USA > Alabama > Memorial record of Alabama. A concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people. Volume I > Part 19
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Dr. Manly was born in Chatham city, N. C., January 29, 1778. At the early age of eighteen years he was licensed as a preacher; in 1819, he entered the junior class of South Carolina college, was graduated in 1821, ordained to the ministry in 1822, resigned his pastorate in 1837 to become president of the university of Alabama, resigned this office in 1854 and returned to the pulpit, and although in impaired health, he continued to preach as opportunity offered and his weak physical condition permitted, - until December 21, 1868, when he died in the seventy-first year of his age.
ADMINISTRATION OF DR. GARLAND.
This distinguished scholar and divine was recalled to the university in. the summer of 1855, and invited to take the position made vacant by the resignation of Dr. Manly. There were associated with him in the faculty, Samuel Stafford, A. M., professor of ancient literature; Rev. John W Pratt, D. D., professor of logic, rhetoric and oratory; George Benaugh M. A., professor of mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy Andre Doloffre, professor of modern languages; Rev. A. J. Battle, pro- fessor of Greek; Willam S. Wyman, M. A., associate professor of ancient languages; John W. Mallet, Ph. D., lecturer in chemistry; Robert K. Hargrove, M. A., associate professor of mathematics; Michael Toumey, M. A., professor-elect of chemistry, mineralogy and geology. Professor Stafford soon found the duties of his chair too onerous for his failing condition of health. and Professor Wyman took his place. In July, 1857, Professor Hargrove resigned and became an eminent minister in the
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Methodist Episcopal church, south. Professor Mallet retired to accept the chair of chemistry in the newly established medical college at Mobile and Professor A. J. Battle resigned to take the presidency of the Ala- bama Central Female college. Their places were all filled by acceptable professors.
Material improvements kept pace with the scholastic progress of the university. A new college hall and two new houses for professors were built. Handsome halls for the two literary societies were provided, with their libraries then numbering more than 5,000 volumes. But the most important and radical change was effected by an act of the legislature approved February 23, 1860, which established a military department for the university and required that the student should be placed under mili- tary discipline. The same act increased the endowment to $300,000 and fixed the rate of interest to be paid the university at eight per cent. This change went into effect in the autumn of 1860, under auspicious circum- stances. The number of students was largely increased and they seemed highly pleased with the new mode of government in which they were to have so large a part. Even the professors, who at first opposed the inno- vation, became warm supporters of the new method, and the future seemed full of hope and encouragement to the university. Soon, however, all was changed. On the 11th of January, 1861, Alabama seceded from the union; soon after, the Confederate provisional government was estab- lished at Montgomery and the tocsin of war resounded through the land. The excitement became too pervading to permit the even flow of study and recitation, young men daily left for the camp and the field, and by next commencement day the ranks of the corps were greatly depleted. Notwithstanding all ths and the fact that most of the colleges and acade- mies in the south had closed their doors, regular exercises at the univer. sity were resumed in September, 1861. The military feature, so recently grafted on the university course, made the institution at once very popu- lar and public sentiment required that its doors should remain open. Indeed, such was the demand for instruction in military tactics, it became a kind of training school for young officers who, when sufficiently disci- plined, were taken to instruct in military camps or became attached to the service in still more important positions. The work at the university was prosecuted, however, under serious and increasing difficulties. The rules for admission were relaxed and boys were received as young as fourteen and few could be retained beyond their seventeenth year. Col. James T. Murfee, now the accomplished head of the Marion (Ala.) Mili- tary academy, was placed in command of the cadets and so continued until the corps was finally disbanded after the university buildings had vanished in flame and smoke.
In the year 1862-3, a preparatory department was established and Pro- fessor E. R. Dickson, now superintendent of public schools in Mobile, was placed in charge. In July, 1863, Benjamin F. Meek, a graduate of
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the university, class 1854, was elected assistant professor of Latin and Greek. In July, 1864, commencement day was duly celebrated for the first time since the commencement of hostilities. There were, however, only three titled graduates although the number of students, during the year, reached 341.
