University of Georgia - Pandora Yearbook (Athens, GA)

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Kollock, of Savannah, to the office, but that gentleman decided to decline the honor. A year later the Reverend John Brown, of South Carolina, preached the commencement sermon at Athens, and, within the week, was elected President of the University, taking the oath of office at once. The finances of the University had for several years been in a somewhat embarrassing state, necessitating a reduction of salaries; but the war with Great Britain caused such a depression that the President’s pay was cut to $1,000 from $2,000, and that of the two professors to $600 and $700. The Georgia Democrats supported the war, and patriotism was at rather a high pitch in the State during this period. The Embargo, a Democratic measure which preceded hostilities, was very popular at Athens. Upon the anniversary of the Demosthenian Society, February 22, 1809, “each member of the Society appeared in a complete suit of homespun, agreeably to a resolution to that effect.” But the war prevented exports, as well as imports, and in 1812 the price of cotton, which had become in the last fifteen years the staple of the hill country, fell to the starvation figure of twelve cents a pound. The period of Dr. Brown’s presidency is, for financial and other reasons, a dark one for the University and a dim one in its annals. The President left very little impression of his personality upon the College. He apparently was noted for his piety, and not at all for his ability. A glimpse is all that we may obtain to show that confusion and insubordination were rife during his administration. Toward the close of the War of 1812, the times brightened in the State, but the University did not feel the improvement. The attendance declined from a few to a vory few ; the President’s assistants were no better qualified than he himself, and the Board of Trustees, as well as every one else, became thoroughly dissatisfied. President Brown and Professor Green tendered their resignations, which were accepted, in July, 1816. Upon the minutes of the Trustees, I find under November 18, 1816: “Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Board that the resignations of all the officers of Franklin College shall be made to this Board, which was read and unanimously agreed to.” During Brown’s term of office the whole University had fallen into a sad state of apathy. —16—

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Collegiate building.” I was considerably puzzled to guess what an electric conductor in 1804 was supposed to be, especially when capital letters were used ; but have learned since that it was simply what we now call lightning-rod. Old College was originally intended to serve as a dormitory and accommodate “eighty students, with its appropriate number of officers.” The building was ample for the purpose of lodging the students and officers for fifteen years after its completion. The President was the only officer of instruction until 1808, when Wm. H. Jones was appointed professor of languages, with a salary of $500. In 1804, Addin Lewis was appointed tutor, with $800 a year, probably replacing Mr. Jones. A year later, Monsieur Petit, of Savannah, was made professor of the French language, with $400 a year. With the aid of a microscope it can be seen approximately from the accompanying chart what the attendance upon the College was during these years. The building committee of the Trustees reports, November, 1805, that the western half of the College is finished. At their meeting in May, the Board “ resolve unanimously that the present Collegiate building at Athens be hereafter denominated and known by the name of Franklin College.” This name now no longer remains attached to one building of the University, but designates the group of schools or departments of the institution which give instruction leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. President Meigs was a Yankee from top to toe, and by his hustling spirit and industrious habits gave great satisfaction during the first years of his administration. But the latter part of his incumbency is in contrast with the success of his earlier years. The decline of the fortunes of the institution has been laid to the score of political friction. Too much importance should not be given this theory in accounting for the unpopularity, for other influences unknown to us now, may have been at work, and then, again, the President was of the dominant party in the State, and so his political friends were very probably more numerous than his foes. Meigs was a Jeffersonian Democrat of the extreme type, while North Georgia happened to have a large number, though not a majority, of Federalists in its population. Heated discussions arose and personal remarks were indulged in, which resulted in unpleasant relations between the President and his neighbors, spreading to such an extent as to cut down the attendance upon the College. This matter had for several years been noticed by the Senatus Academicus, and in 1810 that body, yielding to popular sentiment it seems, accepted what was probably a forced resignation of the President. Meigs was retained in connection with the University as “professor of mathematics, natural philosophy and chemistry” until, in August, 1811, he was dismissed from this office. In February, 1812, he published a card in the Athens newspaper offering private instruction and board to young persons. But during the year he removed from Athens, and some years later obtained a government position in the Northwest Territory. Upon the resignation of Meigs from the presidency, the Senatus elected Dr. Henry —15—

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No business of importance was transacted by the Senatus in 1812 and 1818, and no meeting in 1815. In 1814, a committee previously appointed to look into the advisability of selling the lands of the University and investing in bank stock, reported in favor of the sale. The Senatus passed a resolution asking the legislature to appropriate $2,000 to purchase a library for the College, which seems not to have been granted. An effort had previously been made to obtain a library in 1811. A bill was, upon the petition of the authorities of the University, passed by the legislature granting permission for the establishment of a lottery for the purpose of raising $3,000 to buy a library for the College, but nothing further is to be learned of the scheme. The public of the State seems to have been almost ready to give up the whole University as a bad job when the authorities met in 1816. The Trustees, in this meeting, proved themselves an energetic body. They demanded the wholesale resignation of the faculty, as above noted ; they petitioned the legislature for leave to sell the remaining lands of the University, and for a loan of $10,000, and they elected the Reverend Robert Finley, of New Jersey, to the presidency. Their petition to the legislature was granted, so, in the Georgia Journal of January 14, 1817, occurs the following notice: “Athens, Franklin College, December 24, 1816. Whereas, the General Assembly of the State, at their last session, having liberally placed within the power of the Trustees the means necessary for conducting the business of the University, with a confident hope of success: “ Resolved, that the collegiate exorcises will commence on the first Monday in January, next, under the control and superintendence of the Hon. Peter Early as President in. o. tem., until the inauguration of the Rev. Robert Finley, appointed President at the present meeting, and under the immediate instruction of Mr. Professor Goulding and Messrs. Tutors Comakand Hull, and that this resolution be published in the Georgia Journal, the Augusta Chronicle and the Savannah Republican. By order of the Board of Trustees. John Hodge, Secretary of the University.” Ten thousand dollars is loaned the University by the State. Salaries are raised all around. Four thousand dollars is appropriated by the Trustees for the purchase of a library, and soon afterwards, $8,000 for a new President’s house. Dr. Finley accepts the office tendered him, moves South to assume his duties, and at once shows himself to be a fine man for the placo. But, brought about by overwork and consequent fever, the untimely death of Dr. Finley only a few months after his arrival in Georgia, casts a great shadow over the newly brightened prospects of the University. The Reverend Nathan S. S. Beman was elected President pro tempore in December, 1817. Six months later he was nominated for the presidency, but declined election on account of the very low state of his wife’s health. A few years later Beman removed to Pennsylvania, and his name became very odorous in the South as that of an abolitionist of the most violent type. In 1818 it was decided not to build a new President’s house, but, as had been planned in the —17—