USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > A centennial history, 1837-1937, Colby Academy, Colby Junior College > Part 23
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He was among the first to emphasize the principle of making the schools more social in their methods instead of individualistic, and he tried to increase co-operation between parent and teacher. He believed that the school ought to have as its goal not only the education of chil- dren but the extension of culture in the community as a whole. His strong human interest won him popularity and support for his ideas and plans. His school reports were models of efficiency, and he was the author of books on pedagogy and school administration. His interest in education in general led to his appointment as trustee of the College for Women in Constantinople and of the Christian College at Canton, China. His interest in in- ternational peace led him to participate in the peace or-
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ganizations of the country and he wrote articles for peace journals.
Benjamin Ide Wheeler came to Colby Academy from Massachusetts for a final year of college preparation and graduated in the class of '71. Continuing his educational course at Brown, where he graduated in '75, he com- menced a teaching career which carried him from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from a high school position to a college presidency. Providence High School gave him his initial experience. He was fortunate in being able to study in Europe, and subsequently he was pro- fessor of Greek Literature in the American School of Classical Studies at Athens for a year, and again Roose- velt Professor at the University of Berlin. In America he was at different times instructor and lecturer at Brown and Harvard, but Cornell claimed him for the chair of comparative philology and later of Greek. In 1889 he was invited to become president of the University of California. As the head of one of the largest of the state universities he was able to have a wide influence on the educational policies of the West, and through his books he made himself an authority in the field of his specialty. He earned the doctor of philosophy degree at the Uni- versity of Heidelberg in Germany and he was honored with a variety of degrees. The University of Athens made him doctor of philosophy, Colgate doctor of humane let- ters. No less than ten American universities conferred upon him their highest degree, doctor of laws. Such pre- ferment comes to few men, but Dr. Wheeler was a man of rare personality and solid achievement, and none be- grudged him the high rank to which he attained.
A number of later Colby graduates have occupied pro- fessorial chairs. As early as 1858 Mary A. Currier gradu- ated from Colby, and not satisfied with a subsequent teaching position in the academy she became a lecturer of national reputation and for many years professor of
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elocution at Wellesley College. Eight years later Sarah A. Worcester graduated from Colby with a laudable am- bition to play her part in the world, and years later she emerged into prominence as professor of modern lan- guages at Urbana University, Urbana, Ohio. It was im- possible to keep the Colby girls from rising to the top.
Winfred N. Donovan set a high standard of scholar- ship for his class of '87 in the academy, went on to Colby College and an equal reputation there, and then com- pleted his professional preparation for the ministry at Newton Theological Institution. He specialized in the department of Old Testament studies, and was invited to remain after graduation as instructor in the depart- ment. This was the beginning of steady advancement until he became professor of biblical interpretation, Old Testament, in 1915. He was on leave of absence for a time during the World War in Y.M.C.A. service in France. For thirty years he has been secretary of the fac- ulty at Newton, and for a longer period still the clerk of the Society of the Alumni. During an interregnum in the presidency he was acting president for a year. Or- dained after graduation from Newton, he was sought after as pastoral supply in many New England churches, but he has continued in his place at the Seminary for a term of almost forty years. Colby College conferred upon him the degree of doctor of divinity in 1910 and later elected him to its board of trustees.
Several of Colby's alumni engaged in teaching in col- leges outside of New England. George Bohonan, who attended Colby Academy with the class of '90 but did not graduate, became teacher of music in Rio Grande College, Ohio, and he was professor of music at the Virginia Intermont College at Bristol, Virginia. Alvan A. Kempton, class of '92, took the full course at Brown, graduating in 1896, and served his apprenticeship in teaching in the chair of natural science in Jackson Col-
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lege, Mississippi. Ira H. Derby, class of '95, continued his studies at Harvard University until graduation there. Then he went to Cornell and later to the Universities of Chicago and Minnesota to engage in chemical research. At the University of Minnesota he became assistant pro- fessor of chemistry in 1915.
