USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh, Volume I > Part 45
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The last election of trustees was held May 6, 1826, and the board soon after this voted to abandon the enterprise. Their action was mainly due to the founding of Lafayette College and the unsuccessful attempt to main- tain an institution upon the lines prescribed in the act of incorporation of the Easton Union Academy. By an act of the Legislature, the title to the property was invested in the school directors of the borough of Easton.
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The old academy building, however, was doomed to destruction; the mag- nificent high school building now occupies its site.
Rev. John Vanderveer, then only seventeen years of age, a graduate of Princeton College, assisted Dr. Bishop for about two years as a teacher. Eight years afterwards he organized a private school on the northeast corner of Fourth and Spring Garden streets, in the borough of Easton. His first class consisted of only twelve pupils; the number gradually increased until more than one hundred names were enrolled and, larger accommodations becoming necessary, the school was removed to the northeast corner of Second and Bushkill streets. Here he continued carrying on a private school until 1857, when he retired from his activities, living in retirement for twenty-one years, dying April 28, 1878.
The Vanderveer school was opened the first Monday in April, 1828; the terms were $6 a quarter, when English grammar, arithmetic and book- keeping was taught; or $9 a quarter when the studies were geometry, alge- bra, surveying and other branches of mathematics, moral philosophy, astron- omy, Latin and Greek languages. Board was furnished, including firewood and washing, at $2 a week.
Lafayette College-The first organized movement to establish a college at Easton was a meeting held on the evening of December 27, 1824, at White's Hotel, in the northeast corner of the public square. At this time the University of Pennsylvania was the only chartered college in Pennsylvania east of the Alleghanies.
The chief mover in the proposed college was James M. Porter. The meeting was presided over by Col. Thomas McKeen. After a full discussion it was unanimously voted that it was expedient to establish at Easton an institution of learning in which should be taught the dead languages and the various branches of education and science usually taught in colleges, together with the French and German languages, civil and military engineer- ing and military tactics.
General Lafayette had landed in New York City on the 16th of August previous to this meeting, and his progress throughout the land was marked by one continued ovation. As a testimony of their respect for the services rendered by him in the trying times of the Revolutionary War, the citizens gathered to establish a college, and deemed it fitting to name it in his honor. The meeting appointed James M. Porter, Joel Jones and Jacob Wagner a committee to draft a memorial to the Legislature for a charter and for legislative aid. In this memorial the advantages of Easton were extolled, the location was declared to be healthy, the living cheap, absolute freedom from immoral temptation, and an excellent opportunity offered for research in mineralogy and botany. The Legislature granted the charter March 9, 1826, investing thirty-five persons therein named with the usual powers of a college, and authorized them to fill vacancies in their board of election. A board of trustees was promptly organized with James M. Porter as presi- dent, Joel Jones as secretary, and Thomas McKeen, treasurer. The Legis- lature failed to vote any financial aid to the college, and the people who were mainly depended upon for contributions were too busy working up the material resources of the county to appropriate their time and funds for
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the furtherance of educational institutions. The committee appointed to prepare and publish an exposition of the plan and purposes of the institu- tion and to secure a president and faculty met with little encouragement. It was not until January, 1832, that the name of the Rev. George Junkin came before the committee as being interested in the education of pious young men of slender means. He, for that purpose, had established a manual labor school at Germantown, Pennsylvania, and had gathered about him a number of pupils. The trustees on February 6, 1832, appointed him president, and leased for two years a farm of sixty acres, with ordinary farm buildings, situated south of the Lehigh river, directly opposite the borough. President Junkin, with some of his pupils, arrived at Easton in the following March, fitted up the premises, and established regular exer- cises of a college, May 9, 1832. The session opened with forty-three students, which was increased to sixty-seven during the first college year.
