Fordham University - Maroon Yearbook (New York, NY)

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I -V, . I RUS!-I llIl.l. MANHR jfnrhbam Uklnihersitp 184 1:19 16 llli Class of 1910 tlCL'lllS it a11 llOlltPl' as well as a tllllj' to tell i11 this, its Year lioolt, SlllllCllllllg of l7tlI'tlll2lllllS l1ist111'y. .X111l tl1is is tl1e 111111'e i11e11111- l7Clll 1111 11s. i11 as 111111'h as tl1is year lll2ll'liS the 1'11llege's seve11ty-tiftlt a1111i- ms of .Xl111a4Rlater if we 1li1l not j11i11 with her i11 eeleh1'ati11g an 1,1e1'z1si1111 like this, a111l so 1111 task c11t1l1l he 111111'e Cljllgfillllll tl1a11 111 lC g1'1111'tl1 a111l 1'e1'sa1'1'. Xlie 11'11ul1l he t11111'o1'tl1y st l'CCUllIll tl1e g'l111'ies of ll well-lille1l career. We i11te111l 111 trace tl lll'Ugl'CSS of 11l1l St. -llJllIliS, 111 111e11tio11 tl1e 11a111es a111l 11111te11'11rtl1y aehiex'e111e11ts uf those who have l1a1l it i11 el1:1rQe a111l to ree111'1l the ll2llJlJC11ll'lgS of 11111111e11t si111'e its ftjlllltlillllbll i11 hluue, IS-ll. 'lihe limits of space ftlfllltl our clwelling 011 any- C, 1 h N t to the ripe 111e111111'ies of the 11l1l hoys to till i11 11'l1ate1'e1' ll21I'Cl1CSS they lllilj' ohserve i11 our 11a1'ratix'e. tl1i111f '11 ffreat lCllUIll a111l we 1111151 leave i The history of lrthftlllillll is i11 many respects uiiique, lllltl this lCllflS it a1l1le1l interest. Sll6 was the pirmeer i11 Catholic higher ecltteation i11 this State. Sl1e entered 11111111 her course 11111le1' atispieious ei1'e11111sta11ees, Zlllfl she has been 1111i- t'111'111ly sueeessftil i11 all her x'e11t11res. For three quarters of a eeutttry, she ee11 se111li11Q forth 111e11 well-tittecl to assume tl1e 1'a11gt1a1'1l i11 all move- lllClllS tl1at seek to 2ltlY2lllL'C tl1e interests of ti1J1l Zllltl eo1111t1'y. FtJl'tlllZlI1l deserves has h lv

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LIJINGS Ulf TIIIQ UNIVIQRS

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The jtiilarnnn the sincere congratulations that greet her on this notable occasion. She has earned the tribute by long years of silent service. Could the venerable founder have beheld the present flourishing condition of the institution he established, he would have rejoiced, but it could hardly have spurred him on to increased effort, for he labored most strenuously to put on a solid basis this first venture in the academic field. The humble beginning he knew, the early disappointments, the struggle for recognition, the handful of students, the paucity of professors, the isolation from the city. He knew the labor and the dilihcultyg may we not hope that he now looks down upon the grand result attained and feels that he builded wiser than he knew? For, scarcely in the wildest dream, could he have pictured the great Fordham of today, proudly looking back upon a past achieved. confidently facing a future big with hope. In 1841, Bishop llughes was fortunate enough to see his efforts for the improvement of the common schools in a fair way to success and, alive to the needs of Catholic higher education, he turned his attention to that subject. .Ns a preliminary, he set about completing the work begun by his predecessor. Bishop Dubois, and the seminary at Lafargeville, Jefferson County, was the result, However, the futility of trying to maintain an institution for secular training in so inconvenient a place as Lafargeville was soon shown, and the Bishop began to look around for a more suitable site, in the immediate vicinity of New York. Fordham, at that time a village of XVestchester County, though now a part of New York City. was selected as the site for the college. The Rose lelill Estate, beautiful in situation, with spacious grounds and of historic interest. seemed ideal for the purpose. Accordingly negotiations were entered into with the purpose of securing the property, and through the kind ollices of Mr. .Nndrew Carrigan, 'Rose llill Manor. a tract of ninety acres of rolling land, was bought for 330,000 The purchase price included the structure, which today forms the main part of the Jkdministration building. Some thousands of dollars were spent in necessary improvements, and the college was formally opened on june 24, 1841, on the Feast of St. -lohn the Baptist, its patron. Reverend Dr. john McCloskey, afterwards Archbishop of New York, and later the lirst :Xmerican Cardinal, was installed as hrst President, The following 8eptember studies began with an enrollment of about thirty students. 1t was also in 1841 that the diocesan theological seminary was transferred from Lafargeville to Fordham, and placed under the direction of Dr. McClos- key. ln 1843, Dr. McCloskey, the college now Hrmly established, was sum- moned to other duties for which he was peculiarly fitted, and he was succeeded as President by Father John B. Harley. who had been one of the faculty since the college's opening. During these two years noticeable progress had been made. The number of students had been doubled, the grounds improved. new buildings erected and the curriculum enlarged. 20