USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 45
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On the 10th of September, 1861, the executive committee, having been em- powered by previous action of the board to do so, let the buildings and grounds of the college to the government, to be occupied by the First Regiment of Wis- consin Cavalry till the 10th of October. At a subsequent meeting the time was extended to December Ist, and the grounds were not vacated till November 28th.
At this time the conditions were not favorable for opening the school. Many of the young men had entered the army, the principal who had been engaged to take the place of Mr. Bayley, who had resigned at the end of the previous school year, could not then be secured, and the financial distress of the college was ex- treme. It was decided to suspend the school for one year. Mrs. Tracy, how- ever, occupied two rooms in the dormitory building and taught a school on her own account, and Miss Martha Wheeler occupied other rooms and taught classes in music. Not a little work was done in this year to raise money to pay the in- debtedness, chiefly by the Rev. J. A. Hawley, president of the board of trustees and pastor of the Ripon Congregational church, and Rev. H. M. Chapin, who had been employed as financial agent. July 30, 1862, report was made to the board that $10,000 had been secured, an amount deemed at that time sufficient to meet all indebtedness. But many of these pledges were given on condition that when paid all debts against the college should be extinguished, and another class was made up of subscriptions. difficult to collect, so that the conditional pledges could not be called in. The debt was drawing interest at the rate of twelve per cent, and as a matter of fact collections could be made only about sufficient to pay the interest as it accrued. A debt of from $10,000 to $12,000 drawing interest at the rate of twelve per cent; subscriptions to meet it the larger part of which could not be collected because of conditions attached ; the college property greatly dam- aged by the soldiers and no more than enough at forced sale to meet the indebted- ness against it; a general feeling of doubt as to the possibility of carrying the enterprise successfully through the difficulties with which it was encompassed ; such were the conditions that confronted the teachers who reopened the school in September, 1862. E. H. Merrell, principal, Mrs. C. T. Tracy, matron and teacher of mathematics and botany, Miss J. R. Hosford, teacher of French and English branches, and Miss Augusta Camp, teacher of music, were the instruc- tors. Twenty-three pupils greeted the teachers the first day, and the number in- creased to nearly one hundred before December. This year was a prosperous one so far as the internal work was concerned, and did much to win back the confidence of the people towards the struggling college. Mr. Hawley put forth no little effort to raise money but almost no progress was made during the year in lifting the burden of debt. Still, a new life was infused into the enterprise which was prophetic, of triumphs to come.
April 23, 1863, the Rev. William E. Merriman, a graduate of Williams Col- lege and of Union Theological Seminary, a popular preacher and pastor and an accomplished scholar, then pastor of the Presbyterian church at Green Bay, was elected to the presidency of the college at a salary of $1,000 a year, and Mr.
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Merrell was made professor of ancient languages. The appointment of Mr. Mer- riman was an epoch in the history of the college. He accepted the appointment on the 21st of July and began work at once. The obstacles that confronted him were extraordinary but he at once exhibited a power to overcome them which was also extraordinary. He was in the prime of mature manhood, and though infirm in health even then, he had the power of swift and effective work. His intellect, naturally of great strength, was so completely trained that he was a master in dialectics. He was looked for to make the best speech on any occasion that called strong men together, even when he had received no previous notice that he was expected to appear. His princely will commanded every last faculty and resource within him. His Christian consecration and enthusiasm were so complete and magnetic that he carried about with himself a living rebuke for selfishness and inspiration for the fainting. Though the care of the college was depressing enough, yet he found neither indifference nor distrust, for they fled before him like mists before a fresh breeze. Knowing that men find in conditions largely what they have predetermined to find, he determined to find, what he actually did discover, the elements of success. He was full of schemes, using the word in its best sense, and if one failed he was ready with another. His quiver was full of arrows, and a second was instantly in place if the first failed of the mark. He missed no opportunity to put in effective work for the college or for intellectual and spiritual uplift among the students and people. Although the institution had at this time no endowment, only one professor besides the president, and less than half a dozen students of college grade, yet it took its place at once among the churches and people, of intellectual and moral leadership.
