The history of Colby College, Part 34

Author: Colby College
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Waterville, Colby College Press
Number of Pages: 716

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After long discussion, the Trustees thought they saw a way to provide bet- ter facilities for Professor Elder. With sound Yankee thrift and in full cognizance of their responsibility for the preservation of trust funds, they refused to authorize the building of a new chemical laboratory, either as a separate structure or as an addition to Coburn Hall, if the only way to pay for it should be from the in- vested funds of the College. The Board agreed, however, that the College still held title to a substantial part of the land grant conferred by the Maine Legislature in 1861. The old Argyle lands, granted by Massachusetts in 1815, had some time ago been finally sold, but those two half-townships north of Caucomagomoc Lake, far in the Maine wilderness, were still owned by the College. It was esti- mated that sale of those lands should bring in about $16,000. So the Trustees authorized a new survey of the tract and voted to apply the proceeds from its sale to the construction of a chemical laboratory. They authorized a committee

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to secure plans for such a laboratory, either as an extension of the old one in Coburn Hall or as a separate building.

When, a year later, the land had not been sold, the Board authorized sale of stumpage. It was all very disappointing, especially to Professor Elder, who would have to wait three more years before Chemical Hall would be erected.

It was in President Whitman's administration that, for the first time, the college catalogue gave the residence address of each member of the Colby faculty. In 1960, when several faculty members lived as far away as ten miles from the campus, it was interesting to note how much nearer their predecessors lived sixty- five years earlier. Five of the fourteen teachers lived on College Avenue, then called College Street. The College had purchased the brick house at Number 33, formerly the home of Dr. Nathaniel Boutelle, and had turned it into the official presidential residence. Close by, on the same side of the street, lived Professor Bayley at Number 21, Professor Warren at 27, and Professor Taylor at 37. Across the street lived Professor Marquardt at 22 and Professor Foster at 28. On Elm Street, Instructor Bassett lived at Number 43, and Professor Elder had his home at Number 76, opposite the site of the present post office. Professor Hall's home was at 229 Main Street, just around the corner from Getchell Street. Two professors had residences on Appleton Street -- Pepper near the corner at Number One, and Mathews at Number Seven. Professor Rogers occupied the house at 14 Union Street, while Professor Roberts lived at 58 Pleasant Street. All of the fourteen lived within half a mile of Memorial Hall.

It was in 1895 that Dr. Marquardt made to his German homeland a visit that Colby students were still hearing about many years later. It was on that visit that he purchased the famous stallion that he brought to Waterville with the intention of starting a stock farm on the Rice's Rips Road. The good doctor proved a stubborn and not very practical farmer, and he could never make ends meet with that extra-curricular enterprise. The President's report for 1895 tells how arrangements were made for "Dutchy" to go to Germany.

Dr. Marquardt has for many reasons felt anxious to revisit his home in Germany. After consultation with the Chairman of the Board, I assumed the responsibility of allowing Dr. Marquardt to close the work of his de- partment in time to reach Kiel for the celebration that took place there in the latter part of June. The actual amount of work uncompleted was very small, as all the classes under his charge have cheerfully met the strain necessary to carry through the usual assignment of the term, thus making it possible to cover nearly the ground ordinarily covered. The character of Dr. Marquardt's teaching is too well known to admit of doubt as to the thoroughness of his results under whatever circumstances.

It had long been obvious that Dr. Marquardt could not continue indefinitely to carry the full load of all classes in German and French. To provide the needed assistance a brilliant young graduate of the Class of 1895, John Hedman, was induced to teach modern languages for the year 1895-96 at the absurd salary of $375. He was given the title of assistant instructor.

