USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 45
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While the school had enjoyed this material progress, the growth of the curriculum had been no less marked. It began with a three years' course, mostly theological; in 1829 this course was extended to four years; in 1832 to six years, and in 1834 to eight years. This eight-year course covered the work in three departments, Academic, Collegiate, and Theological, so that in fourteen years from its foundation the school had expanded into an Academy, College and Theological Seminary. Able and progressive teachers had guided the institution through this intellectual growth. The first teacher in charge-or Principal as he would now be called-was Daniel Hascall, afterward formally appointed to the Chair of Ancient Languages in 1821, and in the same year Na- thaniel Kendrick was appointed Professor of Theology. Later Professor Hascall was transferred to the Department of Natural Philosophy, and Barnas Sears became Professor of the Ancient Languages. During this early period, also, there appear in the list of instructors the names of Seth S. Whitman, Joel S. Bacon, Asahel C. Kendrick, George W. Eaton, Stephen W. Taylor, Thomas J. Conant, and John S. Maginnis; there is also included the name of John H. Raymond, first President of Vassar College.
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Many of these men achieved distinction in the teaching profession, and their names are an assurance of the high grade of work done dur- ing the early years of the institution. At this time, the school had no endowment, and was dependent entirely upon contributions from the churches and benevolent individuals. And it was only by the most strenuous exertions that the society was able to meet its yearly ex- penses.
The year 1839 marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the institution. Up to this point, the original idea of a school for ministerial students only had been adhered to with singular tenacity. But there had been for some time an increasing desire that the institu- tion should be opened to young men of good moral character, not hav- ing the ministry in view. At length this demand became so urgent that its consideration could neither be evaded nor postponed, and the following resolution was offered at a meeting of the Board :
Resolved, That the great object at which this Society is aiming will be promoted by allowing the Faculty, for the time being, to receive into the Collegiate Depart- ment of the institution a limited number of young men who have not the min- istry in view.
Dr. Kendrick opposed the resolution with great earnestness, but it was carried by a good majority, and under many restrictions non-min- isterial students were thereupon admitted. The institution was now doing work as an institution for general education and it was desirable that it should be recognized as such by the State. Moreover, its graduates were desirous of receiving degrees at the conclusion of the course of study. But neither of these privileges were possible without a college charter. An application for a charter was made to the Legislature in 1840. The application was denied, as was also a second application in 1843. These applications were denied because the Education Society, being a popu- lar body, with an annually elected Board of Trustees, was not legally competent to receive such a charter. It was necessary, therefore, to organize a new corporation; this was done under the title of "The Madison University," and to this corporation a charter was granted March 26, 1846. The action of the Board of Trustees of Madison Uni- versity was directed and guarded by two specific regulations inserted in the charter. First, the University was to be located permanently at Hamilton. Second, The Baptist Education Society was authorized by a separate article to make such arrangements with the University for the transfer of the property of said society or any part thereof, either
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absolutely or conditionally, to the said university as the said society should deem proper.
Further provision was made that a majority of the incorporators should also be members of the Board of Trustees of the Education So- ciety, and it was in the power of the society forever to secure this pro- portion. Under these restrictions the new charter was made available to the literary department of the "Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution;" but it was carefully stipulated that the Theological De- partment should remain exclusively under the control of the Baptist Education Society. The preservation of the original object of the in- stitution was secured in the "Terms of Compact " between the Baptist Education Society and the Board of Trustees of Madison University, which provided, in brief, that the University should ever sustain a course of secular education adapted to the proper training of the ministry; that the control of theological education proper should be reserved ex- clusively to the board of the society; and that in default of fulfilling these conditions, the University Board was subject to "a notice to quit " within two years. Thus at the time when the charter of Madi- son University went into operation there were two distinct institutions in Hamilton, a College (with an Academic Department), and a Theo- logical Seminary.
