buchanan,  D.D. 

1922-26.  John  Royal  Harris,  D.D. 

1926-27.   Acting  President,  Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  A.M. 

1927 .  Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  A.M.,  LL.D. 

Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 

1842-82.  Judge  Robert  Looney  Caruthers,  LL.D. 
1882-20.  Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  LL.D. 
1920 .  Dayton  A.  Dobbs,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Deans 

College  of  Aris 
1894-99.  J.  I.  D.  Hinds,  Ph.D.,  LL.D. 
1899-11.  A.  H.  Buchanan,  LL.D. 
1914-16.  Oscar  Newton  Smith,  A.M. 
1917-26.  Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  A.M.,  LL.D. 
1926-28.  Harry  L.  Armstrong,  A.M. 
1928 .  William  Donnell  Young,  A.M. 

Theological  School 
1893-02.  James  Monroe  Hubbert,  D.D. 
1902-06.  James  Robert  Henry,  D.D. 
1906-09.  Winstead  Paine  Bone,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Law  School 
1868-82.   Robert  L.  Caruthers,  LL.D. 
1882-19.   Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  LL.D. 
1919-20.   Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  LL.D. 
1920-23.  Edward  Ewing  Beard,  LL.D. 
1923-33.  William  R.  Chambers,  LL.D. 
1933-34.  Acting  Dean  Albert  WiUiams,  LL.B. 
1935 .'Albert  Bramlettc  Neil,  LL.D. 


(289) 


290      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

II.  TRUSTEES,    1842-1935 

1842-51.  Governor    and    United    States    Senator    James    Chamberlain    Jones, 

Lebanon. 
1842-5  9.  Zachariah  ToUiver,  Lebanon. 
1842-46.  Thompson  Anderson,  Lebanon. 
1842-67.  Nathan  Cartmell,  Lebanon. 
1842-47.  M.  A.  Price,  Lebanon. 
1842-76.  Josiah  S.  McClain,  Lebanon. 
1842-69.  Miles  McCorkle,  Lebanon. 
1842-56.   Andrew  Allison,  Lebanon. 
1842-5  0.  William  L.  Martin,  Lebanon. 
1842-66.  Jordan  Stokes,  Lebanon. 
1842-49.  Benjamin  R.  Owen,  Lebanon. 
1842-46.  Thomas  J.  Munford,  Lebanon. 
1842-82.  Judge  Robert  Looney  Caruthers,  Lebanon. 
1846-47.  J.  R.  Ashworth,  Jr.,  Lebanon. 
1846-60.  D.  C.  Hibbitts,  Lebanon. 
1847-51.  Rev.  Robert  Donnell,  Athens,  Alabama. 
1847-49.  J.  H.  Sharp,  M.D.,  Lebanon. 
1849-57.  O.  G.  Finley,  Lebanon. 
1849-54.  John  M.  Fakes,  Lebanon. 

1850-56.  Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  '45   A.B.,   '48   LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Lebanon. 
1851-54.  John  S.  Pearson,  M.D.,  Lebanon. 
1851-5  5.  ^5/.  D.  Chadick,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 
18  54-72.  John  W.  "White,  Lebanon. 
18  54-62.  Congressman    and    General    Robert    Hatton,    '47    A.B.,    '51    LL.B., 

Lebanon. 
185  5-57.  David  Lowry,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 

1856-87.  Judge  WilHam  Henry  Williamson,  '52  A.B.,  Lebanon. 
18  57-67.  Thaddeus  C.  Blake,  D.D.,  '51   A.B.,  Nashville. 
1866-20.  Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  '5  8   LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Lebanon. 
1867-70.  Edward  Donoho,  Lebanon. 
1867-69.  Thomas  C.  Anderson,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 
1869-72.  David  Cook,  Jr.,  Lebanon. 

1869-82.  Congressman  Edward  L  Golladay,  '49   A.B.,  Lebanon. 
1872-78.  William  H.  Darnall,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 

1876-23.  Judge  Edward  Ewing  Beard,  '70  A.B.,  '74  LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Lebanon. 
1872-78.  Congressman  Haywood  Y.  Riddle,  '57  LL.B.,  Lebanon. 
1879-14.  Judge  Rufus  Porter  McClain,  '5  9  A.B.,  "67  LL.B.,  Lebanon. 
1879-05.  A.  F.  Claywell,  D.D.S.,  Lebanon. 
1882-95.  John  Dillard  Kirkpatrick,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 
1886-91.  Joshua  W.  Fitzgerald,  '80  B.D.,  D.D.,  Lebanon. 
18  87-10.  John  A.  Lester,  Lebanon. 
1887-04.  W.  R.  Shaver,  Grant. 

1904-14.  William  M.  Cosby,  Birmingham,  Alabama. 

1904-17.  Supreme  Judge  Warren  E.  Settle,  LL.D.,  Frankfort,  Kentucky. 
1904-26.  Amzi  W.  Hooker,  '87  LL.B.,  Lebanon. 
1904-08.  Hugh  W.  McDonnold,  Arts,  Lebanon. 
1906-18.  Selden  R.  Williams,  Lebanon. 
1906-20.  James  L.  Weir,  Lebanon. 


APPENDIX  291 

1915-16.  Judge  Frank  T.  Fanclicr,  LL.B.,  Sparta. 

1915-26.   Robert  Alexander  Cody,   '86   B.D.,  D.D.,   Meridian,  Mississippi. 

1915-29,  193  5 .  Walter  J.  Baird,  LL.B.,  Lebanon. 

1915-26.  James  R.  Harrison,  Milan. 
1915-20.  John  Emmett  Edgerton,  '01   Arts,  Lebanon. 
1916-27.  James  Hubert  Grissim,  Arts,  Lebanon. 
1916-20.  William  Bowden  Greenlaw,  '89  A.B.,  Columbia. 
1916-20.  Hamilton  Parks,  '68   A.B.,  Nashville. 
1918-20.  Nathan  G.  Robertson,  '89  LL.B.,  Lebanon. 

1920 .  William  Alexander  Provine,  '89  B.D.,  D.D.,  Nashville. 

1920-3  3.  Judge  James  Edwin  Horton,  "97  A.B.,  "^S  LL.B. 

1920-26.  Bruce  G.  Mitchell,  '85  B.D.,  D.D.,  Greenfield. 

1920-22.  Rev.  William  Bruce  Strong,  '08  B.D.,  Athens,  Alabama. 

1920-26.  Joseph  Hardin  Mallard,  '09  B.D.,  D.D.,  Meridian,  Mississippi. 

1920-32.   Robert  Lee  Harris,  '89   A.B.,  A.M.,  Columbia. 

1920-22.   Joseph  C.  Hail,  Birmingham,  Alabama. 

1920-22.  Milton  H.  Woodard,  '02  LL.B.,  Louisville,  Mississippi. 

1920 .  Dayton  A.  Dobbs,  D.D.,  Nashville. 

1921 .  Elbert  L.  Orr,  '05  B.D.,  D.D.,  Nashville. 

1922- — .  Henry  M.  Edmonds,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Birmingham,  Alabama. 