The efforts of the trustees were next directed to acquiring a permanent location, and a part of the present site, consisting of nine acres, was pur- chased for $1,400. Preparations were at once made for the erection of a suitable building, and so rapidly was progress made that it was ready for occupancy in May, 1834. The structure was 112 by 44 feet, with a recess of 17 by 49 feet, and it is now the central part of South College. The build- ing contained six recitation rooms, a chapel, refectory hall, stewards' rooms, apartments for the president and other officers of the college, and forty rooms for students.
The president and faculty were formally inaugurated May 1, 1834, and was composed as follows: Rev. George Junkin, president and professor of mental and moral philosophy, logic, rhetoric and evidences of Christianity ; Charles F. McKay, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy ; James I. Kuhn, professor of Latin and Greek; Samuel D. Gross, professor of mineralogy and botany. They were men of more than usual ability, and their work was the means of obtaining a good class of students. Among the first graduates were: Alexander Ramsey, governor of Minnesota, and Secretary of War in President Grant's cabinet; James Morrison Harris, of Baltimore, Maryland, and his distinguished townsman, John W. Garrett; besides others who became eminent in the ministry.
The trustees heartily favored President Junkin's view on the manual labor system, and though a thorough trial was made both in agricultural and mechanical lines, they were obliged in 1839 to abandon the school. Another feature of the original plan contained the germ of the present system of State normal schools. The trustees, as part of the curriculum, established a teacher's course and erected a building, now the West College, to serve as a model school in which the art of governing and communicating knowl- edge might be taught. Upon trial, however, it was found that not a suffi- cient number of the students cared to devote themselves to teaching to warrant the continuance of the department.
Dr. Junkin resigned in 1841 to accept the presidency of the Miami Uni- versity of Ohio. He was, however, recalled in 1844, and remained at the head of Lafayette College until 1848, when he again resigned to assume the presidency of Washington College at Lexington, Virginia. His labors
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and self-denying efforts during his thirteen years as president were inde- fatigable to accomplish his cherished object-the permanent foundation of Lafayette College. There was no endowment fund, the State would not be induced to help with any appropriations, and the assistance from other sources was very inadequate. The first published list of contributors aggre- gated only $5,103, and though there was one of $500, there were seventy below $5, and several as small as fifty cents. Dr. Junkin spent all the money he could raise, besides a large amount of his own private property, to maintain the college, and it was fortunate at this time that several men prominent in the Presbyterian church, fully appreciating the importance of Lafayette College as a training school for the ministry, gave him substantial encouragement. Dr. Archibald Alexander, a member of the faculty of what is now Princeton University, was especially interested, and when, on ac- count of this desperate financial trouble there was a discussion to abandon the college, he made a strong appeal that the work already accomplished should not be allowed to become extinct. Aid was, however, obtained from New York and Philadelphia for the emergency, James Lenox, of the former city, being one of the largest givers.
There were many eminent scholars besides those already mentioned who were associated with Dr. Junkin. Among them we mention Dr. Traill Green, professor of chemistry ; Rev. James C. Moffat, afterwards professor at the College of New Jersey, and then at the Theological Seminary in Prince- ton, New Jersey; Rev. William Henry Green, for fifty years professor of Hebrew and Oriental Literature at the same theological seminary; Rev. Robert Cunningham, of Scotland; Rev. David X. Junkin; Washington Mc- Cartney, mathematician, metaphysician and jurist unsurpassed.
Dr. John W. Yeomans was president while Dr. Junkin was at Miami University, and after the latter's final resignation there were three short presidential administrations, ending in 1863: Dr. C. W. Nassau, 1848-1849; Dr. Daniel V. McLean, 1851-1857; Dr. George Wilson McPhail, 1857-1863.
