USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1879 > Part 35
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The educational facilities of the county, in reference to the public schools, as also the higher branches of education, are without a parallel in the State, which is due, no doubt, to the beneficent influences of the State university. Every school district in the county has six good, substantial and well- arranged school houses, conveniently located; and it is ac-
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knowledged that, in point of healthfulness, Monroe county is not surpassed by any other portion of the State.
Bloomington, the county seat of Monroe county, is a pros- perous city, of over 3,000 inhabitants. It is located on the line of the Louisville, New Albany, and Chicago railroad, and is the commercial centre of a large and prosperous district of country. Naturally a pretty site, it is rendered artistic and beautiful by well directed good taste and enterprise. The principal streets are handsomely graded and macadamized; the side walks are well improved, and highly ornamented with shade trees; the private residences and business houses are attractive and elegant; the public buildings are handsome, commodious, and of the best style of architecture. Such is the beautiful little city in which the
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
is located. This institution has not reached as high a place in the State and nation as its friends desire it to reach, but it has done, and is still doing, a grand work, and is destined, as we shall see, to fill a higher station, as the educational growth of the State advances.
We give, following, a somewhat lengthy history of the origin and growth of the Indiana State University, which has been compiled from sketches furnished by Rev. Dr. Cyrus Nutt, president of the institution, and others:
As carly as 1802, Congress made a grant of a township of land in Gibson county, and, in the year 1816, another in Monroe county, for the support of a seminary of learning. In 1807, an act incorporating the Vincennes University passed the legislature, and the township of land in Gibson county was placed in the market by the trustees of this institution. The sale of land being slow, and proceeds small, and the board failing to meet, the institution was supposed to be dead, and treated as such.
The trustees of the Indiana Seminary were appointed by an act of the legislature, passed in 1820, and the board met in June following, at Bloom- ington, and selected the site for the institution. This was the same as that upon which the university now stands.
In March, 1822, the contract was made for the erection of the seminary building, but it was two years from this time before the building was ready to be occupied, and then it was only in an unfinished condition. The first session was commenced with about twenty students, in the spring of 1825,
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with but a single teacher, Rev. Baynard R. Hall, and he at a salary of one hundred and fifty dollars per year. The academic year was divided into two sessions of five months each. In this way the school continued for two years, when, in May, 1827, John II. Harney was elected professor of mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy, at a salary of one hun- dred and fifty dollars per session, that of the principal having been raised to four hundred dollars per year. The success of the institution thus far caused the legislature to designate it with the name, " Indiana College," in the year 1828. At this time, Dr. D. II. Maxwell was the president of the board of trustees. and the first faculty of the college was organized as fol- lows: Rev. Andrew Wylie, D. D., president of Washington College, Pa., was chosen president and professor of mental and moral philosophy and belles letters: Rev. John II. Harney, A.M., professor of mathematics and natural philosophy; and Rev. Baynard R. Hall, A.M., professor of ancient languages. In the year 1828, the trustees adopted measures for the sale of the college lands in Gibson county, and for the erection of a new college building. This building, which was completed in a few years, was a brick structure, eighty feet long, thirty wide, and three stories high, and was burned in 1854.
The career of the institution, under the leadership of Dr. Wylie and his efficient assistants, was very successful until some time during the years 1831-2, a personal difficulty grew up between the president and members of the faculty, which, to a great extent, jeopardized the interests of the college. The trustees first attempted a reconciliation, but, failing in that, they declared the chairs of Harney and Hall both vacant. Beaumont Parks, A.M., was elected in the place of Hall, and Rev. E. N. Elliott, A.M., in that of Harney. In 1836, Prof. Elliott resigned to accept the presidency of a college in Mississippi, and his place was filled, temporarily, until the next meeting of the board, when two professorships of mathematics were estab- lished ; one of pure mathematics, and the other of natural philosophy. The first of these was filled by James F. Dodds, the latter by Rev. T. A. Wylie. At the same time the board divided the chair of ancient languages, and to Prof. Parks was assigned Latin language and literature; and A. W. Rut- ter was elected to the chair of Greek and modern languages.