1923^ .  Thomas  H.  Johnston,  Corinth,  Miss. 

1923-26.  Joseph  W.  Caldwell,  '86  B.D.,  D.D.,  HuntsviUe,  Ala. 
1926-31.  Charles  R.  Williamson,  '97  A.B.,  Lebanon. 
1926-29.  Rev.  S.  P.  Pryor,  Arts,  New  Market,  Alabama. 

1926 .  Henry  Harrison  Weir,  '02  LL.B.,  Meridian,  Mississippi. 

1926-30.  Rev.  L  N.  Yokeley,  '86  B.D.,  Nesbitt,  Mississippi. 

1926 .  Ernest  M.  Bryant,  '11  A.B.,  D.D.,  Humboldt. 

1927-30.  L  W.  P.  Buchanan,  '85  A.B.,  '91  Ph.D.,  Lebanon. 

1927-30.  James  E.  Clarke,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Nashville. 

1927-30.  M.  M.  Morelock,  '11   LL.B.,  Haynesville,  Louisiana. 

1927-30.  R.  F.  B.  Logan,  Hernando,  Mississippi. 

1927-30.  Rev.  Fred  L.  Hudson,  '07  A.B.,  Leeds,  Alabama. 

1927-30.   1931 .  John  J.  Hooker,  '23   A.B.,  '24  LL.B.,  Nashville. 

1927-32.  L.  E.  Brubaker,  '08  B.D.,  D.D.,  Ensley,  Ala. 

1927-29.  C.  R.  Porter,  Shannon,  Mississippi. 

1927- — .  James  D.  Burton,  Oakdale. 

1927-32.  Robert   Bernard   Gaston,   '23    A.M.,   M.D.,   Lebanon. 

1927 .  Alfred  A.  Adams,  Sr.,  Lebanon. 

1928-33.  John  W.  Barbee,  '10  LL.B.,  Hernando,  Mississippi. 
1928- — .  G.  M.  Brown,  Union,  Mississippi. 
1928-31.  Thomas  Terry,  HuntsviUe,  Alabama. 
1929-32.  John  R.  Denny,  Arts,  Milan. 

1929 .  W.  A.  McCord,  Corinth,  Miss. 

1929- — .  Sam  S.  Bone,  '2  5   A.B.,  Lebanon. 

193  0-3  3.  A.  S.  Maddox,  Arts,  Washington,  D.  C. 

1930-33.  R.  E.  Fort,  Nashville. 

1930 .  John  Caldwell  Myers,  '94  LL.B.,  New  York  City. 

1930 .  H.  T.  Burnett,  '12  LL.B.,  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 

1931 .  Van  Payne,  Springfield. 

1931 .  James  T.  Blair,  '92  A.B.,  '95   LL.B.,  LL.D.,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

1932-3  5.  Benjamin  H.  Littleton,  '14  LL.B.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


292      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

1932 .  Thaddeus  A.  Cox,  '91  LL.B.,  Johnson  City. 

1932-35.  Orvis  Elmer  Van  Cleave,  '12  A.B.,  Chapel  Hill. 

1932 .   Robert  L.  Houston,  Leeds,  Alabama. 

1932 .  John  Ridley  Mitchell,  '04  LL.B.,  Crossville. 

1933 .  James  L.  Adams,  Selmer. 

1933 .  James  Calvin  Orr,  '03  A.B.,  '08  B.D.,  Rockwood. 

193  5 .  George  S.  GoUaday,  '04  LL.B. 

in.  TREASURERS  OF  BOARD,  1842-193  5 

Thompson  Anderson,  1842-46;  Benjamin  R.  Owen,  M.D.,  1846-49;  J.  M. 
Fakes,  1849-53;  R.  P.  Allison,  1853-66;  A.  B.  Martin,  1866-80;  E.  E.  Beard, 
1880-1920;  A.  W.  Hooker,  1920-25;  W.  J.  Baird,  1925-27;  Charles  R. 
WilHamson,  1927-31;  John  J.  Hooker,  1931 . 

IV.  FINANCIAL  AGENTS 

Herschel  S.  Porter,  D.D.,  1842-43;  S.  G.  Burney,  D.D.,  1844-45;  Rev. 
John  McPherson,  1844-45;  Rev.  J.  M.  McMurry,  1845-50;  J.  C.  Bowden, 
D.D.,  1852;  W.  D.  Chadick,  D.D.,  1853-5  5;  Rev.  David  Lowry,  1853; 
W.  E.  Ward,  D.D.,  1856;  S.  P.  Chesnut,  D.D.,  1857;  Rev.  H.  M.  Ford, 
1857-58;  Rev.  Hamilton  Parks,  1866-68;  Rev.  W.  W.  Suddarth,  1868;  Rev. 
B.  W.  McDonnold,  1872;  T.  C.  Blake,  D.D.,  1872-73;  Rev.  T.  F.  Bates,  1873; 
John  D.  Kirkpatrick,  D.D.,  1875-95;  J.  S.  Grider,  D.D.,  1888-93;  Rev.  E.  J. 
McCroskey,  1896-1900;  Rev.  George  W.  Martin,  1900-04. 

V.  TEACHERS,   1842-193  5 
1.  College  of  Arts 

Rev.  Cornelius  G.  McPherson,  A.B.,  Mathematics,  July  9,   1842,  to  September 

21,  1844. 
Thomas    C.    Anderson,   A.B.,   D.D.,    Ancient   Languages,    August    3,    1842,    to 

September  1,  1844. 
Nathaniel  Lawrence -Lindsley,  A.B.,  LL.D.,  Ancient  Languages,  September  21, 

1844,  to  October  13,  1849. 
Alexander   Peter    Stewart,    A.B.,    LL.D.,    Mathematics,    January    22,    1845,    to 

October    1,    1849;    April    3,    1850,   to   August   2,    1854;    June   28,    1856,   to 

September  2,  1869. 
Louis  A.  Lowry,  A.B.,  Mathematics,  February  27,   1845,  to  June  1,   1845. 
J.  H.  Sharp,  A.B.,  M.D.,  Chemistry,  February  27,  1845,  to  September  4,  1847. 
William    Mariner,    A.B.,    A.M.,    Assistant    Ancient    Languages,    December    31, 

1847,  to  October  1,  1849;  Mathematics,  October  1,  1849,  to  July  12,  1850; 

Ancient  Languages,  July  12,  18  50,  to  June,  1860. 
James  Merrill   Safford,   A.B.,  Ph.D.,   Chemistry  and   Geology,  June   27,    1848, 

to  June,  1873. 
Thaddeus  C.  Blake,  A.B.,  D.D.,  Mathematics,  August  2,  1854,  to  June  28,  1856. 
Andrew  Hays  Buchanan,  A.B.,  C.E.,  LL.D.,  Engineering,  August  2,  1854,  to 

1862;  Mathematics  and  Engineering,  September  2,  1869,  to  June  3,  1911. 
Julius  Blau,  A.B.,  Modern  Languages,  July  11,  1866,  to  June,  1867. 
E.  G.  Burney,  A.M.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek,   1867-70. 
William    Duncan    McLaughlin,    A.M.,    Ph.D.,    LL.D.,    Assistant    Ancient    Lan- 
guages, July  22,  1870,  to  August  17,   1872;  Ancient  Languages,  August  17, 

1872,  to  June  5,  1914;  same,  September,  1920,  to  June,  1921. 


