Louisburg College - Oak Yearbook (Louisburg, NC)

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the property was given the North Carolina Conference by his son, Mr. Benjamin Duke. Since the church has assumed control of the property and policy of the school, the Davis Memorial Building has been erected and a laboratory and a cen- tral heating plant installed. In 1915 the College made application for Junior College rating with the (ieneral Board of Education, which was granted. So, through the years, Louisburg College has been training young women to take thei r part in the World ' s Work. To this end we will ever strive iind wilh full hearts, willing hands and earnest prayers do all we can to aid ou - dear old Louisburg College in her work for the highest ik ' vel- opment of Christian womanhood. 3 ' or f 3 S 9: 9 ■•=il I (! If:- m - ' m - ' i Q V

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CoUrgr istorj ' 1 k L % ti V. k - UE exact dale of the liirlli of our Alin:i Mater was 1802. In that year the, J (lOncralAsscinlily of the State of North ( ' •irolina dechircd fifteen rei)res( ' nta- tive MH ' Ti of FraiikUii County, a body pohtic •uid corporate to lie known and distinguished at the Trustees of Franklin Academy, and liy that name should have perpetual succession. liOuisliurR was the seat of learninf;; of all Eastern North Carolina. It was not until ISt). ) that the school was really opened in the old buildinR with Matthew Dickerson, a native of Connecticut and a graduate of Yale, as its jirincipal. The students were to receive instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, luiglish grammar, geography, helles-lettres , and rhetoric, ethics, meta- physics, philosophy, algebra, geometry, (rigonom( try, conic sections, altimetry, longinietry, mensuration of superficies and solids, surveying, navigation, and as- tronomy, Latin, (!reek, Hebrew, French and Italian languages and all for the sum of •?26 per annum. Mr. Dickerson must also have been a wonderful finaiuier, for we are told that in the three years that he taught he acquired an estate quite sufficient to subserve the rational purposes of life, ' ' namely, a farm of more than 300 acres, six slaves and a quantity of stock. In 1S13 it was found necessiry to add a female department to the Franklin Academy and the old building, which still stands on the edge of the campus, was erecteil for the purpose of instructing young ladies in reading, writing, English grammar, arithmetic, geography, astron- omy, painting and mu.sic and useful and ornamental needlework. In 1816 Mr. John B. Bobljitt was principal of the .Academy and Miss Partridge, a lady from Massachusetts, was in charge of the Seminary. Mr. Bobbitt and Mi.ss Partridge became victims of the V)lin(l god ' s arrow and were married. Under the joint leadcrshi]) of these two worthy jieople the.se schools established a reputation that has made them famous. During the century that has passed since then and through the many changes and vicissitudes of passing years our dear old College has ever maintained her struggle and dignity. The main part of the present College l uilding was erected in 185G and was rightly considered one of the most handsome of its kind. From its classic walls have gone oui streams of infltience, always Christian in character, which have glatldened and blessed the lives of all who have come within its sphere. She stood unscathed throughout the bloody storm of civil war with a man of wis- dom and culture at her head. In the spring of 18G.5 Mr. Southgate and his famil}- moved into the Old Academy, and our beautiful building, for such it was then, be- came a hospital for «ick soldiers of the Federal troops that were garri.soned in our midst. At one time, on account of debt, our Alma Mater was about to go into the hands of Northern philanthropists as a school for Colorful Presbyterians, but a timely amendment to its charter provided tliat it should be used as a school for the white race forever. In 1891 the property came into the hands of the great-hearted Washington Duke, and was held by him for the education of North Carolina women during the remainder of his natural life. In 1907, on the death of Mr. Washington Duke, I V -4 1 5 h-

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