In the early part of this period the college was freeing itself gradually from the experiments of its origin, and settling more and more into tried collegiate ways. The year of 1849 was one of special depression, the num- ber of attending students falling from eighty-two in 1848 to twenty-five in 1850. In the latter year the college was received under the patronage of the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia, and the charter was amended ac- cordingly. An attempt was made in 1851 to raise a permanent endowment of $100,000 by the sale of scholarships of $100 each. This attempt was in the main successful, and brought about a new upward movement; in 1856, one hundred and six students were enrolled. About this time two professors became connected with the faculty who brought the college worldwide renown. Prof. James H. Coffin, who came to Lafayette in 1846, made the college in some sense the headquarters of meteorology in America, as the observations of the government officers and collections of the Smithsonian Institution, supplemented by extensive correspondence of Professor Coffin, have been reduced and prepared for publication under the direction of this eminent meteorologist. Prof. Francis A. Marsh came in 1855, and then began the famous course of studies in Anglo-Saxon and English in connec- tion with comparative philology.
MONUMENT AT LAFAYETTE COLLEGE TO THE STUDENT BODY WHO WENT TO THE FRONT 1861-1865
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The new endowment fund was only a temporary relief from the financial embarrassments, and in 1861 came the Civil War with its added difficulties. The students in 1862 enlisted in considerable numbers, and the following year, when General Lee invaded Pennsylvania, the rush to arms was so general that the college was almost without students; the commencement for that year was abandoned. In August of 1863, President McPhail re- signed ; at a special meeting of the trustees to consider the propriety of suspending operations, an arrangement was effected with the faculty pro- viding that if the trustees would continue to keep the college open another year, they were willing to receive as compensation what the trustees might be able to provide.
It was at this critical point that the trustees turned to Rev. William C. Cattell, who had been a professor in the school, but at that time was pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He responded to their hearty call to return to Lafayette College to fill the vacant presidency. Dr. Cattell was eminently fitted for his new work; his efforts at the very outset were characterized by energy, prudence, and that which mastered difficulties and secured him the co-operation and confidence of the friends of the college. He was inaugurated as president July 26, 1864; a new vitality was at once infused, a new vigor was characterized not only in the inner life of the college but with its patrons and public. Presi- dent Cattell for over twenty years devoted himself to the upbuilding of the college, and under his administration Lafayette rose to a commanding eminence among the colleges of the land, enlarging her work in every direc- tion. The number of students in 1863 was thirty-nine. For a number of years after the war the increase was rapid, and in 1876 three hundred and thirty-five was reached. The faculty in 1863-1864 consisted of nine members, and it was gradually increased until it reached thirty. The general scien- tific course had its origin in 1865, and the technical courses came a little later. Ario Pardee, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1864 made his first gift of $20,000 and soon afterwards gave an additional $80,000; this was fol- lowed by still another $100,000, and subsequent gifts raised the amount of his benefactions to a half million dollars. There were other liberal donors; a polytechnic school was organized under the name of the Pardee Scientific Department of Lafayette College. The courses were: (I) engineering, civil, topographical and mechanical; (2) mining engineering and metallurgy ; (3) chemistry ; in 1889 electrical engineering was added. There was also a Latin scientific course established to study Latin in connection with the studies of the general scientific course. Post-graduate courses were also introduced.
The long and continued services of President Cattell impaired his health; in 1883 his resignation was accepted by the trustees, as he was obliged to seek needed rest under circumstances free from the anxieties of his great labors. At the commencement of his presidency the total value of the college property was $88,666, the income from all sources being less than $4,000. At the time of his retirement, the college property was valued at $1,100,000, of which $447,000 was in productive investment, yielding an annual income of $25,000.
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The successor of Dr. Cattell was Rev. James Hall Mason Knox, who for nearly twenty years was a member of the board of trustees. He resigned the presidency in June, 1890; the end of his administration was marked by a bequest of $100,000 from the Fayerweather estate. After an interval of one year, during which Dr. Traill Green was acting president, the trustees chose Ethelbert D. Warfield as president. He was inaugurated in 1891.
