Westminster College - Argo Yearbook (New Wilmington, PA)

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: V -™ ; arco y 1912 ; Faculty of distinctly Christian men and women, who will teach every subject from the viewpoint of the Christian and pervade their depart- ments with an atmosphere of Christian faith. The distinct relation oi the College to Christian service was recognized in its founding when the Board of Trustees was originally appointed by the Presbyteries of Ohio and Shenango, belonging to the Associate Synod. When the Associate Church, by union with the Associate Reform Church con- stituted the United Presbyterian Church in L858, the College was placed under the care of the first synod of the West, and later under the joint control of the same synod and the synod ol Pittsburg. At the present time the College maintains this same relationship, which should he justified by both a liberal financial support and strong student patronage. A Broadening Curriculum : At the beginning of Westminsters work, the classical course was the only one attempted, and seems to have been the only one known since in one of the earlier catalogues it is spoken of as the Scientific or Collegiate Course. In this respect it did not differ from other institutions of its time. While it is still held that Latin and Greek are worthy of prominence or even pre- eminence in laying the foundations of a liberal education, the study ol the Sciences and Modern Languages has come to have a large place in the curriculum of Westminster as of other standard institutions. ' Idle study of Science had its beginning in Westminster in the work of Prof. |. I!. Cummings. of honored memory, who came to the I ol- le°e in 1858, and who for more than 25 years maintained one com- prehensive department of Natural Science, accomplishing what he could without laboratories and with a minimum of apparatus. The start of modern development in equipment was made possible by the timely gift of $500.00 by Miss Pressly, of Allegheny, in the year 1877 ' . Tut: Department ok Chemistry: The first differentiation in the realm of Science began with Chemistry in 1878, with Prof. R. O. Graham, a graduate of Amherst College, as Instructor and afterwards Professor of the department. His good services continued until 1887, when he was succeeded for one year by Prof. W. A. Frankboner; for three years by Prof. John A. Swan, now Professor of Chemistry at one year by Prof. Arthur J. Hopkins. In 1894 Prof. Charles Free- Monmouth College; for two years by Prof. E. P. Thompson, and for man. Ph. D.. a graduate of Allegheny College and graduate student of lohns-Hopkins. was elected as a head of the department, and for 17 years has maintained a high efficiency in its work by his breadth of knowledge, enthusiasm and efficiency as a teacher, with his insistence on the complete fulfillment of every task. Dr. Freeman has made the department peculiarly his own. Work done under his supervision not only commands respect at home, hut receives credit abroad in the first educational institutions of the land and in the laboratories of industry w here his students serve. The Clark Chemical Laboratory,

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: : ARCO W 1912 ; men who founded it were wise to discern the needs of their own time and of the future, and so sought to provide the opportunity of education for both sexes for a large scope of country settled by Pres- byterians of various hues. Had the energy and sacrifice which en- tered into the early years of Westminster been continued during all the years oi her history it could not now be said to the shame of Western Pennsylvania, as it can be. that there is not one adequately endowed College in all her borders, notwithstanding her multiplied sources oi wealth. The principle of protection which has been so strenuously applied in the industrial world has not prevailed in the educational, since large numbers of the well-to-do citizens of all denominations have been content to educate their children as bene- hciarics on the large endowments of Eastern Institutions without making any contribution to the support of general education bv in- creasing the strength of those at home. In the face of all this West- minster with other local institutions has maintained a high grade of scholarship, anil in the breadth of curriculum and thoroughness of instruction has maintained the interests of higher education. Christian Education: From her very beginning Westminster has emphasized the fact that higher education must be essentially Christian. The promoter of Westminster College, the Rev. George C. Vincent, I). I)., was a minister of Mercer County. Most of those connected with the Faculty in the early years were ministers of the Gospel. Dr. lames Patterson served as the first President, from 1854 to 1866. Dr. Vincent, the founder, was the first Professor of Greek. Dr. W illiam Findley was for fifteen years associated with West- minster, for the larger part of the time as Professor of Latin. Dr. I). II. A. Mcl ean was Professor of Mathematics from 185? to 1856, and was succeeded by Dr. W. A. Mehard, who served as Professor of Mathematics and Hebrew for •. , :! years. The Rev. John W. Harsha was Professor of Latin and English Literature from 1853 to 1856. The first Professor of Natural Sciences was the Rev. David H. Good- vvillie serving during 1853-4. Thus from the very earliest days many of the leaders of the Church were members of Westminster ' s Faculty. In those early days the Westminster Herald, a paper devoted to the principles of faith as held bv Associate Presbyterian Church, was edited by the College Faculty, and published ostensivelv at Xew Wil- mington, though so large a paper could scarcely have been accom- modated by any local press. A copy of this paper, now in the hands of the w riter, and dated December 0, 1857, is an interesting revelation of the strong and sober thought with which students and other readers were confronted in early days. W ith the passing of time the proportion of ministerial teachers in the Faculty has decreased, it being recognized that many subjects can be best taught by those who have specialized in the direction of their departments. The aim has ever been, however, to maintain a 24

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: vw-v ; ARca y csf 1912. ; erected in 1895 through the generosity of Colonel Clark, is in every way fitted for the high grade of work carried on by the department. The Department of Physics: The Department of Physics, as now existing, is an offshoot from the comprehensive department in Natural Science originally under the care of Professor Cummings. The differentiation which began with Chemistry in 18T8 was further extended when the distinctive Department of Physics was instituted m issi and Prof. S. R. Thompson, Ph. D., placed at its head. Pro- fessor Thompson came to the College with the prestige of a successful career behind him, as Principal of Agricultural College in connection with the State University of Nebraska, and afterwards as State Super- intendent of Public Instruction of Nebraska. He came also with sincere love for his Alma Mater and intense enthusiasm for his chosen work. As the crown of his persistent effort came the Mary Thomp- son Science Hall, erected in 1893 from funds furnished by himself and according to plans of his own preparation. This commodious building is now furnished with an amount of apparatus that would do credit to larger institutions. ( )n the death of Professor Thompson, in 189(5, the work was carried on for two years successively by Prof. R. R. Ramsey and Prof. George C. McKee, and for three years, from 1899-1902, by Prof. 1. N. Moore, now the successful head of the s- ' ine department in the Slippery Rock State Normal School. In 1902, Prof. James Abraham Shott, A. M., took up the work of the depart- ment and continued as its efficient head until transferred to the De- partment of Philosophy and Education in 1910. Professor Shott was graduated from Ohio University and received his Master ' s Degree at Harvard. His work was characterized by thoroughness and en- thusiasm. Few men are as broad in their knowledge and as widely read upon different phases of educational life. This fact secured for him for several years a generous share of work in Philosophy and Education, and resulted in his transfer to the headship of the depart- ment bearing that name. Prof. Benjamin W. Rridgman, A. M., from the University of Wisconsin, after one year as the associate of Pro- fessor Shott, is now the head of the Department of Physics. Broad in his scholarship, enthusiastic in his teaching, painstaking in laboratory work, and svmpathetic with the ambitions of his students, the De- partment of Phvsics. under his care, is assured of continued progress along the lines set by the eminent teachers of the past. The Department of Biology: While Professor Thompson in- troduced in a definite way the study of Biology, to Professor Shott must be granted the credit of so emphasizing the work as an adjunct of his department as to make necessary the organization of a special department of Biology and the securing of a Professor for its work. As a result of the breadth and intensity of his work, a chair of Biology and Geology was established in the spring of 1906 and Prof. Arthur Day Howard, Ph. D.. elected to that chair. Professor Howard was 26