Wofford College - Bohemian Yearbook (Spartanburg, SC)

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PROF. A. HASON DuPRE. A MASON DuPRE was born at Abbeville, S. C, November 22, 1869. He received his preparatory • education at the Abbeville Graded School, and entered Wofford 1891, graduating in 1895. Profes- sor DuPre made a fine record in college, and immediately upon graduation was elected Assistant Head Master of Wofford Fitting School. Two years later he was made Head Master, a position which he is filling with marked success. Under his administration the School has had a marvellous growth, and now stands second to no preparatory school in the South. PROF. T. C. EASTERLINQ. C. EASTERLING was born near Bennettsville, in Marlborough County, S. C. His early training was • received in the Marlborough High School. After spending two years at Wofford, he began teaching first as principal of the Marlborough High School. Later he held the same position at Awfordsville, and still later at Roland High School. The Roland school building was owned and equipped by Professor Eas- terling himself. In 1901 he returned to Wofford, and in 1902 took a full diploma. Upon graduation he accepted a position in Wofford Fitting School, where his efforts as a teacher are characterized by marked success. PROF. L. Q. CRUM. I Q. CRUM was born at Roseville, Orangeburg Co., S. C. He was prepared for college at Roseville L » Graded School. Entered Wofford February, 1900, and graduated 1903. Perhaps no higher record as a student was ever made at Wofford than that left by Professor Crum, he having made distinction on every study throughout his entire college course. Upon graduation he was the recipient of many offers of positions to teach, but decided to remain with his Alma Mater, and so came back to Wofford as instructor in the Fitting School. His work as a teacher is characterized by the same thoroughness which marked his career as a student. 19

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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF WOFFORD COLLEGE. By D. D. Wallace. ■HE foundation of Wofford College illustrates how a plain, apparently commonplace life may foster a great aspiration and move towards a great ideal. Benjamin Wofford was a successful accumulator of money, but he was more; he was a wise and consecrated user of money. Mr. Wofford ' s will was kept secret from all except one or two intimate friends, of whom his closest confidant was Rev. H. A. C. Walker, to whom credit is due for fostering the liberal ideas entertained by our founder. It is on his authority that the statement can be made that Mr. Wofford entertained the intention of founding a college before the Baptists had founded Furman and did not receive his suggestion from there, as has been surmised. Not until after Mr. Wofford ' s death, December 5, 1850, did his act become known even to his wife, to whom he also left an ample estate, not by any means equal to the college be- quest, however. A legacy of $100,000 was left to the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South for the pur- pose of establishing and endowing a college for literary, classical and scientific education. The location was required to be in Spartanburg district, as the counties were then called, but no particular locality was named. The town of Woodruff made an ef- fort to induce the trustees to establish the college in their community; but the liberality of the citizens of Spartanburg village, the advantages of central location, etc., led to the selectiori of the county seat. Public spirited citizens offered to pay for whatever land the trustees should select. Underestimating the needs of the institution and disregarding symmetry, they marked off a long, narrow strip of thirty-six acres running east from Church street to the present eastern extremity of the campus. The land was bought from the grandfather of Mr. John B. Cleveland, the donor of the John B. Cleveland Science Hall, at fifty dollars an acre. It formed a bow, bulging away from town and following the line of the professors ' houses and the college building. The south line started at the corner of College Place and Church street and ran east to about the middle of the road in front of Prof. DuPre ' s house. It then pursued a straight line about one hundred feet in front of the college to a point between the residences of Dr. Carlisle and Prof. Gamewell, and from thence ran before the three story house now occupied by Prof. Rembert to a point just beyond the railroad (which did not then exist). It ran down the railroad to about the road back of Prof. Rembert ' s and from there back to Church street at its juncture with Cleveland street, passing so close to the rear buildings that a nimble jumper might have leaped from the road to Dr. Carlisle ' s well. By subsequent purchases the campus has been increased to about twice its original size. ' The author is under great obligations to Dr. James H. Carlisle for information. Prof. D. A. DuPre also gave valuable aid. 21