The most notable feature of the growth of the college is seen in its enlarged campus, which by successive purchases is about thirty-three acres, and its large and imposing buildings. To the South College, the original structure, has been added the Jenks Hall, built in 1865; also a new chemical building donated by James Gayley, of the class of 1876. The Van Wickle Library was built by a legacy from the estate of Augustus I. Van Wickle, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. This building houses the library, which was founded in 1832 by contributions of books from the friends of the college, and which grew slowly by gifts and small purchases, numbering at the present time about 75,000 volumes. The astronomical observatory to the north of Jenks Hall was the gift of Dr. Traill Green. The two literary societies of the college, the Washington and the Franklin, occupy beautiful rooms in Pardee Hall, and their well selected libraries aggregate over 10,000 volumes.
The finest structure in the campus is Pardee Hall; the building was completed in 1873; on the evening of June 4, 1879, a midnight fire started in the chemical library. The library was rebuilt, and early on the morning of December 17, 1897, fire again did its dreadful work, and the noble build- ing was destroyed with most of its contents, excepting the east wing. The work of rebuilding was promptly undertaken, and on May 31, 1899, the completed structure was again dedicated. On the north campus are located six buildings for the accommodation of students; they are named as follows: Blair Hall, Newkirk Hall, Powel Hall, Mckean Hall, Martin Hall and East Hall. On the college grounds are the residences of the professors. A gymnasium was built in 1884, adequate for every need.
For nearly a quarter of a century the Rev. Ethelbert D. Warfield was the administrative head of the college. He was a Kentuckian by birth, and at the time of his inauguration as president was thirty-two years of age. Graduating from Princeton University, he attended Oxford University, Eng- land. Returning to America, he studied law in New York City, engaged in practice in Louisville, Kentucky, his native city, but in 1888 he accepted the presidency of Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. Here he remained three years, when he came to Lafayette College. President Warfield was ordained to the ministry by the Presbytery of Lehigh, October 29, 1899. In the administration of the affairs of the college, President Warfield ex- hibited a keen business acumen and an intelligent management that won the praises of the alumni and students. Many notable buildings were erected on the campus while he was at the head of the college. Brainerd Hall, the gift of James Renwick Hogg, was dedicated October 22, 1902, with appro- priate exercises. The building is intended for the use of the Young Men's Christian Association, which has maintained an organization at the college for seventy years. The Gayley Laboratory of Chemistry and Metallurgy
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was dedicated April 5, 1902. The donor was James Gayley of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a graduate of the class of 1876.
The first decade of the present century was marked by the retirement of two notable characters who had devoted the best days of their lives to the interests of the college. S. L. Fisler, at the founders meeting in 1907, tendered his resignation as treasurer of the college, a position he had held for over a score of years. He was succeeded by Charles Green. At the seventy-first annual commencement, Prof. F. A. March retired from the professorship of English language and comparative philology, a chair he had filled for over half a century.
At a meeting of the board of trustees of the college, February 9, 1914, on account of the lack of unanimity between the officers and the president in administering the affairs of the college, President Warfield tendered his resignation, which was accepted, the board voting the retiring president two years salary from the time of his retirement. The trustees at a special meeting held December 14, 1914, elected Dr. John Henry MacCracken, presi- dent. He was a syndic of the New York University. His inauguration took place in Pardee Hall, October 19, 1915; the inaugural prayer was deliv- ered by Dr. Henry Mitchell MacCracken, chancellor emeritus of the New York University, and father of the new president.
The John Milton Colton Memorial Chapel was dedicated October 25, 1916. The style of architecture of the new chapel was that of the old New England Colonial Church, which was a replica of the London churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The cost of construction was $90,000. In 1916 a notable bequest of $50,000 was received by the college by the will of John Stewart Kennedy, of New York City.
The Lafayette Diamond Jubilee in 1907 was the occasion of the raising of a fund of $500,000 for the college, among the notable donations being those of Andrew Carnegie for $50,000, and the city of Easton for $25,000. The ceremonies attending the final obtaining the amount required was honored by the presence of Gov. Charles E. Hughes, of New York, and Gov. Edward S. Stuart, of Pennsylvania.
