Muhlenberg College - Ciarla Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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The inauguration of the President and the other members of the Faculty took place on Tuesday evening, September 3, and recitations were begun in the several departments on the following day, with pro- visions for a full number of hours for all the college classes. A num- ber of students from Pennsylvania College had followed Dr. Muhlen- berg to his new field of labor, and with others, who presented them- selves, applied for admission, so that the Faculty could begin their labors with four classes, as follows: four Seniors, two Juniors, six Sophomores and thirteen Freshmen, a total of twenty-five. The aca- demic department had one hundred and thirty-eight pupils during the year, making a total for both departments during the first year of one hundred and sixty-one. The Faculty consisted of eight men, who were eminently qualified to discharge the duties of their various depart- ments. Whatever the College may have lacked in its earlier or later history, it always has had good and well qualified instructors in its various departments. The standard of the Curriculum was from the beginning on an equality with that of any of the neighboring insti- tutions. President Muhlenberg abb - administered the affairs of the College until the close of the year 1876, when he resigned in order to accept a call to a professorship in the University of Pennsylvania. On October 11, 1876, the Rev. Benjamin Sadtler, D.D., who had been very suc- cessful as Principal of the Lutherville Ladies’ Seminary, was elected to the Presidency. He assumed the duties of the position January 1, 1877, and ably administered the affairs of the Institution until the latter part of the year 1885, when, owing to physical injuries which he had received iu the previous winter by a fall on the ice, he resigned and retired from the active duties of life and now lives in well-earned retirement in Baltimore. On November 5, 1885, the Rev. Theodore L. Seip, D.D., then Mosser-Keck Professor of Greek, was unanimously elected by acclamation to the Presidency of the College. Dr. Seiji was 14

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■Ill I! Il f! Sill Sllli III! ili llllli ill llil: li llllllllll! lilll III: 1111 .1 ' llllll llli Hill:; in mu a .Hum .hi i imiimiiiuiD, nr .IK ini I mi li i mi inini mil mi mini. in urn iiiiiiiM i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i ii i iiBiiiii : iiiii imii i:iiiiii n m i iiiiiiiiiini i iiii;; m iiiiiiii The first action of the new Board was the election of a President of the College, which resulted in the unanimous choice of Rev. Fred- erick A. Muhlenberg, D.D., Professor of Ancient Languages in Penn- sylvania College. His acceptance of the position was exceedingly grat- ifying to the friends of the new enterprise. It gave prominence and character to the Institution from the very beginning. His ripe and accurate scholarship, his long and successful experience in teaching for twelve years in Franklin College, at Lancaster, and seventeen years in Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, his eminent personal character, exhibiting the noble qualities of an honorable Christian gentleman, his kind but firm disposition and the fact that he was a worthy son of noble ancestors with a name distinguished in the history of our coun- try and Church, marked him out as the man for the place, capable not only of occupying, but also of dignifying the position. The name of Muhlenberg was given to the College, in honor of the Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, who was the first pastor sent from Germany to labor among the Lutherans in Pennsylvania, and who organized the Church in this and other States and was instrumen- tal in organizing the first Lutheran Synod, under whose auspices the new College, bearing his honored name, was about to begin its exist- ence. As soon as possible after the establishment of the College, the Board of Trustees began the work of arranging the buildings for the larger field of usefulness to which they were in future to be devoted. The buildings were enlarged, united and a large wing added, so that it presented a front of one hundred and thirty feet, the central building being four and each of the wings three stories high. Arrangements were also made for the erection of a new building one hundred feet long and five stories high, to be attached to the central building. On September 4, 1867, the corner-stone of the new building was laid by President Muhlenberg with appropriate ceremonies, the services con- nected with it being attended by a large concourse of people.

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the unanimous choice of the entire Synod for this position. He had been connected with the Institution from the beginning of its exist- ence, had assisted President Muhlenberg in arranging the course of studies and organizing the internal affairs of the College, and had served in every department, from the academic department on up ; and hence was very well qualified for the position to which he was now called. He assumed the duties of his position on January i, 1886. Immediately afterwards, the affairs of the Institution were reorganized, the course of studies raised to a higher standard and work was begun to materially advance the internal and external interests of the College. In all these matters his efforts were seconded by the other members of the Faculty, the F ' iuancial Agent and the Board of Trustees. The only part of the work of Muhlenberg College that has not been as successful as its most zealous friends desired and had reason to expect, has been the financial part. From the very beginning of the existence of the College the Synod did not give it the support which it deserved. A heavy debt was incurred in the erection of the neces- sary buildings; the financial panic of 1873 an the consequent stagna- tion of business throughout the Lehigh Valley, and the lack of suffi- cient endowment, hindered and retarded the financial prosperity which was hoped for and which the friends of the College had reason to ex- pect. The first years were, necessarily, years of trials and difficulties, self-denials and discou ragements; but in spite of the hindrances in the way, the work went steadily on to final success. The current expenses were met by gifts from Synod and individuals, the endowment fund was gradually increased by smaller and larger gifts, the latter including the Asa Packer bequest and the Mosser-Keck gift of thirty thousand each, so that now Muhlenberg College has property worth $100,000 and an endowment fund of $134,000. Since 1884, the Rev. Charles J. Cooper has been laboring as Financial Agent, and has succeeded be- yond the expectation of the most ardent friends of the College in re- 15