George Washington University - Cherry Tree Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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G. W. U. THE 1916 CHERRY TREE G. W. U. THE UNIVERSITY George Washington University as an institution of learning has a record of which any institution might be proud, and with which it is the privilege as wel] as the duty of every student to famil iarize himself. Academic traditions are not readily fostered by city universities, for such traditions are, as a rule, associated with old buildings on the campus and are regularly commemorated by various, for which the tolerant atmosphere of a college town and the privacy of a campus are essential. The urban college must, therefore, be- cause of the necessities of the situation, be prepared to sacrifice much in the way of custom and tradition. For metropolitan police do not look kindly upon the “concrete expressions of college spirit and undergraduate animation ' So George Washington like other institutions similarly situated, has been de- prived of many customs and traditions that in other conditions commemorate the history of a college, A national university to be located at the National Capital is an idea as old as the republic itself. In his will George Washington bequeathed a large sum of money to be used in founding such an institution, and in his plan of the Capital City on the Potomac he pictures a great university, the center of a broad scheme of national education. The first plan for an educational sys- tem in the District of Columbia — drawn up by Thomas Jefferson — provided three branches, or stages of education: primary schools, academies and a university. Congress, however, doubting its authority under the Federal Constitution to establish such a university, took no action, so that today George Washington ' s bequest is still unfulfilled. The movement which resulted in the founding of what is now George Washington University began in 1819, Mr, Luther Rice, a minister of the Baptist church r realizing the opportunities offered by a college located at the seat of the Federal Government, set about collecting the Hinds for a college. Subscriptions were received from all classes of people in all parts of the United States. In 1821, through the influence of President Monroe. Congress granted a charter for the establishment of the Columbian College in the District of Columbia for the “sole and exclusive purpose of educating youth in the Eng- lish, learned and foreign languages, the liberal arts, sciences and literature, Power was given the new institution to confer all the degrees usually conferred by institutions of collegiate standing. The liberal principles upon which Columbia College was founded are indicated by a clause in the original charter providing that “persons of all religious denominations shall be capable of being elected trustees, nor shall any person, either as president, professor, tutor t or pupil, be refused admittance into said college or denied any of the privileges, immunities, or advantages thereof, for or on account of his sentiments in matters of religion 1 In 1822 — thanks to Mr, Rice ' s ability as a college financier — land was purchased in what is now known as Columbia Heights and a college building was erected. To the funds which made this first little College building possible many prominent people, in England as well as America, had contributed. Among them were John Quincy Adams, William F. Crawford, John C, Cal- houn, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Bishop of Durham, Lord Ash- burton, Sir Janies Mackintosh, members of both branches of the national legislature, and many other distinguished people. The College was formally opened on January 9. 1822, with the Rev. William as president. The departments of theology and classical studies were opened at this time, and there were thirty-nine students in attendance. Growth 13

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G. W. U. THE 1916 CHERRY TREE G, W. U. BOARD OF TRUSTEES DR. HENRY G. BEYER DR. CHARLES B, CAMPBELL MR. MELVILLE CHURCH MR. HARRY C. DAVIS MR. WM J. FLATHER J. HOLDSWORTH GORDON, ESQ. MR. GILBERT GROSVENOR COL. ARCHIBALD HOPKINS COL. THOMAS S. HOPKINS WILLIAM BRUCE KING, ESQ, JUDGE MARTIN A, KNAPP JOHN B. EARNER, ESQ. MR. A. LISNER H. B. F, MACFARLAND, ESQ. THEODORE W, NOYES, ESQ. HENRY C. PERKINS, ESQ, ALFHEUS H. SNOW PRESIDENT CHARLES H. STOCKTON ERNEST L. THURSTON WALTER R, TUCKERMAN, ESQ, HON, HENRY WHITE GEN. MAXWELL VAN ZANDT WOOD- HULL

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G. W U. THE 1916 CHERRY TREE G. W, U was so rapid, however, tha t within the next five years the law, medical, philosophical and preparatory departments were opened The College con- tinned to grow until by 1824 there were one hundred and fifty students on its rolls, attracted to the young institution from twenty -one of the twenty- four states which then composed the Union, On December 15, 1824, the first commencement was held . In the presence of President Monroe, General Lafayette, the Secretaries of State. War and Navy, and the leading members of Congress, three men were graduated. To Mr. Luther Rice Columbian College during the early years owed its life and prosperity. Up to the time of his death in 1836 he had secured for the institution subscriptions amounting to almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This money was collected from every state in the Union, and no small portion of it was received from abroad. Somewhat later Columbian College found another staunch friend in the person of Mr. John Withers, of Virginia, who contributed liberally to its support from time to time, giving in alt some seventy thousand dollars. In the first administration of President Jackson Congress appropriated lots worth twenty-five thousand dollars to Columbian College, and a similar amount to Georgetown. This is the only assistance the institution has ever received at the hands of the Na- tional Government. The effects of the Civil War were keenly felt by educational institutions in the South. In Columbian College classes were practically suspended. A large number of the students entered the ranks of the Federal armies, and a larger number — Southern Baptists — casting their lot with their respective states, served in the armies of the Confederacy. The college buildings were for the time turned into government hospitals. At the close of the great struggle a few students returned to their studies and Columbian College once more took up the task of educating the American youth. A deep debt of gratitude is owed to Mr. W, W. Corcoran, who at this period in the develop- ment of Columbian College contributed large sums to the work of the insti- tution. An act of Congress in 1872 changed the name of Columbian College to the Columbian University, and made the Board of Trustees self-perpetuating. The work of transforming the institution from a suburban to a city college was begun in 1879. The Trustees had reached the conclusion that, in order to hold the student body. Columbian must remove to a central location in the city. So the sale of College Hill property was undertaken. The site of the old Arlington Hotel was presented to the LTniversity bv Mr. Corcoran. The property, however was considered too small, and Mr. Corcoran was induced to allow the sale of his gift and investment of the proceeds in cheaper lands. Accordingly the Harris property at the corner of Fifteenth and H Streets, where a clubhouse had previously stood, was purchased. In 1883 the erection of a building, considered at that time to be one of the most up-to-date college buildings in the United States was begun. Removal to this new location in the heart of the city was completed in 1884. In the beginning the Fifteenth Street building housed not only the classical and law departments, but also the Corcoran Scientific School which had recently been founded. Growth of the law department necessitated increased accommodations so that in 1898 a new building was erected on H Street in which the departments of law and diplomacy were accommodated. By permission of Congress and with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior Columbian College changed its name in 1904 to “George Washington University. 11 14