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

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became the first President of Hampden-Sydney at the advanced age of 26. John Blair Smith, at the ad- vanced age of 19, became first assistant to President and Professor Samuel, in 1776. While teaching, he was studying for the minis- try under his brother ' s tui- tion. On October 26, 1779, at a meeting of Presbytery at Prince Edward Court House (now Worsham), he preached what might be called a trial sermon, and Presbytery licensed him. The older brother went to Princeton as President in 1779, and the younger brother succeeded him, having reached the mature age of 23. John Blair Smith in 1777 had become Captain of the Hampden-Sydney Boys, a company vhich donned their distinctive uniforms of purple shirts and coon- skin caps, and marched to the defense of Williams- burg, then the capital of } ' irginia. While administer- ing the business of the col- lege as President, and while teaching classes, he was in constant demand in the pulpit, and evidently had great evangelistic powers. It was assumed by some of the members of the Board of Trustees that, because he gave time to preaching he was neglecting his duties as President; and friction arose. This, however, did not stop him from preach- ing the Gospel with great power and with wonderful results. In 1789 Dr. Smith resigned as President in order to give himself entirely to pastoral and evangelistic work. He was pastor of Pine Street Church, Philadelphia, ' 791-95. and w-as President of Union College, 1795-98. He returned to Pine Street Church in the spring of 1799, and died on August 22 of that year from an at- tack of yellow fever. In 1785 the College of New Jersey conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinitv. JAMES BLYTHE James Blythe (October 28, 1765-May 20, 1842) was the son of James Blythe and his wife Elizabeth, immi- grants to Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Sprague (vol. 3, pp. 591-599), quoted by A. J. Morri- son in his Dictionary of Hampden-Sydney Alumni, states that they were from Scotland; Dr. R. L. Dingus of Transylvania College, Kentucky, says they were Scotch-Irish stock. Either way, they were Presbv- terians, and wished the boy to receive a thorough edu- cation and to enter a learned profession. At first James, Jr., didn ' t take to a classical education, but after driving a wagon to and from Charleston, South Carolina, he chose the lesser evil and returned to school. Taking four years at Hampden-Sydney, he gradu- ated in 1788, in the same class with Cary Allen, the • first missionary to Kentucky. While at Hampden- New 20-floor hospital of the Medical College of Virginia. Richmond, Virginia. This flourishing medical school was estab- lished under the charter and seal of Hampden-Sydney College in 1338. Sydney he determined to enter the ministry. It seems probable that this decision was reached because of the great revival at the college in 1786-87, in which Cary Allen was a leader. Dr. A. J. Morrison (following Sprague, vol. 3, pp. 591-599) says that young Blythe studied theology under James Hall of North Carolina. Licensed by Orange Presbytery to preach, he went out to Kentucky in I79t, and in July, 1793, was ordained and installed as pastor of Pisgah Church, where he preached for more than forty years. On August i, 1793, he married Miss Margaret McElroy, a native of Rockbridge County, Virginia (March 8, 1775-January 28, 1835). In 179+ he became interested in the establishment of Kentucky Academy, and with Rev. David Rice (a former trustee of Hampden-Sydney), made a trip on horseback to Philadelphia, New York, and other East- ern cities to raise money; receiving a gift of $100 from President George M ' ashington, a similar amount from Vice-President John Adams, and $50 from Aaron Burr. Over $10,000 is said to have been secured on this trip. The Kentucky Academy and Transylvania Seminary were merged January i, 1799, becoming Transylvania University, and Mr. Blythe was elected to the chair of mathematics, natural philosophy, astron- omy and geography (E. Forman, in The Kaleidoscope, vol. 8, p. 32, says geology). In 1804, on the resigna- tion of President James Moore, Professor Blythe was appointed Acting President, and continued as such until 1816, continuing also his teaching. He then sev- ered his connection with the institution, but in 1817 was elected Professor of Chemistry. This position he held until 1831, when he left the state. In 1 832-1 836 he was President of Hanover College, Indiana, and then became pastor of New Lexington Church, ten miles from Hanover, where he preached THE 1941 KALEIDDSCDPE [UJ

