Ripon College - Crimson Yearbook (Ripon, WI)

Page 17 text:

g session. le college? honor of as put up t the bid' name be' :kway for the name the char' e charter is therein md, estabf . . an :st orderf, conveyed ii arrangef se of two Phalanxg Jut on the by three nably not t that in were made shed upf, l was laid ding went e summer, or lack of :ll through being opf t Convenf gregational an a transf :onvention lebt, then mplete the the spring poor and vheat crop vas unable s, however ', appealed A f 'f'A--1 -- -T-.a...,,,,, ,W-:Lit TYQI -my -4 . ,I n -Qilm F' MT Q , axe- - 1 iw ,J ix' ,H 5 L -mt-fDMgssMN3.!,,.,,li W, -wi VJ LW ,PJ LOn1g She,S,St00d ,mid cloud and sunshine Wmlb' braved the storm Loyal hearts now give thee gregfm Praises true and warm. g Ia1:.se.oe....s,ss...fJsi'.'f.T3rdL 5 v W 3 f F V TU if! Q is U X1 5 iffilf Vhx P !k-gh 'FWF ' 4 hr!!! M ,fm 1 v he r W4 VU FH: 35 5 nh 3 Vff hi 'UE Qfi .HM W J M 1, M Lis x 1 ,, bil Sp sfief I. if K mi J at J A' 53, ago ,og M? a ag FJ H M E Uh? 5 ax W 1,151 U rg Qui ll ' lf I 1' ,H 2? if SM 1 yy H! Ll 3 5 J 5 G -Af f ,E Hip 1 A-.A I G4 Fi hm! M, Lrrw Vx hr o '40112 5 rg! 1 f 15 1 th A -Y my HF , , .1 f V wx W ' 1 .f I, Q , ff,-, ,V I

Page 16 text:

as 1 governor of Michigan Territory, later, in 1836, secretary of the newlyforgamized Wisf consin Territory, and had lately been judge of the probate court in Marquette county. Warren Chase had been the leader in the Wisconsin Phalanx in Ceresco, a member Of both the first and second constitutional conf ventions, had served the state Senate as the Hrst senator from Fond du Lac county, and was later a candidate for governor on the Free Soil ticket. Asa Kinney had been a member of the second constitutional convention. In fact, all of the names were those of strong men of those pioneer days. At this first meeting, which organized the Lyceum, the record reports the following as subscriptions toward the new educational enterprise: John S. Horner, 325, Alan E. Bovay, 325, David P. Mapes, 35 0g Jehdiah Bowen, 350, E. L. Northrup, 3503 A. P. Mapes, 350, John T. Woodside, 320, Marf cellus Pedrick, 310, Lyman Turner, 310, Griffith Beynon, 310, Levi Parker, 310, George F. Lynch, 325, Edwin Lockwood, 310. Thus with 3345 pledged, the direcf tors were encouraged to proceed. Cf actual money there was but little, and subscripf tions were payable in goods, lumber, lime, grain, and such other commodities as were then current. Indeed, it is related that the leader in the enterprise turned in his gold watch later when the needs were most pressf mg. Contract with Andrew Gill of Dartford was authorized for the new building at a board meeting December 18, 1850, at a cost of 3800. January 1, 1851, the directors met in conference concerning a charter for the col' lege, which was to succeed the Lyceum, The legislature was soon to meet and a draft Of Charter Was completed for presentaf tion and passage at the coming session. What name should be used for the college? Cn motion of Mr. Northrup, the honor of giving a name to the institution was put up at auction. The record says that the bidf ding was spirited, resulting in the name be' ing struck off to William S. Brockway for a donation of 325 from him. So the name of Brockway College went into the char' ter. The legislature enacted the charter into law, entrusting the trustees therein named and their successors to found, estabf lish and maintain at Ripon . . . an institution of learning of the highest orderfl A lot sixteen rods by eight was conveyed to the trustees by D. P. Mapes and arrangef ments were made for the purchase of two additional acres of land from the Phalanx, and the new building was staked out on the Mapes tract, in a snow storm, by three men, who, together, were probably not worth 315 ,000, and no part of that in ready money. Still the contracts were made and the walls of the building pushed up. May 10, 1851, the corner stone was laid with simple ceremonies. The building went to the full three stories during the summer, and the builders took a rest, for lack of funds. This rest period lasted well through the following year, negotiations being opf ened with the Winnebago District Convenf tion of Presbyterian and Congregational churches, offering to the convention a transf fer of the college property if the convention would assume onefhalf of the debt, then amounting to 3800, and would complete the building and open a school in it in the spring of 185 3. The churches were all poor and there had been a failure of the wheat crop for that year, so the convention was unable to assume any additional burdens, however small. The convention, however, appealed .. ,W ,T ?D5',.1- iii' V 'Tlx 'W A A A cw. sf, ' '1'ff, ,f,r,.' nj.-1' --- --fa.. Mx.-. ,Vw at a . -4 wfiif+fy5JC..,,.J1c., ii-. 5 A Q h'4+ K 1 '.'. . fzwl--Q..,I1 5 'fe' f' TTT g T 'Z -', !., A?'1-1 f.. 'W 'Ili 11 iXN2?1ef:2LYA.a.i-ilgqijr:-+-eff-5Q4-AM -.-,,B,, .. ,... ,g,,L.2,aJ fl. 531-58. . 12 3-,p,.,t,,,,kA,,,,-,,,,,,g. g,,S5Jg. ,gg 5 W.. -7 . ,fs-,ig ,-... ,Jw 5.1. 4555511-PM-'A-'-P-f-W' ' 15,1 fx-sg 555 ie, X ,. W X L. ' ff'?'1fai1S. Ex Md' fR'r'tQg1 Wfif X if c 51?llWseffiifl'7 NQXN - . 'mix I 043 YW: Mg. t fu 'ii V-Q, ei Bi ' 1 Si 3 ,x it .,Y.,X,.v Lx. ilu M

