Franklin College - Almanack Yearbook (Franklin, IN)

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Ind., was tendered him and was accepted. Vllhfls institution was then a center of education. for Southern indiana. His work here was complimented Very highly. Next came an offer from the college board of Lancaster, Ind. This position also was accepted. Shortly after the re-opening of Franklin College he was elected to the chair of 4' Languages. But three languages and six classes a day, in y l , failing health, to stop for recuperation. For nearly twelve years he was engaged in business in Cincinnati, Ohio. Health restored, he took charge of an institution located at Springiield, Ky., and later at Perryville, where he was called to manage Ewing Institute. He was afterward offered the presidency of two different institutions, lout was unable to a few ears made it necessary from accept either. He made many warm friends during his five years, residence in Kentucky. In 1887 he accepted a call to the chair of Latin in Frank- lin College. Since that time he has pursued the work with great pleasure. Here he remains in tranquillity, and his in- lluence will be revealed when the Master comes. To Him be all the glory. fl? ll, il, if ll y if ill?

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francis KI. Brown, H. M., Ph. D. PROFESSOR OF LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. 5 EAR Cleveland Ohio 111 1838 was bo111 F1 '1,nc1s WV. Brown. About -1839 l1is father, Laba11 ' E' Brown, moved to Indiana and purchased a farm near Seymour. Here on the farm and in the country schools tl1e boyhood of F. W.. Brown was spent. The home was a model of piety and fllial affection. Among his early teachers were some of superior scholarship. These did much toward kindling to a flame an ambition for higher attainments in the realm of knowledge. Wliile yet a youth hexaccepted a position as clerk i11 the leading store of Seymour, and here during spare hours he pursued the study of Latin, Greek and German. All oppor- tunities were improved with a view to a mastery of these. A position as teacher in the Seymour Academy was given him, and the success of this first effort proved the beginning of a life work. He neXt taught mathematics in Bryantls Commercial College, at Indianapolis. This was a very pleas- ant position, yet the impulse to complete his literary studies brought him to Franklin College in 1858. Here he pursued his course until the college suspended work at the beginning of the war. Then, nearly through, and lacking means to go elsewhere he finished his work alone. But since his student life the purpose to master things undertaken has been intensified and has led him into broader fields of thought, especially of language, philosophy alld ethnology. In 1863 he married Miss S. J. McCoy, whose family has given more than 813,- 000 to Franklin College in time of greatest need. In 1865 he publically professed his faith in Christ and united with the .Baptist church at Seymour. 1 The same .year a position agfs-uperintendent of White River Academy, at Brownstown,

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Rebecca F. Cbompeon, HJVI.. PROFESSOR IN MATHEMATICS. little village of South Salem, Ohio,'is the if birthplace of Rebeccanl. Thompson. Its acad- f. emy Qa. feeder of Miami Ilniversityj and its aw' A - old-fashioned church made the village. At the side of the church was the burial ground, a shaded, peaceful spot. A fertile, rolling country, with wooded hills and extended views of distant ranges, made this a beautiful home. It is a country rich in Indian legends. The family removed in a few years to Frankfort, in the same county. Frankfort was the site of an old Indian village, and here Daniel Boone had been a prisoner. A quarter of a mile from the school-house were two large Indian mounds. 'These mounds were fre- quently visited by the children after school. No games were so delightful as those played on their summits, no stories so thrilling as those told of Indian warfare and pioneer life, when the children, tired of play, rested, on the grassy slopes. In the Thompson home much was said of freedom, of slavery, of American ideas. Wlien the grandparents visited them there werenfamily stories of ancestors whoihad fought at Brandywine and had suffered at Valley Forge, stories of unwilling entertainment given to Hessian troops in which angels were not entertained unawares. I The fugitive Slave law was in force. There were times when mysterious conversations would take place between the Thompson paren.ts 3 and the father would leave the house carrying a large market basket, into which the mother had packed all of the semi-weekly baking. When the children asked the meaning of this they were told the bread had gone to friends in need? And this was all they' saw of the working of the underground railroad. H l