APPENDIX  293 

Oliver  Hoben,  A.B.,  Modern  Languages,   1867-70. 

Benjamin  C.  Jilson,  A.B.,  Geology,  1854-1856. 

E.  H.  Plumacher,  Modern  Languages,  1870  to  1871. 

John  L  D.  Hinds,  A.B.,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  Chemistry  and  Biology,  1873-99. 

Same,   1911-14. 
Edward    Ellis    Weir,    A.B.,    A.M.,    Ph.D.,    English    and    Philosophy,    1880-84; 

Philosophy,   1894-1909. 
Isaac  William  Pleasant  Buchanan,  A.B.,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  Mathematics,   1893-1902. 
Laban  Lacy  Rice,  A.B.,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  English  Language  and  Literature,   1894- 

96;  same,  1898-1906. 
James  Smartt  Waterhouse,  A.B.,  A.M.,  Chemistry  and  Biology,   1898-1909. 
Cale  Young  Rice,  '93  A.B.,  A.M.    (Harvard),  English  and  English  Literature, 

1896-98. 
W.  L.  Seaman,  B.L.,  Modern  Languages,   1899-1901. 
William  H.  Scheifley,  Modern  Languages,   1901-02. 
Clara  Earle,  A.M.   (Arkansas),  Modern  Languages,  1902-14. 
Frank  J.  Stowe,  M.O.,  Oratory  and  History,  1903-04. 
Charles    Hulin    Kimbrough,    A.B.,    Ph.D.,    English    Languages    and    Literature, 

1904-14. 
Joseph   Clay  Walker,   '04   A.B.,   in  Europe    (Heidelberg)    for  study,    1904-06; 

Germanic  Languages,   1906-07. 
Kate  Adelle  Hinds    (Mrs.  Willard  Steele),  A.B.,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  Chemistry  and 

Biology,   1909-12. 
Walter    Hugh    Drane,    A.B.,    A.M.    (Mississippi),    Mathematics    and    Civil    En- 
gineering, 1911. 
Velear  L.   Minehart,  A.B.    (Washington  and  Jefferson),  Biology   and  Geology, 

1911-12. 
Homer  Allin  Hill,  A.B.   (Park),  A.M.   (Missouri),  Biology,  1912-18. 
Winstead   Paine   Bone,   A.B.,   A.M.,   D.D.,   LL.D.,   Bible   and   Greek,    1914-17; 

Bible,  Philosophy,  Sociology,  Ethics,  Logic,   1917 — . 
Oscar  Newton  Smith,  A.B.,  A.M.    (Princeton),  Latin  Language  and  Literature, 

1914-20. 
Herman  F.   Schnirel,  A.M.,  Modern  Languages,   1914-15. 

Anna  Augusta  Weigel,  A.B.    (Tennessee),  Domestic  Science  and  Art,  1914-15. 
James   Otto  Graham,   M.S.    (Clemson),   Chemistry   and   Physics,    1914-17. 
Peyton  Ward  Williams,  B.S.    (Alabama),  English  and  History,   1914-15. 
Sue  Anne  Chenoweth,  Public  Speaking,   1914-15. 

W.  Patton  Graham,  A.M.,  Ph.D.    (Virginia),  Modern  Languages,   1915-17. 
Ernest  Looney  Stockton,  A.B.,  A.M.,  English,   1915-26. 
George  B.  Hussey,  Ph.D.,  Modern  Languages,  1917-18. 
Madame  F.  Eppinger,  Modern  Languages,  1918-20. 
James  Oscar  Baird,   A.B.,   A.M.,  Chemistry,    1918-1925;    1926—. 
H.  E.  Beierly,  A.M.,  LL.D.,  Biology  and  Physics,   1918-19. 
C.  C.  Lemon,  A.M.,  Biology  and  Education,  1919-21. 
J.  L.  Frank,  M.S.  (Cornell),  Biology  and  Education,  1921-22. 
Oliver  G.  J.  Schadt,  Ph.D.,  Modern  Languages,  1921-22. 
George  W.  Vanzee,  M.S.    (Illinois),  Biology  and  Education,   1922-27. 
Abram  Rudy,  Ph.D.,  Modern  Languages,  1922-2  3. 
Mary  Stahlman  Douglas,  A.B.  Journalism,  1922-23. 
Mabel  C.  Jones,  A.B.,  A.M.,  English,  1922 — . 
William  Donnell  Young,  A.M.,  History,  1922 — . 


294      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

George  Frank  Burns,  A.M.,  Latin  and  Greek,   1923-29. 

Walter  Brownlow  Posey,  A.M.,   Ph.D.    (Vanderbilt),  Economics   and   Business 

Administration,   1923-25. 
J.  Vernol  Clarke,  B.S.   (Vanderbilt),  Journalism,  1923-24. 
Jacob  E.  Boethius,  A.M.,  Modern  Languages,  1923-30. 
Edwin   Ray   Bentley,   A.B.    (Texas   Christian),   Journalism,    1924-25. 
Beecher  Flannagan,   A.B.    (Berea),  A.M.    (Peabody),  Mathematics,    1924-2  5. 
Harry  L.  Armstrong,  A.  B.    (Ohio  Wesleyan),  A.M.,  Mathematics,   1924-29. 
Charles  Lee  Kirkpatrick,  A.M.,  Chemistry,   1925-26;   Biology,   1926-27. 
Mrs.  B.  E.  Alward,  M.A.    (Washington),  Education,   192  5-26. 
William  Earl  Michael,  A.B.,  Spanish,  1925-26. 
J.  Louis  Adams,  A.B.,  History,   1925-26. 
Floyd  L.  McCollum,  A.B.,  M.S.,  Economics,   1926-27. 
J.  Albert  Beam,  A.M.    (Wooster),  M.D.    (Illinois),  Biology,   1927-30. 
Mrs.  Y.  P.  Wooten,  A.M.,  Acting  Professor  of  Education,  1927 — . 
Joseph  Couley  Reagan,  Ph.D.    (Chicago),  Economics,   1927-29. 
Juanita  Helm  Floyd,  A.M.,  Ph.D.   (Columbia),  Romance  Languages,  1928-29. 
Floyd  Revell  Williams,  A.M.    (Princeton),  Latin  and  Greek,   1929-31. 
Ralph  Tinsley  Donnell,   A.M.    (Tennessee),   Mathematics,    1929 — . 
Robert   J.   Wherry,    A.M.,   Ph.D.    (Ohio    State),    Psychology    and    Economics, 

1929 — . 
Eudora    B.    Orr,    A.B.    (William    and    Mary),   French    and    Dean    of    Women, 

1929-31. 
L.  M.  Dickerson,  M.S.,  Ph.D.    (Virginia),  Biology,   1930-34. 
E.    George    Saverio,    A.M.     (College    of    Montana),    Ph.D.     (Texas),    Modern 

Languages,  193  0-34. 
Graves  H.  Thompson,  A.M.    (Harvard),   Ph.D.    (Harvard),  Latin   and   Greek, 

1930 — . 
Virginia  Adams,  A.B.,  Assistant  in  French,    1932-34. 
Edd   Winfield   Parks,   A.B.    (Harvard),   A.M.    and   Ph.D.    (Vanderbilt),   Eng- 

glish,    1933-34. 
Luther    Appel    Pflueger,    A.B.    (Muhlenberg),    A.M.    (Indiana),    Ph.D.    (Wis- 
consin),  193  5 — . 
James    Meadows    Sanders,    A.B.     (WiUiam    Jewell),    A.M.,    Ph.D.     (Illinois), 

1935 — . 
Walter  Scott  Mason,   A.B.    (Cumberland),   A.M.    (Peabody),    193  5 — . 

