Denison University - Adytum Yearbook (Granville, OH)

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f w.mQ.- f, History of Denison University N a bleak December day in 1831 a little band of de- termined men and women met together in the half- finished Baptist meeting house where our conservatory now stands to hold exercises which should start the machinery of Denison University going. Granville was then a thriving industrial center and held a promising position on the Ohio Canal and the Washington, D. C., Cleveland and Cincinnati stage-coach route. Although these prospects nfor rapid growth were a few years later shat- tered by the building of the railroad a number of miles to the south of the village, the institution which these early hopes had attracted to its precincts remained, to bring dignity and honor to the entire locality. The first college, or Granville Literary and Theological Institution, at it was called, was situated in a rejuvenated farm- house on a 353,500 estate which Rev. Allen Darrow gave out- right for school purposes. Rev. john Pratt, a graduate of Brown, was the first president and a Classical, and English course were offered. The thirty-seven students of the first year and those en- rolled for many years afterward had to chop their own fire- wood and carry water while those living in the neighborhood I0 1 suffered many hardships in traversing the country roads upon which the snow and mud was asdeep and treacherous as our present promenaders find. it. One year the single building was swept away by fire, but was soon restored through the efforts of Deacon Daniel Shep- hardson and others. By IS47 there were three buildings lighted by oil lamps and poorly equipped, but the Denison spirit was already awake and the school pressed on. ln 1856 through the efforts of Dr. l-lall, its president, the college which had been contemplating removal to some other town, compromised by pulling up stakes and moving into the village, where buildings were erected on the present site. There were hard times during the civil war but through the self-sacri- fice of the professors, who allowed their salaries to be cut one- half, and the pecuniary aid of such men as Ebenezer Thresher, the college was able to survive. ' The advent of the fair sex to C1ranville's educational cir- cles was brought about by Charles Sawyer, who founded a girls, school in a two-story frame building on what is now Shepardson campus, in l83l. Receiving little financial as- sistance he was soon forced to sell out to the Episconalians who maintained the school until l860. Nleanwhile Rev. N. S.

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. J i ,,,.., t:i1fJ',fS, :QQN f Q V N1 , 'X ,fe ' 1 . ' f 'Y' '5 X 5 ,' ,V 5 fflfy 4. '71, 5 .3Xm.-.,......gm......,....feq...p.......g:1Lg....za4.fi.g.M.g.4....:-g..gg.---a, ...... .,,., FIRST ROW:-G. P. Hill, N. Darrow, C. Scott, Harriet Haggard, Margaret Gooch, R. Hartzog, G. D. Cur- tin, C. F. Schropp, C. E. Richards, Jr. SECOND Row:-C. R. Hastings, R. E. Tuttle, Fay McKinney, Lillis Price, Irene Shenherger, Ruth Thomas, Mar- garet Wasson, Clara Sheldon, L-. L. Bruce. THIRD ROW:-R. B. Miller, Alice Bullett, Vivian Critchfield, W. W. Mastellcr, R. R. Weber, Ruth Abell, Har- riet Hunt, L. H. Chaille, D. lVl. lVloore. 9

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'Ummffsqgllfidgmw aww L-41-.':1sfWZ'?j1Qt t'26t tXf' fyfmffwwe fzffwfjgmmgqg- W '6 Wa, M if i ,ftg9 ,way f,ar f Mrs- 'fff V. s f' 1 ' . V ,---- fafei., as , A f 1 X 'A.Q.II.IgfM ' Cigar Mfg 532, fi 1-'ef J ima: A - , 'P 'sf ' ...... .jfswcewafasfegaszs W, ,, ff:-Wiz: -1-EMA .G ,Q 1 ,gif ,Ugg , A. Y f W Q va'-Wim grgmesmsmeg 1' 'saw f f ,L Q, f' f 7 is f f M Wa? Burton and his wife had made a modest beginning for a school of like character in the basement of the Baptist Church. The Episcopal school soon felt the competition and sold out to the Baptists, the property being paid tor by Rev. lVl. Stone who assumed control. It later passed into the hands of Rev. Dan,l. Shephardson from whom it received its name. In 1900 it was incorporated as a part of Denison university, the men's portion now reassuming its former name of Granville college. Now, as to the curriculum, its first courses were literary, philosophical and disciplinary. The need for a preparatory department was early felt and accordingly established. ln 1854 a scientific course was formed and about ten years later the classical course become elastic enough to admit elective studies. The engineering department was added in l903. The social as well as the intellectual life of the university has not been neglected. From a few desultory games of Hshinnyu the whole school had now developed an absorbing in- terest in foot-ball, base-ball, track-Work, etc. Calliope, Franklin and Cicero Literary societies were formed before the war and Irving in l883. The girls too up- held their part in this movement, establishing successively Eu- terpe, Philomathean and Thalian. During the last few years the Central Heating and Light- ing plant has been installed, Doane Gymnasium and Stone Hall built and Barney Hall rebuilt, after a bad fire in l905. One of our most recent achievements is the acquirement of a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity in 1911. Thus the massive machinery, early set a-moving by those heroic men and women in 1831 still revolves smoothly on, and always with increasing power and efficiency. May God watch over its further progress and bless its mission.