Since the twentieth century began several Colby men have stepped into college positions in the older states. N. Ernest Wheeler was one of three of the Wheeler clan in the class of 1905. He did not complete his college preparation at New London but Colby counts him among her alumni; in time he became professor of physics at Colby College. Arthur F. Newell, class of 1908, for a time was professor of international relations at Robert College in Turkey. Van Densman Thompson of the same class went to De Pauw University and became a successful instructor of music. Charles H. Abbott of the next class became instructor in the University of Redlands. Philip L. Harriman graduated at Colby in the class of 1913, and found his niche as professor of psychology at Bucknell University. Nathaniel Colby, class of '23, is a professor at Norwich University. Shepard B. Clough, 1919, and his brother Nathaniel P. Clough, class of 1924, are sons of the late Clarence E. Clough, former president of the Board of Trustees. Both gradu- ated from Colgate and decided to become teachers of history. Shepard has been a member of the history de- partment of Columbia University for a number of years and is the author of several books. Nathaniel taught at Colgate for a time, and has since been professor of his- tory in Wagner and Hunter Colleges in New York City.
The profession of school superintendency has claimed some who have made that their choice and others who have been teachers. Eben L. Little, class of '57, was educated as a minister, but he was qualified for leader- ship in educational circles and became commissioner
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of schools in Alpena, Michigan. Edwin P. Frost, class of '61, also went to Michigan and was superintendent at Norway in that state. Three years later the school at New London graduated Charles L. Clay, who was con- tent to settle as superintendent over the schools in Little- ton, New Hampshire. Three years more and Freeman Putney received his diploma, not knowing that he would be the popular head of the school system in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Clarence F. Carroll was a Sutton boy, who started in as little more than a youngster at the academy, but he was a boy of parts and he rose to the position of superin- tendent of schools in the city of Rochester, New York, and later was principal of the New Britain Normal School in Connecticut. Sixth in the group was William M. Stevens, who was the third to go to the West, be- coming superintendent in Sioux City, Iowa. Frank J. Peaslee, class of '77, is best known as a teacher at Colby Academy and in the Fall River High School, but for a time he was superintendent of schools at Lynn. Steve M. Abbott, class of '81, was superintendent for a time at Polo, Illinois, deserting his profession to become a Christian Science practitioner in California. After the institution at New London had become Colby Academy Henry M. Fletcher, class of '84, was added to the num- ber of superintendents.
It does not fall to the lot of many men and women to be the teacher of a president of the United States, but one Colby alumnus had a share in the making of Calvin Coolidge. This was Charles E. Putney, Ph.D., who left Colby in 1861, was for a time principal of the high school in Burlington, Vermont, and for many years was at the head of St. Johnsbury Academy. John P. Scales, '59, was principal of Franklin Academy, Dover, for fourteen years before he became editor and pro- prietor of the Daily Republican and Dover Enquirer.
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Harlan P. Gage, class of '62, was a popular master in a Boston school and an acceptable public speaker. In the class of '67 Colby Academy graduated Lewis H. Dut- ton, who later as principal of the Hancock School, Boston, bent the youthful twigs the way they should grow. George F. Weston, class of '74, was principal of the Technical High in Providence. In 1886 Charles J. Emerson left his course completed at New London, in course of time became high school principal at Kingston, Massachusetts, and later in life took a similar position at Newport, New Hampshire. Alvan A. Kempton, class of '92, became principal of the high school at Kingston, Massachusetts, and was subsequently a teacher in Ver- mont before his untimely death on the eve of a promising career at Vermont Academy. Ernest G. Hapgood, class of '97, for many years has been headmaster of the Girls' Latin School in Boston, one of the most responsible positions in the school system of the city, and has been a trustee of Colby Academy since 1915.
