University of Richmond - Web Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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Robert Ryland , rrederic W. Boafwrfi S40 1840 WAS A GREAT YEAR in the history of the Univer- sity of Richmond, for it was at that time that the Vir- ginia General Assembly chartered Richmond College to replace the Virginia Baptist Seminary. Thus it was that the institution cast aside the clothing of the infant Seminary and emerged into the full estate of manhood. The Seminary, located at what is now the corner of Lombardy and Grace Streets, however, continued to function while the plans for the opening of the College were being made. Finally, in january, 1845, grounds and buildings, valued at 3520,000.00g a library of seven hundred volumes, seven teachers, and sixty-eight stu- dents of which twenty-one were ministerial beneficiaries were transferred to the control of the Trustees of Rich- mond College. At this time only freshman and sophomore courses were in the curriculum, but in 1845 a junior year was added and in 1848 the senior year. In 1849 the first de- grees were conferred. At that time the degree of Bache- lor of Arts was conferred upon Poindexter Smith Hen- son, the eloquent and inimitable gift of Virginia to the leading pulpits of Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, and Boston, and on Josiah Ryland, teacher, soldier, merchant and for years senior member of the Board of Trustees. From 1850 to 1860 the College grew steadily, not only in size but also in the quality of its teaching and in public esteem. The average enrollment of students Eigfu' ght 1940 was approximately 121, the total graduates for this period sixty-eight. The endowment grew to seventy-five thousand dollars and thus made possible the erection of the north wing of the main building. Thus it was that the buildings, grounds, endowment, faculty, and scien- tific equipment, while seeming puny in the present day, compared very favorably with the other Virginia col- leges of that period. No sketch of the history of the University of Rich- mond would be complete without mention of Dr. Robert Ryland. It was he who in 1832 as the only teacher in the Seminary and as its president in the formative years that followed, formulated the policies and ideals that are still a part of the University. His great strength of character, high ideals, resoluteness of purpose and absolute un- selfishness cause his rugged figure to stand out as a great educator and teacher. His influence abides. The Civil War struck the College with devastating effect. Many of her most promising alumni and students were lost on the battlefields. Study was completely sus- pended, and when the tide of battle had surged past, all that was left of the school were a few defaced buildings, stripped of their contents. The library, endowments, and scientific equipment had all been swept ruthlessly away. To those who had nurtured the College this must have seemed to be the end of all their dreams, hopes, and ideals. However, the spirit of the College was too strong to

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be crushed, and on October 1, 1866, thanks to the gifts of friends of the school, the doors were reopened, and classes resumed. At this time a Committee on Reorgani- zation advanced five recommendations which were radi- cal and significant in the general field of education. The most important of these was that the English lan- guage was to be put on the same plane as the ancient and modern languages. Richmond College was the first to make this change in Virginia. Steadily strength returned to the College until at the close of the nineteenth century the perpetuity of the College was reasonably certain. Due to the Herculean efforts on the part of the trustees enough money was obtained with which to erect new buildings. The first addition was the building of a center struc- ture for the original four-story edifice that faced Broad Street. On the first Hoor was the auditorium which seated some five hundred people. This building was completed upon the addition of the south wing some years later. Here was housed the library. When com- pleted the whole structure had the shape of the letter H. Two cottages which served as dormitories were soon acquired and a little later a dining hall, known to the students as The Hotel was added. This was a step forward, for it reduced to a minimum the expenses of the resident students. In the midst of the new buildings stood Columbia Hall, the original College building. Columbia, with its great rooms and halls, through whose doors many a col- lege student for over one hundred years has passed, still proud and erect stands as a constant reminder of yester- year in Virginia. It is the one remaining link between the old Seminary and the modern University. As the school grew in this post-war period, two societies made their debut on the campus, the Mu Sigma Rho and Philologian literary societies. The halls in which the societies met on Friday nights were well furnished with armchairs, rostra, rugs, curtains, and well selected libraries. Each so- ciety published a weekly paper, The Philologiah Clzzrric Gem and The Mzz Sigma Rho Star. The publications were not printed but were handwritten. This state of affairs could not con- tinue, so one boy, who possessed a small printing press issued a modest sheet called The ZVIe1'rz11'y. This later gave way to Monthly Mzzrizzgf, a stu- dent publication with the motto: Maiden Meditation, Fancy-Free. This periodical developed into The Richmond Coflege Merrezzger. The success of the literary societies prompted a few groups of students to form secret organizations. This move met with the disfavor of some of the friends and patrons of the College, but their objections were over- come and three fraternities appeared on the campus. They were Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Alpha, and Phi Delta Theta. Two of these organizations had halls on the fourth floor of the central building while the third one was located in the town. One of the men who helped the College the most during the critical years that followed the Civil War was Dr. L. M. Curry. He first served the College as professor of English, Moral Philosophy, and lecturer on Law, later he became President of the Board of Trustees. A great educator and an equally great gentle- man, Dr. Curry's name will forever stand as one of Rich- mond College's immortals. Thus, as we approach 1895, we come to the close of an era in University of Richmond history, an era of hardship and privation through which the College could not have endured had it not been for the strength of the men who guided its destinies. Now, however, the worst was over, the College had survived, the com- ing era could only be one of prosperity in which the school would undergo many major changes. In 1899 the Trustees of Richmond College voted to discontinue the policy, which had been in effect since 1865, of having the College administered by the chair- man of the faculty, and voted instead to have a presi- dent. The Trustees decided that F. W. Boatwright was the best suited for the position. Mr. Boatwright enrolled as a student at the College in 1883, and had been award- ed the Degree of Master of Arts in 1888. In 1899 he went abroad to study and at that time was selected for the chair of Modern Languages. On December 11, 1897, Columbia, now part of the Law School, was in 1854 the Main College Building. Nine