The work of raising the money for the completion of the building fell to the lot of Professor Merrell and was successful. The west half of the East College and all of the third story presented only bare walls up to this time, and Middle College needed doors for the upper story, stair rails, balusters, etc. Both build- ings were completed and furnished within the year, and were well filled with students. As to the debt the president reported July 20, 1864, as follows: "Both mortgages on the college property have been paid up and satisfied. Mr. Walcott gave $500 for this purpose, in addition to his former subscriptions. There is now no incumbrance on the college premises. The floating debt is all paid but about $300, which it is expected will be removed very soon." Besides the work of soliciting funds and lecturing before the students, the president had preached in various places on Sundays. He did an especially effective service in supply- ing the pulpit of the Congregational church of Ripon, which had become vacant by the resignation of Mr. Hawley. This vacancy gave him a rare opportunity to lead and impress the entire people. For all of this service he received but a pittance as salary. In his annual report is found this item: "The president will receive for his services this year the board of himself and family ( four persons) in the college building about three-fourths of the time. The rest of his salary he relinquishes to the college, so that it may be brought out of debt." During the period of his service for the college he received an average salary of about $800 a year, though he was frequently offered many times that sum for work in other fields.
In this great work of clearing the college debt, mention should be made of
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the Rev. Sherlock Bristol, a member of the board of trustees, then residing at Dartford. But for his sacrifices and faith, it is difficult to conjecture, even at this day, how the work of the president could have been successful. He had con- verted his worldly effects into money, expecting soon to remove with his family to California. Mention has already been made of the fact that several of the largest subscriptions were conditional, and to be paid only when the payment of them would extinguish the entire indebtedness. . At the suggestion of the presi- dent, Mr. Bristol bought all of the smaller subscriptions and those slow of col- lection, in a lump and paid for them in cash. With this money in hand, the presi- dent immediately called in the conditional pledges, and the mortgages were paid on the 5th of July, 1864. The board ratified the arrangement by formally turning over to Mr. Bristol "the assets of the institution, except what was on the college premises, after paying the residue of the floating debt." When the money had been realized from the largest portion of these assets, Mr. Bristol gave the rest to the college, a gift from his slender fortune of more than a tenth of the whole. Such was the spirit of the founders.
In this year three changes were made in the charter by act of legislature pub- lished April 1Ith. The name of the college was changed from "Brockway" to "Ripon ;" the college was permitted to hold for its uses "lands in the city of Ripon" instead of merely "adjacent lands" to the campus; and "to hold free of taxation any land acquired by donation, or bequest, expressly for educational purposes, and for the endowment of the institution, to the amount of ten thou- sand acres at any one time, while held in fee simple and unincumbered."
In this year of 1863-64, the first college work was done, a class of solid stu- dents having been carried through the freshman year. The most of these were subsequently graduated and have achieved distinguished success in the world. The works of Pinkerton and Tracy have been widely celebrated. *
One of the prime characteristics of the president appeared in a vote passed at the end of this July meeting of the board in 1864. He never sat down with the question whether or not the conditions were favorable for an advance, or whether he had influence to win favor to the college. He assumed that the advance was to be constant and that influence was to be secured by a steady progress. During his entire administration he had in hand some especial work of upbuilding to which he committed himself with his immense energy. At his suggestion therefore the board voted to proceed at once to attempt to raise $12,000 within one year to en- dow one professorship, "with the express intention of raising other endowments as soon as practicable until the whole amount raised should be $50,000." One thousand dollars also was to be sought during the year for books and apparatus. The platform of the president in regard to debt was severely adhered to. It was a common statement in speech and print, that the college was operated on its own earnings, and all money contributed was used for building up the institution. The president's salary was nominally $800 a year, but was not paid in full; the salaries of the other teachers were from $300 to $600 a year.
By 1866 the buildings were filled to their utmost capacity and steps were taken to erect a new one. At its meeting on May 22, 1866, the board voted "that the executive committee be authorized to proceed with the erection of the new building, when, in their judgment, the subscription shall amount to a sufficient sum to warrant such commencement." At this meeting the Revs. W. H. Ward,
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RIPON PUBLIC LIBRARY
WEST COLLEGE, RIPON COLLEGE
INGRAM HALL, RIPON COLLEGE
RIPON HIGH SCHOOL
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M. Montague and Daniel Merriman were appointed to professorships-a venture- some step, since there were no endowments for the chairs to which they were assigned, and the income from the general endowment at this time was less than enough to pay the salary of the president.
Work for the new college building, now West College, was begun in April, 1867, citizens of Ripon having subscribed about $6,000 towards its erection. It was completed and opened for occupancy at the beginning of the term in Sep- tember of the same year. The last bills for this building, amounting to above $3,000, were paid by the president personally, he taking the risk of reimbursing himself by future solicitations. He was finally paid in full, though he carried the debt without any charge for interest, and he never allowed work to raise money for this purpose to interfere with those larger movements for which he was constantly soliciting funds.