Women graduates of the academy have proved them- selves capable of school management as well as the men. Grave was the discussion in the school board at Dundee, Illinois, whether it should venture to entrust the schools to Julia M. Gay as superintendent, but she stayed six years before she was wooed back to New London hill. Adelaide P. Pierce, class of '62, graduated at a time when girls' schools were far less numerous than now. She en- couraged higher education by founding the Home School, Everett, Massachusetts, which she carried on successfully until her marriage. One of the class of '78 at Colby was Ellen A. Kimball. Her ability as well as her name fitted her to become lady principal at Kimball Union Academy, but she accomplished an even more ambitious undertaking when she became principal of a school for young ladies at Worcester. Besides her school work she lectured from time to time on the public plat-
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form. Annie P. Barnes, class of '71, was principal of the Browning School for Girls at Cambridge. In the class of '81 Laura F. Parker gave indication of her abil- ity as a scholar. At one time on the faculty of Colby Academy and at Northfield, at other times her work took her into the South to Hartshorn Memorial College at Richmond and even to New Orleans.
Among the Colby graduates in the class of '83 was Mary E. Tilton. Several of her relatives were students on the hill at different times; she proved herself able to maintain high standards and she had a good influence over other students. Deciding to teach she went to the state normal school at Plymouth. Later on she became principal of high schools in New York and Michigan. At one time she was principal of Pillsbury Academy, which had been founded by a Colby Academy alumnus at Owatonna, Minnesota. She was a deeply religious woman and her character was a force for good in the lives of her pupils. She met death in a railroad accident at Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1890. Anna S. Cummings completed her course at New London in 1885, and con- tinued her studies at Colby College. Her record in- cludes the lady principalship at Vermont Academy and the superintendency of a training school at Huntington, West Virginia, in connection with Marshall College State Normal School. In the class of '74 was Annie F. Cobb, who though not herself a principal married Har- vey S. Cowell, principal of Cushing Academy at Ash- burnham, Massachusetts, and became his educational assistant. Emmeline M. Fletcher, class of '82, did not have time to make a name for herself before Charles E. Dickerson persuaded her to change it and help him manage one of the Moody schools at Northfield.
Many young men and women have left Colby to find their field of service behind the teacher's desk, to spare the rod and persuade the child to learn by a better
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way, to coax two thoughts to sprout where only one had germinated before, and to find the reward of it less in salaries received than in the satisfaction of labor well wrought.
Among the prominent names in the roster of Colby alumni is Albert P. Gage, class of '55. For thirty-six years he was on the roll of Boston public school teachers, twenty-seven of them spent teaching physics. He was also the author of several textbooks. Such a record is evidence of his unusual ability. Ethel P. Sherman, class of '70, spent a considerable time in study at Oxford, England, and after her return to America taught in the province of Quebec. Ellen A. Foster, class of '77, found her place of usefulness at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. Lucy E. Allen, class of '97, has had a long career of successful teaching, culminating in the position of head of the mathematics department at Thayer Academy, Braintree, Massachusetts.
Charles J. Keppell '08 became a teacher at the well known Tome School, Maryland. Ruth M. Russell, class of 1914, became teacher at Pine Manor, prepara- tory school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and Edna G. Messer '17 found her arena of pedagogical activity in the Concord High School. These are examples of the active service rendered in the schoolroom, names that could be added to with a total of hundreds of years of instruction given in town and country. Some there were who gave a few years to teaching and then went into business; others married and brought up their own chil- dren instead of those of other people. The influence of teachers, as of ministers, is an intangible thing, but many are the boys and girls who without it would have missed the best that life can give of information and in- spiration.
Newspaper work appealed to a considerable number of Colby folk. Henry M. Putney, class of '57, is out-
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standing in the list of editors. As editorial writer on the Manchester Mirror he helped to shape the thought of New Hampshire people, and his knowledge of public affairs gave him the appointment of railroad commis- sioner and of United States commissioner to the Paris Exposition held in 1901. John Scales, class of '59, gave twenty years to teaching and then became an editor. Edward H. Peabody '61, edited a Massachusetts daily paper for thirty years, a task that was a heavy burden for one man. Harry W. Cheney '82, punctuated his editorial career by becoming speaker of the New Hamp- shire House of Representatives. Benjamin P. Holbrook, non-graduate of the class of '84, was well known for his connection with the Boston Globe. Cyrus Durgin, class of '25, became music critic on the same newspaper. George W. Parker '95, has alternated teaching and news- paper work; he has a place in the list of instructors at Colby. Prominent in the twentieth century have been Robert M. Blood, class of 1902, editor of the Manchester Union, and B. Leroy Woodbury '05, who took the responsible task of editing the Worcester Telegram- Gazette. Lawrence Chaplin '74, was the first to edit a directory of Colby alumni; his example was followed by John M. Taylor '77, who compiled the useful address book published in 1923. Martha H. Pillsbury '80, was a writer on her own account and a compiler of informa- tion about Colby alumni.
