USA > New York > Schenectady County > History of the County of Schenectady, N. Y., from 1662 to 1886... > Part 29
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MILITARY INSTRUCTION.
In 1873 Union College applied to the War De- partment requesting that an officer of the Engineer Corps might be detailed for the purpose of giving military instruction, in pursuance of the policy fa- vored by act of Congress, with the view of inducing colleges to supplement in some degree the work of the military academy in this department of use- ful knowledge. The Government has, in accord- ance with this request, supplied the college with muskets and equipments for drill and instruction, under a commissioned officer of the army. A plain, inexpensive uniform has been adopted, and a course of military instruction has been added to the college curriculum without abating anything from the course of studies formerly prescribed. The drill is regarded chiefly as a physical training.
COLLEGE SOCIETIES.
Union College has at present two literary socie- ties with libraries-the Philomathian Society, formed in 1793 by the young men of the town in the old academy building before the college charter was granted, possessing a library of 3, 000 volumes;
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the Adelphic Society, founded in 1797, and its library, containing about 3,000 volumes; eight "Greek letter " societies, some of which originated with this college; and a chapter of "Phi Beta Kappa Society," established here in 1817, and is a strictly honorary society. There is also a "Sen- ate," formed for purpose of debate on political sub- jects, consisting of the Senior class. The rules of order and method of procedure are modeled, as near as may be, after those of the Senate of the United States.
An Alumni Association was formed in 1857, and has several branches. A modification of the char- ter was procured in 1871, by granting to the alumni a representation in the board of trustees, so that now there are four graduates holding that trust, one being chosen annually for a term of four years. The election is held on alumni day, the one preceding commencement, in the college chapel.
SCHOLARSHIPS.
Under an act passed in 1814, the sum of fifty thousand dollars was set apart as a fund, the income of which has ever since been applied in aiding young men of narrow means. This fund has been increased by several benefactions. Miss Catherine L. Wolf, of New York City, has given fifty thousand dollars in pursuance of a purpose entertained by her deceased father, Mr. John David Wolf, for aid- ing the education of young men from the Southern States. Dr. John McClelland (class of 1832), of New York City, influenced largely by the aid he had himself received while in college, has given fifty thousand dollars, and a worthy son of Union Col- lege has placed a bequest of thirty thousand dol- lars in his will to endow an emeritus professorship.
ORDINARY SCHOLARSHIPS.
To a large class of students Union College pre- sents extraordinary advantages in its numerous scholarships. In the scholarships of the first grade the incumbents, on condition of good conduct and satisfactory application to study, receive at the end of each term a credit on the books of the regis- trar to the full amount of term bills.
In the scholarships of the second grade, the in- cumbents, on the same condition, receive a credit to the amount of half the term bills.
These scholarships are accessible, under certain restrictions, to all who present the requisite certi- ficates of character and sustain the examinations required for admission to the regular classes of the college.
PRIZE SCHOLARSHIPS.
Among the several classes of scholarships founded by the late Dr. Nott-a few of which only are yet actually founded, but their ultimate endow- ment is secured by the prospective sale of valuable lands-is a class of prize scholarships granted ac- cording to certain prescribed rules. The pecuniary emolument of a prize scholarship is thirty-five dol- lars a term, or four hundred and twenty dollars for the whole college course, a provision which enables the incumbent, after paying his college bills, to retain the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars.
The possession of a prize scholarship demands, thoughout the whole course, high standing as a student in all respects; and the incumbent is for- bidden to use intoxicating liquor as a beverage, and tobacco in all its forms. Some of these scholar- ships enable the student to pursue post-graduate studies for a certain time.
PRIZES AND MEDALS.
There are a number of prizes given at commence- ment, consisting of medals, money or books, awarded for proficiency in oratory, essays and de- portment, some of which can be competed for by the seniors only ; others by the juniors and sophomores.
COLLEGE LIBRARIES.
There are three libraries connected with the institution, of which the college library proper con- tains about 20,000 volumes, the Philomathian Society library about 4,000 volumes, and the Adelphic Society about 3,000 volumes.
COLLECTIONS IN NATURAL HISTORY.
The college has long been a center of special interest for students of natural history. In 1841 it received a large collection of minerals and fossils from the State cabinet. In 1860 the "Wheatley Collection " of shells and minerals, worth more than $20,000, was presented by E. C. Delevan. Large and valuable additions of specimens were added by Prof. H. E. Webster as the results of his labors in dredging on the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia and Florida.
