Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1887 — INDIANA AND EDUCATION. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA AND EDUCATION.

Franklin College. This Institution dales its origin to June sth, 1834, when a number of Baptist ministers and laymen met at Indianapolis, to advise together as to the matter of providing a school for -the education of the rising ministry. The names of these men are Rev. W. Rees, Rev. J. L. Richmond, Rev. E. Fisher, Henry Bradley, John Hobart, Rev.T3. Harding, Rev. L. Morgan, Rev. J. V. A. Woods, Rev. E Williams, (still living) John .McCoy, John Mason, Moses Jeffries and Reuben Coffey. Judge J. L. Holman was one of the very early workers in the enterprise but he was not at ttie first meeting. As the first result of a general and long extended discussion, Franklin was chosen as the location of the Institution, and it was first namedv the “Baptist Manual Labor Institute.” The beginnings were very feeble. A small frame building of two rooms served, for chapel and recitation rooms. Tlie financial agents were kept very busy in providing for current expenses, and had no time left for raising an endowment. The grade of instruction at tlie first was but little if any in advance of the modern district school. A college charter was not secured until 1844, when Rev. G. C. Chandler, D. D., was elected first President. That ear the No:th brick edifice was erected, and it seemed that a great step in advance had been made. Associated with the President were Professor N. Brand, from England, and shortly afterwards J. W. Fisdale. In 1848, Professor J. 8. Hougham L. L. D. a recent graduate of Wabash, College was elected to the chair of mathematics and physics. President Chandler remained till 185152, and while few students were graduated, a large number were given an impulse that made them better men in church and state. Rev. Silas Baily, D. D., L. L. D., was elected to the Presidency in 1852, and wrought most earnestly and successfully for ten years. His associates in instruction were Professors jL S. Hcugham, Mark Bailey, J. Brßpback and Tutors F. M. Eurgason and Wallace. During his presidency there was an attempt to raise an endowment of $60,000, blit; while the effort was a success on paper, it was not a success in fact—not one half the amount subscribed was ever collected. Besides, a system of scholarship had nearly sapped the only Source of income the college had. By a payment of SIOO, a patron could obtain a scholarship that would entitle him to more than S2OO in tuition. The South edifice, ho wever, was erected in and there was a fair attendance of students; the desire for an. education being kindled among the young men of the State, and some leaders were trained for their work. The largest class oi graduates, before the war, numbered six. They gave their orations in June, 1861, and most of them went at once into service. In 1864 the work of the College ceased, for there were no young men left to Deginy a") course of study; they weie “at the front.” The halls were silent, and the recitation rooms had neither instructor nor stu-

In 1869 the Board again opened the doors of the Institution, and invited both young men and young women to enjoy the advantages afforded. Rev, W. T. Scott, a recent graduate of Rochester Theological Seminary, was elected Acting President, and associated with him were Professors F. W. Brown, J. E. Walter aud Mrs M. A. Fisher. Tae attendance the first year of the leopening was unprecedentedly -large, the number being 209. This was owing to the fact tbatthe town of Franklin had no public School that year on account of not having a building. In 1870 Rev. H. L. Way land, D. D., of Michigan, was elected President and Professor Stott filled the chair of natural science. ' r */* There was great activity from 1870 to 1872, and there was * .large hope at times thatren endowment would be secured and that there would be built a surer and broader foundation for our educational work. Expenses, however, were large, the income was not large, all hope of raising an endowment was losr, and in February, 1572, the college doort were again closed and the real estate, including the buildings was taken by the creditors, j- -

In the spring aud summer of 1872 the citizens of Franklin and of Johnson county rallied once more, and forming a j joint stock association, raised oyer ! $50,000, elected a Board, and again began the work of college instruction. ! Professor W. T. Scott was made President, Professor J. E. Meltan was elected to the chair of mathematics and Miss R. J. Thompson to the cnair of history and : science. ' * . - For four years there was no great progress, for some of those who had become stockholders had refused to pay the assessments, and the case was at length tried in the Circuit CourGand afterwardin the Supreme Court of the State. The decision in each case was in favor of the college. Accordingly, from 1876 onward | there has been constant progress in the number in attendance, in the amount of endowment, and in the general standard of college workr“” ’ The library has grown from a very mall beginning tecover 5,000 volumes.

. . - ; ! ; : - ( There is a geological cabinet of 4,000 specimens, and room ijt the chemica j laboratory for twenty to work at once. The total endowment lund, productive l and not as yet productive, is ove» sls0 r 000, The productive is about $107,000. The total net assets of the college are $215,000. The number of graduates up to 1873 was 28; it is now 84. Over Tour thousand students have pursued ai more or less extended course of study in the college. The enrollment of students this year will be the largest in the history of the institution and will probably be 235. The two brick edifices spoken of before were intended to be the wiDgs of a still larger central building. That structure is now going up, and when completed will greatly facilitate the work of study and instruction. The college is located in a thriving little city of excellent literary and moral tone, and the prospects are that the Baptists of Indiana will, in the near future, have an institution with three hundred students and "iT quarter o a million endowment.