The scholastic year 1864-5 opened with 300 students and work pro- ceeded as usual until the spring of 1865. Rumors of an attack upon Tus- caloosa by Federal cavalry were rife but not sufficiently heeded, for on the night of April 3d, the town was surprised and captured. The corps of cadets, under President Garland and Commandant Murfee, marched into town on the first signal of danger and, on arriving near the bridge span- nng the Warrior river, had a brief encounter with the cavalry. The cadets stood their ground bravely until finding that the invading force was too large and well supplied to be successfully resisted, a retreat was ordered, when they retired in good order to the university barracks. After de- stroying a quantity of ammunition and other stores, they reluctantly took up the line of march to Marion, where they were formally disbanded. The next day, April 4th, the torch was applied to all the public buildings of the university which before mid-day were left smouldering heaps of ashes. Not even the library, with its priceless treasures of rare and costly books, was spared, although the librarian, Prof. Doloffre, showed the commanding officer through the rooms and pleaded earnestly that these, at least, might be spared. The value of university property thus ruth- lessly destroyed was not less than $300,000.
THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
An effort was made to resume exercises at the university in October, 1865. It was proposed to use the basement of the president's mansion and the observatory building, which had not been destroyed, for lecture rooms, but the attempt was not successful, only one student having pre- sented himself for matriculation. At the meeting of the general assembly under the provisional government established by President Johnson in November, 1865, an act was passed providing for a loan to the trustees of seventy thousand dollars "to rebuild the university and provide it with the means of imparting a thorough education." Under an act approved February 21st, 1866, the following named gentlemen became trustees of the university: Messrs. Porter King of Marion; Francis Bugbee, Mont- gomery, William Mudd, Elyton; Jas. H. Fitts and Robert Jemison, Tus- caloosa; Benjamin F. Peters, Fayette C. H .; A. M. Gibson, Huntsville; Z. F. Freeman, Athens; Willis G. Clark, Mobile; John T. Foster, Butler; Alfred N. Worthy, Troy: John C. Meadows, Opelika; George S. Walden. Talladega; and Walter H. Crenshaw, Greenville. The governor of the state and the judges of the supreme court were also made members, ex- officio, of the board.
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At a meeting of this board held in Montgomery in June, 1866, meas- ures were matured for the speedy rebuilding of the university. A plan presented by Col. J. T. Murfee, late commandant of the corps of cadets, was adopted and that gentleman was appointed architect and superin- tendant of grounds and buildings. Messrs. Jemison, Fitts and Mudd were appointed a building committee and Mr. Jas. H. Fitts was elected. fiscal agent of the university.
In January, 1867, the first new hall on the college grounds was begun. Messrs. George M. Figh and W. S. Wyman were the contractors. When the contract was let there was not a dollar in the treasury of the state or in the hands of the treasurer of the university. The patriotism, skill, devotion and judgment of the governor, R. M. Patton, and the fis- cal agent, Jas. H. Fitts, the two working conjointly, found means, to pros- ecute the work, and they so managed the resources of the university that only thirty thousand dollars of the seventy thousand appropriated by the legislature, was ever drawn from the treasury of the state. Before the building was completed the provisional government was set aside and, under the substituted authority, the trustees of the university were de- clared out of office, their acts nullified and a "board of regents" was ap- pointed to take their places. This board met first in July, 1868, but it was April, 1869, before the university was opened for students. The faculty was small and the students few in number. Great dif- ficulty was experienced in obtaining a quorum at the meeting of the "regents" and more in securing a president and faculty who could com- mand the confidence and support of the people of Alabama. Finally, after repeated efforts in that direction, Hon. William R. Smith, a gentle- man of ability and learning, one of the surviving members of the first graduating class of the university-having had much experience in public affairs-was chosen to the position, but even he could not attract more than twenty-one students and soon gave up the office. University exercises were not resumed until September, 1871, when, under the direction of Prof. Lupton, some progress was made and the number of students reached one hundred and seven, increased to one hundred and thirty-five the succeeding year. There was, however, a large decrease in attendance during the third year, not on account of dissatisfaction with the management but mainly from the serious embarrassment of the people. The farming lands of the state were flooded by the overflowing rivers and the army worm swept away much of the products which the floods had . permitted to be grown. The number of students fell to fifty-three and there were only ten entitled to degrees at commencement. Dr. Lupton resigned in the summer of 1874, and Dr. Carlos G. Smith was chosen to succeed him in the office of president. The law department, which was organized in 1873 with Henderson M. Somerville as professor, was in- creased, in 1875, by creating another professorship, which chair was filled by Hon. J. M. Martin. The number of students this year was sev-
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enty-four, number of graduates, eleven The authority of the regents ended with the year and the old system, modified and improved as expe- rience dictated, was restored with the restoration of the government of Alabama to the people of Alabama.