PHILOSOPHICAL DEPARTMENT.
In this department the collections, under the care of Prof. John Foster, have grown to be among the finest in the country. The donations of friends have added largely to the collection, but the princi- pal part has been purchased by the friends of the college or by special funds raised for this purpose.
ART DEPARTMENT.
Memorial Hall affords a fine opportunity for the preservation and display of works of art, a consid- erable collection of which is already procured. Through a liberal annual gift of Miss Catharine L. Wolfe, of New York, the prospect that this depart- ment will become unusually fine is promising.
THE SONGS OF UNION.
This feature of college literature deserves notice. For many years they were floating waifs. Some of them were productions of real merit. A few of these songs are perennial in their fragrance and are always sung on festive occasions. The song of "Old Union," composed by Fitzhugh Ludlow, ' class of 1856, is always sung on commencement day at the close of the graduating services. The hearty good-will and feeling with which returning sons join in the grand chorus :
" Then here's to thee, the brave and free, Old Union smiling o'er us ;
And for many a day, as thy walls grow gray, May they ring with thy children's chorus."
show that the gifted poet did not attune his lyre in vain.
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CITY OF SCHENECTADY .- EDUCATIONAL.
UNION UNIVERSITY.
About forty years after the incorporation of Union College, the people of Albany conceived the idea of establishing a series of post-graduate institu- tions at the capital, and began by the founding of the "Albany Medical College," April 14, 1838.
The " Albany Law School " was incorporated in 1851.
The "Dudley Observatory" was incorporated in 1852.
The above institutions, together with "Union College," were incorporated as " Union University " in 1873.
" The Albany College of Pharmacy " is also a part of the University.
OFFICIALS. - President ad interim, Hon. Judson S. Landon, LL. D., of Schenectady. President- elect, Rev. Joseph Tuttle Duryea, D. D., Pastor of the Central Congregational Church of Boston, Mass.
TRUSTEES .- Rev. Dr. J. Trumbull Backus, Hon. E. A. Paige, Hon. Platt Potter, Hon. Jud- son S. Landon, of Schenectady ; Hon. Fred. Townsend, Albany ; Rev. Dr. Wm. Irwin, Troy ; Rev. Dr. J. L. Reese, W. H. H. Moore, Hon. David Murray, LL. D., Albany ; Rev. Dr. Denis Wortman, Saugerties ; Hon. L. W. Rhodes, Troy; Col. D. C. Robinson, Elmira ; Rev. Dr. George Alexander, Hon. Hooper C. Van Voast, Silas B. Brownell, Thomas W. Featherstonehaugh, New York ; Rev. Dr. E. Nott Potter, Geneva ; Dr. P. R. Furbeck, Gloversville ; and the officers of the State of New York, ex-officio.
PROFESSORS .- Henry Whitehorne, A. M., Greek Language and Literature ; Wm. Wells, A. M., Ph. D., Modern Languages ; Maurice Perkins, A. M., Chemistry ; Cady Staley, A. M., C. E., Civil En- gineering ; Samuel B. Howe, Principal Union School ; Chas. S. Halsey, A. M., Principal Classical Institute ; Sidney G. Ashmore, A. M., Latin ; First Lieutenant, First Artillery, Henry W. Hubbell, U. S. A., Military Science ; Winfield S. Chaplin, A. M., Mathematics and Physics (Knight of the Rising Sun, Japan) ; W. E. Griffis, D. D., Mental Science, Adjunct Professor ; James R. Truax, Rhetoric and English Literature ; Henry F. Depew, Adjunct Professor, Mathematics ; Rev. Rudolph Farber, Hebrew.
ACTING TREASURER .- Cady Staley.
REGISTRAR. - Mrs. M. L. Peissner.
Carlyle says that the history of the world is the biography of its great men. This applies with peculiar force to the life of Eliphalet Nott. He was born in Ashford, Windham County, Con- necticut, June 25, 1773. At the time of his death, January 29, 1866, he had occupied the po- sition of President of Union College for sixty-two years, a period without parallel in the history of our literary institutions. He had long stood in the foremost rank of American educators. His reputation as a pulpit orator was hardly less dis- tinguished; while as a reformer and philanthro- pist he had now an honorable position among the
benefactors of his kind. Such a life well deserves a written memorial.
