University of Vermont - Ariel Yearbook (Burlington, VT)

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cient and mediaeval period, and for many years later, for the most part only nominally connected with the University. - In the year of 1865, the most important change and the first step toward the greatest development in the history of the University tool: place. In 1862, Congress, largely through the efforts of the Hon. Jus- tin S. Morrill, then.Representative and later Senator from Vermont, passed the law known as the Morrill Actt' which provided for the appropriation of public lands to every state that should encourage instruction in branches relating to Agriculture, the Mechanic Arts, and in Military Tactics. Vermont was one of the lirst states to take advantage of this act. In 1863 the State Agricultural College was chartered, but failing to receive the interest necessary to support it, was by an act of the state legislature of 18-65 incorporated with the State University under the name of The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. H Action on the part of the University in accordance with this act was the establishment in 1866 of the Department of Applied Science, a separate course from the old Department of Arts, and which afforded for the first time a choice in courses to the student. Even though the material composition of the Uni- versity was not changed during this time, this action meant the oppor- tunity to develop into a much greater institution for the accom- plislnnent of the ideals established by its founders, and later its sup- porters, than would otherwise have been possible. C This new Department consisted of a single three-yea.r course giving courses of instruction in Agricultu- ral and Analytical Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Metallurgy a.ndxMign- ing Engineering, which led to the degree of Bachelor of Science. If a fourth year were spent in this course, the degree Bachelor of Phil- 'osophy was given. As time went on, the resources and facilities of this department President James Marsh I8

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A ww .fm AAA AA Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill -,-QQni.1Qn-w 00 11 12 :iz The College was chartered in 1791, but actual instruction was started only after ten years of toil and anxiety. In 1800 the Rev. Daniel Sanders was appointed President, and the next year a class of four was accepted and instruction began in the University of Vermont. President Sanders carried on the entire instruction of the first three classes, until 1807, when a Tutor was appointed to assist him. The first Professor appointed was James Dean, Prof. of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, in 1809. Two more professors were added to the faculty in 1811, another in 1813, and two more in 1821. Then came a period of hardship and calamity . Much opposition Was met and to top it all, in 1825, the one college edifice was con- sumed by fire. But in 1826 things turned for the better. James Marsh became President, subscriptions were raised, and the future of the University was assured. President Marsh was a true scholar and brought the course of study and habits of discipline of the Uni- versity to a near degree of perfection that, for that day, was recognized as such by the ripest scholars of the country. The system of instruc- tion organized by him was more perfect in fundamental views, more thorough in its practical studies, and more comprehensive in its pur- pose than thenexisted in the U. S. He comprised all the courses that Were then offered, into four departments: Department of English Literature, Department of Languages, Department of Mathematics and Natural Science, and Department of Political, Moral and Intellectual Philosophy. Until 1866, the instruction given in these departments composed the single course of study offered by the University to its students, with the exception of that of Medicine, which Was, during this an- I7

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were greatly increased to keep pace with its constant growth along other lines. It Was this Department that reaped the greater part of the benefits of that period of developmenti' in the decade or so fol- lowing the year 1892. In this year, the Engineering buildings were erected, and four years later, the VVillia1ns Science Hall was built and equipped, one of the most elaborate science buildings in the country. In 1906 Morrill Hall was completed for the accommoda- tion of the Agricultural section. From the year 1871 to the year 1891 a fixed course of four years was required in each of the curricula of the Scientific Department giving the degree Bachelor of Philosophy. In the year 1891, the degree conferred upon the graduate of this Department was changed again to that of Bachelor of Science, and the courses of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering were added to those of Civil Engineering, Agriculture, and Chemistry. During, and after this period of 1865, the Academical Department remained unchanged in any radical Way. The courses offered were still classified according to the general outline established by President Marsh. The four sub-divisions formulated by him Were expanded, as time Went on, to accommodate the increases in the curriculum, into six:-those of English Literature, Languages, Mathematics, Natural Science, History and Political Science, and Moral and Intellectual Philosophy, all of which are now found in the Classical Course. In 187 5 was established the Iiiterary Scientific Course, the differ- ence between that and the Classical course being that Greek is omitted and its place supplied by substitutions from the Department of Science. In 1902 the department of Commerce and Economics was estab- lished, a course under the Department of Arts, leading to the degree 0 B.S. This course was introduced through the initiation and gener- osity of John H. Converse of Philadelphia, and was designed to give Hinstructi on preparatory to a business career. The Medical Department of the University of Vermont is one of the oldest institutions -of its kind in the United States. Anatomy and Surgery Were taught as early as 1809. The first full and regular course of lectures Was not given until in the fall of 1822. In 1836, the enter- prise Was abandoned because of the death of some of its leading spirits and for- the lack of students. The re-organization and successful re-establishment of the school was chiefly due to the efforts of Dr. S. VV. Thayer. His efforts date back to 1840 and were finally successful in 1853. The prosperity of I9