Carleton College - Algol Yearbook (Northfield, MN)

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STORY OF CARLETON COLLEGE VIONG those who early longed for a Minnesota Christian College was Mr. C. M. Goodsell. a former citizen of North- -: -. .Q 1 . l.'- ::-- . 1 . - I- .- 1 Lf..- . if x w 'gif 'Af-Q'-Q 3H'?T' s i L '-A L xi I 61 L ., - ' Q.: F .:.lY'- cc - ,., 1.0 C fkn. iield. He came here from Wisconsin with a definite hope X if 'ind purpose of founding such a college which should become in time '1 new Northwestern Oberlin. This hope he made - 1 ?,f known to others and ere long it was decided to have a col- - T A T lege and that at Northfield, then a young but promising town. Several other towns had offered sites but this had outstripped all other competitors, offering twenty-Eve acres of land beautifully situated on the Cannon river. ,The sum of the gift, in- cluding pledges, amounted to twenty-one thousand twenty-nine dollars. Through the long future in which this college shall grow in fame and influence it will stand as the grandest memorial of the wisdom and Christian faith of those citizens in Northfield, through whose strenuous efforts and generous gifts this, their crown-jewel, was secured. In 1867 then, after electing a board of trustees, the Preparatory Department of Northheld College was opened in a building formerly used as a hotel. Horace Goodhue, Jr., then a young graduate from Dartmouth, was called to take charge of the institution. Many tales are related of the great sacrifices made in early days for our Alma Mater. lt is said that after one of the trustees had made a plea for the College, a young girl came to the house where he was staying, bearing in her hand two silver half-dollars which she said she wished to give to the College. They were among the earliest remembered gifts of her childhood days and had been brought to Minnesota from her former home in the Bay State. In 1870 the nadir point in the history of the College was reached and it was time the corner was turned and a decided advance made. Now indeed the need of a President was greaty felt. Rev. James W. Strong, pastor of the Congregational church at Faribault, was called to this position and to the great joy of the trustees this earnest, enthusiastic young man accepted the responsibil- ity. The College was then very weak financially, and within a year he had obtained for her a sum to the amount of nearly ninety thousand dollars, fifty thousand of which was given by Mr. William Carleton because of his admiration for the young president and his interest in the College. Ten thousand was given by Susan Willis, afterward Mrs. Carleton. In honor of these donors Northfield College became Carleton College. In 1872 the first building, Willis Hall, was erected. This was destroyed by fire in 1879 I 8

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ALGOL In choosing a name for the college annual, that of Algol, signifying a variable star of the second magnitude, was selected. A variable rather than a constant star was chosen with the thought that the annual might vary in brightness. During its short period this star is subject to almost no variation, except certain slow changes that appear to be the result of some un- known disturbances. While the Algol was in existence this seemed to be true, and whenever anything particularly bright appeared we conclude that the Juniors' brains must have been unusually jostled. During most of the time the star remains of the second magnitude. But at the time of obscuration it loses about tive-sixths of its light, falling to the fourth magnitude in about four and one-half hours, remaining at the minimum for about twenty minutes and then in three and one-half hours recoverng its original condition. We hope that never again will our Algol have its time of obscurement and cause the col- lege to be ignorant for so many years of its celestial brightness. But after obscurement it may again reach its normal second magnitude, which we trust the present Algol has done. If perchance you should think it a little brighter than it has previously appeared, some unusual disturbance, as not letting studies interfere with the regular work upon it, may have given rise to it. As this class has been' given to disturbances, some phenomena as to this star may possibly appear and no doubt Professor Payne would gladly assist you to note them. 'n V--- TL-v:: h' , - lt -f N- -' X A r ... I . ff c Mffffvjzqd .t 'Z fv- ,cfs-fr fx' A-2' 'ion 'MI M , Wf NZ, 'll Jun-or ?sqckulo9esT Submarpso IN SI-rEnn1 05 Cunstiousnuag 7

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but soon rebuilt with amplified accommodations. Through the munificent donations of Dr. Edward H. Williams of Philadelphia, in 1880 was erected, as a memorial to his son, the Science building, Williams Hall. In honor of the gift of fifty thousand dollars by Mr. Ebner C. Gridley, the ladies hall, built in 1883 was called Gridley Hall. William W. Payne, Ph. D., came to Carleton in 1872 and in 1877 under his personal di- rection the Hrst Observatory was built. In 1887 it was replaced by a much iner building. In that same year Herbert C. Wilson was called as another instructor for this department. Dr. Wilson has discovered an asteroid but it was not visible long enough for him to compute its orbit. His especial fort is the cataloguing of stars in the nebulae. At present he has six hun- dred forty-four. He has looked up and recorded one thousand double stars, many never seen before. Seventy-five photographs of the planet Eros have been taken at the Observa- tory, and when reduced we will have a 1nore accurate knowledge of the solar parallax. Three hundred dollars of the Gould fund have been appropriated for Carleton's workin this line. The chart now being prepared of the new star Nova Persei, is the most extensive in existence. We have twenty long exposure photographs of nebulae in star regions. These are probably unsurpassed by any in the world. VVell may Carleton rejoice in her Observatory so magnificently equipped and directed by two such instructors. She has something here which but few institutions in the United States possess. Carleton's most beautiful building, the Scoville library, was added in 1896. In 1899 D. K. Pearsons promised Carleton fifty thousand dollars if she would raise one hundred thous- and. Through the efficient work of President Strong, large gifts of generous benefactors and the cooperation of students the amount was secured. In 1901 Rev. Eugene W. Lyman, A. B., B. D., came to Carleton as Professor of Philosophy. In the present year, 1902, a splendid new athletic field has been dedicated, and named Laird Field, in honor of Mr. Laird, who gave the money to fit up and equip the Held. The self-sacrifice-and constant support of the faculty have done much to make Carleton what it is. Had Miss Evans accepted the presidency of Wellesley when it was offered her, and had Professors Payne, Metcalf and Wilson taken the large university positions offered them, Carleton's history would have been quite different. All honor to those who have so loved the institution that money could not tempt them away. Right along with Carleton's development materially has been formed a Carleton atmo- sphere of true wisdom and benevolence. Not only are her present students interested in her welfare and desirous of spreading abroad her beautiful spirit, but her Alumni are ever mind- ful of their Alma Mater, showing their interest by contributions to their College paper, by aiding very materially in a Hnancial way and best of all, by reflecting her life in the part of the world in which they are placed. 9