A few writers and lecturers are among the alumni of Colby. Harold Murdock, at one time a member of the class of '79 and son of an eminent Baptist minister, be- came an historian and author. Orison Swett Marden, non-graduate class of '71, was widely known as pro- moter of business success through his books and his periodical Success. Mary A. Wadsworth '61, was author, lecturer and Shakespearian critic; Arabella S. Austin '68, lectured and translated French books. Both were
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club women. Mary A. Currier '58, combined lecturing with teaching, and J. Trask Plumer of Manchester com- bined lecturing with business. Colby has graduated several persons who as librarians have helped to mould the reading habits of students and the reading public. In the class of '68 was John W. Burnham, who for many years as assistant librarian bore the brunt of the labor in the Brown University Library. Helen A. Tissell, one of four to graduate in the class of '79, became a librarian in Massachusetts. Millicent F. Blair, non-graduate of the class of '93, went to New York and became librarian in the Young Women's Christian Association. Her classmate, Anna M. Hurd, secured a position in the Concord Library. Herbert F. Keyser '04, became a li- brarian in Washington.
The field of business attracted many of the Colby boys and some of them gained conspicuous success. Charles E. Pillsbury '59, was one of the young men who ventured to go West and grow up with the country. Starting in a small way he became by his inventive and administrative ability the owner of flour mills and pro- ducer of flour which became prized in households all over the country. Pillsbury was a philanthropist as well, founder of Pillsbury Academy at Owatonna, Min- nesota. Charles T. Richardson '57, was a grandson of Mrs. Anthony Colby, and while he was a student at the academy he lived at the Colby mansion. After graduat- ing from Dartmouth he went into the iron and steel business in Boston with his father. He served in the Forty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War.
Other manufacturers among the earlier alumni were James Aiken '74, of Franklin, and Melvin J. Messer '68, who was a musician as well as a manufacturer, and even published his poems. Robert N. Greenwood, class of '82, built up a successful industrial plant at American Falls, Idaho, which seemed likely to make it one of the
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power centers of the Far West until government opera- tions made the whole enterprise unprofitable. Albert M. Blaisdell '95, made good in business, establishing the Blaisdell Brothers Milling Company of Minneapolis. Jesse G. Melendy of the next class developed a scientific interest which gave him prestige in business so that he became manager of the Buffalo plant of the General Chemical Company. Samuel M. Best, who was at New London in the class of 1904, went to Boston University and then enjoyed rapid preferment in the same field of industry until he became president of the Potter Chemi- cal and Drug Company, Malden, Massachusetts.
Representative Colby merchants are Charles A. Mooar of Boston, class of '62, Seth Eastman, Concord book- seller, class of '64, and Ferdinand Price, non-graduate of the class of '96, who built up the largest furniture store in New England. Herman N. Baker '94, and Libe Washburn '97, went into business after teaching. James G. Harris has been New England agent for the publica- tions of the American Book Company and then of Long- mans, Green and Company, easing the wear and tear of business responsibility by serving on the governor's council in Massachusetts and stirring up the Republican politicians, and then accepting an election to the Colby Board of Trustees. Leland L. Eaton '96, entered a similar business life, becoming New York agent for the educational publications of Charles Scribner and Sons.