In 1804 a young Presbyterian clergyman, Eliphalet Nott, was called to the presidency of Union College. A year before the organization of the college he had passed from Connecticut through Albany to a new settlement in Cherry Valley, where he became pastor and teacher. He
Eliphalet Nott.
was soon called to Albany, where, in 1804, he made the most fortunate effort of his life, which told greatly upon his future career. His sermon upon the death of Hamilton, at the hands of Burr, stamped him as one of the rising men of the period, and he was at once called to the presidency. President Nott found the college in imperative need of means and students. He soon appealed to the State for aid, and thus laid the foundation of measures which resulted in training the legis- lators and the people of the commonwealth to consider the matter of popular and higher educa- tion as the paramount duty of a Republican Government. The college was soon so rapidly increasing in numbers under his management that new buildings became a necessity, and the site now occupied by the college was obtained. During 1814 Dr. Nott succeeded in having a bill passed by the Legislature of the State, by which Union College wasto have $200,000. In this period this was a princely sum for such purposes. The dis- cussion attending the passage of this measure at- tracted the attention of the whole State, during which the movement in favor of establishing com- mon schools became so popular that men who were first opposed to it began to tone down their opposition. The president watched the bill day by day, and from this period, down through the days of Marcy, Silas Wright and Seward, the in- fluence of Dr. Nott at the capital was very potent, and aided greatly in advancing the welfare of the institution. It is not our purpose to relate in detail the grand educational work of this man. The best years of his long life were given, un-
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reservedly, to the enhancement of the college. He had time for other and important things. He was a leader in temperance teachings, his sympathies were loyal during the Civil War, and in the counsels of his own religious denomination, as well as others, his advice was often sought. His Christian sympathy and charity identified him in a practical way with every movement for moral and religious advancement.
Dr. Nott was a genius in the line of mechanical invention, and the utilization of the latent wealth of the country. "He was among the first to aid and supplement the labors of Fulton, in his ef- forts to introduce steam navigation on the Hudson
Nott Stove.
River, and the steamer 'Novelty," which was largely constructed under his guidance, came from New York to Albany at a speed that astonished the age." In these efforts to improve and intro- duce machinery, and especially to utilize the newly discovered power of steam, Dr. Nott's attention was largely directed to the production and materials of combustion for mechanical and domestic pur- poses. The famous "Nott" stoves were long in use at the college, and gained, for a time, a broad public popularity. Albany and Troy owe their pre- eminence in the stove manufacture not a little to his immediate presence and counsel.
The countenance of Dr. Nott was a striking one, even in its repose; the eye, which was of a grayish
color, and capable of great variety of expression, being one of its most marked features. His fore- head was high and straight, nose prominent and aquiline, and the mouth and chin well-formed and symmetrical. He was nearly six feet high, with a stalwart frame. In his intercourse with students, his quick sympathy with youth was very marked. The stern aspect of one jealous of authority was not seen in the class-room. He had a way of pass- ing from grave to gay so easily and gracefully, that it was at once seen to be nature instead of studied art. He obtained, with some, the character of an adroit manager. It was said that he reached his ends, at times, by indirect methods, but those most familiar with him unite in their testimony to his truthfulness and honor. By ne- cessity he was discreet, cautious and wary. He knew men and how to approach, move and con- vince them. His method of doing this was his own. He was a scholar, a teacher and an inventor; but it was, however, as a man, a great souled, energetic, practical man, intent on making other energetic, practical men, who should leave their mark upon their times, as he has done, that he chiefly claims our admiration. No better epitaph can be written of him than the words applied by an orator to General Grant: " He is great by the arduous greatness of things done."
Tayler Lewis.
For nearly thirty years the figure of Tayler Lewis was among the most prominent and strik- ing upon the streets of Schenectady, and within the enclosures of Union College. His presence was not such as impressed by muscular vigor or accumulated flesh and blood. His physical frame was slight in build, and his air was that of a studious scholar, to whom vigorous or violent ex- ercise was unknown. Yet it was not that of a re- cluse, but gave even the casual observer the im- pression of a man among men who knew what was in man. Thoroughly acquainted with human nature, Tayler Lewis chose to sway the public by
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thought and argument, rather than by personal con- tact or by dramatic action. In his later years, when his hearing ceased, this was a necessity. De- barred from social converse with his fellows, the pen became the potent instrument of his influence, and in his venerable old age a real sceptre of power.