The Indiana College was re-organized by an act of the legislature in 1839, the name was changed to Indiana University. It was endowed with uni- versity powers and a new board of trustees, with authority to establish such departments as the funds of the institution would justify, were appointed.
This new board re-elected the old faculty, but soon after the chairs of Profs. Dodds, Parks and Rutter were declared vacant, and were afterwards filled by the election of Jacob Ammen, from the West Point military ac- ademy, to the chair of mathematics; and John I. Morrison to the chair of ancient languages; and also M. M. Campbell as adjunct professor of lan- guages and principal of the preparatory department.
Professor Ammen retained this position until the thirtieth of June, 1843, when he resigned. Prof. Morrison resigned during the same year, but Prof. Campbell continued in charge of his department for thirteen years.
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He was succeeded by James Woodburn, who served in that position until his death in 1865.
The chair of ancient languages was, at the next meeting of the board, filled by Daniel Read, of the Ohio University, and that of mathematics by the Rev. Alfred Ryors, of the same university, and thus the faculty remained for four years, when Prof. Ryors resigned, and Charles Marshall, of Vir- ginia, was elected in his stead.
President Wylie, after having discharged the duties of that office for twenty-three years, died on the eleventh of November, 1851. The presi- dency was filled by Prof. T. A. Wylie, until January, 1853, when the Rev. Alfred Ryors, who had previously been elected, entered upon the duties of the office. At the close of this year the faculty was again re-organized. The Rev. Wm. M. Daily, D.D., was elected president; and Rev. Alfred Ryors, D.D., was elected to the chair of mathematics, but resigned, and Rev. Robert Milligan, A.M., was chosen to fill his place.
The administration of Dr. Daily was marred by much discord. Charges were at times preferred against him, and, pending one of these trials, lie resigned. His term of office was five years and six months. Prof. Milli- gan filled the chair of mathematics from 1852 to 1855, and was transferred to that of natural science, left vacant by the resignation of T. A. Wylic, and the chair was filled by the election of Rev. Elisha Ballentine, A.M., of Richmond, Virginia. In 1856, Daniel Read resigned the chair of ancient languages. It was filled by Prof. Ballentine; and Prof. Daniel Kirkwood, who was then president of the Delaware College, was appointed to the chair of mathematics and civil engineering. Prof. Milligan resigned the professorship of natural science in 1855, and Prof. T. A. Wylie was elected, and after a two years' absence in the Miami University, returned to his for- mer position. Dr. Daily resigned the presidency in 1859, and was suc- ceeded by Dr. J. II. Lathrop. Soon after this another professorship was established, "the chair of English literature," and Rev. II. B. Ilibben was elected to fill it. Dr. Lathrop resigned in July, 1860, and the Rev. Cyrus Nutt, D.D., then acting president of Asbury University, was elected presi- dent, and he has continued to fill that office ever since. In 1863, Prof. Ballentine resigned the professorship of ancient languages, and Prof. Wylic was transferred to that chair, his place being filled by Col. Richard Owen, M.D., LL.D. Prof. Kirkwood resigned his place, accepting the chair of mathematics of the Washington and Jefferson College, Pa., where he remained two years, after which he returned to his old position. Prof. Kirkword" aut was finele whenky 's absence by C. M. Dodd, A.M.
in 1867, three new chairs were established. Int us- 2-tment of ancient languages was divided, the chair of Latin language and literacar- and the chair of Greek language and literature established. Prof. Doda was transferred to the chair of Latin, and Prof. Ballentine was re-elected to the chair of Greek. The department of natural science was also divided, and two chairs established, one of natural philosophy, and another of natural science and chemistry. To the former T. A. Wylic was assigned, and Richard Owen to the latter. The professorship of English literature and
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INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
the theory and practice of teaching was established, to which G. W. HIoss, L.L.D., was appointed in 18G8. The chair of modern language was estab- lished in 1867, but was not filled for two years, when JJohn A. Renbelt, D.D., was chosen for it, but, holding it one year, he resigned, and was suc- ceeded by II. B. Boisen. The military department was organized in 1808. and Eli Long, Major-Gen. in the United States Army, was given the pro- fessorship. Long resigned in 1869. Civil engineering was added to the department, and Col. James Thompson, a graduate of West Point, was elected to the chair, and continues to hold it to this time.
