Goucher College - Donnybrook Fair Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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Dr. John F. Goucher, 1890-1908. The Governor signing the charter of the College. January 26, 1885. Dr. Gaucher ofered the present site of the College, then in Baltimore County-in fact, at that time there was a toll gate at Charles Street and University Parkway, then called Merrymants Lane-provided suficient funds for building costs were raised by the Trustees, and he planned a strong, rugged simplicity for the build- ings. He also gave Gaucher Hall, the cornerstone of which was laid October 5, 1886. Soon after this Bennett Hall, the gift of Benjamin Franklin Bennett, treasurer of the Board of Trustees, built along the same style of Romanesque architecture, was completed. The residence Halls or Homes as they were called gradually followed. To Dr. Joseph Shefloe, professor of Romance Languages, goes the credit of naming them -Glitner, Alfheim, Fensal, and Vingolf-using Norse mythology names which still remain peculiar to Gaucher. With the college a reality came the equally important problem of cur- riculum and faculty. The talented Dr. William Hersey Hopkins, professor, of Latin and Greek at St Johnhs College, Annapolis, was selected as the first president, and it was he who, while touring Europe inspecting and observing administration and curriculum in colleges and universities,

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9x DR. J. F. GOUCHER HELPS TO 1 8 8 8 FOUND AWOMEN'S COLLEGE 1 9 3 8 FIFTY YEARS OF DISTINC- TIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE QR 2 Ever since colonial days higher education for X young ladies had been taboo, particularly in the South. There were numer- ous Ladies' Academies and Finishing Schools, but not a single college. It is therefore particularly significant that Dr. John Franklin Gaucher, a young Methodist preacher in the South, should have ventured to break down the prejudice against the higher education of women in Baltimore, and should have sponsored a college where young ladies could be trained for better meeting all the demands of life. More significant is it that through the eforts of Dr. Gaucher and of other leaders of the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, on January 26, 1885, a charter was granted by the Legislature of Maryland to the trustees of an academic institution to be known as The Womants College of Baltimore City.

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foundii Dr. and Mrs. Hans Froelicher, both of whom were to play such a vital part in Goucher's history. Dr. John Blackford Van Meter resigned his Baltimore pastorate to serve as Dean. His demands for the highest possible scholastic standards were most rigid and, reflected throughout the entire faculty, laid the foundation for Goucheris future high academic rating. The formal opening and inaugural ceremonies were held November 13, 1888, with President Gilman of the Johns Hopkins University delivering the opening address. This was the occasionfifty years ago to which Gaucher owes its golden anniversary celebration of this past fall, October 14, 15, 16, 1938. In 1890 Dr. Hopkins resigned as president. He had guided the 75 1 2 m. A 11,, I h young college through all of its early dificulties and preferred to devote his eforts to the study of The toll gate at Merryman's Lane, the classics rather than to the 5 1885. e V L. 7 . , ,A . cares of the executive ofice. He ' e f: J h 151203,; s was made the chairman of the Latin Department. Dr. Gaucher succeeded him. Helping now to enable the Woman's College to obtain the highest degree of excellency in the scholastic realm were three members of the early faculty. Each is known and loved by Gaucher students the world over. It would be impossible to forget Dr. Lilian Welsh-a graduate of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania-Goucher's professor of anatomy, phy- siology, hygiene, and physical training. Under her supervision the depart- ment of physical training became so developed along the lines and ideas of the Swedish and English systems of gymnastics that it was unique among