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

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HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY An American renaissance, religious and national, created Columbian College in the City of Washington, in 1821. The religious motive was the Modern Missionary Enterprise affecting all the churches, marked by the Haystack Prayer Meeting in Williams College which gave to the world Luther Rice and his ministry. This missionary awakening organized the Baptist Churches into a Denomination, and projected Columbian College with a free charter. Contributions to this enterprise came from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and over the grave of Luther Rice in South Carolina is written, He founded Columbian College in the District of Columbia, which he benevolently in- tended, by its central position, to diffuse knowledge, both literary and religious, through these United States.” The national motive was left in the hearts of his countrymen by George Washington, who wished for a University in the District of Columbia, to which from all the States youths of fortune and talent might be sent to complete their education in the princi- ples of politics and good government, and as a matter of infinite importance” by forming friendships to free themselves of local prejudices and jealousies. He dreamed of organizing friendship and making it American. In 1819, subscriptions to establish the College in Washington were made by mem- bers of the Cabinet, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, John C. Calhoun, William Wirt, Return J. Meigs, and by thirty-two members of Congress, and Presi- dent Monroe said, This institution, if it receives hereafter the proper encouragement, cannot fail to be eminently useful to the nation.” In 1825, an official bulletin of the College states, The importance of a college at this place had impressed the minds of a few individuals, encouraged and sustained by the strong representations of the great Washington and his illustrious successors, they conceived the design and entered upon the undertaking.” At the first commencement in 1824, there were present President Monroe, John Quincy Adams, John G. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and the Marquis de Lafayette. Among the presidents of the Corporation there have been Obadiah B. Brown, Col. James L. Edwards, Amos Kendall, William W. Corcoran, Samuel H. Greene, John B. Larner. Thirteen men have filled the presidency and they have been of a company of scholars that established the American College, and gave it the fine phrase a gentleman and a scholar.” These men came from Princeton, Harvard, Hamilton, Yale, Brown, Columbian, Lake Forest, Stanford. A new vision is emergent with the new name, with the ancient freedom empha- sized by a non-denominational provision in the charter, and with a new order of modern efficiency. With seven thousand students, affiliated with twenty-two religious bodies, from all parts of the Union, as representative as the National Congress, the new University is fulfilling old dreams — diffusing knowledge through these United States” — eminently useful to the nation.” President Marvin has guided the advance through seven notable years. The way of truth is a narrow way, but it leads to the Delectable Mountains. William Allen Wilbur. T

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' The day begins to droop , — Its course is done.” — Robert Bridges

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THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES I he Board of 1 rustees of the { diversity is comprised of the President of the University, ex-officio, and the following persons by election: i f i 1934 John Henry Cowles Charles Carroll Glover, Jr. Robert Vedder Fleming Stephen Elliott Kramer Jllils Garfinckel Arthur Peter Mrs, Henry Alyah Strong Merle Thorpe Alfred Adams Wheat iff 1935 Avery DeLano Andrews Mrs. Joshua Eva .vs, Jr. Clarence Aiken Aspinwall William James Flather John Joy Edson John Hays Hammond Abram Lisner Charles Riuorg Manx Walter Rupert Tucki-r.m an y f f 1936 Karl William Corby Charles William Gerstenberg H arry Cassell Davis Ulysses S Grant, 30 George Edgar Fleming Gilbert Grosvenor Alfred Henry Lawson Theodore Williams Noyes John Barton Payne Luther Halsey Reichelderfer