XXI.-MUSKINGUM COLLEGE.

(NEW CONCORD, MUSKINGUM COUNTY.)

On the 9th day of July, 1836, a meeting of the citizens of New Concord, Ohio, was held for "the purpose of adopting measures for the, establishment of an academy in the aforesaid town." After considerable discussion relative to the need of such an institution and the advantages to be derived from it, the meeting adjourned to meet on the afternoon of the 10th of August. The meeting was held according to adjournment, and adopted a constitution and by-laws for the management of the academy and elected a board of trustees consisting of seven members. At a subsequent meeting another member was added to the

board.

The board at once entered upon its duties. Mr. Andrew M. Black was elected principal, and in the autumn of the same year the school opened with very encouraging prospects. This institution was successor to the Pleasant Hill Academy conducted in the Presbyterian Church, a mile south of the village.

The board, taking into consideration the fact that New Concord was situated in the heart of a fertile country thickly inhabited by a people favorable to literary pursuits, and quite remote from any literary institution, and with ease of access, being situated on the National Road, called a meeting of the citizens with a view to petition the legislature of the State to grant them a charter for a college. As a result the petition was prepared and placed in the hands of Hon. David Chambers, a member of the house of representatives. This being presented to the legislature was favorably considered, and on March 18, 1837, an act was passed incorporating "Muskingum College," to be under the management of nine trustees, with power to increase the number to fifteen.

At a meeting of the board, held June 4, 1837, a faculty was chosen, consisting of Rev. Benjamin Waddle, president, Andrew M. Black, professor of languages, and Elisha McCoy, professor of mathematics. Steps were also taken to procure grounds and erect a college building. During the first year, the educational work of the institution was performed in a rented building. At the opening of the second college year, the building was not completed, but was so far advanced as to allow class-room work to be conducted in it. By the beginning of the third year the structure was completed, and afforded ample facilities for college work at that time.

For the financial means necessary to purchase the ground and erect

the building, the college was indebted to the citizens of New Concord and vicinity. On the 4th of March, 1851, an additional burden was laid upon the people, by the buildings being partially destroyed by fire. However, they resolutely met the difficulty, and when the board met, 9 days after the fire, to take measures to repair the damages, a committee of the citizens met with them and tendered a sum of money sufficient to restore the building. In 1873 the success of the college demanded additional improvements, and to meet this want a building was erected on the front of the old one. Once again the people were called upon, and once more they cheerfully responded. Up to the present time, this improvement has afforded comfortable facilities for educational work, but there is again a demand for more buildings which must be met, if the institution is to keep on in the line of her progress.

From the beginning of the college to 1877 it was under local management and was supported by local patronage. At a meeting of the board on July 6, 1877, it was deemed expedient for the interests of the institution to extend its patronage, and with this end in view the college was tendered to the control of two presbyteries of the United Presbyterian Church, namely, Mansfield and Muskingum,

After some consideration on the part of the presbyteries the offer was accepted and a board elected to take the oversight of the institution. This board met and organized August 28, 1877, and took steps to secure a change in the charter adapted to the new relations. For the next five years the presbyteries continued their oversight of the college. Then, further to enlarge the field of patronage, the college was tendered to the United Presbyterian Synod of Ohio, and was accepted by the synod.

The board of trust at present consists of 21 members, elected by the synod, together with the president of the college, who is a member ex officio.

The expenses of the college are met in part by a light tuition collected from the students aud the proceeds of a partial endowment. These proceeds barely meet the current expenses and afford no help to make improvements. Strenuous efforts are being made to increase the endowment and to enlarge the facilities of the institution.

When the college was opened to students its privileges were extended to young men only. This order continued until March 20, 1854, when young women were admitted to all the privileges enjoyed by the gentlemen and on the same conditions. The board has never had cause to regret this action. The results have been very satisfactory. While the ladies for the most part have taken the scientific course, yet many have taken a complete classical course and in point of ability and scholarship have shown themselves equal to the gentlemen.

There are two courses of study, the classical and scientific. The classical, including its preparatory, requires 6 years of earnest work and compares favorably with the same course in other colleges. The

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scientific course requires 5 years of study. It embraces 8 terms of Latin, all the sciences, and the greater part of the mathematics of the classical course.

The college has had twelve presidents. The first was Rev. Benjamin Waddle, D. D., who was largely instrumental in originating the college. Mr. Waddle twice held this position, first for 1 year, then for 3 years. Two of the 12, Rev. James P. Lytle, D.D., and Rev. H. P. McClurkin, D. D., served one year each as president pro tem. The longest presidency was held by Rev. David Paul, D. D., from 1865 to 1879. Dr. Paul was chiefly instrumental in raising the college to the favorable position it occupies in the rank of educational institutions. The present incumbent is Rev. John D. Irons, D. D. He has occupied the position for two years, and under him the college is healthy and prosperous.

XXII.-FRANKLIN COLLEGE.1

(NEW ATHENS, HARRISON COUNTY.)

