DePauw University - Mirage Yearbook (Greencastle, IN)

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was inaugurated September 13, 1840, as HPresident and Profesv sot Of hil'athematics. The charge and delivery of the keys was made by the Honorable David XIVallace, Governor of Indiana. The hrilliancy of Simpson as an orator attracted great attention and brought many students and friends to the University. A novel event of his administration occurred in 1843, when an agreement was made with the Secretary of War that ten boys of The experiment the Choctaw nation should be educated here. was not a success. in 1848 President Simpson was elected Editor of the XVestern Christian Advo- cate, and Rev. Edward R. Antes was elected his successor. Dr. Ames tle- clined, and Lucien 1V. '31erry was elected and in! augntated in July, 1850. the principal address be- ing' delivered by Gover- nor Joseph A. XVright. President Berry resigned at the end of his fourth year in the office, and Davis W. Clark. after- wards Bishop. was elected his successor. Dr. Clark declined and Daniel Curry, Of New York, was elected. During Dr. Curry's administration occurred the great col- lege rebellion: when. on account of certain exactions which the students considered unreasonable. a majority of them withdrew from the University. On account 01 the Hstorm and stress during his presidency, his administration has been underestimated. and his great and strong characteristics as a man have not been properly appre- ltage ten OLD ASBURV. ciated. I quote from a written testimonial by one of his stu- dents, the Rev. B. Wilson Smith of the class of 55: ttHe was deliberate in speech, concise in statement, absolutely assured of his premises and certain of his conclusions. His sentences were compact and always uttered with the confidence born of an as- surance of their correctness; if declarative, with no doubt or hesitancy; if controversial, you saw in him at once a master of his subject, and in his manner a trained polemic. At his fireside he was a genial host, in the recitation prince in the art of teach.- ing. The student never tired or never counted the minutes, never feared to 1110111 3. ask a question, and never sought any information that he did not obtain. Although he left a pro- found impression on the University. he had while here only reached the threshold of his great ea- reei'. Dr. Curry resigned in 1857, and the Honorable David McDonald, better known as liJudge McDonald, was elected President and de- clined. Thus once in the history of the school a layman was elected President. The Rev. Thomas Bowman was elected in 1858. and served with great eFliciency for fourteen years. Two events signalizetl his administration: the erection of East College and the 21d- mission of women as students on equal terms with the men. He still lives, and in less than six months he will he 95 years old. He remembers with pride the fact that he opened the front door

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Hy HIE older aml more distinguished an institution becomes the greater is the interest attached to its beginning. The new'era in the history of DePanw. signalized by the victory in the en- dmvment eaiirpuign, leads us to hark back to the simple and humble origin 01 the University. The progress of the institution can be traced by a sketch of the men who were prominent in its organization and early career. The first name to attract our attention is that of Robert Richford Roberts, commonly known as Bishop Roberts. He was the sixth Bishop, countingr Bishop Coke the first. of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. He was elected at the General Conference held in Baltimore in 1816. With his family he came to Tndiana in November. 1819, and settled on the old farm in Lawrence County, and lived in it primitive log cabin. Notwithstanding the pi'ivzltions of his early life, Hishop Rolr el'ts was an earnest student, a diligent reader, a tine organizer and a preacher of great power. He was, perhaps, the leading: spirit in promoting the establishment of a Methodist university in Indiana. He was the first President of the Board of 'Iitistees. t. .. WV: uns Beginnin L IWI DR. HILLARY A. GOIJIN .rl it A mtvmy N Out of his limited means he gave $100.00 in the first endowment campaign. Then an ettort was made to secure a larger foundae tion by the sale of perpetual scholarships at $100.00 each. In the Life of Roberts. by Dr. Charles Elliott, this allusion is made to his relation to the University: ttHis interest in the Universityandhisardetitdesires for its success continued to the last. 011 his deathbed, after providing for his faithful wife, pay- ing his debts and providing for some poor relatives, he made the University his first residnary legzitee. There is an example of poetic justice in the fact that the remains of the good Bishopaml his wife rest in the oldest campus of the university. 0in the unpretentious monument there is in- scribed an epitaph written by Bishop Smile. He could not have desired a more honorable resting place than in the scene of his most productive labor, and where an endless procession of stur dents will he pasuing his grave for unnumbered years to come. Not the least of the many great services of Bishop Roberts was the fact that he was ehieHy instrumental in the election of Matthew Simpson, PFOfCSSOY of Atlathematies in Allegheny Cole loge, as the Ilitst President of this institutimi. President Simpson Page nine

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01' the University 101' admission of women. President Bowman was elected Bishop in 1872, and his successor was Reuben Andrus, a very scholarly gentleman and able preacher. He served only three years, having a great preference for the ministry, but his service was a period of growth. in 1875, Alexander Martin, ex-President 01' the West Vin gtinia State University was elected. and was inaugurated June 21, 1876. The Honorable Alexander C. Downey delivered the charge and the keys. Dr. Martin was a great 'liresident, measured by every standard. His graduates every- where, respect, admire and love him. His zulministration was distinguished as the per- iotl when the name of the institution was changed from the Indiana Asbnry Univen sity t0 D'ePanw University. The institution was reorganized and lifted to a new basis of efficiency. .llossibly noother man could have so safely guided the affairs of the institutiun during the perplexities of this period as Pres- ident Martin. He served for fourteen years. and was succeeded by Dr. J. D. P. John, an emi- nent scholar, distinguished logieian and pub- lic Speaker nnexeelled. During his presi- dency the University suffered a emergency in its Fmaneial welfare on account of the panic at 1893. Creditmx were nna able to pay the interest on their loans from the endowment funds. and the embarrassment of the institution was far greater than has ever been known to the public. 1111th11 was succeeded in 1895 by Dr. Hillary A. Gobin. who served one year as Acting President and seven years as 'ltresitlent. Dnriney the larger part of his zulministratinn 'Dr. William Howard Hickman was Chancellor and labored to extricate the institution serious mSImP FRANCIS ASHURY After whom the institution was lirst named from its financial embarrassment. He succeeded to a remarkable degree. The Minshall LabO'atery stands as a monument to his success. Dr. Edwin Holt Hughes became President in 1903. The administrations of President Hughes and President h'leConnell are so well known to the present student body that it is not nec- essary that their merits be recalled here. it is sufficient to say that by the scholarship, evening and power in public speaking of these two presidents D'ePanw has been exalted into the highest degree of prosperity. tlnr gitatlnates all over the world are proud of the present position and brightening prospects of their Alma Mater. Cloth Hughes and McConnell come mend in the strongest terms the tinancial ade ministration of Dr. Salem 1; Town, His clear and accurate reports have won the admira- tion of expert accountants, and more than any Other one thing have given to patrons, alumni and friends everywhere new contie tlenee in the present security and future growth of our school. DePanw University has been very for- tunate in her Presidents. From Simpson t0 McConnell they have been men with clean hands and pure hearts. Not one of them has for one minute suffered a cloud on his good name for any impropriety of conduct or mo- tive. lVithont exception they were loyal to the University. They labored intensely gmtl persistently for the best interests of every student. N0 patron of the school ever accused any of them of unfair dealing 0r hasty action in matters of discipline. Many times there would be questionx to settle of the utmost delicacy. Sometimes an action of the administration would pm- Page eleven