James Woodburn died in 1865, and Rev. A. Atwater was appointed tutor, but the regular preparatory department was soon after abolished, and Atwater was elected professor of the Latin language and literature, a posi- tion which he has held since, with the exception of a year or two. The preparatory department being abolished, it was found necessary to employ tutors to bring forward such students as were ready for the freshman class with most of their studies, but behind in Greek and Latin. Scott Butler, A. M., served in this department from 1868 to 1871, and was succeeded by Alexander Kirkpatrick, A. B., and Samuel Tilly, A. B., and they by T. II. Mallow, A. B. Mallow died in 1871, and was succeeded by W. R. Hough- ton, A. B., who still continues to hold the position.
Prof. Hoss resigned his professorship in 1871, and his place was filled by Rev. John L. Gay, A. M., but he resigned in 1872, and was succeeded by Rev. George W. Parrott. Parrott resigned in 1873, and Prof. Hoss hav ing been re-elected, resumed the duties of the office on the first of Jan- uary, 1874.
But, aside from the changes in the faculty of the university, which have been frequent, we must refer to its various relations to the legislature and people of Indiana.
The donation of a township of land in Gibson county for the Univer- sity of Vincennes, the organization of a board of trustees, the attempt to sell the land, and the supposed death of that corporation, have already been mentioned. After the board of trustees of the Vincennes University had thus failed to perform the functions of the corporation, the legislature passed an act authorizing the sale of the land and an appropriation of the proceeds to the Indiana State University. After this land had all been sold, and the board of trustees of the Vincennes University had slept for forty years, they began to awake and make an attempt to reinvest them selves with the property which formerly belonged to them. Reorganizing the board and filling its vacancies, they proceeded to bring suits against the purchasers of the college lands, for their recovery. But the State had sold the lands to these defendants, and would be liable to them on her warranty in case they were thrown out of possession, so the legislature passed an act authorizing the board of trustees to sue the State directly, and thus settle the matter without putting the holders of the lands to the expense and annoyance of defending their titles. Suit was accordingly b' vught in the circuit court of Marion county by the trustees of the Vin- " ines University, and was lost. They appealed from this decision to the
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supreme court of the United States, and the decision of the court below was reversed. Judgment was accordingly given against the State for sixty thousand dollars. To have paid this would have almost exhausted the endowment fund of the State University, but Congress happily came to her aid with a donation of twenty-three thousand and forty acres of land, and the State also assumed the judgment in favor of the Vincennes Uni- versity, thus preserving the endowment fund of the State University intact.
The State University having thus passed the ordeal of this suit, it was for a few years thought her final success was insured. But soon another misfortune overtook her. In April, 1854, the college building which had been erected about twenty-five years before, with all its apparatus and libraries, was destroyed by fire. That this fire, occurring at a season of the year when there was no fire kept about the building, it was supposed to be the work of an incendiary. The libraries then in the building were the college library and the libraries of the two literary societies, contain- ing, in all, about nine thousand volumes, many of the books being rare and valuable. These were dark days for the friends of the university, and it was even thought, by many, that the institution was lost. The faculty and trustees, however, decided to continue recitations, and measures were taken for the erection of a new building. The citizens of Bloomington and Monroe county rallied to the rescue, generously donating ten thousand dollars to aid the cause. The remainder of the money necessary for the completion of the building was borrowed from the sinking fund of the State, and thus the work went on until the confidence of success again lighted the countenances so recently marked with despair, and a magnifi- cent new building arose, "Phoenix-like," from the ashes of the old, the finest and best university building at that time in the West.
