Lake Forest College - Forester Yearbook (Lake Forest, IL)

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12 and personal relation of the President with every student under his care, were the contribu- tion of Dr. Gregory to the traditions of Lake Forest. This man ever stimulated the mental energies of students and teachers by his very presence, and gave the impress of a scholarly mind both at the desk, in the parlor, and from the pulpit. As we look back on those days of limited endowment, meagre salaries and many discouragements, let it be remembered that the torch of enthusiasm never flickered or grew faint, and that we build to-day on the pur- poses and the sacrifices of that earlier time. In 1878, Rev. A. G. Wilson, D. D., became Principal of Ferry Hall, and was suc- ceeded in 1880 by Mrs. Esther E. Thompson, in 1886 by Miss Sarah M. Van Vleck, and in 1887 by Levi Seeley, Ph. D. In 1880 NValter L. Rankin took charge of the Academy, and was followed in 1881 by Jas. H. Hyslop, in 1882 by Samuel R. XVOods, in 1883 by A. G. W'ilson, in 1887 by Geo. R. Cutting, and in 1890 by Charles A. Smith. Principal YVoods introduced Field Day anda spirit of athletics. Principal Wilson developed law and order. Principal'Cutting caused the school to grade as one of the first in the W'est. Ex-principal Allen still conducts the famous Allen's Academy in Chicago. Capt. Sabin is a Superin- tendent of Chicago schools. Prof. Rankin is President of Carroll College. Mr. Hyslop is Professor of Logic in Columbia College. Dr. Wilson is President of Lenox College. Rev. William C. Roberts, D. D., L. L. D., one ofthe secretaries of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, telegraphed his acceptance of the presidency September 24, 1886, and entered upon his duties at the beginning of November. The Board of Trustees voted to raise in ive years a million dollars toward an endowment. Seven hundred thousand dol- lars ofthis million was secured by July 1, 1889. Out of these contributions three chairs were endowed for 550,000 each, viz. : The D. K. Pearson's Professorship of Political and Social Science, the NVilliam Bross Professorship of Biblical Instruction, and the Jacob Beidler Professorship of Physics. Fifty thousand dollars was also appropriated as the D. K. Pearson's Scholarship Fund. In 1889, Governor Bross built a dwelling for the incumbent of his Chair at a cost of SI5,000, and in 1891 Mr. Beidler built one for the Professor of Physics at a cost of SI2,000. In 1887, the College building was extended at a cost of SI0,000, and in the following year Ferry Hall was rebuilt at a cost of E1565,000. In 1891 530,000 was put into a finely equipped gymnasium, and in the same year the Durand Art Building was erected at a cost of 560,000 This handsome building is appropriated to the uses of an incorporated asso-

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11 Lake Forest had done her share for education in the West, and were inclined to let other communities provide the collegiate institutions. In November of IS7O, the Lake Forest Hotel and Manufacturing Company bought, for S80,00o, nearly all the remaining endowment lands that were alienable, and built on the lake shore, just south of Ferry Hall, a grand hotel six stories high. After conducting this hotel at a continual loss for five years, with 340,000 of purchase money still unpaid, the company agreed to turn over tl1e whole property to the College for their indebtedness. This gave to the University a building of sixty rooms for students and many spacious halls for recitation purposes. The long deferred College was at length organized, and the Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D. D., was elected President, August 10, 1875. The collegiate department was opened September 7, 1876, with a Freshman class ot twelve, eight young men and four young women, and in September of the following year a second Freshman class of twelve was entered. In 1876 Principal Weston was succeeded at Ferry Hall by Miss Martha H. Sprague. In the night of December 19, 1877, the College building was destroyed by tire, and the hopeful prospects of the young Institution seemed thoroughly blighted. But although President Patterson was called elsewhere, the pluck shown by the little band of students in standing by the homeless College aroused the energy of friends, and under the wise direction of Prof, john H. Hewitt as acting President, the endowment was brought up to SIO0,000. In June, 1878, the Rev. Daniel S. Gregory, D. D., came to the presidency, In the two months of the summer vacation the present College building was erected at a cost of il530,o00. The term opened in September with thirty- seven students in four classes, and a Faculty of seven. The Academy building was burned March 1, 1879. But this misfortune only stimu- lated to more vigorous efforts, and in the ensuing sumn1er three new buildings were erected- the present Academy, Hall at a cost of S320,000, tl1e President's house, at a cost of SI0,000, and the boarding-hall, known as Academia In 1881 the old Dickinson school was pur- chased and ope11ed as a home for the young women in attendance in College. It was named Mitchell Hall, in honor of Miss Maria Mitchell. The administration of Dr. Gregory con- tinued until the summer of 1886, when he withdrew, in failing health, after a service of eight years filled with the most indefatigable and dauntless efforts for the institution. Fourteen thousand dollars in scholarship funds and eighty thousand in buildings were the material results of these eight years. But the immaterial were far greater. A high standard of work, the Value of ideas in the face of a material world, careful and systematic thinking, and a close

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13 ciation called The Lake Forest Art Institute, although a portion of it will be used for College purposes. Along with plans for endowments and buildings has gone one for the realization of the University idea. In 1887 graduate courses were introduced, covering to-day the helds of Philosophy, Political and Social Science, Classical Philology, French and German Philo- logy, and Biology, and leading in each case after three years' study to the degree of Ph. D. In the summer of 1887 the well-known Rush Medical College, of Chicago, became a depart- ment of the University. The control of the courses of study is in the hands of the Medi- cal Faculty and of the President of the University. The business management remains at present with the Board of Control of Rush College, but the Trustees of the University may in the future assume direct control. In 1890 the Chicago College of Dental Surgery-then in the ninth year of its existence-became in like manner a department of the University. Of this institution Dr. Truman IV. Brophy had been Dean since its establishment, and its success is due in a large measure to his exertions. In 1889 the Chicago College of Law, which had originated two years before though the efforts of Justice Bailey of the Supreme Court, and Justice Moran of the Appellate Court, became the Legal Department of the Uni- versity. ' The growth of the Literary Faculty of the University has been until recently retarded by lack of funds. Beginning in 1876 with the Chairs of Psychology and of Greek, in 1878 the Chairs of Latin, English, Modern Languages, Mathematics and Psysics were added. In 1879 the Chair of Biblical Instruction, and in 1886 that of Ethics were set off. In 1887 the Chair of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy was created, in 1889 that of Political and Social Science, and in 1891 that of Geology and Botany. The Greek Chair had been occupied hitherto by John H. Hewitt, now of Williams College, Charles R. Williams, now New York Manager of the Associated Press, Andrew C. Zenos, now of McCormick Theological Semi- nary, and Alfred Emerson, now of Cornell. The Latin Chair has been occupied hitherto by Edward P. Morris, now of Yale, Rev. A. G. Wilson, A. C. Sabin, and Francis N. Kelsey, now of the University of Michigan. The Chair of Modern Languages has been occupied hitherto by J. Adolph Schmitz, now of Washington and Jefferson College, and Mills Whit- tlesby, now of the Lawrenceville School, and the Chair of English by john J. Halsey and Spencer R. Smith. The Chair of Chemistry and Physics has been occupied by La Roy F. Griffin and Fernando Sanford, the latter now of Stanford University, and the Chair of Mathe- matics by E. P. Morris, Fred. N, Willson, now ofPrinceton, F. P. Matz, Rev. A. G. Wilson,