Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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exercises generally called Commencements. It was at this time that Edward H. Magill, who, as Principal, had Ijecn the acting head of the College and School combined, since the resignation of I resident Parrish, was inaugurated President, with appropriate exercises. At the opening of the fourth year, 1872-3, the Faculty was increased from six to seven, William B. Phillips and Thomas W. Lamb having resigned, and the following having been added to the list: Eugene I ' aulin, A. M., Professor of the Latin and French Languages; Arthur Beardsley, C. E., Professor of Applied Mathematics and Physics, and William H. Appleton, A. M., Professor of the Greek and German Languages. This year for the first time there was the full number of college classes, the first freshman class, now reduced to six, becoming the first senior class. The whole number of students this year reached 260 : 6 seniors, 10 juniors, 14 sophomores, 40 freshmen, and 190 members of the Preparatory School. As degrees were to be conferred for the first time at the close of this college year, the courses of study, and the conditions of conferring degrees received the earnest attention of the Faculty, now increased by the addition of three new members, who have since served the College so long and well. To the degrees already named in previous catalogues that of Bachelor of Science was added for those w ho completed the scientific course, and second degrees of A. M. and M. S. were to be conferred three years after graduation upon those students who, after receiving respectively the degrees of A. B. or of B. S., should have engaged during that period in professional, or in literary and scientific studies. It was during this year that the first step was taken toward diminishing the large Preparatorv School, by deciding to receive no students hereafter under the age of thirteen years. The progress of change from a small college combined with a large school to a college proper has been slow but sure, and now at the end of twenty years more, we can say for the first time that all reference to a Preparatory School is at last eliminated from our catalogue, to the great satisfaction of the Alumni, and other friends of the College. The course in Civil Engineering having been partially arranged last year, was now made more complete and definite, under the care of the new head of this 13

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course of scientific studies was provided. It will be seen that thus early, two years before the first degrees were conferred by the College, a liberal elective system was in full force. I extract the following from the Managers ' Report of this third year: While great care is taken to offer to all an opportunity to pursue a full classical course of study, students are enabled, by the introduction of the optional system, to make choice, under the advice and direction of the Faculty, and their parents or guardians, of such a course as may be most congenial to their tastes, or best adapted to the pursuits of life in which they are to be engaged. This important change in the organization of the College, while it necessarily involves eventually a considerable increase of the corps of instructors, is likely to prove eminently satisfactory to the friends of the institution, enabling the College to meet more fully the wants of all classes, and thereby more nearly fulfil the end for which it was originally established. This step, thus early taken, placed the College in the front rank of the later advance movement in favor of elective courses, and it is but just to say now, after a further experience of twenty years, that the expectations of the Managers as to the favorable results of this change have been fully realized. Under the direction of Dr. Joseph Leidy much was done during this year to increase the Museum of Natural History, and to furnish proper cases for the preservation of the specimens. It was also during this year that Anson Lapham, of Skaneateles, New York, had a room fitted up for the collection of Friends ' books, which was called at first the Anson Lap- ham Repository, a name since changed to Friends ' Historical Library. A gymnasium was also erected and fitted up this year at an expense of between ; 4,ooo and $5,000. This modest accommodation has served the College a good purpose for more than twenty years, and it is hoped that it may now soon give place to a much larger and more substantial structure, better suited to the increased needs of the College and the demands of the times. It should be stated that provision is now made in this respect for the yOung women, by the erection of the new Somerville Hall. At the close of this year occurred the third and last of the Com- memoration Days, this name having been given at first to the closing

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department, Professor Beardsley. I quote the following from the Managers ' Report for twelfth month, 1872 : In connection with the scientific course, coinciding with it through the sophomore class, and branching off in the junior year, a course in Civil Engineering is also established. For this course the degree of C. E. was offered in the catalogue of this year, but it was changed to B. S. in the following year, and C. E. has only been given under proper conditions, three years after graduation. The attempt made by Dr. Joseph Leidy the previous year to secure the necessary funds for increasing the collections of the Museum of Natural History and supplying the proper cases, resulted this year in obtaining about $1,600, with which, under his direction, the most needed improvements were made. But much more was required to place the Museum upon the proper basis as a practical medium of instruction in Natural History. Various other needs began to be increasingly felt, and during the year the Managers made an earnest appeal to the friends of the College, and summed up the principal present requirements, as follows : Apparatus and Reference Books for Chemical Labor- atory, $500 Apparatus and Reference Books for Physical Labor- atory, 500 • Cases and Specimens for Museum of Natural History, 2,000 Books, Maps, Charts, etc., for Reference Library, . 1,000 Workshop and Mechanical Appliances, 1,000 Girls ' Gymnasium and Natatorium, 5,000 They close their earnest appeal in these words, which are applicable to-day and always to all institutions for advanced education : If Swarth- more had for its chief object the accumulation of money instead of the advancement of the cause of education, there is no doubt but that a surplus for a few years at least could be readily saved from the present receipts, for the simple reason that much more would be received from the public than would be given to the public in return. Our College was surely never intended to be managed upon such principles, and to become a pensioner 14