HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA 1819-1919 VOLUME IV THE MACMILLAN COMPANY HEW YORK BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO X h £ * < ~ HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA 1819-1919 The Lengthened Shadow of One Man BY PHILIP ALEXANDER BRUCE, LL.B., LL.D. AUTHOR 'OF "Economic, Institutional, and Social Histories of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century;" "Plantation Negro as a Freeman;" "Rise of the New South;" "Life of General Robert E. Lee;" "Brave Deeds of Confederate Soldiers;" "Short History of United States," etc. Centennial Edition VOLUME IV NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1921 All rights reserved Lb By COPYRIGHT 1921 BY THE GENERAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Set up and printed. Published March, 1921 TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME IV SEVENTH PERIOD, 1865-1895, Continued PAGE RECONSTRUCTION AND REEXPANSION i XI. — Professional Schools — Law; XII. — Professional Schools — Medicine; XIII. — Professional Schools — Civil and Mining Engineering ; XIV. — Scholarships ; XV. — Professors ; XVI. — Professors, continued ; XVII. — Fees of the Professors ; XVIII. — Library; XIX.— The Students — Their Number; XX.— The Students — Admission of Women; XXI. — The Students — Their Expenses; XXII. — Publications; XXIII. — Debating Societies; XXIV.— Fraternities and Clubs; XXV.— Offenses ; XXVI.— Di- versions; XXVII. — Diversions, continued; XXVIII. — Diver- sions, continued; XXIX. — Athletics — Baseball; XXX. — Athlet- ics—Football; XXXI.— Athletics — The Gymnasium; XXXII. — General Athletic Association; XXXIII. — Rives Boat Club; XXXIV.— The Honor System; XXXV.— Health ; XXXVL— Religion; XXXVII.— Buildings and Water Works; XXXVIII. — Administrative Officers; XXXIX. — Alumni Chapters; XL. — Distinguished Alumni ; XLI. — Distinguished Alumni, continued ; XLII. — Private Schools Tributary to the University; XLIII. — Relations with Public School System ; XLIV. — Finances. EIGHTH PERIOD, 1895-1904 RESTORATION 252 I. — The Great Fire; II. — Action of the Faculty and Board; III. — The New Buildings; IV. — Courses of Instruction — Aca- demic; V. — Courses of Instruction — Professional; VI. — Courses of Instruction — Professional, continued ; VII. — Courses of In- struction— Professional, continued; VIII. — Scholarships and Fel- lowships ; IX. — Degrees ; X. — Administration ; XI. — Library ; XII.— The Students — Their Number and Expenses; XIII.— Publications and Debating Societies; XIV. — Social Organiza- tions; XV. — Athletics; XVI. — Athletics, continued; XVII. — Re- ligious Observances ; XVIII. — Alumni Association ; XIX. — Re- lations with Public Schools ; XX. — Finances. 11456 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA XL Professional Schools — Law When we come to inquire into the character of the professional schools of the University of Virginia during the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, we find that they were subject to precisely the same influences as those which were, at that time, impressing themselves so deeply upon the like schools in every important seat of learning in the United States. As to the professional courses in all the principal institutions, it may be said, in a general way, that there was now a broader and more liberal interpre- tation of what constituted the right preparation for their study. This was to be perceived ( i ) in the growing attention given to the scientific aspects of their subjects as distinguished from the aspects which were purely tech- nical; (2) in the more rigid requirements, both as to scope and quality, applied to the academic work prelim- inary to these courses. Let us first consider the history of the School of Law at the University of Virginia during the reconstructive period. When the lectures in this school were resumed in September, 1865, the method and the course of instruc- tion did not differ at all from those which Professor Minor had always followed, and which he had already made famous throughout the Southern States. He could very correctly say that his school had never suspended. What need, therefore, was there for a reorganization? 1 2 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Previous to the war, there had been a professor assigned to each of the two departments. Now there was one alone in charge of both. This was the sole point of divergence between the two periods. But with all his remarkable power of industry, it was as impossible now as it had been prior to 1861, for him to conduct the School of Law without aid. Had the attendance con- tinued small, the task of doing so might have been per- formed successfully; but the large number of students who flocked to his lecture-room during the opening ses- sion made it as imperative for him to seek assistance now as it had been at the time when James P. Holcombe was appointed for his relief. Stephen O. Southall, a man of many amiable qualities, and one of varied culture and fine native talents,1 also, but not a great instructor, was chosen. He at once took charge of the department of civil, constitutional, and in- ternational law, mercantile law, and equity, while Minor confined himself strictly to his former province of com- mon and statute law, in which he had already won such high distinction as a teacher. His Institutes, — which was an epitome of his vast fund of information bearing upon this subject, and which, in recent years, he had fur- nished to his pupils by means of a lithographic press, — began to appear in book form, in 1870; and from this year, it was noticed that the number of graduates in the school steadily increased. This was due less to the aug- mentation of the law class from session to session,— which was rather moderate, — than to the larger margin of time which its members had now to give to prepara- tion for the lectures and the examinations. Previous to 1 Professor Southall was a direct descendant of a sister of Patrick Henry. He was noted for a ready and sparkling wit, and was considered to be the most finished extempore speaker in the Faculty. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — LAW S the war, the proportion of the young men who won the degree of bachelor of laws was only six per cent of the two classes. During the interval between 1870 and 1880, this proportion rose to eighteen per cent, and ultimately to twenty per cent. It was necessary for the student to answer correctly at least five-sixths of the questions sub- mitted in the examinations. The publication of the Institutes gave a perceptible impulse to the spread of Professor Minor's reputation as an instructor, and in doing so, added to the prestige and prosperity of the school. His establishment of a summer class in 1871, — which was conducted by him without assistance, — contributed further to his useful- ness by creating for many persons an opportunity for the study of law as a profession, or as a part of a liberal education, which they would not otherwise have enjoyed; and it also swelled the attendance upon his university lectures, by affording a preliminary training to many young men of moderate means who wished to become his pupils during the regular session, but would have hesi- tated to do so without the degree of preparation, on en- tering the school, which was required to ensure gradua- tion at the end of a single session. It was observed too that numerous practitioners at the bar were able to take advantage of these summer lectures because delivered during their annual vacation. The course in the regular school of law could be still completed in one year, although it was the advice of both of the professors that its study should be protracted over two. No examination for entrance had to be stood at this time; nor was any credit allowed for work which had been done in the law department of another institu- tion. Professor Minor's health having shown a tend- ency to fail, after many years of unceasing devotion to 4 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the duties of his position, the Board of Visitors, in June, 1889, offered him an assistant.1 As a means of further relieving him, a committee was appointed twelve months later to report upon the advisability of establishing an- other chair, one of the subjects of which should be cor- poration law. The decision of this committee was ad- verse, on the ground that the erection of the new profes- sorship would deprive the candidate of the ability to obtain his degree by the application of one session, — a matter of grave importance to the large number of young men in attendance whose incomes were limited. The course was so ordered that anyone entering upon it with a fair degree of previous preparation, could, by the exer- tion of unremitting industry, pass successfully at the end of nine months. It was apprehended that, should such a change be made in the course as would render this impos- sible, the number of students in the school would sensibly fall away. Southall died previous to the session of I885-86.2 The faculty of the School of Law, beginning with the session of 1890-91, comprised Professor Minor, who was in charge of his old department of common and statute law, with his son, John B. Minor, Jr., as his as- sistant; and James H. Gilmore, who was in charge of the remaining department. John B. Minor, Jr., having resigned his instructorship, in consequence of persistent bad health, his brother, Raleigh C. Minor, was chosen by the Board in June, 1893, to take his place. The subject of mercantile law was now restored to the department of common and statute law. By the session of 1868-9, a new designation had been adopted for the general 1 John B. Minor, Jr., served as instructor in law for the first time during the session of 1890-91. 2 Prof essor Gilmore succeeded Southall during the session of 1885-86. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 5 course, which remained unaltered throughout this period. Previously, it was known as the School of Law, with two departments; afterwards, it was known as the De- partment of Law, with two schools at first; namely, the school of common and statute law, part I, taught in 1 893-4 by Professor Minor, and his assistant, Raleigh C. Minor, and part II by Professor William M. Lile; and the school of international and constitutional law, evidence, and equity, taught by Professor Gilmore. While the course was so arranged down to 1894-5 as to extend over two sessions, no student was denied the right to obtain his degree after the application of one session, should his power of acquisition, or his previous preparation, have made him equal to the task. Subse- quent to this year, the increase in the number of lectures and examinations rendered such an upshot impracticable, The department was now divided into three schools, which comprised six classes, three of which were spoken of as the junior or first year, and three as the senior or second year. The junior were engaged with the law of pleading and practice in civil cases, constitutional and in- ternational law, and the law of personal relations, per- sonal property, contracts, probate and personal adminis- tration; the senior with the law of real property, evi- dence and equity, corporation and mercantile law, the law of negotiable instruments, and criminal law. XII. Professional Schools — Medicine The lectures delivered in the School of Medicine were not seriously interrupted while the War of Secession was in progress. After the full resumption of activity in that school, at the beginning of the session of 1865—6, there was no change in the original courses of study; and with the exception of Dr. J. E. Chancellor, — who succeeded 6 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Dr. Allen as demonstrator of anatomy, and who, in 1872-3, was succeeded by William B. Towles, — the med- ical faculty comprised the same men who had devoted their talents and knowledge to maintaining the reputation of the several departments during so many years. Dr. Howard, who, during the session of 1867-8, was suc- ceeded by James F. Harrison,1 was still the professor of medical jurisprudence, obstetrics, and the practice of medicine; James L. Cabell, the professor of comparative anatomy, physiology, and surgery; John Staige Davis, the professor of anatomy and materia medica; and Soc- rates Maupin, professor of chemistry and pharmacy. In soliciting the patronage of the public under the al- tered conditions that now prevailed, the medical faculty again harked back to those advantages of length of ses- sion, daily examinations, order of studies, and the like, upon which they had relied for success from the founda- tion of the school. And they had now, — what they did not have, at least during the First Period (1825-1842), — one very pertinent fact to emphasize, in confirmation of the soundness of their claim to efficiency; namely, the professional distinction of a large proportion of the medical alumni of the University. The medical professors, however, were still pursued by a nightmare that had never ceased to disturb them, and one too which had been very influential in causing them to lay such strong and such constant stress on the supe- riority of their school. The not impartial suggestion had been again made that this school should be removed to Richmond, in order to enjoy the clinical facilities which were admitted to be unobtainable at Charlottes- 1 " Dr. Harrison/' says Dr. Culbreth, " retained some of the character- istics of the quarter deck, (where much of his life had been spent). He was abrupt in speech, very outspoken, mincing neither word nor senti- ment. He expressed boldly and impressively what he had to say." PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 7 ville ; and so persistent became this demand that the per- turbed medical faculty, in April, 1867, addressed a pe- tition to the General Assembly, in which they earnestly protested against the possible approval of this proposal by that body. Their reasons for objecting to the trans- plantation in that year were the same as those which they had previously brought forward so emphatically. " Only when well versed in the principles of medicine," they declared, " was the student prepared to profit by clinical instruction, and not before. The value of clinical in- struction is freely conceded, but it is an unprofitable use of time for the first-course student to give his attention to it. It has always been the policy of the University of Virginia to make its honors testimonials of merit, and not certificates of attendance in a prescribed course of instruction. Hence the degree of doctor of medicine is often won by a first-course student. Many do graduate in nine months. Often an academic student joins a part of the medical, with his academic, studies, during one session, and during the next takes the medical course and graduates. But a majority of the medical students do not graduate here. They spend one session reaping the well-known advantages of the department, and then go off to city schools to secure their degree and profit by the clinical facilities." This excellence as a didactic school, — which contin- ued during so many years of the Seventh Period, 1865— I^95> — was chiefly sustained by the institution's ability to distribute the subjects of instruction among a smaller number of professors than was possible in a school each session of which did not run beyond five months. It was quite justly claimed that this distribution rendered it prac- ticable for the student to take up the different sections of the general course in their natural and logical se- 8 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA quence. There was such a discriminating arrangement of the lectures that it was in his power to acquire a com- petent knowledge of human and comparative anatomy, physiology, and chemistry, before he turned to the study of the principles and practice of medicine and surgery, which, after all, were only clearly intelligible when a defi- nite amount of information had been accumulated about these earlier parts of the course. The amplest time was allowed him to prepare thoroughly for each lecture as it approached, by the study of his text-books and profes- sorial notes, and by collateral reading. In addition to the regular courses of the school, the student enjoyed the advantage of a very valuable series of lectures on the practical application of chemistry to medicine, — especially as related to the detection of poi- sons, and the microscopical examination of animal prod- ucts. And in further enlargement, the Faculty obtained the Board's consent to the establishment of a laboratory course in pharmacy, with a view to affording the future practitioners a better comprehension of their remedial agents, and some knowledge of the compounding of their prescriptions.1 About 1875, there was observed beyond the precincts of the University of Virginia the earliest indications of a tendency that was to lead to a revolution in the sci- ence and practice of medicine. This was the rapid de- velopment of physics, chemistry, and biology. It was impossible for the medical faculty to remain entirely in- sensible to this new and powerful influence, however firmly intrenched they might be in the traditions of a didactic school. In April, 1880, Professor Cabell sub- 1 Department of Pharmacy was established during the session of 1886- 87. Lectures were delivered by four professors, Mallet, Dunnington, Towles and J. R. Page. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 9 mitted a report, — afterwards adopted by the Board, — in which he recommended that this innovating activity should be recognized by the University of Virginia only so far as it did not require " a sweeping departure from the fundamental principles of its medical administration." There were certain alterations which, in his opinion, could be made without running amuck with these principles: (i) the course prescribed for the degree of doctor of medicine should be extended over two sessions; and (2) in order to ensure a proper division of studies between the two, there should be a junior and a senior class. The subjects to be taught in the first should be the course in anatomy belonging to the School of Anatomy and Ma- teria Medica; the course in physiology belonging to the School of Physiology and Surgery; the course in med- ical jurisprudence belonging to the School of Practice of Medicine and Obstetrics, and the course in chemistry be- longing to the School of Chemistry and Pharmacy. These were the elementary branches of medical science. The student who had been successful in passing his ex- aminations in these junior courses, was not to be required to submit to a second test of his knowledge of them after he had become a member of the senior class. Nor were the young men who had been prepared by previous study elsewhere to be denied, at the end of their first session, the privilege of standing all the examinations of the two years, if they should ask for it. This right to win the degree after an attendance of nine months only was not refused until 1891-2, although there was always a dis- position to discourage any one who claimed it. At a meeting of the medical faculty, held in September, 1886, a plan was adopted for the early establishment of a dispensary, which was expected to supply some of the clin- ical facilities that had been so long wanting. It was to 10 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA be placed on the ground-floor of the anatomical hall, and was to be open to the reception of patients at least twice in the course of each week. During the first half of the session, only three students of the senior class were to be admitted at one time to the consultation on these occa- sions; but during the second half, every member of the junior class was to be privileged to be present in turn. The dispensary was started (1886-87) ; but its work was soon temporarily interrupted by fire, which consumed the equipment of the hall. Only a month after the medical faculty had recom- mended this addition to the medical school, they sug- gested that a similar establishment should be set up in Charlottesville for the benefit of the people of that com- munity as well as for the instruction of the students of the University. This apparently was completed some time prior to June, 1888. Already a small charity hos- pital, under the superintendence of the Ladies' Relief Society, had been opened in that town, which provided an- other opportunity for practical tuition for the members of the medical classes. It seems that Dr. William C. Dab- ney, — who had been elected to the chair of practice of medicine, obstetrics, and medical jurisprudence, in August, 1886, — had signalized the assumption of its duties by the adoption of the policy, for the improvement of his pupils, of calling with them professionally on out-patients. This practical application was only suitable to the needs of those students who had finished the courses of the junior year. Insignificant in scope as this new departure was, it was the beginning of a new period in the medical history of the University. After Cabell withdrew, the sentiment in the medical faculty favorable to the reorganization of the school on a more practical footing became more pronounced. The PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 11 Board, now forced to take this sentiment into renewed consideration, declared that, while they would be willing to enlarge the clinical facilities of the department, it would only be with the understanding that the theoret- ical training, which had so long been given, should con- tinue predominant. In the meanwhile, a new dissecting hall had been erected and equipped with every modern appliance and convenience. This branch of instruction had always been conducted with conspicuous ability at the University; and its excellent results had never ceased to be a tacit reminder that the application of its principle to every one of the other courses would be accompanied by the same practical benefits. Paul B. Barringer, who had enjoyed a thorough education in his profession, both in this country and in Europe, and who was also a man of vigorous personality, became adjunct professor of physiology and surgery during the session of 1889-90. We have already referred to the revolution in the sci- ence and practice of medicine which was perceptible be- yond the precincts of the University about 1875. It was not until the admission to the medical faculty of younger men like Dabney and Barringer, who had felt the full force of this revolution elsewhere, that the medical school began to exhibit all the symptoms of genuine sympathy with the new methods of study. Dr. William G. Chris- tian, an assistant to both Barringer and Dabney, and sharing their views, said, in a letter to B. Johnson Bar- bour, that, up to the advent of this new influence, there was no attempt at the University of Virginia, in either the School of Pathology or of Physiology, to demonstrate practically the facts stated by the lecturers. Without such illustration, the high reputation of the institution would, in his opinion, suffer because it would not, in its medical school, at least, be in touch with the spirit of the 12 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA age. He brought up its limited facilities for teaching microscopy as an example of the shortcomings that were still holding it back in the race with those rivals who had adopted with eagerness all the modern requirements. " The mere statement," he said, " of healthy or diseased conditions conveys not only an inadequate, but an incor- rect idea, — so imperfect, indeed, that not one case in a thousand will a student recognize with the microscope, while he can repeat the description faultlessly. There can be no scientific practice of medicine without a thor- ough knowledge of pathology, and to acquire this, an equal familiarity with histology. This was impossible without the microscope." Although the movement of the medical school towards a full recognition of the new conditions was slow in its progress, as we have seen, nevertheless it never ceased. An important step was the adoption by the Board in 1891-2 of the rule recommended by Dr. Cabell, in 1880, that no student should be awarded the degree of doctor of medicine unless he had attended the lectures of the medical professors at least two years, and passed suc- cessful examinations in every branch of the course. The only exception allowed was in the case of a member of the class who had traversed at another college one course extending over nine months, or completed two courses before the termination of that length of time. Such a student was permitted to become a candidate for gradua- tion in one session; and he was only required to pursue the course of the senior year. But before he could ob- tain his degree, he must have passed a satisfactory ex- amination at the University on all the subjects included in the schedule of studies for both years. During the session of 1891-2, the subjects of in- struction for the first year were anatomy, chemistry, nor- PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 13 mal histology, bacteriology, physiology, and medical ju- risprudence ; and for the second, materia medica, surgery, hygiene, gynecology, practice of medicine, practical pathology and obstetrics. The number of students in at- tendance rose, during this session, to one hundred and forty-five, — the largest membership that had so far been enrolled in the medical school. This increase was sup- posed to be due partly to the influences which had led to the expansion in the general list of the University ma- triculates, and partly to the growing reputation of the practical features of the medical courses. This advance in distinction was especially conspicuous in the cases of histology, pathology, and biology. Clinics were held thrice a week in the Charlottesville hospital for the second-course students; and valuable facilities of the same character were afforded by the charity practice in the town and contiguous districts. An appropriation had been recently made by the Board for the erection of a new dispensary, and work was begun on the building during this session. This section of the medical school was expected to offer clinical material of importance for the benefit of the higher classes. By this time, the old principle that descriptive teaching alone was to be employed in the University's medical courses, outside of the dissecting room, had been discarded by its medical faculty as a whole. It was now ungrudgingly ad- mitted by this body that objective teaching must go hand in hand with it, if the school was to subserve the best in- terests of the student to the utmost. The pecuniary ex- pense imposed by the new method was heavier than that imposed by the old, for there was now a demand for an ampler supply of apparatus and material, and also for a larger degree of laboratory assistance, and for a greater number of thoroughly trained instructors. 14 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA By the opening of the session of 1892-3, every chair of the medical school was occupied by an incumbent whose appointment had been made subsequent to 1875. To Towles was assigned the courses in anatomy and ma- teria medica 1 ; to Dabney, those in obstetrics and prac- tice of medicine; to Barringer, those in physiology and surgery; and to Tuttle, those in biology; while Chris- tian was charged with the duties of demonstrator of an- atomy. Towles died before the end of the session, and Christian was advanced to his vacant professorship in part. Surgery was now brought under his instruction, and in its place, materia medica was transferred to Bar- ringer. These men, with Barringer at their head, were so con- vinced of the need of greater clinical facilities to com- plete the round of a medical education at the University of Virginia that it might have been predicted that some practical step would, under their influence, be taken at the earliest opportunity presenting itself to establish a large hospital. In 1893, the Faculty earnestly recommended that a building of this nature should be erected on the University grounds; but the Board, while acknowledging the advantages which it would bestow, were compelled to say in reply that they had no funds in hand with which 1 Said Dr. Hugh H. Young, the famous surgeon of Baltimore, " Who can revert to the memory of that stalwart man, with his powerful but kindly face, without a thrill of admiration ! Who can forget his contempt of text-books as a means of learning anatomy, and his disgust with a stu- dent who tried, as Dr. Towles declared, ' to acquire his anatomical knowledge in the luxury of his apartment under the effulgent glow of a chandelier ! ' ' The Faculty, in their memorial resolutions, affirmed that his twenty-one years of service at the University " formed an epoch in the teaching of anatomy in America." He entered the Confederate army when only sixteen years of age, and after the war, abandoned farm work to become a student at the University of Virginia. The year before matricu- lating, he had planted 200,000 hills of tobacco with his own hands, an excellent proof of his physical vigor and also of his determination to earn his own living. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS — MEDICINE 15 to carry so imposing a project into effect. Hardly a month later, however, the rector was instructed to peti- tion the Legislature for an appropriation for the con- struction of the desired edifice; and he was authorized to offer the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars out of the Fayerweather bequest as an addition to whatever amount might be granted by the Commonwealth. Should the hospital be established, it was to be known as the State Hospital. Once erected, it was hoped that the General Assembly would be willing to contribute ten thousand dollars annually for its support, on condition that not less than forty patients should be receiving gratuitous treatment at one time. In June, 1895, a committee was appointed to draft plans and specifications for the proposed building. It was decided on that occasion to be best to remove the dispensary to one wing of this projected structure, so soon as finished, but the committee was left at liberty to figure upon the retention of the existing edifice, as a part of the main establishment. In March, 1894, the Faculty recommended, and the Board adopted, the readjustment of certain professor- ships of the medical department on the following foot- ing: (i) the chair of anatomy and materia medica was to be designated the chair of anatomy and surgery; (2) an adjunct chair of pathology and hygiene was to be created, the holder of which was to teach the didactic and laboratory courses of those subjects. These courses were now attached to the chairs of surgery and practice of medicine. The new incumbent was to have charge of the laboratory instruction in histology and bacteriology. Christian was appointed to the professorship of anatomy and operative surgery, and John Staige Davis, Jr., the son of the famous instructor of the same name, to the 16 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA adjunct professorship of general and surgical pathology. Hygiene was subsequently added to his chair. After Dabney's death, the chair of obstetrics, gynecology, and practice of medicine was occupied by A. H. Buckmas- ter. The last important step taken, during this period, was the nomination of joint committees of the Board and Faculty to consider the advisability of adopting a system of preliminary examinations for the medical department; but in May, 1895, this was decided to be inexpedient at that time. xin. Civil and Mining Engineering In July, 1865, the professorship of mathematics was declared by the Board to be vacant, owing to the pro- tracted absence of Bledsoe; and Charles S. Venable was chosen to fill it. Venable, at first, made no change of importance in the division of courses which had been adopted by his predecessor. This arrangement was only materially altered when the collegiate, university, and post-graduate system went into effect, during the session of 1892-93. The courses in civil engineering, — which were still associated with the School of Mathematics, — were a survival of those that had been taught before the war. They seem to have been distributed between two sessions. During the first, the subjects of study were mathematics, natural philosophy, mineralogy, geology, chemistry, and practical drawing; and during the second, higher geodesy, special astronomy, leveling roads and railways, theory and use of instruments, geometrical drawing, and the applications of descriptive geometry to shading and the like. In 1866, the Faculty recommended that the instruction to be given in this branch of the School of Mathematics should be left to an assistant, who was to be nominated by the full professor. CIVIL AND MINING ENGINEERING 17 In the course of the following year, the School of Ap- plied Mathematics was erected, with special reference to the study of engineering in general; but it was still to form a section of the School of Mathematics; and it was not until 1869-70 that it became an independent school. The degrees of civil and mining engineering were con- ferred for graduation in definite courses. By the ses- sion of 1 88 1-2, the combination of studies in the Depart- ment of Engineering stood as follows: natural philoso- phy, pure mathematics, general and applied chemistry, natural history and geology, analytical and agricultural chemistry, and mathematics as applied to engineering. William M. Thornton had been chosen the adjunct pro- fessor of applied mathematics and civil engineering when Boeck was dismissed in 1875. As time passed, the demand for the services of young men in every branch of industry engaged in utilizing the natural wealth of the South became more acute; and in order to meet it, steps were taken at the University to enlarge the facilities of the engineering department. New courses in the exploitation of mines, practical metal- lurgy, machine design, hydraulic motors and pumps, rail- way appliances and electrical engineering, were proposed. For so great an expansion, buildings would have to be erected, and apparatus and machinery purchased, and at least three assistants employed. ' The time has come," declared the report which recommended these additions, " when it is no longer reputable to treat civil engineering without the aid of a laboratory. The demands of mod- ern practice require of the mining engineer less knowl- edge of the intricacies of chemical analysis and a fuller acquaintance with the practical details of mining and metallurgy." It was estimated that a building with two wings, and possessing the proper equipment for civil 18 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA and mining laboratories, would cost not less than twenty thousand dollars; and that an annual expenditure of two hundred and fifty dollars, at least, would be needed for the purchase of the proper supplies. The first step taken to bring about these improvements was the purchase of a testing machine, a steam engine and boiler, and a com- plete number of field instruments. A large room and two offices were reserved for use as a shop and me- chanical laboratory. With these additions, compara- tively meagre as they were as yet, and with a new series of lectures on certain branches of machinery, a broader course of instruction in mechanical, mining, sanitary, and civil engineering became practicable. How clearly the need of such instruction was compre- hended was revealed in the words of Professor Thorn- ton. " The graduate in engineering," he said, " must add to the older discipline of books, lectures, computa- tion, and drawings, knowledge of a practical and posi- tive sort. He must, in the chemical laboratory, learn to determine the qualities of his building materials, fuels, ores, and water supplies, and in the mechanical labora- tory, their strength, heaviness, toughness, and so on; and also learn to test the qualities of steam, the perform- ance of engines, boilers, furnaces, pumps, and dynamos. In the geological laboratory, he must find out the gross and microscopical structure of minerals and rocks; and in the physical laboratory, learn to measure the amounts, etc., of electrical, magnetic action, and the transmission of light, heat, and sound." During the session of 1891—2, the teaching force of the Department of Engineering was enlarged by the appoint- ment of Adjunct-Professor William H. Echols, and, in consequence, the work of the technical engineering courses had to be redistributed. This work was now arranged SCHOLARSHIPS 19 under ten main heads: mechanics, engineering geodesy, bridge construction, steam enginery, thermo-dynamics, ad- vanced mechanics, hydraulic engineering, hydraulic ma- chinery, and mining and descriptive geometry. The practical operations in the field, the machine shop, and the mechanical laboratory, were extended. By the be- ginning of 1892-3, the three great branches of instruc- tion offered in this department; namely, civil engineering, mining engineering, and mechanical engineering, had been further improved by prescribing a period of three years for the completion of each course; and to the graduate in each aji appropriate degree was awarded. At a meeting of the Board held during the session of 1894-5, an important alteration was made in the scheme of studies required for the degree of civil engineer. The bounds of election were widened.1 It was provided that the candidate should pass in at least seven courses, one of which certainly should be taken from each of the fol- lowing groups : ( i ) mathematics, mechanics ; ( 2 ) phys- ics, astronomy; (3) chemistry, analytical chemistry; (4) geology, botany; (5) applied mathematics. He must graduate in at least two of the seven schools elected. The title conferred on the winner of the degree at this time was bachelor of science in civil engineering. xiv. Scholarships The first academic prize to be offered, after the close of the war, was offered, in 1866, by Professor Venable, of the School of Mathematics, — during four years, he annually presented the sum of forty dollars to the stu- dent, who, in the course of the session which had just ended, had solved the largest number of problems sub- mitted by the head of the school in the daily and final 1 In operation in 1895-96. 20 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA examinations. In 1868, three prizes were conferred in the School of Moral Philosophy, and three in the class of political economy. A request by the members of the Washington Society for permission to establish a scholarship for the benefit of the " best set of editors for the current session " ap- pointed by them on the magazine board, was granted, on condition, that, in the beginning, the privilege should last only one year, in order that its feasibility might be tested; and also that it should not be transferable. This schol- arship was to be bestowed after comparing the merits of the different numbers of the magazine of the first edi- torial period with the merits of those issued during the second. In June, 1871, eleven scholarships were founded by the Board of Visitors, which were designated the Univer- sity scholarships. Five of these were assigned to the academic department, and two respectively to the depart- ments of law, and medicine, and one to the combined schools of industrial chemistry, civil and mining engineer- ing, and agriculture.1 In 1882, there was a change in this arrangement, owing to the establishment of other scholarships, — five of the University ones were now to be conferred on the students of the academic department, two on those of the law, two on those of the medical, and two on those of the civil and mining engineering de- partment. The like awards in industrial chemistry and agriculture had been withdrawn, because special schol- arships had been founded for those schools. Previous to the session -of 1874—75, what were designated state scholarships were in existence, of which there were fifty in 1 The words of the catalogue of 1871-72 are as follows: "Of the eleven scholarships, five are in the academic department, and two each in the departments of law, of medicine and of industrial chemistry, civil and mining engineering and agriculture." SCHOLARSHIPS 21 all, since one was assigned to each senatorial district and ten to the Commonwealth at large. The length of the tenure was two years. These scholarships were aban- doned as soon as the General Assembly passed an act ad- mitting all students whose age exceeded eighteen years to the academic schools without charge for tuition. Two scholarships were founded by the trustees of the Miller Fund in connection with the School of Analytical and Agricultural Chemistry. Each student who received this appointment was required to restrict his attention to the studies comprised in the general department of agri- culture, unless the Faculty should authorize him to at- tend lectures in other schools. The original number of Miller scholarships was increased to three during the session of 1881-82, with a value of three hundred and thirty-three dollars each. One of these was awarded to post-graduates only. During the session of 1885-86, the number in existence seems to have been four. They were always bestowed on competitive examination. After the session of 1886—87, one Miller scholarship was awarded at the end of each session. In 1882, the Board, in commemoration of the liberal gifts of three benefactors of the University, founded the Corcoran, McCormick, and Vanderbilt free scholarships. The right to name the incumbents was to belong to the donors of the three funds ; but should they decline to exer- cise it, that right was to pass to the Faculty. The only fee which had to be paid by the student who was awarded one of these scholarships was the usual fee imposed for the support of the infirmary. He was at liberty to enter any department which he might prefer. Of the scholar- ships known as the alumni scholarships, some had been created by the executive committee of the general associa- tion, and some by individuals. Apparently, the privilege 22 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of appointment was not reserved at the time of their es- tablishment by those persons whose contributions had called them into being. By the arrival of the session of 1887-88, there seem to have been in existence several scholarships which had been made possible only by special endowments. These were appropriately designated by the names of the per- sons in honor of whose memories they had been founded, — such were the J. Thompson Brown, the Isaac Carey, and at a later date, the Valentine Birely scholarships. The Birely was the gift of Mrs. Evelina Birely, of Fred- erick county, Maryland, as a memorial of her husband, and was restricted to students who had matriculated from that State; the Brown was the gift of the widow of Col- onel J. Thompson Brown, one of the most efficient and gallant officers in the Confederate army. The Mason fellowship was founded by Colonel Archer Anderson, a distinguished alumnus of the University, in memory of his father-in-law, John Y. Mason, at one time Attorney- General of the United States, Secretary of the Navy, and afterwards minister to France. This fellowship was sup- ported by the income from a gift of five thousand dollars. In 1893, it was provided that fellowships should be awarded only to those students who should be fully equipped to pursue post-graduate courses in the academic department. They were required to submit a certificate that they had already received a liberal education. The appointment was restricted to a single year. xv. Professors In our history of the Fifth Period, — the interval that extended from 1842 to 1861, — we turned aside from the straight path of our narrative to describe the salient fea- tures in the characters of the men who then occupied the PROFESSORS 23 different professorships. A large proportion of these in- structors, as we have seen, survived to continue the work of the University after the war, and to carry it on with eminent success, in spite of the new and disheartening con- ditions which they had to face. Such were Gildersleeve, Cabell, Davis, Maupin, Holmes, Schele, Smith, Howard, and McGuffey. Among the distinguished teachers who were either elected to the chairs declared vacant at the end of the war, or who succeeded professors appointed before the war, but whose labors had reached well into the era of reconstruction, were Charles S. Venable, Wil- liam E. Peters, John W. Mallet, Thomas R. Price, Noah K. Davis, and William C. Dabney. With the exception of Price, who was subsequently called to Columbia Uni- versity, all these latter instructors were associated with the University of Virginia alone until their death, whether as active or emeritus members of the Faculty.1 The principal work of each was performed in the course of the Seventh Period, 1865-95, and they may be picked out, without any invidious distinction, as typical represen- tatives of the spirit which animated that constructive and fruitful interval. Individually, they will never cease to occupy conspicuous niches among those who have left upon the history of the University, the indelible stamp of their profound scholarship, their devotion to their calling, and their purity and loftiness of character. Foremost among them, from several points of view, was Charles S. Venable. Venable was the manly pro- duct of influences that were the very essence of the Vir- ginia of those generous and bountiful social times, which now loom so remote. Born in a country home of the Southside, with all its self-contained appurtenances of gardens and woods, tobacco-fields and slaves, his boyish 1 Mallet's connection was also broken, but only for very brief intervals. 24 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tastes were moulded by the constant enjoyment of rural sports of all kinds; his intellect fertilized by the choice volumes of an old-fashioned library; his spirit invigorated and refined by the atmosphere of a cultivated and pious household. He was the fifth in descent from the first of his name to settle in Virginia. The presence of the fam- ily went as far back in the past as 1685, and its associa- tion with the soil began almost with the inauguration of the plantation. In the direct ancestral line as it came down to him, there was a succession of country gentle- men, who showed their patriotism by serving in the House of Burgesses and General Assembly, or by hur- rying off as officers to join the armies of the Revolution, or of 1812, in order to defend their country against in- vasion. His grandfather was an ensign in a company of dragoons that had a conspicuous share in all the exploits of Light Horse Harry Lee's famous legion, just as the grandson, at a later time, was to take part in the cam- paigns of Light Horse Harry's celebrated son. The great-grandfather of Charles Venable, Nathan- iel by name, enjoyed a remarkable reputation in his re- gion of country as a mathematician; and it may have been from this distant source that the great-grandson inherited his talent for that abstruse branch of science. It was this Nathaniel, with a native genius for figures, who was chiefly instrumental in founding Hampden-Sid- ney College, the fortress of the Presbyterian faith in Vir- ginia. In each generation, there was observed, in addi- tion to a taste for science and literature, and a will:ng- ness also to seize the sword, a decided aptitude for bus- iness affairs. All had won success as farmers and plant- ers, and some as merchants and bankers. To this source again, we can trace the great executive ability which Professor Venable exhibited as chairman of the Univer- PROFESSORS 25 sity Faculty. Mathematician, soldier, administrator, — all the qualities which he possessed to such an eminent degree were conspicuous in that ancestral stock from which he was sprung. But he differed from his immediate forefathers in one vital particular: he never seems to have entertained the thought of following their principal calling as planters of the ground. When barely twelve years of age, he ma- triculated at Hampden-Sidney College, and at fifteen, be- came a bachelor of arts. It was said that, at this time, he began a course of preparatory reading for the study of divinity, — a proof of the gravity of his character even in his youth. During his sojourn as a student at the Uni- versity of Virginia (1845-6, 1847-8), he made an excur- sion into the field of junior law; but if he had ever seri- ously looked forward to the practice of that profession, it was abandoned on his election to the chair of mathe- matics in Hampden-Sidney College. He was then in his nineteenth year. Here he remained until 1856. It was said of him even in these years, when his own age did not exceed by much the age of some of his pupils, that " he excelled both as an instructor, and in his knowledge and control of students," — two characteristics that were to be still further developed by subsequent experience. He was described, at this early period of his career, as " affable at all times, full of fun, genial, and interested in everything about him." Before accepting an appoint- ment to the chair of mathematics in the University of Georgia, he attended lectures in the Universities of Ber- lin and Bonn. From the University of Georgia, he passed, at the end of a single session, to the University of South Carolina, in which seat of learning, then of wide reputation, he occupied the chair of mathematics and as- tronomy. 26 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA When South Carolina severed all ties with the Union, Venable became the second lieutenant in the Congaree Rifles, and was present with that rank at the bombard- ment of Sumter. After taking part, as a private, in the first Battle of Manassas, and as a lieutenant of artillery, in the defense of New Orleans, and as a captain, in the fortification of Vicksburg, he became one of the four aids of General Robert E. Lee (1862), at that time acting as the military adviser of Mr. Davis, with headquarters in Richmond. From this hour, until the end of the war in Virginia at Appomattox, he remained continuously, and with unbroken fidelity, at the side of the illustrious Confederate leader. The impression left upon his mind by this close association, so crowded with events of last- ing importance, were never effaced from his recollection. " His sweet and tender veneration for Lee," we are told by Professor Thornton, " was mingled with affection. He loved to talk of him, — of his heroic courage, as, when, at the Battle of the Wilderness, Lee would have led the charge of Gregg's valiant Texans; of the matchless mag- nanimity with which he accepted the reproach of every reverse to his strategic plans, and caused the withdrawal of reports that would have created dissension by their just reflection on his sluggard and maladroit lieutenants; of his generous placability, as when Venable himself, chafing under a rebuke from his general which he felt to be unmerited, turned angrily away, and threw himself down on the cold ground in utter weariness and depres- sion, where, falling into a deep sleep of fatigue, he woke presently to find himself covered with Lee's own cloak." In accepting the invitation extended in August, 1865, to occupy the chair of mathematics in the University of Vir- ginia, Venable became the successor of men who had conferred great distinction on the institution, — of Key, PROFESSORS 27 the first incumbent of the professorship, who had been educated at Cambridge; of Bonnycastle, who was ac- knowledged to be the most original mathematician of his time in America ; of Courtenay, who combined with pro- found scholarship, extraordinary capacity as an instruc- tor; and of Bledsoe, who surpassed them all in philo- sophical power of intellect. To be pronounced the equal of these accomplished men in knowledge, and their supe- rior in the art of teaching, because of his sympathetic readiness to adopt all the modern ideas and methods of analysis, was the reward that he soon reaped by his con- duct of his school, which became, under his stimulating and suggestive influence, one of the most popular in the University. " His personal relations with his pupils," says Professor Thornton, " were simply delightful. The dignity of the professor, the affection of a father, the bonhomie of a comrade in scientific studies, were so mixed in him, that we scarcely knew where respect ended and affectionate confidence began. Out of the lecture- room, as in it, you never failed of prompt recognition and genial greeting. He was the confidant and counsellor of his students in all their troubles, their adviser in diffi- culties, and their helper in every legitimate ambition." It was partly due to his wise appreciation of the value of the applied sciences that two new schools in that de- partment of study were organized in 1867; it was chiefly attributable to his personal energy that the School of As- tronomy was established and amply endowed; it was largely due to his influence, direct or indirect, that the School of Biology and Agriculture, and also of Natural History and Geology, were added to the existing courses through the beneficence of Samuel Miller and W. W. Corcoran. He was the foremost instrumentality in ob- taining for the institution ( i ) an advance in the State an- 28 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA nuity from fifteen thousand dollars to thirty thousand, and afterwards to forty thousand dollars; (2) an augmen- tation of the equipment to the value of one hundred and thirty thousand dollars; and (3) an increase in the en- dowment to the amount of two hundred and seventy-five thousand. It was principally during his incumbency of the chairmanship of the Faculty that all this invaluable work in behalf of the institution was performed by him; but it was not discontinued after he had withdrawn from that position. It was justly said of him, " that his wide knowledge of men in public life, and his high repute as a cultured gentleman and patriot soldier, enabled him to accomplish much that would have been impossible for a man of purely scholastic habit and training." Nor were his activities limited to pedagogic and administra- tive provinces, — he planned a complete series of treatises in pure mathematics, but was only able to carry out this imposing task in part, owing to the draughts upon his time resulting from his various duties, and in the end, to the decline of his physical powers. " A man of antique mould," says Professor Thornton, in concluding his vivid and moving sketch of Venable's useful and distinguished career, " strong and earnest, di- rect and forceful, bold and sincere, a brave soldier, a true patriot, an humble Christian, a faithful friend, an hon- est gentleman. To know him was a lesson in virtuous and noble living; to love him was to breathe in the fra- grance of a generous and chivalric soul. The life which had been so crowned with honor and victory, was des- tined to be crowned with suffering too. Who that saw him in those shadowed years can forget that pathetic res- ignation, that noble patience, that uncomplaining cour- age! Never in the brave days when he rode with Lee, had he fought such battles or gained such victories. And PROFESSORS 29 then at last came the eleventh of August, 1900, and Charles Venable had fought his last fight, had gained the victory of all victories." A colleague worthy to stand upon the same high plat- form with Charles S. Venable was William E. Peters. He too had been a soldier and an officer in the Con- federate armies; had endured privation and defied dan- ger in camp and field; had been strengthened and en- nobled by conduct of the sternest self-forgetfulness, amid scenes that tested the souls of men. Like Venable, he had been a successful student, first in the University of Virginia, and afterwards in foreign seats of learning; and like Venable too, he was quietly employed with the un- eventful duties of a professor's chair when he was sum- moned to take part in the mighty conflict between the States. He began his military service as a private sol- dier; was chosen first lieutenant of his company; and be- fore the close of the war, was appointed Colonel of cav- alry in McCausland's Brigade. His career in the army was temporarily interrupted by a severe wound, which, perhaps, prevented him from attaining to a higher rank. In August, 1864, when told by his superior officer to set fire to Chambersburg, because it had refused to pay the money tribute imposed in retaliation for Federal depre- dations in the Valley, he declined to carry out the com- mand. ;' With a full knowledge of the consequences of refusing to obey orders," he replied, " I have to say, you may take my sword, but I will not use the torch against innocent non-combatants." Such was the firmness, the fearlessness, the chivalry, the humanity of the man ! The reputation which Peters had won as a gallant and efficient officer, associated with that of Venable, acquired under the same supreme circumstances, became, by the impression of intrepid manhood which it left upon the 30 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA minds of their contemporaries, an asset of extraordinary value to the University of Virginia in its recurring hours of need. When the financial wants of the institution had to be laid before the General Assembly, then so largely made up of the veteran comrades of these two soldier- professors, it was their voices which received the most respectful attention from the members of that body. When they appeared upon the public platform to press the University's appeal to the public at large for more generous aid, it was their words which sank deepest in the minds of the audience, for, among their hearers, there were few who had not fought in the same armies with them, and some, perhaps, had fought at their side. If their petition was submitted through the press, every reader was certain to recall the tried patriotism, the un- shakable courage, the unselfish spirit, of these two men, whose names had so often appeared in the reports of the great battles of the recent war. As a scholar, Peters's most salient trait was a love of exactness and accuracy. His principal stress was laid on the syntactical aspects of his subject, but his require- ment of his pupils was not limited to this. " He de- manded," says President Denny, " an intelligent acquaint- ance with Roman literature and history, a clear under- standing of the various metres, an appreciative knowl- edge of the style of composition, and a comparative study of the different periods of that literature." His second, and almost equally dominant, characteristic was his influ- ence as an instructor. " He was successful in teaching thoroughly what he thought ought to be taught," says the same discriminating authority. " He had a persua- sive and insistent personality in the class-room, and was a pastmaster in the art of cross-questioning. He did not use the club of sarcasm or the rapier of ridicule, in deal- PROFESSORS 31 ing with his students. He demanded the proper respect for recognized authority and proper performance of known duty. But he was heartily loved." " No one," says another pupil, " could sit at the old professor's feet without learning that one of the sacred things in scholar- ship was veracity to fact, — the one touchstone for opin- ion and speculation, the solid ground of truth." " When discussing our exercises," testifies Dr. Culbreth, " he would not allow the slightest paraphrase of his English, which was not always of the best, for he wrote for a certain construction and syntax to be covered. He would throw his right hand around to what he had just writ- ten on the blackboard as the best possible form, saying with his characteristic smile, ' But, gentlemen, this is the Latin'." How powerful was the influence which he could exer- cise over the entire body of students, if the occasion arose for his doing so, was illustrated in a scene that occurred in the hall of the Washington Society. The young men, very much excited by some recent event that had aroused their indignation, had assembled there, with the avowed intention of committing a breach of the peace. Informed of their purpose beforehand, the sheriff entered the room and placed them all under arrest. They defied that offi- cer to take them into custody, and were about to leap upon him in a rage, when Colonel Peters pushed his way into their midst, and stepping upon a bench, begged for a hearing. At first, no particular attention was paid to the interruption, but finally a voice cried out: " We will listen to old Pete. He is a fighting man." By this it was meant that he had been an intrepid soldier. A silence at once fell upon the menacing crowd; he was heard with perfect respect; and at the end of his appeal, they quietly broke up and returned to their dormitories. 