In his prime, his voice swayed assemblies, and during nearly a half-century of his life as a teacher he spoke with wisdom, tact, and mastery.
Though a scholar whose fame was world-wide, Tayler Lewis did not become a familiar figure in the local history of Schenectady until the outbreak of the great civil war in 1861. Long known as an earnest friend of Africa and the Africans in America, he yet had conservative views in the matter of slav- ery. The outbreak of the slaveholders' rebellion was to him a revelation by divine light upon those questions which the civil war brought to solution. He became a hearty supporter of the Union cause, and a prophet who cried aloud and spared not. In the dark days, when the defeat of the Union armies made the home traitors exultant, Tayler Lewis lifted up his voice like a trumpet, and showed the iniquity of secession and the righteousness of the Union cause. Like bugle blasts were his constantly issuing editorials, letters, addresses and books, in- spiring alike the hearts of young and old. His "State Rights, a Photograph from the Ruins of Ancient Greece," powerfully affected the minds of patriots, and " The Heroic Periods in a Nation's History" welcomed home the returning veterans. The loss of his son-in-law, Colonel Elias Peissner, at Chancellorsville, kept the flame of his patriotism at white heat until the day of his death. Tayler Lewis loved his country with romantic ardor and an intensity of devotion rarely surpassed. He ex- ercised great influence over S. G. Hamlin, the fear- less editor of the Schenectady Union, many a time encouraging him to boldness and courage of utter- ance in the trying times that followed the war. Often at midnight, with quivering frame and flash- ing eyes, he would seek the young editor to cheer, encourage and provoke him to be equal to the political situation. Sallying out with his cane be- hind his back and thrust between the elbows, while his hands were clasped over his breast, he would pace the streets, meditating his argument or ful- minating some thunderbolt which the next day would sway hearts or strike conviction. So
do many people of our city remember Tayler Lewis, a venerable man, yet full of energy and fire, with long gray hair that fell over his collar, eyes deep-set that shot forth earnestness, slight body in long black coat of clerical cut, with meditative air and walk, in speech and in writing closely approaching one's idea of a prophet of the old times, yet of this century's garb and mien.
Let us glance at his life as a scholar and Chris- tian. Born in Northumberland, Saratoga County, N. Y., March 27, 1802, he prepared for Union College under Dr. Proudfit, and was graduated at Union College in 1820. He studied law with Judge S. A. Foot, in Albany, and commenced practice at Fort Miller in 1824. He was not,
however, in his natural element, and took greater pleasure in the study of the classics. Under the influence of Rev. George Mair, he began the study of Hebrew, following it up with absorbed delight. Turning aside from law to letters, he became prin- cipal of the Academy at Waterford in 1833. He married on May 18th of the same year. He spent two years (1837-39) in Ogdensburg, and was called to the Chair of Greek in the University of New York. In 1849, after the delivery of an ad- dress, "Faith, the Life of Science," before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Union College, he was made Professor of Greek at his Alma Mater's home, and henceforth resided in Schenectady. Later, he filled the Chair of Oriental Biblical Lit- erature, retaining this position until his death. Space does not allow us to speak in detail of Pro- fessor Lewis' attainments as a scholar, nor of his versatility, accomplishments, native ability or literary achievements, except as they have a bearing on local history. In early life he became a mem- ber, in full communion, of the Reformed Dutch Church, and so continued until the last. As an elder he attended her consistory and class meet- ings. His seat in the First Reformed Church in Schenectady was on the west side, near the Bancker screen. In this church, in front of the pulpit, now stands a memorial baptismal font, in dark red marble, erected chiefly by his fellow- members of the Old Testament Company of Bible Revision. It is inscribed, near the base : "Tayler Lewis. In Memoriam. Ab. Amicis Multis. In pacem. May 11th, 1877." His favorite text-"I know that my Redeemer liveth"-is incised in Hebrew characters on the polished rim of the bowl.