In the year 1868 a point was gained which was perhaps more important to the college than any other in its history to that time. This was the endorsement, in November of that year, of the work by the society for the promotion of col- legiate and theological education in the west. Up to this time the work had been local and its aim equivocal; the endorsement of this society, which placed it on its list for promotion at the east, committed all its officers and supporters to the work of building according to the American college idea and plan beyond the possibility of honorable retreat. It was very important to have that question settled once for all. But what was essential to the securing of this endorsement was of scarcely secondary importance. Secretary Baldwin of the College Society, had been on the ground and had studied the problem with care. Great interest was felt as to the conclusions he should reach, for he was the working head of the society and what was quite as significant he was confessedly the broadest and most capable man of his time in the business of American college building. Before he left he assured the trustees that two things would be essential to the securing of even a consideration of the case of Ripon College by the directors of the society. First, the reversionary right of Mr. Walcott must be given up by him ; and, second, the college must be made free of all denominational entangle- ments-which referred to the right of the Winnebago Convention to nominate the candidates for the vacancies in the board of trustees. The policy of the society was then, as it always has been, to require that all institutions aided shall be un- der the control of independent and self perpetuating boards. Both of these points were happily gained; the latter, however, not without a long and sharp debate. On July 9, 1868, Mr. Walcott executed to the board a deed of trust, in which he conveyed to them "all his right, title and interest in and to the reversion- ary clause" contained in the former deed. But this deed properly specified that the property should "be held by them in trust for the uses and purposes specified," in the former deed. That is, Mr. Walcott constituted the board his personal trustees to carry out his will that the college property should be used forever for educational purposes. !
At the meeting of the Winnebago Convention, June 15-18, 1868, after pro- tracted debate, among other resolutions, the following was passed by a large ma- jority : "That, as the reasons why it has hitherto been important that the con- vention should control the election of trustees of the college have ceased, and as it is now essential to the prosperity and progress of the college, and especially Vol. I-24
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essential to obtaining the aid of the Western College Society, that it should be free from ecclesiastical control, this convention relinquishes all claim to the right of nominating trustees for vacancies in the board of trustees." In another reso- lution it was added that "this action was not intended to detach the college from the interest, influence and sympathy of the convention or of the churches, but to engage the churches more earnestly in building it up."
Another preliminary step towards securing the support of the College So- ciety consisted in gaining the endorsement of the college in its aims and applica- tion by the general convention of the Congregational churches of the state. At its meeting at Ripon in October, 1868, the convention "unanimously endorsed and recommended the college in its proposed effort to obtain $100,000 for en- dowment, and also the aid of the Western College Society." The spirit of this action has been reaffirmed in many subsequent votes of the convention, so that the time has long passed when the question as to what the churches intend con- cerning the college needs to be raised.
In November, 1868, the president made application to the College Society for recognition and endorsement, and the application was acted on favorably. "The directors of the society resolved to accept Ripon College as one of its benefi- ciaries, and to aid it in obtaining in the east $50,000 for endowment." This action put the institution on a footing of fair recognition in the fraternity of col- leges, and from this point its financial condition began to improve rapidly. At the annual meeting in July, 1869, the salary of the president was raised from $800 to $1,000 a year, and the salaries of professors from $700 to $840.
The years from 1868 to 1875 can well be called the period of prosperous con- solidation. No marked events occurred to change the order of things or to ini- tiate some great advance. The well defined characteristics of the college appeared in hard work by the faculty, a spirit of consecration to the service, marked dili- gence on the part of the students, and a vivid and strong current of religious in- fluence. No student in those years could be connected with the college for any considerable period without being profoundly impressed, and great numbers were brought triumphantly under the saving power of the gospel of Christ. The col- lege took its proper place of preeminence in local reforms, and its influence was marked throughout the churches of the commonwealth. It is but historic justice to say that this was in a great measure due to the superb intellectual and spiritual leadership of the president, though he was grandly supported in his chief aims by the faculty, the students and the local church. Believing, as he once remarked, that he had at his hand more of moldable mind than any pastor in the state, he sought opportunities to address and instruct the students assembled in chapel, and the impressions of his powerful appeals are among the things vividly re- membered and often mentioned by the older students.
