Wesleyan College - Veterropt Yearbook (Macon, GA)

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Historical Sketch ESLEYAN COLLEGE, at Macon, Georgia, holds a very unique position among all colleges for women in the world. Besides being the oldest chartered college for women in the world, Wesleyan holds embodied within herself a kindred distinction. The establishment of the oldest woman’s college was the beginning of a movement for universal higher education of woman. The beginning is the more interesting when we realize what has flowed out of it. Those great, wise men who conceived the idea for such a college for women set in motion influences which have, no doubt, changed the trend of history since that time, and which will direct the course of future history. It is significant that it was Georgia, and not Puritan Massachusetts or Cavalier Vir- ginia, that produced the first college for women. Nor is it illogical that this fact is true, for the force which was probably more responsible than any other for the establishment of Wesleyan was the Methodist movement. The soul of this movement was that “Spirit- ual Statesman and Politician of God,“ John Wesley, for whom the institution was gra- ciously named. The act incorporating Wesleyan as the Georgia Female College, with full power to confer honors and degrees, such as were customary for men’s colleges, was passed on December 23, 1836. It is interesting to know that the first bill to charter the college was opposed with great bitterness and finally rejected because the plan provided that one-half of the board of trustees be women. The abominable feature of the bill was removed, and twenty-two trustees, including judges, lawyers, physicians, congressmen, planters, end ministers, were named. The funds for the undertaking had to be raised by public subscription, as there was no endowment or other source of finance. It was quite a perilous undertaking, for the men of 1836 were not over-enthusiastic about the movement. However, through the faithful work of Dr. Loverick Pierce and his son. Bishop George Foster Pierce, the prejudices of many wealthy men of Georgia were overcome and sufficient funds for a beginning were collected. On January 7, 1 839, the college was opened with appropriate ceremonies. The citizens of Macon — some friends of the undertaking, with their hopes and plans; others enemies, with their speculations and distrust — assembled in the chapel. Bishop George Foster Pierce had been elected president. Ninety young women formed this first student body, although during the first year the number was increased to one hundred and twenty-eight. In July, 1840, the first class was graduated. Eleven young ladies formed the class, all of whom received the A.B. degree. In spite of the fact that there were only a few railroads at that time, young men from Randolph-Macon and other colleges came to Page fifteen

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Page fourteen ANNEX BUILDING

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witness so unusual a sight as this graduation. Miss Catherine Brewer, who was the first on the roll, besides having the honor of having received the first diploma awarded to a young woman, was distinguished, as Mrs. Richard Benson, by the world-wide fame of her son. Admiral W. S. Benson, U. S. N. After three years of heavy expense and scarcely no income, the college was almost closed. A few such men as Reverend Samuel Anthony and James A. Everett, who were deeply interested in the education of young women, by one way or another, removed the overwhelming debt. The institution was given to the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South, and the name became Wesleyan Female College. In later years, by the action of the student bcdy and trustees, the name was finally changed to Wesleyan College, as it now stands. During the Civil War the work of the college was carried on as usual, with the exception of two or three weeks while Sherman made his march to the sea, and two days when General Wilson took possession of the city. With few short exceptions, the work of the college has never been interrupted. On April I, 1881, Mr. George I. Seney of Brooklyn, N. Y., gave to Wesleyan and Emory, each, $50,000. This was his first gift. At a later date the same year he gave another $50,000, of which $25,000 was to be set apart for endowment of a chair in the college to be known as the Loverick Pierce professorship. In all. his gifts amounted to $125,000. In 1919, Mr. E. T. Comer of Millhaven. Ga., gave the college $50,000, to be known as the “Catherine L. Comer Fund. This gift he gave in memory of his mother, who was a member of the Class of 1841, the second class to be graduated from Wesleyan. These are the two largest gifts which Wesleyan has received. There have been many great and prominent men connected with Wesleyan. Its presidents have been chosen from the leaders in education. During its entire history it has had thirteen presidents, who are, in order: Bishop George F. Pierce, Dr. William H. Ellison, Dr. E. H. Myers, Dr. O. L. Smith, Dr. John M. Bonnell, Dr. W. C. Bass, Rev. E. H. Rowe, Dr. John D. Drummond. Dr. J. W. Roberts, Hon. Dupont Guerry, Bishop W. N. Ainsworth, Dr. C. R. Jenkins, and Dr. William F. Quillian. They arc men representative of the very highest type of manhood produced by the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. Under the administrations of these men nearly three thousand young women have been graduated. They are scattered throughout the world. The record of Wesleyan is one of glorious achievement. Under the present admin- istration it is expected to expand. The great educational movement of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, with Wesleyan already a member of the Southern Association of Colleges, will bring Wesleyan to a beginning of an even more glorious future. Page sixteen