2.  The  Preparatory  School 

T.  N.  Jarman,  1842-44;  C.  L.  Price,  1842-44;  B.  S.  Foster,  1844-46;  R.  P. 
Decherd,  1846-54;  Principal,  1850-54;  Wiley  M.  Reed,  1847-48;  Robert 
Hatton,  1847-48;  N.  J.  Fox,  1847-48;  J.  L.  McDowell,  1848;  J.  C.  Provine, 
1850;  T.  C.  Blake,  1850-51;  S.  T.  Anderson,  1851;  W.  W.  Suddarth,  1851; 
E.  B.  Crisman,  1851-52;  T.  H.  Hardwick,  1851-52;  A.  H.  Alsup,  1852; 
A.  H.  Merrill,  18  54-5  6;  E.  G.  Burney,  Principal,  1866-70;  Benjamin  Decherd, 
1869-71;  D.  S.  Bodenhamer,  1871-73;  H.  T.  Norman,  1871-73;  W.  J. 
Grannis,  1852-61;  Principal,  1873-1902;  H.  S.  Kennedy,  Principal,  1866-71; 
N.  J.  Finney,  1866-67;  T.  M.  Thurman,  1866-67;  Herbert  N.  Grannis, 
1875-1902;  Harry  N.  Grannis,  1894-98;  G.  Frank  Burns,  1910-13;  H.  L. 
Anderton,  1910-13;  B.  B.  Lavender,  1910-11;  J.  W.  Holmes,  1910-12;  E.  T. 
Bozenhard,  1910-12;  T.  F.  Garner,  1911-12;  J.  Leon  Hooper,  1911-12;  Laurel 
Garner,  1911-12;  Lena  Uarda  Banks,   1911-12;  Nelson  Bryan,  1912-13;  E.  L. 


APPENDIX  295 

Stockton,  1912-16,  Principal,  1915-16;  Paul  Doran,  1912-13;  C.  R.  Endsley, 
Principal,  September  to  December,  1913;  A.  L.  Petty,  Principal,  January  to 
June,  1914;  J.  B.  Havron,  1913-14;  Mrs.  J.  B.  Havron,  1913-14;  T.  M.  ^X'ilson, 
Principal,  1914-15;  John  A.  Hyden,  1914-20,  Principal,  1916-20;  L.  A.  Hona- 
ker,  1914-16;  W.  T.  Hardison,  1914-15;  M.  S.  McGregor,  1914-16;  Paul  L. 
HoUister,  1915-17;  H.  H.  Rogers,  1915-16;  M.  Bliss  Rankin,  1915-16;  Addie 
F.  Oldham,  1916-17;  Annie  Evertson,  1916-17;  Sara  Ransom,  1916-17;  Icie 
Kenton,  1916-17;  John  C.  Murfree,  1916-17;  Will  White  Colvert,  1916-20; 
Margaret  Childs,  1917-20;  Mary  Bryan,  1917-18;  Clara  Belle  Anderson, 
1918-19;  Mrs.  H.  C.  Wilkinson,  1918-19;  H.  G.  Rooker,  1919-20;  Mrs. 
Y.  P.  Wooten,  Principal,  1920-27;  W.  D.  Young,  1920-23;  J.  E.  Belcher, 
1920-27;  Margaret  Campbell,  1920-23;  Elizabeth  Dill,  1920-21;  Alice  Wil- 
liamson Bone,  1920-26;  Charlene  Miller,  1923-27;  Bethel  Crowe,  1923-24; 
R.  T.  Donnell,  1924-27;  Buford  Harris  Kirk,  1924-25. 

3.  Law  School 

Abram  Caruthers,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1847-63. 

Nathan  Green,  Sr.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1852-66. 

Bromfield  L.  Ridley,  A.B.   (Univ.  of  N.  C),  Professor  of  Law,  1848-52. 

Nathan  Green,  Jr.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1856-1919. 

John  C.  Carter,  LL.B.,  Professor  of  Law,  1859-60. 

Henry  Cooper,  A.B.,  Professor  of  Law,   1866-68. 

Robert  Looney  Caruthers,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1868-81. 

Andrew  Bennett  Martin,  LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1878-1920. 

Edward  Ewing  Beard,  A.B.,  LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,   1912-23. 

William  Richard  Chambers,  A.B.,  LL.B.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Law,  1920-34. 

Albert  Williams,  LL.B.,  Professor  of  Law,  1923-25;   1933-34. 

Julian  Kenneth  Faxon,  A.B.,  J.D.    (Chicago),  Professor  of  Law,   1927-30. 

Albert  Bramlett  Neil,  LL.B.,  LL.D.  Professor  of  Law,   1930 — . 

Sinclair   Daniel,    A.B.    (Southwestern),   LL.B.    (Louisville),   Professor   of   Law, 

January-June,  193  2. 
Samuel  Burnham  Gilreath,  LL.B.,  Professor  of  Law,  1932 — . 
Currell  Vance,  A.B.    (Princeton),  LL.B.    (Vanderbilt),   1935—. 

4.  Theological  School 

Richard  Beard,  D.D.,  First  Professor  Systematic  Theology,  1854-82. 

Benjamin  W.   McDonnold,  D.D.,   LL.D.,  Practical  Theology,    1859-61. 

William  H.  Darnal,  A.M.,  D.D.,  Church  History,  1873-77. 

Stanford  Guthrie  Burney,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Biblical  Literature,  1877-82;  Sys- 
tematic Theology,   1882-93. 

John  Dillard  Kirkpatrick,  D.D.,  Church  History,   1880-95. 

Robert  Verrell  Foster,  A.M.,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Hebrew  and  New  Testament 
Greek,  1880-94;  Systematic  Theology,  1894-09. 

Claiborne  H.   Bell,   D.D.,  Missions  and   Comparative  Religion,   1884-1909. 

James  Monroe  Hubbert,  D.D.,  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Theology,   1893-1902. 

Winstead  Paine  Bone,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  Testament  Interpretation,  1894- 
1909. 

John  Vant  Stephens,  D.D.,  Church  History,  1894-1909. 

Finis  King  Farr,  A.M.  (Chicago),  D.D.,  Old  Testament  Interpretation,  1895- 
1909. 