George M. Hodges '87, became the Chicago manager of the Goodell Company of Antrim, a company which was connected with Colby through Governor Goodell and his son Richard, both of whom were trustees of the academy, as was Hodges. Clarence E. Clough '91, had a successful career in business and was prominent in political reform circles in the state. Life insurance made W. D. Wyman, '80, prominent; he was president of the Berkshire Life Insurance Company and of the
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National Underwriters Association. Edward N. Fol- som '82, engaged in insurance in Providence after activ- ity in the Young Men's Christian Association earlier in life. Minnie N. Linton, class of 1900, joined forces in business with Sarah W. Holt, who for some time was the head of the X-ray department of the health center in New York City.
Without going outside of New London the Shepards and Kidders, the Gays and the Messers, have gained prosperity in business, Horace Stanley has become a responsible contractor and a trustee, Ervin P. Edmands has built up a going concern at the corners, and Dura P. Crockett has shown what an enterprising farmer can accomplish.
Two persons are examples of what Colby graduates have done in their own specific fields of business and home life. Charles H. Morrill spent three years at Colby, leaving before graduation in 1860. He was a private in the Eleventh New Hampshire Volunteers during the Civil War. In 1871 he settled on a government home- stead grant in Nebraska. By and by he became private secretary to the governor of the state. He was regent of the state university. He advanced to a bank presidency and engineered land companies. For four years he held the office of United States collector of customs, and he was commissioner of the Louisiana Exposition in 1904. Besides all these political and business honors he was chairman of the Republican state committee for three years, and had a town and a county named after him.
Mary E. Andrews, class of '64, married Clark B. Coch- rane and settled down to a contented home life in An- trim. She was president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, a member of the Pioneers' Reading Club, active in the Missionary Alliance, and taught a class in the Sunday School. These activities did not hin- der her from bringing up a family of six children. Of
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four boys one was a mechanical engineer in Rochester, New York, another a business man in Plymouth, Mas- sachusetts, another was a Boston physician, and the fourth became a world traveler and lecturer. On one occasion he climbed Mont Pelee and slept in a crater. With refer- ence to this event Martha Pillsbury wrote of his mother: "She could not have imparted to him any of her New London training, else he would never have done so un- orthodox a thing as to sleep in a crater." If Mary An- drews had been a boy at Colby she might have slept unconventionally on the slope of Kearsarge to climb and see the sunrise, and in that case the son might have been excused for the Mont Pelee incident on the score of the unorthodox scientific doctrine of inheriting ac- quired characteristics.
Eighty years ago Charles Farnum was a student on New London hill. He saw Bickmore and Duncan, Gor- don and Porter get their diplomas in 1856. Through the long years since then he has done his work in the world, and he still lives in West Concord in his one hundredth year to help celebrate the founding of the academy in the year that he was born.
The value of alumni associations to create a spirit of loyalty and appreciation of the school was recog- nized at an early date, and an organization was formed in 1859 in a tentative fashion. It was planned to meet for celebration in connection with Commencement and a programme was arranged for the next year. According to the arrangement the alumni had a supper in the hall of the old academy, Dr. A. J. Gordon '56, delivered the oration and Henry L. Colby '59, read a poem. The following year Judge Edward B. Knight '57, gave the oration. In 1862 a constitution was adopted which had been drafted by Judge Knight; the constitution pro- vided for biennial instead of annual reunions and con- firmed the custom of literary exercises and a supper. It
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became the regular custom to have an oration and a poem and, beginning with 1863, chronicles of the alumni. It is interesting to note that all of the orations in the first twenty years were given by men, all of the chronicles were compiled by women, while five men and three women wrote the poems. The most surprising fact is that the fount of poetical inspiration did not run dry.
When the Quarter Centennial came in 1878 the alumni omitted their usual programme and joined in the general celebration. During the forenoon public exercises were held in the church, where all gathered to listen to the historical address by Dr. Gardner and to a memorial address for Professor Ephraim Knight by J. Oscar Teele of the class of '59. In the afternoon ad- dresses were made by Reverend A. J. Gordon, D.D., '56, O. D. Cheney, M.D., '68, Reverend George W. Gile '61, Harland P. Gage '62, Mary A. Wadsworth '61, and others. In the evening a reception for the alumni was given by the trustees, followed by supper and post- prandial speeches.
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