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The domestic and social life of the college in these years had in it elements of great intellectual and moral strength. Many things were lacking in general equipment which, even in the present days of modest requirement, are esteemed essential, and the appointments for the home life of the students often fell far short of what would now be regarded as indispensable for comfort; but stu- dents and teachers shared alike in trials and triumphs, and a close intercommuni- cation of interests gave mutual support and general content. The condition of the primitive church, when "all that believed were together and had all things com-
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mon," was fairly suggested. For many terms all of the teachers had rooms in the Middle College, the building replete with interesting memories, and sat with the students about the daily board. This meant much when it is remembered who those teachers were. Besides the president, there was Professor W. H. Ward, one of the few men who, having carried his investigations into many fields, has become an accomplished scholar in them all: Mrs. Woodrow, who com- bined vigor with gentleness and sat a queen in the teacher's chair ; Mrs. Merrell, whose character was symmetry and grandeur; and, besides them, Mrs. Tracy, Professor Montague, and the rest, whose works of sacrifice are held in grateful remembrance among men and are recorded with approbation on high. Inter- course between teachers and pupils was unrestrained, and the rounds of the stu- dents' rooms were often made by the teachers, who visited them without for- mality or official constraint. Meetings for conference or inquiry were common, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world that the conferences and in- quiries should concern religion. Among themselves the teachers were often to- gether, not simply in the formal meetings of the faculty, but in gatherings for consultation respecting individual students or the general interests; and their cares, their desires, and their hopes were unitedly carried to the throne of grace. In the midst of such a life the thought of hardship was extinguished in the joy of service, and the common mind was quick in invention and discovery of those things which could supply individual and general need. The student who was poor'became rich in serving and being served.
The boarding hall during several of these years was an object of most inter- esting study in domestic and social economy. The teacher of botany and ele- mentary mathematics was the head of it within doors, while the professor of Greek was assistant treasurer and general purveyor. During several of the terms all of the work was done by students, who by domestic service earned a part or the whole of their support. But it would be a vast mistake to suppose that, on this account, the work was confused or imperfectly performed. On the con- trary, the precision as to times and methods was that of a military camp, and many have testified that they learned in the famous old Middle College the art of expeditious, thrifty and skillful housekeeping. It is safe to say that here was exhibited the maximum of accomplishment and comfort at a minimum cost. There was abundance without profusion, and economy without meanness or un- generous stint.
No new buildings were erected in the period from 1868 to 1875, and little was added to the equipment for illustrating the sciences or laboratory work. Large additions, however, were made to the library and about $50,000 was secured to- ward the general endowment for the payment of teachers. During these years and the previous ones as far back as 1862, it is difficult to see how the work of the college could have been sustained on the accepted principle of operating it on its own earnings, but for the surprising thoroughness and economy with which the domestic department was managed. The number of boarders was large and the income from the department exceeded the expenditures by a handsome sum each year. Doubtless less was accomplished in the last years of President Merri- man's administration, much though it was, than would have been possible if his health had not been impaired. He often labored for weeks together in intense pain. A scholarship scheme was adopted and canvassing for the sale of certifi-
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.
cates begun, but the work of carrying it through was impossible on account of the president's impaired health and of other limitations.
At the annual board meeting in 1874, the president was granted leave of ab- sence on account of ill health for six months, with salary continued, and Pro- fessor Merrell was requested to act in the place of the president during his ab- sence. But this respite did little toward restoring his health and at the annual meeting June 29, 1875, the board voted to grant him a "complete release from all official duty connected with the college, excepting such as he might choose to perform, until in his own judgment and that of his physicians, he should be so far restored as to be able to return to his work." His salary in the meantime was to be continued, but he did not accept the generosity of the board in this respect. Professor Merrell was made acting president, to continue such during the absence of the president. The president spent the following year in travel in Europe and the farther cast. His health was little improved during the year, so that his work for the college practically ended in June, 1875. At the annual meeting, June 19, 1876, his resignation as president was presented to the board, and it was accepted, though with great reluctance. Professor E. H. Merrell was appointed his successor at the same meeting.
The incumbency of President Merrell continued to the end of the school year in 1891, his administration covering a space of sixteen years, including the one year of acting presidency. At the end of this period the double duty of conduct- ing the administration and caring for a department of instruction was under- mining his health, and his resignation at length became a necessity. The labor of building up the material side of the work, a responsibility that rested on the president, exacting at all times, had come to be excessive. By the desire of the faculty and trustees Mr. Merrell retains his chair of mental and moral philosophy.
President Merrell had been connected with the college since the autumn of 1862. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and of Oberlin Theological Seminary, and was a tutor in his alma mater at the time of his first appointment at Ripon. Having been connected with the college during its formative period he had learned to turn his hand to many forms of work. He had taught more or less in all departments, had given much thought and labor to the "secularities" of the institution and was fully imbued with the spirit of the new enterprise. It was a remark of President Merriman, that Mr. Merrell's work during the year 1862-3 had brought the college to such a condition that he dared to take hold of it.
During President Merrell's administration the general policy of the college as to intellectual and moral aims and spirit, as well as that relating to economy, was maintained. Large additions were made to the library, chemical and biological laboratories were established, four new buildings were added, including the re- building of East College, and the endowment funds were about trebled. During these years the interest in the famous Erwin estate was secured, from which it is expected that $100,000 will soon be added to the resources of the college. This was not accomplished without much hard labor for particular objects.
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