TRINITY.
This is a critical time in the history of the College and a suitable time, in the judgment of the editors, to give a short sketch of the institution in the past, a summary of facts incident to important changes in the present year, and an outline of plans proposed for the future. This edition ofThe Archiveis especially addressed to the Methodists of North Carolina, the patronizing Conference, and to the Alumni. We bespeak for the three following articles a careful perusal.
The following facts have been gathered from authoritative sources.
By an act of the Legislature in 1859 Normal College was changed to Trinity. The connection with the State was revived and the institution became a regular denominational college. Increased prosperity was the result of this arrangement. From 1859 to 1862, the average number ofmatriculation annually was 204; the gross income, seventy-five hundred dollars per annum, losses three hundred and eighty dollars, gratuitous tuition, eight hundred and thirty dollars.
During the whole time, expulsions five; deaths, three; conversions, one hundred and sixty-five. These were by far the most prosperous years the College has ever had; current expenses were more nearly met than at any time in the following 20 years, opposition had died away, agents appointed by the Conference were readily securing ample funds for elegant and commodious buildings. Some gentlemen were proposing to inaugurate a handsome endowment, every thing was favorable for a secure foundation of prosperity. By the war, all was changed.
During the war, the exercises of the institution were continued with a variable but constantly decreasing number of students. In 1863 Dr. Craven resigned as President, and was stationed for two years at Edenton Street church, in the city of Raleigh.
Prof. W. T. Gannaway was placed in charge as Presidentpro tempore, and continued with a small number of students until the arrival of General Hardee’s corps in April, 1865. Dr. Mangum pays Prof. Gannaway the following tribute: “He has been toiling with great fidelity and usefulness for over thirty-two years. He has stood by the struggling school throughout all its vicissitudes. For 27 years he had the enormous work of eight full recitations a day. His chairs of Latin has sometimes been loaded with Greek, sometimes with History, sometimes with French. But he has carried his burden over the long years most nobly and heroically. Emory and Henry did a blessed work for North Carolina when she sent Trinity this accomplished christian teacher. What a debt we all owe him.” After April, 1865, the exercises were suspended until the following January. In the fall of 1865, Dr. Craven, the former president, was re-elected, and having been requested by the Conference to accept the position, he proceeded immediately after Conference to repair and re-open the institution.
From 1866 to 1876 the average number of matriculations was one hundred and fifty-five; gross annual income, six thousand dollars; losses, three hundred and forty dollars; gratuitous tuition, six hundred and twenty; for the whole time, deaths, four; expulsions, four; conversions, three hundred and thirty-two.
From 1859 to 1887 inclusive, there have been 340 graduates including three ladies. Of these there are 53 lawyers, 20 physicians, 34 preachers, 70 teachers and professors in colleges, 12 journalists, and the rest farmers and merchants.
Of Trinity’s Alumni, 5 have become judges, 7 solicitors, 11 eitherpresidents or professors of leading colleges, 49 have been members of the Legislature of the different States and Territories. Quite a number of them have been in Congress from 2 to 8 years.
The honorary degree of Master of Arts has been conferred upon 17 persons, Doctor of Divinity upon 22, and Doctor of Laws upon 3.
The Professors have been as follows:
[1]The facts here given, it must be kept in mind, are for the period beginning with 1859.[2]Johnson and Wright were Professors 4 years in Normal College and Gannaway 2 years.
[1]The facts here given, it must be kept in mind, are for the period beginning with 1859.
[1]The facts here given, it must be kept in mind, are for the period beginning with 1859.
[2]Johnson and Wright were Professors 4 years in Normal College and Gannaway 2 years.
[2]Johnson and Wright were Professors 4 years in Normal College and Gannaway 2 years.
On the 7th of November, 1882, Rev. B. Craven, D. D., LL. D., the honored President and founder of the institution, died, and Prof. W. H. Pegram was appointed chairman of the Faculty till the Board of Trustees could meet and elect a President but it was deemed advisable by the Board to continue that arrangement until the close of the scholastic year.
At the Commencement in June, 1883, Rev. Marcus L. Wood, A. M., D. D., a graduate of Trinity of the class of ’55, was chosen President, who assumed the duties of this position on the 5th day of Sept., of the same year, and all fears that the College would not survive the death of its great founder passed away. President Wood was assisted by four Professors, who did all in their power to promote the interests of the College. At the meeting of the Conference, 1884, President Wood resigned and Rev. John F. Heitman was appointed chairman of the Faculty, under whose administration the financial as well as other features of the College were greatly improved. This period marks an epoch in the history of Trinity College. At the same time that Professor Heitman was appointed chairman of the Faculty, H. H. Williams, J. M. Bandy, N. C. English and A. W. Long were elected Professors. The chairman with his corps of instructors infused new life into the College, which has resulted in rapid growth and development.
One special feature of this administration was the establishment of a Preparatory Department over which the efficient and popular Prof. N. C. English still presides.
This period is closed with the election to the Presidency of J. F. Crowell, A. B. (Yale), who entered upon his office at the beginning of this scholastic year.