32 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA While Professor Peters was held in special esteem as a distinguished veteran, and as a conscientious and ac- curate teacher, yet it was as a man, apart from all the prestige of his soldier's and scholar's record, that he won the affectionate veneration of pupil and colleague alike. It was weight of character and native force of individuality which were the main causes of his impress- ing his personality so deeply upon all those who enjoyed the lasting privilege of his tuition or friendship. " His supreme traits," says Professor E. S. Joynes, " were an intense earnestness of thought and feeling, and an un- daunted courage ready to die for a sentiment or a prin- ciple." " A brave man, a true man, a sincere man," was the verdict of another, who had known him intimately in all the relations of life, " true to his friends, frank to his foes, his life has taught even better lessons than his lectures, and breathes forth a finer harmony than all the metres of the Romans." Such was the impression which this high-minded scholar, soldier, and gentleman, made upon all brought under his personal influence. He was buried, in conformity with his own wish, in the beautiful family cemetery situated on the Sheffey estate near Marion. " The afternoon was cold and bleak," we are told by one who was present at that last scene, " and the summit of the hill where he was laid was exposed to the winds and to all the elements. Somehow, it seemed in keeping with the old campaigner, who never coveted life's pleasures as of any consequence by the side of life's sterner duties, and who, therefore, had never flinched at any hardships. But the student, who, in the sunny sum- mer, returning to his home, lets his eye climb the south- ern hill from the station at Marion, will, doubtless, see it sunlit, and recall with reverence and affection the sun- crowned hero of Chambersburg." PROFESSORS 33 xvi. Professors, Continued John W. Mallet, the son of a fellow of the Royal So- ciety, was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Visit- ing New England for the purpose of examining one of Ericcson's inventions, — which was then arousing the cu- riosity of scientists, — he was, for a short period, associ- ated with one of the departments of Amherst College, at the end of which time, he removed to Alabama, in order to take up the duties of chemist in the geological sur- vey of that commonwealth. This was connected with the work of the State university at Tuscaloosa. After oc- cupying with distinction the professorship of chemistry in that institution, he was, at the breaking out of the war, a member of the faculty of the Alabama Medical College. During these years of service, he had become so thor- oughly identified with the interests, feelings, and con- victions of the Southern people that, when the call was sent out for volunteers, he entered, as a private soldier, a local troop of cavalry; but, afterwards, was appointed by General Rodes his aide-de-camp; and in that capacity, participated in the Battles of Williamsburg and Seven Pines. Happening to be visiting in Richmond on fur- lough, in the course of this campaign, he was invited by Colonel Gorgas, the chief of the Confederate Ordnance Department, to take charge of the production of ammuni- tion for both artillery and small arms. Entering upon this vital responsibility in May, 1862, he inspected monthly each of the ordnance establishments of the Con- federacy, and the principal forts still under Southern control. It was, during a stay in Charleston, while that city was in a state of siege, that he received a slight wound when in the course of examining the supply of ammunition. 34 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Emerging from the war with the title of lieutenant- colonel, and with a high reputation for patriotic fidelity, conscientious performance of duty, and professional knowledge, Mallet was soon elected to the professorship of chemistry in the University of Louisiana; and, in 1867, was chosen to be the first incumbent of the chair of industrial and applied chemistry in the University of Vir- ginia. Here he remained until his retirement in 1908, with brief intervals of service in the University of Texas and the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia. He was the author of numerous papers bearing upon the dif- ferent branches of his studies; delivered many addresses of a technical character; and enjoyed so much reputation as a toxicologist, that he was constantly sought for ex- pert testimony in criminal trials. Like his fellow Englishman, the first professor of Latin, George Long, he detested every form of preten- sion, sham, and charlatanry in the field of learning and scholarship. It was said of him that he was never seen to fail or bungle in any illustrative experiment which he undertook, and this unceasing carefulness, this untiring preciseness, this scrupulous conscientiousness, marked his conduct in every relation of life. Professor John Staige Davis, Jr., after describing his erect bearing and com- manding personality, informs us that he impressed all his pupils, " as he raised his head and walked among them, as one who was not afraid of anything and anybody in this world." Dr. Culbreth draws his portrait with char- acteristic sympathy and vividness: " Manners easy, re- served; gentlemanly qualities that never failed him, no matter how provoked; dignified, a trifle formal, kind to students, but tolerated no familiarity; allowed nothing to conflict with set duties, all being performed by stroke of clock; spoke concisely and clearly, tolerating in others PROFESSORS 35 and himself nothing but work, but was easy of approach and friendly. In his classroom, he was self-possessed, serious, and busy." Thomas R. Price, who succeeded Gildersleeve in the chair of Greek, possessed, — if the tale of his contem- poraries at the University of Virginia is correct, — one characteristic at least in common with sturdy old Samuel Johnson : he never walked down a range or arcade, on his way to his classroom, without touching, with a single out- stretched finger, every coal box that he passed. If some obstruction like a chair seemed to block his access to the box, he would either withdraw it, or walk around it, so as to perform the desired rite, and then cheerfully con- tinue his advance to his goal in the Rotunda. One of Price's pupils spoke of him as a pedagogue who had the heart of a poet in his breast. Somewhat the same idea touching this distinguished teacher was expressed by a colleague: "His heart's blood colored, not only his passions, but all his judgments, and all his thoughts. His vision of men and books, of politics, and of society, was through the medium of the affections. He must love what he admired; and disapproval meant for him frank detestation. Men who knew him loved him all the more for these hatreds without rancor, these boundless enthusiasms, these passionate loyalties." " Who of you that knew him well," said W. Gordon Mc- Cabe, in his sympathetic memorial address, " that does not recall the compelling charm of his presence in all social intercourse, his air of distinction, his grave cour- tesy, with just a flavour of the old world manner as he bent over some lady's hand; his winning smile, that could so subtly express either affection or amusement; his un- affected modesty; his easy graceful talk, touched by the play of a lambent wit that never left a sting." 36 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA On the morning of that memorable thirteenth of June, 1876, when Gildersleeve bade his colleagues, and the as- sembled University, a farewell full of eloquent feeling, he made this remark: "If I have turned out, in the twenty years of my professional career, only the one noble scholar who is to succeed me, I should not think my life a failure " ; and on another occasion, he declared that, among all the pupils whom he had instructed in the course of these two decades, — and there were many able men and many brilliant scholars among them, he said, — Price had been his " sole choice." Price was a student in Europe when the war began, and he was only able to return by running the blockade. He was first elected to a lieutenancy in Stuart's com- mand, and subsequently entering the engineer corps, rose to the rank of captain. " Beyond all honors in scholar- ship and letters that came to him in after years," says Colonel McCabe, " he counted the honor of having served the Confederate cause, which, in his maturer man- hood, became to him as it were a religion." As a profes- sor of philology in the College of Randolph-Macon, he was one of the first to insist that English studies should, in the scheme of a liberal education, be placed on a foot- ing of equality with the Latin and Greek languages; and he so luminously and suggestively taught his native tongue as to justify fully his imperative demand. Within a few years, many men who had sat under him, had passed through the University of Virginia, and accepting profes- sorships in Southern institutions of learning, had spread the principle which he was still so brilliantly enforcing by his continued leadership at Ashland. " His chair thus became the starting point," says Gildersleeve, " of a beneficial activity which is felt today wherever our mother PROFESSORS 37 tongue is taught in spirit and truth, — in the truth of art, in the spirit of science." It was in his part as instructor, — it was in his influ- ence radiated from his professor's chair, — that the real mission of his life was accomplished. " He had the fac- ulty," said Dr. Woodberry, his colleague at Columbia University, to which Price was called from the University of Virginia, " of making learning a social thing." But that learning, whether it consisted of a fund of accumu- lated knowledge, or of the ability to write, was not dis- played by a prolific pen. He composed but little. One of the greatest teachers of English to whom the South ever gave birth left no printed memorial behind him that was even moderately commensurate with his culture and genius. The explanation of his meagre productiveness has been attributed to his literary fastidiousness, to his passion for perfection of form. " He was tireless," says Colonel McCabe, " in seeking the elusive word, un- wearying in his quest of some hovering subtle rhythm of phrase, some haunting cadence that witched him with its beauty half-revealed, and mocked him with its music as it fled. He had the happy art of imparting to his lighter sketches and studies an aroma of delicate and playful humor, a felicity of allusion, an ease and grace of diction, a certain note of distinction, that render them a joy to every reader of ripened intelligence." Noah K. Davis was, in his imposing physical aspect, his slow gait, and solemn bearing, the impersonation of the old philosophers of the classic age. The physical idea of Socrates or Aristotle that rises before the mind's eye, seemed to have taken on visible shape as one beheld his tall, broad-shouldered figure, with the large, heavily- bearded face, moving leisurely down the arcade, with 38 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA head bent down and eyes fixed upon the pavement. When he spoke, his articulation was careful and delib- erate, his manner dignified and reflective. The body of the professor was always clothed in a long black frock- coat as an outer garment, which, with the high silk hat that covered his head, and the baggy trousers that hid his legs, had the effect of increasing the impression of spa- ciousness which the sight of his uncommonly large frame first created. Only two incumbents had occupied the chair of moral philosophy before Davis's election. These men, Tucker and McGuffey, were known far beyond the precincts, not simply for their skill and learning as instructors, but even more, — the one for literary accomplishments, the other for his powers as a pulpit exhorter. To equal these men in depth of knowledge, and in capacity for exposition, was an arduous, perhaps impossible, undertaking for their suc- cessor, whoever he might be. From some points of view, however, Davis proved himself to be the superior of both. He was more comprehensive in his teaching and more ex- acting in his standards than either of the two. He did not simply uphold the reputation which his two predeces- sors had conferred upon the chair, — it can be truly averred that he perceptibly advanced that chair beyond the point of usefulness and celebrity which it had previ- ously reached. He was a thorough and indefatigable worker, and a very clear and vigorous thinker. His knowledge was profound, and his aptitude for imparting it so persuasive and attractive that it was observed that his students frequently lingered with him in his class- room long after the lecture had closed. The dignity and reserve which sat naturally upon his massive personality was often lit up by a flash of genuine wit and humor. " Not one of the great teachers of the University," the PROFESSORS 39 Board of Visitors affirmed at his death, " had served its life with more ability, distinction, and consecration " ; and this is a judgment which is fully confirmed by a critical study of his career in his professorship. William Cecil Dabney, in harmony with the custom which, at that time, prevailed in so many of the old Vir- ginian homes, received his first lessons beyond the rudi- ments from a private tutor. He started upon his pro- fessional career as a country physician, — no mean school in which to broaden his medical skill and experience. Im- paired health diverted his assiduity from patients to the duties of a farmer's life; but on recovering his strength, to some degree, he removed to Charlottesville and re- opened his office. While engaged with his practice there, and in the vicinity, he wrote an essay, the merits of which were so extraordinary that he was awarded the Boylston prize, the gift of Harvard University. This was the first of his numerous contributions, in the form of special papers, to the general knowledge of medical science. Again his health showed signs of collapse, and he went out on a long voyage to Japan; and after his return to the United States, settled in California, in the hope that the dry sunny climate of that State would assist him in preserving his precarious strength. He afterwards turned his face towards Albemarle; and there, throwing himself into the practice of his profession with renewed ardour, was instrumental in organizing the Medical Ex- amining Board of Virginia, — of which, he was appointed the first president. When Dabney was elected to the chair of medicine in the University of Virginia, he found the attendance of students in its classroom small; but his energy, knowl- edge of his theme, and charm as a lecturer, soon filled up the vacant seats. He made the systematic study of 40 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA practical pathology the basis of his principal course ; and as a means of insuring clinical instruction, maintained a very successful dispensary for charity patients. But it was as a practitioner of medicine that he won his prin- cipal distinction, although, as a teacher, he was remark- able for suggestiveness of thought, accuracy of statement, and copiousness of speech. He had, in his consuming de- sire to alleviate suffering and combat disease, something of the burning zeal and enthusiasm of the crusader. It was said of him that his appetite for the work of his profession was so insatiable that he was not to be de- terred from satisfying it by the distance which he had to traverse before he could reach his patient; or by the fa- tigue which would follow from so long a journey; or by the certain prospect of receiving no fee on account of the poverty of the household visited; or by the desperate char- acter of the malady which had to be treated. There was hardly any limit to his capacity for labor. It is com- puted that he wrote as many as fifty highly important con- tributions to medical journals giving the fruits of his in- defatigable researches, and prolonged experience in the sick-room. His translations of articles from the Ger- man and French languages bearing upon medical subjects, numbered not less than one hundred. So much confi- dence was felt in his professional knowledge that he was constantly called into consultation. In addition to all these exacting and exhaustive labors as teacher, practitioner, and consulting physician, Dab- ney took a continuous and influential part in the admin- istration of the affairs of his church. In principle and in conduct, his life always moved on in the hallowed light of the Christian faith. A man of quick perceptions, ar- dent sympathies, and inspiring enthusiasms, whatever he was called upon to do, he did with all the varied powers FEES OF THE PROFESSORS 41 of his cultivated intellect and energetic spirit; and so completely did he concentrate all these powers in order to carry out the main objects of his laudable ambition and deep sense of duty, that it was said, after his decease, that he had lived the slave of his profession, and died its mar- tyr. But he had made an impression upon the medical school of the University of Virginia which time has only tended to deepen and extend. xvil. Fees of the Professors In July, 1865, the Board of Visitors decided that it would not be advisable to limit the amount of the fees which the professors were to receive for the discharge of their respective duties. The maximum figure which had been allowed before the war, and during its progress, was not readopted. At this hour, the prospects of the Uni- versity were full of obscurity. There was no positive reason to think that the number of students who would matriculate in the following September would be sufficient to create a fund ample enough to meet the current ex- penses independently of the salaries. Common prudence suggested that no fixed burdens should be assumed except those that could not be avoided. The professors cheer- fully recognized the wisdom of this course, and made no demur to the return to the system of remuneration which had been established by Jefferson, and which, as we have seen, they themselves had so earnestly advocated before the close of the recent conflict. The Board had gone so far in August (1865) as to say that a fixed salary was not only inexpedient in itself, but unsound in principle; but it was not many months before they had to admit that they had given expression to this opinion while in a state of complete misapprehension ; and, therefore, as we shall see, they did not hesitate to repudiate it. 42 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA But before this was done, there arose among some of the professors the same inimical attitude of mind which had been so conspicuous during the Fourth and Fifth Pe- riods, 1825-1861, and the reappearance of which, after the readoption of the fee system, could have been safely predicted. Again was heard the old complaint that there was a grave inequality in the amount of the respec- tive fees which were received by the members of the Fac- ulty. The justice of this statement is plainly demon- strated by the following figures recorded at the time : 1865-6 1866-7 1865-6 1866-7 Peters $3.820 McGuffey $1 82C Schelc $1.012 4.160 Holmes Gildersleeve 2.492 1.905 Southall A.IOC Venable 2.c6q 4.061; Minor J..C28 A. IOC Smith 840 2.4.7 S Maupin 1.437 3.020 Howard 767 1. 800 Cabell 767 1.800 Davis 792 I.qie A glance at this table discloses the higher profit accru- ing, under the working of the fee system, to the professors of law and mathematics, and also the hardship which it imposed more especially upon the members of the medical faculty. Such an individual among them as Cabell, for instance, could, without presumption, have asked why should he, who had served the institution longest, and with a distinction admitted by all to be unsurpassed, be paid only $767.00, whilst Professor Minor, his junior in the point of tenure, and not his superior in the point of reputation, should receive $4,528, six times as much as himself, and Venable, who had been associated with the University but one year, $2,569, three times as much. The exercise of ability, and the expenditure of labor, on the part of all three, had been precisely the same. If the '.<"•, t . -i * > < • : .- : .' • ', FEES OF THE PROFESSORS 43 corporation of the University was simply a business part- nership between the institution and its teachers, — as sev- eral of the professors with large and lucrative classes had asserted before the war, — then it would have been im- proper for Cabell, and the other members of the Faculty, whose classes were small, to call for a more equitable division of the fees. But quite naturally they did not look upon the connection as an ordinary business partner- ship ; and still more naturally they refused to acknowledge their inferiority to colleagues whose classes were swelled, not so much by their own merits, as by the nature of the subjects which they taught. But there was now an additional reason why the former system of maximum remuneration should be reintroduced. If the University was to be brought fully abreast with the increasing scientific demands of the hour, — if, indeed, it was to continue to hold a position of scholastic equal- ity with her sister institutions, — then it was imperative that at least two new professorships should be established at once. It was characteristic of the noble frankness, generous impulses, and broad vision of Charles S. Ven- able, — who was one of the principal beneficiaries of the fee system, — that he not only perceived the positive need of a return to the maximum remuneration, but actually proposed that this step should be taken without delay. The emolument from his professorship, during the ses- sion of 1866-7, assured him, independently of a house exempted from rent, the sum of $5,065. This amount was only exceeded, — and that by a small margin, — by the respective incomes of Professors Minor and Southall from their classes. At a meeting of the Faculty, held in June, 1867, Venable submitted a resolution which de- clared that " the best disposition which could be made by the Board of Visitors of the fees accruing in the several 44 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA schools, would be, after setting aside an equal and ample salary for each professor, to devote the surplus to the es- tablishment of additional professorships." The Faculty reserved their decision for a few days. When the mem- bers reconvened, Professor Minor, who had always, as we have seen, insisted upon the professor's legal right to the fees, under the authority of the original enactment, submitted a second resolution, by the terms of which the sum of two thousand dollars was to be annually paid for the support of the projected chairs, during a period of five years, by the pro rata assessment of the emoluments accruing in the different schools. The principle for which he had so persistently and almost fanatically con- tended, was thus preserved for the time being by a wise compromise on his part. But even if this offer, — which, as we shall find, only staved off temporarily the abolition of the fee system, — should be acceptable to the Board, the Faculty foresaw that it would still be necessary to raise an additional sum. In the same report in which they consented to make the contribution of two thousand dollars, they recommended that the charges for board, rent, matriculation, and di- plomas should be materially increased. The purpose of this proposal was to swell the amount rendered available by the action of the Faculty for launching the new chairs of applied science. The Board, however, wisely recog- nized that the adoption of this advice would tend to in- jure the prosperity of the institution by diminishing the number of students, and for that reason, they were not disposed to accept it. They were rather of the opinion that the money needed should be obtained, as formerly, by the appropriation of the surplus fees of the different schools; and they, therefore, instructed the proctor to report to them the amount in that form which each pro- FEES OF THE PROFESSORS 45 fessor was receiving from the enrolment of his chair. But it was not until June, 1870, that the Board ar- rived at a definite conclusion. In a resolution adopted at that time, they declared that " the abolition of a maximum income for the professors by resolution in 1865 nacl been made under a total misapprehension of the state of affairs at the University " ; and they an- nounced their intention of restoring the method of re- muneration which had prevailed during the normal years anterior to the war. Beginning with the session of 1870-1, no member of the Faculty was to receive a larger sum than three thousand dollars; but this amount, it seems, was not to be guaranteed to the one whose fees fell short of it. Should the fees, in any case, run ahead of that figure, then the surplus was to be reserved for the use of the University. Under this provision, the pro rata assessment for the support of the new scientific pro- fessorships was to be cancelled. The Board soon perceived that this rather illiberal arrangement was calculated to duplicate the injustice of the fee system. In June, 1871, they decided to adopt a rule that would bring about the equalization of the pro- fessors' salaries, whether their fees fell below, or rose above, the maximum figure. If the remuneration of any- one turned out to be less than the maximum, because his fees were insufficient to swell it to that figure, then he was to be allowed one hundred dollars for every fifteen students enrolled in his class who had been admitted without any charge for tuition. If the number of stu- dents who did not pay exceeded twenty, then he was to receive one hundred and fifty dollars. In no instance, however, was the salary of a professor to run beyond three thousand. The year 1873 was rendered a memorable one by a 46 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA disastrous panic in the money market, and the financial condition of the University was seriously crippled by the general depression which followed. When the Board convened in June, its members were convinced that some plan for readjusting the salaries, while the stringency lasted, must be adopted. The rule now put in force fixed the certain remuneration of eight of the professors at one thousand dollars; of the professor of mathematics at four hundred and fifty; of applied mathematics at eight hun- dred; of natural philosophy at nine hundred; of chemistry and pharmacy at five hundred and fifty; of international and constitutional law at one hundred; and of common and statute law at one hundred also. How were these sums to be supplemented? In the following manner. Each professor was to receive the fees accruing to his chair subject to the provision that, should the total amount of the fixed salary and the fees fall below two thousand dollars, then he was to be paid, out of the fund reserved for the tuition of the State stu- dents, such a sum as would swell his remuneration to that definite figure. This rule remained in force until June, 1876. At that time, the Board adopted the following new provision: all the receipts of the University from matriculation, rents, and the like, together with all the tuition fees obtained from the several schools, — with the exception of the professorships of law, and the chair of analytical chemistry, — were to be thrown into one fund, and from this fund was to be drawn : first, the sum necessary to cover all the general expenses of the institu- tion, including the salaries which were allowed the ad- ministrative officers ; and secondly, the sum that would be required to make up the maximum of two thousand dol- lars for each professor in the medical and academic de- FEES OF THE PROFESSORS 47 partments. If any surplus should remain of the original fund, after these two general payments, that surplus was to be distributed equally among the incumbents of the chairs in these two departments. They numbered thir- teen in all. Finally, the professors in the department of law were to receive each a fixed salary of one hundred dollars, and in addition, were to be permitted to divide all the fees accruing from tuition in the two sections of that department. Under the provisions of this plan, Pro- fessor Minor and Professor Southall were remunerated in harmony with the original regulation, to which the former had clung so tenaciously, while their colleagues in the other schools of the University were rewarded for their services under the rule of the maximum salary. This arrangement had been suggested by the Faculty, and the unfairness of it was probably tolerated by the mem- bers as a body only in order to secure concord in their recommendation on the subject to the Board. But the Visitors must have balked somewhat at the absence of unity and equality in this plan so far as the department of law was affected by it, for they decided to adopt it only as a temporary expedient. It was not a flourishing period, since the depressing influences of the financial earthquake of 1873 had not yet passed over. The Board, solicitous to bring some ease to the pro- fessors with the fixed salaries, were compelled to appro- priate for their benefit the interest coming in from a part of the University endowment. Notwithstanding the aid thus granted, the Faculty, at one of these meet- ings, discussed the question whether or not each of their number should be authorized to receive eight boarders at his table in order to eke out the poverty of his income. But no decisive vote in favor of this proposal was 48 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA reached, doubtless because there was an apprehension that the withdrawal of so many young men from the hotels would result in closing their doors. By June, 1877, the Board had come to the definite conclusion that it was an injustice to the other members of the Faculty to permit the instructors in the School of Law to continue to appropriate to their own use all the fees accruing in their two departments. " Many consid- erations," they remarked very pertinently, " other than the reputation of the teacher, and also beyond his con- trol, aid in determining the popularity of a chair." " And to teach a large chair," they added, " is little more laborious than to teach a small one." It seems that the General Assembly had, during the winter of 1875-6, conferred on the Board the power to equalize the salaries of all the professors, — a step that had become necessary, in consequence of the act passed at the same term, which provided that every academic student from Virginia should be educated at the University without any charge for tuition. It was under the authority of these laws that the Board decided to adopt the rule that the fees from all the schools, academic and professional alike, should be thrown into a common fund for the payment of the professors' salaries in equal proportion. In every in- stance in which the fees of a single school would exceed three thousand dollars, the surplus above that figure should be expended in repairs and improvements. The sum of three thousand dollars itself was to be the per- manent limit of remuneration in the case of each in- structor. In June, 1889, more than a decade later, the Board de- termined to put a different rule in force, and this was to apply to all the incumbents of all the academic and pro- fessional chairs, with the exception of those which pos- FEES OF THE PROFESSORS 49 sessed an endowment of their own. Under the terms of the new ordinance, each professor was to receive, — be- sides a house free of rent, or a commutation of three hun- dred dollars, — the sum of two thousand dollars and all the fees of his school, provided that the two united should not be more than three thousand dollars. To this rule, there might arise an exception of importance : if the num- ber of students in the University should run beyond four hundred and thirty, and the fees thus acquired by any pro- fessor should, with his fixed salary, make up more than three thousand dollars, then he was to be allowed fifty dollars, — in addition to the sum of three thousand, — for every ten students above the four hundred and thirty who had matriculated. The adjunct professors in the Schools of Modern Languages and Historical Science, whose fixed salary was fifteen hundred dollars, were to receive two thousand dollars, should the number of stu- dents in the first school be more than ninety, and in the second, more than thirty-six; and they too were to be en- titled to fifty dollars additional for every ten students in the University beyond the basic number of four hundred and thirty. As no fees were any longer paid by the stu- dents from Virginia in the Schools of Latin, Greek, Math- ematics, Modern Languages, Moral Philosophy, Natural Philosophy, General and Industrial Chemistry (outside the laboratory), Historical Science, and English Litera- ture and Language, the salaries of the incumbents of these chairs were to be drawn out of the general treasury of the University. This new scheme of rewarding their services aroused discontent among the members of the Faculty, and the majority petitioned the Board, in anticipation of the annual meeting of that body in June, 1890, to restore the rule which had been suspended; namely, that the fees of 50 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA every school should be combined with the view of equaliz- ing the salaries of all the instructors within the limit of three thousand dollars, while the surplus remaining after such a payment, should be used in repairs and improve- ments. " Not only has this rule," they said, " been ac- cepted as satisfactory, but it has not caused, as some feared it would do, a relaxation of effort on the part of the professors in the discharge of their duties." " Never," they added, " has better work been done in the University by student and professor. Each professor, relieved of all anxiety about his emolument, is able to devote his whole power and thought to his own progress and that of his class. He has also been able to give ad- vice to- students seeking it in regard to their studies, not only without actual bias, but with a candor hardly allowed to one who has a pecuniary interest in the decision." " As to the Board's scheme," they continued, " the num- ber of students in a school is no trustworthy measure either of the amount of labor of the professor or the value of the labor. Some subjects will necessarily have limited attendance, and yet they must be provided for, and that not by cheap professors. Under the proposed scheme, the professor of analytical chemistry would get only $2,330, and of engineering, $2,150, though either chair requires ability of a high order. The endowed chairs, (with their fixed salary of three thousand dol- lars), would erect a privileged set of teachers in painful contrast as to compensation with other professors whose classes are small. This does not exist under the rule now prevailing." This petition, so just in its statements, and so reason- able in its spirit, seems to have been successful, for, in 1895, the system of allowing a fixed salary of three thou- sand dollars to each professor was still in force. LIBRARY 51 xvill. Library In a report drafted by the Faculty in 1866, we find it stated that, during the previous six years, no book of any importance had been acquired for the library. It was estimated that, to bring it up to the point of even moderate usefulness, not less than two thousand dollars would have to be spent in the purchase of modern works at once; and an allotment of that sum would have to be annually made to assure the addition to it, from time to time, of the principal current publications. The library now contained thirty-five thousand volumes. The actual amount assigned to it for its extension seems, in the first years of reconstruction, to have consisted of very modest special appropriations. In 1867, the sum so laid out did not exceed one thousand dollars. Among the val- uable books added to the collection, at this time, were Boydell's edition of Shakespere, Schoolcraft's History of the Indian Tribes, and McKinney and Hale's His- tory of the Indian Tribes of North America. In the course of 1884, the five thousand volumes which formed a part of the bequest of A. W. Austin were deposited on the shelves of the alcoves for use. Between the years 1872 and 1887, the walls of the li- brary-room were adorned with several new pictures of personal interest, if not artistic merit, which had been presented either by the students, or by friends of the institution. Among the former were portraits of Gen- eral Lee, Professor Southall, and Professor Mallet; among the latter, one of William B. Rogers, — the gift of Professor Venable, — of Alexander H. H. Stuart, and of Thomas Jefferson, — the gift of William D. Cabell, of Norwood, Virginia. An addition of unusual value, in , was the thirty-five volumes of the London Philo- 52 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA sophical Transactions, the gift of J. R. McD. Irby, an alumnus of distinction; and in the course of the same year, the British Government presented several hun- dred volumes of the bulletins of the Record Office. A stimulating example was set at this time by the students enrolled in the School of Moral Philosophy in subscrib- ing one hundred dollars for the purchase of books relat- ing to the themes covered by the lectures delivered upon that course. A more notable contribution still was the one thousand dollars which, during a period of five years, was to be annually appropriated by the Corcoran fund for the increase of the size of the collection. In the autumn of 1876, a very important step in the interest of the library was taken by the Faculty in its appointment of a committee with instructions to report such a list of works for purchase as would embrace all the subjects belonging to those new fields of research which had been explored since the beginning of the War of Secession, — a period that had found the University too impoverished to enlarge its collection of expensive books. There had been many discoveries in science and archaeol- ogy during these pregnant years, but there were no vol- umes in the library to indicate their character or scope. Besides, there were few works stored away on its shelves which contained the histories of the great military cam- paigns that had occurred since 1848; and there was also a grave shortcoming in the number of the editions of the most famous English authors. The library, — this com- mittee stated in their report, — was in need of many sets of the English classics. Not a few illustrious writers in the English language were represented by a single vol- ume alone. All these deficiencies, they urged, should be removed by regular appropriations for that purpose. But little was accomplished at the time by this recom- LIBRARY 53 mendation. What appropriations continued to be made were eaten up by the purchase of current periodicals. In the point of books relating to the advancing sciences, the library remained still incomplete. During the session of 1 880-81, its income amounted to eleven hundred and thirty-nine dollars, the largest part of which was obtained from the Corcoran special fund, which was exhausted during the ensuing year. The col- lection of books had now swelled to the number of forty thousand volumes. There were, at this time, small occasional gifts for some purpose carefully defined by the donor, — thus, in 1882, W. M. Meigs, of Philadel- phia, gave the sum of one hundred dollars to be ex- pended in the acquisition of works relating to American history. In the course of the following year, a bequest of five thousand dollars was received from the estate of Douglas H. Gordon; but only the interest, as it accrued, was to be used. In 1885, the income of the library from every source amounted to eleven hundred and thirty-one dollars. During this year, the collection was enlarged by the contents of twenty-six stout boxes of books, — there were five thousand volumes in all, — which formed a part of the Austin legacy. It was, however, acknowledged by the Faculty at this time, in spite of this gift, that the library was again far from keeping abreast of the publi- cations which were issued in numerous departments of paramount importance to the professors and students alike. By 1886-87, the income had fallen to five hun- dred dollars; and during several years, the shrinkage in the resources of the institution, brought about principally by the financial stringency in the country as a whole, had been so acute that this small amount was the entire sum that could be appropriated. The number of volumes had grown by 1894 to fifty- 54 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA seven thousand; and the shelves were now so jammed that the usefulness of the books was seriously curtailed. The Faculty were solicitous that a special fund for the removal of this drawback, as well as for the purchase of additional works, should be created out of the Fayer- weather bequest. At the thoughtful suggestion of Pro- fessor Thomas R. Price, now associated with Columbia University, the rare Hertz collection was bought by the alumni and presented to the University of Virginia. It was singularly rich in every department of ancient cul- ture. This collection contained about twelve thousand volumes and pamphlets, and its cost ranged between three and four thousand dollars. No book, at this time, was shut out of the library on the ground that it was frivolous in spirit, or even immoral in tendency, provided that there were special reasons for its inclusion in the collection. Such a book, however, could only be given out with the written permission of the chairman of the committee. In the first session after the close of the war, the library was not thrown open to readers during the whole of the day, but only during two hours in the afternoon. In the course of the second session, the time was ex- tended to two hours in the forenoon in addition to the two after twelve o'clock. Gradually, these hours were augmented until the doors were kept unlocked through- out the entire working day, — an average of at least ten in all. The usefulness of the collection was enlarged by permitting persons not connected with any department of the University to have access to it. For this privilege, a fee of three dollars had to be paid; this was afterwards increased to five; and fifteen dollars also had to be depos- ited to make good either damage inflicted in handling the volumes, or their possible loss. LIBRARY 55 In 1 88 1, the venerable William Wertenbaker, after a life time given up, with conspicuous fidelity, integrity, and efficiency, to the duties of his several offices, was retired as librarian emeritus, with his salary undiminished. He was the last man to be seen on the grounds of the Uni- versity who was personally associated with Jefferson; and even in his old age, he retained all the precise habits which had marked the social and vocational side alike of that earlier and more formal age. " He always walked with a cane, his body leaning slightly forward," says Dr. Culbreth, who knew him in these declining years. " His manners were reserved and positive. He was never fa- miliar or obstrusive ; was friendly but strikingly business- like. He never seemed idle, and could be found mostly sitting at his table engaged in writing, which he did slowly in a cramped, nervous style. He had a remark- able memory in some directions, especially for the location of books, seldom having to look in a second place for any given one. When you asked him for a book, pamphlet, or manuscript, he referred to nothing, but simply told you at once whether it was in the library; if out, who had it; if in, and you desired it, unlocked the case and pro- duced it. He was very conscientious in the discharge of duty. He appreciated his position, considered it highly honorable, and was jealous of its rights and powers. While the students never placed him on the same level with the professors, yet they appeared to look upon him as a kind of paternal spirit deserving all honor and kind- ness. I am confident that he never received from us dis- courteous treatment; and if that had been attempted, he would have been quite capable of taking care of himself, with forceful and contemptuous language. He loved to talk of Jefferson, Dabney Carr, Madison, Monroe, and Poe." 56 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA During the session of 1876-7, Frederick W. Page, — who was a member of the distinguished family of that name in Virginia, and who, in his refined nature and courtly manners, faithfully reflected the spirit of a more polished and genial age than our own, — was appointed to the office of assistant librarian, and in 1881, librarian, when the health of Mr. Wertenbaker was perceived to be beyond all hope of restoration. Page also assumed the duties of secretary of the Faculty. In both capacities, he exhibited the strictest regard for the most precise busi- ness methods, and yet was unfailing in the qualities of po- liteness and helpfulness. In 1882, he was abruptly and brusquely displaced by the Board of Readjusters, who came in after the triumph of that political party in the State elections. With this party, Page had declined to affiliate. He was succeeded by William A. Winston. Winston's salary was soon advanced to one thousand dol- lars; but a part of this was his remuneration for the per- formance of the duties of secretary to the Faculty. In 1886, the Readjuster organization having gone to wreck on the political rocks, James B. Baker succeeded Win- ston; who, in turn, was, in July, 1891, followed by Page again. Baker, however, remained the secretary of the Faculty and the clerk of the chairman. xix. The Students — Their Number Down to 1871, the prosperity of the University, as indicated by the number of students enrolled, showed no symptom of decline. There were two reasons for the continuation of the high rate of attendance. First, a prompt enlistment in the armies of the Confederacy had stood in the way of the education of many young men, who, so soon as the conflict ended, matriculated. Had no hostilities intervened, their studies would have been com- THE STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER 57 pleted before the session of 1865-66. Of the two hun- dred and seventeen who were admitted in the course of that session, only twenty-five were in their second year, twelve in their third, and two in their fourth. Secondly, during the interval between 1865 and 1871, the colleges situated in the Southern States, upon which these latter commonwealths had, before the war, principally relied for the education of their sons, had, with few exceptions, re- mained either entirely unrehabilitated, or so crippled by lack of money that they were left with few practical facili- ties for pushing forward their work. The University of Virginia, always the most conspicuous institution below the Potomac and Ohio, was, during several years, almost without a rival; but after 1871, this position of suprem- acy was not so impregnable, owing largely to the prog- ress towards complete revival which had begun among the old competitive colleges. A passing circumstance in 1872 further accelerated that tendency towards a numerical decline which was now becoming perceptible in the University's enrolment. During this year, the income of the Southern States from the sale of raw cotton was very much diminished by an unusual shortage in the volume of production, in conse- quence of which, as in the era of slavery, the ability of parents to send their sons to any seat of higher learning was, for the time being, destroyed. The University of Virginia suffered along with the rest. In 1871, there were entered on its books the names of two hundred and sixteen students who had come up from the other States of the South. In 1872, the number so entered sank ab- ruptly to eighty-nine. During the years immediately en- suing, this numerical falling oft continued, largely, how- ever, because of the existence of two conditions that were independent of any temporary disaster to crops or the 58 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA growth of rival institutions. The impoverishment of the South, which had begun with the decline of the Confed- erate cause, was increased ( i ) by the predatory govern- ments so-called of the Reconstruction period; and (2) by the more or less permanent shrinkage in the prices of the staple products of its fields. The general financial de- pression that prevailed during 1877 and 1878, the out- break of yellow fever along the Gulf Coast during the lat- ter year, a devastating drought in Virginia in the summer of 1883, — sucn were some of the other events that exer- cised a perceptible influence in reducing the number of ma- triculates during the sessions of their respective occurrence. There were several observers who believed that the cause of this numerical decline lay, in large measure, in other conditions besides the low prices of crops, disas- ters, or an increasing competition with other seats of learning. " Our people," Professor James M. Garnett wrote in the Andover Review for 1886, " have been oc- cupied with their material interests and have starved their minds. Young men are growing up all around us with a mere smattering of education, but as it is suf- ficient for them to enter an agricultural, manufacturing, mercantile, or commercial life, they are satisfied. Educa- tion costs money, and postpones the time for money mak- ing." Professor Garnett was of the opinion that the number of matriculates seeking a higher academic train- ing in the institutions of the South was smaller in 1886 than in 1860; and this was quite possibly so, in conse- quence of the poverty of those formerly wealthy States after the war, and the increased need of a thoroughly practical education. A thoughtful writer in the magazine questioned the pertinency of competition as an explanation of the fall- ing off in numbers. " A seat of learning," he said, THE STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER 59 " should be of such a character that its patronage cannot be drawn away. Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, and Texas Universities, have all sprung into usefulness in the last ten years. But when we compare the decrease here, it is so gradual and so slight, during that interval, that we are tempted to reject the main excuse which has been offered for our shortcomings. We must look the facts in the face. That a great University should decline in a new and growing country cannot be without its causes." Now what, in this writer's opinion, was the principal one among these causes? "The instruction is too high for a college," he said, " too low for a university, too special for the general student, too general for the spe- cial student. The result of this arrangement is that both classes of students seek more suitable instruction else- where. In the present condition of affairs, the only class of students to which the University is adapted consists of such as have completed college courses, and desire to pur- sue them further without becoming specialists." Some light will be cast upon the correctness or incor- rectness of these remarks by comparing the attendance at the University of Virginia with the attendance at the other seats of learning in the State during this period. If the decline was common to all, then there must have been some cause affecting all which we must look for beyond their precincts. We obtain from the records the follow- ing facts: that, in the interval between 1871 and 1886, — during which at least seven important scholastic institu- tions were established or reopened in the other Southern States, — the patronage which the University of Vir- ginia derived from its own Commonwealth showed a slight tendency to increase, while the patronage of the other colleges in Virginia, from the same source, fell off at least eleven per cent; that the patronage which the 60 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA University derived from the States of the South beyond Virginia decreased thirty per cent., while the patronage of the same colleges from that quarter decreased sixty per cent.; that the shrinkage of the total patronage of the University amounted to eleven per cent, and the shrinkage of the total patronage of the colleges to thir- ty-two. These statistics at least demonstrate that, what- ever may have been the origin of the decline in the at- tendance at the University at this time, the cause was common to every seat of learning in the State. ' The University lost less of the patronage than the colleges," very truly said the Faculty, " and held it longer." What were the measures which this body considered proper for increasing the attendance? First, to improve the character and broaden the range of the courses of study; second, to augment the appliances for promoting health and comfort within the precincts; and third, to diminish the volume of necessary expenses so far as to throw open the benefits of the institution to a larger number of young men. The remedy urged by the writer of the article in the magazine which we have already quoted was altogether scholastic in its character. " The present system of un- stable equilibrium between college and university," he said, " must be one in reality, giving to the students fa- cilities for the highest education. At the same time, to perform its duty to the State of Virginia, it must pro- vide college education. The two are not inconsistent. The standard of special education must be elevated; the standard of general education must be lowered. The hope of the University, — the Ph.D. degree, — should be popular because not too exacting. Above all, the Uni- versity should recognize the degrees of other colleges, allowing their graduates to study directly for the degree THE STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER 61 of Ph.D. There should be a curriculum for a college course, to be followed by a university course." It was not until the session of 1889-90, that the num- ber of students at the University of Virginia mounted, — with a shortage of only seven, — to the level of the ses- sion of 1866—67, the most prosperous recorded in the institution's history in the interval between the close of the war and 1890. Four hundred and ninety during the session of 1866-67, it was four hundred and eighty-two during that of 1889—90. The proportion of matricu- lates from Virginia enrolled during the former session was forty-five per cent, of the whole attendance, while, during the session of 1891-92, the proportion advanced to fifty-nine per cent. The centre of gravity had, there- fore, shifted from the other States as a whole to the Com- monwealth within the borders of which the University was situated. The session of 1891—92 was a remarkable one, for it was then that the increase in the attendance began, which, steadily continuing, has now (1919—1920) swollen to a small army of young men. During the ses- sion of 1894-95, — the last in the Seventh Period, — there were enrolled a total of five hundred and sixty-two matriculates.1 1 Between the session of 1865-6 and that of 1894-5, there was an ap- proximate attendance of 11,588 students. They were credited to the sev- eral States as follows: Virginia 6043 Louisiana 296 Illinois 36 Indiana 48 Maryland 557 Georgia 426 California 36 Kentucky 626 Alabama 443 Texas 483 North Carolina 524 Mississippi 360 Arkansas 172 New York 133 Tennessee 408 Oregon n Florida 99 New Jersey 1 1 South Carolina 385 Pennsylvania 56 West Virginia 275 District of Columbia 102 Delaware 31 Scattering 138 62 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA During the four sessions ending with July, 1870, 1,093 students were entered as in their first year; 431, as in their second; 115, as in their third; and 29, as in their fourth. In the course of the twenty-three sessions begin- ning with 1871—72, the proportion was 4,993 for the first year; 2,462 for the second; 1,047 for the third; and 167 for the fourth. It will be perceived, through these fig- ures, that, during both intervals, one alone of every two matriculates returned for the second year. The dispro- portion became larger and more abrupt for the third and the fourth year as compared with the first and the second. The system of State students was only temporarily interrupted by the war, and its importance after the close of the conflict was, from some points of view, greater than it had been previous to that violent course of events. This was due to the impoverishment that fol- lowed the downfall of the Confederacy, which caused the sons of so many families of social distinction to apply for the privilege of gratuitous instruction. Among the stu- dents enrolled anterior to 1876 were many men, born in famous Virginian homes, who afterwards rose to a high rank in the learned professions. In 1875-76, the General Assembly appropriated for the benefit of the University the annual sum of thirty thousand dollars, on condition that no charge for tuition should be imposed upon matriculates from Virginia who were eighteen years of age at least. This limit was afterwards lowered to sixteen. The privilege was to be restricted to the academic schools. There was a very general apprehension among the friends of the higher seats of learning in the State lest this measure should have a depressing influence on the prospects of these institu- tions by drawing away the patronage, which, without this inducement in favor of the University, they would be THE STUDENTS — ADMISSION OF WOMEN 63 certain to enjoy. But time demonstrated that the law was not damaging to their welfare. On the contrary, the fact that all the Virginian students were, by its terms, re- quired to pass an examination for admission to the Uni- versity had a direct tendency to increase the prosperity of the minor schools and colleges by making a preliminary ed- ucation more essential than it had been, when entrance to the higher institution was subject to no scholastic condi- tions of any real importance. Where could this prelim- inary training be obtained? Only in the subordinate in- stitutions, public or private. xx. The Students — Admission of Women In contemplating the student body as a whole, it will be necessary to inquire into the history of the movement, during the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, which had in view the admission of women to all the advantages of instruc- tion in the University of Virginia. Apparently, the earliest recorded incident in this movement was the pe- tition of Miss Caroline Preston Davis, submitted to the Faculty in June, 1892, in which she asked permission to stand the examinations that would be required, during the ensuing session, of all candidates for the degree of bach- elor of arts, in.the School of Mathematics. The Faculty adopted a resolution in general approval of this novel ap- plication,— with the proviso, however, that the test could only be taken subject to such conditions as the professor in that school should consider proper to impose. The Faculty did not stop with an affirmative response to this single petition. They referred the broad question whether women should or should not be permitted to stand all the University examinations, to a special com- mittee, which was directed to draft an immediate report. The general attitude of the Faculty at this time was ex- 64 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA pressed by Professor Thornton, the chairman: ;t It seemed, on the one hand, unwise," he said, " to overbur- den the already overcrowded programme of the aca- demic department with special lectures to women, and on the other, inadvisable to adopt the radical policy of co- education. It appeared, however, practical and useful that the University should direct the studies of young women who were desirous of undertaking University work, examine them in the courses there pursued, and award to the meritorious suitable honorary certificates, adopting thus for the present towards the sex, the role of an examining university rather than a teaching univer- sity." In harmony with this thoughtfully weighed conclu- sion, the Faculty drafted the following series of regula- tions : First, every woman above eighteen years of age who could offer an acceptable certificate of good charac- ter and adequate preparation, was to be permitted to reg- ister her name with the chairman as a student in the aca- demic school which she should select; but she must have previously obtained the consent of the professor in that school, and paid a fee of twenty-five dollars. She was not, however, to have the right to attend his reg- ular lectures in his classroom. The instruction, it seems, was to be received in a less public way, and principally from a licentiate. Secondly, she was to be required to pass successfully upon the examination papers submitted to the young men of the school; but this test of knowl- edge was not to be made in the presence of the male mem- bers of the class, but privately, under such rules touching supervision and chaperonage as the Faculty should lay down. The same studies might be prosecuted by women residing at a distance. These were to be permitted to come up to the University at stated times for professional THE STUDENTS — ADMISSION OF WOMEN 65 advice and guidance; but for actual instruction, in prep- aration for their examinations, all female candidates so situated would have to depend chiefly on other schools or on private tutors. The only award which would be granted to a woman would be a certificate of proficiency. Such was the original position taken by the Faculty and Board in connection with female education through the agency of the University of Virginia. In May, 1893, the Faculty met to draw up their an- nual report to the Visitors. Thirteen of the professors were present, and six were absent. Before any opinion on the question of admitting women was expressed, two were compelled to withdraw by the unavoidable call of other business. The general conclusion was, therefore, left to be reached by eleven members of the body, of whom at least three or four dissented from the opinion of the majority, which consisted of only seven or eight voices in all. It was acknowledged that the opinion of the latter did not reflect the opinion of the entire Faculty. What was the substance of the conclusion arrived at by this majority? That the aid which had been offered to young women under the original resolution of that body and the Board had turned out to be " ineffective." There is no record of the facts which had led the greater number oi the professors present on this occasion to come to this conviction. The only young lady who had proposed of- fering for examination was Miss Davis, and her papers were to be found a few months later to be so excellent that the certificate of proficiency was conferred on her. A minority report recommended that the final decision as to the manner of admitting women should be deferred for one year at least, by the end of which time it was expected that reliable information could be procured to show the comparative advantages and drawbacks of the annex sys- 66 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tern and the coordinate system of education alike. The minority report, in the end, seems to have counseled the establishment of the annex system, while the majority report again recommended that the academical schools should be opened only to such registered women as each professor should consent to receive, and subject to such regulations as he should impose, with the approval of the Board. On July, 20 (1893), the Visitors assembled. They had before them for consideration: (i) a majority re- port of the Faculty; (2) a minority report, signed by eight professors, who appear to have been Venable, Holmes, Dunnington, Barringer, Minor, Smith, Schele, and Gil- more; and (3) a petition, advocating the admission of women to the University courses of instruction, submitted by the Society for the Extension of Higher Education in Virginia. They concluded their deliberations by request- ing the Faculty to formulate the rules for the admission of women to the academic schools. The Faculty in September, 1893, appointed a committee to draft these rules; but this committee does not seem to have reported until May, 1894. Its recommendations on that occasion were as follows. ( i ) That women eighteen years of age or beyond, should, on presenting acceptable creden- tials of good character, and offering proof of adequate preparation, be permitted to matriculate and enter such academical schools as they should select, after having paid the usual fees; (2) that every professor admitting women to his classes should be instructed to submit for the approval of the Faculty and Board the specific re- quirements which he intended to enforce; (3) that all the female students should be at liberty to reside with their parents, guardians, or kinsmen, or in homes approved by the Faculty; and, finally, (4) that three dormitories THE STUDENTS — ADMISSION OF WOMEN 67 should be reserved for their exclusive use during the in- tervals between their lectures. This report seems to have been signed by Tuttle, Peters, Smith, Mallet, and Kent. When it was laid be- fore the Faculty, Professor Fontaine submitted a resolu- tion that women should not be granted the right of ad- mission to the University courses; and that all the ex- isting provisions for their registration and examination should be cancelled after September 15, 1895. This resolution prevailed. The members of the Faculty who supported the substitute were Holmes, Venable, Davis, Fontaine, Garnett, Gilmore, Humphreys, Barringer, Kent, Lile, Perkinson, Dabney, Echols, and Christian. Those who voted against it were Smith, Peters, Stone, Thornton, Dunnington, Mallet, and Tuttle. The pro- portion was fourteen to seven. Minor, Schele, and W. C. Dabney were absent when the ballot was taken. The reasons given by the majority for their hostility to the admission of women on an equal footing with men were in substance as follows. Women could not correctly claim that they had a legal right to enter the University because they were tax-payers; negroes also were tax-payers; and yet their exclusion was never a subject of dispute. The right of entry possessed by women was only a right in equity; but this right in equity would not be satisfied by admitting them, since the edu- cation obtainable at the University of Virginia was not one that was suitable for the members of their sex. On the contrary, it would only serve to draw them away from those excellencies which made that sex such a power in the home. Under the arcades they would be cer- tain to grow boisterous, familiar, and bold in manners, and perhaps even rudely aggressive, under the influence of an ambitious rivalry with the male collegians. But 68 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA from the broad point of view of race preservation, there were consequences even more appalling than those which, have been mentioned. " According to medical author- ity," the report of the majority gravely asserted " the strain on young women in severe competitive work (in the higher schools of learning) does often physically unsex them, and they afterwards fail in the demands of mother- hood." And yet the signers of the same report were of the opinion that there were possibilities of license in this close association of young men and young women which not even the most vigilant and constant oversight could entirely remove or suppress. " Let us not be bullied," they exclaim, " into a false position by the clamour of a noisy majority of the public, thereby breaking irre- vocably with and condemning the University's past. It would lower our standards to those of co-educational schools elsewhere. It would require a supervision incon- sistent with the Honor System and the system of disci- pline." The final vote of the members of the Faculty on the question of admitting women to the institution on the co-educational basis stood in the proportion of four in favor of the measure to twelve in opposition to it. The four were Peters, Thornton, Mallet, and Tuttle. The result of this vote seems to have been reconsidered on June 4 (1894), but, apparently, without material modi- fication. A paper drafted by Professor Davis was incor- porated in the report as ultimately adopted. The Board, a few days later (June n), demonstrated by their action that they were in sympathy with the views of the large majority of the Faculty. They de- clared themselves to be earnest advocates of the higher education of women, and expressed their regret that there should be no adequate facilities in Virginia for its THE STUDENTS — THEIR EXPENSES 69 acquisition; but in spite of these feelings, they said, they found it impossible to believe that co-education was in harmony with the character and situation of the insti- tution; and they were also convinced, they added, that such an innovation had not been contemplated by its founder. Not satisfied with simply refusing to admit women to the different classes, the Board rescinded all the regulations then in existence, which threw open indi- rectly to members of that sex some of the benefits of its instruction. Camm Patterson was the only Visitor who advocated the establishment of an annex at some dis- tance beyond the precincts, where the female students might receive lessons from the professors attached to the academic department of the University. This was perhaps the first official suggestion of coordinate edu- cation, which, at a later day, was to become the heated centre of opposing opinions. xxi. The Students — Their Expenses What were the expenses which had to be met by the students during the long interval now under review (1865-1895)? First, let us consider the fees. The tuition fee in the academic department remained un- changed,— admission to three schools still imposed a total charge of seventy-five dollars or twenty-five dol- lars respectively. The fee of the department of law was advanced from eighty dollars to one hundred, and the fee of the department of medicine, from one hundred and five to one hundred and twenty (1895). In the engineering and agricultural departments, the tui- tion fee continued stationary. It was still one hundred dollars. The general fees showed some fluctuation; thus, during the session of 1872—73, the matriculation fee was thirty dollars; in 1889, it sank to twenty-five, and 70 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA remained at that figure until the session of 1895-96, when it rose to forty. The contingent fee neither ad- vanced beyond nor fell below ten dollars. The infir- mary fee declined from seven dollars and a half to seven; the total matriculation, contingent and tuition fees of the academic student, at the end of the Seventh Period (1895), was one hundred and twenty-five dollars; and the like fees of the student of law, agriculture and engineering, one hundred and fifty; and of the student of medicine and pharmacy, one hundred and seventy. At the beginning of the session of 1865, a general regulation that each student should find a room within the precincts was adopted. The only exceptions allowed were in the instances of young men who had been actually maimed in battle, or had suffered a serious impairment of health through exposure in service or through wounds. On the threshold of the session of 1866, several per- sons asked to be licensed as keepers of outboarding houses, and as the number of matriculates enrolled dur- ing the session of 1865-66 had turned out to be unex- pectedly large, these petitions were acceded to, on con- dition that the charges should not be higher than those of the University hotels. In 1872, when the attendance had begun to fall away, the Board required that no stu- dent should be permitted to obtain a room outside the bounds so long as there should be a vacant one within; and this was their attitude also with respect to board. In 1883, the matriculate who resided in an outboarding house had to make a deposit of fifteen dollars for dor- mitory rent. At the end of the session the amount due for unoccupied apartments was added up, and this had to be paid by the students lodging outside. In no in- stance, however, was any one of them to be liable for more than fifteen dollars. THE STUDENTS — THEIR EXPENSES 71 Among the hotel-keepers at the beginning of this period, the most prominent was, perhaps, Miss Ross.1 She complained, during the session of 1865-66, that she had lost a large sum in consequence of her failure to require the payment of board by the quarter. William Jefferies suffered equally as much for the same reason. By the session of 1875-76, the number of hotels had been cut down from three to two. Many of the students now curtailed their expenses by joining in messes. This system of boarding had been suggested as early as 1869, owing to the poverty of the hotel-fare during the previous session. The Faculty approved of its trial, and recom- mended, in their report to the Board, that the young men should be permitted to form dining-clubs, on con- dition that these clubs should always be subject to the proctor's supervision. In 1873, there was organized a club with eight members; and this was said to have re- duced the cost of the table to its members to ten dollars a month as the maximum. So satisfactory was the work- ing of the two existing messes in 1874-75, that, at the end of this session, the Visitors offered to reserve the hotel at the south end of East Range entirely for such associations, which were to pay a moderate rent for its use. This hotel was no longer open. The advantage of the clubs already established hav- ing been fully proven by June, 1876, the Board author- ized the Faculty to inaugurate a general system of mess- 1The hotel keepers between 1850 and 1861 were Addison Maupin, J. R. Watson, William Wertenbaker, William McCoy, George W. Briggs, Lawson Burnett, Wyatt W. Hamner, Daniel Ward, Anselm Brook, Mrs. Sally A. McCoy, and Mrs. Mary Ross, widow of a former owner of Blenheim, in Albemarle county. There were no hotel-keepers at the University while the war was in progress. Afterwards, the hotels were conducted by Miss Mary Ross and Messrs. Jefferies and Massie. Subse- quent to 1865, the names of the hotel-keepers were not recorded in the catalogues. 72 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ing at the beginning of the next session, provided that a sufficient number of young men should be willing to participate in it. The dormitories on Carr's Hill were assigned as the place for testing the projected scheme. It seems to have been attended with success, for, during the session of 1876—77, there were fifty students enrolled in two different messes in that quarter, both of which were managed by the same caterer. At the same time, there was a messing club which occupied rooms in Dawson's Row. It was reported that the monthly amount which each member of any one of these messes had to pay did not run beyond fifteen dollars as the maximum. This sum embraced the charges for the rent of the room, furni- ture, fuel, lights, and servants' hire as well as for food. The daily cost of the latter, — which also included the rations for the attendants, — was estimated at twenty-five cents. In 1878, the total charge in the mess for nine months was in the neighborhood of one hundred and three dollars, while the total charge for the student who boarded at a hotel was eighteen dollars for thirty days, or one hundred and sixty-two for the session. If he resided in a licensed outboarding house, the cost to him during the same period was one hundred and thirty-five dollars.1 During the session of 1879-80, there were one hun- dred and fifty young men procuring their meals in the hotels, eighty in the messes, and ninety-nine beyond the precincts, — a proof that mere cheapness did not influ- ence the majority to desert the more expensive tables. 1 According to the Virginia University Magazine, the following were the charges at Harvard College for board in 1876: "At fifteen houses, eight dollars per week, with 190 students ; at five, six dollars, with 36 students; at seven, five dollars, with 35 students. The Divinity club, with 32 students, charged $3.70 per week; the Memorial Hall, with 490, charged $4.80. The average price of board at Harvard was about $5.50 per week as against $20.00 at the University of Virginia per month." THE STUDENTS — THEIR EXPENSES 73 The same condition was observable during the session of 1 88 1— 2: of the three hundred and twenty-seven students enrolled in the University, fifty-eight preferred the mess and one hundred and twenty-five the several hotels, while the remainder were scattered among the out- boarding houses and the private homes. A decline in the popularity of the messing system had become dis- tinctly preceptible by 1882, although there was no com- plaint of the quality of the fare that was served, and none also of the higher charge for it, since the cost of food was known to have advanced. There was, however, dissatisfaction over the imposition of a tax of twenty cents monthly on each member of a mess. But that the Faculty were determined to make the messing system a permanent feature of the University, in spite of this fluctuating feeling, was shown by their recommendation, in 1887, that a kitchen and dining- room should be provided for Dawson's Row; and these additions were actually completed, during the session of 1888-89, at a cost of fifteen hundred and sixty-four dol- lars. The like additions were made on Carr's Hill by October, 1888. These measures were successful in ef- fecting the purpose which they had in view, for, during that session, there were at least eighty students en- rolled in the mess of Dawson's Row alone. Twelve months afterwards, the Faculty recommended to the Board that the following regulations, in modification of the existing rules bearing upon the subject of board, should be adopted: (i) that each student should be at liberty to select his own hotel, boarding-house, or mes- sing-club, without regard to the locality of his room; (2) that every one of those taking their meals within the precincts should be required to deposit the amount of his board each month in advance in the hands of the 74 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA proctor; (3) that no one among them should be per- mitted to abandon his seat at a hotel or mess table without giving thirty days' notice, unless he was about to withdraw permanently from the University. In 1893, the young men boarding within the precincts petitioned the Faculty for the deferment of the din- ner-hour from one to two o'clock; but their request was refused. In their indignation, they ironically sug- gested that the following rules should be proclaimed by the college authorities: that no student should possess the right to eat between his meals, or dance, or play cards, or perform on any instrument whatever, except the bass-drum and the Jew's harp; and that no student should be privileged to smoke more than three pipes of tobacco in the course of a day, or to retire to bed without a professor's written consent, or to carry a cane, unless it were a holiday. Immediate expulsion was to be the penalty for his absence from his room after ten o'clock at night, or for daring to be seen with a cigar in his mouth. During the session of 1890—91, it was estimated that the total annual expenses of a matriculate in the academic department, if enrolled from Virginia, were two hun- dred dollars as the minimum; and if from another State, two hundred and seventy-five. In the department of law, on the other hand, the minimum expense by the year was calculated to be two hundred and eighty dollars; and in the department of medicine, three hundred and ten. In the School of Pharmacy, the general expense of the matriculate from Virginia was put down at two hundred and eighty dollars; of one from another State, at three hundred and twenty. The general expense of the latter student in the department of engineering or agriculture was nearly the same; namely, three hun- PUBLICATIONS 75 dred dollars. The matriculate from Virginia, on the other hand, was called upon to pay only two hundred and fifty dollars in the department of engineering, and two hundred in the department of agriculture. In all these cases, the figures given indicated the minimum gen- eral expense in the several departments. The maximum, in each instance, was represented by an addition of one hundred dollars. The corresponding figures for all the departments had risen appreciably by the beginning of the session of 1894—95. A contributor to Corks and Curls, in 1895, con- sidered the Faculty's estimates previous to that year to be far too modest in amount. It was the conviction of this, writer that not many students could pass an entire session at the University without paying out at least six hundred dollars; and, in the opinion of the same ob- server, one thousand dollars was not an unreasonable sum for him to spend, provided that his whole time was not absorbed in text-books. As it was, he said, the ex- pense of one State student who matriculated during the session of 1872—73, had demonstrated that the collegian could reduce his outlay to a figure as low as one hun- dred and forty dollars. xxil. Publications On the 2ist of October, 1865, just three weeks after the opening of the first session that followed the war, a committee of the Jefferson Society, with all the form- ality that marks the admission of a petitioner to the bar of the House of Commons, appeared on the floor of the Washington Hall, and delivered a resolution which had been adopted by their own members asking the sister body to consider at once the advisability of cooperating in the revival of the magazine. In com- 76 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA pliance with this request, a committee was promptly ap- pointed to confer with the visiting committee oft the subject. But it was not until November 4 that their joint report was submitted. It declared that the time was not yet ripe for the resuscitation of the periodical. Notwithstanding this conclusion, two other committees went through the same thoughtful deliberations in Oc- tober, 1866; and again the same decision was reached. In the spring of 1867, the Washington Society announced that it would undertake to reestablish the magazine should the Jefferson Society consent to share the ex- pense. It was determined, however, to postpone the issuance of the first number to the autumn; but, in the meanwhile, a committee was named, with the power to arrange for all the practical details of the printing. It was not until December (1867), that the magazine was actually revived. The editors then chosen to super- vise its preparation and publication were W. O. Harris and Joseph Bryan. Bryan had been a member of Mos- by's partisan troop, and was destined in after-life to become a citizen of conspicuous usefulness. The delay in restoring the magazine was principally attributable to the fact that the students, during the ses- sions of 1865-66 and 1866-67, were too much em- ployed in equipping themselves for the impending task of earning a livelihood to be willing to turn aside and devote a portion of their invaluable time to the byplay of a pe- riodical. Nor were these men in a pecuniary condition to contribute the very respectable amount that would be required for its support. By the autumn of 1867— 68, a younger set of students were beginning to matricu- late, and it was through them that the normal college spirit was to be again established, and the old interests brought back to their regular channels. " Although the PUBLICATIONS 77 magazine comes," said the editors of the first issue in their somewhat florid salutatory, " when the convulsive throes of a great revolution have left society lacerated and torn and even almost deaf to everything save the tale of their own woes, it is both the cause and effect of brighter days. Its once familiar face reminds a stricken people that the noblest institution of a once proud commonwealth has girded up her loins to under- take afresh the duties of peace." Not only did the magazine have a literary duty to perform, they declared, by offering an opportunity to the young men to acquire the art of composition, through the use of its pages, — it had also a political duty to perform. " It is beyond question," they continued, " that we are held mildly, it may be yet firmly, in the talons of the American Eagle. We wish to counsel the students lest any offense thought- lessly or even unintentionally given by them to any agent or officer of the United States Government may result seriously to the institution." Not long after the reestablishment of the magazine, the Young Men's Christian Association requested that they should be permitted to contribute to its support to the extent of one-third of its expenses; and in return, they asked for the right to share in its management. This offer was accepted, and the privilege allowed. It was the anticipation of the association that the influence of their own body would be increased among the students by participation in the publication of the only college organ then in existence at the University. But notwithstand- ing this new buttress to its resources, the magazine soon began to languish. ;t We venture to assert," said the editors somewhat acidly, in the number for November, 1870, "that we are the only college periodical in the country that is not self-supporting. In spite of all our 78 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA efforts, we have succeeded in getting but two hundred subscribers out of four hundred and thirty-six students at college." But an unexpected improvement in income occurred before the end of the session (1870-71), and the scholastic year closed in prosperity. At this time, there was a different group of editors for the autumn term and the Easter term. It was supposed that this was a cause of weakness, for one set had hardly acquired experience of their duties before they were called upon to retire from the sanctum, and give room for another set, who were acknowledged to be en- tirely raw. As a means of improving the quality of this changing board, a scholarship was granted annually to the group which had shown the greatest capacity in edit- ing the magazine. As a further means of raising its character, there was a proposal that a business manager should be selected to take charge of its practical interests. But a more useful provision consisted of the appointment, about 1871, of a board of six editors, who were to con- tinue in office through all the terms. Hitherto, as al- ready mentioned, only three had been chosen for each term, at the end of which they retired. The new board was composed of five literary editors and one managing editor. The right of election was enjoyed alternately by the two societies. " It is evident," remarks a writer in the number of the magazine announcing this change, " that five men can do the work much better than two. The division of the labor gives a variety not possible under the old system. As the editors are elected for such a long time, they will have an opportunity for im- provement, and the advantage of experience." In 1 88 1, the two societies entered into an agreement that the entire control of the magazine, in its literary and business interests alike, should be centered in the PUBLICATIONS 79 editor-in-chief. To him was to be reserved the duty ot allotting the tasks of his associates; and he alone was to be responsible for the acceptance and rejection of contributions. An assistant manager was now added, in order, by more active canvassing, to increase the cir- culation of the magazine, and to swell the number of ad- vertisements printed in its pages. Notwithstanding these practical measures, its income, during the session of 1882-3, fell short of the outlay by the sum of three hun- dred dollars. It required nine hundred at least to main- tain the solvency of the periodical. Its income at this time was derived from two hundred subscribers who paid two dollars apiece, and from advertisements to the value of two hundred dollars. Not long after the magazine was revived, a medal was decided upon, by the joint action of both societies, as the award for the most meritorious prose article that should appear in the numbers for each session. In June, 1888, it was announced that J. J. McCaleb had instituted a prize of fifty dollars for bestowal on the student who should contribute the most remarkable poem during the same period; and, in the like spirit, a similar prize was established in 1891 to go to the author of the most excellent story to be printed in the same pages in the course of each year. The object of this prize was to stimulate the production of imaginative writing by the young men. It was hoped that these different awards would arrest the decline in interest in the magazine which had set in so soon as enthusiasm for the sports of the athletic field had begun to cast a shadow over every form of intellectual recreation. The founding of Corks and Curls and College Topics made it still more neces- sary that all available means should be employed to maintain the position which the magazine had won, and 80 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA which, in these years, it only retained through the support of a few faithful students. The editors for the ses- sion 1894—5 were very much in favor of introducing college news in its columns in order to revive its popu- larity. If we examine critically the general contents of the magazine throughout the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, it will be perceived that they varied very radically in merit, not only from year to year, but also from month to month. A single number always touched both ex- tremes. In one of the earliest reports drafted after the war by the committee appointed to award the medal, which was composed of Professors Gildersleeve, Holmes, and Schele, they dwell upon the absence of " serious effort," on the one hand, and on the other, of " definite thought." They said very frankly that the pages re- flected a spirit of indolence and vacuity, and that even the graver articles were disfigured " by high-flown rhet- oric, false syntax, mixed metaphors, and college slang." The most remarkable contributor at this time was Alamby M. Miller, who died prematurely. His articles alone seem to have won an unreserved commendation. The report for the session of 1868-9 was equally dishearten- ing. Only two articles in the issues for this year im- pressed the accomplished and fastidious committee fa- vorably; and these apparently only because they were not tainted by " feverish fancies, misplaced metaphors, and other rhetorical extravagances." ' What was needed," they declared, " was more resolute effort, more patient, and more persevering labor, a clearer and more cordial communion with classic models, more regard for clear- ness, precision, and neatness of language, for logical perspicuity and coherence, for comprehension, for more PUBLICATIONS 81 sedate habits of reflection, and more subdued modes of exposition." This somewhat drastic criticism seems to have had a stimulating, not a debilitating, influence upon the ambi- tion of those who were looked to for the improvement of the magazine, for, at the end of the following ses- sion, the committee of professors for that year, with palpable satisfaction, declared in their report that the merit of the periodical, during the previous nine months, had been quite equal to the high quality of the numbers issued before the war, when the larger attendance of stu- dents had allowed a wider latitude as to literary ability in the choice of the editorial staff. The report of the committee for 1877—78, which was less encouraging, was written by Professor Price, whose classical taste must have been shocked by many of the pages which he was conscientiously called upon to read. ' The chief fault of the poorer pieces," he asserted, " seems to have arisen from either triteness of subject or bigness of subject. When the subject matter is too large for magazine treat- ment, the effort to deal with it leads either to dreary generalities and platitudes, or else to disproportion or mutilation of argument. When the subject matter is • too old, it is impossible to avoid commonplace. Many of the articles have failed for the one cause or the other." However just these comments may have been, this can be undeniably affirmed of the magazine of that day: that previous to 1894—95 not a single session went by without the contribution of at least one article of such conspicuous merit, — whether from a sentimental or a critical point of view, — as to deserve the gold medal which was annually awarded by the two societies. What was said of one of these articles by the committee of the 82 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA year in which it appeared, may be quoted as substantially pertinent to them all: "There was a perfect balance between its substance and its style. The words were of the heart as well as the mind. There was the ardor of feeling tempered by the coolness of the reason. The style was simple, unaffected, smooth, and harmonious." Among the prize articles that fulfilled all these searching requirements were Old Letters, by R. T. W. Duke, Jr., Marlow, by W. W. Thum, The Ancient Mariner, by Thomas A. Seddon, and an extended list of companion pieces of the same quality which might be mentioned. During the Seventh Period, as the Arcade Echoes so brilliantly discloses, there were numerous poems of very unusual merit contributed to the pages of the magazine. The principal writers in this department during that in- terval were R. T. W. Duke, Jr., Armistead C. Gordon, James L. Gordon, Howard Morton, Charles W. Cole- man, Francis R. Lassiter, and T. L. Wood. Among the members of the editorial board were men who were des- tined to rise in after-life to positions of usefulness and influence in their several callings by the force of their talents. Such, — to bring up only a few representative names, — were Lyon G. Tyler, Robert M. Hughes, William P. Trent, Walter S. Lefevre, E. W. Saunders, James C. Lamb, Linden Kent, E. H. Farrer, A. T. Strode, J. W. Wayland, Stuart McGuire, L. M. Machen, L. P. Chamberlayne, J. Allen Watts, R. Walton Moore, F. R. Lassiter, R. H. Dabney, Walter E. Addison, P. F. DuPont, J. B. Henneman, Oscar W. Underwood, George Gordon Battle, and H. Snowden Marshall. The number of members contributed by Virginia to the editorial board was one hundred and fifty-two, and by the other States, one hundred and fifty, — an almost equal division. The largest proportion, omitting Vir- PUBLICATIONS 83 ginia's from view, was from the State of Maryland, which was represented by twenty-three at the editorial table. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas followed with eighteen respectively. Anterior to 1887, the magazine was without a rival to compete with it for the patronage of the University's readers; but in the course of that year, the periodical known by the highly original title of Corks and Curls was launched.1 During a subsequent session, the first copy of College Topics was published. These two organs limited the province of the magazine more strictly than ever to pure literature. The scheme of College Topics had its origin in the inability of the magazine, owing to its more or less special character, to take in every one of the subjects which made a crying appeal to the tastes and aspirations of the students. All genuine collegiana, it was not in- correctly said, was out of place in the latter's pages. The founders of College Topics had first suggested that the Jefferson Society, and afterwards, that the Univer- sity at large, should establish a racy local college journal; but a majority of the students were of the opinion that such a project would, if attempted, end in financial fail- ure, and quietly refused to support it. It was finally undertaken by five young men of talent and energy, who were willing to make the venture at their own risk. These were Legh R. Page, S. M. Beard, A. C. Carson, Hunt Chipley, and John G. Tilton, and they formed the 1 The student who flagrantly failed to reply correctly to the questions of his professor in the classroom was said to have been corked. If, on the other hand, he answered with a grand flourish of pertinent informa- tion, he was said to have curled. The latter word was also used to de- scribe the florid passages in the orations which were delivered on the floor of the debating societies, and on the platform of the public hall at their final exercises. The term was employed indiscriminately in an admiring or a derisive sense. 84 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA first board of editors. The earliest issue appeared on January 8, 1890, and the periodical was successful from the start, — in no small degree, because it always proved itself to be a steadfast defender of the rights of the stu- dents, and an intelligent promoter of their best interests in the mass. During the session of 1890-91, the Gen- eral Athletic Association took over its proprietorship, and it thus became the organ of that influential body. Its aims, under the changed ownership, were to nourish the healthy growth of athletic sports; to arouse enthusi- asm in the annual events; to act as the watchful friend of the young men; and, finally, to serve as their mouth- piece, should they fall into disputes with the Faculty and the Visitors. One set of editors was elected for the autumn term, and another for the spring. Virginia con- tributed forty-nine members to these boards previous to 1894, and the other States, — fourteen in all, — forty- five members. xxili. Debating Societies The Washington Society seems to have been the first to reorganize after the close of the war. This occurred on October 14, 1865, following a suspension that had re- mained unbroken during an interval of four and a half years. The earliest step towards resuscitation was taken by John H. Lewis, J. S. Harnsberger, W. M. Perk- ins, and A. F. Fleet, — all of whom were students en- rolled from Virginia. When Lewis was called to the chair on the occasion of the first meeting, he spoke with pathetic eloquence of the smallness of the number of members then present as compared with the number that used to assemble under the same roof in the prosperous days of the past; and he paid a tender tribute to the memories of those who had perished on the battlefield. DEBATING SOCIETIES 85 At the second meeting, held seven days afterwards, twenty-eight new members were sworn in. From this time forward, a monthly orator was chosen. In No- vember, with the assistance of the ladies of the Uni- versity, this society collected a fund sufficient to repair their hall and to furnish it properly.1 The Jefferson Society had quickly followed the ex- ample of its contemporary in reorganizing. Many ur- bane and kindly messages passed between the two bodies during these first years of revived activities, — thus in October, 1866, the Washington Society addressed its sister association in these stately words : " We con- gratulate the Jefferson upon the brilliancy of its past career, and especially of its recent session; upon its pres- ent high position, and its bright prospects for the future ; and we hope that it may ever continue its good work. The Washington remembers, with deep pleasure, the happy relations of courtesy and friendship which have heretofore existed between the two societies, as they have labored together hand in hand in the great field of literature." One of the earliest of the joint transactions of the 1 At a meeting of the Washington Society in November, i867> the follow- ing design for a badge was proposed : " a shield, with a field of black enamel in the centre, with the initial letters of the society, and its date of birth ; and in a rim of gold around the field was the motto." The report of the treasurer of the society for 1867-68 shows the following expenditures on its general account: Paid for debater's medal $68.75 Rosettes, batons 79-&S Tickets of invitation 160.00 Express charge on package 5.00 Stamps 12.00 Band of music, board, &c 139.00 Mr. Tracy, for fixing up hole 8.50 Telegrams in Society's behalf 4.00 $477.10 86 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA two bodies was the drafting of a petition to President Johnson in behalf of Mr. Davis, whose release from prison was sought; but in the end, this document was ordered by both to be laid on the table indefinitely. This event occurred in January, 1866. No doubt, the practical uselessness of the petition was perceived. In May of the following year, the societies had the acute satisfaction of adopting a joint resolution offering Mr. Davis their congratulations on the recovery of his free- dom, and inviting him to be present during the exercises of the approaching commencement. They even went so far as to express a desire to collect a fund for his benefit. The warmth of their patriotism was further demon- strated by the earnestness with which they supported the proposition to raise in the University cemetery a suitable monument to the Confederate dead. A com- mittee having been appointed to canvass for subscriptions in the local community, it was determined to set aside for the same pious object whatever surplus should re- main in the two treasuries at the end of the session. One student was named for each State of the South, who, during the vacation, was to solicit contributions of all the alumni residing within its borders. The Washington Society suggested that the decorations so lavishly strewn about at the finals should be dispensed with, and the money which would have gone to their purchase, diverted to the building of the memorial. The narrowness of their quarters at this time seemed to have been irksome to the members of this society, and in June, 1867, they petitioned the Board of Visitors to grant to them, in common with the members of the Jefferson, the use of the chapel as a debating hall. But this must have proved unsatisfactory, for the Washington Society discussed for some time whether they should not DEBATING SOCIETIES 87 apply for the possession of the large apartment situated in the Temperance Building on the floor just above the postoffice. In 1869, the same society petitioned the Visitors for pecuniary aid in enlarging the area of their hall. There was in their treasury about thirteen hun- dred dollars, but they needed five hundred more. This additional amount was appropriated by the Board, and the hall, in consequence, was extended. Owing to the abuse by strangers of the privilege of attending this Society's weekly debates, a proposal to shut them out on such occasions seems to have been adopted. The spirit of partisanship in the elections of both the Washington and the Jefferson, had, by 1870, grown so intemperate as to draw the disapproving attention of the Faculty. The University Magazine itself vigorously censured the prevailing electioneering methods, and called upon the members of both bodies to frown upon the flagrant favoritism that was shown so unblushingly in the support of the different candidates. It was said, without overstatement, that the race for honors was not decided on the floors of the two halls, but in the secret caucuses assembled in the dormitories. An odd custom prevailed in the Jefferson Society at this time. Partly in a spirit of earnestness, partly in a spirit of jocu- larity, perhaps, a special committee annually investigated the record of each member, and if it was found to be without blemish, he received a formal and elaborate certificate of upright character. It was estimated, in 1871, that, of the five hundred students who had matriculated during this session, only one hundred and sixty had permitted their names to be entered on the rolls of the two societies. Not one fourth of these came forward to take any share in the proceed- ings of the meetings. The controlling motive of those 88 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA who did join was usually to increase the chance of suc- cess for some aspirant for honors. But it was not al- ways the most popular student who won the prize, — so soon as it was perceived that a candidate was backed by a powerful combination, all the smaller factions united their strength to defeat him. The three honors which were held in the most exalted esteem were the debater's medal, the final oratorship, and the final presidency. These honors were ordinarily dis- tributed by a shrewd manipulation of votes. One fra- ternity would give the most energetic assistance to a can- didate for the medal who belonged to another fraternity, on condition that the latter fraternity would uphold the former's candidate for the oratorship; and this compact having been signed, the two associations would join in canvassing for a candidate for the presidency in return for his fraternity's support of the two candidates for the medal and the oratorship. It was admitted by all that the extent of the wire pulling and vote swapping which preceded these elections had a demoralizing and distracting influence on the currents of University life. By 1872, the intermediate celebration had been abolished, and in consequence, the importance of the presidency at the final exercises was very much enhanced. It called for a candidate of special characteristics to carry off the laurels of success in a campaign for this office. " The position," said Dr. Culbreth, " exacted a man with a social and friendly nature, clever and frank man- ners, and abundant time for indulging these qualities, — always urbane and polite, but avoiding excessive demon- stration." The Board of Visitors, about 1872, arrived at the conclusion that the addresses of students in the public hall, on the occasion of the commencement, were, as a DEBATING SOCIETIES 89 rule, singularly impoverished in thought and flat in ex- pression, and they instructed the Faculty to allow no speech to be delivered there by a collegian which had not first been strained in the sieve of a professorial com- mittee. The Faculty themselves had, for sometime, been fully aware of the acute need of some form of re- vision. In their annual report, drafted in the spring of this year, they had commented on the immaturity of mind, and the deficiency in culture, which were reflected in the structure of most of these utterances ; and they had recommended that no student should be permitted to declaim from the rostrum, unless he could show diplomas acquired in at least two of the academic schools. In addition, they had counselled that no address should be allowed to extend beyond thirty minutes in the time of its delivery. It was not simply the unripeness of intellect, and the faultiness of taste, which were displayed in the com- positions of so many of the young men who spoke, that made the Board and Faculty so solicitous to clip these orations before they should fall on the ears of a public audience. The animosities that had been aroused by the war were never more acrimonious than during the ses- sion of 1871—2, for, by that time, the policy of recon- struction, so ruthlessly enforced in the South, had reached its highwater mark of infamy. It was but natural that youthful orators coming from such States as Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina, should have felt an uncontrollable desire to give full voice on the platform to their indignant resentment over the condi- tions then prevailing in their native commonwealths. But the Faculty, more farsighted than these young men, were not to be seduced from their determination to shut out of the public hall the utterance of such bitter politi- 90 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA cal emotions. " The story is told," says Dr. Culbreth, " that, previous to the final of 1872, one of the orators called on Professor Holmes (chairman of the pruning