Wheaton Academy - Compass Yearbook (Wheaton, IL)

Page 19 text:

. . . faith took deep rout Our same anonymous alumnus, nearly a century ago, used the same kind of language which we today use in speaking of the evangelistic meetings. The north- ern part of the basement . . . was used for religious worship. During the winter there was a gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and many of the stu- dents were led to come out on the Lord's side and to trust in the Saviour . . . . Until 1855, Illinois Institute was entirely a sec- ondary school, but in September of that year the state legislature granted a collegiate charter to Illin- ois Institute from whence came Wheaton College of today. The Rev. J. A. Martling was principal of the school in 1855. But in 1856, since the newly-formed college was fast becoming the prominent part of Illinois Institute, we first hear the word president mentioned, he was the Rev. Lucius C. Matlock. Miss Cholae Merric was head of the Academy. In the national financial depression of '57 and '58, Illinois Institute contracted a debt of about six thousand dollars. At that time this was an enormous sum. To quote President Matlock, We are continu- ally doing one of two bad things, either sinking deep- er into debt or consuming the vitals of the institution by devouring the endowment fund. President Mat- lock finally became so disparaging as to the future of Illinois Institute that he gravely stated, . . . it is suggested as a last resort that the trustees make as- signments announcing the immediate suspension of the Institute. After it became evident that President Matlock had been unable to put the Institute on a sound finan- cial basis he resigned from the Board of Trustees. Immediately offers were made to Jonathan Blanchard, whose record as President of Knox College had shown great ability, inspired leadership, far-sighted vision, and, although he himself was a Congrega- tionalist, he had an intimate personal relationship with the Lord of the Wesleyans. Academy graduating class of 1894.

Page 18 text:

On the Illinois prairie Illlnols Institute In 1860 i They named the Rev John Cross as Instructor and the flrst day of school was December 14 1853 The first classes met un the basement of the unflnushed bulldlng In May of 1854 Rev Charles F Wunshup a grad uate of Oberlln College succeeded Rev Cross Whale Professor Wmshlp was at Illinois Institute the plain three story building was finished at a total cost of ten thousand dollars The fourteen rooms of the top floor were soon occupied and the problem of heat mg the rooms sometimes became acute An anony mous alumnus wrrtmg In the fnrst publication ever put out by Wheaton College The Voice of Our Young Folks had this to say about the heating problem These stoves worked provoklngly and for years notwithstanding chumney caps new chimneys and new systems of pipes nngenaously contrived the bad habit was not overcome A standlng rule pro hlblted all smoking In the building to which some unscrupulously exact and thoughtful student added stoves excepted The Chapel Youth Fellowship of today had t beginnings an the Tuesday evening prayer meetings mous alumnus wrltlng un 1869 had to say of these And the Tuesday evening prayer meetings an the room above with what affection and reverence do I look back on those sacred hours recognizing their hallowed influence For most of the Academys one hundred years literary societies have been an Important part of the soclal life The Phllomathean which changed Its name one year later to Beltonnan literary society was established during thus period an 1855 Debates were Important to these early In s The one nnstntutlon of the Academy which has come to us today almost without change and which ns perhaps the greatest single testimony to the un changeable purpose of our Lord for Wheaton Acad emy as the evangelistic services which also had their beginnings nn this very early period C I C , . I ' ' l l I - , . . I I - I I . I I II ' I I I I I I I Ill ' i s which were started during this period. Our anony- . . . . I .. . I : ,, . . . sn A ,.1' , lm . 1 I . .J- ' f . I ' ' - - rr 1 I I vs. . . . . ' I I ' II 'f Il ' I I I4

Page 20 text:

Blanchard Hall as it looked in 1880 before the east wing was added. 9 .W , ,:46,,,?,, When Blanchard resigned from Knox, he was offered various important pastorates, and the presidencies of several colleges. But he chose Wheaton because in his own words, . . . I be- lieved the Lord had need of Wheaton College, to aid the way for His coming. The state of our nation at this time will explain this. lt was 1859, and the state of our nation at this time was one of dissension, fast-mounting prejudices, and hot, embittered resentment. The Civil War was in the making. After Jonathan Blanchard arrived at Wheat- on, two maior changes in the mechanism of the school were made. First, the control was changed from the auspices of the Wesleyans to that of the Congregationalists. Second, the College and Academy, by a new charter were called Wheat- on College and Wheaton College Academy. Section eleven of Charter and By-laws of Wheaton College The Charter of the 'Illinois Institute' en- acted by the legislature of the state of Illinois, and approved February 15, 1855, is hereby repealed, and the present char- ter substituted in its place, and all manner of property, privileges, and immunities, therein granted to the trustees of the 'Illin- to vest cis Institute' are hereby declared in the trustees of Wheaton College, and all of the debts, contracts, and obligations former institution are good in law against the trustees of Wheaton College. The new name came about when, after Warren L. Wheaton had made a generous gift of land to the school, a friend and trustee, Dr. A. H. Hiatt proposed that the college and acad- emy should be called Wheaton. Rev. George P. Kimball became dean of the academy in 1863, and was followed by Bartlett Hardy Weston two years later, at the end of the Civil War. The Civil War shook a nation . . .