296      A   HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 

James  Robert  Henry,  D.D.,  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Theology,  1902-06. 
Robert  Gamaliel  Pearson,  D.D.,  English  Bible,  1903-09. 

5.  School  of  Music 

Herr  Eugene  Feuchtinger,  A.M.,  Piano  and  Voice,  1903-06. 

Carl  Showalter  Hertzog,  B.L.,  Violin,  1903-04. 

Elise  Heinrich  Tanner,  B.M.,  Voice,  1903-04. 

Minnie  McClain,  A.B.,  B.M.,  Piano,  1903-04. 

Nellie  Hamilton,  B.M.,  Piano,  1903-04. 

Annette  Haydon,  B.M.,  Piano,   1903-04;    1911-14. 

Rosa  K.  Poindexter,  B.M.,  Voice,  1903-04. 

Lucy  Shannon,  B.M.,  Voice,  1903-05. 

Mary  Grissom,  A.B.,  B.M.,  Piano,  1903-04. 

Cordelia  Kent,  Piano  and  Harmony,  1904-05. 

Sara  T.  Feuchtinger,  Piano,  1904-06. 

Leontine  E.  Pierrie,  Violin,  1904-05. 

Carrie  Peyton,  Piano,  1904-05. 

Mary  Louise  Brodeson,  Piano,  1904-05. 

Robert  Paul  Gise,  Piano,  Voice,  Theory,  History,   1906-17. 

Edna  Beard,  Violin,  1906-08;  1909-11. 

Martha  Martin  Burke,  A.B.,  Violin,   1909-22. 

Lucie  Van  Valkenburg,  Violin,  1910-12. 

James  Isaac  Ayers,  Piano,  Voice,  1917-18. 

Lilla  Mace,  B.M.,  Piano,  1917-18. 

W.  H.  A.  Moore,  Piano,  Voice,  1918-21;   1922-27. 

Ethel  Beyer,  Piano,  1919-23. 

W.  J.  Keshner,  Violin,  1922-23. 

C.  L.  Jaynes,  Piano,  Voice,  1921-22. 

Sarah  L.  Shepherd,  Violin,  1923-25. 

Cecil  Irene  Hodam,  B.M.,  Voice,  1924-2  5. 

Sue  Finley,  A.B.,  Piano,   1924-25;   1930 — . 

Carl  G.  Theman,  Voice,  1925-26. 

Sarah  Hill  Richardson,  B.M.,  Piano,  Violin,  192  5-26. 

Paul  E.  Christen,  Voice,  1926-28. 

Lois  L.  Smith,  Violin,  1926-27. 

Frederick  S.  Mendenhall,  A.M.,  Piano,  Voice,  1927-3  0. 

Aline  Fentress   (Ward-Belmont),  Violin,  1927-28. 

Myrtle  Long  Mendenhall,  Piano,  1928-30. 

Mattie  Crowe,  A.B.,  A.M.   (Peabody),  Voice,  1930-31. 

Theodora  Ferrell,  Voice,  1931 — . 

Eunice  Cutler,  B.M.   (Cornell  College,  193  3—. 

6.  Department  of  Home  Economics 
Anna  Augusta  Weigel,  A.B.  (Tennessee),  1914-15;  Mildred  Hungerford, 
1915-16;  Icie  Kenton,  A.B.,  1916-17;  Daisy  Allen,  1917-20;  Mrs.  Joseph 
W.  Lovell,  A.B.,  1920-21;  Mary  Ward  Thompson,  1921-24;  Mrs.  Robert  Ed- 
ward Eskew,  1924-25;  Gladys  Old,  1925-26;  Mrs.  Floyd  McCollum,  1926- 
27;  Edna  Lyster,  A.M.    (Peabody),  1927-29. 


APPENDIX  297 

7.  Department  of  Public  Speaking 

Frank  J.  Stowe,  M.O.,  B.D.,  1903-06;  Sue  Anna  Chenoweth,  1915-16; 
Sara  Elizabeth  Fakes,  B.S.,  1916-19,  1920-26;  Katherine  M.  Moore,  1926-27; 
Mrs.  Lovell  Rousseau,   1927 — . 

8.  Physical  Directors 

James  R.  Rash,  1895-96;  E.  D.  Kuykendall,  A.B.,  1899-1900;  W.  L. 
Seaman,  B.L.,  1900-01;  J.  S.  Kuykendall,  1901-02;  A.  L.  Phillips,  A.B. 
(Washington  and  Jefferson),  1902-04;  John  S.  Counselman,  1904-05;  M.  M. 
Morelock,  1910-11;  Byrd  Douglas,  M.A.  (Princeton),  LL.B.,  1917-18,  1922- 
23;  Frank  Wilde,  1924-25;  Monte  McDaniel,  B.S.,  1927-30;  Buchanan  Loser, 
A.M.  (Mercer),  1930-31;  John  Askew,  A.B.  (Vanderbilt),  1931-32;  Garland 
Augustus  Morrow,  A.B.  (Vanderbilt),  1932-3  5;  Eugene  Mcllwain,  A.  B. 
(Cumberland),  193  5 — . 

VI.   REGISTRARS 

P.  M.  Simms,  1902-04;  J.  S.  Waterhouse,  1904-09;  C.  H.  Kimbrough,  1909- 
14;  O.  N.  Smith,  1914-16;  H.  A.  Hill,  1916-17;  George  H.  Rossman,  1917- 
20;  W.  H.  Drane,  1920-24;  J.  O.  Baird,  1924-26;  James  E.  Belcher,  1926-27; 
Thomas  E.  Bryant,  1927-34. 

VII.    DIRECTORS    OF    THE    BOARDING    DEPARTMENT 

Mrs.  H.  T.  Norman,  1903-04;  Mrs.  James  Robison,  1904-05;  Mrs.  Minnie 
Welch,  1905-13;  Mrs.  George  A.  McClain,  1913-14,  1916-27;  Miss  Alice 
Hanger,  1914-16;  Mrs.  M.  L.  Hill,  1927-31;  Miss  Martha  B.  Mason,  B.S., 
1931-33;  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Fullilove,  1933-35;  Mrs.  Mary  Owen  Holmes,  A.B., 
193  5—. 

