Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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a State College, but had hoped for nothing short of a university. The State College was to be but a temporary expedient — a stepping stone to the more pretentious university promised by the Constitution of 1816. Found the college first, with a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, a professor of geography, — ancient and modern, and of astronomy; and one of Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages, with one or more assistants, and then, as the available funds increase, add to it a professor of theology, a professor of law, and a medical school; and lo! you have the University the fathers had in mind . . . - Excepting its boards of trustees and visitors, the College inherited all there was of the State Seminary — its buildings, its students, its reputation, itS ' prop- erty, its professors, its methods. The act of incorporation -established a col- lege professedly for the education of yOuth in the American, learned and foreign languages, the useful a-rts, sciences and literature, and that no teacher shall- be required by the board to profess any religious opinions and that no student shali be denied adrrrissioh or refused any of the privileges, honor ' s or degrees .of the -College on account of the religious opinions he may entertain, nor shall any sec- terian tents or principles be taught by any president, professor, tutor or instructor. -; ;-i: -?ti: ; l i ii tja S

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students were in attendance, and the fame of Indiana Seminary was becom- ing known. Its students were beginning to assume college airs — they had organized a literary society — the Henodelphisterian Society — which was so classical that every student in joining was compelled to use while within its hall, instead of his own plain name, one once current in the streets of Greece or Rome. The end of Indiana Seminary followed an inspection of the Seminar}- by a board of visitors, on the first of November, 1827. It was the duty of the board to examine every student in all the branches. It is said that the visitors went away charmed with what they had seen and heard and that the subsequent mes- sages and reports made at the General Assembly recommended that the Seminary be raised to the dignity of a college. With that end in view, a bill was prepared which was in time passed and signed by Governor James B. Ray, and on January 24, 1828, Indiana Seminary became Indiana College. The period of the Seminary had gone — at best it was only a make-shift. In the beginning, the Indiana Fathers had no thought of a State Seminary, nor of The First Laboratory

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At the time the Seminary was conferred into a college, the population of the state had increased to not less than 300,000 and twenty-two new counties had been added to the map. The population of Monroe County was about 4,600 and of Bloomington about 600, but the town was still in the woods, with its few business houses confined to the west side and the west half of the public square. Of Indiana College, Dr. Maxwell stated that the endowment was nearly $40,000 , and brought an income which was estimated at something like $2,000. There were two buildings, one built for a professor ' s residence, and the other a plain brick rectangular structure two stories high, containing six rooms, one of which was the chapel and another the Henedelphisterian Society room, leaving four rooms for recitation purposes. To this must be added the thirty-five students that Dr. Maxwell says there were in attendance, most of whom were in the pre- paratory department, and none of whom, except in one or two branches, had advanced beyond the studies usually pursued in the freshman class, and you have the warp and woof of the Indiana College the first year of its existence . Outside was the campus, containing ten acres, inclosed with a worm fence, and surrounded on at least three sides with walls of living trees. On the town side, the ax-men had been at work, but it was not until many years afterwards that the forest trees lining College Avenue between the town and the College were cut down. The Rev. Andrew Wylie, then the presi- dent of Washington College in Western Pennsylvania, and just thirty-seven years of age, was elected president of Indiana College by the board of trustees. This choice was made in May, 1823, but it was not until March 20, ten months following his election, that Dr. Wylie decided to ac- cept the Indiana call. Late in the after- noon of October 9, 1829, Dr. Wylie arrived with his family in Bloomington, prepared to take up his duties as president of Indiana College. During the twent)-two months that intervened between the chartering of the College and the arrival of the president, no change was made in the curriculum of studies. The work continued to be carried Dr. AxDRKw WvLiE on in all respects the same as during the