Dartmouth College - Aegis Yearbook (Hanover, NH)

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Indian tribes in North America, or other poor persons. The school thus permanently founded through Moor's gift was styled in his honor, Moor's Indian Charity School. But Indian outbreaks arose and questions as to the legality ofthe deed of property, and then began a long and uncertain struggle for a charter, either from the State of Connecticut or the Crown of England. After innum- erable exchanges of letters with influential men in London, whose interest in Mr. Wheelock and his school was due to 'Whitefie1d, Mr. Wheelock learned that nothing could be done for him until the affair was approved by the Connecti- cut Assembly, which had not heretofore been done. So the subject of a charter was for the present dropped. Moor's death, in 1756, prevented further aid from that quarter, and this, added to the failure to secure a charter, led to a change of plans. The school no longer bore Moor's name, but went by Wl1eelock's own. The land in Lebanon was ensured to him by a personal deed from Moor's widow. W'heelock's first Indian pupil was Samuel Occom, a Mohegan, who became famous as a teacher and preacher among his race. Others with names known to history followed, and with the help of money sent by the Boston Board i11 London and also by a Scotch Society, his success was assured, and in December, 1762, the school numbered twenty-five pupils, three of whom were English and four Indian girls. Dartmouth College Fiftg Years Ago. Here we must omit, for lack of space, some very interesting , but minor details relating to Mr. Wl1eelock's life and his relations with his pupils, and pass on to the time when measures and plans .,,,V N M: p N 'A W were on foot for enlarging the school and bettering its location. '. For some time the Indians had been manifesting the special characteristics of their race, and had often relapsed into barbarous ,.,-1 ll't ilp actions, and even Occom, the best of the race ever sent out from it ' .fVa'1 the school, several times relapsed into acts of drunkenness. Then, P,.O,,OSed Q,,ad,Z,,,g,e, 9

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sd. V Q J 'xrfuilda ARTMOUTH COLLEGE is a direct outgrowth of a small Indian School, founded 1 4 for almost exclusively religious purposes, by Eleazar Vlflieelock, in Lebanon, Conn. .15 Eleazar Wlieelock was born in Vtfindham, Conn., April 22, 1711 QO. SQ. He I ' A. ww E, X! entered Yale at'the age of eighteen, where his expenses were defrayed by a legacy left for X. ' 1 Z that purpose by lns grandfather, and was graduated with high honors, in 1733. He at H ' G as- f y once began his preparation for the ministry. In two years he was ordained, and regularly if settled over a parish. In this year C1735j he married Mrs. Sarah Maltby, who had three ff up -children by her first husband. She bore to 'Wheelock six children, three of whom died in Mfg , ,K infancy. She died in 1746, and three years later he married Mary Brinsmead, by Whom he lk had five children. Soon after VVheelock settled in Lebanon, extreme religious interest arose 'X-.fu s ' , ANNEX in the parish, and he took a prominent part in the revivals which were led by Edwards and 1 'M QW N Wliiteiield. The following quotation gives some idea of his appearance at this time. He li X was of middle stature and size, well proportioned, erect, and dignified. His features were '-pi . prominent, his eyes a light blue and animated. His complexion fair, and the general expres- , ' sion of his countenance pleasing and handsome. His Voice was remarkably full, harmonious and commanding. Mr. Wheelock's acquaintance with Wliiteiielcl began early, and it was largely through the help of Whitefield that his school became a reality. Early i11 his pastorate Mr. Wlieelock needed more money, and so he took private pupils to prepare them for college. He became much interested in the education of Indians as H UTCBTIS Of christianizing their ovvn people, so he gradually introduced them into his classes, and finally he sexes, to be supported by charity. His white students were to pay as before. The outlook was encouraging, and the first considerable donation was made by Col. joshua Moor, of Mansfield, in the shape of land with buildings thereon, to be held in trust, for the education of natives of any or all the planned a school for both S .

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too, the students of English blood had been increasing in number, and Wheelock was convinced that his best course was to make his school primarily for English lads, especially as the general feeling tended in that direc- tion. We must bear in mind that this school was at this time, as before, one for preparing young men for missionary service among the Indians, and Wheelock plainly saw the necessity for a higher education, and from now on began making plans to this end. As early as 1763 came offers of land for the school in Western New Hampshire, by Gov. Benning Went- worth, and several points to the eastward, in Maine, were mentioned. Sites for settlement were also proposed in Virginia, Carolina, New York and Massachusetts. The plan which now CI76'7D began to receive more favorable notice by Wheelock was that of coming into the Connecticut River Valley -1 tl',-V in New Hampshire, especially as Gov. John VVentworth made a ,Q . deiinite offer of a piece of land, six miles square, on the Connec- Zy f '-J. .t 1, .,,t 1, fx, 2 .71 ,I , It - ' - ' ' ' I - '-'I--'lf ' af-A ' -T' .. .,.i.4.g- ,,-. ' B ' - ticut river, with advantages of soil and water, but under certain W,- g, 2 ' conditions of tenure. Earnest invitations came from men living 't 'ifYf-me-,. -i .' . AF-.1 . ,. , , sfg.ssP ,.ftTi5 at Newbury, Orford, Lyme and Thetford, and strongly nnpelled V , ' by the definite promise of a charter, and also by a desire to be ' iff ' -- 1 'V-j'.,Qi-,lj . . . . . . .-.. ,,.. ..... '1T'-1T:rs, .--.Li. .Y.,, ,,-.s, ':i'i'f' among his old friends of Connecticut who had emigrated to this j . , - . Q- '- region, he determined to locate here. VVheelock requested Gov. Weiitworth to give his own name to the College, as it was Y now called, but Wentworth's modesty prevented, so the name Dartmouth was given it, in honor of Lord Dartmouth, who had taken great interest in the progress and prosperity of the institution. Old-Fcxshioned Game of Football. On July 5, 1770, the town of Hanover was definitely decided upon by the Governor and trustees to be the future site of the College. With the College came a great increase in buildings, roads, mills and people, and the early years of tl1e new settlement were full of self-sacrifice and heroism on the part of Mr. Wheelock and those men and women who were associated with him. . The College town figured prominently in the Revolutionary War, and also in repelling Indian attacks upon this and neighboring towns. Some names best known in this connection are: Chase, YVheelocl:, House, Woodward, Hendee, Crane, Curtis, Bridgman, and very many others. To illustrate the character of the deportment expected and required in the early years of the College, we IO n