Vm.  LEADERS,  EVANGELISTIC  AND  WEEK  OF  PRAYER  MEETINGS 

Fred  P.  Flaniken,  D.D.,  1894;  J.  V.  Stephens,  D.D.,  1895;  J.  A.  McDonald 
D.D.,  1896;  W.  B.  Holmes,  D.D.,  1897;  S.  D.  Logan,  D.D.,  1898;  T  A 
Wiggington,  D.D.,  1899;  R.  G.  Pearson,  D.D.,  1900;  E.  G.  McLean,  D.D. 
1901;  E.  E.  Hendrick,  D.D.,  1902;  Howard  W.  Pope,  D.D.,  1903;  J.  R 
Henry,  D.D.,  1904;  E.  E.  Morris,  D.D.,  1905;  E.  E.  Hendrick,  D.D.,  1906 
W.  T.  Rogers,  D.D.,  1907;  G.  W.  Shelton,  D.D.,  1908;  S.  A.  Coile,  D.D. 
1909;  Robert  Watson,  D.D.,  1910;  Charles  Lee  Reynolds,  D.D.,  1911;  S.  A 
Coile,  D.D.,  1912;  Frank  Kean,  D.D.,  1913;  W.  M.  Crawford,  D.D.,  1914 
E.  A.  Elmore,  D.D.,  1915;  Hubert  Lyle,  D.D.,  1916;  J.  W.  Caldwell,  D.D. 
1917;  D.  A.  Dobbs,  D.D.,  1918;  S.  D.  Logan,  D.D.,  1919;  W.  T.  Bartlett 
D.D.,  1920;  George  M.  Oakley,  D.D.,  1921;  John  Royal  Harris,  D.D.,  1922 
J.  M.  Broady,  D.D.,  1923;  C.  W.  Welch,  D.D.,  1924;  W.  B.  Holmes,  D.D. 
1925;  D.  M.  Harrison,  D.D.,  1926;  George  Edward  Hawes,  D.D.,  1927 
H.  M.  Edmonds,  D.D.,  1928;  C.  W.  Welch,  D.D.,  1929;  no  meeting,  1930 
G.  E.  Hawes,  D.D.,  1931;  Guy  Green,  1932;  H.  L.  Turner,  D.D.,  1933  and 
1934;  Floyd  Poe,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  193  5. 


INDEX 


Adams,  Robert  W.,   176,  269. 

Adams,  Virginia,  174. 

Albright,  Edward,  277. 

Alderman,   E.    A.,   283. 

Allen,  Joseph  W.,  40,  99. 

Alma  Mater  Song,  261. 

Alumni,  266-273. 

Alumni  Association,  270. 

Alumni  Board,  267,  268. 

Alumni  Lists  in  Catalogues,  266,  267. 

Alumni  Secretary,   IJl,   267,  268. 

Alumni    Trustees,    171. 

Alii?)iniis,  Cumberland,  101,  13  8,  1J4, 

161,    176,   270,   284. 
Amendments  to  Charters,    (185  0)    76, 

(1858)      77,     219,      (1903)      226, 

(1907),     140     (1914),     148,     149, 

(1920)    155. 
American    College    Association,    172. 
Anderson,   Alexander,   66. 
Anderson,  Dr.  S.  T.,  66. 
Anderson,  President  Charles  A.,  179. 
Anderson,  Dr.  T.  C,  18,  26,  33,  35, 

36,  57,  58,  60,  63,  66,  77,  89,  90. 
Assembly  Minutes,  215-226. 
Athletics,  259-261. 

Bailey,   Senator   Joseph   W.,    117. 

Baird,  Dr.  A.  J.,  34. 

Baird,  Professor  J.  O.,   15  3,  290. 

Baird,  W.  J.,  288. 

Ball   Endowment   Plan,    109. 

Banner,  Nashville,  139,  160,  182,  184. 

Banner  of  Peace,  3  8,  64,  79. 

Beam,   J.   Albert,    172. 

Beard,    Judge    E.    E.,    101,    121,    198, 

205. 
Beard,  Dr.  Richard,  26,   33,  89,   115, 

227. 
Bell,  Dr.  C.  H.,  93,  234. 
Bench  and  Bar  of  Tennessee,  43. 
Beta   Theta   Pi  magazine,   86,   277. 
Bible  Circle,  254. 
Bible,  as  textbook,  28  5. 
Biles,  J.  C,   145,   159. 


Biographical  Directory  of  Congress,  41. 

Biographical   Sketches,    26,    51,    55. 

Bird,  Dr.  Milton,  34. 

Blake,  Dr.  T.  C,   80,  98. 

Blakey,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.,  122. 

Board   of  Visitors,   73,   222. 

Bone,  Dr.  W.  P.,   141-147,   149,   154, 

180,  212,  213,  236. 
Bowdon,  Dr.  J.  C,   110. 
Braly,  J.  Hyde,   101. 
Bradley,   Mrs.   Mary  Forrest,    177. 
Brown,   Governor   A.   V.,   76. 
Brown,  Governor  John  C,  32. 
Brown,  Rev.  Joseph,  26. 
Brown,  Governor  Neill  S.,   32. 
Browning,  Congressman  Gordon,   181. 
Bryan,  Dr.  A.  M.,  110. 
Bryant,  Thomas  E.,  270. 
Buchanan,  Dr.  A.  B.,   154,   15  5. 
Buchanan,    Dr.    A.    H.,    82,    93,    107, 

125. 
Buchanan,  I.  W.  P.,  130. 
Burgess,  John  W.,  83,  86. 
Burney,  Dr.  S.  G.,   34,  63,  90,  228. 
Burns,  G.  Frank,  160. 
Burton,  Robert  M.,  40,  42. 
Business   College,  247. 
By-laws,   59,  60. 

Caldwell,   Joshua  W.,  43. 
Campbell  Academy,   188,  243. 
Campbell,   Governor   W.    B.,   41. 
Camp  Blake,  264. 
Carter,  John  C,   194. 
Caruthers,   Abram,   42,   69,    191. 
Caruthers   Hall,  42,    199,   120. 
Caruthers,  John,    180. 
Caruthers,  Robert  L.,  36,  37,  41,  43, 
.    98,  108,  188. 
Caruthers  Society,  42. 
Castleman,  Jeff,    15  8. 
Catalogues,    123,    124. 
Chadick,  Dr.  W.  D.,  79. 
Chambers,   Mrs.   Margaret,    122. 
Chambers,  \V.  R.,  200. 

(299) 


300      A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 


Charter,    62,   76,   77,    149,   206,   209, 

216-226. 
Childs,  Edward  P.,   1J1-1J4. 
Church   Union,    114,   137,   214. 
Civil  War,  82,  83,  96,  103,  110. 
Clarke,  Dr.  J.  E.,  157,  166,  177,  181. 
Close,  O.  Bell,   137. 
Coeducation,  123. 
Coile,  Dr.   S.  A.,   148-151. 
College  of  Arts,  80,  88,   109,   146. 
College  of  Arts,  Teachers  in,   94-99, 

125-134. 
College  Chapel,   138. 
College  Code,   123. 
Collegian,  The,  25  8. 
Corona  Hall,  119. 
Court  decree,  143. 

Court  of  Claims,  United  States,   145. 
Cox,  Thaddeus  A.,  171. 
Crabbe,  Dr.  A.  L.,  179. 
Cumberland  Alumnus,  101,  13  8,  154, 

161,  176,  268,  284. 
Cumberland   Annex,    123,   249. 
Cumberland   College    (Lebanon),   62. 
Cumberland  College    (Nashville),   17. 
Cumberland  College    (Princeton),   15, 

33. 
"Cumberland  in  a  New  Era  of  Edu- 
cation," 166. 
Cumberland's   Ideals,   284,   285. 
"Cumberland,  My  Cumberland,"  261. 
Cumberland's    Notable    Record,    274- 

278. 
Cumberland  To-Day  and  To-Morrow, 

279-285. 
Cumberland       University       Monthly 

Magazine,  257. 
Cumberland    University    View    Book, 

259. 
Cu7nberland  Weekly,  25  8. 
Curriculum,  69,  70,  74. 

Darnall,  Dr.  W.  H.,   210. 