This is an age of progress in almost every department, but in none more so than in educational affairs. The institution that does not imbibe this progressive spirit will soon be relegated to the shades of antiquity. New methods of teaching and of managing young men have now been adopted in most of the leading institutions of this country. Trinity during the past year has made rapid strides toward the attainment of better methods by which the young men of this State may be able to secure thorough collegiate education. This reform has been as marked in the management of the students as in the methods of instruction. A young man is now put on his honor as to his conduct. He is supposed to possess the elements of true manhood, and it is not considered necessary to have spies to watch his every movement. This tends to make him better behaved than he, perhaps, would otherwise be. Each class has a dean and a monitor, a professor acting as dean and a member of the class as monitor. The monitor reports all absentees from chapel exercises, and the absentees hand their excuses to the dean of their class who presents it to the faculty. The decision of the faculty can be learned by reference to the bulletin board. This method, in the end, saves a great deal of time and trouble. There has been better order during the past year than in almost any other year of the college’s history. The libraries of the two Societies have been consolidated and placed in a more commodious and suitable room. A first class reading-room has been established, and now no student has any excuse for being ignorant of the current news of the day, as the very best newspapers and magazines can always be found on the reading-room tables. One of the most beneficial steps taken by the students of the institution was the formation of a branch of the Y. M. C. A., which has already resulted in great good. The grandest movement, though, that has yet been undertaken by the young men of this institution is their having obligated themselves to do all in their power to raise enough money to erect a new building to be used for the library and the Society halls. This shows the enthusiasm that has been awakened among the students by the wise and efficient work done by the various members of the faculty during this year; it shows that they are heartily in sympathy with all the efforts for the college’s up-building. The curriculum has been improved, having been considerably extended,especially in the departments of English and History. Two well equipped, progressive teachers have been placed at the head of these departments, and the result is that the scholars are more thorough on these two important branches of collegiate education. Heretofore the chairs of History and English have been consolidated, necessarily causing the instruction in each to be rather limited. This is the first year in which Trinity has had a President, since the resignation of Rev. M. L. Wood, D.D. Two new members of the faculty have, of course, added no little towards the means of usefulness of the institution. More students have matriculated here during this year than in any one of the past ten years, which should be a great encouragement to the friends of the college. This school year has been indeed a turning point for the better in Trinity’s career, new fields of thought have been opened up to the students. Every alumnus of this institution should feel proud of what hisAlma Materhas achieved during this year under somewhat adverse circumstances, and should rally to the rescue, and show his appreciation by doing all in his power to sustain the “new administration” by getting as many young men as possible to come here next fall.
This has been, indeed, an auspicious year for Trinity. Not only has the year’s work been good and the institution brought more prominently before the public, but there has been work done within its walls that is indicative of a bright future and that can be correctly measured only by the future. The President and Faculty have faithfully labored with an eye to the future, believing that time and experience will prove the wisdom of their course. The curriculum has been revised. It is their object to keep it squarely abreast with the educational demands of the age. The College is now divided into two Departments: the Academic, including the first two years; and the Scientific, including the last two years.
The Academic has three courses: the Classical, the distinguishing studies of which are Greek and Latin; the Modern, distinguished by German and French; and the English, requiring English studies only. Mathematics, English and History are equal in the three. Other studies are not equal, consequently, the conditions for admission to College will not be the same for all the courses, the Classical requiring the most. These conditions will be enlarged from year to year as may be thought best. In this Department, special attention will be given to mental discipline, to methods and to laying such foundations in study as will best prepare students for the more independent work and scientific research to follow.
The Scientific Department is composed of fifteen different schools, and this number may be expanded according to the number of instructors employed. Its characteristic features are the cultivation of all the Sciences, original inquiry and freedom to select from these schools studies, within certain prescribed limits, according to the peculiar taste of the student. This curriculum will lead to four different degrees, according to the selections made from the schools. It is, consequently, varied sufficiently to please all, from the classically inclined to the devotee of science, and full and thorough enough to satisfy the demands which the age is making upon Colleges. Indeed, the general, but constant, aim will be to make the college a more potent and independent factor, through its influence, for moulding public opinion and elevating public life, in religion, in education, in government and in the industries of the country. In order better to do this, and believing that the time has come when there is a wise demand for threedifferentinstitutions in our national educational system, the Preparatory school, the College, and the University, the authorities have abolished the Preparatory Department heretofore connected with the College, and will give their influence to the up-building throughout the State of first class preparatory schools, which may act as feeders to the Colleges. The lack of such schools has greatly retarded the advancement of education throughout the whole country. College work should begin where that of the better class of lower schools closes, and end where the best Universities take it up. This is the rational, economical plan, and the one that Trinity proposes to follow. Thus each of the three institutions will be better able to do its peculiar work. The College will be relieved and can, in turn, relieve the Universities of the burden of doing College work, and then the Universities can engage their powers in answering the demand for true University work.
This is a general statement of the Faculty’s plan for the future work and management of the College, but they are not alone in the work. They have an active, energetic Board of Trustees to co-operate and assist by action as well as by word. It is the Board’s purpose and determination, so far as in them lies, to make and keep the institution the peer of the best of its kind in the South. Upon them, in a large measure, devolves the financial support and management and, consequently, the success of the institution. To this demand they are ready to respond, and are responding. Every one that has given the subject thought concurs with the late Dr. Craven that “to meet the demand of the times, keep pace with improvements and growth, and hold equal pace with a host of noble competitors, one hundred thousand dollars endowment must be realized at an early day. Her alumni and friendscando the work.”While the endowment has long been delayed, Trinity has done a work without it, of which any institution might be proud. But with this fund partly raised and the rest well under way, we think we see a career before Trinity that will make glad the heart of every Methodist and of every friend of christian education, provided always that he has done his part in consummating the noble work. To do this fully requires only an effort from each one. Then will not every one unite hands with the devoted, self-sacrificing Faculty and earnest Board of Trustees in achieving a work that is to surprise the most hopeful? What say you, reader? or, rather, what will youdotoward securing this nucleus of an endowment?