The University had been thus organized but little more than a year, when a crisis in its existence was precipitated by the celebrated
REMOVAL CONTROVERSY.
This was an effort to remove the institution from Hamilton, to the city of Rochester, N. Y. This movement seems to have had its origin in a feeling aroused by an act of the Education Society Board in adjust- ing the relations between itself and the Board of the University. The action related to one of the most distinguished members of the Theo- logical Faculty, and provoked a storm of personal indignation which did not subside, even though the act, or vote, was rescinded at the same sitting. There seems to be little doubt that the thought of removal came into being in the institution at Hamilton. The proposition was as fol- lows: "The University was to be taken up bodily with its faculty, stu- dents, board, funds, movable property, history, associations, yea, even the remains of its sainted founders, and transferred unmutilated and to- tally in substance and form, to Rochester, with the addition of an en-
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dowment of $100,000 or $150,000 and noble buildings of architectural grandeur and beauty *
* * This proposition proved very attractive to many friends of the institution and to the denomination at large. It was advocated by some of the ablest and most accomplished Baptists in the State, men of great influence, and honored and revered by the people. But the proposition was not unanimously favored. From its first announcement, some of the firmest friends of the Uni- versity viewed it with distrust and alarm, and among these were Dr. Kendrick, Professor Hascall, Dr. George W. Eaton, and Mr. William Colgate, of New York. These men, and many others, saw insuperable objections, both legal and moral, to the plan, and thus the issue was made up-for and against removal-with the friends of the institution ranged on either side.
The struggle was at first mainly one of argument. Appeals and counter appeals were issued; mass meetings were held at which the subject was eloquently discussed, and resolutions were formulated; the religious and secular papers took up the controversy; and finally the Legislature was asked for an act permitting the removal of the Univer- sity to Rochester. At this point, a compromise was accepted by both parties by which it was agreed that in case $50,000 was raised by a spec- ified time, the institution should remain at Hamilton, and in case that amount was not raised, then the Board of the University should be at liberty to decide the question. The controversy finally developed into an intense struggle which had in it no element of compromise.
In 1848, after a discussion lasting an entire day, the Board of Trustees of the University, and the Board of the Education Society passed condi- tional votes in favor of removal. The board of the University having rejected, on a technicality, the subscription and bond tendered by the opponents of removal, in fulfillment of the compromise, a new bond for $50,000 was drawn up, designed to meet the technical objection. This new bond was to have been presented to the Education Society at its final meeting during anniversary week, but before the opponents of removal appeared at the college chapel, the society had met, voted for removal, and adjourned. The opportunity to present the new bond to the society had been lost. Later the new bond was submitted to the board of the University who voted that it was too late to consider it. The cause of removal was won. Its opponents had been beaten at every point; its friends were enthusiastic and sincere in their rejoic- ings. But they reckoned without their host. It was no mere matter
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of judgment which had moved the strong opposition to the removal of the institution ; there was a principle at stake. All the early benefac- tions had been bestowed on the University upon the distinct under- standing that it was to be located permanently at Hamilton, and to many, removal seemed a breach of faith with these donors. Thus far, the controversy had been carried on by discussions, resolutions and votes in the two boards; moral suasion had been the only power used to gain the desired end. But against the resolution for removal passed by the Education Society at Hamilton, the opponents of the movement strongly protested on the ground that all the proceedings had been taken before the hour set for the meeting. The claim was made and substantiated that when the resolution had passed, and the meeting adjourned, the town clock had not yet struck the hour at which the
meeting had been called. Feeling that they had not been treated justly, the friends of the institution at Hamilton appealed from the de- cision of the Education Society and asked the Supreme Court of the State for an injunction against the removal of the University. This step was taken only after the most careful consideration, for the ques- tion was now attracting widespread attention. The first petition for an injunction was denied on a legal technicality. The petition was immediately renewed by Daniel Hascall and M. Rogers, Esq., as rep- resenting those who had originally founded and endowed the institu- tion. The case was argued before Mr. Justice Philo W. Gridley, by able counsel on both sides, and on the 23rd of April, 1850, the injunc- tion against removal was made permanent. The long and acrimonious controversy was finally settled. It had lasted three years; had created serious dissension among the friends of the University, and had seriously interfered with its progress and prosperity. A meeting of the Board of Trustees was soon held at which all those in favor of removal resigned, and friends of Hamilton were elected to their places. The resignations of many of the faculty who had favored removal, were accepted, and new professors were appointed. The institution opened in the fall of 1850 as usual with the number of students greatly decreased, but with every class organized, and it was felt that Madison University had safely passed the most critical period of her history.