Deans   of  College  of   Arts,    115,    163, 

289. 
Deans  of  Law  School,  115,  200,  201, 

202,289. 
Deans  of  Theological  School,  115,  211, 

213,  202,  289. 
Deans  of  Summer  School,  2  51. 
Decherd,  R.   P.,  79,  242. 


Degrees,  215. 

de  Fore,  R.  F.,  268. 

Dewitt,  Judge  John  H.,  90,  181. 

Dewitt,  Dr.  M.  B.,  67,  90. 

Dickerson,  Dr.  L.  M.,  173. 

Divinity   Hall,    108,   264. 

Dobbs,  Dr.  D.  A.,  41.   178. 

Donnell,  Rev.  George,  18,  20,  21,  25, 

26,  37,  38,  42,  43. 
Donnell,   Ralph   Tinsley,   173. 
Donnell,  Rev.  Robert,  36,  50,  72,  78. 
Donnell,  Rev.  Samuel,  27,  51. 
Douglas,  Byrd,   181. 
Drake,  J.  V.,  54. 
Drane,  W.  H.,  146. 
Duke  of  Cumberland,  16. 

Earle,  Clara,  133. 

"E   Cineribus   Resurgo,"    105,   25  8. 

Edgerton,  John  E.,  198,  277. 

Edmonds,  Dr.  H.  M.,   166,   176. 

Education,  Movement  for,  30. 

Elmore,  Dr.  E.  A.,  143. 

Endowment,  57,  63,  71,  82,  89,   145. 

Engineering  School,  79,  244. 

Equivalent  Endowment  Bond,   158. 

Erskine,  Dr.   Alexander,   110. 

Eubank,   Dr..  W.   K.,    177. 

Ewing,   Ephraim,    108. 

Ewing    Professorship,    108,    109. 

Expansion  Program,   165. 

Faculty,    College   of   Arts,    107,    113, 

172. 
Faculty,  Law  School,   113,   191-202. 
Faculty,     Theological     School,     227- 

241. 
Farr,  Dr.  Finis  K.,  212,  238. 
Faw,  Judge  W.  W.,  180. 
Faxon,  Dr.  J.  K.,  201. 
First  Field  Day,  25  9. 
"Fifty   Years    a  Teacher,"    115. 
Finley  Bequest,   108. 
Floyd,  Juanita,   172. 
Foster,  Dr.  B.  S.,  123. 
Foster,  Dr.  R.  V.,  210,  229. 
French  Lick,  16. 
Fullerton,  Dr.  B.  P.,   12  0. 

Gaston,  Dr.  R.  B.,  171. 
Geodetic    Survey    of    Tennessee,    116, 
126. 


INDEX 


301 


General    Assembly,    39,    45,    46,    47, 

71,   209,   216-226. 
Gerhardt,   Lt.   Charles,  249. 
Gill,  Dr.  J.  M.,  93. 
Gilreath,  Samuel  B.,  202. 
GoUaday,   Edward   I.,   65. 
Goodnight,  Mrs.  I.   H.,    145,    159. 
Goodspeed's     History     of     Tennessee, 

17,  32. 
Governors  of  Tennessee,  39. 
Graham,  J.  O.,   149. 
Graham,  W.  P.,  149. 
Grannis,  W.  J.,  79. 
Green,  Chief  Justice  Grafton,   117. 
Green,  Nathan,  Sr.,  69,  80,   89,   192. 
Green,  Nathan,  Jr.,   5  0,   5  5,   89,    111, 

112,   138. 
Grider,  Dr.  J.  S.,   110,   116. 
Grissom,  D.  M.,  99. 

Hail,  Dr.  A.  D.,  212,  214. 

Hail,  Dr.  J.  B.,  214. 

Hale,  Mrs.  E.  J.,  122. 

Hall,  Dr.  John,  19,  20. 

Hamer's    Tennessee — A    History,    49, 

117. 
Harris,  Dr.  John  Royal,   156-162. 
Hatfield,  Dr.  Edwin  F.,  29. 
Hatton,  Life  of  Robert,  54. 
Hatton,  Robert,  42,   52. 
Henry,  Dr.  J.  R.,   137,  212,  239. 
Hill,  Homer  A.,   146,   151. 
Piinds,  Dr.  J.  I.  D.,  120,  127. 
Histories  of  Tennessee,  21. 
History  of  a  Lawsuit,  186. 
Hoggatt,  Mrs.  J.  W.,  123. 
Hooker,  John   J.,   171,   177. 
Hoskins,  Dr.  James  D.,  176,   180. 
Hubbert,   Dr.   J.   M.,    115,   211,   212, 

289. 
Hull,  Cordell,   184,  277. 

Inaugurations,  166,  207,  210. 

Indians,  21,  26. 

Insurance,  the  Ball  Endowment,  109. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  26,  42. 
James,  Mrs.  D.  Willis,   145. 
Jones,  James  Chamberlain,  40,  48. 
Jones,  Mabel  C,  290. 
Jones,   Macey,   269. 


Kelley,  Dr.  David  C,  116,  276. 
Kelly.  Dr.   Robert   L.,    178,    179. 
Kerr,  Dr.  Howard  I.,   176. 
Kick-off,  The,   2  5  8. 
Kimbrough,  C.  H.,  13  3. 
King,   Dr.   Henry  Churchill,   284. 
Kirkpatrick,  Dr.   John  D.,    116,   211, 
232. 

Lambuth,  Bishop  W.  R.,  276. 

Law    School,    44,    74,    88,    146,    185- 

190,280. 
Lebanon,    3  9,    84,    111. 
Lebanon    College    for    Young    Ladies, 

123. 
Lectures,  116,  118. 
Libraries,  110. 

Leiper,   Mrs.   Macon   A.,   3  5,   60. 
Lemon,  C.  C,  15  3. 
Liberal   Arts  College  Movement,   174. 
Life    Service   Group,    256. 
Lindsley,  Dr.  J.  B.,  32,  36,  65,  87. 
Lindsley,  Dr.  N.   L.,   52,  60,  68,   91, 

94,95. 
Lindsley,  Dr.  Philip,  17. 
Literary  Societies,   25  6. 
Littleton,   B.   H.,    171. 
Lockwood,  Dr.  W.  P.,   181. 
Lowry,  Dr.  David,  51,  78. 
Lurton,  Horace  H.,  278. 

Mackenzie,   Dr.   Robert,    143. 

Maddux,  A.  S.,  171. 

Mariner,  William,  96,  97. 