REHABILITATION OF THE UNIVERSITY.
A new constitution was adopted by the people of the state in No- vember, 1875. That instrument provided for a board of trustees, to be nominated by the governor and confirmed by the senate, to whom the direction of the affairs of the university was to be committed. In the spring of 1876, the following gentlemen were .. under this authority, nominated and confirmed as trustees. First district, Willis G. Clark of Mobile; second district, Hiliary A. Herbert of Montgomery; third district, John A. Foster of Clayton: fourth district, N. H. R. Dawson of Selma; fifth district, William C. McIver of Tuskegee; sixth district, Marion Banks of Tuscaloosa and Enoch Morgan of Eutaw; seventh district, James Crook, Jacksonville; eighth district, Edward C. Betts, of Huntsville; the gov- ernor and state superintendent of education became ex-officio members of the board. The terms of membership were so arranged as that only three members should go out of office at one time, every second year, thus securing experience and continuity in the system adopted and a valuable protection against sudden and improper changes in management. In the fifty-five years preceding, from 1821 to 1876, the university had two hundred and five trustees. Of the nine trustees selected in 1876, three ( Messrs. Dawson, Crook and Clark ) still remain in office by successive re-appointment, representing the first, fourth and seventh congressional districts; in the second and third districts there has been but one change each, and in the fifth, sixth and eighth districts two changes each, making only eight changes in the personnel of the board in sixteen years, an average of only one in two years. The term of service is now six years. Of the changes made, three were caused by the death of the incumbents, Messrs. Marion Bank, Enoch Morgan and Thomas D. Corey, the two first named having been successively president pro tem of the board and very valuable members.
The act of the general assembly providing for the appointment of trustees abrogated the acts of the regents from the date of meeting of the new board, thus leaving the university without law or system until the trustees could provide them. This enactment was both a blessing and a burden; a blessing, in that it left the new board free from all incumbrances of past errors or prejudices; a burden, in that it imposed at the outset the heavy labor, care and responsibility of rehabilitation. It had this further benefit-the trustees, all but one of them new in the work were obliged to become thoroughly acquainted with the character and needs of the institution placed in their charge. How well they
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fulfilled the obligation is told in the wonderful growth and development of the university under their management.
The officers then in service were continued, and in 1877, John C. Calhoun, M. A., was elected to the chair of Greek. In 1878, the term of office of President Smith having expired, Gen. Josiah Gorgas-a man known and honored throughout the country -- was elected to succeed him. He assumed the duties of the office in the fall of 1878, and his presence and wonderful executive ability were soon felt for good in all departments of the university. Unfortunately his health gradually gave way, almost in the beginning of his work, and in February, 1879, he had to succumb to serious illness. The faculty, under authority given in the regulations, elected Dr. W. S. Wyman, the senior professor, temporary president, under whose judicious and intelligent direction the affairs of the uni- versity were successfully conducted to the close of the year. Gen. Gorgas, finding that there was little hope of the restoration of his strength, insisted on resigning the office of president. The board reluctantly accepted the resignation, and, after tendering the office to Dr. Wyman, who declined it, elected Col. Burwell B. Lewis to succeed him. Gen. Gorgas was then chosen librarian, which position he filled acceptably until the close of the year 1882, when he retired. He died May 13th, 1883, beloved, honored and lamented by all. Suitable honors were paid his mortal remains and a feeling tribute to his memory was inscribed on the records of the board of trustees. As this tribute expresses it, "he was diligent in business, faithful to every trust, pure in life, scholarly in attainments, a model husband and father, a genial companion, a devoted friend, and an exemplary and conscientious Christian." He was born in Dauphin county, Pa., July 1st, 1818; graduated with high rank from the military academy at West Point; was assigned to the advance corps of United States army; participated actively in the war with Mexico in 1846; was promoted to a captaincy in 1855; resigned from the United States army in 1861 to join the confederate forces, and became chief of the ordinance department of the confederate army, which position he held until the close of the war. He then became superintendent of the Briarfield Iron works, near Selma, Ala. In 1872 he was chosen vice- chancellor of the university of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., whence, in 1878, he came to the university of Alabama, as related.