A tuition fee of eighteen dollars per year in the preparatory department, and of thirty dollars per year in the collegiate, was required until 1838, when the legislature provided for the admission of two students from cach county free. In 18GO the doors of the institution were thrown open to all alike, and since that time no tuition fee is required of any student in any of the departments of the university, thus complying with the spirit of that constitutional provision, which says, "It shall be the duty of the general assembly to establish a public school system, embracing a regular gradation from the primary school to a State university, in which tuition shall be FREE and equally open to all."
Another step onward was taken in 1867. Though a long time coming, it is, perhaps, of as much importance as any. This was a step that the growing sentiment of the people demanded for the equal education of women, and was no less than the complete breaking down of the barrier that kept the female sex entirely out of the college from its beginning to that time. "By one fell swoop the old prejudice against the co-education of the sexes was swept away, and the doors of the institution opened to the daughters of the State, as it had been to the sons before, and they are now invited to come and drink of the crystal fountains of knowledge and
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to enjoy all the rights and privileges that are enjoyed by the 'lords of cre- ation.' And come they do, and right well do they cope with the young men in the ascent of the hills of science. Several young ladies have already graduated from this institution, and experience proves that the co-education of the sexes is a real benefit to all."*
In this connection it is, perhaps, proper to notice, briefly, some of the causes that have operated against the success of the university, as well as against the advancement of the high educational facilities of the State. The first board of trustees of the Indiana State University, unfortunately for the interests of the institution, was a close corporation, the vacancies in the board being filled by themselves, instead of being filled by the legis- lature, or, as they now are, by the State board of education; hence the religious denomination, or sect, which had the supremacy at first, would perpetuate the supremacy through all time; and thus the institution be made substantially sectarian. Such was practically the result during the first ten years of its history. This was the source of many complaints from the Methodists, Baptists, and other denominations, not represented in the faculty, who were members of the Presbyterian church exclusively. The murmurs against this exclusiveness were long and loud, as it was per- sistently continued. This dissatisfaction with the management of the State University finally culminated in the withdrawal of the support of the denominations who could not obtain representation in the faculty, and the establishment of several sectarian colleges in different parts of the State. In 1836, Franklin College was established at Franklin, by the Bap- tists, the Northwestern Christian University, at Indianapolis, by the reformn- ers, was established at a later period; as also the Christian Union College, at Merom, by the New Lights. The Indiana Asbury University was estab- lished at Greencastle, by the Methodist in 1839.
The Indiana Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, seycral years before they resolved to establish a university of their own, by con- ference action, tendered the support and patronage of the denomination to the Indiana College, provided the general assembly would so modify the organization thereof as to make the trustees elective by the legisla- ture; or, if the trustees would place a Methodist in the faculty of the uni- versity. These requests were steadily denied until 1836, after the confer- ence had selected Greencastle as the location of the university, for which the legislature had just granted a charter. Then the authorities of the State college elected Augustus W. Rutter, A. M., a Methodist, who was professor of languages in Alleghany College, Pennsylvania, to the chair of political economy and modern languages. But this liberality came too late, for the denomination had a college of its own. For the same reason the legislature withheld all financial support for thirty years, and the State university made no progress. Had a more liberal course been pursued from the beginning, all the denominations would have rallied to the State university, and instead of having sixteen colleges, Indiana, to-day, would
* Indiana Patriot.
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have but one grand university, fully equaling, if not excelling, that of Michigan.
It should be observed, notwithstanding, that the Presbyterians were not more to blame in this case than any other church would have been in like circumstances. "Anxiety for their own creed makes any church an unsafe guide in questions involving conflicting interests. The highest prosperity of the common school system, as well as all other American institutions, will be found when fartherest removed from all religious intermeddling."
LAW DEPARTMENT.