Martin,   Dr.   Andrew   B.,  41,  43,  44, 

139,   188,   195. 
Martin,  Thomas  W.,  171. 
Matthews,   Judge  T.  E.,    17,   26. 
McClain,  J.  S.,  27,  36,  49. 
McCroskey,   Rev.   E.   J.,   116,    121. 
McDaniel,  Mrs.  R.  J.,   122. 
McDonnold,   Dr.   B.  W.,   29,   34,    51, 

85,   87,   89,   103,   111. 
McGee,   Rev.  William,   27. 
McGready,  Rev.  James,  29,  67. 
McLaughlin,   William    D.,    127. 
McMurry,  Rev.  J.  M.,  71. 
Mechlenburg   Resolutions,   20,   25. 
Medical   Department,    110,    114,   245. 
Memorial  Hall,   120. 
Men's    Dormitory,    136,    15  9. 


302       A  HISTORY  OF  CUMBERLAND  UNIVERSITY 


Meriam,  L.   S.,  282. 
Minutes  of  Board,  40. 
Mitchell,    D.    E.,    122,    135-140. 
Mitchell  Library,   13  5. 
Mitchell,  J.  Ridley,   178. 
Moderators,  276. 
Moffatt,  Dr.  James  D.,  213. 
Monette,  John  "W.,    16. 
Moreland,  T.  B.,    15  9. 
Morelock,  M.   M.,   171. 
Mother  of  Colleges,  280. 
Munro,  Hugh  R.,   176,   180. 
Middleburg    College,    3  3. 
Military    Department,    249. 
Murdock,   Abram,    109,    110. 
Murdock,  Dr.  James,   109,   110. 
Music,  School  of,  246. 

Nashville  Banner,   139,    160,    182. 
Neil,  Judge  A.  B.,   180.  201. 
New  York  Times,  52. 
Nickajack   Campaign,   26. 
Ninetieth    Anniversary,    175. 

Orr,  Endora,  173. 
Orr,  Dr.  E.  L.,   180. 
Oxenham,  John,   182. 

Parks,  Dr.  Edd  Winfield,  174. 
Peace  Congress,  42. 
Pearsons,  Dr.  D.  K.,  138. 
Pearson,  Dr.  R.  G.,  213,  240. 
Phelan,  James,  49. 
Phelps,  Dr.  Shelton  J.,  166. 
Phillips,  A.   L.,   260. 
Phoenix,  The,  25  8. 
Pitts,  Judge  John  A.,   181. 
Plan  of   1852,   216-226. 
Poe,   Dr.  Floyd,   178,    180. 
Polk,   President   James   K.,   48. 
Porter,  Dr.  Herschel  S.,   34,  63. 
Posey,  W.  B.,  29. 
Preparatory   School,    240-244. 
Presbyterian   Advance,    157,    178. 
Princeton,   Kentucky,    15. 
Princeton  Seminary,  Design  of,  29. 
Provine,  Dr.  J.  C,  92,  204. 
Provine,  Dr.  W.  A.,  204. 

Ramsey,  Dr.  J.  G.  M.,  16,  17,  26. 
Ransom,  Dr.  L.  C,  110. 


Reagan,   J.    C,    172. 

Registrar,  13  6. 

Resources  of  Tennessee,  95. 

Revival  of  1800,  28,  29. 

Rice,  Cale  Y.,   132. 

Rice,  L.  L.,  131. 

Richardson,    Congressman    James    D., 

45-48. 
Ridley,  Judge  Bromfield  L.,   193. 
Robertson,  James,    16. 
Roemer,  Dr.  Joseph,   179. 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,   16,  21. 
Rossman,  George  H.,  154. 

Safford,  Dr.  James  M.,   80,   97. 
Saverio,  Dr.  E.  G.,  173. 
Schaff-Herzog   Encyclopedia,   29. 
Scholarships,  265. 
School   of   Commerce,    15  8,   248. 
School  of  Engineering,  244. 
School   of  Journalism,    15  8,   248. 
School   of  Music,   246. 
Scotch-Irish  Congress,   19,  20. 
Scotch-Irish   Presidents,   28. 
Scotch-Irish    Settlers,    17-28. 
Scott,  Dr.  W.  A.,  34. 
Secretary,   University,   161. 
Self-Help  Students,   263-265. 
Sevier,  Governor  John,  20,  22,  26. 
Sharp,  Dr.  J.  H.,  69. 
Simms,  P.  M.,  136. 
Smith,  Oscar  N.,   149,   15  0,  151. 
Snavely,   Dr.   Guy   E.,    178,    180. 
Southern  Association  of  Colleges,  172. 
Southern  Magazine,   187. 
"Sparks   from  a  Backlog,"   118. 
Speer,    ^X^illiam,    112,    125. 
Stainback,  Dr.  G.  T.,  109. 
Steele,  Mrs.  Willard  H.,  134. 
Stephens,  Dr.  J.  V.,  212,  237. 
Stewart,    General    A.   P.,    66,    76,    79, 

80,  95. 
Stine,  Charles  M.  A.,   180,  181. 
Stockton,  President  E.  L.,  163-184. 
Stockwell,   Dr.   F.  E.,   166,    176. 
Stokes,  Jordan,   5  0. 
Student  Aid,  263-265. 
Student    Attendance,    80,     114,     15  8, 

184,209. 
Student   Body,   252-262. 
Student  Publications,  257-259. 


303 


INDEX 


Student   Volunteer   Band,   25  J. 
Summer  School,    190,  250. 
Supreme  Court  Decision,   141,  214. 
Swancy,  Judge  W.  B.,  21. 

"Tall    Man   of   Winton,"    118. 

Taller,  The,  2  5  8. 

Tennesseans,   Prominent,    112,    12  5. 

Tennessee,  State  of,  27. 

Theological    Lectures,    78,    108,    109, 

204,  213,  214,  216. 
Theological  Medium,   3  2,   37,  49,   5  5, 

65. 
Theological  School,  78,  88,   113,  114, 

203-218,    280. 
Thomas,  Dr.  J.  S.,   166. 
Thompson,  Dr.  Graves  H.,  173. 
Trustees,  40,  52,  57,  114. 
Turner,   Dr.   H.   L.,    176. 

University   of   Nashville,    17. 
University   Secretary,    161. 

Vance,  Currell,  202. 

Van  Horn,  Rev.  G.  ^»'.,  235. 


Walker,  Dr.  Thomas,  15,  16. 

War,  Civil,  82,  87,  96,   104,   110. 

Ward,  Dr.  W.  E.,  79,  98,  105,   106. 

Waterhouse,  James  S.,   131. 

Wautauga,  16. 

Weir,   Edward   E.,    129. 

West,  William  Mason,  17,  18,  19,  30. 

Wherry,  Dr.  R.  J.,    173. 

White,  R.  L.  C,  86. 

Whitlock,   A.   P.,   15  8. 

Williams,    Judge   Albert,    201. 

Williams,  F.  R.,   173. 

Williamson,  Charles  R.,  268. 

Williamson,  Judge  W.  H.,  267. 

Wilson,  Dr.   S.   T.,    166. 

Winchester,  Dr.  G.  L.,  110. 

Windrow,  J.  E.,  32. 

Winning  the  West,  16,  21,  24. 

Winsor,  Justin,  271. 

Wooten,  Mrs.  Y.  P.,  172. 

World   War,    153,    163. 

Y.   M.   C.   A.,   96,  252-254. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  2  54. 

Young,   Dean  William   D.,    3  8,    179.