committee) and laid before him the pages of his pro- posed speech. ' I hope,' said the Professor, ' you have not condescended to select a subject of low order, par- ticularly one pertaining to the late bitter strife, and one that might compromise our institution.' ' Far from it, Professor,' said the student, ' I have not touched a single thing on this mundane sphere. I have restricted myself entirely to a celestial topic: the night brings out the stars'." It was the general impression, at this time, that the two societies had failed to carry out the purpose for which they had been revived after the war. The edit- ors of the magazine complained that no one took any part in the current of so-called debate in these bodies, unless he had written out his speech and committed it to memory. The members who possessed the leisure and energy to prepare such elaborate discourses were few in number, and it followed that the proceedings were meagre in thought and curtailed in extent. Indeed, so impoverished did these proceedings, by 1873, become in both societies, — for the same condition was to be dis- cerned in both, — that it was suggested, apparently by the students themselves, that the principal awards should be made by committees of the Faculty. It was pro- posed that one committee should be assigned to each so- ciety; and that each committee should attend at least three debates, in the course of each session. " As mat- ters now stand," said the editors of the magazine in January, 1874, " if we are determined to allow personal feelings to warp our judgment, why not call things by their right name, and to the man who makes most friends DEBATING SOCIETIES 91 present a token of friendship instead of a debater's medal?" And yet, it may be pointed out parenthetic- ally, that it was, during the existence of this very system, with all its abuses, that commanding speakers like A. P. Humphrey, John W. Daniel, Isidor Rayner, and others hardly less distinguished, were trained after the war; while before the war, it had been the nursery for such noble orators as Robert Toombs and John S. Pres- ton, and such keen dialecticians as Alexander H. H. Stuart and Robert M. T. Hunter. The Faculty too had arrived at the conclusion that the societies were dragging their anchors, with the more disturbing prospect of ultimately drifting on the rocks At a meeting of that body in November, 1874, they de- termined to alter the manner of choosing the debaters and orators. They now adopted the rule that, in each recurring November, two committees of the Faculty should be appointed, to consist of three members respec- tively,— one of these committees was to undertake the duty of selecting the best debater and the best orator among the participants in certain prearranged discus- sions in the Washington Society, and the other to per- form the same duty in the Jefferson. These committees were instructed to attend at least four debates, of which one was to come off in January, one in February, and two in March. The number to be attended was after- wards reduced, first to two and subsequently to one. The new rule did not swell the audience as much as was expected. The number of young men present was small, the number of candidates insignificant, — at least at first, — but during the session of 1875-76, as many as twelve aspirants offered themselves in the Washington Society alone. A resolution was submitted in the Jefferson in No- 92 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA vember, 1888, that a medal should be awarded to that member, who, during the year, had shown the highest de- gree of improvement in debate. Definite nights were to be assigned for the speaking, and each candidate was to be required to enter his name in a list to ensure his recognition on the floor in his turn. The decision as to the successful competitor was to be left to a committee of five members of the Society. This resolution was adopted, and was still in force after 1889. Another of the conditions to be noticed in the Jefferson, at this time, was the observance of the earlier custom of appointing a monthly orator. Thus we find that, during the winter of 1883, addresses were delivered in the hall of that society by prominent members like W. P. Trent and Walter S. Lefevre, and in harmony with their after careers as professors, the subjects which they selected were purely literary. In 1885, the office of critic was established. It was the duty of its incumbent to submit periodical reports, in which, by judicious censure, he was expected to raise the general level of the speaking. During this session, there seems to have been a re- crudescence of interest in both societies, for each could now boast of the possession of a larger membership than had fallen to its lot for many years. This revival was thought to be principally due to the excitement of the contests for final president. During one month of 1889, eighty-six additions were made to the roll of the Jefferson, under the influence of the active electioneering canvass then going on. It was acknowledged, at this time, that the interest in the literary exercises of both societies was very languishing; and how far this had gone was rather curiously revealed in the fact, that, when, in February, 1892, ten members came forward at a meeting of the Jefferson to take part in the debate, it was said DEBATING SOCIETIES 93 that such a sight had not been observed for at least a decade. The popularity of the two societies had, during this period, been very much damaged by the growth in the University of the taste for athletic sports. It was no- ticed that, when the night for a debate coincided with the night for a gymnastic tournament, the attendance in the Jefferson and Washington Halls alike was not sufficient to make up a quorum. On the occasion of one meeting of the Jefferson Society at this time, a member arose and proposed that the sum of five hundred dollars, — which then happened to be reposing in the treasury as unappropriated surplus, — should be presented, as a token of appreciation, to the General Athletic Associa- tion. By the end of the ensuing two years, this spirit of prodigality had brought about such depletion in the funds of this society that it was compelled to petition the Board of Visitors for pecuniary help in order to maintain its existence. An important innovation had now been adopted by both societies in relation to the medals. Formerly, the orator's was awarded to the speaker who turned out to be only second in merit in the set debates, but, afterwards, it was bestowed upon the one who was decided to have delivered the most striking address in a purely oratorical contest. Occasionally, as many as seven aspirants would contest for the honor. This award also was made by a committee of the Faculty. The members of this body were still dissatisfied with the formal speeches delivered by representatives of the societies during commencement week. In 1893, Profes- sor Venable suggested that the choice of final orators should be limited to the candidates who had been recipi- ents of title degrees. This indicated an extraordinary falling off in merit in comparison with the times when 94 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the most distinguished alumni were not the men who had won these degrees, but the men who had received the medals of the debating societies. During many years, an energetic rival of the Jefferson ,and Washington Societies was found in the Council of Friends of Temperance. There was a report, in 1873, that, at every meeting of its members, — who consisted in the main of students, — there was an animated and suggestive discussion. " The Temperance Hall," said the editors of a contemporary number of the magazine, " promises to be one of the best places in which to culti- vate the budding flowers of rhetoric, and to learn the ini- tial flights of oratory." It was thought that its repre- sentatives carried off the laurels of superiority in the oratorical display at the commencement of 1876. The association had elected for that occasion an able presi- dent and two very brilliant orators, and its medalist, Charles W. Dabney, was a vigorous debater, who was destined, in after-life, to occupy numerous posts of high scholastic distinction. The membership was now large enough to allow room for the selection of young men of talent for all the leading parts on the public day. During the session of 1883-84, its enrolment was as long as that of the Washington Society, and in 1884-85 fell short by twenty names only of that of the Jefferson. At this time, the number of its members ran ahead of the number entered in the list of the Washington So- ciety. xxiv. Fraternities and Clubs When the currents of the University resumed their normal flow after the close of the war, the versatile ac- tivities of the fraternities were also renewed. They became at once factors of importance, especially in the FRATERNITIES AND CLUBS 95 province of college politics. It is calculated that, be- tween 1865 and 1897, at least twelve new chapters were chartered. Among the first of the old to struggle to its feet again was Eta of the Delta Kappa Epsilon, which, through the initial exertions of Kinloch Nelson, James M. Garnett, and Hugh R. Garden, jumped almost at once into a position to recover the full tide of its former prosperity. These men were assisted most zealously by Crawford H. Toy, who, at that time, was a teacher employed in a private school in the town of Charlottes- ville. Perhaps, its principal rival at the start was the Phi Kappa Psi, which, like the Delta Kappa Epsilon it- self, had drawn into its membership many youthful vet- erans of the Confederate army. Every man in the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, with the sole exception of John Scott, had been an officer or soldier in the ranks. Perhaps, the most unique of all the secret associations in existence during these years, was the one which was popularly known by the first letters of the words of its motto. This association was the Dedils. Its members were ordinarily spoken of by the somewhat cryptic title of " Nippers." They were said to belong to a " very ' straight sect," but the meaning of this designation is somewhat obscure, as they were often seen returning from their place of assembling in a state of such tipsi- ness as to cause them to pursue a very crooked line. On one of these occasions, their secretary, who had been drinking liberally, dropped his book of minutes in the snow without being aware of its loss. There it was found next day, and a few hours afterwards, it was in the possession of the inquisitive and unsympathetic Fac- ulty. The contents of the volume must have been dis- pleasing, for the fraternity soon disbanded, after an intimation from the indignant authorities that the con- 96 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA duct of the organization had strongly tended to lower the moral atmosphere of the University. Among the ten chapters founded before the year 1889, were those of the Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Phi Theta Psi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, and Sigma Nu. During the session of 1869—70, there flourished within the precincts of the institution not less than fifteen secret societies, with a membership, — if we add the Sons of Confucius, — of approximately one hundred and forty-six students. The Chi Phi and Delta Psi counted sixteen names on their respective rolls. The Delta Kappa Epsilon followed with twelve. In March, 1874, there were about sixteen fraternities in exist- ence, with a combined list of one hundred and fifty-two members. During the session of 1891—92, there were eighteen, with two hundred and fifty-two members. During the session of 1891-92, there were still eighteen, with two hundred and forty members. The most pros- perous in the point of number at this time were the Phi Kappa Alpha and the Phi Gamma Delta. In the mean- while, a number of secret associations had, after the manner of a star, passed their meridian and disappeared below the horizon.1 Unlike the Nippers, most of these bodies seemed to have fared rather scantily. " During this early period," says John S. Wise, " banquets were unknown. The fraternity meeting took place in the 1 In 1894, the following fraternities had chapters at the University of Virginia: Alpha Tau Omega, Omega Theta Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Psi, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Sigma, Phi Theta Psi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Chi Phi, and Zeta Psi. The fraternity representation in the several departments during the period of 1896-1904 was as follows: Academic Medical Law Engineering Members 1172 792 841 98 Not Members 1436 829 665 160 FRATERNITIES AND CLUBS 97 room of some member of the fraternity, and the enter- tainment, if there was any, consisted of the most frugal sort of food, — crackers, cheese, or sardines." In addition to the fraternities which challenged at- tention during the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, there were numerous associations known as ribbon societies. The most conspicuous of these was the Eli Banana, and it was also the earliest to be founded at the University. It was said to have been first organized during the height of the season at the White Sulphur Springs.1 The ob- ject which it had in view, after its transplantation to other soil, was grandiloquently described by itself as one that was both " useful and ornamental." There had been observed a tendency among the members of the conventional fraternities to withdraw from every branch of social life within the precincts which was not directly linked in some way with the activities of their own par- ticular bodies. On the other hand, it was openly as- serted that the Elis aspired to lead the general society of the University, whether connected with themselves or not; but it was not long before this laudable ambition had spread to other provinces of a very different char- 1 We have obtained from Mr. Armistead C. Gordon the late Rector of the University of Virginia, his impression as to the manner in which the society of Eli Banana was inroduced among the students. " I was teaching school at the time in Charlottesville," he writes, " and Charles Rutledge Whipple, a clubmate of mine, stopped by on his way to Richmond from the White Sulphur Springs — I think in the autumn about the time the University was to open — and told me about this organization at the White Sulphur Springs — got up, according to my recollection, by a group of newspaper men and others; and that he had been initiated by them with authority to organize new chapters. Whipple suggested the organization of a chapter at the University, and initiated me, and he and I then initiated one or two others. I think John F. T. Anderson (son of General Joseph R. Anderson, of Richmond) was the first initiate. . . . My idea is that the object of the society as thus organized was solely to create an association of congenial spirits among the students, — a pur- pose which the fraternities did not always succeed in accomplishing." 98 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA acter. The members of this association first endeavored to obtain the mastery of the Jefferson Society, and after- wards, to dominate the football governing board. By the session of 1887-88, they had grown to be the most powerful body in the circle of the college life. Previous to this rise in influence, the students at large had possessed a complete control over all the University dances. Any one among them who wished, could attend these dances, which were held in the Washington Hall, in the course of the session, — with a ball, of a more brilliant setting, at the final exercises in June, to close the series. In 1888, the Elis determined that they would not be pres- ent at the regular german that was given in the Wash- ington Hall at Easter, but would hold a ball of their own on April 6 in the town-hall of Charlottesville. In the magazine for October, 1888, there was printed an announcement that a " german club had been formed to take charge of the dancing to be done this year." This club had been organized by the Eli Bananas alone. Its first ball was given in the Washington Hall for its members' exclusive pleasure, and the rest of the student body were compelled to use the town-hall for their own separate german. Afterwards, the balls of the Elis, — which always signally overtopped the rival balls of the outer set, — took place in the gymnasium. By the session of 1888—89 this society had become so influential that they were successful in electing one of their number the president of the football board, and also two others as members of the same directory. They could also count on their roll one member of the base- ball board; and furthermore, point to that roll as con- taining the names of several winners of degrees. Start- ing out with the proclamation of their intention of pre- serving the best traditions of the University, by admit- FRATERNITIES AND CLUBS 99 ting to their distinguished ranks only the most attrac- tive and accomplished students, they gradually slackened in conduct until they fell under the just displeasure of the University's authorities. On the occasion of their election of new members at Easter, they always cele- brated the event with a parade, in which questionable transparencies were borne aloft, and bacchanalian and ribald songs were sung. As early as 1890, the Fac- ulty had warned them that, if their boisterous behavior was not discontinued, and a more quiet bearing assumed, they would be ordered to disband their organization. The Elis were able, however, without materially altering their carriage, to avoid this extreme penalty for several years; but in June, 1894, the Faculty determined to apply sterner methods for suppressing their spirit of lawlessness ; and with that purpose in view, they adopted a rule that no student who was a member of this soci- ety should be permitted to matriculate until he had given his written pledge that he would not renew his connec- tion with it. In order to surmount this barrier, the Eli Bananas, at the beginning of the next session, organized under the name of " The Elis " only. The Faculty de- clined to recognize this professedly new body, as the membership was really the same as formerly, and the symbols also. " Poor old Eli," exclaimed a writer in Corks and Curls in 1895, " for nearly twenty years, its followers frisked with drum and fife, sported a blue rib- bon, gave a german every Easter, and sang a bold song." This seems to have ended the career of the society for the time being. When the Eli Bananas began to fall into disputes with the authorities, a new society, the T. I. L. K. A., was or- ganized (1889) ; and during several years, this association shared the honors in the social, political, and scholastic 100 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA life of the University with the Elis. The Lotus was also founded. The O. W. L. was already in existence. The membership of this body was drawn from the circle of the editors of the magazine, Corks and Curls, and College Topics. The magazine medalist was also in- cluded in the membership, as well as the authors of the most meritorious prose article and poem published in each number of that periodical. In 1892, the Zeta so- ciety was organized. The Zeta was supposed to have skimmed the cream from the membership of both the Eli Banana and the Tilka societies, and, by this method made up an association that was thought to be of a quality altogether incomparable. Three years later, O. N. E. was established. The social character of these organizations was graded in the University circles in the following proportions: only twenty per cent of the membership of O. N. E. could be considered to be " in society " ; forty per cent of Tilka; sixty per cent of Eli; and ninety per cent of Zeta. Three societies only were said to be composed of young men of social importance, while the remainder were reported to be chiefly composed of students who were conspicuous in athletic sports. It was claimed that all social distinction was restricted to the ribbon societies, for they alone comprised a membership drafted with dis- crimination from all the fraternities. " These young men," said the editors of Corks and Curls, in 1895, " were brought together by the common object of being exclusive. The air of mystery about these ribbon soci- eties, the prominence of their members, the beautiful and artistic badges upon their bosoms, — all conspired to make an election to one of them the great object of every man the moment he matriculates. Such an election is considered to be the highest honor in college." FRATERNITIES AND CLUBS 101 There was a large number of associations of less so- cial prestige than those which have been mentioned, such as the Army and Navy Club, Thirteen Club, West Range Spooks, Black Cat Club, Dramatic Club, P. K., D. S. G., New Club, Camera Club, Chess Club, Algonquin Club, and the Anti-Calico Club. There were also clubs which had been formed by the students who had come up from the same college or high school. These latter were known by the names of the institutions in which their members had received their preliminary training: — thus there was a Hanover Academy Club, a McCabe Uni- versity High School Club, a Norfolk Academy Club, a Richmond College Club, and so on throughout the long list of preparatory schools and colleges. In the same spirit, every State in the South, and at least one in the North, was represented by a club. There were the Louisiana Tigers and the Georgia Crackers, for instance. Each club adopted its own colors, flaunted its own motto, and uttered a yell and sang a song that were altogether its own. The musical clubs in which the banjo, the mandolin, and the guitar, were played, were among the most popular of all the associations. There were also class organizations, with officers to preside at their meet- ings and to supervise their affairs. The members of the Faculty also supported two associations: the Philo- sophical Society, founded, in 1889, for the promotion of original research, and for the reading of original papers; and the Mathematical Club, which seems to have been at first simply a section of the Philosophical Society. Its object was to encourage mathematical investigation, and to keep its members informed of the most advanced scientific thought and achievement throughout the world. These organizations were maintained with spirit, and sub- stantially advanced the University's scholastic reputation. 102 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA xxv. Offenses During no period in the history of the University of Virginia was the spirit of the students so methodcal and so sober as in the course of the first session that followed the close of the War. This was attributable, — partly to the presence of so many matured men, whose educa- tion, whether academic or professional, had been deferred by the call to arms; and partly to the atmosphere of seriousness that prevailed in every Southern community during the critical days of reconstruction. The Fac- ulty, in their report for the session of 1865-66, stated that, throughout these first nine months, there hardly occurred a single incident involving the conduct of the young men that merited censure; and that they had shown, almost without exception, a quiet and studious temper. The gravest delinquency charged against them was a rare absence from roll-call, for which there was usually an acceptable excuse. A correspondent of the Richmond Enquirer, writing in January, 1866, remarked that "the extent of the good order surpassed belief"; and that it was " without a parallel in the history of the institution." A student who matriculated at the begin- ning of this session has recorded that, throughout its entire length, he did not witness one act, or overhear one word, that would have shocked the most delicate sense of modesty. During the session of 1866-67, which witnessed the entrance of many younger men whose dispositions had not been sobered in the school of the camp and the battle- field, a spirit of less self-restraint began to reveal itself. For instance, in April, 1867, a large number of the smaller trees growing on the Lawn at that time were either mutilated or completely uprooted. This damage OFFENSES 103 was done at night by a small band of collegians who were returning from an excursion to town under the irresponsible influence of liquor. In the course of the following year, there was at least one affray within the precincts in which knives and pistols were used, but with- out any serious consequences. It was in the conflicts between the students and the recently emancipated negroes that the most turbulence of action was displayed. In March, 1869, a prominent collegian was summoned to court for beating a freedman who had been insolent to him; and three years after- wards, there was a sudden interruption of a negro ball by the young men, in which numerous pistols were fired off, and a forest of sticks wildly flourished, — the com- motion ending, as was probably designed, in the hasty dispersion of the sable pleasure-seekers. It was, how- ever, in the course of the electoral contest between Hayes and Tilden that the most angry passions were aroused. At that time, the students were in the habit of visiting the town in a body, at a certain hour, in order to learn the latest news brought by the telegraph and posted on the public board of the local newspaper. They always went fully armed on these occasions to repel an attack. " More than once," says Dr. Culbreth, " I have seen in the dim-lit hovel, slightly remote from the roadside, col- ored men prostrate on their stomachs on a bed, or crouched near the window, raised sufficient to permit the passing of their guns, ready to be discharged upon the least provocation, in the form of some slight demon- stration from us of the cause we espoused, such as a hur- rah for Tilden, Hendricks, and Reform. I shall never forget the two or three nights when the students had to call out the Monticello Guard to escort us back to the University, for upon reaching the triangle at the brow 104 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of Vinegar Hill, we found hundreds of negroes armed with deadly weapons, including good sized pieces of mac- adam rock, — of which, loads had been dropped for re- pairs to the road." During these early sessions, the police force of Char- lottesville consisted of two men only, — a chief and one assistant. This chief had been cursed with the loss of an eye, while the assistant was somewhat sluggish in his movements, owing to excessive corpulency; and he was also quite far advanced in years. Both of these men, aware of their physical infirmities, and also of their nu- merical paucity, were not disposed to be too strict or too firm in dealing with the University boys who swag- gered on the streets. On the contrary, they were very cautious and discreet, and winked at many offenses that would have justified the laying on of hands, if not actual imprisonment. An experience which the fat assistant had with a party of mischievous students on one occa- sion, which may be mentioned as being not entirely ab- normal, demonstrated the shrewd wisdom of this custo- dian of the peace. " One night, after a rather late supper," we are told by Judge R. T. W. Duke, Jr., " some of us were rather noisy, and the old man tried to arrest the crowd. He was seized, put under a dry- goods box, and the boys sat on it, and drummed with their heels until he surrendered. He was released under promise of taking a drink, and a complete amnesty for all our offenses. He submitted to be punished with good grace and kept his promise." But a more ignominious punishment than this some- times overtook him. On at least one other occasion, he was led away to Monroe Hill and there thrust into a coal-box, and the lock of the box turned upon him in spite of his wheezy protests. The successor of this OFFENSES 105 famous policeman once attempted to halt a student, who, in passing down the street, was singing boisterously and defiantly. " Arrest me, Sir! " exclaimed the young fel- low, pausing in his song, " arrest me 1 I dare you. I wish you to understand, sir, that I am a graduate in international and constitutional law,1 and beg to inform you that I am under no law of any nation, commonwealth, or municipality. Can I be arrested for singing on the street?" "This," says Judge Duke, who tells the story, " finished the minion of the law, and the delinquent went on his way, singing of * massa in the cold, cold ground'." On another occasion, about eleven o'clock at night, — it was in February, 1877, — a band of fifty students assembled on the Lawn in front of the Rotunda, and after many blasts upon their horns, set out for town in a pro- cession. All were clothed in startling garments. Some were enveloped in flowing shrouds, some in nightgowns, some in the flamboyant finery left over from a college minstrel concert. As they drew near to the borders of Vinegar Hill, a squad of the town policemen were visible in the dim light of the flickering town-lamps, ap- parently firmly prepared to bar all further advance by the liberal use of their cudgels. But, in reality, they were too nervously apprehensive to trust to these weap- ons alone. As the procession came on with a heavy military tramp, the policemen first blew their whistles to summon assistance, and then waved their sticks; but as the enemy was not in the smallest degree intimidated by this movement, they fell back, with some confusion, down the slope of the street to await reinforcements. 1 One of the jokes of the University at this time had as its subject the ease with which the examinations in these courses could be successfully passed. 106 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA A detachment soon arrived to support them ; but this too, after halting for a few minutes, prudently, though slowly, retreated. A second detachment marched up in haste, and with this addition, the body of the defenders felt themselves strong enough to hold their ground, but this expectation quickly proved delusive. A determined as- sault upon their ranks drove them as far down Main Street as the railway station. Here they reformed, and as the collegians were now somewhat scattered, a few of the latter were soon ar- rested. This fact seemed to arouse the valor of the students to a furious pitch, and a battle with sticks began that would have filled with fervent joy the breast of old Homer or the most pugnacious citizen of Kilkenny. For a time, the young men remained in the ascendant, but they were ultimately compelled to begin a strategic retirement on Vinegar Hill, and their retreat was con- ducted with such a firm and determined spirit that the town constabulary thought it wisest to follow them at a respectful distance. At the top of the hill, — the scene of many a heroic deed in University annals — they pushed forward and attacked the students again. A second melee now occurred, and the young men, prob- ably by this time thinned in their ranks, were driven back, and eight of their number captured and rushed off to the town-jail. Their trial was held before the mayor on the following day, and the entire body of students in the University marched to Charlottesville to be present at it. But so great a number could not find admission to the interior of the court-house, and many of those who were left on the outside obtained some alleviation for their disappointment first in a dog fight, and after- wards in violent fisticuffs with negroes, who had ventured to approach too near to the court-house door. OFFENSES 107 This conflict seems to have made a deep impression on the nerves of Charlottesville's authorities. When- ever thereafter a dramatic or musical performance took place in the town-hall, — which always attracted to the spot a large number of students, — the side passageways were patrolled by extra constables, who watched every movement of the boys with suspicion. " The touch of a student's foot on the floor, or the sound of a student's voice," complained the editors of the magazine at this time, " caused them to seize him with threats of expul- sion and arrest." The most interesting of all the contemporary guardi- ans of the peace was the trumpeter who was stationed on the road between Charlottesville and the University, with stern instructions to sound a note that would arouse the shrouded dead just so soon as the van of the Uni- versity marauders should come in sight on their way to the dark and bloody ground of Vinegar Hill. In order to test the courage of this local Roderick Dhu, a party of fun-loving collegians purchased an enormous horn, and concealing themselves at night in a corner situated within short distance of the town herald's post, blew a blast, which was said to have been loud enough to be heard as far as Monticello. The town trumpeter responded with an outburst equally as blatant, and then quickly retired, accompanying each nervous and hasty strategic back- step with another defiant blast on his instrument. Not many minutes passed before the entire fighting force of Charlottesville, such as it was, hurried up to his support, only to find that the alarm had been premature, for, in the darkness, the laughing mischief-makers had man- aged to escape without being discovered. Apart from these conflicts with the town police, there seems to have been only an occasional departure from 108 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tranquil conduct on the part of the students. During the session of 1878-79, with one exception, — and this of no special importance, — there was the most exemp- lary observance of all the ordinances. " The conduct of the young men as a body," said the Faculty, " was characterized by remarkable propriety, and by great regu- larity in the pursuit of their studies." During the fol- lowing four sessions, the. most serious offense was a too liberal patronage, — at long intervals, however, — of the town bar-rooms. Such derelictions seem to have been principally confined to the first hours that followed a general examination or to the finals. In June, 1885, five honor men were suspended, and their diplomas withheld, because they had been guilty of this offense; but they were readmitted to their normal rights as soon as they had given a pledge of good behavior. How rigid the Faculty were in their attitude towards intoxication was demonstrated by their dismissal, for this reason, of one of the foremost students of the law department, in 1895, and their refusal to permit him to receive his diploma at the closing exercises. It was not until Pro- fessor Minor firmly protested against the severity of this sentence that it was modified. Again and again, in their annual reports to the Board of Visitors, during the last years of the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, the same body comment, with warm approval, on the students' punc- tuality in attending lectures and examinations, and also on their orderliness, diligence, truthfulness, and unfailing regard for honor. It was said, during these years, that it was only in the dining-rooms that the young men would sometimes push their exuberant spirits too far and in- dulge in rough horseplay. " Going into dinner once late," we are told by an alumnus of this time ( 1887) , " I heard a hubbub of stamping, yelling, whistling, and beat- OFFENSES 109 ing of plates and glasses. Not thinking that they were greeting me, I smiled at the confusion, and at once the noise increased. In other words, I was grinned. Bread •was thrown about quite freely." There was, in 1884, a violent suspicion that a duel was to be fought by two prominent students, one of whom, in recent years, has risen to extraordinary dis- tinction in the political affairs of the nation. Steps were taken by the Faculty to interpose, and the plan of ex- changing shots, if it was ever seriously adopted, was effectively nipped before it could be carried out. The Faculty displayed a kindly and conciliatory spirit towards the students, in 1888, in proposing that two com- mittees should be appointed for a frank conference when- ever differences between them should arise, — one to represent the Faculty, the other, the students; the stu- dents' committee to consist of three members, one of whom was to be drawn from the law class, one from the medical, and one from the remainder of the collegi- ate body. All three of them must have been associated with the University during a period of three years at least. It was hoped, that, by this method of cooperation, the ties that already bound the young men and the au- thorities together, could be rendered still more intimate and helpful; and that the spirit of order and sobriety now prevailing could be the more easily sustained. Another influence that encouraged good habits throughout these times arose from the persistent labors of the Council of Friends of Temperance, which was or- ganized during the session of 1868-69 under the presi- dency of Professor Minor. This zealous association had sprung up in Virginia after the close of the war, and had spread throughout the Southern States, to the grad- ual exclusion of its rival, the Sons of Temperance, which 110 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA had come into existence as far back in the past as 1842. Its purposes were proclaimed to be : ( I ) to shield its members from the evil of drunkenness; (2) to prompt them to offer assistance to each other in case of sickness; and (3) to improve their characters as men. During the first three months following October i, 1868, not less than sixty students enrolled their names in its minute book. Encouraged by this remarkable accession so soon after the Council was established, Professor Minor, William Wertenbaker, and seven other earnest support- ers of the cause, " flung to the breeze," as they them- selves described it, a banner with the shining motto, " Faith, Temperance, and Charity." The officers of the Council were, as we have seen, farsighted enough to combine regular debates with the normal work of the body. By furnishing orators and medalists to the com- mencement exercises, they increased the dignity of the organization in the eyes of the University; and by the bestowal of a scholarship in the academic department, they created an additional incentive for the students to join its ranks. A few years afterwards, the Council determined to surrender its charter and disband in order that another society, to be known as the University Temperance Union, might occupy the place which it would vacate. It was expected that this new organization would be more suc- cessful than its defunct predecessor, because, from the start, it would be able to throw off entirely that ban of secrecy on its proceedings which was thought to have so gravely hampered the efficiency of the Friends. The public at large were now invited to be present at the meet- ings. The new membership was distributed under three heads, — the honorary, the active, and the registered. The registered member signed the pledge, but was re- DIVERSIONS 111 lieved of the duty to show himself at roll-call, or to take part in the debates. He was, moreover, not subject to the payment of fines or fees. On the other hand, the active member was required to attend with regularity, to participate in the discussions, and to settle all indebt- edness, in the form of fees and fines, with promptness; but, as a compensation for all these obligations, he alone was to be eligible as a candidate for the different honors and prizes which the Union annually awarded. Temperance Hall had now fallen into the possession of the University, and was under the eye of the superin- tendent of the buildings and grounds. The Faculty had recommended at one time its transfer to the impover- ished Young Men's Christian Association in order that the rents of the various apartments might be appropri- ated for its benefit. There was an impression too that the Faculty's assumption of control over the hall would bring about a more successful performance of the orig- inal purposes of the trust established many years be- fore by General Cocke and his associates. xxvi. Diversions During the whole of the Seventh Period, 1865—95, the equality between the students, whether they were in their first, second, or third year, or even in their sixth, was never disputed. This condition arose at the very beginning, in consequence of the University's elective system; and from decade to decade, it was maintained without any perceptible modification. The claim to superiority supposed in our own day to be justified by mere length of time passed in the institution, had its seed in ideas that had stolen in from without. The collegi- ate body, — during the first seventy-five years certainly, — was a thoroughly democratic body in the recognition 112 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of personal equality at least. The student might be a member of a senior class or of a junior; he might be pursuing the undergraduate course or the graduate; he might belong to the academic department, or the depart- ment of law, or medicine, or engineering, or agriculture, and yet none of these differences of grade and class and school exercised any influence whatever on his social status. It was as if all the young men were registered in their first or sixth year, and in the same school, and in the same department. Every artificial and traditional line of demarcation, for the one reason or the other, was com- pletely discarded. The student occupied the place in the ranks to which his character, talents, and industry, — not the length of his connection with the University, — entitled him. The possession of wealth carried, in such a detached atmosphere as this, no perceptible weight. One of the results of this equality of bearing was to create an appreciable degree of personal isolation. There was no class system, as in the curriculum colleges, to draw the student voluntarily or involuntarily into con- stant intercourse with a large body of his fellows. His social relations were usually confined to the circle of his fraternity, or, at most, to his quarter of the University; and his acquaintanceship was narrow at best beyond the bounds of those two contracted spheres. This condi- tion of restriction, while it tended to foster in him a spirit of virile independence and self-reliance, tended also to impoverish his social life. A distinct formality in the general mingling of the students as a mass was its most obvious consequence. The only strong ties were the ties of small groups, which might or might not rep- resent the richer side of the University commonwealth. This spirit was particularly conspicuous in the interval between 1865 and 1875, when the poverty resulting from DIVERSIONS 113 the war led the great majority of the young men to con- centrate their powers upon their books to a degree not observed in later years. " There seems," says a writer in the magazine for March, 1876, "but one idea in the mind of every student at the University, and that is a diploma. We are lamentably deficient in divers devil- tries. There have been one or two initiations into the Sons of Temperance, two wretched attempts at playing funny by hoisting an old wood-wagon on to the roof of the chapel, and, finally, an organized expedition of fifteen men to tie a poor unoffending calf to a professor's door bell." There was now no college song, no college cheer. A coarse yell or a cat-call seems to have been the only vocal expression, on public occasions, of collegiate loyalty and enthusiasm. The extraordinary increase in the interest shown in athletic sports had a tendency to draw closer the per- sonal associations of the young men by creating a pas- time that appealed equally strongly to all; but it also had a tendency to alienate them from the society of the families residing in the same community by making them independent of its charm. " I believe," says Profes- sor Raleigh C. Minor, in his recollections of the eighth decade, " that the student of our day is not quite so versatile in conversation, nor so well read, nor so thoughtful, as was his average predecessor. He is cer- tainly not so much addicted to * calico'." * If there was a perceptible narrowness in that earlier student's social round, it was not attributable to the ab- sence from the general University life of this period of 1 The " addiction to calico " went on steadily falling off until the slang meaning of the word " calico " was entirely forgotten. The term seems to be unknown to the present generation of students (1920). 114 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA opportunities to gratify every taste. Was he of a re- ligious cast? Then he had the Young Men's Christian Association, the Wednesday morning prayers, and the Friday evening services, to soothe his sense of piety. Did he have a passion for athletic games? Then there were the gymnasium, the track-walk, and the football and baseball fields, in which to demonstrate his physical prowess. Was his propensity for the oar? Then, dur- ing many sessions, there was the Rives Boat Club to harden his muscles and test his lungs. Was he fond of dancing, and acting, and music? There were the enter- tainments of the German Club, the Dramatic Club, and the Musical Club, — not to count the balls in private houses, — to throw open to him, hour after hour, the most delightful recreation. Was his taste for reading? There was the library to furnish him with books of amusement, and the newspaper and magazine room to supply him with the latest periodical literature. Did he like to leap into a debate? There were the two so- cieties, with their weekly sessions, to give him all the occasions he could wish for to discuss all sorts of knotty questions to the limit of his verbosity. There were also a billiard hall with refreshments, and a temperance hall without them, and in one or the other, he could follow whichever happened to be his personal leaning — a tem- perate indulgence or a total abstinence. To those who preferred the society of their elders, or were not averse to flirtations with young ladies, the families of the pro- fessors, with their stream of guests, together with the social circle of the neighboring town of Charlottesville, offered all the inexhaustible pleasures of the most re- fined and cultivated drawing-rooms.1 1 A brilliant poem by Mrs. Agnes D. Randolph, which appeared in the magazine for 1875-76, gives an insight into the social spirit of the DIVERSIONS 115 Let us look more closely, in a general way, into the character of these varied diversions. Apart from the social gratifications of their periodical meetings, the members of the several fraternities enjoyed the high frolic which always accompanied an initiation of " goats." A portion of this ceremony took place in the public eye, which gave it an increased fillip. Thus, in the initiations to the Pi Mu Society, composed of med- ical students, the closing scene consisted of a torch-light parade from one end of the precincts to the other, in which the old members, enveloped in immaculately white gowns, marched at the head of the procession, followed by the " goats," robed in the most sombre black vest- ments, relieved only by a white skull-and-bones badge. Floating high above these picturesque figures, there was visible the transparency of a large coffin decorated with numerous symbols. Every right hand grasped a flam- ing and smoking firebrand; and in addition to the waver- ing light from this source, there were the constant flashes from the exploding Roman candles and cannon-crackers, which were carried along to give the animation of a mighty noise to the moving picture. A stag cotillion in the portico of the Rotunda, dimly illuminated by the rays of the dull red torches, terminated the drama of the night. The banquet, as the fraternity's supper was grandi- osely called, was an occasion of unrestrained mirth and enjoyment. The room in which it was usually held, during the eighth decade, was an apartment in Ambro- selli's restaurant. This establishment possessed a great local reputation for the excellence of its oysters and waf- University at that time. It was written in imitation of Goldsmith's Retali- ation, and presents, with many acute and amusing touches, the characters of certain well-known collegians of that day. 116 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA fles; and under the same roof was a full bar and a bil- liard hall. Here each of the more prosperous fraterni- ties foregathered once a fortnight, the cost of the eating and drinking being defrayed by every member in turn. Friends of the banqueters were often invited to take part in the feast and the fun. " These suppers," says Judge R. T. W. Duke, Jr., in his recorded recollections of these times, " were delightful. There were no songs, but a lot of chaff and wit and humor. No speeches were al- lowed. Discussions in history, classics, French and Ger- man literatures, or geology and astronomy, followed. There were some good talkers. Occasionally, a joyous member led us astray. Once we did decorate various professors' houses with signs borrowed from Charlottes- ville stores. They were applied to fit each case. A barber's pole adorned Schele's. He was unusually care- ful with his dress and used pomatum. A hardware and cutlery sign was put over the door of another — a man whose cutting satire did not spare the dull and idle, al- though at bottom he was of a tender heart. When he met his class that afternoon, he said, ' That was a very small shot perpetrated last night, gentlemen, and this re- mark is not intended to be irony even if it does come from a dealer in hardware.' ' Over the doorway of Holmes's pavilion was raised a sign filched from a small Hebrew shop, and inscribed with the following legend: " Cheap dry goods sold here." The professor of his- tory and literature, with all his enormous erudition, — or, perhaps, because of it, — made no pretension, in the rusty garments that hung about his tall, lank form, to that exquisite fitness considered indispensable by the disciples of Beau Brummel. Maupin habitually wore a long black coat, and it was, therefore, thought pertinent to place above the entrance to his pavilion the figure of DIVERSIONS 117 a crow, which had previously perched on the pole of a barber's shop. If we accept as true the testimony recorded in the most famous parody ever printed in the Virginia Uni- versity Magazine, the parody of Ulalume entitled, ' That Evening at Ambro's," some of these club-men were not in a physical condition to carry tradesmen's signs as far as the Lawn. The heroes of this particular epi- sode, having drunk a " bumper titanic " of Ambroselli's headiest bourbon whiskey, followed up by a " duplicate horn " of the same exhilarating spirits, wandered off, on very wabbly legs, in search of the home, not the tomb, of Diana, — the daughter, in this instance, of a profes- sor. Her face and form had been rendered doubly lovely by the artificially inflamed and distorted imagina- tions of the youthful and tipsy knights-errant. There was a flavor of whimsicality in the amusements of some of the social clubs. Thus the members of the Samuel Johnson Club, which assembled as often as three times a week, instead of spending their hours of meeting in grave, and exhaustive, and philosophical discussions, as was to have been expected from their association's ponderously intellectual name, limited their conversation to the less elevated, but perhaps more lively, topics of horse-racing, dog-fighting, and local politics. The Ugly Club was reorganized in March, 1872. Again was the pair of boots presented to the homeliest student in col- lege, the hat to the prettiest, the slippers to the most con- ceited, and the enormous stick of candy to the most di- minutive; and again the recipients, in return for these symbolical awards for their personal characteristics, de- livered very humorous and eloquent speeches of appre- ciation. In 1873, a club was organized to celebrate in a flamboyant manner the arrival of Christmas. The 118 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Faculty, in anticipation of that festival, having posi- tively refused to grant a longer interval of suspension of lectures than twelve hours, the most resourceful of the young men conspired to make this particular holi- day forever memorable in the University's annals. A miniature reproduction of the New Orleans Mardi Gras was the device adopted. The participants, dressed in the most fantastic costumes, and with their horses cor- respondingly decorated, rode around the precincts in a tumultuous procession, gesticulating, and contorting, and shouting, and blowing horns, as they moved forward from point to point on their predetermined route. The Calathumpian band was reorganized after the war; but it failed to win the full measure of its former prominence, although, on the night of Christmas, 1868, it seems to have thrown the University into a state of the most alarming commotion. " The young gentlemen who conducted this affair," said the editors of the mag- azine at this time, " made more noise in the world than they will ever make again." By the session of 1870-71, the boisterous Calathumpians had been merged into the congenial ranks of the mysterious Nippers. The Nippers appear to have been a purely bacchanalian association, who, when inflamed by strong potations, did not scruple to damage the property of the University. This was illustrated in the instance, already mentioned, of their destroying the young trees on the Lawn. The proctor had planted on either side of that part of the precincts a row of rare spruces. These flourishing shoots they ruthlessly pulled out of the ground one night, and having piled them up in front of the proctor's door, tacked the following doggerel lines to its panels : ' The wicked goeth about planting young spruce trees, But the hand of the nipper plucketh them up." DIVERSIONS 119 xxvii. Diversions — Continued But the Nippers in their turn, — no doubt, in conse- quence of such disreputable acts as the one just described, — ultimately sank into desuetude, and were succeeded by the dykers. A profound question, which has never been satisfactorily answered, has long been this: What was the origin of the word dyke? The editors of the magazine, in one of the numbers for 1877, discussed this question with learning, and with moderation also, for even previous to that time, it had often been a sub- ject of hot debate under the arcades. Unhappily, the conclusion which they reached was not decisive, since they were able, with equal plausibility, to trace the elu- sive word back to two possible fountain-heads. It was derived, they asserted, either ( i ) from Van Dyke, the limner of portraits, in which the costumes were remark- ably elaborate and conspicuous; or (2) from the Greek verb deiknumi, which meant to show, to make a show. The word is said to have been first used by a daughter of George M. Dallas, of Philadelphia, while visiting the family of Judge Henry St. George Tucker, at the Uni- versity of Virginia. The only purpose of the dyke seems to have been to put out of countenance a collegian, who, having adorned his person with his most becoming clothes, was on his way to call upon some friend among the young ladies, whether residing within the precincts, or in Charlottes- ville. It was a very expanded form of the grinning or- deal through which so many belated students had to pass before reaching their seats in the lecture-hall or the dining-room. " Our feast," says Judge Duke, in de- scribing one of these dykes, " was interrupted by a pan- demonium,— horns, drums, and coal scuttles thumped 120 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA with a poker, accompanied by a babel of noises. We knew that it meant some youth had been caught on his way to see his fair one. Lit by the glare of improvised torches, the beau, with a fixed and set smile on his face, walked ahead, a torch-bearer on either side, while behind came the howling mob. Once we followed it to a fe- male school. The dykee was to visit a cousin there. The principal implored them to depart. ' Two young pupils have fainted,' he cried, ' and two are about to faint.' " It was some incident of this kind, perhaps, that aroused to the boiling point the indignation of a certain indiscreet Charlottesville editor of that day, and caused him imprudently to censure all participants in a dyke, without any discrimination whatever. He was an un- married man; and a few nights afterwards, it was ru- mored along the arcades that he was calling upon a young lady in the University. Before the visit was concluded, one half of the entire body of students had gathered in front of the pavilion; and there they pa- tiently waited for him to emerge. A profound silence was observed, in order not to alarm him, as it was feared that, if his suspicions were excited, he might endeavor to escape by the backyard. When, hat in hand, and smil- ing, and happy, he appeared on the threshold of the opened door, accompanied by the young lady, ready to wish him a pleasant walk to town, the very heavens seemed to be shattered by the awful din that simulta- neously burst forth from several hundred vigorous throats, and rapidly beaten drums and scuttles, and fiercely blown tin-horns. At once a procession to Char- lottesville was formed, the editor at its head, with a long escort of young men behind him, some of whom were still in their dressing-gowns and slippers, some without DIVERSIONS 121 coats, cuffs or collars, — so great was their eagerness to take part in the dyke, — and all with flaming torches in their hands. The deafening noise was kept up until the national bank in town was reached. There the pro- cession halted. The editor was forced to ascend to the top step of the building and deliver a speech. This he did in a spirit of humorous resentment, and its most pungent paragraph was the one in which he contrasted the cackling of the feathered geese that saved Rome in an historical emergency, with the cackling of the unfeath- ered geese in front of him, who could not be depended upon to save the University in any crisis whatsoever. It is said that, in the course of the eighth decade, when the dyke had entered upon the stage of its highest popu- lar favor, no student ever left his dormitory to call upon a young lady that he was not fearful of being followed by a motley tail of horn-blowers and drum-beaters. Long before he crossed his own threshold, on his way out, " He saw the flaring flambeau's flash Although no torch was there; He heard the dyke's dread opening crash, Though silence ruled the air." When a ball was about to take place in one of the profes- sor's pavilions, every student invited was perfectly aware, while standing before his mirror preparing for the festival, that he would be accompanied to the door by all his less lucky comrades, eager to shake his self-pos- session before he entered the drawing-room. " The guests in their best garb," says Professor Raleigh C. Minor, " would scurry to their destination like fright- ened rabbits, and take to the alleys and dark roads. If caught, the visitor was required to furnish a sample of his oratory from the Rotunda steps. Having made his 122 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA speech, he was escorted to the door. There he had to run the gauntlet between rows of hooting students; and hastened by paddles and pushes, he would land within the mansion breathless and disheveled." In 1872, a contributor to the magazine ventured to assert that the popularity of the dyke was falling away, and the reason which he gave for this opinion proved that he was a nice observer. He affirmed that he had noticed of late that the participants in these noisy demon- strations were not willing to accompany their victim further than the gate at the postoffice. This was the limit of the precincts on that side of the grounds. The writer regretted this evidence of languishing interest, be- cause he was convinced that the dyke had, as he said, " the happy effect of bringing the students together, and knitting them in the bonds of a common feeling." This boisterous recreation was about to pass into the province of an intermittent, if not entirely defunct, cus- tom, when its fading coals were fanned into a new flame, — certainly for the time being, — by the introduction of what was admiringly called the " Big Horn of the Range." This mighty instrument of blatancy has been made famous in the University's annals by one of the most brilliant poems that was ever printed in the pages of the magazine. A few lines quoted from these stanzas will give a more accurate impression of its size and the terrifying scope of its sound, than any prose description which can be offered for the same purpose. " It was a mammoth dyking horn, five feet or more in height, A patriarch 'mid smaller horns, which meaner souls delight ; The tinners bold of Charlottesville, yes, every mother's son, Combined their art to build it, and at last their work was done. One night, when all the world was still, and silence hovered round, DIVERSIONS 123 O'er hill and dale, o'er stream and wood, was heard an awful sound ; So wild and stern, yet full and clear, it rode upon the blast, That Monticello caught it up and back the echo cast. There was a freshman chap who lived at No. 10 Carr's Hill, He thought it was the judgment trump and went and made his will. A high toned ' calicoist ' sat upon a cushioned seat, Beside him leans his Dulcinea dear, so young and fair and sweet, His heart was pierced by Cupid's dart, and as he made his speech, Before she softly whispered ' Yes,' there came that awful screech. The lady fainted dead away, her father entered quick, The ' calicoist ' seized his hat and swiftly ' cut his stick,' And all that night at Ambro's, 'mid his fragrant draughts of corn, These words alone were audible, ' doggone that big tin-horn.' " But not even with this Goliath among horns to in- crease the delightful pandemonium of the dyke, could the custom be kept from falling away. An incident that occurred in 1888 seems to have precipitated the coup de grace. " One night," we are told by Professor Raleigh C. Minor, " a dyke being in progress, the hunters, gathered around the place of entertainment, snatched a man from his girl, leaving her alone within the door. There was a fight next day. But the indig- nation of the student body was aroused by this breach of decorum; and by a mass meeting, the custom of the dyke was solemnly abrogated." After this event, every endeavor to get underway a demonstration of this char- acter ended in failure.1 The Sons of Confucius were not more compactly or- 1 " Oh for a dyke! " exclaim the editors of the magazine for May, 1883. " It cannot be possible that college spirit has ebbed so low as to suffer this excellent and exclusively University institution to die. What is the matter? We long for the blast of the bugle, the piping of the horn, the jingle of the pan, the rattle of the scuttle, the flare of the torch, the eloquence of the dyker's victim, and the sight of the dude escorted." 