Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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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

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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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It was also stated that Latin might be substituted for English Grammar at the request of parents or guardians. At a meeting of the Managers the present year a communication was received from the Alumni requesting their attention to the representation of the Alumni in the Board of Manage- ment. The Managers expressed their satisfaction at this evidence of interest in the College on the part of the Alumni, but the way did not open to grant their request at this time. It may now be stated that since that time, as the College has grown older (having now entered upon its 2 8lh year), the Alumni have been very satisfactorily represented, not only on the Board of Management, but also in the Faculty, to the great advantage of the College, as none could better understand its needs than those who have received their education here. It was mentioned by the Managers in their report for this year as a very promising indication of the progress of the College that the entire Junior Cla-s of last year, who were pursuing a regular course, had now returned to graduate. This has gradually become the regular practice since that time. At the close of this the most successful year of the College thus far, the Managers used the following language in their annual report to the stock- holders ; language which cannot be too deeply impressed upon the minds of all friends of the College : It has ever been the hope of the Managers that Swarthmore may more and more inculcate and exemplify those principles and that simplicity to which Friends bear testimony. Great sacrifices have been made to found and establish this institution of learning. It has been from the first a labor of love and devotion. The effort was in harmony with — it was the out- growth of — principles which it is the mission of our Religious Society to cherish and promulgate; namely, the devotion of our means not to display, 15