On the 11th day of September, 1848, Dr. Nathaniel Kendrick died. He had been the first president of the Hamilton Literary and Theo- logical Institution. He, himself, objected to the title, but he per- formed the duties of the office during some of the most important
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years of the institution's history. Joining Professor Hascall, almost at the origin of the school, he supplemented the activity of the founder by his scholarship and profound thought. To Dr. Ken- drick, more than to any other man was due the original form of the institution. For a quarter of a century, he was the corresponding secretary of the board of trustees of the Baptist Education Society, and wrote the annual reports of that body. These were always strong appeals to the denomination to support the institution. By these re- ports, by letters to the Baptist Register, by sermons before the churches, and by his personal attendance upon the conventions and associations, Dr. Kendrick made himself "the living bond " between the Baptist denomination of the State, and the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution.
The founder of the institutions at Hamilton was Daniel Hascall. He was rather the man of action, pre-eminently the man for the time. Having clearly comprehended the importance of a school at Hamilton, he stopped not with mere discussion of the subject. He himself acted. When Jonathan Wade came to Hascall for instruction, the Hamilton institution was begun. Think of the obstacles to overcome! No funds, no building, no students, and an active prejudice throughout the church against a " man-made " ministry! Yet in the face of all this, not for an hour do we find Hascall discouraged. He was ubiquitous, now in the study, solving some classical problem, now in the quarry, prying out with his own hands the material for West college, and again, " sit- ting on the sill of the raised window of his lecture room, giving in- struction to his class in one breath, and in the next giving orders to workmen outside." Having thus poured his very life into the Hamil- ton institution, it is not to be supposed that Professor Hascall looked, even at the first, with any particular favor on the proposition for re- moval. The evidence, however, all seems to show that he reserved his decision until he had carefully considered the whole matter. But-his mind made up-the announcement of his decision is one of the few dramatic incidents in the history of the university. After the death of Dr. Kendrick, Professor Hascall was the only person at Hamilton who could stand as the legal representative of the present location. He presented the most serious obstacle to removal, and those who advo- cated the plan, personally came to him with pressing appeals for sup- port. Every favorable consideration was urged; all objections were considered; the utmost persuasion was used. Under it all, Hascall was
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silent. They finally told him that " his opposition would be unavail- ing," that removal was virtually accomplished, that the institution itself, if it could be legally retained at Hamilton, would be abandoned by the denomination and left to die, and that by opposition to the pro- posed plan he would bring himself into reproach and abandonment in his old age. Then, after a slight pause, he raised his eyes, and lifting up his right arm, with unfaltering voice and solemn emphasis, he de- clared: "It shall not be moved." This was his last great service to the university. " I shall live to see this conflict end, and the institution saved," he said, "then I shall die." He is at rest on the campus of the school that he loved, and so long as that school is the Alma Mater of grateful sons, so long will they recall with loving reverence the hon- ored name of Daniel Hascall,-honored for his early labor of love, for his self-sacrificing spirit, for his fidelity to God and truth !