124 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ganized than the dykers; and as with the dykers also, their single object was to bring confusion into the mental machinery of some unlucky victim. This society was re- vived in 1867, and held its meetings, — whenever there was an occasion for one, — in the basement of the Ro- tunda. It assembled always under the veil of darkness, and only for the purpose of initiating a green new mem- ber. The " goat," blindfolded, was first led around the grounds with the view of mixing up his impressions of localities; and when this end had been accomplished, he was brought into the rear of the Rotunda. Here the order was loudly given, " Take your shoes off, sir, for this is holy ground " ; and when the " goat " had done this, with fumbling fingers, he was pushed along the cor- ridor uniting the Rotunda with the Annex. In this pas- sageway, where every footstep resounded, and where the Sons who had not served as an escort had gathered, with dim lights, beforehand, the ceremony of initiation was held. The initiate, still blindfolded, shoeless, and sock- less, was compelled to listen to a preamble which set forth elaborately the terrifying penalties that would fall on him, should he disclose the awful secrets of the order. A coal scuttle was then placed on his hatless head, and he was sternly commanded to answer a series of unearthly questions. His guides would prompt him with equally ludicrous and preposterous replies. If he hesitated to repeat them, the chief officer would call out " Reverse him across the sword of justice." The grand scribe re- corded each answer, but before doing so, would strike two coal-scuttle blowers violently together. One of the interrogatories put to him was: " Do you believe that the union of the American red bug with the African ele- phant will produce a dilemma, which will inevitably rival the authorship of Junius?" When the series of ques- DIVERSIONS 125 tions, all of the same tenor, had been exhausted, the or- der was given: "Remove the helmet (the coal scut- tle)," and as soon as the initiate could discover what was around him, he found himself confronted by a living donkey. In the midst of yells and screeches, the lights were suddenly extinguished, and the crowd, with a rush, dispersed. XXVIII. Diversions — Continued But there were more rational amusements than these for the recreative hours of the students. As far back as 1867, amateur plays were acted by them. In the course of that year, a committee requested permission of the Faculty to perform the Lady of Lyons in the town of Charlottesville, the net proceeds of which were to be be- stowed on the Albemarle Memorial Association; but consent was positively refused, on the ground that the time wasted in preparing for the play would inevitably lead to a neglect of studies. During the same year, however, the Faculty offered no opposition to a concert to be given in the public hall for the benefit of the same association by amateurs chosen among the collegians. At a somewhat later period, a band of light-hearted Uni- versity minstrels was organized by George D. Fawsett, afterwards an accomplished actor, and like Yorick, a man of infinite jest and fancy, even in his youth. There were some very amusing performances by them in the townhall without the disapproval of the professors; and there was also an occasional reproduction there of plays like the Mikado of Gilbert and Sullivan. The strictly professional entertainments that took place in this hall were not of the highest histrionic or musical quality. The editors of the magazine, in 1873, remarked rather querulously, but not unjustly, that " no 126 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA great orators or singers ever delight our ears and eyes. The proof of the great want is the immense success of any small, insignificant, and paltry troup that comes to town." The aspect of the interior of the old townhall was enough by itself to discourage any artist of high pretensions and unusual talents. The walls were dull, chipped, and battered; the benches rude and hard; the floor begrimed with dirt; and the audiences noisy. In the course of the eighth decade, Blind Tom appeared on its boards; and Brignoli, Janauschek, and the Swiss Bell Ringers, all popular behind the footlights in their own times, following at long intervals. The advertised performance there of Uncle Tom's Cabin by a tour- ing company, in 1894, brought a fierce protest from a mass meeting of the students; but on the cool advice of Colonel Peters and Professor Thornton, their hostility was limited to a boycott, which reduced the receipts of the play to a few lonely dollars. Readings from Dick- ens, Thackeray, Hood, Poe, Sheridan, and Shakespeare were given on at least one occasion by Mr. Siddons in the Washington Hall. Mrs. Scott-Siddons had a sim- ilar entertainment in the town. In 1878, the students wished to organize an asso- ciation for the single purpose of inviting the principal lecturers of the country to speak in the public hall of the University; but the majority of the Faculty discounte- nanced the suggestion, on the ground that it might open up an opportunity to indiscreet orators to utter objec- tional sentiments about politics and religion; and also about science, so far as it bore on the origin of man and the age of the world, — questions which, at this time, were, owing to the Darwinian theories, constantly un- der discussion. DIVERSIONS 127 In 1871, the editors of the magazine complained that the University was lacking in musical clubs, although it was acknowledged that there was no want of trained singers and skilful violinists in the ranks of the students. A glee club was, during this year, organized by the young men who boarded at the Cabell House. In the course of the session of 1874-75, there appeared a small band of troubadours, who amused themselves with serenades, by moonlight, under the windows of the ladies of the University and Charlottesville. This was known by the poetical name of the Claribel. Another club, which was in existence at this time also, was composed of students who played on the piccolo, bass viol, violin, guitar, flute, and hand-organ. It went by the concise name of the Instrumental Club. It was distinct from the Claribel, but often cooperated with it in giving serenades and so- cial entertainments. Subsequently there sprang up sev- eral additional musical associations, such as the West Range Sextette, the F. K. V. and the Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Club. The latter association could boast of a complete set of officers, seven performers on the banjo, four on the mandolin, and twelve on the guitar. This association seems to have broken up into two clubs in 1893, although they joined in having the same president, but not the same leader. There was a resolute attempt, during the session of 1893—4, to place the musical clubs on a permanent footing. This had been suggested by the success of their professional visits to Richmond and other cities. Ultimately, the Glee, Banjo, and Mando- lin Club was organized, with Bernard Moore as its pres- ident and Harrison Randolph as its director. This club, like its predecessors, obtained the ready permis- sion of the Faculty to give concerts beyond the confines 128 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of the University; and in several instances, they travelled as far afield as Nashville, in Tennessee, and Louisville, in Kentucky. As has already been mentioned in the account which we have given of the fraternities, numerous cotillions were danced in the Washington Hall. These occasions were attended, not only by the students, and by the belles of Charlottesville and the University, but also by many young ladies who happened to be visiting the families of the professors, or the citizens of the town. The Board usually refused to grant the use of the library-room to the German Club except when the final ball was to take place; but a splendid leap-year ball was held in this apartment in April, 1892. The participants came with their hair powdered, and their figures set off in the cos- tumes of the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The large pillars that ran around the galleries were wrapped in pink bands, and the arches and galleries themselves were adorned with the same brilliant draperies. Across the face of the ceiling, there were strung from the upper railing, wires, from which masses of roses were sus- pended; and in the midst of the flowers, there glowed hundreds of gas-jets, that cast over the spacious room and its contents a softly tinted radiance. All the ladies wore pink gowns, with bouquets to match, while the waistcoats and the inner lining of the coats of the beaux, were of the same delicate color. The scene, with the fairy lights and shadows, the brilliant garments of a ro- mantic and gallant age, the multitude of lovely faces and manly forms, the animation of the waltz, and the sound of inspiring music, was one that has rarely been surpassed even in our own age of beautiful social spec- tacles. During the following year, there was held in the pub- DIVERSIONS 129 lie hall what was always spoken of as the cotton ball. A broad curtain, dyed orange and blue, hid the platform from sight. When this was drawn, a tableau of mo- tionless figures was revealed. At the wave of a wand, eight sleeping beauties, disguised as enormous cotton blooms, started from their slumbers, and at the same mo- ment, an equal number of beaux rose to their feet, and filing to the floor with their partners began to dance. Within a brief while, the rest of the company were joining in the pastime. During the first years that followed the war, the prin- cipal event was the final ball, which took place in the library-room. This event, at that time, drew to the University representatives of all that was socially dis- tinguished in the ancient commonwealth of Virginia. Hither came the belles of the different cities, whose beauty, charm, and wit were, in some cases, celebrated throughout the Southern States.1 Here too was to be seen many a stately matron, who was attending the final exercises in order to be present at her son's graduation. As one looked down from the galleries on the moving and talking crowd below, the eye caught sight of some famous orator, who had, that morning, addressed the alumni. It might be John S. Preston, Thomas F. Bay- ard, John W. Daniel, Henry W. Grady, George H. Pen- dleton, Allen G. Thurman, Henry Watterson, R. M. T. Hunter, or Father Ryan. The Governor of the State was the never failing guest of the University on that occasion. Perhaps, it was the handsome Walker, or the gallant Kemper, or the scholarly Holliday, or the dash- ing Fitzhugh Lee. 1 Famous beauties like Miss Lizzie Cabell and Miss Mary Triplett, and sparkling wits like Miss Mattie Ould, attracted, wherever they appeared, even more admiring attention than the most distinguished surviving gen- erals of the late Confederate armies. ISO HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA The Faculty had forbidden the morning germans in the library-room because it interfered with the cere- mony in the public hall at the same hour; but this de- ficiency only added zest and distinction to the ball at night. All the tables and chairs were summarily re- moved to open up the entire area for the use of the dancers and promenaders, while the lecture-rooms below were reserved as withdrawing rooms for the ladies. The several tiers of galleries and the alcoves on the floor, were packed with excited spectators, who were enjoying the brilliance and the animation of the splendid scene, now lighted up from above by rows of gas-jets running around the entire front of the galleries. All the neighboring porticos were filled with seats for the convenience of those couples who should wish to re- tire from the floor during the intervals between the dances. Wertenbaker, very naturally, was primarily so- licitous for the safety of the books, and he was, there- fore, inclined to grumble about the dangers which the flaring of so many gas-jets undoubtedly created; but the Board of Visitors refused to be influenced by his appre- hensions. " As far as the visiting people and the young men are concerned," they said, " the annual ball is one of the chief items of attraction of the session, and it is pe- culiarly proper that the handsomest hall at our command should be used for the occasion." But the final ball was not the only brilliant episode of the commencement week. Each of the debating socie- ties held its closing celebration on a separate night. This celebration, whether it was of the Jefferson or the Washington Society, drew to the illuminated hall and Lawn an even larger concourse of eager people than the final ball, for the public was now admitted to the pre- cincts without discrimination as to person or costume. DIVERSIONS 131 The following description of the ceremonies of the Jef- ferson Society at the end of the session of 1873—4 has been preserved, and it is worthy of quotation in full as smacking so sharply of the social flavor of those distant times. ' The air was balmy, the night, beautiful," says the writer of this reminiscence. " From the far out- skirts of Charlottesville, from all the adjacent neighbor- hoods, came father and mother, came daughter and son, came belle and beau, came home-folks and visitors on foot, on horseback, in buggies, in carriages, any way, every way. From McKennieville, and Michieville, from Booneville, and Andersonville, from Morea, from the University hotels, from the professors' houses, came folks from afar and folks from anear, came young folks and old folks, high folks and low folks, rich folks and poor folks, people in white and people in black, people in pink and people in blue. The whole hall was filled with a grand array, in which beaux in broadcloth and belles in silk preponderated. We got up in the gallery and looked down upon the scene, over which the one thou- sand gas-jets played fitfully, and we sat enwrapt, charmed, fascinated, thrown into interminable palpita- tion, as our eye ran from fair forms to fair faces, and back again from fair faces to fair forms. Fans flut- tered, beaux whispered, fair ones smiled; the young were happy, the old seemed kindled anew with the spirit of years long gone. Afar and anear, throughout the hall, all was mirth and merriment. At half past eight o'clock the band began to tune up in the orchestra. There was a momentary lull, and then the tramp of the marshals and committeemen was heard at the door, and soon, along the aisles, they came, escorting the profes- sors, the Board of Visitors, and other distinguished per- sons. The ceremonies having closed and the band 132 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA played, the audience was dismissed to the Lawn. The Rotunda porch, the long arcades, the triangle, the music- stand in the middle of the Lawn, were all aglow with the innumerable Chinese lanterns of all colors artistically ar- ranged. The night is still beautiful. Around and around, the promenaders go. Tall ones and small ones, blondes and brunettes, hanging on low arms, looking up into dark eyes, looking down into light ones, talking and laughing, walking and standing, sitting down or stooping, sitting out under trees, talking of watermelons, dances and love; talking of ma and pa, the children, and love; talking about sleigh rides and boating and love; talking about music, camp-meetings, and love." l This reference to love-making on these occasions was very much to the point, for there was no other place in Virginia where so many matches had their beginning. It was an earthly paradise of youthful lovers. In June, 1884, the Faculty, in their report to the Board, recommended that the custom which had sprung up of holding the morning as well as the evening germans of the commencement in the library-room, should no longer be tolerated; and the reason which they gave was that these entertainments, coming as they did in the most brilliant part of the year, shut out, during many hours, the body of 1 " Many of the old boys," says John S. Patton, " remember the splendid spectacle afforded on commencement evenings when the Rotunda and the public hall were a blaze of light, and it seemed impossible that any avenue could be so noble and dazzling as the one from the portico through the Rotunda and connecting porch into the great hall, where the whole view ended in the rostrum and Raphael's assembled philosophers. Even the architectural accessories of the great painting, — the portico, columns, and high arched portals, — seemed details of the public hall itself. The hall's acoustics were not good, perhaps, but a thousand young men and women filling the floor and galleries, — undisturbed by poor acoust- ics,— a dozen ushers rushing about with gay batons until they trouped their colors over the aisle in honor of the Faculty, Board, orators, and distinguished guests, in stately progress to the rostrum, — made a picture full of color and movement and altogether good to look upon." ATHLETICS — BASEBALL 133 the students and visiting strangers from the most beauti- ful apartment in all the buildings. The Board assented to the propriety of this view, and the privilege was with- drawn. This proved ultimately to be a heavy blow to the social distinction of the closing week, — not many years passed before Easter flowered into the gayest sea- son of the session. The erection of the gymnasium pro- vided a spacious apartment for the students' balls and germans; but the brilliance of the former dances in the library-room has not so far been duplicated under an- other roof; nor is it likely to be so long as the final exer- cises fail to draw to the University a throng of distin- guished alumni and general visitors resembling the one that gathered within those stately precincts during the commencements of an earlier period. xxix. Athletics — Baseball During the first session of the new order, 1865-66, baseball was the only game which was able to secure any foothold in the esteem of the students. " On the Lawn," says John S. Wise, in the Lion's Skin, " a contingent were in the habit of assembling,' in their short intervals of lei- sure, and amusing each other with discussions of their favorite sport." By this time, that sport had risen to such popularity beyond the precincts that the clubs of several communities formed what were known as leagues for the purpose of instituting contests between the nu- merous competitive nines. In the course of the session 1866-67, the Monticello Club was organized. This was always spoken of as the " great nine," because it drew its membership from the subordinate and inferior ones. No strict rules were adopted by the Monticello Club, and no uniform was used by it as a means of distinguishing the sides, although games were now played by it as far afield 134 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA as Washington. The Potomac Club was, on at least one of these occasions, beaten by the Monticello Club; and so was the Arlington Club of Lexington. But how cold still was the attitude of the students as a body towards this branch of sport was demonstrated by the magazine's sneering description of the enthusiasm exhibited by some for the game as " strange and unneces- sary." This enthusiasm had now begun to spread throughout the precincts. By 1867-8, the Lawn, the Ranges, Dawson's Row, and Carr's Hill, had each organ- ized a club of amateurs, and after a series of games, the local championship narrowed down to East Lawn and West Range. There is no record of the ultimate winner. In the meanwhile, the Monticello Club had continued to maintain its separate existence. In 1870, there was a match game between this club and a nine composed of the most expert players to be found in the rolls of the sub- ordinate nines of the University. So many were the scores recorded at this time between the different clubs, that the Monticello team, as the principal one, — being made up, as already stated, of members selected from the ranks of all, — must have possessed a fair degree of com- petence. " The baseball clubs are organizing," said the editors of the magazine, during the session of 1870-71, " and several games are played every week. A large number of students visit the grounds near the cemetery to witness the skill of the players." And yet, according to this periodical, in its issue of the same date, there was, at this hour, " no regularly organized club or even a University nine," — by which it only meant that there was no club in existence that year which was acknowl- edged to represent the entire institution. There was now heard the complaint that the grounds in use were unfit even for the old-fashioned pastime of town ball; and ATHLETICS — BASEBALL 135 there were many voices raised in favor of the Faculty's allowing a field to be reserved for athletic sports alone. During the session of 1871—72, the rivalry between the Monticello Club, — which, if it had been disbanded in 1870-71, had now been revived, — and the club of Wash- ington and Lee University began ; and it was to be nursed, with intervals of relaxation, during many years. The first series of games was played with the Shoo Fly Club, in which those champions of the seat of learning at Lex- ington were defeated by a close margin. During the following sessions of 1872—73 and 1873- 74, the interest in baseball at the University of Virginia seems to have fluctuated, — now it was pronounced the favorite sport of the students; now it lost its popularity to such a degree that the Monticello Club was not reor- ganized. When, in March, 1874, a challenge was re- ceived from the team of Washington and Lee Univer- sity, the magazine remarked, in commenting on it, that " college duties had been too pressing so far to leave any time for such manly and invigorating exercise as base- ball." It was not until 1875 that another match game was played by the two institutions, and the upshot again found the University of Virginia the winner in the con- test. Sometimes, these games were played at the latter place on a field not far from the residence of Professor Mallet; sometimes, in Lexington. When the turn came for a game in Lexington, the excursion thither was full of excitement, since the University club, on these occa- sions, was always accompanied by a large number of rol- licking students. First, they traveled by cars to Staun- ton, where the short interval of waiting was enlivened by flirtations with the pretty school-girls, who swarmed like bees in that beautiful town. From that place, they con- tinued their journey by coach to their point of destina- 136 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tion. There they were always received with a great demonstration by the students of Washington and Lee University and the cadets of the Virginia Military Insti- tute; lectures in both institutions were suspended; and the inhabitants of the town and the surrounding region as- sembled to watch the innings of the game. The University club was successful down to 1878 in beating their Lexington opponents. Indeed, the un- broken round of victories had begun to assume a monot- onous complexion. On May 9, of that year, the rule of alternation required the Arlington Club to face their rivals on the University grounds. The University team took their places at the bat and in the field with a feeling of smiling confidence in their superiority over their adver- saries. But this state of serenity was soon rudely upset. The ball left the Arlington pitcher's hand apparently on the usual straight line, and without turning over as it flew to its mark. It reached the plate and was struck, but instead of being driven far afield, as was expected, it whirled aloft and fell lamely into the hands of the Ar- lington catcher, as he crouched behind the batter. The first man at the bat was quickly knocked out, the second, the third. The University club was thrown into a state of paralyzing consternation. What was the matter with the ball? Why could it not be squarely hit? Why did it gyrate with such abnormal curvings? Why did it per- sist in going crooked? The explanation was soon dis- closed. Sykes, the Arlington pitcher, had given a twist to the ball when it left his hand, and it was impossible for it to be struck in the usual manner. By the end of two hours, the University club had not a single run to its credit, while the Washington and Lee club was able to count twelve. The championship, in short, had passed to that organization, — only to be recovered by the Uni- ATHLETICS — BASEBALL 137 versity players when they had learned the same sleight of hand. By April, 1877, the University club had been put on a more effective working footing by the election of a presi- dent and board of directors. A keener interest in the sport followed the adoption in 1880 of formal rules of government, one of which required that each aspirant should have played at least ten times between March 10 and April i, the date of organizing the nine for that year. The magazine remarked in its May issue that " the base- ball fever had broken out with a violence which seemed to give great promise of success." It was noticed, during this decade, that the number of amateur players on the grounds was sufficient for the formation of two nines; and that they were not devoid of genuine skill was proven afterwards by the fact that their leader, Fergusson, won the reputation of being the most expert professional pitcher in the United States. The games played were often in response to a challenge from one fraternity to another. Thus a match game came off in the spring of 1 88 1 between two nines chosen from the membership of the Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Chi Phi. In March, 1882, the baseball association was reorgan- ized with thirty-seven members, and promptly began to show a more energetic spirit. First, it challenged a nine belonging to Charlottesville, and, afterwards, its old ad- versary, the nine at Washington and Lee University. A stride forward was taken in the autumn of this year, when the association was again formed, with a complete roll of officers; but, for the time being, the nine under its management seems to have been satisfied to struggle for victory with the nine organized at the Pantops High School, situated not far from town on the southeast bank of the Rivanna. There was a series of games with the 138 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA batters of this school in 1884 and 1886; and during the latter year, the University club even ventured to play with a nine that had been recruited in the village of Gordons- ville. The fact that its members were now unwilling to challenge more dangerous competitors than these is an indication that the games, during this year, were played by men who were lacking in confidence in their own skill. Indeed, it was admitted in May, 1886, that the sport had fallen into a condition of somnolent lethargy. But this spirit does not appear to have lasted very long. In 1 889, under the management of Felix H. Levy, a series of games were played with nines belonging to Richmond College, Washington and Lee University, Episcopal High School, United States Naval Academy, Virginia Mili- tary Institute, and Johns Hopkins University. The pas- time of boating having lost its flavor, the interest in other branches of sport revived, and from this time forward, baseball was able to retain its reestablished hold on the hitherto fluctuating predilections of the students. Instead of seeking support in voluntary contributions by the student body, the board of directors, — who con- trolled the affairs of the club, — borrowed money and erected an enclosure around a field and charged a small fee for admission. This new ground for the games was inaugurated in 1888-89 with a fierce tussle between the University team and the team of Charlottesville. In the spring of 1890, it was found that a skilful pitcher was needed to complete the nine. One of the members of the club visited Richmond and persuaded Murray M. McGuire, a recent graduate, to return with him and as- sume that office. Through the ability and energy of this alumnus, the club reached such a degree of efficiency that its reputation spread far and wide. In 1888, the Uni- versity team had been satisfied to contest with the neigh- ATHLETICS — BASEBALL 139 boring Pantops High School nine; in 1891, it was win- ning victories over nines belonging to the foremost col- leges of the North, long celebrated for their successes in every province of athletic sports. " No one," said the editors of College Topics at this time, " did more than McGuire to give the University its enviable position (in this province) ; and during his stay here, no one did more for athletics in the University." It was asserted that all the talk of the arcades was now given up to the one in- flaming topic of baseball. Fifteen games were played with the nines of the Boston Association, Dartmouth Col- lege, Virginia Military Institute, Washington and Lee University, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University, Swarthmore College, Cornell Uni- versity, the Olympia Club, of Louisville, the Pastime Club, of Baltimore, the Old Dominion Club, of Richmond, and the Columbia Athletic Club; and in eleven of these con- tests, the nine of the University of Virginia demonstrated its superiority by scoring the highest number of innings. W. M. Nash, of the Boston League, was employed in 1892, as the coach for the University team. During the baseball season of this year, sixteen games were played with the nines of Vermont, Princeton, Washington and Lee, North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt Universities, and Dartmouth, Lafayette, and Lehigh col- leges, and the Boston Association, and eight of these were won by the University of Virginia. There were ten games played during the Spring of 1893, and the Univer- sity of Virginia was the successful competitor in six. Harvard University had been challenged in 1893, but ap- parently had not been defeated. The record for 1894 was not so gratifying, — only one-third of the games played during the Spring of this year were won. The record for 1895 was more successful. 140 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA xxx. Athletics — Football " One afternoon in November, 1870," we are informed by the editors of the revived magazine, " the junior math- ematical class, on going to their lecture-room, found that there would be no lecture, and returned swearing across the Lawn. Soon a rough-and-tumble game of football, gotten up then and there, began. Since then, the game has become very popular with the students, and is played every evening on the ground between the orchard and the laboratory." At this time, there was apparently no step taken to organize this sport scientifically, but nevertheless it seems to have been pursued with a remarkable display of ardor. " I was strolling down to the postoffice," says the philosopher of the magazine, in 1872, " when I saw a crowd of coatless youth engaged in what seemed to us the insane sport of rushing together, and trying to kick each others' hats off. Ever desirous of gaining information, we asked of a friend near us what was the matter. He replied, ' Football,' and we, without any other informa- tion, dashed off burning to enter into the glorious sport. We entered. A friend kindly offered to take us on his side. We thanked him and took our position, and were kicked on the shins and on the knees." It was asserted, in 1873, that not less than two hundred students participated in the free and easy, go-as-you-please games that were played during that year. It was inti- mated,— probably in the spirit of irony, — that the mem- bers of the medical class had exhibited peculiar aptitude for these games, from the quickness with which they were able, through the knowledge acquired in the class-room, to bind up their broken skins and apply curative salves to their ugly bruises. By the year 1874, a team had been organized; and it began its sporting history by playing a ATHLETICS — FOOTBALL 141 series of games with a club that had been formed by the large English colony now settled in Albemarle county. And not satisfied with this initial venture, it sent off a chal- lenge to the football team of Washington and Lee Uni- versity. The ground on which these games, as a rule, took place was situated in the immediate neighborhood of the new house occupied by Professor Mallet; but the lot on which now stands the Brooks Museum was also used. So keen was the interest which was felt at this time even in the preliminary practice, that it was said that the members of the club 1 were not to be deterred by rain, or snow, or wind, from hastening to the field so soon as they were at leisure. The style of their play- ing was of a very inexact and loose character, although the magazine had printed, for the benefit of the club, the rules which had been adopted by the principal football association of the country, which was composed of Yale, Rutgers, and Princeton students. " About half past four in the afternoon," we learn from Dr. Culbreth, " a few young men with the ball would gather. They would di- vide into sides and begin to kick. A signal would be given for those near to rush in and form, while other re- cruits were captured from the passersby, until a couple of hundred were engaged in the field. There were goals, and there were captains, but few, if any, regulations." It could not be properly expected that this unmethod- ical style of practicing would develop a team so skilful as to be capable of successfully competing in an intercol- legiate test of superiority. As late as the autumn of 1 88 1 there was no really scientific football organization in existence at the University. The team selected for that season seems to have been chosen by a committee. 1 The word " club " is perhaps too strong and exact a term to apply to the loose organization of football players at this time. 142 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA But it was an encouraging sign that the interest of the students in the sport was now steadily growing. In the autumn of 1883, a club comprising a large membership was formed, and every afternoon before the winter set in, there were many furious struggles in the field. At the end of a few years, the players, — who had, in the mean- while, been contending with obscure local opponents, — thought themselves sufficiently trained to meet the team of Johns Hopkins University, but this impression proved to be misleading, for, in 1888, the score between the two antagonists was twenty-six to zero in favor of the Mary- land institution. The University players were con- strained to satisfy their chastened ambition with the de- feat of the team of the Episcopal High School. The University club had been regularly organized during the previous session; but that no rigid standards of selection were employed is demonstrated by the report of the fol- lowing conversation which has survived. The commit- tee, we are told, interviewed Robert Massie. " You are chosen a member of the team," they laconically informed him. " But I never played in my life," he protested in his astonishment, " and know nothing about it." " Nor do we," they replied. But whether Massie at that time was too modest or not in his low estimate of his knowl- edge of the game, he was afterwards elected to the re- sponsible post of captain. The football club, like the baseball club, did not become independent of precarious contributions by the students until the shrewd suggestion of Felix H. Levy, a member of the department of law, that the grounds should be en- closed and an entrance fee demanded, was adopted. Of the eleven regular players taking part in the games dur- ing the session of 1889-90, not less than five had been re- cipients of professional degrees. It was asserted, without ATHLETICS — FOOTBALL 143 contradiction, that " the best members of the team had been among the best students of the University." Dur- ing this session, one of the departments of the University, the department of engineering, organized a football club, membership in which was rigidly confined to its own classes. But a sectional club like this had too small a fold to draw on to possess a high order of skill. The Univer- sity team, on the other hand, had reached such a pitch of efficiency by the autumn of 1 889 that it was able to van- quish the team of Johns Hopkins University by a score of seventy-eight to zero. The challenges now sent out in- dicated the aggressive confidence which its members now felt in their own competency. During the months of Oc- tober and November, 1889, in addition to the game with Johns Hopkins, they competed with the champions of the Naval Academy, Lehigh University, Georgetown College, and Wake Forest College. Of the six games, the University team was successful in four. In 1890, that team played six games with the picked men of Penn- sylvania, Princeton, and Washington and Lee Universi- ties, and Lafayette, Trinity, and Randolph-Macon Col- lege. The University team succumbed to the team of Princeton by a score of zero to one hundred and fifteen, and to the team of the University of Pennsylvania by a score of zero to sixty-two; but, in 1891, they sharply re- taliated by defeating the team of Princeton by a very large margin. There were five games played in the course of this year. In addition to the victory over Princeton University, the University team defeated the champions of St. John's College, and tied with those of Lafayette and Schuylkill. There were played, in 1892, six games, in four of which the University of Virginia was successful. The team, during this year, was beaten by the team of the University of Pennsylvania, and also by 144 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the team of the University of North Carolina; but was triumphant in a contest with the respective teams of Georgetown College, Trinity College, and the University of the South. The autumn of 1892 will always be a memorable one in the history of football at the University of Virginia. It was then decided that every candidate for membership in the team should be required to pursue a strict course of training in the gymnasium. The practice in the field be- gan on the 1 5th of September, and, during an interval of three weeks, the energies of the players were confined to the acquisition of the rudiments of the game. Johnson Poe, a former halfback of Princeton, was the coach. How many high qualities were fostered by this drastic system of instruction were eloquently recounted in an ex- tract which College Topics printed, with approving com- ments, in its pages. " Football means brains as well as brawn. It tells of temperate lives, well nourished bodies, and well controlled nerves. It calls for coolness as well as courage, for alert attention, quick wit, readiness of re- source, and all manliness of soul." Although the Uni- versity of Virginia was overwhelmed in its first game with the University of Pennsylvania by a score of thirty- two to zero, yet its team soon demonstrated the effect of the remarkable training which they had received from Johnson Poe.1 During the autumn of 1893, there were eleven games played with foreign competitors. The score stood two hundred and forty-four to seventy-eight 1 " We knew no football at all," says Murray M. McGuire, " when Poe took us in hand. This was the day when piling up was allowed. Poe was teaching the game to pile up, and he himsdf fell on the ball and in- structed the players forthwith to pile up on him. As he was coach, they left him room to breathe. He expressed the greatest dissatisfaction and yelled at the top of his voice that no one was on his head. He had no further cause to complain that day or the succeeding day, because of the consideration shown his feelings or his head." ATHLETICS — THE GYMNASIUM 145 in favor of the University team. During the spring of 1894, the score was four hundred and fourteen to thirty in their favor. One of the most distinguished members of this efficient team at this time was Addison Greenway, whose skill in the field was said to have been phenomenal. By the session of 1894, the game of football had risen to undisputed predominance among the athletic sports of the University of Virginia, in consequence of the suc- cesses of the team abroad. The following is the record for this year of the scores made by the teams of the prin- cipal seats of learning: Yale, sixteen games, points 485 ; University of Pennsylvania, seventeen games, points 400 ; Harvard University, thirteen games, points 334; Prince- ton University, ten games, points 202 ; the University of Virginia, ten games, points 414. The average for the University of Virginia was 38.40; for Yale University, 29.50; for the University of Pennsylvania, 22.35; f°r Harvard University, 22.15 ; and for Princeton University, 15.80. It was altogether justifiable, in the light of these comparative figures, that the editors of the magazine should have remarked in its pages with unconcealed satis- faction, " Our career in football this year is very glorious. The University of Virginia is beginning to take a high place in college athletics." xxxi. Athletics — The Gymnasium Immediately after the close of the war, D'Alfonce, who had served as an officer of cavalry in Sheridan's com- mand, and as such had passed with the Federal troops through Charlottesville on the occasion already described, returned to the University, and asked to be restored to his former position. In doing this, he exhibited the spirit of a soldier of fortune, who does not allow himself to 146 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA be influenced in his acts by any sentiment of bitterness about the past; but while he seems to have obtained the appointment again, he must have become aware, after .a few weeks, that the atmosphere of his old quarters had grown frigid; and that his teachings were not followed with the kindly attention and hearty respect of former years. Indeed, it is quite probable that he was really boycotted, not the less effectively because the attitude to- wards him was free from any overt discourtesy. Only a foreigner could have expected that his reception, after the terrible events of the war, — especially after the devastating campaign in the Valley, in which he had taken part, — would be sufficiently cordial to permit of his giv- ing lessons to his classes with his former success, and with undiminished personal popularity. As he walked about the University grounds, passing at every step men who had been recently fighting in the Southern armies, many of whom had been maimed for life, he must have gradually perceived that his presence was not in harmony with his environment; and that there was small likeli- hood that, at an early day, he could so far overcome the prejudice which he aroused as to be able to regain a profitable pupilage. He very naturally declined to ac- cept a reappointment for the second year.1 His final disappearance occurred before the opening of the session of 1866—7, for, during that session, Frederick Hilde- brand was the incumbent of the position which he had oc- cupied. Hildebrand was appointed for a term of only five months. His first act seems to have been to ask the Faculty's permission to use the basement of the Washing- 1 In 1877, the trustee of D'Alfonce was empowered by the Board to remove the bath house, which, as we have seen, had been erected by D'Alfonce on the University grounds, ATHLETICS — THE GYMNASIUM 147 ton Hall as an apartment for gymnastic exercises during foul weather. He remained within the precincts through- out the session of 1867—8, and appears to have gone to some expense in fitting up professionally the room in which he gave the practical lessons in his art. His claim for reimbursement on this account was rejected by the Board of Visitors in June, 1868, at which time he prob- ably terminated his official connection with the University, for his post was vacant during the ensuing session. The students with a taste for gymnastic performances were now constrained to turn to the bars and rings which had been erected, during previous years, in the shadow of each group of dormitories. " We are happy to no- tice," said the editors of the magazine in the number for January, 1871, "that, in several parts of college, the students have, in a small way, solved the problem of a gymnasium. Monroe Hill and West Range have the same little conveniences they had last year. East Lawn and East Range have combined and built for their mutual profit a substantial little gymnasium. Dawson's Row and Carr's Hill have had their old ones renewed." These primitive gymnasiums were simply clusters of hor- izontal and parallel bars, swings, and poles. They were located on the open ground under the trees, where they were exposed to all the vicissitudes of the weather, both hot and cold, wet and dry. During the session of 1874- 75, the young men who roomed on Monroe Hill, and in the houses of Dawson's Row, were conspicuously active in the use of these outdoor rings and bars, — in the au- tumn and spring, they gathered here daily in the interval between dinner and half-past three o'clock, and also in the interval between five o'clock and supper, and engaged, with great earnestness, in " skinning the cat " and mak- ing the great swing. 148 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA In June, 1875, James V. Carr applied for permission to instruct the students in the science of the new gymnas- tics; and the question of his appointment seems to have turned on his ability to obtain a suitable apartment. There was now such a palpable need for a gymnasium un- der roof that a student who had matriculated during the session of 1875-76, — Edward H. Squibb, of Brooklyn, - offered very generously to purchase the requisite appli- ances, if the University authorities would furnish the rooms in which to erect them. A meeting was held in March, 1876; an organization was effected under the name of the Squibb Gymnasium Association; and the cus- tomary officers selected. By April, the enrolment em- braced as many as eighty students; and by June, one hun- dred and ten. The hotel situated at the south end of East Range, which had been long locked up, was assigned to the association. Here parallel bars, rings, trapeze, rowing machines, striking bags, Indian clubs, and dumb- bells were soon available. The new gymnasium became at once popular. In March, 1885, after several years of successful op- eration,— in the course of which there had been many contests, and numerous prizes awarded, — the editors of the magazine suggested that the gymnasium should be placed under the control of the Faculty; and that no fee should be charged for the use of its apparatus. They also proposed that a physical director should be appointed to stimulate its further development. There was now heard much criticism of the defects of the apartment in the hotel building, — the ceiling was low ; the ventilation, imperfect; the appliances worn in quality, and insufficient in quantity. These comments, however, failed to im- press the Board of Visitors, for, in the following July, when they held their annual meeting, they simply in- ATHLETICS — THE GYMNASIUM 149 structed the Faculty to permit the students to organize a gymnasium club, — the members of which were to pay a considerable fee, — while they refused to assign more suitable quarters for the apparatus. The same hotel was to continue to house the various contrivances and in- struments in spite of its inconveniences. One concession, however, they were willing to make, which tended to in- crease the importance and dignity of athletics in the Uni- versity,— two days in November were to be exempted from recitations, during which interval, the competitive exercises were to take place under the public eye. In October (1885), the Squibb Gymnasium Association transferred to the Faculty's possession the entire set of appliances which belonged to its members. The Faculty, in their turn, announced that thereafter all the fees paid by the students under the original ordinance of the Board were to be used in repairing the old apartment, in fur- nishing new apparatus, and in defraying the expense of the necessary fires and servants. The hall was to be kept wide open every day, except the Sabbath, from six in the morning to eight in the evening. The gymnasium from this time forward was accepted as an essential part of the University system, to be supported, like every other part, as indispensable to the prosperity of the institution.1 . The first instructor of physical culture appointed was E. C. Huntington, who had been selected in accord with a resolution of the Board of Visitors passed in 1888. After serving one year, he was called to Vanderbilt Uni- versity. Z. W. Coombs succeeded him, in 1889, and in turn was succeeded by John S. Hitchcock; and Hitchcock by Dr. William A. Lambeth, who had given special at- tention to the study of the subject of anatomy, a knowl- 1 In the catalogue for 1888-89 appears for the first time a page headed "Physical Culture." 