Marietta College - Mariettana Yearbook (Marietta, OH)

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A LooK AT THE PAST -- One hundred twenty-five years ago, on February 14, 1835, the Ohio Legislature granted a new charter to what was then called the Marietta Collegiate Institute and Western Seminary. This was the first time that the institution was ever officially called by the name Marietta College, and so it is from this date that the college tracesits history. The roots of Marietta College extend, however, far deeper into the past, they extended back to 1797, when the Muskingum Academy was founded. The beginning was quite unimpos- ing by our standards. 'When the Mari- etta Institute of Education was founded in 1830, the emphasis was shifted. The Institute of Education was founded by Rev. Luther Bingham, who was in many ways the true father of Marietta College, and continued until 1832 when a new charter was granted by the Marietta Collegiate Institute and West- ern Seminary. This, in turn, was replaced in 1835 by Marietta College. Thus, within forty-seven years after the landing of the first pioneers at Marietta, the town had an institu- tion of college standing. The early spirit of the college was broad- ly unsectarianf' Although founded firmly on Christian principles, the college was never loyal to any particular denomination. Each of the first three presidents of Marietta College had been a minister for some time, and, so therefore, religion was heavily stressed. Stu- dents in those days were required to attend a morning prayer session each week-day and regular church services twice on Sunday. This practice was not very popular, of course, since on some days it was very cold at 4:30 A.M. when the sessions were held. 1 I 5 I 4+ l .-.s.:.ty.L.v.-:,:..s-4 1f15':,::.3g1,1...ig... :rg,,.,.1:v. .fir-,,q.,, .,.. .,,,,,:.-N ,W-AH 7 Q I I

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THE MARIETTANA 1960 MARIETTA COLLEGE MARIETTA, CHIO 18 3 5-1960 125 tb Anniversary ROBERT G. POPE itor-In-Chief MARIE HRITSKO Manager 131

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LSI' X 4 Vl...Q'gt45: I P ' in J. hmmm ind .., ::,N Wm. H, p -4-. N35 L .s Cplfggtt Th :T :af ha ug wlthin fi T . ., -411 - .., ,Z xx '-C Is: ' .r.z.:.5:L!z NR fllflgl ' im x., nsouhe 'mmm X-. f ' Y if .Ho 'rlffeew ' 1 -, . 1S'b -...JI .. V Lg- mended . mill- K . -,ac :sigh :Slim 43 ft2t'.vp-L.: ' new . .N-A-lilgnb extra :r Sligigm Conegt ,Y-'f' fjf mme . Q ii!! 'Q H zrlalyv mme, ...Q , '2nilmse.iSm- ... to mend lit-1.1211 ggi . f 47 tix Flip: .xi-higtxb ,-,-.: jglcuiuuy df C 'h . A ,,. mf, PM Q. .ul .fini im V11 .,.,ne--m - W- ' 'i AN EYE To THE FUTURE Morning prayer sessions and manual labor did not comprise the students' entire college life, but only a fraction of it. Two active literary societies sprang up at this time, Alpha Kappa and Psi Gamma. They debated the various issues of the times and built up some respectable libraries, the greater portion of which has since been absorbed by the col- lege library.+Under the iirm and sensible guidance of President Linsley, who was the first president of Marietta College, a good general course in the Humanities appeared. The schedule of courses emphasized particu- larly Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Mathematics, Philosophy and Religion appear to have been considered of secondary importance. Still, a large percentage of the graduates of the col- lege at this time later became ministers. In the early years, Marietta College had many problems and hardships. When the 5 Trustees took over the college from Rev. Bingham, they incurred a debt of some S8,000, and remained insolvent until the early nine- teen hundreds. Through the generosity of many people in both the Marietta area and in the East, the college did manage to sur- vive. It managed so well, in fact, that in 1906 when the Carnegie Foundation for the Ad- vancement of Teaching selected Marietta to receive its retiring allowance for professors, only three other colleges were ranked higher than Marietta, and only six others as high. In 1869 President Ahdrews said of the found- ers, All these men were men of mark. They had strong individual characteristics, but they labored together with great harmony to es- tablish the College which they loved. They desired to build up an institution where in- tellectual culture might be blended with sincere piety. l