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H IMPDEIV-SYDIVEY COLLEGE The statement has been made that Virginia at this time furnished as many students to the I ' niversity of Pennsylvania as did Pennsylvania itself. It was at this juncture that Dr. Socrates Maupin, a brilliant graduate of the I ' niversity of Virginia in the academic and medical departments, joined with five other physi- cians in the attempt to obtain a charter from the legis- lature, in order to start a medical school in Richmond, rhis attempt failed, but the trustees of Hampden- S dney College promptly joined vith these gentlemen in establishing, under the charter of the college, the Medical Department of Hampden-S dney. A lot was given by the City of Richmond, an infirmary was built, and classes began with a fidl school. This arrangement continued until 1853, when the Medical College of Virginia became a separate entity. In 1 861 the Virginia Assembly gave $30,000 to the college to build a hospital, on condition that the insti- tution be deeded to the State. Hampden-Sydney has reason to look with pride upon this beginning of a great medical center. SAMUEL DOAK Samuel Doak, Sr., in his youth came from North Ireland into Chester County, Pennsylvania. So did Jane Mitchell. They married and removed to Augusta County, Virginia, where Samuel Doak, Jr., was born in 17+9; in that part of the county which afterwards became Rockbridge, and within the limits of the New Providence congregation. Young Doak received his early school training in an academy which had been organized in 1749 by Robert Alexander, a graduate of Dublin University. The Dr. Smith ' s two sons, Samuel Stanhope Smith and John Blair Smith attended school. In the spring of 1776, Samuel Stanhope Smith per- suaded Doak to join the teaching stafi of the new col- lege; and here he taught and studied. In October, 1777, Hanover Presbytery licensed him to preach. He preached for a time near Abingdon, Virginia, and then went to the Holston Settlement in Tennessee, where he founded New Bethel Church. Those were troubleous days. Cornwallis was giving trouble, and Major Fer- guson, under his direction, was laying waste the coun- try, as he moved north through the region near the headwaters of the Broad and Catawba Rivers. When a messenger crossed the mountains and re- ported the condition of affairs to the settlers on the Watauga and Holston Rivers, hundreds of Virginians enlisted under William Campbell ; 480 men enlisted from the congregation of Samuel Doak and nearby communities. Doak was no pacifist. When these men ivere ready to march, he appeared and asked the Lord that victory be given them. His prayer was answered at King ' s Mountain. He was a member of the Convention of 1784, which framed a constitution of the new State of Franklin; and he had a clause inserted providing for a State University. Settling in Washington County, Tennes- see, he organized Salem congregation, built a church, and established an academy. This grew into Wash- ington College. Here he remained until 181 8, when his son took charge, and the father removed to Cireene County, where he opened a classical academy, which became Tusculum College. Morrison rightly calls him The pioneer Headmaster of Tennessee. Belhaven College, Jackson. Mississippi, revived and thoroughly reorganized by Dr. R. V. Lancaster, Class of 1884, who also served as first President of the new institution. school had come under the control of Rev.- John Brown, pastor of New Providence, In 1773, young Doak entered Princeton College, where he remained two years. He then taught in Dr. Rob- ert Smith ' s school at Pe iuea, Pennsylvania, vhere JOHN BLAIR SMITH In the Hislorical Summary in our col- lege catalogue, names of colleges and universities are given which were founded, revived or reorganized by men identified with Hampden-Sydney. John Blair Smith was the first President of Union College at Schenectady, New York, 1795-99- His life was one of great usefulness. His brother, Samuel Stanhope Smith of Pennsylvania, a graduate of Princeton, Austin College, Sherman, Texas. Dr. Daniel Baiter, Class of 1915, was the prime mover in establishing in 1849 this college which awarded the first degree in Texas. tlO]

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HAMPDE]V-SYD]VEY COLLEGE McMurran Hall, old courthouse building in which Shepherd State Teachers College was founded as Shepherd College. West Virginia, in 1871 through the work of Joseph McMurran, first President of the school. until a tew month lit-fore hiv death in 1842. Hi bi)d and that of his wife are buried in the cemetery at Hanover. In a statement sent me in February, 1941, Dr. L. R. Dingus of Transylvania College says, An acting- presidency lasting over a dozen years represents a strange phenomenon but has a rational explanation ' here. The Board religiously (as also the State) was passing through a violent religious struggle between the conservatives with a Calvinistic slant and the liberals including Unitarian, deistic, anti-church ten- dencies. . . . He kept the institution going during this period. In 1812 President Bl the and Professor Robert Bishop started the publication of Tlw E-vanijetnat Rfcnrd and ll ' islern Rfvirv:. This went through two volumes. In 1822, Dr. Blythe started T ie Christian Rrt isler, which was discontinued after one year for lack of sufHcient support. Princeton in 181 5 conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in 181 6 he was made Moderator of the Presbyterian (ieneral As- semblv. In the schism of 1837 between the New School and the Old School, Dr. Blythe adhered to the latter. E. Forman, in a sketch of Dr. Blythe I The Kaleido- scope, vol. 8, p. 33, 1900) savs that Hanover College rose to a high degree of prosperity under his admin- istration. Transvlvania College has an excellent portrait of Dr. Blvthe and Mrs. Blythe by the famous Kentucky artist, Matthew H. Joiiett. MOSES WADDEL William Waddel left County Down, near Belfast, Ireland, in 1766 and settled in that part of Rowan which later became Iredell County, North Carolina. Here his son, Moses Waddel, was born July 29, 1770. The boy was very precocious, and at the age of eight was placed in a classical school ct)nducted by James Hall and bearing the euphonious name of Clio ' s Nur- sery; a school celebrated in its day. After five or six } ears here, where he made rapid progress in his studies, he began teaching, though himself only a boy. Teaching first in North Carolina, he next removed to (Jeorgia, where his father had gone, and taught there. Deciding to enter the ministry, he sought the advice of Rev. John Springer of Abbeville District, S. C, who was a graduate of Princeton, had taught and studied at Hampden-Sydney in 1776-77, and had then entered the ministry. Advised to enter Hampden- Sydney, Waddel was so well prepared and a student of such diligence that he graduated in one year — a member of the famous class of 1791. Continuing his studies he was licensed to preach in May, 1792, by Hanover Presbytery. Howe ' s History of the Presby- terian Church in South Carolina says (vol. 2, p. 669) ,«i Tusculum College, Greenevljle, Tennessee, founded in 1818 as a classical academy by Dr Samuel Doak, 1776, the pioneer (Headmaster cf Tennessee. that he was received from the Presbytery of Hanover, April, 1793, as a licentiate. He was ordained as pastor of the Carmel Church, in Georgia, June 6, 1794. He preached for a while at the Calhoun Settlement in Abbeville District, S. C, where Patrick Calhoun, father of John C. Calhoun, lived. He prepared John C. Calhoun for the junior class at Vale, and in 1795 he married young Calhoun ' s sister, Catherine, who lived only a few years. In 1800 he married Elizabeth Woodson Pleasants of Halifax County, X ' irginia. Moses Waddel ' s reputation as a teacher soon became widespread, and promising boys flocked to his schools. In 1 801 he removed to Vienna, a town on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, and in 1804 [12]