The Board of Conference worked out full plans for its functions in the early 1890's. Its structure called for a faculty committee and a student commit- tee. The student committee was given complete authority over ordinary misde- meanors. Concerning more serious offenses, either committee could "act as a grand jury to present charges on specific cases"; then the whole board "sat as a tribunal to consider each case." The penalties were based on a system of de-

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THE YOUNGEST PRESIDENT

merits, and the Board of Conference developed a regular schedule of specified demerits for particular offenses, as well as leaving the way open to impose an unspecified number of demerits in special instances. Five demerits resulted in presidential censure; ten placed the offender on probation; fifteen resulted in sus- pension. Suspension or expulsion could not be decreed, however, without action by the full Board. Damage to property was usually punished by fines rather than by demerits. Offenses over which the student committee had jurisdiction were spelled out in the revision of the College Laws, published in 1894.1

1. Maintenance of order upon the campus and within the dormitories is entrusted to the Student Committee of the Conference Board.

2. No student shall go out of the City of Waterville in term time without permission of the President.

3. No student shall enter the room of another student without per- mission.

4. No student shall be concerned in any combination to resist the laws of the College or to disturb its order.

5. No class meeting or assembly of students, for purposes at variance with the college laws, shall at any time be held.

6. No publications shall be issued by the students except by express permission of, and under regulations approved by the faculty.

7. Disorders and misdemeanors, against which no express provision is made in the laws, may be punished according to the nature and gravity of the offense.

In 1893 the Trustees voted to set up a similar Board of Conference for the Women's College.

One of the most important changes made while Whitman was President concerned the degree of Master of Arts. Almost since the foundation of the college, subsequent granting of that degree to graduates who entered the ministry, law, medicine, or teaching was almost automatic, without further college attendance or examination. The long-standing regulation read: "Every Bachelor of Arts, in three years after receiving the first degree, shall be entitled to the degree of Master of Arts, provided he furnish the Trustees with satisfactory testimonials to the purity of his moral character, and of proper advancement in the arts or in either of the learned professions." In 1893 the Trustees voted that, after 1896, the Master of Arts degree should be conferred only after the candidate had passed an examination following one year's study in residence or two years out of resi- dence. Presenting the proposed change, President Whitman successfully argued that the time had come for Colby to get in line with the nation's leading univer- sities, where further study and examination were required for the Master's degree. It has been a distinct characteristic of Colby history that, while the College has seldom stood still, content with the status quo, changes have usually been made gradually in respect to curriculum. There has never been a spectacular Colby Plan-a curriculum which often looks better in print than it does in actual operation. What happened under President Whitman was a gradual, but signifi- cant extension of the elective system. In the fall of 1893, an elective was for the first time opened to sophomores. Freshmen still had required subjects, but instead of Greek, Latin, and Mathematics each meeting five, or even six times

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a week, those three subjects met four times and French, hitherto never available to freshmen, was required of them three times a week. Elocution still came once a week, so that a freshman had sixteen required class meetings weekly.

In the fall and winter terms, sophomore subjects were also entirely required: Latin, Greek, and German, each with three meetings a week, English with five, and Elocution with one. It was only in the spring term that the sophomores had an elective, because then, in addition to the required subjects of German, Physics, and Botany, the student could choose as his fourth subject either Latin or Greek. The total of sophomore class sessions was fifteen each week.

For juniors and seniors, electives were greatly expanded over those of the 1880's. Juniors had only seven required hours in the fall term, two in Political Economy and five in Chemistry. The remaining eight hours could be chosen from Greek, German, English, Physics, Mathematics, and History. In the winter term the requirements of Political Economy and Physiology accounted for six hours; the remaining nine could come from choices among Latin, English, French, Physics, Mathematics, and History. The spring requirements were five hours in Biblical Literature and one in Elocution, with the remaining hours elected from Min- eralogy, Chemistry, History, German, Greek, Mathematics, and English.

In the fall and winter terms, senior programs were much the same as for juniors. They too had six hours of required subjects and eight hours of electives. In the fall they had to take four hours of Psychology, one of Art, and one of Shakespeare, while their electives could come from Political Economy, French, New Testament, Logic, Optical Mineralogy, and Latin. The senior winter re- quirements were five hours of Ethics and one of Biblical Literature, while their opportunities for election were History, Political Science, Hebrew, German, In- organic Geology, Greek, Art, Petrography, and Oratory.

It was in the spring term of the senior year that the elective system reached its climax. No subjects at all were then required. The senior simply selected fourteen hours from Sociology, Organic Geology, Astronomy, History, French, Hebrew, Latin, Oratory, and Art.