150 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA edge of which was imperative in his new post. During the superintendent of Huntington, who received a salary of one thousand dollars, the following course of instruc- tion was pursued : ( i ) class exercises with light dumb- bells; (2)3 class drill with chest weight; (3) class exer- cises with the Indian club. Each student admitted to the gymnasium was physically examined and measured once a year. Guided by this physical test, a handbook of developing exercises was given to him, with those em- phasized which had been found to be exactly adapted to his particular bodily deficiencies. This system was con- tinued under Dr. Lambeth, who was soon successful, not only in broadening it to a conspicuous extent, but also in making it more attractive to the students. When he took charge of the gymnasium, its appliances in use em- braced twelve chest machines, one horizontal bar, one pair of parallel bars, fifty pairs of Indian clubs, fifty pairs of dumbbells, thirty pairs of fencing sticks, two pairs of boxing gloves, besides swinging rings, trapezes, inclined! and horizontal ladders, one rowing machine, and a punch- ing bag. Not only was this equipment inadequate but the apartment in which it was housed was too contracted for its purpose. The need of a new gymnasium steadily grew as the number of matriculates increased. On the 5th of Octo- ber, 1891, Professor Peters suggested, at a meeting of the Faculty, that a part of the Fayerweather bequest should be set aside for the erection of such a building after the most convenient model. The motion was ta- bled on that occasion, but on the 26th of the same month, it was taken up and referred to a committee of five mem- bers, who, a few days later, reported in its favor. An estimate obtained of the proctor put the cost of the pro- posed structure, — which was to be large enough to take ATHLETICS — THE GYMNASIUM 151 in five hundred students comfortably, — at twenty thou- sand dollars. This was to include the expense of the necessary apparatus and also the outlay for hot and cold water baths. It was recommended that each matricu- late should be required to pay a gymnasium fee of five dollars annually, which was to be employed in preserving the building and its contents. The Board of Visitors, having carefully examined the report, decided that it would be the safest course to wait until the necessary funds had fallen in before they should make a definite ap- propriation; but, in the meanwhile, they instructed Profes- sor Echols, now superintendent of buildings and grounds, to advertise for plans and specifications for a structure capable of accommodating five hundred young men, and adapted to the use of the most modern gymnastic appli- ances that could be purchased. The style of architec- ture was to harmonize with the scheme of Jefferson, and the edifice itself was not to cost in excess of fifteen thou- sand dollars. The Faculty, however, were of the opinion that an appropriation of twenty-five thousand would be required; and in the end, the Board of Visitors were com- pelled to reserve the sum of twenty-eight thousand for the purpose. A site on the eastern slope of Carr's Hill was chosen for the projected building. The Fayerweather gymnasium was thrown open in Sep- tember, 1893. Its total cost had leapt up to thirty thou- sand dollars. It was the largest and most thoroughly equipped establishment of its kind in the South. The building was strictly classic in its proportions, with a Cor- inthian portico, fluted columns, and carved capitals of solid stone. So great was the appreciation of Dr. Lam- beth's services in his office of director that, in order to retain them, a house was erected for his occupation not far from the new gymnasium. The Fayerweather Gym- 152 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA nastic Association was organized in the following year with a view to a still higher training of the gymnastic powers of the students, — by which means only could a team be fitted to participate with success in the annual tournament of the colleges. The daily attendance had increased by this time to one hundred and ninety individ- uals; and there were from forty to seventy-five entries in the regular classes. Valuable prizes were now awarded to stimulate excellence in performance. Professor James A. Harrison contributed the sum of twenty-five dollars annually, during five years, for this purpose. Professor Peters gave fifteen dollars and the Anderson Brothers, of the University, fifty, to the champion gymnast of the year. The association distributed an additional one hun- dred dollars among the competitors. There had been, during several years, an expanding need of a campus which would be level and spacious enough to embrace a track, tennis courts, and a football playground. The only area near the University which appeared to offer the width and breadth required was a swampy sink that lay just north of the present Madison Hall. A survey was made of it in 1888; but in spite of the indefatigable efforts of Professor Noah K. Davis to interest the students in its purchase, no progress was made towards collecting among them the sum that was wanted. Refusing to be discouraged, he interviewed the Interna- tional Committee of the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion, and through their influence, Cyrus McCormick was led to give seventeen hundred dollars for the acquisition of the land, the title to which was thereafter, for a time, vested in trust in the local Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation, for the benefit of the students. An additional acre, — making five in all, — which was needed for the full realization of the plan for the campus had already been ATHLETICS — THE GYMNASIUM 153 bought through the liberality of the alumni residing in New York City. By the continued exertions of Profes- sor Davis, further subscriptions were obtained; and with the generous assistance of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail- way, which gave sixteen carloads of Basic City brick, the campus was completed by June, 1892, and the title finally transferred to the Board of Visitors. During several years anterior to the acquisition of this campus, there had been numerous trials in track athletics held on Ficklin's race-course near Charlottesville, under the auspices of the gymnasium association. The inaug- uration of these games was principally attributable to the energy of DeCourcy W. Thorn, a student from Balti- more. The 1 8th and I9th of April, 1879, were always remembered at the University of Virginia for the events which took place on those two days. The field then used was in the shape of a rude oval, with a circumference one- quarter of a mile in extent. The programme embraced a short dash, a half mile run, a one mile run, a one hour run, throwing the baseball, throwing the hammer and a hurdle race. The conspicuous performers on this occasion were Thomas N. Carter, C. B. Walker, D. W. Thorn, J. P. Crawford, S. H. Smith, and Samuel Porcher. Subse- quently, this programme was enlarged so as to include put- ting the shot, the running hand jump, the running high jump, one quarter of a mile run, three mile run, two hun- dred and twenty yards dash, potato race, sack race, three- legged race and pole-vaulting. It was said, at the time, that these games were played with a skill equal to that to be observed in the colleges of the North, which were able to select their performers from amongst a far larger number of young men. In the Spring of 1881, there was to be descried in the open area of ground under the shadow of Professor Mai- 154 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA let's house a sight, which, we are told by Professor W. H. Echols, stirred up an emotion of lively astonishment in all who witnessed it, — at least, as mere lookers-on. " It was the spectacle," he said, " of a group of real men seriously occupied with batting a ball with snow shoes at a fishing seine." There were many Englishmen dom- iciled in the county of Albemarle at this time, who char- acteristically persisted in playing the games to which they had been accustomed at home before they went out to Virginia. In a remarkable test of eye and hand, which occurred in November 29, 1885, the laurel of victory was won by two young men of this nationality, who were competing with the perfectly raw novices of the Univer- sity. So great was the interest now felt in lawn tennis, in consequence of these games, that clubs were formed in the several groups of dormitories, and the students, for the time being, threw themselves, with all the ardor of their English rivals, into this imported pastime. During the session of 1888-89, there were as many as five clubs in existence within the precincts. At least two of the fra- ternities had organized tennis clubs in the circles of their respective memberships, — these were the Delta Kappa Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Psi. During these years of ac- tive interest in the game, tournaments of singles were played in the autumn; and in the spring, tournaments of singles and doubles. The University club, during 1893— 94, could claim an enrolment of nineteen members; and this number, by 1895, had increased to forty. There was a general tennis association in existence at this time. xxxii. General Athletic Association During the first years subsequent to the close of the war, each of the sports just described was pursued by separate clubs, which were held together by no associa- GENERAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 155 tion with admitted authority over them all. Very fre- quently, in the course of one session, there was more than one football club; more than one baseball club too; but not only was there no central power to control all the football clubs and all the baseball clubs, which were formed one after another, but there was no single power to govern all the football clubs as distinguished from all the baseball clubs, or all the baseball clubs as distin- guished from all the football clubs.1 In other words, there was no Olympian overseer either for the separate branches of sport, or for all the branches brought to- gether in one group. The system that prevailed, — if methods so laxly employed could properly be termed a system, — was one which deserved only the old-fashioned designation of u go-as-you-please." But while the organ- ization that had been adopted, — if organization it could be called, — was only sufficient to hold each club together temporarily, and not very firmly at that, it would be an error to presume that the interest taken in football, base- ball, and track events was as feeble as the interest felt in athletics before the war by the majority of the students. The very intensity of this interest, however unscientific- ally gratified as judged by the highly developed modern standards, was the very factor that suggested, and finally demanded, the organization of all sports at the Univer- sity of Virginia on the permanent footing which they al- ready occupied in the Northern colleges. The earliest practical advance towards converting the more or less disjointed clubs, whose existence usually ended with each session, into a single vigorous and all- embracing entity, was made in the spring of 1881, when 1 " Bands " or " teams " would, perhaps, be more suitable terms of des- ignation for these early loose and temporary associations than the word "club." 156 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the name of the Squibb Gymnasium Association was, after the adoption of a new constitution and by-laws, altered to the University Athletic Association. This was the fore- runner in a contracted form of the General Athletic Asso- ciation. There had, during several years subsequent to this event, been an increasing sentiment in favor of bring- ing all the subordinate departments of athletics under one centralized management, which, however, was not to in- terfere, as was specifically stated, with the small matters relating to each department. At first, the proposal failed to gain the necessary degree of support from the students, who had not yet been educated up to the point of looking on athletic games as of any more importance than mere pastime for an hour of leisure in an autumn or spring aft- ernoon. But this view was gradually modified, chiefly in consequence, perhaps, of the extraordinary enthusiasm ex- hibited by the sister colleges for athletic sports. A spirit of rivalry was aroused. At a mass meeting held in the public hall, in October, 1888, what was spoken of as the Grand Association was formed, and a committee nomi- nated to draft a constitution. This was submitted at the ensuing meeting. It contained the following two lead- ing provisions : ( I ) the power and supervision of the association were vested in a president and executive com- mittee; (2) upon these officers was imposed the duty of appointing sub-committees to take charge of the affairs of the different subordinate branches of athletics and athletic sports. The president was T. L. Rosser; the vice-presi- dent, Jonathan Bryan ; the members of the executive com- mittee, J. D. Fletcher, E. W. Robertson, L. C. Barley, and George Gordon Battle.1 1 The presidents of the General Athletic Association after 1887-88 were as follows: GENERAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 157 It was now hoped that, through an active and vigilant general association, there would be created in the Uni- versity of Virginia that intense spirit of unity and coop- eration which had already enabled the curriculum col- leges of the North to win so many victories in the pro- vince of athletics. Any student might become a member of the organization. By a subsequent amendment, the executive committee was to consist of the president and vice-president of the general body and the chairmen of the boards of directors of the subordinate baseball, foot- ball, boating, and tennis clubs. Each of these secondary boards was to be composed of three members, to be ap- pointed annually by the president of the general associa- tion. The directors in each department of sport saw to the training of each candidate coming forward in that department. They also chose a manager who had exclu- sive control of the team. Under the working of this first association each branch of athletics was carried on by a separate club for all practical purposes. Each remained distinct in itself. The members purchased their own suits and other special paraphernalia, and paid the ex- penses of their own athletic exercises. The General Athletic Association, known hitherto as the Grand Association, adopted a new constitution in Oc- tober, 1892, which embraced in its scope all the interests of the football, baseball, track, and tennis clubs. Its object was to bring about a still more intimate relation Felix H. Levy, 1888-9 M. P. Robinson, 1896-7 J. D. Fletcher, 1889-90 Paul L. Cocke, 1897-8 J. B. Robertson, 1890-91 Eugene Davis, 1898-9 J. C. Blackford, 1891-2 B. C. Nalle, 1899-1900 J. B. Robertson, 1892-3 A. W. Moore, 1900-01 E. Hope Norton, 1893-4 B. C. Willis, 1901-02 Fred Harper, 1894-5 B. Lankford, 1902-03 W. D. Dabney, 1895-6 J. B. Pollard, 1903-04 158 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA between the different branches of athletics at the Univer- sity, as the most certain means of increasing their popu- larity and promoting their success. In 1894, a charter of incorporation was obtained, and, in 1897, by-laws were drafted. The membership was composed of the entire body of matriculates, the professors, and the alumni. No dues whatever were demanded, and no obligations of any kind imposed. The affairs of the reorganized asso- ciation were at first conducted by an executive commit- tee, which comprised the president, vice-president, two students picked out from the body of the University at large, one member of the Faculty, and two alumni chosen by the committee itself. This committee possessed an exclusive authority over the coaches ; its decision as to the eligibility of players was final; and it also decided upon the number of games to take place between the University teams and the competing teams of rival colleges. The association had to contend with two highly ob- structive disadvantages : ( i ) its only income was derived from the receipts from games and fr,om voluntary con- tributions; (2) the brevity of the average student's so- journ within the precincts threw its management, each ses- sion, as a rule, into the hands of new men, with small knowledge, and still less appreciation, of what had been done the year before. As has already been mentioned, College Topics was acquired by the association. The ed- itor of that journal was thereafter appointed by the exec- utive committee; and this committee also reserved the right to reject any one or all of the five sub-editors nom- inated by the senior editor. In the beginning, the Faculty were disposed to frown upon the almost feverish interest exhibited by the young men in all athletic sports. The reputation of the Uni- versity of Virginia was founded upon the supreme atten- GENERAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 159 tion, which, under its system, had always been given to study; and that conscientious body very naturally felt that it was their duty to maintain this tradition by all the influence which they could command. But the flood of athletic enthusiasm rising beyond the precincts made such a profound impression upon the student-mind of the Uni- versity, that the professors, in the end, were constrained to admit that it could not be successfully resisted. " The experience of the last three sessions," said Chairman Thornton, in his report for 1891-2, "has enabled the Faculty to gauge, in a practical way, the merits and de- merits of college athletics. Balancing the one against the other, that body was decidedly, though not unanimously, convinced of their value as an element of the college life. In cultivating the college spirit and college pride ; in dis- couraging and even forbidding drinking, and other unsan- itary or vicious habits ; in developing a vigorous physique and a manly temper, — they are most salutary. The drawbacks are: they occasion often a waste of time and energy, which, in the case of the more enthusiastic dev- otees, tend not seldom to serious excess. They call for considerable aggregate outlays in money, which, although distributed over the student body, produce an appreciable item in the expense of college life. It is possible, by judicious suggestion and direction, to mitigate some of these evils and correct others entirely." The Faculty endeavored, by the adoption of searching rules, to exercise a strict control over the association: (i) only a matriculated student was permitted by them to become a member of a team; (2) his connection with that team had to be severed, should his examinations dem- onstrate unmistakably that his attention had been diverted from his studies; and (3) no trained instructor in any branch of sport was to be engaged without their approval. 160 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA A prize of a silver cup was established by Professor Bar- ringer in 1891, to be awarded to that department of ath- letics, whether football, baseball, or track, which should be able to show to its credit the largest number of points in a single year. A Southern Intercollegiate Association was organized in 1892. It embraced in its membership the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina, Wake Forest College, the University of the South — which was afterwards succeeded by Vanderbilt University, — St. John's College, Johns Hopkins University, University of Tennessee, and University of Alabama. Each of these institutions was to furnish a football and a baseball team. Strict regulations were adopted to shut out every form of professionalism. In order to arrange more conven- iently for the games, the area in which the participating colleges and universities were situated was divided into a northern and a southern section. XXXIIL Rives Boat Club Perhaps, the most remarkable record of sport in the open air at the University of Virginia, during the Seventh Period, 1865—1895, is the one that constitutes the history of the Rives Boat Club. We propose to give the main incidents in this record entirely apart from the annals of the General Athletic Association, because, after a short but really brilliant career, the club passed out of existence, and has so far never been revived. Its first appearance was meteoric in its suddenness and unexpectedness; but, like the wandering aerolite, after blazing in the eyes of admiring men, it faded away, leaving nothing of its for- mer presence behind but a tradition of vanished glory. The story of the football, baseball, and track clubs, sep- arate at first, but afterwards combined, is the story of RIVES BOAT CLUB 161 organizations which have pursued a regular and orderly course of movement, passing, from decade to decade, into a still more advanced stage of development as part of a fixed and enduring system of athletics. The recreation of boating at the University would have followed out the same line of steady growth from its inauguration had not the obstacles, not simply to expansion, but to actual exist- ence, been almost insurmountable from the start. That this branch of sport rose so soon to such a height of suc- cess, though it afterwards fell back to nothing, was due to the enthusiasm, energy, determination, and practical ability of a few men whose names will, for that reason, occupy a conspicuous niche in the history of athletics in the University of Virginia. Early in the seventh decade of the nineteenth century, the art of rowing had become a very popular form of sport in all those Northern colleges which were so lucky as to be situated in the vicinity of streams with width and depth of water enough to allow of constant practice with the oar. There was more than one alumnus of the Uni- versity of Virginia residing in that part of the Union who openly lamented the fact that his alma mater was not in a financial position to rival these aquatic associations of the more prosperous seats of learning. It was not until the autumn of 1876, that one of these persons came forward with opportune generosity and offered to defray the expense of establishing such a club on the Rivanna. This was Francis H. Rives, of New York City, a son of William Cabell Rives, the distinguished statesman. Mr. Rives had been born on the southeastern slope of the mountains which overlooked that picturesque river. His liberal act found an immediate response in the hearts of a little company of University students, whose plucky spirit was not to be daunted by the remoteness of water from 162 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the precincts. By March, 1877, a committee, which comprised James C. Lamb, A. G. Stuart, DeCourcy W. Thorn, W. J. L'Engle and J. M. Macfarland, had been formed; and on their writing to Mr. Rives to announce this fact, he sent them a check for one thousand dollars with which to purchase the equipment in boats, oars, and housing, which was indispensable. In April, at a meeting held in the Jefferson Society Hall, a permanent organiza- tion was effected by the election of A. G. Stuart to the presidency, and of George D. Fawsett, to the vice-presi- dency. J. C. Lamb was appointed secretary, and W. J. L'Engle treasurer. A crew was at once chosen. Its members were DeCourcy W. Thorn, — who was elected captain, — W. J. L'Engle, Charles Steele, and J. M. Macfarland. Such were the names of the men who proposed to con- vert into a positive fact that dream, which, as we have seen, had so persistently haunted the minds of so many students before the War of Secession, but without the smallest approach to realization. So far from the mem- bers of the new organization being depressed by the pros- pect of ever recurring tramps to the banks of the Rivanna, two and a half miles away, they, in the spirit of the blithest philosophy, actually pronounced the necessity for traversing that distance to be one of the principal advan- tages possessed by the club. Did it not put them through a course of training on land for hardening the muscles of their legs, which was almost as indispensable as the course on the water for hardening the muscles of their arms? As to the narrowness of that turbid river, al- though it might bring a smile of supercilious derision to the faces of some of their Northern rivals, nevertheless had not Professor Mallet, an Englishman, been heard to say that the reach of water furnished by the Rivanna RIVES BOAT CLUB 163 was superior to that offered by either the Cam or the Isis, the classic rivers of the most redoubtable college oars- men in the world? A boathouse was soon erected, a second-hand racer pur- chased, and a new four-oared cedar gig ordered. The course for the training exercises stretched from the free bridge down stream about two miles in length. It re- sembled the letter S, in harmony with the windings of the river, and, in consequence, the crew, one half of their time, were pulling against both the rudder and the cur- rent. Almost before they had learned to handle their new oars with respectable skill, they showed their ardent confidence by sending off a challenge to the Tobacco City Club for a race with a four-oared shell to be held on the James River at Lynchburg. The Faculty so far entered into the enthusiastic spirit of the club, now composed of forty members, as to remark in their report to the Board of Visitors: " It is not apprehended that the additional means afforded the students for engaging in varied and pleasant exercise and amusement will interfere materially with their studies." The first trial of skill * ended in discomfiture for the club, — as it has done for many a future winner of the Derby, and many a great parliamentary orator, — but there was no reason for discouragement in the upshot, as the failure had its springs in an accident that could not have been anticipated before the race began, or remedied at the critical moment in its progress. On June 30 (1877), not less than three thousand eager and excited people crowded the bluffs of the James at Lynchburg, to 1 The first challenge addressed to the Rives Club was sent by the crew of Washington and Lee University. It was for a race with six oared boats. The Rives Club accepted for four oared, but this was declined. Neither club had the money required to buy the kind of boat needed for the contest 164 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA look down upon the scene where the two rival crews were about to compete for the trophy of victory. A grand- stand had been erected at the head of the course, which reached over a long, sluggish sheet of water. From this spot, the start was made. The two boats at the signal swept forward, and for some distance, there was no ap- parent superiority in skill or muscle on either side. The crews, in reality, seemed to be evenly matched; and this equality of effort continued unbroken to the stake which indicated the first turn in the course. After both crews had swiftly circled about this conspicuous marker, and were heading for the starting point, with all their powers stretched to extreme tension, there seemed, for the mo- ment, to be no difference whatever in the rapidity of their movement; but soon the crew of the Rives boat began to lag behind, as if in a state of some distress; and this involuntary dilatoriness only became more and more per- ceptible as the race continued, until, in the end, they floun- dered in about one minute and two seconds in the rear. The explanation of their unseasonable plight soon be- came known. In turning the stake, the occupant of seat number 2 had put forth so much strength that this seat had become dislodged from the restraining rails, leaving the rower to slide backwards and forwards invol- untarily on the sharp steel-runners. The oarsman at the bow, in consequence, was unable to pull in harmony with the regular stroke. Practically, two men were to all useful intents paralyzed by the accident, and the unlucky sequel was unavoidable. The crew had been indirectly crippled and defeated by the careless workmanship of an unconscientious boat-builder.1 On the threshold of the new session, in the following autumn (1877), it became necessary to reorganize the 1 The University coxswain in this race was Willoughby Walke. RIVES BOAT CLUB 165 club. J. C. Lamb and J. D. Emmet were elected re- spectively president and vice-president, Willoughby Walke, secretary, Thomas N. Carter, treasurer, and Charles Steele, captain. Steele was succeeded by Charles Lee Andrews, who threw an extraordinary amount of en- thusiasm into the performance of the duties of his office. A skilful and indefatigable coxswain was found in John Redwood, of Baltimore. Before the club could recover from the disquiet of its first defeat, it was confronted by a second misfortune, — an unprecedented flood in the Riv- anna swept away the boat-house, the boats, and the boat- ing paraphernalia.1 So acutely was this calamity felt by all, that friends came forward promptly to offer assist- ance. The club was quickly restored by a second gift from Mr. Rives, swelled by the contributions of the stu- dents, and also by the proceeds of a fair given by the ladies of the University and Charlottesville in Washing- ton Hall, and of an entertainment held in the town-hall, in which the chief actors were Fawsett, Steele, Emmet, and McGowen. The training began anew in the spring (1878), under the coaching of Mr. Redwood, and the en- thusiasm, which soon revived, was, as we shall see, amply justified by the series of triumphs which the club continued to win during the next succeeding years. In June, 1878, — just twelve months after their defeat by the baldest accident on the course at Lynchburg, — the Rives Boat Club, competing with the same skilful and resourceful rival, on the same sheet of water, was victori- ous with ease by seven lengths. In the very teeth of this conspicuous triumph, a picked set of men, organized by the Eli Bananas from their own society, had the char- acteristic audacity to go into vigorous training for the purpose of ultimately beating the victor. The interest 1 In the autumn of 1877. 166 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA aroused in the oar had, by this time, reached the pitch of an unprecedented enthusiasm, which crystallized in the formation of a State Rowing Association for the more elaborate prosecution of the sport; but not even this powerful concentration of effort to increase the skill of the different competitors was able to remove the pennant of superiority from the flagstaff of the Rives Club. In July, 1879, by ten lengths, and again in July, 1880, by an interval almost as great, that club, on the reaches of the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg left all its rivals be- hind * ; and it repeated these victories over four compet- ing crews at Richmond in July, i88i,2 and over the same number of rivals again at Fredericksburg, on the same date, in the following year. After this triumph, the faithful coxswain, John Redwood, was unable to continue the training, and, in consequence, the club was beaten at Lynchburg on July 4, 1883, by the Appomattox crew of Petersburg. Its career began with a rout and ended with a rout, for it did not survive, as a vigorous organization, this blow to its prestige. It is true that there was a feeble endeavor to resuscitate it in February, 1888. A crew ap- 1 The Varsity crew, we are told by DeCourcy W. Thorn, were accom- panied to Fredericksburg by a number of young ladies under the chaperonage of Mrs. Green Peyton, a charming woman, whose memory will always be fragrant in the social history of the University. " The race day came," says Mr. Thorn. " We won with many lengths to spare. That night we escorted the girls of the Peyton house party, — 'the assistant crew,' we all called them, — to a great ball given to the boat-race visitors in the hotel dining-room of hospitable Fredericksburg. All went well except that some cornmeal spread on the floor to make it smoother for dancing, was soon ground to an impalpable powder, which whitened evening clothes and choked throats." 2 " This," says a writer in Corks and Curls, " was the finest race ever rowed by the University club. They drew the worst position on the river and had to overcome the outside of a bend in the course about half a mile from the start. The boat went so well that, at the bend, Mr. Red- wood took his crew into the middle of the river, and his men could see a pretty race behind them for the second place." RIVES BOAT CLUB 167 pears to have been then sent to Alexandria to take part in the race to occur there; but they declined at first to do so, because they had not had the time to row over the course before the hour set for the pistol-shot. At a later hour, they consented to enter the race; but refrained when an objection to their participation was offered. In the end, the assets of the Rives Club passed into the possession of a youthful association organized by a rival club in Char- lottesville. How had the Rives Club been sustained financially dur- ing the latter years of its existence? Precisely by the same means which had rehabilitated it after the destruc- tive flood of 1877: by the generous contributions of the students, supplemented by the gate money of the fairs which the ladies held for its benefit, and also by the pro- ceeds of concerts given by a band of collegians in the town-hall and opera-house. On at least one occasion, the Jefferson Society presented the crew with the sum of fifty dollars. Major Seth Barton French, formerly a citizen of Fred- ericksburg, afterwards of New York, made a gift to the General State Association of a challenge-cup that cost as much as five hundred dollars. It was manufactured of silver and stood twenty-two inches in height on a pedestal of ebony. The base of this imposing cup was, we are told, adorned with encircling silver shells and sun-fish. A marine scene was engraved on the surface of either side ; and around the borders of each scene was a delicate tracery of sprigs of coral and seaweed. The handles of the cup were shaped like curved dolphins. Seashells clus- tered about its brim, while old Neptune, with his uplifted trident, crowned the whole, with other dolphins desport- ing themselves about his feet. Such was the beautiful 168 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA trophy which the Rives Boat Club was able to retain in its possession for so long a period by the skill, strength, and enthusiasm of its crew. But perhaps the principal claim of that crew to distinc- tion did not lie simply in competitive successes, however brilliant. It lay rather in the spirit of the men who won these victories. " With a boat-house on the Rivanna a mile or more below Charlottesville," says Professor Ral- eigh C. Minor, "without street cars to aid them; with no means of reaching the boats except on their ten toes; procuring money only with the greatest difficulty to keep their boats in order; without rooters to witness their ef- forts or arouse their enthusiasm, — they doggedly toiled through the spring for the love of the sport itself. They found their reward in their own bounding pulses, and in the wild excitement and heartbreaking strain of the an- nual regattas on the James, and Rappahannock, and other streams." A more feeling tribute still which the fine spirit of these crews elicited, was paid by the coxswain, John Red- wood, who, under the influence of his friendship for the members from Baltimore, his home, had volunteered his invaluable assistance as an experienced trainer without charge. No one had so perfect an opportunity as he to gauge the characters, and sound the dispositions, of these men with the nicest accuracy. ' When I look back upon the time spent with them," he said in a public speech, " my heart beats high and warm at the recollection. For there never was a regret recorded by failure in discipline or by the suggestion of a single instance lacking in the most genuine appreciation of his work on the part of every man with whom I was thrown. The flood of memories comes strong upon me as I recall the bright and manly faces I RIVES BOAT CLUB 169 knew, and the many hospitalities and winning Southern courtesies always uppermost and prevailing in the so- cial atmosphere of the dear old University." In addition to the competitive races on other waters, in which the Varsity or Rives Club took part, — to which alone we have referred so far, — there occurred on the Rivanna a series of what was described as bumping races, which were participated in by ordinary crews.1 The project of such races had been borrowed from England, where the streams are often so narrow that the boats can not be propelled abreast. The most highly trained crew in a bumping race was always placed at the end of the line, and the positions of the others ahead of it were always graduated by their comparative efficiency, — the least skilful occupying the position at the front. No ac- tual bumping took place ; but so soon as the bow of a boat passed the stroke of another, the latter would lie by and allow its successful rival to shoot forward, and then would take the last place in the rear. The event of a bumping race was one of the most important in the local calendar. Each crew was upheld by its own clique of enthusiastic supporters. " The banks of the river on these occa- sions," we are told by a contemporary witness, " were lined with vehicles and riders, who dashed pellmell after the flying boats and cheered their favorite crews. The spectacle was worth remembering, — the shining stretch of water winding its sinuous way between the verdant slopes, the incomparable panorama of mountain and for- est which made up the background, the fair girls in their first spring frocks standing in the carriage-seats and wav- ing scarfs and kerchiefs as the crews flashed past, the men !This series was said to have been first suggested by DeCourcy W. Thorn. 170 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA supporting their enthusiasm with lusty yells of encourage- ment, while the whole scene was flushed with the sunset- glow and bathed in the fragrant vernal air." The course traversed in these bumping races reached over one mile and a half of water. Four boats, as a rule, took part in them, and three afternoons were ap- pointed for the accomplishment of the entire programme. u I recall one race," says Professor Raleigh C. Minor, " in which one member of the crew knew nothing about swimming, and still less about rowing. We had prac- tised for the race, but it seemed impossible to teach this fellow to pull his oars at the right time, and not to catch crabs. He would constantly dig his oars into the back of the man in front of him, or else himself, catching a crab, would fall backward so rapidly, and so far, as to dig his back into the oar of the man behind him. But the con- fusion of this was worse confounded on the day of the race, for our oarsman, being eager and unskilled, almost at the instant missed the water altogether on the stroke, and promptly left the boat in a wholly unpremeditated fashion. He emerged from the tawny flood, and gasping, demanded to be once more deposited in our midst, saying that, with his help, we could win out yet. We took a different view, and to show our disapproval of his incon- siderate conduct, we towed him to the boat-house at- tached to an oar." xxxiv. The Honor System The apprehension was felt by many, that, as the num- ber of students should increase, — with its attendant de- cline in homogeneity, and its diminished opportunities for a general intercourse, — the Honor System would develop a tendency to languish, if not to fall entirely into a condi- tion of desuetude. Although it was spoken of as a sys- THE HONOR SYSTEM 171 tern, it was, in reality, less a system than a spirit; and for that reason, some persons anticipated that it would un- dergo a perceptible change as new circumstances arose with their accompanying new atmosphere. But the very fact that it was a spirit, and not a system, offered the soundest assurance that it would be preserved. The tone of the University was the tone of the South- ern States. The South had recently emerged from a con- flict with a record for courage and fortitude unsurpassed in the history of any people, ancient or modern. The chivalrous sentiment that had always flourished in its most refined communities had been tested by the hardships of the camp and the march, and by the supreme sacrifices of the battlefield. Never were the high qualities of the Southern people, men and women alike, more vigorous than during the harsh trials that followed the war. The impulse which had caused them, while the fighting lasted, to throw upon the altar of their country everything that was precious to them, continued to sustain them long after that conflict had ended. The young men who were admitted to the University of Virginia during the Seventh Period, 1865-95, were the sons of parents who had passed through the ordeal of fire; they had been reared in homes which still valued the recollections of the old re- gime as the most blessed of inheritances; and uncon- sciously, from their earliest boyhood, they had learned to revere those principles of honor and chivalry which had been inculcated in their forefathers as the indispensable characteristics of a gentleman. At no time since the es- tablishment of the Honor System at the University of Virginia, had it ever been maintained there with such fidelity, such jealousy, such just intolerance, as during the first thirty years that followed the birth of the new era. And the explanation of this fact was to be found in that 172 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA singularly fine atmosphere of manly sentiment and high impulse which still lingered in the South, not in spite of its misfortunes, but largely on account of those very mis- fortunes themselves. If there was a possibility that an increase in the enrol- ment, would, by lessening the points of contact, weaken the force of the Honor System, this contingency did not at once arise, because, as the years passed, the attend- ance at the University was inclined, during a long interval, to fall off; and it was only towards the close of the Seventh Period, 1865-95, that the annual number of matriculates began to approximate the number admitted anterior to the War of Secession. That the sentiment condemning cheating at examina- tions was as strong at the end as at the beginning of this period, was demonstrated by the indignant astonishment which was expressed by the editors of College Topics, in 1895, when they learned that one of the students, detected in this crime, had had the effrontery to remain within the precincts longer than twenty-four hours after his expos- ure. So threatening, in consequence of this fact, became the attitude of the other young men, that he, in a state of unconcealed alarm for his own skin, shook the dust of the arcades from his feet. This reprobate, being of a pugnacious temper, had, at first, endeavored to escape the penalty for his dishonest conduct by fighting for every inch of ground that would enable him to stay on in college ; but the only result of this persistence was that, in the end, he was literally drummed out of bounds by his fellow students, who felt that they had been trifled with in his delay in taking his departure. He was even com- pelled to surrender the diplomas which he had won during the previous year, as they were presumed to be tainted by his subsequent rascality. THE HONOR SYSTEM 173 The keeper of the boarding-house where the cheating student had lodged had imprudently advised him to defy the hostile sentiment that had been aroused. When the editors of College Topics were informed of this fact, they administered to the officious counsellor the following em- phatic rebuke : " It would be well for such as he to learn right now that any interference with their action will not be brooked by the students." These darkly signifi- cant words, no doubt, made that rash and very thought- less boarding house-keeper quite tremulous about the knees. How far did the Honor System go? Did it embrace every kind of misdemeanor that might be committed by a student? It certainly included cheating at examinations. Did it also include cheating at a private game of cards? There was a good deal of fine-spun metaphysical discus- sion on this point. Ought students who did not play poker to insist that a player of that game, discovered with an ace up his sleeve by his companions at the table, should be driven out of college? or should their con- demnation only take the form of social ostracism? The editors of College Topics, always the exponents of the loftiest public sentiment among the young men, declared emphatically in April, 1894, that those of their number who had amused themselves with the wanton destruction of the University's electric globes should be brought to trial by their follow-students, and compelled to leave the precincts. The culprits, in the opinion of these editors, were just as discredited as if they had been detected in obtaining aid from books in an examination. The Honor System does not appear to have been ever pressed so far as this; but it at least created a feeling so hostile to a young man guilty of a serious delinquency other than cheating that it brought about his complete isolation, — 174 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA a condition that, in the end, always forced him to with- draw. Frequently, it led to his immediate expulsion.1 At the beginning of the enthusiasm aroused by ath- letic sports, there was a keen apprehension that it would have a tendency to debilitate the Honor System. " There is an impression," said the editors of College Topics in January, 1895, " that the rise of the athletic spirit has been accompanied by a proportionate decline from an ethical point of view." And why? " Because," they asserted, " the introduction of dirty ball has en- couraged the habit of taking the utmost advantage of an opponent by all sorts of tricks and stratagems." It was, however, admitted that the vices of drinking and gam- bling had fallen off with the increase in the interest taken in athletic games, and there was, in reality, no tangible evidence that the strength of the Honor System had, in the slightest degree, been weakened by it. Before the close of the Seventh Priod, 1865-1895, a few of the more prominent seats of learning in the North- ern States had adopted the Honor System, which had, during so many years, and with so much success, formed one of the main pillars of the social polity of the Uni- versity of Virginia. Amherst College and Wesleyan University led the way. Princeton University followed. As Brown University, in turning to an elective course of studies before the War of Secession, was held out by its president, trustees, and friends, as the pioneer, the forerunner, in bringing about so great an innovation, — although the University of Virginia had already been 1 " Some days ago, one of the students used language at his boarding house, in the presence of his landlady, which gave gross offense. His conduct was duly reported by his fellow-boarders to his class. A com- mittee waited on him, and without menace or bluster, informed him tljat he must leave college at once, which he did." College Topics, Nov. 21, 1903. HEALTH 175 governed by that unwritten law for a generation, — so now the Honor System introduced at Princeton, largely, it was reported, at the suggestion of an alumnus of the sister Southern university, was acclaimed by that insti- tution as the New Princeton System, as if its adoption there was entirely without precedent in the annals of American colleges ! xxxv. Health There was a recurrence of typhoid fever more than once during the Seventh Period, 1865-95. The number of cases in the interval between February, 1875, and April of the same year, was so alarming that the outbreak threatened to reach the full sweep of an epidemic. Fifty of the young men, — a very large proportion of those who had matriculated, — were stricken with the disease, and five of them succumbed to it. It was the general opinion that this wave of sickness had its springs in the location and construction of the sewers, and a plan was adopted for the removal of the worst defects of these drains. The University had, during so many years, been so free from serious distempers that the former board of health, composed of members of the medical faculty, appears to have sunk in abeyance; but in July, 1875, it was re- vived by the Visitors. In addition to the medical pro- fessors, the professor of chemistry was appointed to membership in the new board. These officers were em- powered to recommend to the executive committee what- ever sanitary measures they should consider expedient or imperative; and they were also authorized to protest, if they should be convinced that the proctor was acting un- wisely in any step which he should see fit to take to con- serve the health of the students. Fortunately for the comfort of the latter, there was in existence at this time a 176 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA fully equipped infirmary; and they were entitled, by the payment of a definite fee at the beginning of the session, to enjoy the gratuitous services of a physician, and also of nurses, should their condition obviously require it. Although the sanitary condition of the University was, on the whole, satisfactory after 1875, yet there was still some debate among the members of the Faculty as to whether the existing system of sewerage ought not to be abandoned in favor of a more modern one; and this view was apparently justified by the cases of typhoid fever that continued to show themselves from time to time. There was, for instance, during the session of 1883-84, a slight recrudescence of the disease. As the cases that now occurred, — about five in all, — had come to the sur- face in but a single Range, and that too in one section only, where there had been at least one case the year be- fore, it was thought by the board of health that the dis- repair, now more or less flagrant in the aspect of all the dormitories, was the possible cause of the distemper that had broken out in this particular Range. There had, however, been no deaths in the ranks of the students during the previous three years. Sanitary alterations were now made in several of the pavilions on the West Lawn and also in two of the hotels on West Range; but it was not until July, 1886, that the general sew- erage works which had been projected were completed and put in use and such a volume of water added as to render practicable the constant flushing of the pipes. At last, in 1888, the committee on health was able to predict in their report to the Board of Visitors that " with the abundant supply of pure water, the good sew- erage and drainage, the effective policing of the grounds, and the well-equipped infirmary which we now have, dis- ease need not hereafter be feared." This was undoubt- RELIGION 177 edly a correct anticipation if a serious epidemic alone was thought of, but sporadic instances of fever continued to occur. During the session of 1 892-93, there were sev- eral, which had been produced by germs from a con- taminated can of milk; and two years later, there were five, which were traced to water from an infected spring. The alarming epidemics of the past, however, were not again to be repeated, and this was due to the clearer perception of the origin of the disease which had now been obtained by the medical profession, and to the skilful employment of the preventive measures suggested by the researches of modern science. It is indicative of the more liberal attitude of the Faculty that they were now strongly of the conviction that the ardent cultiva- tion of athletics by the mass of students had brought about a very satisfactory improvement in the condition of their general health. xxxvi. Religion What was the religious condition of the University during this period of reconstruction and reexpansion? The predominant question in that connection which most interested the minds of the authorities during this interval was the acquisition of a new place of worship. Through many years, the services continued to be conducted in one of the former gymnasia; and occasionally the doors of the public hall were thrown open to the worshippers. Of the fund for the erection of a chapel which had been collected before the war, only five hundred dollars sur- vived the general destruction of bank securities; this was invested in the form of a single bond; and Dr. Cabell was asked to take possession of it and to act as its cus- todian. It was apparently not until 1872 that a canvass began for new subscriptions, under the leadership of Rev. 178 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA T. D. Witherspoon, the very energetic and devoted chap- lain; but it was not until June, 1884, that the amount which had been received was sufficient to justify the Fac- ulty in recommending a site for the building. With the approval of the Board of Visitors, a spot was chosen near a water-hole that had long stagnated not far from the northern end of West Range. Rev. Otis A. Glazebrook was now the chaplain; and in the course of the ensuing November, he delivered an earnest address before the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation, in which he urged that body to appoint a commit- tee to cooperate with the committee of the Faculty and the committee of the ladies of the University community in soliciting additional funds. A mass-meeting followed in December, at which it was announced that the sum of fifteen thousand dollars would have to be collected by private subscription before the project of the chapel could be converted into a reality. Neither the Board of Visi- tors, except as private citizens, nor the State in any ca- pacity, could legally contribute to such a purpose, al- though all were aware that the chapel was to be for the use of the different Protestant sects, through the alter- nate nominations of their respective representatives. By May, 1884, — principally through the unremitting energy of Mr. Glazebrook, — the sum of twelve thou- sand dollars had been obtained, and the three thousand additional, which was supposed to be all that was wanted, was generously presented by Mrs. Charles S. Venable. The chapel not only had not been completed by November, 1885, but, by that time, it had been dem- onstrated that more than the original estimated amount would be required to erect it. An appeal to the Young Men's Christian Association for more active assistance was now made by the Faculty. By the ensuing June, the RELIGION f 179 roof had been put on, but the interior parts were still to be finished. A debt had been incurred by the committee of professors, and until this had been taken up, they con- sidered it to be unwise to go on with the construction. Small progress was recorded before March, 1888, when the ladies of the community gave a concert in the public hall in the hope of securing the money still needed. By June, the building was rapidly advancing to completion, after entailing an expense of twenty-three thousand dol- lars. At one time, there was a lien of eight thousand dollars on it; but this was finally liquidated by the gifts of individuals and the collections of the Ladies Chapel Aid Society. Five thousand dollars was still required, — which was ultimately obtained by a contribution of twen- ty-three hundred dollars from certain citizens, who sub- scribed that sum on condition that it should be dupli- cated by others, which was quickly done. In June, 1889, the Faculty decided that it would be safe to go on with the construction again, as there was now money enough on hand to finish the uncompleted part of the structure, and also to buy a suitable organ. But it was not until June, 1890, — eighteen years after the first contributions towards its erection had been re- ceived by Dr. Witherspoon, — that the edifice, fully com- pleted, was formally turned over to the committee of the Visitors by the president of the Ladies Chapel Aid So- ciety.1 It had cost the total sum of thirty thousand dol- lars, exactly double the figure of the original estimate. Not one cent of this large amount had been drawn from the treasury of the State or of the University, although the building from the moment that the foundation-stone was laid became the property of that institution and the Commonwealth. There seems to have been a legislative 1 Miss Mattie Minor. 