Page 18 text:

the Rev. J. W. Walcott, minister of the Con' gregational church at Menasha, a former educator who had a little money, tO take over the proposition and hold it for the convention until the churches might take it off his hands, an agreement which was en' tered into by Mr. Walcott, who completed the building, and opened a school therein on June 1, 1853. This building is the main part of the present East Building. The first class to enter in June, 1853, were all young women, the male depart' ment not being opened until September of the same year. No college classes were formed and no college work was attempted. A second charter was obtained from the legislature Eeb. 9, 1855 , being substantially a reenactment of the first charter, it being feared that the former charter had become void through lack of corporate user for over two years. The convention voted to take the property over from Mr. Walcott, and directed the building of a dormitory at a cost of 310,000 The convention also asserted the right of denominational control, vacanf cies on the board of trustees to be filled by the board from nominations made by the government. This dormitory, for many years known as Middle College, and now known as Smith Hall, was begun in April, 1855, but was not fully completed until 1863. The delay in the construction caused a great deal of feeling, locally, public meetings of protest and condemnation were held, resulting in misunderstandings between some of the subf scribers to the new building and Mr. Wal' cott that proved most harmful to the growth of the college. In September, 1861, the buildings and SFOUHCIS Were granted to the government to be occupied by the First Regiment of Wis, consin Cavalry, and the East Building and the campus were so occupied until Novemf ber 28 of that year. During the year 1861f 2 classes were entirely suspended, owing principally to the financial distress of the college, but Mrs. C. T. Tracy, who was oc' cupying two rooms in Middle Building, conf ducted a private school on her own account, and Martha Wheeler fwho later became Mrs. George Paine of Oshkosh, occupied other rooms in the same building and taught music to private pupils. School was reopened in September, 1862, amidst great discouragementg there being an overhanging debt of ten to twelve thousand dollars, and it being almost impossible to colf lcct on the pledges that had been made to the support of the college. Teachers were nevertheless engaged. The trustees elected Reverend William E. Merriman as president April 23, 1863, and with his acceptance a new era began in earnest. The class entering in the fall of that year, was the first Freshman class, and four years later, in 1867, the first college class graduf ated. Dr. Merriman was able to report to his trustees in 1864 that the outstanding mortgages had been paid, and the work of completing the East and Middle Buildings had been done. Because of the friction that had been prof duced during the administration of Mr. Walcott and the brother and relatives of William S. Brockway fwho had died some years previouslyj it was thought best to ap' ply to the legislature for a change of name, and accordingly April 11, 1864, the name became Ripon College in lieu of Brock' way College. Dr. Merriman was instrumental also in the erection of West College building, ground for which was broken in 1867, the funds being largely subscribed in Ripon. In 1868, bv action of the Winnebago convenf 144 1