By 1895 the old system of oral examinations had been almost entirely aban- doned, and with it had gone the final examination of each class as a unit, for all members of each class no longer took the same courses. There was still an examination in each subject, or as we would say today "each course," at the end of each of the three terms. The regulations governing examinations, printed in the College Laws, provided that for each course there should be a written examination three hours in length, except when the course met less frequently than four times a week, in which case the examination should be for two hours. The examination counted for one fifth of the term mark. Not only was eighty percent weight placed upon the work of the term preceding examination, but a student was forbidden to take the examination at all unless he had at that time "a rank of six on a scale of ten," or 60 percent. If a student not originally admitted to examination because of low mark succeeded, by whatever arrange- ment with the instructor, in raising his mark to six, he could take the examination at a later deficiency period. Such examinations on deficiencies, both for those who had failed the examination and those who had been denied the right to take it, were held on the first three days of each term and also at the same time as the term examinations. Only one opportunity was given to take a deficiency examination. After a second failure, the student must either repeat the course, if it was required, or repeat it or take another in its place if it was elective. The college officer who had charge of deficiency examinations was the Librarian.

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The rule stated, "Each student intending to be examined on deficiencies shall report to the Librarian, on or before the first day of the term, the studies on which he is prepared."

Old Sam did as well as he could in those Whitman years to see that build- ings and grounds were decently kept, but he was not given sufficient help. There were ten buildings2 to be cared for, with eleven furnaces and fifteen stoves, besides all the sweeping and scrubbing. During 1894-95 a full-time man assisted Sam at a salary of $315. President Whitman reported to the Board, somewhat sarcastically, that $315 could have been saved by neglecting the walks and let- ting the campus run to grass.

Although there were no riots or other notorious disturbances during the Whitman presidency, student pranks by no means ceased. In 1893, invitations sent to the Mayor of Waterville, all members of the City Council, and many prominent citizens, to attend a reception at Ladies' Hall, proved to be faked. The plot was discovered before it had entirely matured and most of the guests were spared embarrassment which would have been exceeded only by that of the unprepared and unsuspecting hosts at Ladies' Hall.

The Echo one day announced that Miss Fannie Gallert had entertained a group of college girls at her home on Pleasant Street on Saturday evening, where entertainment consisted of progressive tiddly winks, with the prize going to Miss Carlton, '94.

In the fall of 1893 the Echo reported on an impulsive student gathering: "About 3:30 Tuesday morning our peaceful slumbers were broken by a series of yells that sounded like a Comanche raid. Inside of fifteen minutes every fel- low in the bricks was outside, dressed more or less to suit the occasion, which turned out to be a fifty gallon keg of cider. Pails, pitchers, and every other kind of receptacle were brought forth to be filled with the sweet beverage, until in a few minutes there was left only the sorriest looking barrel ever seen in that sacred edifice, the reading room."

Football had made informal appearance on the campus in the late '80's, but it was not until 1892 that Colby formed a football association and put a team on the field. Even then the games were most informally reported. Of a game against Bates in the fall of 1893, the Echo carried a report of only four sentences: "The football game at Lewiston was a close contest. The excitement centered in the last part of the second half. Bates brought the ball to Colby's goal line, but was forced back. Brilliant rushes by Gray, Robinson, and Holmes resulted in a touchdown by Colby --- the only score of the game."

In those days, of course, the College officially took no responsibility for athletics. Organization of teams, scheduling of games, provisions for equipment, payment of coaches, when any were employed, and all other expenses were the sole responsibility of the students. In 1893 there was not even a general Student Athletic Association, but a separate association for each sport-baseball, foot- ball, and the annual field day. When it became necessary to build a new fence around the field in 1894, it took some time to decide how the three associations should share in the cost.

In every town where a non-profit institution has a conspicuous amount of untaxed property, there are complaining taxpayers. It sometimes takes a crisis like the threatened moving of Colby to Augusta in the 1930's to arouse a com- munity to the fact that such a tax-exempt institution is more of an asset than a liability to the town. Evidently talk about what the college was costing the city

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in lost taxes was rife in 1893, because the Echo then published the following editorial.