In February, 1851, Stephen W. Taylor, LL.D., became President of Madison University. As head of the University of Lewisburg, he had already gained a reputation as an educator, and the institution soon began to feel the good results of his work. Within three years, the number of students in attendance had increased to 216, and friends and resources had correspondingly increased. After nearly five years of vigorous administration, President Taylor died on the 6th of January, 1856. He had devoted himself to the work of teaching and had risen to be Academic Principal and College President. He organized and put into operation the University of Lewisburg. He took charge of Madison University when it lay almost exhausted at the conclusion of the removal controversy, and left it rejuvenated and well on the way to its later successes. Dr. Taylor was a man of simplicity of character, and he has left an honorable record in the history of denominational education in this State.
On the 19th of August, 1856, George W. Eaton, D.D., LL. D., was elected President of Madison University. He had been connected with the institution since 1833, and was thoroughly acquainted with its origin, history, and aims. Under his guidance, the progressive work of the institution was continued. A great advance in material equip- ment was secured when in 1860 the Hall of Alumni and Friends was erected. Then came 1861, when the young men of the land were sum- moned to the defense of the government and the flag. Nobly did Madi- son University respond to that call. One professor, one tutor, and thirty men went directly from the university into the army, and the
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total number of alumni and undergraduates who were in the army was something over one hundred and ten. In commemoration of this record, and of those who fell in the war for the Union, the class of 1894 has placed on the walls of Colgate Library a bronze tablet, thus in- scribed :
In Honor of Sons of Colgate University who fell in the War for the Union. GEORGE ARROWSMITH,
ARTHUR L. BROOKS, WILLIAM MCINTYRE,
SIMEON P. BROWN, ALBERT A. NICHOLS,
HENRY P. CORBIN, JOHN F. OVIATT,
E. MACY DEMING, MOSES M. RANDOLPH,
ALEXANDER GAMBLE,
JAMES B. ROGERS,
TRUMAN GREGORY,
CHARLES F. SUNNEY,
ARTHUR F. HASCALL, CHARLES E. TUCKER.
Grata eorum virtutem memoria prosequi qui pro patria vitam profuderunt. A tribute from the Class of 1894.
During President Eaton's administration, the institution was strength- ened in many ways. There was a large addition to the endowment; the faculty was increased, and the affairs of the University were placed in a satisfactory condition. On the 7th of August, 1868, Dr. Eaton re- signed the presidency of Madison University. He continued to act, however, as President of Hamilton Theological Seminary, and was also the Professor of Homiletics and Practical Theology.
President Eaton died on the third day of August, 1872. George W. Eaton will always occupy an honored place in the history of the Uni- versity. He was the link between the earlier and the later days. He knew intimately Hascall and Kendrick; he was the colleague and friend of Dodge and Beebee and Andrews and Taylor. Throughout the re- moval controversy, he was the foremost champion of the retention of the University at Hamilton. In the affections of his students he held a large place. They remember with pleasure the charity of his judg- ments, the genuineness of his interest in their lives, his gracious and dignified bearing The cardinal principles of his character were rever- ence and truth, and he strongly impressed his elevating and ennobling influence upon the men who came to know him as teacher and friend.
On the 7th of August, 1868, Ebenezer Dodge, D. D., LL. D., became president of Madison University. The era of expansion had come. The endowment had been increased $56,000 in 1865, and the Trevor Fund of $40,000 had been secured. Then came the Colgate Presidential Fund of $30,000, the Colgate Improvement Fund of $11,000, and in 1869 the
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Semi-Centennial Fund of $135,000. The college buildings-West Col- lege, which had been erected in 1827, East College, 1834, and the Alumni Hall, 1860-were renovated and the old buildings materially improved, and the president's house was erected by friends of the institution. The material equipment of the university was showing continued and healthy growth. As a result of this the curriculum was greatly strengthened and developed, and Dr. Dodge called to the institution, Newton Lloyd Andrews, professor of the Greek language and literature, John James Lewis, professor of literature and oratory, and James Morford Taylor, professor of pure mathematics. There were already in the faculty Alexander McWhorter Beebee, and Lucien M. Osborn. These men, Dodge, Beebee, Osborn, Andrews, Lewis, and Taylor, profoundly influ- enced the life of the University, and will always be associated with much of its later progress.