180 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA and visitorial sentiment, backed by law, adverse to spend- ing money on the building, but none whatever to taking possession of it after it was constructed, an inconsistency slightly Gilbertian in character. It was acknowledged by all that this chapel was imperatively needed by the Uni- versity community, and it was also clearly comprehended that its pulpit was to be occupied by a succession of clergy- men representing, not one, but practically all the Prot- estant denominations. There was to be no leaning what- ever towards any one branch of sectarianism in its use. It was the welfare of religion in its broadest aspect that this building was to subserve; and yet during the time that the members of the Ladies Chapel Aid Society and the Young Men's Christian Association were, with extraordinary devotion and energy, collecting the neces- sary funds, the Board of Visitors were empowered to assist only to the extent of designating a site on the grounds, — an act that only called for a resolution of a few words at an annual meeting. Some criticism was levelled at the architectural design of the new chapel on the ground, that like the design of the Brooks Museum, it was not in harmony with the style of the remaining buildings. John K. Peebles, an architect of distinction, and an alumnus of the University also, expressed the opinion, that, following the example of the Fayerweather Gymnasium, it should have been constructed of brick upon a strictly classical model; but the Faculty, on the other hand, were so well satisfied with the whole character of the edifice that they publicly pronounced it to be an " ornament " to the precincts. When the session of 1865-66 opened, the old system of appointing in turn clergymen from the different Prot- estant denominations to serve as chaplains was readopted. The term of incumbency was still to extend over a period RELIGION 181 of two sessions. The advantages expected to follow from an alternating chaplainship were still the same: it would ensure religious worship within the precincts continuously without encouraging the spirit of sectarian- ism; would limit the flock of each pastor to the mass of the students alone; would increase the sympathy and confidence of that flock in this pastor by placing him on the level of the average collegian in the length of his connection with the institution; and, finally, it would tend, through the brevity of his term, to stimulate him to ex- traordinary zeal in the prosecution of his pastoral labors. Of the chaplains who occupied the University pulpit in the interval between 1865 and 1895, George B. Taylor, a Baptist, alone had formerly filled the same position. Among the incumbents in the course of this memorable period were John S. Lindsay, Peter Tinsley, T. D. With- erspoon, S. A. Steele, R. J. McBryde, A. B. Woodfin, C. R. Vaughan, J. T. Whitley, Otis A. Glazebrook, James M. Rawlings, Collins Denny, J. L. Lancaster, J. William Jones, A. R. Cocke, and L. C. Vass. Rev. Mr. Vass died while in the act of delivering his first sermon as chaplain, and with his decease, the office came to an end. In November, 1865, — a few weeks after the first session to follow the war opened, — the Young Men's Christian Association, now without any permanent lodg- ing, gratefully accepted the generous invitation of the Washington Society to occupy their hall on the occasion of its meetings. The Faculty, in 1868, permitted the members to use a dormitory on East Lawn as their li- brary and reading room; but it was not until 1878 that the association was assigned by the Board to permanent quarters in the large apartment which had previously been periodically occupied by the classes in modern Ian- 182 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA guages. But this settlement was merely a temporary make-shift. The association was in need of far more space for the full performance of its beneficent purposes. The earliest ground which its members had for hoping that they would ultimately obtain a separate building of their own is found in a statement made by L. D. Wishard, of the International Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association of New York City. " I am con- fident," he wrote, " that at least twenty-five thousand dol- lars can be secured for the building at the University of Virginia, provided that certain conditions be complied with in the way of guarantee that it will always be used for the object contemplated in the constitution of the College Young Men's Christian Association." Mr. Wishard, accompanied by Douglas Moody, had already visited the University, and during his sojourn there (1886), had expressed himself as being very much impressed with the need of an edifice of that character within the precincts. The Board of Visitors promptly offered the guarantee desired. Very luckily, Professor Noah K. Davis, as we have mentioned, had been suc- cessful in acquiring the title to the conveniently situated ground on which the modern Madison Hall stands. The spot was still a boggy ravine, which had come to be known in derision as " Davis's swamp." In vain a vigorous effort was now made to influence him to have the land sold to the General Athletic Association, and the money to result used in adding to the Temperance Hall, for the benefit of the local Young Men's Christian Association. " No," he replied, with characteristic ten- acity and precision, " there shall be no building erected on this site until there is a fund of fifty thousand dollars to construct it." RELIGION 183 In March, 1890, a special edition of College Topics was issued in the association's interest, and the need of a large building for its use was presented in its pages with remarkable clearness and persuasiveness. John R. Mott, travelling secretary of the International Committee, was visiting the University about the time that this number was published, and he threw the weight of his powerful advocacy on the side of the college journal's appeal for support. A mass meeting was held, — on which occa- sion, the subject of a new building was discussed in all its bearings. It was suggested that the structure should contain a modern gymnasium also; and that the whole of the campus should be graded for the enjoyment of athletic sports. The movement practically ended with the meeting, although a respectable sum seems to have been subscribed before adjournment. When the new chapel was finished, — which led to the evacuation of one of the Rotunda's front wings by the University congre- gation,— the Board of Visitors permitted the associa- tion to take possession of that apartment. The work of this body continued to be limited to the two provinces which it had so faithfully and so success- fully occupied anterior to the war. This work con- sisted, first, of supporting Sunday Schools within the pre- cincts for the teaching of the white and black children alike, and of holding a prayer-meeting on every Wednes- day afternoon for the benefit of the students domiciled in each division of the University, and also on Sunday for the benefit of the entire mass in college. Under the auspices of the same body, Bible lessons of extraordinary interest were given by Professors Minor and Davis. The work of the association consisted, secondly, of in- structing the illiterate population of the contiguous re- 184 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA gions in the simplest principles of the Christian religion. Small modern school-houses had been built for the pur- pose at Cedar Grove, Ridge View, and New Hope, situ- ated in the country; and at least two of these primitive structures stood four miles away from the University, and one even as far off as six miles. The recitations began at eleven o'clock in the morning. The first to arrive in winter, whether teacher or pupil, was expected to kindle the fire. The furniture of the room consisted of one stove, one table, three rows of benches, and a rude pulpit. The singing of hymns was an indispens- able part of the religious exercises. The pupils were distributed among six classes for religious instruction. One of these was composed entirely of men and women, since adults were encouraged to attend. Two of the classes were made up of small children alone. The re- maining three were recruited from young people of both sexes. The association began the session of 1865-66 with a membership of eighty-eight, which number, by the close of the following year, had expanded to one hundred and fifty. With the decline in the enrollment of students in the different schools which became observable after 1872, this membership, as was to be expected, shrank very perceptibly, but it started to swell again just as soon as the annual list of matriculates gave the first sign of growing in length. Throughout the Seventh Period, 1865-95, the number of Episcopalians, whether in ac- tual communion with that denomination, or in sympathy with its doctrines, preponderated over those who were affiliated with the other sects. The following table per- tinent to three sessions chosen from different sections of the same period will show the proportions at those times : RELIGION 185 Number of Communicants 1869-70 1871-2 1876-7 Episcopalian 38 41 54 Presbyterian 33 34 26 Baptist 14 20 14 Methodist 19 13 18 Disciples 5 3 6 Catholic 2 5 13 Lutheran 2 2 2 During the session of 1880— 8 1, there were one hun- dred and twenty-nine students in active communion with the Protestant Episcopal denomination; ninety-one, with the Presbyterian; forty-three, with the Methodist; thirty- eight, with the Baptist; ten with the Christian; seven with the Catholic; and three with the Lutheran. During the session of 1891-2, forty-eight per cent of the matric- ulates were united with the Protestant Episcopal church, and twenty-three with the Presbyterian. The remainder were divided into smaller circles between the other sects. The proportion of those who, throughout the Seventh Period, 1865—95, were zealously associated with some denomination, was at least one-fourth, and, during some years, as much as one-third or even more, of all the matriculates enrolled. The spirit of tolerance which prevailed made a last- ing impression on more than one intelligent observer. Writing at the end of the Seventh Period, the Rev. A. R. Cocke, the chaplain, said, " The religious life at the University of Virginia is of the most catholic type. The Faculty embraces men who are leading forces in all the principal denominations. Their names in their respec- tive churches are synonyms of devotion, joined with the highest manhood and keenest intellect. In my extensive acquaintance with the colleges and universities of the country, I have never seen instructors more deeply in- 186 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA terested in the moral and religious welfare of their stu- dents. There is no denominational narrowness. The same catholic spirit, mingled with deep earnestness, per- vades the student body. They work together throughout the session without asking denominational names. The University throws every possible religious influence around the students, and if they go astray, it is despite innumerable restraints." xxxvil. Buildings and Water Works Before the session of 1865-66 began, the Faculty, in their grave uncertainty about the future of the Uni- versity, and in their very natural anxiety, in consequence, to place every branch of its affairs upon the most econom- ical footing, counseled the Board to put upon the back of one person the previously divided duties of the of- ficers of proctor and superintendent of buildings and grounds. They also recommended that a general plan for the further improvement of the physical side of the in- stitution should be procured from a competent archi- tect, to be carried into effect just so soon as there was sufficient funds on hand for the employment of an ex- pert to overlook the course of the alterations and addi- tions. But these suggestions apparently were not re- ceived by the Board with favor, for, during the next month, the Faculty proposed that the duties of the sup- erintendent of grounds and buildings should be taken over by themselves. They advised that Holmes should be put in charge of East Lawn and East Range; Schele, of West Lawn and West Range; McGuffey, of the par- sonage, Dawson's Row, and Monroe Hill; the professor of mathematics, yet to be elected, of all open ground lying east of the Lawn; Howard, of all lying west; Minor, of the cleared land situated some distance be- BUILDINGS AND WATER WORKS 187 yond the precincts; Smith, of the woodland; Gildersleeve, of the Rotunda and Annex; Davis, of the waterworks; and Cabell, of the footways and flowerbeds along the Lawn. This proposal, which was marked by some con- spicuous merits, was also rejected, — probably because the Board were convinced that the Faculty were already overburdened with tasks. In June, 1867, the Visitors ratified a contract which the executive committee had entered into for the purchase of Carr's Hill, now deemed indispensable to the University's purposes. Payment for this valuable ground was made in part by a series of five notes for two thousand dollars each, which were secured by a deed of trust. John E. Johnson, then serving as proctor and superintendent, was succeeded, on his resignation in December, 1867, by Ma- jor Green Peyton, an accomplished engineer and skilful financier, who was to prove to be the most useful incum- bent that ever held the two offices together. The duties of proctor were, down to the session of 1891—92, still joined to those of superintendent of grounds and build- ings. Displaced by the Readjuster party, during the ses- sions of 1882— 85,* Peyton was restored in 1885—86, and continued to perform the combined work of proctor and superintendent, during the next five years, at the end of which time, Adjunct Professor W. H. Echols, of the School of Applied Mathematics, was appointed (1891— 92) to fill the superintendency of grounds and buildings, now divorced from the proctorship. In April, 1892, the value of the University's material equipment was thought to approximate one million and a half dollars. The area in open lands was about seven hundred and fifty acres, which was assessed, in 1895, at $9,465.75. The principal buildings that had been added, in the 1 His place, during this interval, was taken by James K. Campbell. 188 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA course of the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, were the nat- ural history museum, chemical laboratory, medical build- ing, astronomical observatory, Fayerweather gymnasium, the new hospital, and the University chapel. The Randall hall was erected subsequently. The most interesting subordinate of the superintendent of grounds and buildings, during these years, was Henry Martin, one of the successors of Martin Tracy. Henry was sprung from a family which had always occupied the status of slaves. He was equally remarkable in appear- ance and in character. His complexion was that of a light mulatto somewhat freckled, with flaxon eyebrows, and hair only a shade darker in tint. The features of his face, — especially the very high cheek bones, — were dis- tinctly remindful of the Indian; but the color of the eye was grayish blue, and the shape of the head was foreign to the African. He always wore a moustache and goatee, which further differentiated him from the negro race; and the departure was accentuated still more by a bearing of unaffected dignity, and by manners at once simple and polished. His figure was tall and command- ing, though somewhat awkward; and when he walked, he bore himself with conspicuous erectness. He was never idle. In observing his appearance and watching his move- ments, the impression could not be avoided that he was sprung from a mother with an infusion of white, negro, and Indian blood, and from a father of respectable grade of Caucasian mentality and social culture. In his humble way, Henry Martin was no incongruous appendage of that stately and imposing Faculty, who, 'during these memorable years, raised the reputation of the University of Virginia to the loftiest point which it has reached as yet. Many a student who was present during this period has forgotten the faces and figures of BUILDINGS AND WATER WORKS 189 most of the professors, or recall them only through a mist, but it is quite probable that time has not effaced the image of this remarkable half-breed from the memory of a single surviving alumnus of those times. He never forgot the face of a former student. He was always successful in the performance of his duties. This was the result of his never failing to act with clear good sense in his relation with the young men. " He was always self- respecting, straight-forward, candid, and frank," says Dr. Culbreth, who has drawn a very just and sympa- thetic portrait of him. " The students, in a spirit of mischief, would sometimes endeavor to draw him into an expression of preference for a particular professor. But he was too shrewd to be caught in their net. ' No,' he would reply, with his customary deference and polite- ness, ' they are all fine gentlemen'." " He knew his part in life," again remarks Dr. Culbreth, " and played it well. He knew that he was neither professor nor student, nor white man. He strictly attended to his own business. I never recall the bell ringing out of time." As soon as Henry Martin became too infirm from advancing years to perform, with his accustomed fidelity, the duties of janitor, he received a pension; and when he died, his departure from life was commemorated in regretful verse by the University magazine, and his funeral was dignified by the presence of many of the professors and students, who desired to pay a public tribute to the intelligence, firmness and diligence, with which he had performed the humble but useful role that had been assigned him by destiny. The bell which Henry Martin had rung, with the most exact punctuality, during so many years, began, in 1886, to exhibit so many signs of disintegration that 190 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the Board of Visitors concluded either to sell it or to exchange it for a new one. As it had been associated with the University from the beginning, it was very fortunately looked upon by the ladies of the community as a sacred object which should not be allowed to be carried away from the precincts as if it were so much worthless junk. At a single meeting, held in March 6, 1887, they collected the sum needed to purchase it. Their purpose was to have the metal composing it recast into a bell which should be suspended in the tower of the chapel. " It is to be called the ' Ladies' bell/ " Pro- fessor Smith wrote B. Johnson Barbour on the follow- ing day, " and it will continue to summon us to prayers as it has done for fifty years." This pious expectation, however, does not seem to have been fulfilled, — in 1891, it was bought from the ladies by Professors Tuttle, Stone, and Towles, and having been generously presented by them to the University, it found an asylum at last under the roof of the Brooks Museum. During the Seventh Period, 1865-95, there were ad- ditions of high artistic value to the collections of the institution. Among these, the most impressive was the statue of Jefferson from the chisel of the young Virgin- ian, Alexander Gait. The General Assembly had ap- propriated ten thousand dollars for the execution of the commission. The sculptor, before setting out for Flor- ence, where the work was to be done, obtained copies of the different portraits of Jefferson, strolled about Monticello and the University of Virginia to get a vividly accurate conception of the statesman's surround^ ings in life, conversed with his nearest surviving kins- men, and was so fortunate as to receive as a gift a suit of his clothes. The statue which resulted was pronounced by those who had seen Jefferson, — men like William BUILDINGS AND WATER WORKS 191 Wertenbaker and Thomas Jefferson Randolph, — to be the most faithful effigy of his person in existence. Al- though completed before war was precipitated, it was not delivered into the University's possession until after its close. In the meanwhile, the sculptor, — who had served the cause of the Confederacy by drafting plats for the military engineers, and preserving the likenesses of Confederate leaders in portraits and busts, — had died suddenly of small-pox while visiting the headquarters of General Jackson in 1862. The demand for the enlargement of the University water-works arose almost on the threshold of the Sev- enth Period, 1865—95. There had been constant appre- hension lest the insidious damage already inflicted on the Rotunda and library by the leaking tanks on the dome should end in a sudden and sweeping catastrophe to the building and its contents. How could these dangerous and uncouth receptacles be made unnecessary? It was only by means of an abundant supply of water drawn from a high altitude that they could be conveniently and permanently dispensed with. In June, 1867, the future proctor, Major Green Peyton, whose professional knowl- edge as an expert engineer was now of extraordinary value to the University, was employed to draw up an estimate of the cost of constructing a dam in the stream on Ob- servatory Mountain at the greatest height practicable. To this dam it was proposed to extend the existing main. The rector was empowered to borrow ten thousand dol- lars to defray the probable expense of the undertaking; and this sum was subsequently added to. In Decem- ber of the same year, there was a conference with the authorities of Charlottesville for the purpose of enlist- ing their cooperation. By the spring of 1869, the new works had been completed. An abundant supply of 192 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA water for the present was thus acquired, and the need of the steam-engine which forced a stream into the tanks was presumed to be terminated. The tanks, however, not only remained untouched, but also in actual use as late as 1884. By 1880, the new supply had begun to give signs of failure during Summer, and the proctor, in consequence, was instructed to enlarge the reservoir. In anticipation that a drought might cause the flow through the main pipe to stop altogether, the cisterns, which had appar- ently been closed and abandoned, were cleared out from top to bottom and carefully repaired, and the conduits to the roofs of the pavilions and dormitories opened up fully again. So alarming became the condition of the water supply in spite of this precaution, that the Gen- eral Assembly was compelled to make a large appropri- ation for its improvement. An equally large sum was granted at the same time for further modernizing the drainage and sewerage of the precincts. In April, 1884, forty thousand dollars of these two amounts combined was deposited in the Bank of Charlottesville, to be paid out as those important alterations advanced towards completion. The need of cooperation between the town and the University in erecting new water-works, to ensure a permanent and adequate supply for both communities, had become so pressing by 1885 that the authorities of the two corporations, as authorized by Act of Assembly of March, 1884, agreed to unite their resources. It was estimated that the cost of the undertaking would fall little short of ninety thousand dollars, of which imposing sum the University was to contribute not less than fifteen thousand. In return for the payment of this propor- tion of the outlay, it was to be entitled to all the water BUILDINGS AND WATER WORKS 193 which could be drawn through a pipe of a size to be agreed upon, which should distribute the diverted stream through its grounds. The main conduit, which was to run from the reservoir to the city, was to be ten inches in diameter; and it was this great pipe that the smaller University pipe was to tap. The current was to be controlled altogether by the force of gravity. During the years that succeeded the completion of the work, the population of the town continued to augment. With the ever rising demand for water at the urban end of the line, the pressure on the contents of the Uni- versity pipe diminished, and the supply in consequence fell below what was needed by the smaller community. This led to the drafting of a new contract in January, 1892, by the provisions of which the University was em- powered to lay down a new pipe all the way to the res- ervoir, without any connection whatever with the town main. This new conduit was six inches in diameter, and its construction entailed an expense of nearly seventeen thousand dollars. A deficiency having again occurred in 1896, the town put in a steam pump to force the water from Reservoir Creek into its ten-inch main. The University shared in this expense, and, as a compensa- tion, obtained a proportionate increase in the supply for its own pipe. In 1886, a fire broke out in pavilion i, and but for the town engines' promptness in responding to an urgent call, that building probably would have burned down, and the flames from it been spread to the Rotunda, by way of the west front wing. The warning conveyed by this suppressed conflagration suggested the purchase of hose, reels, and extra piping, and the organization of a fire company made up of the residents of the University and its immediate neighborhood. Fire plugs were now 194 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA placed in the shadow of every large edifice on the grounds. All these precautions led the Faculty to say, in their re- port for the session of 1886-87, that " the present con- dition of affairs assures a reasonable sense of security against damage by fire " ; but this feeling of compara- tive immunity was shaken, in the following year, by the discovery that the pressure in the water pipe would not be sufficient, in case of a conflagration, large or small, to drive even a stream of moderate volume to the roof of the Rotunda. Indeed, it was now disclosed that some of the plugs would, for the same reason, prove to be unserviceable should they be suddenly tested in an emer- gency. In order to have at hand the means of quenching a fire at its birth, the Faculty recommended the pur- chase of numerous extinguishers, with a capacity to throw a jet of carbonic acid water a distance of at least fifty feet. They also suggested that permission should be obtained from the municipality of Charlottesville to in- sert a water gate in the town main, for this would en- able the University fire company to divert the whole supply, if necessary, to the hoses turned upon a burning pavilion, dormitory, or lecture-hall. And it was largely to put this company in a better position to fight a con- flagration that the right, already referred to, was ac- quired to lay down an independent pipe line for the in- stitution's exclusive use. It will be perceived from these different measures that both the Board and the Faculty were always nervously apprehensive of the occurrence of a fire; and that they revealed no disposition to neglect the adoption of every available means of extinguishing it, in case it should break out at any hour. Gas had been satisfactorily used as an illuminant within the precincts, during many years, when in March, 1888, a committee was appointed by the Board of Visitors to ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS 195 consider the expediency of introducing electrical light- ing, and as this report was in the affirmative, the author- ity was, in the ensuing July, granted to a company of local capitalists to erect the necessary wires within the circle of the grounds. It was not until the session of 1900—1901 that an appropriation of ten thousand dol- lars by the General Assembly enabled the University to build an electric plant of its own. xxxvui. Administrative Officers Socrates Maupin, who had been appointed for the first time chairman of the Faculty in 1854, remained in this office without interruption until 1870, when he was killed on the occasion of an accident to the carriage in which he was driving. His successor was Charles S. Venable, who was the incumbent during the three ses- sions terminating with 1872—73, and afterwards during the two sessions closing with 1887—88. Professor Harrison, of the School of Medicine, performed the duties of the position during the interval that began with 1873 and ended with 1886. Venable was followed at the close of his last incumbency by William M. Thorn- ton, who was chairman during the period that extended from 1888 to 1896 inclusive.1 Paul B. Barringer suc- ceeded Thornton in 1896, and occupied the office during seven sessions. James M. Page was appointed in 1903, and, in 1904, retired on the establishment of the presi- dency. The Board of Visitors, during the Seventh Period, 1865-95, could not count among its numerous members as many figures of varied distinction as it had done be- fore the passing of the old system in consequence of the failure of the Confederacy. During the first two years 1 Professor Thornton had been vice-chairman under Venable. 196 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA that followed that failure, there was a politic disposi- tion to choose men whose sympathies were not antago- nistic to the spirit of the new course of events. Such were Alexander Rives and Robert W. Hughes, both of whom were in time to accept high judicial office from a Republican administration. Samuel Lewis, of Rock- ingham county, was of the same political complexion. By 1870, the appointment had again come to be restricted to men thoroughly representative of the dominant senti- ment of the Southern communities to which they be- longed. Such were Thomas L. Preston, a former rector and a noble exemplar in manners, appearance, and char- acter of Virginia in its social prime; Richard H. Baker, of Norfolk, a lawyer of conspicuous professional learn- ing and broad literary culture ; Thomas Smith, son of the sturdy war governor of that name, and himself a man of uncommon vigor of character, and afterwards a Fed- eral judge of distinction; Macajah Woods, long one of the most competent prosecuting attorneys in the State; Isaac H. Carrington, provost-marshal during the Con- federacy and a lawyer of great ability afterwards; Alex- ander H. H. Stuart, whose fame was national; Holmes Conrad, destined to become solicitor-general of the United States; John Goode, Jr., during many years an eloquent and influential member of Congress, and sub- sequently president of the last constitutional convention of Virginia; John L. Marye, lieutenant-governor of the State; Thomas S. Bocock, Speaker of the Confederate Congress; W. H. Payne, a brilliant cavalry officer dur- ing the war, and a lawyer of reputation afterwards; Edward C. Venable, member of Congress; W. Gordon McCabe, the foremost headmaster of Virginia in his prime; Mason Gordon, son of General William Fitz- hugh Gordon, and the inheritor of a large share of his ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS 197 father's talents and of all his genial qualities; Joseph Bryan, a citizen of extraordinary influence in more than one walk in life; Camm Patteson, a political war-horse in the days when the term signified a disinterested devo- tion to the public service; Basil B. Gordon, cut off by a premature death from the full fruition of a political ca- reer that had proved successful in spite of serious physical handicaps; Armistead C. Gordon, a lawyer of distinction, who, in the midst of professional engage- ments, had snatched the opportunity to write volumes of biography, fiction, and verse of a high order of merit; John S. Wise, brilliant and erratic, a lawyer, politician, and author of remarkable powers; William Lamb, a brave Confederate soldier, who had won an enduring name as the defender of Fort Fisher; W. C. N. Randolph, a great-grandson of Jefferson, and a physician of excel- lent standing; William H. Boiling, a descendant of Po- cahontas and a respected county magistrate; Thomas S. Martin, a senator of the United States; and John Paul, afterwards a judge on the Federal bench. At least three of the Visitors mentioned in this dis- cursive list, — Wise, Paul, and Lamb, — were members of the Readjuster Party, which was looked upon with keen disfavor by the conservative section of the Com- monwealth. They had been appointed, along with five others of obscure antecedents, by a Readjuster Gov- ernor in May, 1882. This radical Board, with several changes, remained in office until the termination of the session of 1885-86. It was clearly understood that it was selected largely for a particular purpose : the re- moval of certain officers of the University, who were obnoxious to the new party. Major Green Peyton, a gallant soldier, an outspoken man, and a most faithful and competent official, was known to have been marked 198 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA off for the visitorial guillotine; and the decapitating blade was not long in falling. Several of his fellow officials were dropped along with himself to make room for partisan satellites. After this work of indiscriminate pruning had been completed under the influence of sordid politics, in gen- eral, and at the special dictation, it was said at the time, of two aggressive Readjusters, who were pulling the se- cret strings from the outside, this revolutionary Board seems to have acted conscientiously and sensibly in the discharge of their duties. This was acknowledged by the Faculty, — although still smarting under the sting in- flicted by the unjustifiable knifing of tried officers of the institution. " They are laboring earnestly for us," said Professor Stephen O. Southall, " and it is only by their favor that we hope for favor from their political asso- ciates." Fortunately for the prosperity and the reputa- tion of the University, — which had suffered a severe wrench by being dragged into the theatre of rank parti- sanship,— a thoroughly conservative and representative body of Virginians succeeded, at the end of a few years, this promiscuous and distinctly hybrid board. During the latter' s existence, the Readjusters had furnished three of the ten incumbents of the rectorship during the Seventh Period, 1865—95. These three were Lamb, Elliot and W. R. Ruffin. The eight additional ones were Alexander Rives, 1865-66; B. Johnson Barbour, 1866-72; R. G. H. Kean, 1872-75; A. H. H. Stuart, 1875- 1882; J. L. Marye, 1887-89; and W. C. N. Randolph, 1889-95. 1 The most interesting because the most accomplished and the most many-sided of all these distinguished men 1 Randolph continued rector after 1895. Stuart was also rector in 1886-87. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS 199 was B. Johnson Barbour. When, in 1870, he, with some feeling, intimated his intention of resigning the rector- ship, Professor Venable hastened to write to him as follows : " You have been able, in these trying five years, to do an amount of good for Virginia which it has fallen to the lot of few of her sons to accomplish, and you have been sustained by sound public opinion in the Faculty and in the State. I say, ' sustained,' but you have been more than sustained, for what has been done has been applauded in every quarter." There was reason, at this time, to suspect that some plan was on foot to shift the government of the Uni- versity almost entirely to the hands of the Faculty. The most energetic advocate of this revolutionary change was Professor Minor. We have, in our first volume, quoted the opinion which he once expressed that a mis- take had been made in the original organization of the institution in not placing that body on the same plat- form of authority as the Board of Visitors. " The new holds of power which Professor Minor has been con- stantly taking for himself and colleagues," Venable wrote Barbour in February, 1870, "have been mainly possible by the want of permanence in the rector's office. I have known something of the internal affairs and regu- lations of the University of Virginia since 1857, and I know that there is now a stronger body of professors, — devoted unselfishly to promote its interests, who do not partake of this clamor against the Visitors, and who are anxious to work shoulder to shoulder with them in the common cause, — than at any time in the period from 1857 to 1870. I do not believe that there are more than three professors who have any heart in this scheme of Minor's." Barbour, upheld by so strong and determined an arm, refused to abridge, either actively 200 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA or passively, the power which had been vested in him and his associates of the Board. But his relations with the members of the Faculty were not confined to points of dry or controversial official business. He wrote learned and delightful letters to Professor Peters on the genius or the syntax of such classics as Horace, Sallust, and Plautus. With Holmes, he corresponded, with the most delicate critical acumen, on the spirit and structure of the poems of Dryden and Pope; and with Mallet and Smith, exchanged opinions touching the most abstruse phases of the scientific sub- jects in which they were so deeply versed. Major Green Peyton, engineer by profession though he was, and finan- cier by long training, was perfectly able to break a lance with him as to the true significance of some quotation from the great English authors, which Barbour had sub- mitted for an interpretation. They debated upon Lamb, and Wordsworth, and DeQuincey. Peyton criti- cized, with vigorous contempt, the modern custom of ex- purgating the text of the masters. " Why not," he wrote, " publish a clever man's whole works, if not ut- terly indecent; and what constitutes indecency when we publish Fielding, Smollett, and Shakspere, Swift, and Sterne, and the rest of them? I don't thank anybody for withholding anything." xxxix. dlumni Chapters One of the few depredations committed by the Fed- eral troops during General Sheridan's halt in Charlottes- ville was the abstraction of the papers of the Alumni As- sociation from the desk of its secretary, and their de- struction on the spot, or removal to some unknown place in the North. It is possible that the Federal authorities expected to find in these curt, dry, and innocent docu- ALUMNI CHAPTERS 201 ments, clauses that would throw light on the political sentiment then prevailing in the governing circles of the moribund Confederacy. As the papers were not re- covered, the association was left without a copy of its own constitution, by-laws, and list of members; but luck- ily this loss was not altogether irretrievable, for an able and experienced committee, composed of N. H. Massie, Green Peyton, S. V. Southall, Eugene Davis, and Wil- liam J. Robertson, soon drafted a new constitution and a new set of by-laws, which remained in force until 1896. During the interval between 1865 and 1871, new chapters were organized in succession in St. Louis, Peters- burg, Richmond, Alexandria, Winchester, Lynchburg, Abingdon, Baltimore, New York, and New Orleans; and the years that immediately followed witnessed additions to this number in Staunton, Charlottesville, Columbia, (Tenn.), Fredericksburg, San Francisco, and Louisville. By 1893, there were twenty-six local branches. While some were more active and more zealous in their interest in the University than others, yet in all there must have been aroused a concern for its advancement such as had never been known to exist among the alumni as mere in- dividuals. These separate groups certainly had a tend- ency to raise up for its benefit something of that warm sentimental loyalty which is the most beautiful fruit of the curriculum system. The alumni, scattered about among the cities of the South and the East, held reunions of their respective chapters, and recalled at their several banquets the memories of the arcades and the class-rooms. As sons of the same institution, all felt, for the time being at least, drawn as closely together as if they were cele- brating some recurring class anniversary that quickened every fibre of the heart. It was early foreseen that, if every chapter of the organization could be filled perma- 202 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA nently with a spirit of active fidelity, the centre of that organization, the University itself, would occupy a more influential position as constituting the guiding force for all. During many years to come, however, the chapters were not to be sufficiently unified for this purely senti- mental interest to take a practical concerted form. In 1872, the general association was chartered, with Charlottesville as its principal office, and with the majority of the incorporators prominent and esteemed citizens of that town. Among these incorporators were A. R. Blakey, the editor of an excellent local newspaper, N. H. Massie, a banker, W. C. N. Randolph, a physician, Horace W. Jones, a headmaster, and Colonel R. T. W. Duke, a lawyer. These men were the principal repre- sentatives of a large proportion of the important interests of the community. The charter was obtained in the name of the " Society of the Alumni of the University of Virginia." The dominant object, from a practical point of view, which the Society was expected to accomplish, was to collect for the institution a fund of at least five hundred thousand dollars. It was empowered to receive gifts and legacies, to dispose of scholarships, to adopt by- laws, to appoint agents for soliciting endowments for pro- fessorships, and to employ every other available means to increase the efficiency and prosperity of the University. It was hoped by the Society that enough money would be donated to it to build a handsome hall near the pre- cincts for the use of its committees and members. We have already seen how effective was the assistance afforded by some of the chapters of the general associa- tion towards securing the large sum needed for the sup- port of the McCormick Observatory. It was antici- pated by both the Board of Visitors and the professors, that the association, now that it was chartered would, as ALUMNI CHAPTERS 203 time advanced, be directly instrumental in gathering up funds for the endowment of other chairs; but this hope was not at once realized. There seems to have been, indeed, during the first years after 1872, some reason for dissatisfaction with the practical energy exhibited by the numerous chapters considered in the mass. There were members of the Faculty who thought that this energy was, on the whole, less resolute and continuous than the institution had a right to expect; and that some means should be devised of increasing the interest of the alumni as a body. Professor R. H. Dabney was one of these. Among the arguments which he advanced in favor of the adoption of the degree of bachelor of arts as the badge of the collegiate or undergraduate section of studies as dis- tinguished from the university or graduate section, was that it would bring about some of those practical filial results, which the Northern seats of learning had, with so much profit to themselves, derived from their curric- ulum system. " When a number of young men sit side by side in the same lecture-rooms for four years," said he, " and when they strive for class supremacy through class football and baseball teams and class boat-crews, they acquire, by the end of that time, a unity and cohesion that are alto- gether unknown among the students of the University of Virginia. Each class has its president, its secretary, ora- tors, historian, and poet. Nor does this unity and co- hesion end when the diplomas have been received, and the members of the class have dispersed, to engage in the business of life. At fixed intervals, the class reas- sembles within the walls of alma mater. Members ex- perience the delight of talking over old times and renew- ing their youth, while the class historian recounts the achievements of the class. Different classes vie with each 204 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA other in generosity to the institution where their intellect was trained, their characters formed, their friendships fixed. Numbers of these alumni accumulate wealth and do well. Everyone can contribute something towards a class gift for their college, — endow a chair, establish a scholarship, erect a gymnasium, and bestow some other valuable gift. But how different it is with us ! Compar- atively few of our students, after completing their college career, ever return to their alma mater at all, while those who do return, straggle in as individuals uncertain whether by chance they will meet old friends or be op- pressed by the sight of a multitude of unknown faces. It happens that many a man who once loved the Uni- versity dearly drifts gradually away from her influence and loses interest in her welfare. It is true that much has been done of late years to revive interest by the an- nual banquets of the alumni society in such cities as Rich- mond, Louisville, Washington, and New York. A keener college spirit too has been aroused by the develop- ment of athletic sports. Under the new system (of col- lege, university, and doctorate divisions of studies), far more men will take the degree of master of arts; but much more important still, the degree of bachelor of arts, will, in time, become an object of attainment by nearly all the academic students." In Professor Dabney's opinion at that time, the ex- clusive dependence for the creation of a more brisk alumni spirit ought not to be staked upon the more general ac- quisition of the degree of bachelor of arts. He sug- gested that all the candidates for this degree during the session of 1892-3 should organize themselves into a class, — the class of 1893,- — and agree to hold a reunion at in- tervals of three, six, ten, thirty, forty and fifty years; and he proposed that each graduating class in the departments ALUMNI CHAPTERS 205 of professional study should form the like association, and promise to come together at the end of stated peri- ods. Unfortunately for the prosperity of this suggestion so far as it applied to these latter departments, the co- hesive spirit of vocational groups at college has never, even before their dispersal, turned out to be very strong, — possibly because the social side of these groups has always remained more or less dwarfed, in consequence of the more concentrated attention which the members, in anticipation of their life-work, have given to their text- books. As to the production of a class spirit by in- creasing the list of bachelor of arts, there were persons at that time who considered this anticipation unlikely unless the whole body of young men, numbering several hundred, enrolled in the collegiate classes, should, as a matter of course, be required, as in a curriculum college, to become candidates for the degree, and in the end, should succeed in obtaining it. In May, 1893, there was an attempt to come together on a somewhat broader platform than the one which Pro- fessor Dabney had counselled : the class of that year was organized as an association by sixty students, and a con- stitution was drafted and adopted by them. This docu- ment provided that the class should be composed of the following members: all candidates for the degrees of bachelor of arts and master of arts ; all post-graduate stu- dents; all students of the professional schools who had previously won academic degrees ; and finally, — and this was the most significant item in the list, — all students who had no intention of returning to the University for the ensuing session. The object of the association was stated to be ( i ) the preservation of friendships, ripened in dormitory and lecture-hall; and (2) the promotion of all the general interests of the institution. The example 206 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA set by the class of 1893 was not imitated with an equal de- gree of energy and fidelity by the students of the session that followed. The explanation lay quite probably in the inherent difficulty, — perhaps, it may even be said, the inherent impossibility, — of nurturing the genial social spirit of the curriculum in the cold shadow of the elective system. XL. Distinguished Alumni During the short interval between the session of 1865— 66 and the session of 1870-71, no graduate of the School of Medicine of the University of Virginia seems to have been enrolled in the medical corps of the United States Army. Five entered in the course of 1875. Between 1875 and 1894, twenty-eight at least were admitted, of whom eleven obtained the rank of either first or second in merit in the examinations. Twelve applicants were rejected, — two on account of physical infirmities; the re- mainder for defects of general education alone. It was estimated that, in 1894, about ten per cent of the sur- geons on the active list of the Army were graduates of the University of Virginia. As to the Navy, it was stated, in 1873, by a member of the Naval Examining Board that the records of this branch brought out the fact that, during the preceding twenty years, not a single graduate of that institution who had submitted to the tests of admission had failed to be successful. This re- markable upshot could be claimed for the candidates of no other seat of learning. It is true that the number coming forward was large, as so few of the young phy- sicians, fresh from their professional course, had, during these impoverished times in the South, the means of support while waiting for general practice in their native communities, DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 207 The tests of admission to both the military and the naval services steadily grew more stringent. This began to be observable as early as 1875. Hitherto, a purely theoretical knowledge of medicine and surgery alone was indispensable; but, afterwards, practical information ac- quired in hospitals came to be considered as of equal weight in judging the competency of a candidate. In consequence of this broadening in the requirements, the graduates of the University of Virginia, after the com- pletion of their medical studies in that institution, entered the hospitals of New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, and there obtained the clinical experience which was now imperatively demanded by the examining boards of the Army and Navy. " In one year," says E. H. Green, a surgeon in the United States army, " there were four vacancies to be filled on the staff of the New York Charity Hospital. Three University of Virginia men applied. They went in one, two, three ; and the fourth place fell to one of the other numerous competitors. After that, the faculties of the New York city medical schools made a rule that no outside graduate could compete for hospital positions unless he had taken a course previously at one of the New York medical schools. This was directed in great measure at graduates of the University of Virginia. Sometime after 1874, two University of Virginia grad- uates failed before the naval medical examining board. One came up again and passed. The other was socially impossible. Since that date, there have been several University men who have had to make a second trial. But I am glad to say that, after one trial, they came back again, and I know of no failure outright." It is a fact of record, that, in 1898, there were in the medical corps of the United States Army one hun- 208 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA dred and seventy-four surgeons; in the medical corps of the Navy, one hundred and fifty-four; in the corps of the Marine Hospital, seventy-one. The graduates of the University of Virginia in the medical corps of the Army numbered twenty-four or 13.5 per cent of the whole body; in the medical corps of the Navy, twenty-four, or 15.5 per cent; in the service of the Marine Hospital, twenty-one, or nearly 30 per cent. " Between 1870 and 1901," says Dr. J. S. Taylor, of the United States Navy, " eighty-one graduates of the University of Virginia med- ical school appeared before the Federal examining board for medical officers. Of these, a 50.6 percentage were successful as compared with a 26 percentage for the grad- uates of other colleges. Fifteen of the thirty-three can- didates rejected were unacceptable on account of physical deficiencies." In 1901, 15.8 percentage of the medical officers en- rolled on the active list of the Navy were graduates of the University of Virginia. In the interval between Sep- tember i, 1893, and July i, 1903, only two candidates in possession of professional diplomas from that institu- tion were rejected because they were personally disquali- fied, and only seven because they were afflicted with seri- ous physical infirmities. It has been asserted that the highest mark credited to a candidate before the medical examining board was reached by Dr. A. S. Garnett, an alumnus who, out of a possible 780, attained to 770. The very remarkable success of the medical graduates of the University of Virginia in obtaining, during the Seventh Period, 1865-95, such a conspicuous foothold in the Federal service has been attributed to a combination of influences: (i) that institution sent before the na- tional boards the flower of its medical class, who, not en- joying like the honor-men of the northern medical col- DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 209 leges, excellent opportunities in their native communities to acquire a lucrative practice, were satisfied to enter the province of the National Government; (2) the average graduate of the medical school of the University of Vir- ginia was indisputably superior in professional equip- ment to the average graduate of other medical schools of the country; (3) accustomed to rigid and prolonged preparation in that institution, he did not shrink from the additional searching study imposed by his candidacy. The most famous graduate of the School of Medicine of the University of Virginia, during the Seventh Period, 1865-95, was Walter Reed. He matriculated at the age of sixteen in the academic department, but his father, being too impoverished by the recent war to continue his son's cultural education after the first year, Reed en- tered the medical school, from which he graduated with the professional degree by the time that he had reached his eighteenth year. After a course of study and obser- vation in the public wards of Baltimore and New York, — in which latter city, he was connected with the hospital on Blackwell's Island, — he was admitted to the medical corps of the Army. This was in 1875. During the en- suing years, he was a member of numerous boards ap- pointed by the Surgeon-General to investigate epidemic diseases. In June and July, 1900, in consequence of the reputation which he had won in this capacity, he was or- dered to Cuba, where he was soon employed, with ex- pert assistance, in making a special study of typhoid fever, which was then lowering the general health of the army of occupation. A few months later, all his powers were concentrated on the subject of yellow fever. He was now the chairman of a commission, every member of which had cheerfully agreed to submit his own body to experi- ment in the hope of detecting the origin of the distemper; 210 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA and they were rewarded for their supremely unselfish indifference to a terrible risk, — which cost one of their comrades his life, — by the revelation of the fact that the disease was transmitted from one person to another exclusively by the bite of a particular variety of mos- quito. This was an epochal discovery in the history of preventive medicine. " Dr. Reed," says General Wood, " came to Cuba when one-third of my officers of the staff had died of yellow fever, and we were discouraged about combating the distemper. In the months when it was worst in Havana, it was checked and driven from the city." It was calculated that, between the years 1793 and 1900, not less than one hundred thousand persons had perished from this disease within the limits of that city. In 1855, about twenty thousand had died miserably in Norfolk alone. During one year only, 1878, an epidemic of this fearful distemper in New Orleans had cost that municipality the huge sum of sixteen million dollars. The discovery announced by Reed opened a new chapter in the history of vast regions of the tropics, for now they could be rendered immune by the destruction of the com- municating pest. He was enthusiastically acclaimed throughout the scientific world, on all continents, as the peer of Jenner, Long, and Lister, the inspired physician who had done as much as any one of these noble bene- factors to diminish the suffering of the human race, which had hitherto seemed unescapable. Taking his cue from this great forerunner, Dr. Henry R. Carter, a graduate of the medical school in 1870, who occupied the position of chief of General Gorgas's sanitary department at Panama, exterminated the germ of yellow fever on the Isthmus. It was directly through his scientific knowl- edge, skilfully applied, that the construction of the most DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 211 splendid monument of engineering on the face of the globe, the consummation of the greatest engineering feat in all history, was made as practicable as the building of the Erie Canal. The graduates of the School of Medicine during the Seventh Period, 1865-95, were dispersed throughout the United States, and many of them won distinction in their professional careers, or as instructors in colleges of high standing, that reflected honor upon their training in the medical lecture-rooms of the University. Bernard Wolff, of Atlanta, Hugh H. Young, of Baltimore, J. Her- bert Claiborne, of New York, and W. H. Wilmer of Washington, and others of equal accomplishments, have taken rank with the foremost practitioners in America. XLI. Distinguished Alumni, Continued Of the one hundred and fifty men who occupied seats on the bench of Virginia in 1870, forty were graduates of the School of Law at the University, — at least eight- een members of the upper judiciary of the State had won their diplomas in the departments of that school. In the Supreme Court of the commonwealth at this time, several of its graduates were interpreting the law. In 1894, there were eighty-one judgeships in Virginia, and twenty-five of them were filled by alumni of the Uni- versity of Virginia. Eleven of the eighteen corporation judges were graduates of its different schools; so also were ten of the judges who occupied seats on the circuit bench, and five of those who sat in the Court of Appeals. One alumnus held the commission of a Federal circuit judge. An examination of the list of judges and attorneys be- longing to the other Southern States will show for this period an equally extraordinary number of graduates of 212 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the same institution. They were to be found in the Supreme Courts of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Seven of the judges of Florida, in 1897, were alumni; and so were many of the most distinguished attorneys at its bar. The same fact was to be observed in Texas, — not only was one of the justices of its Su- preme Court a graduate, but there was not a bar of im- portance in that commonwealth which did not number alumni of the University of Virginia on its rolls. This was equally true of Missouri, where this institution was represented at one time by at least fifty members of the bar and judges on the bench. And in a modified degree, it was also true of California and Colorado, and other States in the Far West. Between 1866 and 1895, the University of Virginia was represented in Washington by many of its alumni. In the Fifty-second Congress, that institution could point to three graduates in the Senate, Daniel, Hunton, and Irby, and to thirteen among the members of the Lower House; in the Fifty-third, to three senators, and thirteen representatives; in the Fifty-fourth, to four senators and eight representatives; in the Fifty-fifth, to six senators and fifteen representatives. The proportion of members that could be claimed by the principal colleges of the country was recorded as follows : Harvard, one of every twenty-two ; University of Virginia, one of every twenty- nine; Yale, one of every forty; Princeton, one of every eighty-eight. The governors of Virginia who were alumni of the Seventh Period were Swanson, Montague, Stuart, and Davis. Senators Martin and Daniel also graduated at the University after 1865; and so did Sen- ators John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi, Irby, of South Carolina, Faulkner, of West Virginia, Joseph E. Bailey and Culberson, of Texas, and Oscar W. Underwood, of DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 213 Alabama. Of the men who served as ministers or ambas- sadors in the diplomatic corps of the United States, there belonged to the roll of alumni of the Seventh Period, Charles P. Bryan, accredited in turn to Brazil, Portugal, Belgium and Japan; Robert S. McCormick, to Austria- Hungary, and subsequently to Russia; and Thomas Nel- son Page, to Italy. One alumnus of the same period, Woodrow Wilson, was elected President of the United States.1 Perhaps, the most accomplished of all the As- sistant Secretaries of State was also an alumnus of this period, John Bassett Moore, the foremost American au- thority on international law. In 1886, a contributor to the Virginia University Mag- azine asserted with some feeling, " It is hardly to be ex- pected that many great literary names should be found among the alumni of an institution whose honors and re- wards rather withdraw the student from, than attract him to, his own language. He goes out to the world fa- miliar with Homer, Virgil, Horace and Plato, but knows but little about the great body of English letters." These words sound like an echo of the strictures by Pro- fessor Lomax, or Professor George Tucker, half a cen- 1 President Wilson was known as Thomas W. Wilson when a student at the University of Virginia. He was always keenly interested in the proceedings of the Jefferson Society, of which he was a member. He served as its presiding officer for a time, and was instrumental in alter- ing its constitution. On March 6, 1880, he delivered before the members of the society an oration on the subject of John Bright. The secretary of that body, E. W. Saunders, afterwards a representative in Congress, and now a judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals, has recorded the fol- lowing impression of the occasion in the minute book : " Mr. Wilson, in- spired by the bright eyes and approving smiles of many fair visitants, delivered his oration with an earnestness and vigor that drew down much well deserved applause." Mr. Wilson was defeated in the contest for both the debating and the magazine medal, by William C. Bruce, now a prominent lawyer of Baltimore, and at one time president of the Maryland Senate. The award in each instance was made by a com- mittee of the Faculty, which relieved it of all taint of personal or fraternity partizanship. 