Many might be surprised to learn that students at Colby contribute per- sonally to the wealth of the city a sum amounting annually to fifty thousand dollars. This represents only the formal expenses of the stu- dents and does not include the money coming to the city from the college corporation, its offices and families. Add to this the money received by hotels and traders from visiting athletic clubs, returning alumni, and other visitors, and the total would approach a hundred thousand dollars. The majority of the townspeople appreciate this fact. There are others, however, who think they are making consider- able sacrifice by allowing us to live in the same town with them. We gratefully note that these latter are fewer in number every year.

Following such a man as Albion W. Small, President Whitman felt keenly his lack of both teaching and administrative experience at college level. He de- termined to seek better preparation, and in 1894 he applied to the Trustees for a year's leave of absence for study. The Board approved, but Whitman never executed the plan. In the spring of 1895 he was approached in regard to the presidency of Columbian College in Washington. It was too alluring an offer to refuse, and at the annual meeting of the Colby Trustees .on July first, President Whitman presented his resignation. The Board accepted it and appointed a com- mittee under the chairmanship of Josiah Drummond to nominate a successor. Seeing small chance to have a new president in office when college reopened in September, the Board requested Dr. George D. B. Pepper to serve as Acting President until Whitman's successor had been chosen and installed.

So it came about that in three short years after it had started, the adminis- tration of Colby's youngest president came to an end.

CHAPTER XXVI

The Man From Chicago

N ATHANIEL BUTLER, JR., was the man chosen to succeed Beniah Whit- man, when the Colby Trustees held a special meeting in Portland on September 30, 1895. Already well and favorably known in circles of higher education, Butler was Director of the Extension Division of the University of Chicago when he was called to the Colby presidency. He had come especially to the attention of the Board at the commencement exercises a few months earlier.

In his annual report in 1894, President Whitman had suggested that due observance be given to the 75th anniversary of the College in 1895. A com- mittee consisting of Dr. Crane and Dr. Hanson for the Trustees, and Wesley Dunn and Leslie Cornish for the alumni, decided to invite Nathaniel Butler, Jr., as the principal speaker. With a forward-looking address on higher education, he made such a favorable impression that the Board decided he was just the man to be the new president.

It has been pointed out in the preceding chapter that Albion Woodbury Small and Nathaniel Butler, Jr., are often thought of together when anyone recalls Colby in the 1890's. Indeed the two men had much in common. Both were the sons of Colby graduates; both had themselves graduated from Colby; both had left the ministry for a lifetime career in higher education; both had been se- lected by one of America's greatest university presidents, William Harper, to help him organize the University of Chicago. Butler was a bit older than Small, but they had known each other in undergraduate days, when Small was a Colby freshman in Butler's senior year.

The son of Nathaniel Butler, Sr., of the class of 1842, for thirty years a member of the Colby Trustees, Nathaniel Butler, Jr., was born at Eastport, Maine, in 1853. Graduating from Colby in 1873, he went immediately to Illinois, where he held successive administrative positions in the Ferry Hall Female College at Lake Forest, in Highland Hall College at Highland Park, and in the Yale School for Boys at Chicago. In 1884 he was ordained a Baptist minister, although he never completed a formal theological course. His first association with the Uni- versity of Chicago was as Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature in 1884. After ten years in that chair, he was for three years Professor of Latin. In 1889 he went to the University of Illinois as Professor of English, but after three years he returned to the University of Chicago as Director of University Extension, the position he held when he accepted the Colby presidency in 1895.

It was February, 1896, before Dr. Butler could come to Waterville and assume active leadership of the College. It is interesting to note that he was not re- quired to live in the college-owned house at 33 College Avenue. He was given the option of a salary of $3000 and house, or $3500 and furnish his own house.

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He chose the latter, and during the early years of his administration lived at No. 25 College Avenue.