A law professorship was created in 1835, and Judge Blackford was elected to the chair, but he declined to accept, and no one was found to take the place until 1840, at which time it was accepted by Hon. David McDonald, LL. D. Judge McDonald remained in this position for twelve years. In 1847 the law faculty was increased by the election of Hon. William T. Otto, LL. D. This department was marked with great success under the charge of these able jurists until 1852, when they both resigned. Hon. James Hughes succeeded to the chair of law, and held the position from 1852 to 1855, when, being elected to Congress, he was succeeded by Hon. James R. M. Bryant, who filled the professorship for six years. Bry- ant was succeeded by Hon. George A. Bickwell, LL. D., who filled the chair from 1861 to 1870, when he resigned.
This department was re-organized in 1860, by establishing another chair, and by making tuition free. The law professors had, previous to this time, depended upon tuition for their compensation, and this was so small that the term only lasted for three months, but now the law professors are paid salaries, and the term lengthened to six months; IIon. Jolin W. Pettit, LL. D., was employed in connection with Judge Bieknell. Both these resigned in 1870, and were succeeded by Hon. Samuel E. Perkins, LL. D., and Ilon. B. E. Rhoads. Two years later, Judge Perkins resigned, and was succeeded by Hon. Deland R. Dekles, who served one year and was succeeded by Hon. D. W. Lafollette. IIe also served one year, and was succeeded by IIon. Cyrus F. McNutt.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
The departments of instruction are as follows:
First-The school of Mental, Moral and Political Philoso- phy, Cyrus Nutt, D. D., LL. D., Professor. In this depart- ment are taught mental philosophy, embracing the human intellect, sensibilities, and will; moral science, including the theory of morals, and practical morals; the former embracing the moral sense, the grounds of right and wrong, the nature of virtue, the authority of conscience, the rules of moral
CLEM. STUDEBAKER. ESQ.
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condnet, and the sources from which they are derived, and the nature of moral obligations; the latter, or practical morals, embraces the duties which we owe to ourselves, viz .: self-sup- port, self-protection, self-control, and self-culture; the duties we owe to man, justice, veracity, and benevolence; justice in regard to life, liberty, property, character, and reputation; veracity, in respect to the past, present and future; embracing lying, promises, contracts, and oaths; duties arising from the constitution of the sexes, the law of chastity, the law of marriage, the rights and duties of parents; the rights and duties of children; benevolence, its nature and obligation; benevolence to the unhappy, to the wicked, to the injurious; and lastly, the duties which we owe to God, obedience, love,
and worship. Political philosophy, embraces civil polity, constitution of the United States, political economy, interna- tional laws. The evidences of Christianity are also taught in this department. Text-books are used, accompanied by lec- tures by the president, who has charge of this department.
Second-The school of Natural Philosophy, Theophilus A. Wylie, D. D., professor. In this department are taught descriptive geometry, mechanics, the nature and laws of light, heat, and electricity, the laws of motion, statics, dynamics, hydrostatics, hydro-dynamics, pneumatics, acoustics, optics, and astronomy. While text-books are used, the larger part of the instruction is given by lectures. The great laws of matter are clearly and beantifully illustrated by experiments, for which an extensive apparatus furnishes the requisite facilities, thus rendering their comprehension easy, and their acquisition attractive to the student.
Third-The school of Natural Science, Richard Owen, M. D., LL. D., professor. Thos. S. Van Nuys, M. D., professor of analytical and practical chemistry. In this department are taught botany, physical geography, anatomy, physiology, hygiene, zoology, mineralogy, geology, and chemistry. In- struction is given by lectures, accompanied by the use of text- books. Facilities for illustration are furnished by one of the largest and best museums in the United States; containing specimens of almost every genus and species of the vegetable .
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and animal kingdoms, together withi a very extensive collection of specimens in mineralogy and geology. In 1867, the cele- brated cabinet of Dr. David Dale Owen, of New Harmony, which was reputed by scientific men as fully equal, in the number, variety and volume of its specimens, to any in the country, was purchased by the trustees and transferred to Bloomington. This cabinet is now scientifically and tastefully displayed in the new college building. Another large addi- tion to the museum has recently been made by the purchase of the Ward specimens in palacontology, which are exceed- ingly rich and varied.
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