Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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well-trained men, who have done credit to themselves and their Alma Mater, who reinember with grateful acknowledgment his salutary example and intiuenee and who prize the benefits they received from his careful training and instruction. Among these may be mentioned Rev. W. U. Murkland, D. D., of Baltimore, Rev. E. H. Barnett, D. D., ot' Atlanta, and Rev. P. H. Hoge, D. D., of Ivihnington, as representatives of the ministry, Maj. R. M. Venable, of Balti- more, Hon. X. C. Manson, ot' Lynchburg, and Hon. Meade IIaskings,ot' Richmond, as repre- sentatives ot' the Bar, Drs. M. D. Hoge, Jr., and P. A. Irving, ot' the University School ot' Medicine, Richmond, and Dr. YV. D. Booker, Baltimore, as representatives of the medical profession, and President Charles YV. Dabney, LL. D., of the University of Tennessee, lVilliam M. Thornton, LL. D., of the University ot' Virginia, Thomas C. Johnson, D. D., Union Theological Seminary, and Addison Hogue, A. M., of ivashington and Lee University, as representatives of the Colleges, to whom scores of others under each head might be added, many of them equally distinguished and all doing honest and fruitful work in their several positions. V The following sentences of a private letter from Professor liralter Blair, now in Europe, who for more than twenty years was Dr. Atkinson's colleague, and who, but for his absence, would have Written this sketch, is a itting close to this tribute. Professor Blair says, Indeed, I knew him Well and long, and thoroughly admired and honored a man, who as a citizen, a college President, a Christian and a man, lived in the steady and constant view of the purest and highest ideals. t'Wliile he was without certain showy qualities, otten looked tor by the public in men who stand in conspicuous places, qualities quite commonly possessed by persons of a greatly inferior type of character, yet to those who took the trouble to inquire into his motives of action or were capable of understanding his unselishness and his devotion to duty, he was an unusually complete model of a manly man. 17

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Valuable, however. as were his labors, in the direet work of the ministry, it is perhaps true, that the great service pertormed by l1im was as President and Professor of Moral l'hilosophy in Hampden-Sidney College. To the discharge of these duties he came in the maturity ot' his powers, bringing with him a rich experienee garnered in intimate Contact with mankind, with a thoroughly furnished and trained mind and a full appreciation of the importance of, and a sincere atleetion for, the institution whose destinies were placed in his hands. Taking the helm at a time when the College had enjoyed unwonted prosperity under the brilliant presidency ot' the gifted Green, he addressed himself to his duties with sneh assiduity and suceess that no loss was felt in the change of administration but everything moved evenly on. the numbers and morale of the College being fully maintained up to the period ofthe war. As a teaeher Dr. Atkinson was painstaking, accurate and thorough. As a eollege otlicer, he was perhaps, a little too rigid and exaeting in his expectations and require- ments, but always solieitous tor the weltare of his students and anxious by all the means in his power to promote their temporal and spiritual interests. As President, he represented the institution with dignity and sua,-cess, being ever on the alert to bring it to the front and by his well-directed Gil'iJl'tS won to it many friends. During his administration the funds ofthe eollegc were increased from S70,ooo to 251150001 important and expensive improvements were made to the college buildings and residences, a second professor in the department of Ancient Languages was added, instruetion in German and French was introduced, the Bible Course was established and the professorship ot' English and History ewas created. Thus both tl1e material and literary position ofthe college was advanced by him to a far greater extent than by any other president in its history, with the possible exception of Dr. Jonathan P. Cushing, flxfl to 1835 Q, and that during a period mostly eovered by domestic war and the evils uf' reefinstruction and its desolatiug consequences. At the same time he was sending out into the ditlerent professions and employments hundreds of honorable and in

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V A man nt' tlwrougli 1-nnvivtimis. he demanded fur others and used for himself the must pt-rteet standard nt' life and action. Frnni this, I helieve. swine thought him severe. But when und while he ht-nt his own will to the eomnmnds ot' duty and desired to guide :ill thr whuse znftiun his plan-e made him respnnsihle hy the same rigid law, he had the warmest, even the gentlest affections. This, I think. was not always Qliut often it wasj well umlerstmrnl. lVhile unusually determined and resolute. he was at the same time the most en111'tent1s:1inl kindly nt' men-u man titted in my opinion in 11 very high degree for a model und guide ut' young men. Ought nut the portrait ot' sueh it nnni, so long :ind lmppily identified with the college :md whose serviees in its heliult' were su distinguished, tu tind a place nn the walls ot' her Mt-iinfrial Clmlvel? lVill nut some of his old students inaugurate and curry through withuut delay :1 ll1HV0lllCllt lnuking to this nhieet? Smuusumwiawuma Bi 4 :Q-X! ,Si 6 'E '33 'Q 2 ff M H i am r mmnmrrmm S2 :Fum e-n 4u w .aw.a.22 if .g y Q 'w . 'ff Q Q ' J 9 Q 7 :Sa ' i f ,fggesf i N . Q 1 1 2 : ' i 9 1, ,A at . G ?-,'e'sl?gf r 3 1' 'V'-10 si. 3 l ,Ak 'F H' 3: 9 912 18 RICHARD MCILWAINE. ,,u m-awww: can-ma 5:1 nm fm Sgm f em eew g