Col. Lewis, at the time of his election, was a member of congress from the sixth district, Alabama, and as his constituents were opposed to his retirement before the expiration of his official term, arrangements were made with Dr. Wyman to continue his temporary incumbency of the office of president until Col. Lewis was free to relieve him. This he did very acceptably and with marked success. Col. Lewis entered upon the duties of the office in July, 1880. At the same time the law department was enlarged by the creation of an additional chair of constitutional and international law, of which the president became ex-officio the professor.
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Meanwhile, the number of students had so increased that it was found difficult to accommodate the applicants in barracks, and this rendered ad- ditional buildings a necessity. The trustees, therefore, appointed a com- mittee to act in concert with a committee which they requested the alumni to appoint, to devise and mature some plan by which the necessary funds could be secured "to add to the university buildings, enlarge its library, and apparatus and increase its facilities in other directions." This com- mittee reported at the next meeting of the trustees in favor of making a direct application to the general assembly for aid, predicated upon the needs of the university and the large, equitable claim it had against the state for moneys belonging to it, lost years ago through the errors or mismanagement of the executive department of Alabama. The trustees approved this report and appointed Messrs. Willis G. Clark, N. H. R. Dawson and Enoch Morgan a committee to wait upon the legislature at its next session and prosecute an appeal for aid. The society of alumni appointed a co-operating committee, of which that tried and energetic friend of the university, James H. Fitts, Esq., was the efficient chairman. These committees met jointly in Montgomery, and, assisted by a number of the alumni and other friends of the university, made vigorous and persistent efforts, under adverse circumstances, and finally succeeded in having a bill passed, by a majority exceeding two-thirds of each house, loaning the university the sum of sixty thousand dollars for the purpose specified in the bill. The same measure carried an appropriation in favor of the Agricultural and Mechanical college, of which more here- after. In July, 1882, the chair of civil engineering was established, and Col. Robert A. Hardaway, M. A., C. E., was elected to the position.
In July, 1883, the trustees elected the committee that had procured the grant from the legislature, a " building committee," and instructed them to procure plans for the necessary buildings and make provision for a vigorous prosecution of the work, By November of that year several designs had been obtained and the board was convened to act upon them.
The plan approved comprised a central building, sixty feet front, with a depth of one hundred feet, for a commencement hall, library and chapel, and two "L" shaped buildings, one on either side, the whole when completed to form, in connection with the large hall then in use, a quadrangle, having a large court in the center. As the appropriation was not sufficient to build the three structures as proposed, only two were at the time offered for contract. Ground was broken for the found- ation on February 20th, 1884. In May following the corner memorial stone of the large building was laid with imposing ceremonies, in the presence of the trustees, faculty, students and a large concourse of citizens from Tuscaloosa. The governor of the state, Gen. O'Neal, and superintendent of education, Hon. H. C. Armstrong, were present on this interesting occasion.
The number of matriculates of the university during the scholastic
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year of 1881-2, was one hundred and fifty-four; 1882-3, one hundred and sixty-six: 1883-4, two hundred, the largest attendance since the war.
Two of the new buildings were completed by commencement day, 1885, and were dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on the 13th of June.
The venerable Dr. L. C. Garland, formerly president of the university, and then chancellor of Vanderbilt university, delivered the oration in the presence of a large and intelligent assemblage, comprising a goodly number of the alumni and many of the most distinguished and cultivated citizens of the state.
