Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1912 — Shaped Calhoun’s Education [ARTICLE]

Shaped Calhoun’s Education

President Timothy Dwight of Yale Advised the Great Carolinian to Study Law In the New 8ch«i0l at Litchfield. John C. Calhoun was graduated from Yale college in 1804 when that seat of learning wae under the administration of the first President Timothy Dwight After his graduation Calhoun became a student in the first taw school established in this country, at Litchfield, Conn., within a stone's throw of the birthplace of Henry Ward Beecher. He received a diploma from this pioneer school*ln 1807, was admitted to the bar cd Connecticut on. the credit of that diploma, and then went Immediately to. his native, part of South Carolina and set himself np to the practice of law. At the time Calhoun studied law it was the almost universal practice for young men ifko aspired to be lawyers to prepare tot admission to the bar by reading In tbs office of a lawyer. So fur as I know, no biographer of Calhoun tells why the great South Carolinian broke away from this custom of long standtog. Briefly, he was persuaded to do so by none other than a Connecticut Yankee; and my authority fqr this statement to Rev. Jonathan Brace, who for many yeans was a prominent Congregational clergyman to Connecticut, and who, when Calhoun was beginning to gain great prominence, secured his information from the family of President Dwight of Yale. J -. , - ... “tit his earijr manhood Calhoun Was a stanch Presbyterian, and so he should have gone to Princeton Instead of Yale college." said Mr. Brace. “But certain intimate family associations with some of tbe Yale instructors induced Calhoun to enter Yale, where he speedily became a great favorite with President Dwight He entered the Junior class. In his senior year he had many conference* with President Dwight end there was powj. V “'J!* * - *:! . a. -j£t .

er which vary greatly impressed President Dwight It was an argument that lasted all evening, and when it was over President Dwight ventured to say to Calhoun that his gift for profound reasoning, his ability' to persuade those who heard him argue that his argument was sound, and his knowledge of historic as well as of contemporary government and politics would, without doubt if used to that end, make Calhoun a man of very great national prominence, and, perhaps might bring him to the presidency. “Of course, this encomium greatly pleased Calhoun, and it may have done something to persuade him to take up politics very early la his career. However, at the time of the Argument that drew forth this praise Calhoun’s ambition was to make a great lawyer of himself, and after his graduation from Yale he sought the advice of President Dwight respecting hla preparation for admission to the bar. The elder man strongly advised Calhoun to enroll himself ss a student to the taw school at Litchfield. Cobsl, saying that Calhoun could to that way more thoroughly ground himself to the fundamental prindplee of the Jaw than by reading the books to any lawyer’s office. > “The Litchfield taw school was then ft young Institution, not even its founders were certain that it would prove a successful experiment Calhoun at first wss doubtful about the wisdom of following President Dwight’s advice, so he started to read taw in an office to Charleston; but while he wss thus engaged he came to the conclusion that President Dwight had laid out the proper coarse for him to follow and he sat down and wrote a letter to the Litchfield law school. In which be asked If he would be accepted as a student in due course he received a favorable reply and shortly thereafter tiM-eHed as a student to the school—a step that Carolina’s greatest lawyer and ablest public citizen never regretted taking at the advice of a Connecticut Yankee.” .. ;