St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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the condition of things, no appreciable progress was made. Under his direction and personal efforts the detail of an officer from the United States Army, and also of an engineer from the United States Navy, were obtained, in accordance with the provisions of certain Acts of Con- gress, with the conditions of which St. John's was able to comply. He resigned in the summer of 1886 to accept the posi- tion offered to him by the trustees of the Woman's College, Baltimore, Maryland, and Doctor Thomas Fell was called to occupy the presidential chair. At the open- ing of the session, 1886-87, when he entered upon his duties, there were but sixty students in attendance, and the general condition of the grounds and buildings had become greatly deteriorated. He at once set to work to renovate the study rooms and' to promote the comfort of the students during their residence at college. The old wood stoves were removed, and in their place steam-heat-. ing apparatus was introduced. Bath-rooms, with hot and cold water, and other conveniences, were placed in both Humphreys and Pinkney Halls. New life and vigor were also infused into the whole course of instruction, and, as a consequence, the number of students during the next year amounted to one hundred and thirty-eight, or more than double the number in attendance at the time of his appointment. , On the 26th of June, 1889, the college celebrated the IOOlh anniversary of its existence under the title of St. John's College. Many of the old students returned for the occasion, and friends who had not met for years exchanged the heartiest greeting. Owing to the large assemblage of visitors a tent was erected on the campus, in the shade of the famous old poplar tree, where the literary features of the programme were carried out. At IO o'clock, in imitation of the ceremony observed at the founding of the college in 1789, the Board of Visi- tors and Governors, the faculty, headed by Doctor Fell, wearing his academic gown and hood, and alumni, formed in procession at the State House, and, escorted by the battalion of college cadets in uniform, under com- mand of Lieutenant Jamar of the United States Army, marched to the tent on the campus. On 'the platform, erected under the ancient poplar tree, among many others, were seated Governor Jackson, who was ex-ofiicio President of the Board of Visitors, Reverend Doctors C. K. Nelson, john M. Leavitt and William H. Hopkins, former principals of the college, President Fell, Dr. Abram Claude, Major Sprigg Harwood, Captain John Mullan, Messrs.,Frank H. Stockett, Nicholas Brewer, J. Schaaf Stockett, Philemon H. Tuck, John S. Wirt, Doctor T. Barton Brune, and Doctor James D. Iglehart, Reverend Doctor Orlando Hutton, and Philip R. Voor- hees. An historical sketch of the college was read by the latter gentleman, after which followed a centennial ode by

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granting the release, and advised that the case be taken to the Supreme 'Court of the United States. In 1866, after the close of the Civil War, and while measures were in progress for obtaining a decree in favor of the college, the Legislature restored the arrearages of the annuity of 33000, suspended from 1861 to 1866, and appropriated an additional sum of 312,000 per annum for five years from the first of 1868. The Board of Visitors, believing that this appropriation would be a permanent one, and that it was given in due recognition of the claims of the college, accepted it in good faith, and relinquished the suit which they had been prepared to make. The college buildings were put in thorough repair, and Doctor Henry Barnard, of Connecticut, late Commis- sioner of Education, was elected principal, and the col- lege was reopened in September, 1866. Cn his resigna- tion the following summer, Doctor james C. Welling, afterwards and now president of Columbian University, Washington, D. C., was chosen principal, and the college opened in the autumn with one hundred and fifteen students. Before the close of the next session the Board of Visitors and Governors, in recognition of the increased annuity, passed an ordinance establishing one hundred and fifty State scholarships, each scholarship entitling the holder to exemption from the payment of room rent and tuition fees in any department of the college, and the number ofstudents in attendance increased to two hundred and twenty-five. Doctor Welling resigned at the close of the session of 1869-70, and Doctor James M. Garnett, now professor at the University of Virginia, was appointed in his stead. Under his administration, in 1871, the first class since 1860 was graduated, and continuously thereafter classes have been duly graduated each year. The General Assembly of 1872 renewed the appropria- tions for six years, and that of 1878 for two years. The Legislature of 1880 having failed to make an appropria- tion, Doctor James M. Garnett, with other members of the faculty, tendered their resignations, which were accepted by the Board of Visitors. Reverend Doctor J. M. Leavitt was invited to under- take the administrative duties of the college, and though, in 1882, the Legislature appropriated S7500 for two years, the number of students in attendance continued steadily to dwindle. The Legislature of 1884 made no appropria- tion, but S4000 was appropriated in 1886, and the interest on the college debt provided for in 1888. In the summer of I884 Doctor Leavitt resigned, and went abroad for his health, and Professor Wililam H. Hopkins, subsequently appointed President of the W0man's College, Baltimore, Maryland, was installed as acting principal. He main- tained control during the sessions of 1884-85 and 1885-86, but in spite of strenuous efforts on his part to ameliorate

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Reverend J. M. Leavitt, D. D., and an address by the Reverend Leighton Parks, D. D., of Boston, an alumnus of the college. After the benediction had been pronounced by the Reverend C. K. Nelson, D. D., the commemorative tree was planted on the college campus by Mrs. jackson, wife of Governor jackson. At the close of the ceremony an artillery salute of twelve guns was fired in honor of the event by the college corps. Toward the close of 1891 the Board of Visitors author- ized President Fell to initiate a movement for the forma- tion of an endowment fund. In furtherance of this project an open letter was sent to each alumnus, inviting them to subscribe a sum of SI0,000j which has been responded to by them in a gratifying manner. Contribu- tions have also been received from others interested in the welfare of this venerable institution, so that a fair begin- ning has been made toward placing it upon a sounder financial basis than it has hitherto enjoyed. President Fell, in his last report submitted to the Board of Visitors, says that the number of students on the roll for the present session, 1897-98, amounts to one hundred and twenty-five, and that in all the literary departments of the college able and progressive work is being accom- plished. A more prosperous era appears, therefore, to have dawned upon this the third oldest college of the United States, and that in spite of the numberless vicissitudes which have marked its career it can claim to be ranked among the leading educational institutions of the' land. .