Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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Swartbmore Colleoe IFts ©rigin anb Some IRotes mpon tts Earlg Ibistors JSg E5 var5 Ibicfts lliaiiiU, %%. 5). CHAPTER X. WENTIETH YEAR, 1888-89. — t the opening of this year. Professor Eugene Paulin, after serving the College most faithfully and efficiently, both in matters of discipline, and in class- room work, as Professor of the Latin and French Langaiages, for a period of sixteen years, resigned his position ; and his onerous and responsible duties were distributed among other members of the Faculty. The only other change made in the Faculty this year was the resignation of Dr. Charles A. Dolley as Professor of Natural History and the appointment of Dr. Spencer Trotter in his place as Professor of Natural History and Lecturer on Phy- siology and H} ' giene to the young men. It was at the opening of this year that Sarah M. Nowell was appointed Librarian of the College; she has now, for more than foiuteen years, been performing most diligently and faithfully a service of great importance to the Faculty, Listructors, and students in all of the various departments. In the sixth month of this year, after twenty years of service to the College, most of that time in the arduous duties of its head in its formative years, with a large Preparator} ' School and a College com- bined, the President, Dr. Edward H. Magill, decided that a release had become an urgent necessity ; he, therefore, sent to the Board of Managers his resignation, to take effect at the close of the College year. This resignation was accepted by the Board, to take effect on Commencement Day, 1890, one year later than Dr. Magill had intended, leave of absence being granted to him meantime. He was also appointed 12

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Professor of the French Language and Literature, the new office to begin with the commencernent of the College vear in the autumn of 1890. A resolution of recognition of their appreciation of the services of the President was also placed upon record, and a copy furnislied him, and he spent the following year, 1889-90, in France, making additional preparation for the duties of his professorship, to which, after this generous recognition of the Board, he resolved to devote the remaining years of his active life. At this time the Board appointed Professor William Hyde Appleton as Acting President. Having been for seventeen years intimately connected with the work of the institution, and conversant with most of the minutiae of its management, he brought into his work, besides his love for the College and an earnest desire to promote its welfare wherever possible, a reserve force of experience and acquaintance with those already employed, which had been and must continue to be of great advantage. Professor Ferris W. Price was at this time granted a year ' s leave of absence to pursue his studies abroad, to be better prepared for the duties of his professorship. As the second decade of the College approached its close, those who best understood the working of the College grew more and more dissatisfied with the attempt to work a College and a large Preparatory School together under the same system of government. Upon this subject, the following passage from the report of the Board of Managers, in Twelfth month, 1889, will be found of interest : The Board of Managers feel that the past year has been one of progress in the career of the College. At its beginning the Board approved the dropping of the lowest class, and in Ninth month, 1889, for the first time, but two preparatory classes were admitted. This course has proved a wise one, and at the meeting in Twelfth month it was decided to discontinue, after the present year, the second preparatory class, thus having below the College only one class to be known as the Subcollegiate class. ' ' The result of this was most satis- factory, and promised the entire elimination of the Preparatory School and the placing of the College fully abreast of other colleges. Twenty-first Year, 1889-90. — At the opening of this year, Professor William Hyde Appleton, who had been Acting President the past year, was unanimously chosen President. Much as the Board of Managers desired to secure his valuable services permanently in this position, he was prevailed upon to accept only on condition that he should occupy the chair temporarily, until a successor could be appointed, as he felt that his duties as Professor were more congenial to him, and that he could better serve the College in that position than as President. At the meeting of the Board in Twelfth month, 1890, the Com- 13