Rawlings Institute - Hits and Bits Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

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THE ALBEMARLE FE IALE INSTIT TE. HAT honored old preacher, Rev. Joseph H. NValker, whose - useful life extended overalmost the wholeof the nineteenth century, used to say that he was the father ofthe Baptist Institute in Charlottesville. He said that when he went there to be pastor he noticed that every Sunday morning a party of' girls would go away from the Sunday School after the lesson was ended. On inquiry he found that the principal of' their school required them to attend his church, although they belonged to Baptist families. He said he called his brethren together and told them that the Baptists must have a school of their own. They were fortunate in finding in their midst an accomplished teacher, Mr. S. H. NVyriek, who for a number of years conducted a board- ing school ot' considerable merit. It enjoyed a wo1'thy patronage and did good work. Out ot' the loins of this school sprang the A LBEMA RL E FEMA LE INS'1'I'I'UTI'I. In a cabinet in the Museum of Richmond College, is a valued relic. It is a scrap of paper, yellow with age, that was rescued several years ago from a bag of' old papers belonging to the attorney for the trustees ot' this school. The paper contains the signatures of' the founders-those who thought and planned for this institution-who bore its burdens and rejoiced in its triumphs, and who deserve to be remembered. They were lVm. P. Farish, J. T. Randolph, Jolm A. Broadus, A. E. Dickenson, and Jolm H. Bibb. It contains also the receipt fbr 351,031 paid by Treas- urer Bibb to John H. Timberlake, Geo. L. Peyton witness, for the old Monticello Hotel, its first home, and is dated January 7, 1857. In the founding of' this institution the great Dr. Broadus, then a young man, was the moving spirit. XVhen he went to the University as Chaplain, he was succeeded by Dr. Dickenson. He took this work and pushed it with his characteristic zeal. The Charlottesville church has always had noble spirits in its member- ship, and there were many who contributed their portion, but it is nevertheless true that that big-souled Baptist-, William P. Parish, by his prineely inunificence, made it possible for these young ministers to carry out the cherished wish of their hearts in the opening ofan institution that quickly went to the top, and flour- ished for more than a decade under the same principal. It had no superior, and scarcely a peer in its faculty or in its curriculum. Coming to this school as I did in '59, two years after its doors were opened, I saw it in all the glow of its young aspiring lite, and felt the impact of' its expansive forces, and the throb off' its great heart. The fact has been proved often and again, that a school to do its best work must be f'ull of hope and ot' confidence in its own powers. 'rn H If'At 'UL'l'Y. Such a faculty as they had! Nearly all ot' them were distin- guished graduates of' the University, selected by Dr. Broadus, some his class-mates, as John Hart, Principal, H. H. Harris,

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FIRST CI-IRO ICLES, CHAPTER VII. ND it came to pass in those days that a snow fell upon all - the land. i24.L.:I Y-3 And in that place which was ealled Rawlings Institute there dwelled five virgins from the far South who had never seen so strange a thing. And behold, when the snow fell and covered all the earth around about them, they marveled and said one to the other, From whence cometh all this, and what doth it mean ? Then rose one up and answered them, saying, Know ye not that this is the snow? Then there appeared unto them a WOIIILIH of' small stature, clothed in black raimeut, who asked them, saying, XVist ye not that the hour is at hand when you should gird about you your raglauds and go forth unto the sport that lies before you Z' And they cried with a loud voice, Let us go, Let us go. And it eame to pass as the evening drew near they all set out upon the journey. 'From thence rode these virgins with the chief' among the faculty with them. 4 But it so happened that she was placed in their midst so that she could not be seen by the multitude that crowded about them. Now dwelling near the Institute was a body of' students who gathered themselves together for to study. And when they saw the fllll' women in the sleigh the whole multitude of' them arose and went out to see. And they began to inquire among themselves which of' them it was that should be called a teacher, for they were sore afraid lest she should call them down. Then saith one, ivateh and flirt lest ye miss an opportunity, for I say unto you, it cannot last. Behold, in a moment, in the twinkling of' an eye, the horses were turned and the women of the South departed. lVheu they had ridden through all the streets of' the city they returned again to the Institute. Now it came to pass that those wl1o did not partake of' this ride gathered themselves together at all the windows for to see the crowd as they passed. For lo these virgins were not satisfied with their journey, they all consented with one aeeord that they should drive again around the Institute: f'or vanity is great and all are partakers thereof, saith the prophetess. And it came to pass, when they were half' around, there was a mighty downfall of' the sleigh, and the virgins were all thrown into the snow. And a great multitude out of' all the Institute and the houses around about there came out to see and hear. But those that were down were vexed beeause of' this thing, and they lifted up theireyes and said, Blessed are ye that you went not with us. E.

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Professor of Greek and Latin. And there were girls in those days who studied Greek and took away their diplomas when they left school. Crawford Toy, now a distinguished professor in Harvard, one of the great universities of the world, and Dr. A. B. Brown, once a professor in Richmond College, of colossal intellect, one of the greatest teachers of this age, were there. There were others, as Thompson, Hiden, Holliday, and Louthan, none of whom were lesser lights. The first two professors, Hart and Harris, finished their work, and left behind a record unsur- passed. A It has always been a pleasant thought to the writer that she was privileged to belong to the first class in English ever taught in the South. It was organized here by Mr. Hart, a recognized master of good English. What he wrote was eagerly scanned. He was authority on English and Literature. It was a rare treat to be a pupil of his, as it was of l.'rofessors Harris, Brown, and the others. It was a bright galaxy of teachers. TH E CURRICU LUM. When one considers the course of study mapped out here, it is apparent that it was more of a college than it claimed to be. The authors studied in the Senior Class in Moral Philosophy and Metaphysics were Cousin, Jouffroy, Locke, and Sir William Hamilton. In Latin, Cicero, Virgil, Sallust, Horace, and Tacitus, and in Mathematics, the course extended to Calculus, and it was often taken from the love of it. But alas! the school was doomed to meet reverses. Possibly the aim was too high. It was best suited to graduates of other schools, and there were not enough of them to keep it going. It was ahead of its age. To secure M. A.'s of the University as teachers required more income than could come from a people only waking to see the possibilities of the higher education of women. A DISTINGUISIIED S'l'liDEN'l'. There have been many that have gone out from this school who reflected honor upon their Alma Mater, but perhaps the class of '61 bears the highest distinction in having as one of its members Miss Lottie Moon, one of the most cultured and consecrated of all missionaries of the Foreign Board. U She sailed for China soon after she took her degree, bidding adieu to the attractions of home and surroundings. Her name is a familiar one to Southern Baptists, and she is greatly honored by themf' ITS NEW HOME. The school moved into its present quarters--the new building- about '62, It was then the solitary house on the square, occupy- ing a most commanding position--out of town. When we used to pass on our way to .Earrish's Spring, the trysting place of the girls and students, it was an old field. Money was literally poured out here in the beginning. lt was my privilege to visit here once just befbre the war closed. All seemed happy in their enlarged position. But it was not long before this school, like so many others, suffered from the desolation that had been wrought on the homes of Virginia's yeomanry. iVhere could they get money to educate their daughters with, their property having been swept