University of Richmond - Web Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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Richmond College In 1830 the Virginia Baptist General Association resolved it expedient to form an Education Society for the improvement of the ministry. The immediate outcome of this resolution was not the establish- ment of a school, but the adoption of a plan of accepting approved candidates for the ministry and placing them in the homes of ministers who were qualified to give them instruction. This Society ac- cepted 13 students nine of whom were assigned to Elder Edward Baptist and 4 to Elder Eli Ball. Two years later, in 1832, the Virginia Baptist Seminary was founded, with Rev. Robert Ryland as principal. The Seminary was located on a farm to the north of Richmond, just beyond what is now Bryan Park. The farm contained a residence and some out- buildings on a tract of about two hundred acres of land, and was purchased at a cost of four thousand dollars. Class instruction began on July 4, 1832, with 14 students who were preparing for ministry. For these students there was no charge for board or tuition, since each student was required to work three hours a day on the farm. It was not long, however, before pay stu- dents were admitted, the number of stu- dents increased, and additional teachers employed. The farm proved to operate at a loss, and for this reason was sold in 1834. In December of that year the school was moved to the location in the western suburbs of the city of Richmond, the 1-Iaxall Mansion, which was to be the home of the Seminary and subsequently of Richmond College for the next 80 years. Throughout the entire life of the Semi- nary up to the time when Richmond Col- lege supplanted it, the chief emphasis was on ministerial education. But other students, even those of no church affili- ations whatever, were welcomed to the full privileges of the school. Rev. Robert Ryland was clearly of the opinion that while general education and theological training were both important as training for the ministry, if a choice between the two had to be made, the preference should be given to the former as the basis for theological studies which should be con- tinued through life. Because the Society was not incorpo- rated and therefore, under the laws of tt it EDWARD BAPTIST Founder of Dunlora Academy Virginia, could not hold property, it was decided to convert the Seminary into a liberal arts college, and to make appli- cation to the Virginia General Assembly for a charter. This purpose was carried out, and the institution, under the name Richmond College, was duly chartered by the General Assembly on March 4, 1840. In january, 1843, grounds and build- ings worth twenty thousand dollars, a library of seven hundred volumes, three teachers at salaries of nine hundred dollars, six hundred dollars, and five hundred dollars, and sixty-eight students . . . were transferred . . . to the control of the legally incorporated Trustees of Rich- mond College. In 1861 the South became engulfed in a war which was destined to overturn its entire economic and social structure. The College was completely suspended, the entire endowment, library, scientihc equip- ment were swept away, and nothing was left but the campus and a few badly de- faced buildings. The main building had been used first as a hospital by the Con- federate soldiers and then as barracks by the Federal troops. Various steps were taken promptly to enlarge the material equipment of the College and to increase the endowment. The College set out on its renewed life with Tiberius Gracchus jones as its Presi- vc..!ff24lYk.J dent. Slowly but surely stability and strength came until by the end of this third of the century the perpetuity of the college was assured. To the original four- story edifice that faces Broad Street a central structure was first added. This building was enlarged and completed when the South Wing was added where the library and a museum found a local habitation. In its final form this whole structure had the shape of a letter H. Two cottages, one named DeLand for its donor, soon increased the number of dormitories. Soon more ground was bought for more buildings and larger campus. More room for professors and their families on the campus came when a row of dwellings facing on Lombardy Street was built. The fraternities entered college life at this period. These secret organizations were not favored by many patrons of the College, but on the whole they were help- ful, being social, though not convivial. At first there were only three of these Clubs, Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, and Phi Delta Theta. In 1895 F. W. Boatwright was elected President of Richmond College. He began at once a campaign for money for the erection of a Science Building. This was completed and paid for by 1898. In 1914 the XWomen's College of Rich- mond transferred its property to Rich- mond College. In the fall of that year the new site was occupied and the institu- tion was opened for work. In 1918 the U. S. Government took over the new campus and buildings for hospital pur- poses and -the institution had to move back to the old campus for the session of 1918-1919. Then came the Armistice and a return to the campus for the launch- ing of a career which has been unbrokenly successful ever since. As Richmond College had been steadily expanding in the scope of its instruction, as well as its grounds, buildings, equip- ment, and the library, it was decided to change the name from Richmond College to University of Richmond. The Uni- versity now comprises: flj Richmond College, QD the T. C, Williams School of Law, QED Westhaiiipton College, Q4j the School of Business Administration, and QSJ the Summer School, for both men and women.

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us 'NP Glass of 1966. X Classes DITGHTY. KENXEY. FLIPPIX., COLEMAN. HAND! m..!4f23J7k.J

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Senior ROBERT E. HYMAN .. JOHN L. SPAIN .... EDWARD Y. LOVELACE . . RUDOLPH C. HASSEL . . Class fHCC1TS . . . . Presiafem' Vice Prefident . . Sec1'e1fm'y . . . T1'efzJzz1'e1' Left to right: Dickie Spain, Ed Lovelace, Bobby Hyman, Chris Hassel. -L.!if25J7kJ