Willamette University - Wallulah Yearbook (Salem, OR)

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pupils had died, some were sick, and, worst of all, others had gone back to their savage modes of life. It was decided to abandon this pioneer school, and so the building was sold to the trustees of the Oregon Institute, the school founded on the ship Lausanne, for the sum of four thousand d01- lars, although the Roman Catholics offered twice that amount. N 0w at last, in the fall of 1844, ten years after Jason Leets first entry into Oregon, the Oregon Institute was formally opened. Mrs. Chloe Wilson was the sole teacher. For nine years the school grew and prospered. It came to have its primary and academic departments, and probably a few college students. The teaching force multiplied until there was a principal, with assistants. Then, in 1853, the legislative assembly passed an act establishing Willamette University, and henceforth the school is known by that name. It was in 1857 that the collegiate department was regularly organized, and the year 1859, the year of Oregonts admission to the U nion, was rendered forever memorable in the annals of Wil- lamette by the graduation of her first college graduate, Miss Emily York. Such,- in outline, were the beginnings of our history. Planted here when there were only a few houses to mark the place, Willamette drew the settler and his family to come hither to enjoy the privileges of education and cultured surroundings, so that it is literally true that the city of Salem grew around the school, and grew here rather than elsewhere principally because this institution was here. All of the men that have acted as president of Willamette have been noble men. Some of them have been men of unusual abilities, and their associates Will always hold them in honor. There was the pious and winning Shepard. Many delight to remember the presidency of the scholarly Hoyt, and the administration of the genial, courtly Gatch. A later generation will long recall the sturdy Hawley. And we of the present are happy in our association with that masterful leader, Dr. Coleman. 1 That the school, dear old Willamette, has done a valuable work, the influence and achievements of her great army of alumni and undergraduates who are in all offices and walks of life, loudly proclaim. J. T. MATTHEWS, J89. ttgg A 03

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In 1842 011 the 17th of January, Jason Lee invited everybody within the immediate settlement to come to his house in Chenlekete, new North Salem, to discuss English education. At this meet- ing a committee was appointed to call a public 111eeting and prepare business for that meeting with reference to the proposed institution. February first the public 111eeting was called. The people met ahout half a mile above the present town of Wheatland in a house which, with the land it stood on, has since been swept away by the Willamette River. It was decided to name the school the ttOregon Institute? The constitution provided that the school should always he under the supervision of some evangelical hraneh 0f the Protestant church, and should he surrendered to that church which should first come to its aid with patronage and support. That same year the Methodist Church de- cided to adopt the school. THE OLD INSTITUTE. We shall more highly appreciate the plans and lahors of these, missionary pioneers in behalf of education if we remember how sparsely settled the country was. There were no settlers between the Missouri harder and the Cascades, and probably not an Aiileriean north of the Celumhia river. Ore- gon City was the principal place west of the Rocky mountains and it contained about half a dozen houses. Salem was a place of three 01' four houses, and the site 0:1 the present splendid city of Portland was a solitude. Ahout this time Mr. Gary was sent west to wind up the affairs of the Oregon mission. Mr. Leets first school, the Oregon Mission Manual School, was no longer flourishing. The locality, about ten miles below Salem, had proved unhealthy, an'T Mr. Lee had moved the school to Chemekete. Salem, where he had erected a lemilding for it at a eost of ten thousand dollars. But many of the 13

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I I: i'- P readents of the UnlverSIty. MISSIONARY PERIOD. CYRUS SHEPARD ............................ 1835-18-10 WILLHAM GEIGER ........................... 1810 CHLOE WLARIQ WILLSON .................... 1810-1850 AFTER INCORPORATION. -. -- ................................. 1850-1853 F. S. HOYT, D. D ........................... 1853-1860 T. M. GATCH, PH. D ........................ 1860-1865 J. J. WYTHE, M. D., D. D ..................... 1865-1867 L. T. WOODWARD, A. M ....................... 1867-1868 XELSON IOUNDS, D. D ....................... 1868-1870 T. M. GATCII, PH. D ......................... 1870-1879 C. E. LAMBERT, A. M ........................ 1879-1880 Tuos. VAN SCOY, A. M., D. D ................. 1880-1890 C. E. STRATTON, A. M., D. D .................. 1890-1891 GEO. WHITAKER, A. 31., D. D .................. 1891-1898 WILLIS C. HAWLEL A. M., LL. B ............. 1893-1902 JOHN H. COLEMAN, D. D ..................... 1902 -- I5