Lehigh University-Lehigh University is located at Bethlehem, on the slope of South Mountain, overlooking the Lehigh Valley. The university campus and park comprise more than 160 acres. There are twenty recitation, laboratory and other buildings, together with a large concrete stadium and an additional playing field. In 1919-20 the university had 1,100 students who came from thirty States and fourteen foreign countries. The teaching staff numbered 90, including 26 professors, 6 associate professors, 27 assistant professors, 23 in- structors, 6 assistants and 2 lecturers. The university is divided into three colleges, as follows :
College of Arts and Science-The Course in Arts and Science.
College of Business Administration-The Course in Business Administration.
College of Engineering-1. In Civil Engineering; 2. in Mechanical Engi- neering ; 3. in Metallurgy ; 4. in Mining Engineering ; 5. in Electrical Engineer- ing ; 6. in Chemistry ; 7. in Chemical Engineering : 8. in Ship Construction and Marine Transportation.
Lehigh University was chartered by the Legislature of Pennsylvania by
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act dated February 9, 1866. It was formally opened at exercises held Septem- ber 1, 1866. The founding of Lehigh was the outcome of a movement inaugu- rated in 1865 by the Hon. Asa Packer, of Mauch Chunk, with the purpose of affording education in the learned professions as then recognized, and likewise training in technical branches, the importance of which was then just becoming apparent in the economic readjustment following the close of the Civil War. Judge Packer was a pioneer in a most significant phase of industrial develop- ment-the transportation of coal from the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania to tidewater. He became the recognized master of canal boat transportation. Then, foreseeing the supplanting of boat by train as a carrier of coal, he built the Lehigh Valley railroad from Mauch Chunk to Easton, later extending it to the port of Perth Amboy and deeper into the coal region of the Wyoming Valley and into New York State. The crowning work of the life of this great industrial leader, whom President McCrea of the Pennsylvania railroad once termed "conspicuous among great men and public benefactors," was his con- ception of a university in the Lehigh Valley which should provide for "a complete professional education." His purpose, as set forth in the first Register of Lehigh University, included this statement: "While such an institution promises to be of peculiar benefit to the Lehigh Valley and to the numerous other districts of Pennsylvania which are rich in mineral resources of many kinds, its usefulness will not be thus limited. It is intended for the benefit of the whole country: the instruction which it imparts will enable its graduates to play intelligent parts in exploring and developing the resources of all portions of the United States." From its early years to the present, the university fulfilled this aim; Lehigh has always been more than local in enrollment, appeal and influence.
Judge Packer's initial donation to Lehigh included $500,000 and a large tract of land, to which he added largely during his lifetime and by his will. He did not permit his name to become a part of the corporate title of the institu- tion, believing, as has recently been brought out, that "the new university would be called upon for service far in excess of what could be done by the original endowment, and he did not intend, through self-glorification, to deny others the opportunity of forwarding the work." Since its foundation, the equipment and resources of Lehigh have steadily increased, due to the continued interest of the university's trustees, alumni and friends.
The first president of Lehigh University was Dr. Henry Coppée, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, who served with dis- tinction in the Mexican War, and had experience as an educator at West Point and at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Coppée served both as president and as Professor of History and English Literature.
The "general plan" of study, as originally outlined and carried out up to 1872, provided for two years in elementary branches, in which the students were called first and second classmen, and two years in professional subjects, in which the students were called junior and senior schoolmen. There were five schools: General Literature, leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts; Civil Engineering, to the degree of C.E .; Mechanical Engineering, to the degree of M.E .; Metallurgy and Mining, to the degree of E.M .; Analytical Chemistry, to the degree of A.C.
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In 1871, Judge Packer increased his original gifts to the university, and the original tuition fees were discontinued. In 1891 the board of trustees were compelled to again charge for tuition. The Wilbur Scholarship, a prize of $200 given annually to the student in the sophomore class having the highest general average, was established in 1872 by the late E. P. Wilbur, for many years a trustee of the university.
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