An eager and life-long student, Tayler Lewis was a master of many subjects. In the higher mathe- matics, in astronomy, music, philosophy and languages, he was at home, and used his attain- ments as instruments of pleasure. With the Greek and Latin he was as familiar as with his mother tongue, and in the Semitic languages he had no superior in America, while in Arabic he was with- out a peer. Among the revisers of the Old Testa- ment he was, except Dr. Strong, the only layman in attendance at the sessions. In the work on Lange's Commentary he was selected by Dr. Schaff to furnish the introduction and notes on Genesis, and the metrical versions of Job and Ecclesiastes. His "Six Days of Creation " was a true epoch- maker, and anticipated by a whole generation the current interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis. Despite an avalanche of hostile criticism it emerged scathless, and is now recognized as a masterpiece of sound argument and prophetic utterance. It is still printed.
Omnivorous in his tastes, Tayler Lewis fed his mind in all fields of literature, and sought recrea- tion, not in bodily exercises, but in intellectual variety. He enjoyed fun, humor, caricature, and refreshed himself with light literature. A bundle of books for a morning's reading in vacation time, in Jackson's garden, might include his Hebrew Bible, Syriac New Testament, The Arabian Nights in the original Arabic, Romola, and a novel or two from
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the press of yesterday. In his last sickness, amid the agonies of sciatica, he would conquer pain by absorbing his mind in working out profound mathematical problems. He was a profound and brilliant Christian scholar, who, if not always in accord with the spirit of the age, was ever in har- mony with the spirit of the ages.
On the dome of the Memorial Hall of Union College, in Hebrew and Latin letters, chosen and actually wrought in the slate-work by Taylor Lewis himself, is the motto which illustrates the great scholar's life principles :
The time is short, The work is vast, The reward is great, The Master is pressing.
ISAAC W. JACKSON was born at Cornwall, Or- ange County, N. Y., August 28, 1804. Both of his parents were members of the Society of Friends. He was sent in his seventeenth year to the Albany Academy; completed his studies there with the highest honors; entered Union College, where he attained high standing in the classics, and from which, in 1826, in his twenty-second year, he graduated with the first honors in mathematics and chemistry. He was at once appointed a tutor in the college.
During his collegiate course he founded and maintained a society for social and literary pur- poses. In succeeding years other like associations were formed, and hence Union College has been called the mother of the Greek-letter societies of the country. He was promoted to be professor of mathematics in Union College in 1831. He published books on trigonometry, optics, conic sections and mechanics, which were adopted in American colleges, and in one important British institution.
As an executive officer of the college, he was prompt, energetic, ever-watchful, selecting his measures judiciously, and pursuing them with dis- cretion. In his general intercourse he was social and genial. He was always neatly and simply attired; slight in form, well built and active, with clear, piercing eyes looking out from under a large and prominent brow; his head finely developed; his voice frank and friendly.
The science and art of horticulture were the de- light and solace of his life. Valuable works on this subject made up a large part of his library. His life centered in, and was mainly bound by, his college. It was passed in his family circle, his study, his class-room, or with members of the faculty. He was always sympathetic, especially so with the sorrowing and the needy. Professor Henry, late of the Smithsonian Institution, who was his fellow student in boyhood, and his life- long correspondent, said that he was "the truest and most generous soul he ever knew." Fulfilling the duties of his position ably, faithfully, content- edly, no achievements of wealth or fame could have brought him wider usefulness or higher hap- piness. Thousands of the educated men of the country attest their gratitude for his aid in the de- velopment of mind and character.
In 1876 Professor Jackson had completed a term of service in the college of fifty years. This event was made the occasion of a notable tribute of respect from his friends and former pupils. It was on this occasion that Dr. Tayler Lewis deliv- ered one of his most remarkable addresses.
The titles of Professor Jackson's publications are: 1, Elements of Conic Sections; 2, Elementary Treatise on Optics; 3, Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. The honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by Hobart College. His death took place July 28, 1877.
JOHN FOSTER, now the senior professor of Union College, was born August 18, 1811, at Hebron, Washington County, N. Y. His parents were Scotch-Irish. His earliest schooling was at the county district school of Hebron. In the winters of 1828, 1829 and 1830 he taught in the district schools of Argyle and Salem, and in the summers pursued his studies of Latin and Greek under the Rev. James Irvine, of Hebron. In the spring of 1831 he went to the academy at Fairfield, Herki- mer County. Here he studied mathematics and classics till the close of the summer term of 1832, after which he became an assistant in the academy. He entered the junior class of Union College in 1834, and graduated July, 1835. He resumed teaching at the Fairfield Academy even before his graduation, and continued during the following year, teaching almost all branches, and working about ten hours daily.
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