[By Rev. W. A. WILLIAMS, D. D., President.]

Franklin College, New Athens, Ohio, was chartered in 1825. There are but two colleges in Ohio that have an older charter. For several years previous to 1825 an academy at New Athens, in active rivalry with a similar institution in Cadiz, six and a half miles distant, had flourished under the auspices of Rev. John Walker, a minister of the secession church. It was called Alma Academy, and in the year 1825 was chartered under the name of Alma College, which name was changed to Franklin College the following year. Regarding the acad emy and college as the same institution, it is possible that Franklin College is the oldest in the State. The charter mentioned above was granted January 22, 1825, and contains a liberal grant of all the priv ileges and immunities usually granted to colleges. The college was organized April 5, 1825. The names of the original corporators were Revs. John Rea, Salmon Cowles, John Walker, David Jennings, Wildiam Hamilton, John McCracken, John Wylie, James Campbell, David Campbell, John Trimble, John Whan, Daniel Brokaw, Alex. McNary, and Alexander Hammond. To these were added by election at the first meeting of the trustees under this charter, April 5, 1825, Rev. Thos. Hanna, John McGlaughlin, Stephen Caldwell, Joseph Grimes, and Matthew Simpson, uncle of the late Bishop Simpson. At this meeting Rev. William McMillen, D. D., of Canonsburg, and late president of Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, was elected president, with a salary of $400, and John Armstrong, of Pittsburg, Pa., professor of mathematics. Dr. McMillan is described as a "man of clear head, sound and accurate scholarship, a peculiar aptness to teach, and an almost intuitive perception of the wants and character of students."

John Armstrong made all the almanacs and solved all the puzzling arithmetical problems in western Pennsylvania. In all the region round about Pittsburg an almanac that John Armstrong had not calculated had no credit and was no authority on any of the points for which almanacs are consulted. A problem he could not solve was regarded in its nature as insolvable. Learned societies in Europe recognized his attainments by admitting him to their fellowship.*

The first college building was an unpretentious brick of one story and makes a very sorry comparison with the present magnificent three-story brick. So meager were the accommodations in those early days that

Many of the facts in this history are gleaned from Dr. A. F. Ross's "Semicenteunial Address" and Dr. Johnson's "Brief Sketch.”

2 Dr. A. F. Ross's "Semicentennial Address."

two classes were under the necessity of reciting in the same room at the same time. There were at first neither libraries, apparatus, nor literary societies in the college. The Philo Society was organized in 1826, and the Jeffersonian shortly after. They are flourishing societies to-day. Dr. McMillan died in 1832 after a successful administration of the college for seven years. He was succeeded by Rev. Richard Campbell, who held the presidency for two years. He in turu was succeeded by Rev. Johnson Welsh, a brother of Judge John Welsh, of the supreme court of Ohio, both of whom were graduates of Franklin College. After a brief control of the institution he resigned on account of ill-health. In 1837 the board appointed Rev. Joseph Smith, of St. Clairsville, as his successor, under whose administration the college increased in prosperity, and in the fall of 1837 Dr. A. F. Ross was added to the faculty as professor of languages. The antislavery agitation began now to engage the attention of the people. Most of the friends of the college were supporters of the antislavery movement. A majority of the board were antislavery men. The agitation of the question caused the resignation of Dr. Smith; and Rev. Jacob Coon, a strong advocate of the abolition of slavery, was appointed to the presidency. After one year Mr. Coon resigned, and the trustees determined to make the college an antislavery institution and trust to the antislavery sentiment of the country for support. Rev. E. H. Nevin was elected presi dent. The slavery discussion grew hotter. The college received but little or no support from the proslavery element, and the building was sold for debt by the sheriff. It was purchased by proslavery men, who managed it as a rival institution under the name of Providence College. The antislavery men at once erected a building for Franklin College, and New Athens had two rival colleges. But Providence College never secured much patronage, and the property soon passed into private hands and was afterwards used as a boarding hall. The influence of Franklin College was now wholly antislavery. Dr. Alex. D. Clark, afterwards of Allegheny Theological Seminary, succeeded President Nevin. Indeed, he held a professorship in the seminary at the same time that he was president of the college. The college was very prosperous under his administration. He resigned in 1861. The students were not slow to respond to the call of their country for volunteers, and the college, during the war, maintained but a feeble existence. It is said that but twelve students were enrolled during one of the years of the war. The college was managed by Dr. Wishart, Rev. David Craig, and Rev. A. R. McConnell, until the board elected Rev. R. G. Campbell, D. D., president, in 1867, Rev. Robt. Armstrong professor of languages, and T. M. Sewell professor of mathematics. President Campbell and Professor Sewell are still members of the faculty, the former professor of languages and the latter professor of mathematics. After a successful presidency of two years Dr. Campbell, conscious of the effort that would be required to resuscitate the institution, and being in charge of a congregation, resigned, that the