Northwestern University - Syllabus Yearbook (Evanston, IL)

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College of Ciberal fi. 6. Osborn

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historical HE NORTHWEvSTERN UNIVERSITY is the oldest of the institutions for the higher learning established in and about Chicago. The history of its development opens with an account of a meeting held on May 31, 1850, in the law office of the Honorable Grant Goodrich, in Chicago. At that meeting a committee of five was appointed to draft a charter for a university to be established in Chicago, and another committee of three was created whose duty it was to see what amount of money could be secured for the endowment of the institution. A resolution was passed declaring that the interests of Christian learning demand the immediate establishment of a university in the Northwest. A charter was obtained and approved by the Governor, Januarj- 28, 1851. In October, 1852, Rev. Philo Judson was appointed agent to solicit funds for the University. In June, 1853, Clark T. Hinman, a member of the Michigan Conference, was elected the first president of the University. The formal opening of the University did not, however, take place before November 5, 1855, and prior to that time Dr. Hinman died at Troy, New York. As there was no university to supervise, Dr. Hinman ' s duties had consisted in traveling in its interests and presenting its claims to the conferences and churches. He was known as a popular preacher, and is said to have been possessed of great zeal and energy. Ran- dolph S. Foster, afterward a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was, in 1856, elected his successor. The catalogue of the University issued in 1856 shows that during the first year — -that of 1855-56 — there were ten young men in attendance as .students. Randolph S. Foster was President and Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic, Henry S. Noyes was Professor of Mathematics, W. D. Godman Professor of Greek, and Daniel Bonbright Professor of Latin. The only other person named in the catalogue as a member of the Faculty was Rev. Abel Stevens, who had been elected Profes.sor of Rhetoric and English Literature, but he never accepted the ])osition. At that time three courses of study had been established — a literary course, a scientific course and an eclectic course. In the latter course students were to be allowed, within a ])rescril)ed range, to jjursue such studies as they i)referred. The catalogue announced tliat students wishing to take the scientific course will be initiated by the present Coiitiniicd on |). 25.

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Joint eommime on College €tbic$ HENRY WADE ROGERS, LL. D . President faculty members Oliver Marcy Daniei. Bonbright Herbert F. Fisk Robert Baird Student members Elmer vS. Batterson Alfred W. Craven Winifred Gray John W. Conner Harry F. Ward Katherine L. Janes Barry Gilbert Blanche Eckert Albert R. Jones May Clark Students ' 0ourt Seniors Mrs. I ' . B. Embki ' .e Fred. W. Gillette Samuel H. Wikschino Ida Sawyer 3unior$ H. F. Bariu;r C. H. Fahs W. R. Jones Sophomores Ji:nniI ' ; Ckav1 ' ;n R. H. Ritchie Trcshmen W. II. () vi;n