Like Albion W. Small, Dr. Butler was a cordial, friendly, out-going man, not at all the recluse scholar. He and Mrs. Butler made their home a frequent gathering place for faculty, students, and townspeople. One of their many cards of invitation, issued in 1896, read:

Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Butler will be at home informally the first Tuesday of each month from three until ten o'clock. You are cordially invited to be present and to assist in promoting the social life of the College.

25 College Avenue

Probably no man ever came to the Colby presidency with such a reputa- tion as a student prankster as did Nathaniel Butler, Jr. He had been the stu- dent against whom charges had been brought, in Waterville court, for the burn- ing of the old latrine known as Memorial Hall Junior-a story that has been related in an earlier chapter. Because of this and other pranks in which the fun- loving son of a sober Baptist minister was involved, it is possible that, in the dim growth of legend, some of his escapades were actually transferred to the more notorious Ben Butler of the Class of 1838.

Like every other college, Colby was always needing money, and like his im- mediate predecessors President Butler found it difficult to balance the annual budget. He was determined that endowment should be increased, that the grow- ing number of women students should have adequate housing, and that the long- delayed chemistry building should be erected. To raise funds, Dr. Butler conceived of a plan to link town and gown together in closer cooperation. Ever since the founding of the College, frequent appeals had been made to local citizens for subscriptions in behalf of the institution, but never before had a proposal been made officially to the City, based on mutual benefit to both the College and the town.

The front page of the Waterville Mail for April 2, 1897, devoted three columns to the account of a meeting held in the City Hall, under the auspices of the Waterville Board of Trade. Dr. Butler told the gathering he was speaking not as President of the College, but as a citizen. He pointed out that the reputation of Waterville rested on two bases, education and industry, and that the removal of either element would be disastrous. With an uncanny sense of prophecy, he said, "If you should see Waterville liable to lose the College, you would have no trouble raising $100,000 to keep it here." Thirty-five years later, that was exactly the amount that Waterville citizens pledged to prevent removal of the Col- lege to Augusta. After those prophetic words, President Butler got down to the job for which the meeting had been called. He said:

Colby ought to mean in Maine what Amherst and Williams mean in Massachusetts. I do not forget the splendid work Colby is already doing. She has no apologies to make. But we must look to the future by pro- viding at once for the demands of a growing institution. Twenty-five years ago three men found themselves face to face with a similar sit- uation. Gardner Colby, Abner Coburn, and J. Warren Merrill ac- cepted the situation and by their generous gifts gave the College a new lease of vigorous life for a quarter of a century. Now we must meet the demands of a new quarter-century. We must speak frankly of our

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needs: a chemical laboratory to cost $50,000; a Department of Biology to cost another $50,000, and a third $50,000 for a ladies' dormitory, $15,000 of which has already been pledged. The endowment of the College needs to be increased until the income shall be $50,000 instead of $35,000. All this may require five years to bring about. It ought not to require more. Once get started with one of these needs met and the satisfaction of the others will quickly follow.

The alumni are raising money for the chemical laboratory. The Bap- tist Education Society and a number of wealthy individuals have agreed to help, if a start can be made here at home. I am here to ask the citi- zens of Waterville to do now what was done twenty-five years ago. I ask you to help build this ladies' hall, a building that will stand, not on the college grounds, but on one of your principal streets. Remember that the building of this hall is a step in the growth of the City as well as of the College.

Frank Redington, chairman of the Board of Trade, urged support of the measure, "not for the intellectual and social aspects of the College, but for its financial benefit to the City." He wanted to see Colby grow for the sake of addi- tional money it would bring into the town. Horace Purinton said the time had come to provide a building for the College with Waterville money. Mark Gallert recalled that in 1865 business in Waterville was languishing, and grass was grow- ing in the streets. A big war debt threatened the taxpayers. Citizens bestirred themselves, and in those hard times raised $40,000 for the Ticonic Water Power and Manufacturing Company, with results that were evident to all a quarter of a century later. "The time has now come," said Gallert, "to make Waterville one of the great educational centers of New England."

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The history of Colby College, Part 34

Author: Colby College Publication date: 1963 Publisher: Waterville, Colby College Press Number of Pages: 716

Author: Colby College
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Waterville, Colby College Press
Number of Pages: 716