During the administration of President Dodge continuous additions were made to the endowments of the institution; and in 1871 there was reported an invested endowment of $266, 620.36; in 1890, $560,000; in 1885, the chemical laboratory was added to the material equipment. In 1873, William Colgate Memorial Hall was erected by Mr. James B. Colgate in honor of his father and mother. This building was at once occupied by the grammar school of Madison University, the name of which was now changed to Colgate Academy.
In 1886, the Theological Seminary withdrew from Alumni Hall and entered the building which it now occupies. This edifice has been named " Eaton Hall," in honor of President George W. Eaton. Largely the result of the efforts of the Baptist Education Society, this building stands on the beautiful site of President Eaton's former home. It was erected at a cost of about $65,000.
On Wednesday, August 4th, 1869, the completion of the first half century of the Institution's existence was celebrated. The exercises were held in Alumni Hall; the presiding officer of the day was A. H. Burlingham, D. D., President of the Alumni Association. Prayer was offered by Rev. Francis W. Emmons of Massachusetts, class of 1824, the oldest alumnus present. The address of welcome was given by President Ebenezer Dodge. An ode was read by Rev. T. A. T. Hanna, class of 1864. Portions of an Historical Discourse were read by Presi- dent George W. Eaton of Hamilton Theological Seminary, and the Ju- bilee Poem was delivered by Rev. W. C. Richards, Ph. D.
Alumni and friends in large numbers were present from all parts of
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the world on this historic occasion, and the proceedings were rendered of permanent value by being preserved in a volume entitled "The First Half Century of Madison University."
Throughout President Dodge's administration the University in. creased in strength and standing, and in spite of financial limitations, the quality of its educational work was kept at a high standard.
A good proportion of the students continued to enter the ministry, but an increasing number were seeking other fields of labor and the benefi- cent influence of the University was quietly making itself felt in ever widening circles. President Dodge brought much to Madison Univer- sity, but nothing finer than the rare prescience with which he discerned the possibilities that lay just ahead, and his skill in putting in motion the forces that were to make for the realization of his high ideals. The plan of the change of name to Colgate University was his, though he did not live to see it consummated. The foundations of the Colgate Library were laid, but the building itself was not completed during his life. And when, in June, 1891, there came to the trustees of the Uni- versity a gift of one million dollars from Mr. James B. Colgate, which the donor designated as the Dodge Memorial Fund, the title of the splendid testimonial was recognized by all as a fitting tribute to the character of the man who, though dead, was still the dominant influ - ence in the institution's progress.
Ebenezer Dodge was a fine illustration of the truth that the most im- portant element in the college is-the man! He towered above the majority of men, not more in physical stature than in mental and moral , character. His was an elevating and abiding influence; and his stu- dents came unconsciously to apply his standards to the problems that faced them in life. Professor William Hale Maynard, in his memorial address on President Dodge, says: "Were I called upon to mention the one trait which produced the greatest impression upon me I should unhesitatingly name disinterestedness. More nearly than any man I have known he was an example of absolute disinterestedness. It was this disinterestedness which gave him his great wisdom. His admin- istration was untainted with selfishness." "This disinterestedness was the source of the composure which characterized him." "His disinterestedness made him patient to opposition and kindly in his judg- ments of others." " The belief in his genuine disinterestedness gave him great power over his students. He might sometimes be criticised as lacking on the formal side of discipline. He knew that military dis-
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cipline was the easiest kind of discipline; it is harder to inspire men with those high motives, which render formal rules unnecessary. That was his purpose. To effect that he would consume days, where, through the other method, he could have settled a matter in an hour." "This is not to be interpreted as if President Dodge held the reins with nerve- less hands. Where occasion required-and the occasion came seldom -he put the law in the foreground and every student knew it would be executed to the last iota."
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