The year 1884 is memorable in university annals for an act of justice, and at the same time of beneficence, on the part of the congress of the United States. Under the skillful leadership of the able, sagacious, ex- perienced and patriotic senior senator for Alabama, General John T. Morgan, an act was passed, approved April 23d, 1884, empowering the state of Alabama to locate for the benefit of the university, forty-six thousand and eighty acres of the public lands within the state, "to be ap- plied to the erection of suitable buildings for the university and to the restoration of the library and scientific apparatus heretofore destroyed by fire, the surplus, if any, to increase the endowment of the university." This grant was accepted by the state and the lands were accepted by Messrs. A. C. Hargrove, Eugene A. Smith and J. B. Moore, commis- sioners appointed by the governor. By act of the general assembly of Alabama, approved February 5th, 1885, the management of this trust was turned over to the trustees of the university and that body, by ordi- nance adopted in June, 1885, provided for a committee of three members to be styled the "committee on the university land grant," and a land commissioner to whom, under certain restrictions, the care and sale of these lands were committed. Hon. A. C. Hargrove was elected land com- missioner, and Messrs. W. G. Clark, James Crook and Henry H. Brown were elected a committee on the land grant, and by subsequent re-election still continue to hold these positions. The first fruits of this act were the supply of means to complete the quadrangle, by erecting the third hall provided in the original plan, and, soon after, the building and furnishing of a chemical laboratory, a physical laboratory, a gymnasium, a laundry, and a number of dwellings for the use of the professors, be- sides erecting a system of water works, putting in an electric plant for lighting the public buildings and making many and varied improvements. All these lands have been located, most of them in the mineral district of the state, and the selections have been formally approved by the sec- retary of the interior. Questions have been raised with regard to some the selections, but these have since been passed upon by the highest tribunal in the state. The supreme court have fully sustained and con- firmed the title of the university. Only about one-third of the lands donated by congress have been sold, and yet the aggregate receipts from sales to date exceed one-half the fixed endowment. fund of the university.
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So the originator of this measure and the members of both houses of congress who so zealously sustained him "builded better than they knew." If the unsold lands average as much per acre as those already disposed of, the trustees will be able, as they design, to increase the endowment fund materially and thus add largely to the annual available income of the university.
" The several halls of the university have been, by unanimous action of F the board of trustees, named as follows: The large rear building erected soon after the war is called "Alva Woods hall," in honor of the first president of the university, the western structure of the front row of buildings is called "Manly hall," in honor of the second president of the university; the eastern building is called "Garland hall," in honor of the third president of the university; the central building is called "Clark hall, " in honor of the chairman of the committee which secured the ap- propriation hereinbefore mentioned from the general assembly; the chemical laboratory is called "Toumey hall," in honor of Prof. Michael Toumey, the distinguished professor of geology and mineralogy, and the physical laboratory is called "Barnard hall," in honor of the illustrious and lamented Barnard, for several years a distinguished professor of the university and at his death, president of Columbia college, New York. In this connection a brief description of these halls will not be considered inappropriate.
Alva Woods hall, which forms the rear line of the university quadran- gle, is an edifice of four stories, with east and west wings of three stories. In this building are the lecture rooms of the schools of Latin, English, mathematics and modern languages; the halls of the Erosophic and Phil- omathic societies; the dining hall of the university and the offices and rooms of the quartermaster and surgeon. The second and third stories are appropriated mainly to apartments for students. Manly hall, which forms the west side of the quadrangle, is a building of three stories and is constructed of brick, with trimmings of dressed limestone. The first story contains the president's and commandant's offices, lecture rooms fo the schools of engineering, law, Greek, mathematics aud physics, and a large and well lighted drawing room for the use of the classes in the school of engineering. The second and third stories are devoted to stu- dents' lodgings, the Peithonian society hall, and the hall of the Y. M. C. A. Clark hall, the central building on the south side, which is the front of the quadrangle, is a handsome structure of brick and gray limestone - and is appropriated to general academic uses. It is three stories in height and has a front of sixty feet and a depth of one hundred feet. The first story contains the library and reading room and the chapel; the great pub lic hall of the university occupies the second and third stories. The hall will seat, with comfort, eight hundred on the first floor with accommoda- tion for several hundred more in the galleries. Garland hall is the coun- terpart of Manly hall on the west, and completes the university quad-
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