History of Randolph-Macon College, Virginia Part 5

"(Signed) JNO. HOWARD,

"_Sec'y Georgia Conference_."

The nominees named above were elected Trustees of the College.

Rev. I. A. Few and Rev. L. Pierce were, by resolution of the Board, requested to act as agents for the College in the Boards of the Georgia Conference for securing funds for the College.

Rev. Robert G. Loving, A. B., was elected a.s.sistant teacher in the Preparatory School.

Rev. John Early was appointed Agent for the College in the place of Rev.

H. G. Leigh, resigned, and Rev. W. A. Smith was appointed a.s.sistant Agent in place of Rev. William Hammett who had signified his intention to resign.

The salary of President Olin was fixed at $1,500.

The first report of the Faculty, made through its Secretary, Prof.

Garland, gave the following points of interest:

Though the session opened under many difficulties and embarra.s.sments, with buildings not entirely completed, still great satisfaction was expressed at the success attained, and at the spirit and character of the students who attended the first term. A number of these were from the States of North and South Carolina and Georgia. The progress made in the College course had been marked and satisfactory. The main drawback had been in some cases a want of preparation for the course.

The Faculty made a strong appeal for apparatus for the Natural Science Department and for a library. In response to this appeal, the Board made an appropriation of $2,600 to the former and $1,000 to the latter.

The first session closed July 4, 1833. At the close Rev. William M.

Wightman, one of the trustees from South Carolina, delivered the first literary address before the students and the public, at the request of the Washington Literary Society. This Society had been organized February, 1833. As it has been one of the main features of the College, along with its sister society, the Franklin, it will be interesting to give the names of its officers and members from the original records:

_President_, ROBERT T. MARSHALL, Virginia.

_Vice-President_, THOMAS ADAMS, Virginia.

_Secretary_, JOHN G. PARKS, Virginia.

_Treasurer_, ADDISON LEA, North Carolina.

_Collector_, ISAAC C. CROFT, South Carolina.

_Censor_, J. G. BANKS, Virginia.

_Members_.

ADAMS, R. E. G., ... . Va.

BAIRD, CHARLES W., ... Va.

BLACKWELL, THOMAS, ... Va.

COLEMAN, J. J., ... . Va.

GOODE, ROBERT S., ... Va.

HAMLIN, JOHN F., ... . Va.

INGRAM, ROBT. M., ... N. C.

ISBELL, THOMAS M., ... Va.

JONES, JAMES R., ... . Va.

JONES, ROBERT T., ... Va.

PRICE, NATHANIEL S., . . Va.

SOMERVILLE, R. B., ... N. C.

SMITH, WILLIAM B., ... Va.

TUCKER, JOHN E., ... . Va.

WATKINS, J. W.,... . . Va.

WILLIAMSON, JAMES J.,. . Va.

WILLIAMS, JAMES M.,... Va.

WINFIELD, JOHN O., ... Va.

WINFIELD, W. S., ... . Va.

Immediately after the organization the following were introduced and made members:

BLAIN, GEO. W.,... . . Va.

BURNEY, JAMES, ... . . N. C.

CALDWELL, JOHN H., ... N. C.

CUTLER, ROBERT E., ... Va.

DORRELL, AUGUSTUS, ... S. C.

DRINKARD, W. R., ... . Va.

DU PRE, WARREN,... . . S. C.

GAYLE, ALEX. T., ... . Va.

GUNN, ALLEN M.,... . . N. C.

JENNINGS, JONA. B.,... S. C.

LYNCH, MONTGOMERY, ... Va.

OWEN, WASHINGTON A., . . Va.

PERKINS, J. Q. A., ... N. C.

STEWART, THEO.,... . . Ga.

STRATTON, R. B., ... . Va.

To this Society was a.s.signed the northeast room on the fourth floor of the centre building. One of the first acts of the Society was the formation of a library, which rapidly increased, and in ten years numbered two thousand volumes.

Not only did the society rapidly acc.u.mulate a library, but the hall was fitted up with a beautiful rostrum, president's chair, etc. A full length portrait of Washington was purchased, which to this day is the chief ornament of the hall.

Professor Warren Du Pre, cla.s.s of 1836, one of the original members, who was a member when this portrait was bought, wrote an account of the inauguration of it to the author, which is worthy of preservation.

"MARTHA WASHINGTON COLLEGE,

"ABINGDON, VA., _May 30 1877_.

"MY DEAR OLD COLLEGE FRIEND: I have forgotten the name of the artist, a rising young man in New York, who copied it from a painting belonging to a wealthy gentleman of that city. Dr. Olin was on a visit to New York, and we put the matter in his hands. The artist was very highly recommended to him by good judges. His price was $600, but when informed by Dr. Olin that it was for a college literary society, he agreed to deduct one half. The frame, I think, cost $60, and freight about $20, making a total of $380.

"Dr. Olin scolded us for our extravagance, but when the portrait was finished, moderated his wrath. The amount was raised by subscription, altogether, among the members of the society--we numbered then over sixty members, as well as I can recollect. I. C. Croft and myself were on the committee, with one other, probably, J. O. Wingfield.

"When the portrait arrived and was placed in the hall, old John Blackwell, with his _horse-collar_ legs (as Croft called them) was appointed to unveil it and make a speech. This he did in his peculiar style; and I think Old George was pleased with the eulogy delivered on him.

"Yours truly,

"WARREN DU PRE."

Rev. John Early, who had been appointed to visit the Baltimore Annual Conference of the M. E. Church, reported to the Board that the Conference had declined to cooperate in the College enterprise, with kind expressions of interest in it. d.i.c.kinson College had recently been made a Methodist College, and the Conference preferred to patronize that, it being more accessible to their people.

The charter of the College having been amended, so that a president of the Board could be elected by that body, Rev. John Early was elected President.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted by the Board: