Knox College - Gale Yearbook (Galesburg, IL)

Page 10 text:

' JONATHAN lil..-XNCH.-XRIJ. First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. It was a hard time for the College. Owing to circumstances connected with the previous policy of the Board of Trus- tees, and still more to the depressing in- fluence ofthe Civil War, there were, dur- ing the five years of his pre-idency, but seventy persons graduated from both College and Seminary. - Dr. Curtis died in oFHce in the year 1863, greatly beloved hy all who knew him. DR. WILLIAM STANTON CURTIS During the tive years of his admin- istration, from 1863 to l868, seventy- three persons graduated from the insti- tution. He was a strong and good man and strenuous in accomplishing what he deemed right. An exception among those who have been president of Knox i left it free from debt with the main College building and the Seminary erected and paid for. Much of this is, of course, due to the rise in real estate, but great credit is to be given Mr. Blanchard as he collected, or received, and paid into the Col- lege treasury S50,000. When his resignation was accepted he was invited to remain in charge of the institution the following year, which he did. For the next three years he was pastor of the First Church, which he left to becorne President of Wheaton College, where, after a long term of office, he died in the service ofthe institution. HARVEY CURTIS was called to the presidency in N558 from the pastorate of the HARVEY CURTIS

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Former Presidents INCE the founding of Knox College in 1837 there have been seven presidents of the institution, and by the inauguration of Dr. McClelland on February 15th last, another illustrious name has been added to the list. A careful perusal of the appended article will give the reader some idea of the valuable services that these men have given to Knox College, and when the difficulties and obstacles that were placed in their path are taken into consideration, their noble work gives added inspiration to the youth of the present time. The G.-XLE Board of the Class of 1902 has decided to call its pub- lication, The Presidential Issue. To the president of the institution, more than to any one else, rests its success and future advancement, and our short acquaintance with the present incumbent, Dr. McClelland, has convinced us that he will occupy the chair as President of Knox College with all the dignity and grace of his predecessors and with in- creased energy and ambition forthe future prosperity of the institution. In this connection we have gathered together the pictures and short sketches of each of the former presidents, which follow: I-IIRAM H. KELLOGG was one of the first trustees of the institu- tion when it was known as Prairie College. In 1838 he was appointed president and in 1841 assumed its duties. During the first few years of his presidency at Knox he was also pastor of the First Congregational Church in Galesburg and shortly after he resigned, he again assumed the pastorate on February 3, 1846, remaining in that po- sition until June 23, 1847. In 1844 he visit- ed England and obtained contributions ol' books and money to the amount of l'l2,000. In 1845 he resigned. An oil painting of Mr. Kellogg is hung in our College Library. JONATHAN BLANCHARD, lJ.lJ., was called to the presidency of Knox, from which he graduated the first and the thir- teen following classes. He found the Col- I 7 lege in debt several thousand dollars and grimy H, K1.31,l,mg4g,

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WILLIAM S'l'AN'I'UN CLI R'I'IS. sisted on an increase both in teaching force and equipment and resigned, sev- eral members of the faculty going at the same time. HON . NENVTON BATEMAN. After an interregnum of three years, during which Dr. Albert Hurd served as Dean, Hon. Newton Bateman was called to the presidency in 1874. His fame in the educational line was already national due to his marvelous record as State Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion. During Dr. Bateman's adminis- tration the College grew largely. The Gymnasium, Alumni Hall and the ad- ditions to Whiting Hall were built and the standard of the curriculum was raised. In 1883 the Conservatory of Music was started. The Cadet Corps followed in 1884 and later an art school was opened. In 1892 Dr. John H. Fin- ley was elected president. Dr. Bateman, College, he was opposed to the co-edu- cation of the sexes. DR. JOHN P. GULLIVER, at that time pastor ofa large 'Congrega- tional Church in Chicago and well known as an effective speaker in pulpit and on platform, was elected to the presidency in the hopes that his talents and reputation would attract and hold students and with the public secure recognition and pecuniary aid. Pres- byterian trustees waived objection on denominational grounds, but he was unanimously elected. His administra- tion was brilliant. He brought strong additions to the facultyg the number of students increased, but at the end of four years, so great was the reduction in the income-bearing property that the trustees deemed large reductions in ex- penses imperative. 'I'he president in- I DR. JOHN P. GULLIVER.