Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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establishment of a large permanent Endowment Fund at an early day, to be devoted to aiding those deserving students who could not otherwise obtain an education at Swarthmore. A few weeks after the appearance of that report, real estate valued at 25,000 was made over to the College for this purpose by our friend, Isaiah V. Williamson, who had already con- tributed largely toward this end. This, with other sums previously re- ported, is placed under the care of the Committee on Trusts, Endowments, and Scholarships, and the income only is to be used from year to year to aid such students as may make acceptable application to that Committee for assistance. If this Endowment Fund could be largely increased it would add greatly to the usefulness of the College. It is well known that those who reap the most benefit from a course of instruction in such an institution as Swarthmore, are frequently those of limited means, who are worthy can- didates for aid from such a fund. Nor would the great benefit to be derived from this source accrue to those only who receive the assistance. The in- fluence of a body of such students, who are likely to be those of mature age and earnest purpose, would give a higher tone to the whole College and do much to advance the standard of scholarship. It was at the close of this year. Twelfth month 4th, 1876, that the first separate report of the Committee on Trusts, Endowments, and Scholar- ships was appended to the Treasurer ' s Report, showing that the funds in charge of the committee had then reached the sum of $ ' j 2,600. The last report of this committee, rendered Twelfth month ist, 1896, shows that the amount has now reached the sum of 1 2 48, 000. The ninth year of the College, 1877-7S, was opened with the same Faculty as the two previous years, except that Samuel S. Green was now made full Professor of Physics and a member of the Faculty, thus increasing the number to nine. The other officers of government and instruction for 13

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chased two perpetual scholarships for the sum of 10,000, and Deborah F. Wharton contributed $5,000 toward a fund for the education of those in reduced circumstances, especially those intending to teach in Friends ' schools. It was during this year that cases were furnished for the Students ' Library, belonging to the different literary societies, thus furnishing a nucleus for a valuable collection of books, the importance of which increases year by year. Again, in the autumn of 1876, the College opened its eighth year with its corps of Instructors but slightly changed. It was during this year that the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics and Chemistry was first opened to students in Science, and a course in Medical Chemistry was established for the benefit of those intending later to pursue the study of medicine. Chem- istry was also now introduced as a required study in both sections. Classical and Scientific, of Class A of the Preparatory School. The facilities for in- struction in Mechanics and Engineering were considerably increased at this time, and our students took advantage, during this centennial year, of the display in this department in the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The general library of the College, now numbering nearly 3,000 volumes, was furnished with additional cases, and a Library Fund under the care of a committee of the Library, was called for in the Managers ' Report. A course of lectures, free to all friends of the College, was opened the present year, and a fund of $500 a year, to be set apart for this purpose, was reported among the needs of the College. The Managers close their report for this centennial year by a paragraph which may well be reproduced at this time. Its suggestions as to the need of a large permanent endow- ment fund are appropriate here and now, because they are never out of place. The report thus concludes : In the conclusion of last year ' s report an appeal was made for the 12

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this year numbered 13. The whole number of students in the College classes this year numbered 105, of whom 16 were in the Senior Class, and now, for the first time, the four sections — Classical, Modern Classical, En- gineering, and Chemical — were represented in this class. It will be of interest to our Students and Alumni to find here a reference to the First Fall Contests of the Athletic Association of Swarthmore College, which were held on Swarthmore grounds on the loth of Eleventh month of the present year, 1877. The officers of the Athletic Association at that time were : President and Treasurer, Lesley Hopper, ' 79. Vice-President, William P. Holcomb, ' 78. Recording Secretary, William P. Fender, ' 79. Assistant Secretary, Isaac R. Coles, ' 79. The difficult and responsible position of Matron of the College (since more appropriately named Dean), after the early resignation of Helen G. Longstreth, had now been very successfully filled for several years by Phebe W. Foulke, who resigned the position at the close of the past year, and her place was filled at the reopening in the Fall of 1877 by the appointment of Caroline S. Wood. The elective system, which had been applied more or less from the beginning to the college classes, especially in the Junior and Senior years, was not applied to any considerable extent in the Preparatory School, as will be obvious from the following note which appeared in the catalogue issued at this time : The only elective studies in the Preparatory School are as follows : Natural History (Lectures), elective in all the classes ; Latin and French, elective in Class C. 14