214 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tury earlier. In reality, there was as much reason at this time, as during the preceding periods, to criticize the University of Virginia for its failure to produce even a re- spectable number of literary men of distinction. Indeed, the Seventh Period could not offer a single author who had won one-tenth of the fame which irradiated the name of Edgar Allan Poe; and it is doubtful also whether there was one to whom, with accuracy, could be attributed a higher degree of literary merit than could be claimed for John R. Thompson. As a matter of fact, the circumstances that usually en- courage a literary career were perceptibly fewer in the Southern States after the war than before it. There was no publisher, for instance, with ample capital, in that part of the Union, to furnish printing facilities to authors who were able to voice the local genius of its people. More- over, there would have been a very limited number of readers to encourage such writers, even if they had been able to secure such a publisher. But above all, the pecu- niary resources of the community were so impoverished by the war that the possessors of talent, however strong their literary bent, were constrained to give up their time to the uninspiring task of earning a livelihood in some other province. In all the countries where the literary spirit has flourished, it is talent rather than genius that has done the bulk of the work which has formed the solid basis of the contemporary literary reputation of those countries. There was no independent field for such talent in the South, and its people, during these years of reconstruc- tion, were too much out of harmony with the mind and soul of the North to discover one in that part of the Union. Genius, it is true, recognizes no physical bound- aries and scorns or ignores all obstacles in its perfect con- tentment with its own utterances. Sidney Lanier and DISTINGUISHED ALU.MNI 215 Timrod smilingly looked ghastly poverty in the face from day to day, and continued to write, happy in their own fe- cundity, whether they found an audience or not. But such poets as these have only rarely appeared in the his- tory of the South. The alumni of the Seventh Period, 1865-95, who won literary reputation, whether national or local, were men who relied either upon law or pedagogics for their pri- mary support. It could not be correctly said of one of them that he was as distinctly a man of letters as Poe or Thompson, — a man who depended upon the industry of his pen alone to obtain a livelihood. John S. Wise, Armistead C. and James L. Gordon, Daniel B. Lucas, and Thomas Nelson Page, were members of the bar, and wrote their best volumes in the intermission of their practice ; Woodrow Wilson, William P. Trent, Henry E. Shepherd, W. Gordon McCabe, Lyon G. Tyler, James A. Harrison, Virginius Dabney, and Alcee Fortier followed the teacher's vocation, and it was only during the brief intervals of leisure that broke the current of their duties in the class-room that they were able to gratify their taste for research or exercise their talent for composition.1 While the Seventh Period, 1865-95, was hardly more remarkable than the Fifth, 1842-61, in the distinction of its literary alumni, yet it was not until that period that the University of Virginia, for the first time, fully mani- fested its appreciation of the genius and celebrity of the greatest of all its authors, — Edgar Allan Poe. This change of attitude was principally due to the influence of Professor James A. Harrison, the editor of a stand- ard edition of Poe's romances and poems. It was he who suggested that the name of the poet, with an appro- 1 Lucas, Shepherd, McCabe, and Dabney were graduates of the period preceding the War of Secession. 216 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA priate legend, should be inscribed above the door of the dormitory which he had occupied; and that an alcove in the library should be reserved for his works. At a mass meeting of the students held on April 13, 1897, in the Jefferson Hall, it was decided to inaugurate a cam- paign for raising a permanent memorial to Poe at the University of Virginia. The proposal that this should take the form of a bust seems to have originated with James W. Hunter, Jr. The order was awarded by the Poe Memorial association to Zolnay, who completed his artistic task in 1899. In October of that year, his very remarkable work, which was of imposing size, with a coun- tenance of a life-like though extremely melancholy cast, was presented by one of the students, and received by Professor Barringer, the chairman of the Faculty at that time. The occasion was celebrated with an address by Hamilton W. Mabie, and a poem by Robert Burns Wil- son. In the ecclesiastic sphere, during this period, the Uni- versity of Virginia possessed in one denomination alone — the Protestant Episcopal — eight representatives at least who had risen to the most conspicuous office in their church. These were Bishop Sessums, of Louisiana, Bishop Reese, of Georgia, Bishop A. S. Lloyd, of the Mission Board, Bishop Kinsolving, of Texas, Bishop Kin- solving, of Southern Brazil, Bishop H. St. George Tucker, of Tokyo, Bishop Funston, of Idaho, and Bishop Horner, of Asheville. Among the journalists, John Hampden Chamberlayne, of Virginia, and Henry W. Grady, of Georgia, occupied a position in popular esteem of ex- ceptional distinction. In 1 88 1, the records disclose that thirty of the alumni of the University of Virginia were the incumbents of pro- fessorships in the academic institutions of the State; sev- DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 217 enteen, in its purely vocational ones, like the Agricultural and Mechanical College at Blacksburg, Miller Manual Labor School, Richmond Medical College, and the Union Theological Seminary; and seventy- four, in the higher seats of learning scattered throughout the South, from Maryland to Texas. Many of these instructors had graduated at the University of Virginia before the war. During the same year, a contributor to the pages of its magazine made the statement that, at that time, not less than nine of the most distinguished professors in South- ern colleges had been graduates of the School of Ap- plied Chemistry in that institution. In 1887, John L. Marye, the rector, averred that at least one hundred and fifty of the alumni were occupants of chairs in the various seats of learning situated in the South; and this did not take in the large number of graduates who were teaching in high schools and private academies. In 1896, the number of alumni associated with the sec- ondary and advanced institutions approximated two hun- dred and fifty-six. The independent universities in which they held professorships were the Johns Hopkins, Washington and Lee, Southwestern Presbyterian, Colum- bia, Tokyo, Vanderbilt, Chicago, Sewanee, Miami, Har- vard, and Princeton ; the State universities, those of Mis- souri, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, West Virginia, Vir- ginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. A writer in 1910, — some years after the close of the Seventh Period, 1865—95, now under review, — thus sum- marized the additions which the University of Virginia had, down to that time, made to the roll of instructors employed in the United States: " Beside the large num- ber of alumni who have served as teachers in public and private high schools or as assistant professors, instruc- 218 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tors, and tutors, four hundred and eleven alumni have oc- cupied chairs in one hundred and fifty-one universities, colleges, and professional schools, located in thirty-three States and four foreign countries. Of these, one hun- dred and seventy-one are now in positions. Sixty-five have been presiding officers of fifty-one institutions lo- cated in nineteen States. Alumni of the University of Virginia have been chosen in ninety-nine institutions lo- cated in sixteen Southern States (including Missouri). Of these, one hundred and forty are at present serving in sixty-six institutions located in fourteen States, including nearly all the State universities, and technical schools, and the leading private foundations of the South. Alumni have had chairs in fifty-seven institutions located in seventeen Northern and Western States. Of these, thirty are now serving in eighteen institutions located in eight States." * XLII. Private Schools Tributary to the University Whoever wishes to understand the spirit, and obtain a correct knowledge of the training, of the young English- men domiciled under the fostering wings of the Universi- ties of Oxford and Cambridge must not be satisfied to confine his observations to the ancient colleges of those renowned seats of learning. It is just as imperative that he should extend his investigation to the system of in- struction, and the social and moral atmosphere, which prevail in the public schools of Harrow and Winchester, Rugby and Eton. Those are the folds from which the greater number of the youthful students on the banks of 1 Highly valuable statistics covering the long interval between 1825 and 1874 were compiled by Professor W. P. Trent for Adams's Jefferson and the University of Virginia, to show the percentage of graduates who had adopted the different professions and callings. The proportion to the several States is also recorded in these tables. PRIVATE SCHOOLS 219 the Isis and the Cam are annually recruited; it was there that all learned the first practical lessons of independent manhood; and it was there too that many laid the solid cornerstones for the soundest scholarship and the most varied culture. What was true of those splendid English foundations, — college and public schools alike, — was also, through- out the Seventh Period, 1865-95, eminently pertinent to the University of Virginia and its principal subsidiary private academies. We have seen that, before the war, very close ties existed between the University and the high schools taught by such headmasters as Franklin Minor and Lewis and Frederick Coleman. Direct and loyal as that relation was, it was not quite so intimate or so sympathetic as the one which, after the war, united the University with a still larger number of private acad- emies. Emphasis has previously been laid upon the in- creased esteem shown by the Southern people for college education when they stood desolate, but not disheartened, amid the ruins of their former civilization. There arose at that hour a general conviction that primarily through such training the rehabilitation of the South was to be ac- complished. Parents, as we have already pointed out, made extraordinary sacrifices in order that their sons might gain admission to the lecture-hall; and these sons showed their profound appreciation of those sacrifices, and their keen sense of the practical benefit of educa- tion, by the intense earnestness of their application. Many young men turned to the University of Virginia for the means of equipping themselves, not only for the prac- tice of law or medicine, or engineering, but also for the pursuit of the teacher's calling. Never before in the history of Virginia at least was so much talent, energy, and scholarship enlisted in the pro- 220 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA fession of pedagogics; and to that great fact must be attributed no small share of the success which followed the efforts of its people to recover their old prosperity. It was in the private schools that the largest number of the men who designed to make teaching their business in life found their first positions; and here a very consider- able proportion of those who had intended to become lawyers or doctors or engineers ultimately remained, without passing on to any of these different vocations. The headmasters of these schools, taken as a body, were remarkable for force of character, high principle, and thorough scholarship; and the teachers associated with them in a subordinate capacity, represented the best so- cial and intellectual training which the Virginian home and the University of Virginia of that day was able to impart. During many years, the public sentiment which sup- ported the State system of education did not make enough headway to curtail the prosperity of these private acad- emies. They continued to flourish through the long in- terval between 1865 and 1895. It is no overstatement to say that, during this period, there were no citizens of Virginia, — not even the clergymen, or the older mem- bers of the bar trained in the atmosphere of slave insti- tutions,— who exercised a more virile moral, or a more fructifying intellectual, influence over society at large than half a dozen headmasters whose names can be mentioned. It is true that the impression which they did make was made principally on the minds and hearts of the young; but it was the recruits from the ranks of the young, — who, year after year, were merging in the ranks of the adults, — who formed the most dynamic force in every community. Among the private foundations of this period which PRIVATE SCHOOLS 221 were employed in preparing the majority of their pupils for the University of Virginia, — not for its lowest but for its highest classes, — were the McGuire and Norwood Schools, of Richmond, the McCabe School, of Peters- burg, Hanover Academy, Norfolk Academy, Pantops School, — under the control of John R. Sampson, — St. Albans School, Norwood School, in Nelson county, the Kenmore School, — of which H. A. Strode was the prin- cipal,— the Onancock Academy, under the superintend- ence of F. P. Brent, the Dinwiddie School at Greenwood, Va., the Shenandoah Academy, at Winchester, the Epis- copal High School, the Bellevue High School, the Rugby School, in Louisville, Kentucky, the Dabney School, in New York City, and the Horner School, in North Caro- lina. Of a later date in their establishment than most of the preceding schools were the Woodberry Forest, Locust Dale, and Bethel Academies, in Virginia, and the Chat- tanooga Academy, under the supervision of John Roy Baylor. These private foundations do not complete the entire list, but they were undoubtedly the most prominent of those which followed the pilot star of the University of Virginia. Perhaps, the most vivid way of presenting the character and the spirit of the men who controlled the destinies of the leading preparatory schools is to offer a brief portrayal of four conspicuous headmasters who seem to typify most fully all that was most admirable in the principles of the main body. William Gordon McCabe, the founder of the Univer- sity school at Petersburg, which bore his name, was the grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independ- ence. He shared the blood of fighting stock through a great-grandfather, who was a gallant officer in the Revo- lutionary armies, and an uncle, who, for his services as a commodore in the war of 1812-15, was awarded a sword 222 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of honor by the State of Virginia. His father was rec- tor in turn of two of the most ancient parishes in Amer- ica,— Smithfield and Hampton, — and in the midst of the refined social influences that hovered around these colonial churches, confirmed by the instruction received from a teacher belonging to one of the oldest of Vir- ginian families, his first impressions of history, English literature, and the ancient classics, — in which he was, un- til his last hour, to find such a fountain of delight, — were formed, and his earliest conception of what consti- tuted true manhood permanently fixed. It seemed to be in the nicest harmony with these mellowed social and in- tellectual surroundings that he should have passed some months as a tutor under the roof of Westover, the most famous colonial mansion in Virginia, and still redolent with the vivid memories of a romantic past. In the middle of his first session at the University of Virginia, he shouldered a musket as a volunteer in the march to Harper's Ferry. Almost from the first hour of this excursion, he was a participant in the privations and perils of camp and battlefield until the end of the war; and his appetite for fighting was so far from being satiated at its close, that instead of surrendering with the soldiers of Lee at Appomattox, he set out, before that event was consummated, with several comrades as uncon- querable as himself, to join the army of General John- ston in North Carolina.1 During the course of the hos- tilities, he had served as adjutant of Pegram's Battalion, and had been advanced to the rank of captain of artillery. When he returned home, although a veteran in experi- ence and achievement, he was still almost a boy in years. His intention was to become a member of the bar, and 1 The names of these gallant young comrades deserve to be mentioned. They were Captains Richard Walker and John Hampden Chamberlayne. PRIVATE SCHOOLS 223 in order to obtain the funds necessary for his prepara- tion for that profession he opened a school in Petersburg. He had come back from his campaigns with but one suit of clothes and without a dollar ; and the prospect of com- peting successfully with the fine academies already estab- lished in that city, so as to assure the temporary means of subsistence as well as the money for a legal education, seemed to be entirely visionary; but a capacity for faith and hopefulness which could survive the shock of Ap- pomattox, and conceive, with ardor, of the possibility of victory, through Johnston's stricken army, was not to be daunted by his own poverty, or by the presence of rivals, or even by the dismal prophecies of thoughtful and solic- itous friends. McCabe began with the benches of his classroom oc- cupied by only seventeen boys; but so deeply interested did he become in his new pursuit that he soon determined to follow it as his permanent business in life. " Well do I remember," says Alexander Hamilton, one of his most brilliant pupils during this early period, " a small, live, wiry, active man, physically almost a boy in appearance, full of hope, enthusiasm, mental activity, accomplish- ments, and ability, with the highest ideals upon all sub- jects, and with rare power to maintain discipline and conduct his school, — the latter due, doubtless, to his ex- perience in the army, — a disciplinarian in the school- room, yet a player on the baseball nine of his older boys ; and in and out of school, always recognizing and treating each boy as a gentleman, and out of school, as his equal and companion." He ever enforced upon them, as the most reliable rud- der of conduct, the lofty principle, that " although every man cannot become a scholar, every man at least can live a gentleman." " He set a premium on two things," adds 224 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the pupil already quoted, " high scholarship and high honor. All other considerations he made secondary to these, and of these two, honor was always first. Every boy's word was deemed by him as good as his own. ' Be gentlemen first, and then only be scholars, statesmen, bus- iness men, or whatever else,' was always the motto of the school. No boy ever attended it who did not learn, whether his stay was long or short, that, in his master's eye, it is honor, honor, honor, first, and last, and always, that is worth living for; and that, without it, no life is worth living." * How extraordinarily capable McCabe was on the ped- agogic and practical side of his calling, was proven by the national reputation which his school enjoyed; President McCosh, of Princeton University, pronounced him to be one of the three " best high-school instructors in the United States"; and Gildersleeve, Peters, Price, and other distinguished teachers of the classics testified to the breadth and ripeness of his learning. The career of Lancelot M. Blackford, like Colonel McCabe's, was tuned to a high and harmonious key of manhood, duty, and scholarship. In the graphic sketch of his life which we owe to the reverence and loyalty that his pupil, Profesor W. H. Echols, felt for his memory, we detect in the character of the headmaster of the Epis- copal High School, at Alexandria, the same noble spirit which always prompted his contemporary, McCabe, to lay the primary stress on the subordination of the schol- ar's training to the training of the gentleman. He en- 1 Colonel McCabe frequently repeated to his pupils the inspiring lines of Thackeray: Who misses or who wins the prize, Go lose or conquer as you can, But if you fail or if you rise, Be each, pray God, a gentleman. PRIVATE SCHOOLS 225 tered the Confederate army soon after receiving the de- gree of master of arts at the University of Virginia. He was first enrolled in the Rockbridge Artillery, which seems to have possessed an irresistible attraction for college graduates, if the number entered on its long ros- ter is to be accepted as a proof; and with this command, he marched behind Stonewall Jackson up and down the Valley, not infrequently traversing a distance of thirty miles a day. " These battles," Professor Echols justly says, " hardened, broadened, and condensed the manhood in him. While his messmates at first were disposed to laugh at his finicalness, preciseness, delicacy, and utter ignorance of the most ordinary material things, they soon grew to respect and admire him, and saw him develop into a cool and courageous soldier, who was as religious in the performance of his soldier's duty, at all times, as he was in his daily prayers." These stirring experiences in the harsh but glorious lot of a patriotic warrior gave him, while still young in years, both a wide and a profound out- look upon life, which afterwards enabled him to exercise a more masterful and fruitful influence over the minds of his pupils. In 1870, he became the principal of the Episcopal High School near Alexandria, and one of his first acts, in that capacity, was to employ as his chief associate, Colonel Llewellyn Hoxton, a pattern like himself of the stainless soldier and gentleman. Hoxton was an honor-graduate of the Military Academy at West Point, and had served as chief of artillery in Hardee's corps. He brought to the curriculum of instruction a mathematical scholarship as ripe as the classical scholarship of Blackford. " No words," says Professor Echols, " can express the way these two men impressed their personalities on the several thousand boys who came under their influence." Many 226 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of these youths were the orphan sons of their teachers' comrades, who had been killed in battle. Blackford, it was said, could speak as effectively to a whole class on the most sacred and intimate topics of personal life and con- duct as to a single boy with whom he might be conversing in the seclusion of his private office. He had a keen ad- miration for the half paternal, wholly manly, system of supervision and instruction which had been adopted in the famous English public schools. Passing most of his sum- mers in England, he rarely failed, during his stay in that country, to visit Eton, Harrow, and especially Rugby, whose great headmaster, Arnold, always seemed to him to be the finest exemplar in spirit and achievement alike of their common calling. He studied the principles which had given those splendid foundations their far-flung repu- tation, and dilated upon them, with unreserved sympathy and approval, in his numerous addresses to his own pu- pils. To him, as to the most thoughtful of the English leaders in his profession, education was not simply a course in scholarship, — it was also a religious course; and last, but not far behind, an athletic course also. Like McCabe, Blackford was a loyal alumnus of the University of Virginia ; and like McCabe also, he sought to model his school upon those fundamental principles of Honor and Thoroughness which that institution had always so earnestly inculcated. He held up the merits of the Honor System, as practised there, as the highest platform upon which a college can take its stand; and at every examination in his own school, the pledge which the University used confronted the eyes of his pupils in the form of a vividly painted legend on a large board, which all could see. In drilling these youths, his aim, like McCabe's, was to carry them so far in their studies that they would be able, with ease, to enter the senior PRIVATE SCHOOLS 227 classes of the University. But, as we have already said, his purpose in instructing a boy was not confined to mere improvement in scholarship. " He built up his school," says Willoughby Read, one of the masters, " by develop- ing that which was noblest and highest in the pupil, by teaching him that character is the foundation of all that is best in life, — that duty well done is its own reward, — that knowledge is power, — that labor is worship, — that idleness is a sin, — and that it is better to die than to lie. He seems to have taken for his motto the speech of Charles Dickens, ' Boys, just do all the good you can, and don't make a fuss about it.' ' One of the principal reasons for his success in his great calling was his unconscious employment of the personal element. " He made of us," we are told by Professor Echols, " one big family; all took their meals together, — the father, the older brothers, and the boys. Above all, he emphasized that saying which we cannot quote too often, — Arnold of Rugby's famous wish for his boys, — that they should be first, Christians, then gentlemen, then scholars. By precept, and by example, he incul- cated the principles which make the highest type of man, — the Christian gentleman. And so he ever stood be- fore us, a man four-square to all the winds that blow. Through the force of example, and the power of love, this great teacher moulded his boys' lives all to his high pur- poses. He loved them with a love which their thought- lessness could not chill, — love that, like the love of God, followed the erring as well as the true and faithful; and few of the many thousands that have known him as teacher and friend, have gone out uninspired, and none un- influenced, by that unchanging and Christ-like love." Of John Peyton McGuire, headmaster of the famous school in Richmond which bore his name, it was said by 228 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA one who had long known the man, " A teacher for forty years, his vision was never narrowed to the four walls of that familiar upper chamber where he taught. At sixty- five, bald and gray, he had all the ardour of the young missionary, all the fire of the most stalwart soldier of the cross. Somehow, it mattered not how wild they were, his boys understood this, and they reverenced him, not only as master, but as friend and father. Can any of his boys ever forget his morning prayer, and those Friday afternoon speeches? Can anyone who listened once, fail not to hear his clear, friendly voice, ringing through the silence of that great schoolroom, where one hundred and fifty awed and youthful faces were turned to him? None could tell him a lie, none dared to dis- credit the good name of the school he founded. Fides Intacta, his motto, was the rule of his life, and the ideal of his lads. For John Peyton McGuire was a man to whom truth and honor were living things, the mandate of the God he served, laws inexorable and compelling; all else to them was insubordinate, even scholarship, even cul- ture. A mediaeval chronicler, writing of a teacher who had died, concluded his tribute with these touching words : 1 For the scholar also is a martyr, if he had a pure life and labored diligently.' John Peyton McGuire was a martyr to his work, living purely, laboring diligently, and bv his sacrifices in the teaching of boys, many a man has been fixed in his faith." " In all his long teaching career," another witness of that lofty life has recorded, " he stood for high ideals, worthy principles, noble views, and above all, a clear and uncompromising recognition of the value and power of a Christian life. His men, wherever they have gone, have carried the high sense of Christian honor that he taught them, and have in business, and in social and pro- PRIVATE SCHOOLS 229 fessional life, exemplified the power of a Christian life and Christian example in a teacher. In a commercial age, and in materialistic environments, he stood stead- fastly for things spiritual and ideal in the best and highest sense of the word. In a time when the struggle for prosperity is almost universal, he stood for the things, which, while they make for the development of the high-* est and best in men, do not universally lead to material prosperity, but testify steadfastly there is something far nobler than mere material prosperity." William R. Abbot, the headmaster of the Bellevue High School in Bedford county, was one of that heroic company of eight thousand battered veterans who sur- rendered at Appomattox with arms still in their hands, after having fought, until, as General Gordon said, their ranks had been " worn to a frazzle." Professor Thorn- ton, at one time his assistant, has limned the following portrait of this distinguished teacher as he appeared un- der his own roof: " In person he was alert, erect, vigor- ous and tall; with the courteous manners of a more pol- ished age softened by the geniality of a companionable disposition; to his schoolboys, kindly, sympathetic, and helpful at the very moment that he enforced a strict dis- cipline and frowned sternly upon offenses; solicitous for the health and physical comfort of his pupils, and not insisting so rigidly upon the claims of scholarship as to exclude them from the amusement of the baseball and football fields; a man of highly cultivated literary taste, with a keen appreciation of the beauties of the ancient classics, but equally versed in the masterpieces of modern times; and with all this scholarship, deeply interested in the course of contemporary affairs, in current politics, in current history. As the clear light from the Virginian skies streamed in through his broad library windows, so 230 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the red glow from the burning activities of the great world outside streamed in through his mind in the little Bellevue world." The deeply religious spirit of the man was the corner- stone upon which all his other varied interests in life securely rested. Born and reared in the fold of the Protestant Episcopal Church, it was his custom to turn his library into a chapel on Sunday morning; and here, at that hour, all the pupils of the school, of every age, were re- quired to assemble to take a direct part in religious serv- ices, which the principal led, and which he closed by read- ing to his attentive audience a moving sermon chosen from the works of some great ecclesiastical master. Scepti- cism he denounced as " the ignoble refuge of the modern mollycoddle, too cowardly to live like a pagan, too weak to live like a saint." " As I have reflected on the character of William R. Abbot," says Professor Thornton, " it has seemed to me that the central quality of his nature was a deep and abiding loyalty to the things he felt to be true and beautiful and good. In this lay his strength ; in this, his fineness; in this, the true nobleness of his soul. It made his father's memory sacred to him, and the comfort and happiness of his mother's old age an affectionate and delightful care. It made him a devoted churchman, and the doctrines of his religion the bedrock foundation of his thought. The batteries of modern criticism could not shake them; the explorations of modern scepticism could not undermine them. It made him a faithful and earnest son of his alma mater, constant in his devotion to her ideals, generous in his contributions to her needs. It elevated his belief in the cause of the South into a creed, and lent to the service which she claimed of him a con- secration. It gave to the Democratic doctrine of repre- RELATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 231 sentative government in his mind the force of a body of demonstrated theorems." XLIII. Relation with Public School System Such was the spirit, such the character of the represent- ative headmaster, who, during this vital period of recon- struction and reexpansion, deeply impressed his noble ideas as to manhood, conduct, and scholarship, upon the minds and hearts of thousands of young men, who, after- wards, entered the University of Virginia. He was as directly instrumental in encouraging the vivid sense of personal honor, and in maintaining the exacting stand- ards of intellectual training, which prevailed in that in- stitution, as the members of the Faculty themselves, who were so profoundly interested in the preservation of both. Without some knowledge of the principal headmasters of this period, it would be impossible to take in fully the extent of the fruitful and elevating influences which were passing from the private schools to the University, and from the University to the private schools. Upon the province which these faithful teachers and moral exemplars had occupied, with so much benefit to the parent seat of learning, the public school system — established and sustained by the Commonwealth, and ex- tending to persons of every social class, — began grad- ually to intrude, until, in the end, the private schools were compelled, either to shut their doors, or to modify their scheme, if not in the sphere of their moral instruction, at least in the sphere of their scholastic. Most of those surviving schools which had formerly, not only trained their pupils to be men and gentlemen, but also drilled them thoroughly for admission into the senior classes of the University, were ultimately satisfied to prepare for the lower grades in that institution. The private acad- 232 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA emy, like the University, had been constrained to yield something of its original character through the rapid development of the system of public education. Al- though that system was adopted in Virginia as early as July, 1869, many years elapsed before it took tenacious root in the soil of the community. We have already perceived how it languished during the existence of the old plantation civilization. After the destruction of that civilization by the arbitrament of arms, certain influences remained which delayed, without finally preventing, the introduction of the public schools: (i) the prejudice against such schools, which had been inherited by the members of the generation of Virginians upon whom the first burden of reconstruction fell; (2) the compara- tive indifference to education felt by the people at large ; (3) hostility to the suggestion that the negro, the cause of so many calamities, should be instructed at the public expense; (4) the costliness of building schoolhouses ; and (5) the difficulty of finding competent teachers and pay- ing their salaries when once obtained. That the projected system was able, in the end, to be- come a reality was attributable to the zeal, industry, and genius of one man, W. H. Ruffner. By sheer ten- acity and unwearied repetition of the same voice crying in the wilderness, he ultimately conveyed to the public mind a large share of the enthusiasm which he himself felt for public education. But long before the full fruition of his work was perceptible, the Faculty of the University of Virginia had the foresight to discern that it was only a question of time when the public school would assume a close, not to say, a commanding relation to that institu- tion. " Now that the State," they remarked in their report for 1870—71, " has recognized the importance of generally educating the masses of the people, it must ad- RELATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 233 mit the necessity of regular system and graduation of in- struction, beginning at the common school and culminat- ing in the University ; and on the other hand, it is equally obvious that a thorough equipment and liberal endow- ment of the University is also entirely essential to the perfect success of the common school." As the University was a State institution itself, and founded by a man who had advocated a nicely balanced system of public education, it was to be expected that the policy inaugurated by Ruffner would find attentive ob- servers, if not actual sympathizers, among the group of men who, at that time, controlled the affairs of that seat of learning. Moreover, its dependence on the public bounty probably suggested to its thoughtful authorities the practical wisdom of identifying its interests, as far as possible, with the cause of popular instruction. We have seen that the admission of State students had closed the mouths of many of its most persistent detractors, who had been taunting it with its supposed affiliation with the wealthy alone ; and the same measure had also led to a more liberal attitude towards it on the part of the General Assembly. This fact had not been forgotten when the growth of the public school system began to hold out to the University the prospect of a still larger share of popular favor, should it be able to couple itself efficiently with the operation of that system, — the cherished hope, as the Faculty knew, of Thomas Jefferson, the Father of their own institution. The first step taken by that body was to recommend to the Board the establishment of eleven scholarships, to be granted, after competitive examination, to young men entering the University subsequent to a course of study in the public schools. The second was to suggest the adop- tion by the Visitors of the rule that the State students 234 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA should be chosen in such a manner as to connect their ap- pointment with the machinery of the free school system. During the session of the General Assembly in the winter of 1872-73, a bill was introduced which provided for the formal admission of the University to that system ; but it failed to reach a vote, owing to the vigorous opposition which it at once aroused. In 1875, there was put forth a resolute effort to per- suade the Legislature to double the annual stipend of the University. The Faculty, in urging this addition, reit- erated their conviction that this institution was the real capstone of the public school system; and that it should be connected with that system by formal enactment. They recommended, as one step in this direction, that the State superintendent of public instruction should always serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Visitors, — a suggestion, which, in time, was to be adopted. During the following year, the Faculty petitioned the Board for authority to establish local examinations in subjects embraced in the courses of both the common and the high school; and in 1880, they counselled the same body to provide, in " the regular sphere of action " of the University, for the further training of school teachers and of all persons who were preparing to become such. That vocation, they said, should be placed there on the same dignified footing as the professions of law, medicine, and engineering. By assuming for this class of students the character of a great normal school, the institution would at once take its proper position at the head of the public school system as designed in its original concep- tion. Already, — the Faculty pointed out, — graduates of its different departments were discharging the duties of teachers in the public schools. Why should not the Uni- versity concentrate on those schools a more direct influ- RELATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 235 ence than it was now able to exert owing to its isolation from the system? Economy would be subserved should the institution be used by the State to give special instruc- tion to the men who wished to become public school teach- ers. Why should the expense of founding a new seat of learning for that purpose be incurred, when here was a splendid State institution already fully equipped and or- ganized? It would only be necessary to establish in it, in order to adapt it fully to normal requirements, two full professorships, — one of pedagogy, or methods of teaching; the other, of the English language. 'We favor the admission to this new department of women who are already teachers, or may desire to become teach- ers," declared the Faculty, in concluding their report, — a statement that formed the most convincing proof of how far they were willing to go in the process of linking up the University with the public school system. So complete was the harmony existing between the Uni- versity and that system as early as 1880, that it won a very favorable comment from the New England Journal of Education. Several members of the Faculty had al- ready written a series of excellent text-books for the public schools, and in order to contribute to the success of the summer institutes, when they began to be held in the University buildings, many of the professors cheer- fully abandoned their only opportunity of obtaining some recreation after the confining labors of the previous term. Again, in 1886, the Faculty appointed a committee to pass upon the expediency of offering a course especially suitable for the preparation of the male teachers in the public schools; and in pursuance of its recommendation, all these teachers, as well as the numerous superintend- ents, were admitted, without payment of tuition fees, to the academic departments during the last three months of 236 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA each session. A useful line of study in these departments was discriminatingly laid off for their benefit. In May, 1887, a member of the Faculty was present as a repre- sentative of the University at the annual State confer- ence of the county and city superintendents of the public schools. After the final settlement of the acrimonious contro- versy over the State debt, the public school system rap- idly increased in prosperity. Its support was no longer precarious. With this augmented stability, the summer institutes at the University became the most important agency to be discovered in the Commonwealth for in- creasing the knowledge, and improving the skill, of the public school teachers. Their attendance, on these occa- sions, soon rose to as large a number as one thousand persons, and even twelve hundred. Some of the most highly trained educational experts in the whole country were invited to deliver addresses before them. In 1894, at the suggestion of the State superintendent, an act was passed by the General Assembly to incorporate these in- stitutes with the general scheme of popular education, and to provide a fund for their support. The Uni- versity of Virginia continued to give from year to year, all the practical aid and moral encouragement in its power to promote their success. In his report, as chairman, for the session 1891-92, Professor Thornton asked the following interesting ques- tion: Does the University of Virginia, like the Univer- sity of Michigan, complete and crown the work that is begun in the public school? The answer which he gave to his own interrogatory was an emphatic negative. " A wide gap," he asserted, " still yawns between the highest classes of our public schools, and the lowest classes of the State University. There are two reasons for this fact: RELATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 237 First, while the standard of admission required for Vir- ginians is nominally the same in the subjects examined upon, — Latin, Greek, and Mathematics, — as in the best American colleges, it is an open secret that a far higher grade of preparation, is, to say the least, advisable. Our best students come to us prepared at least for the inter- mediate classes in these schools, and the crown of success falls mainly to such as have already elsewhere traversed the very field which they here survey with broader vision. At the University of Virginia, tradition and feeling are averse to the surrender by a professor of even the lowest of his undergraduate work. The rawest lads contribute to expand the energies and consume the time of our most profound scholars. Second, for want of solidarity in the low standard of the public schools, their highest stu» dents must stand on tiptoe to reach up to the bottom line of the State University's demands. Our educational sys- tem is incomplete so far as the public schools are con- cerned. In Europe, there is a complete chain of schools between the public school grade and the university grade. They hold the position of fitting schools for the uni- versity." It was estimated, in 1894, that there were at least sixty high schools already in existence in Virginia, many of which were included in the general system of public instruction. The State superintendent at this time, Jos- eph W. Southall, recommended in his report for that year that a high school should be established in every county as the most reliable means of articulating the com- mon schools with the University of Virginia. This was the opinion of Professor Barringer also. " The high school in each county," he said, " will give a stimulus to every common school in the county. Boys who looked forward to nothing more than the three years, will strive 238 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA for a high school education. For those chosen spirits that show in the high school unusual capacity, the Univer- sity will stand ready. The University should make pro- vision to give every graduate of every public high school in the State absolutely free tuition. I believe in chang- ing the University to get the public school, and in changing the public school to get the University. Let us have an organic connection throughout the entire sys- tem. Unless the University could tap that great foun- tain of national strength, the common schools, she would fall far short of her destiny, and she has decided she will stand by the public schools." There was one substantial advantage which the public school system bestowed indirectly on the University of Virginia. Many years before the number of the latter's students had begun to increase, that system made it im- possible for the General Assembly to pursue, as this body had so often done before the war, a niggard policy towards the highest seat of learning in the State. Whether the connection between the public schools and the University was a close one or not, the fortunes of both were bound up together because both were depend- ent upon the commonwealth. There was no longer any real conflict, as in the earlier periods of the University's history, between its own interests and the interests of the schools established for the benefit of the children of the average citizen. When we inquire into the preparation for the Univer- sity given in the best of these public schools previous to 1895, it is found to be inferior to that given in those pri- vate schools whose headmasters had reached such great distinction. Not only were the teachers in the public schools unequal in scholarship and pedagogic skill to those RELATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 239 who taught in the principal private academies, but, owing to the larger size of the classes, it was more difficult for them to meet the scholastic needs of each pupil. It is probably no exaggeration to say that it was impossible for the most conscientious of these teachers to satisfy the moral needs since the bands of youth under his instruc- tion dispersed so soon as the recitations were completed. On the other hand, in the private academy, a majority of the pupils remained under the personal supervision of the headmaster throughout the twenty-four hours; they were brought under all the refined, and cultivated influ- ences of that headmaster's domestic hearth; and they learned their most useful lessons from him, not in his school-room, but in his dining-hall, his library, and his drawing-room. Had there arisen any new influence to compensate in whole or in part for the passing of the headmaster as represented in the consummate flower of the type? If any compensation existed, it was to be found in that pop- ularization of education which the public school alone made possible, a process that soon brought under the teacher's eye thousands of young men and women who would have enjoyed no advantages whatever under an ex- clusive system of private academies. The opinions of Dr. Southall and Professor Barringer demonstrate that, before the close of the Seventh Period, 1865-1895, it was clearly foreseen that the public high school was the school which was destined to become the most important tributary to the reservoir of the University; and that the main work of men interested in advanced education in Virginia should be to approximate the standards of that school to the long established standards of the University, — standards which had already found their chief support 240 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA in the scholastic and moral influences alike of the fore- most private academies as they existed before and after the war. XLIV. Finances In July, 1865, John R. Woods, a member of the Board of Visitors, submitted a report to that body, in which it was stated that the University could only avoid ruinous embarrassment by the financial assistance of its alumni, the restoration of its annuity to its original proportions, and the adoption of inflexible rules of retrenchment and economy. Just a few weeks previous to this, the Fac- ulty had estimated the income for the next session, 1865- 66, at $22,000, provided that two hundred students at least should matriculate and the State should appropri- ate as formerly the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. There was, at this time, a debt of $36,000, the interest charge on which annually amounted to $2,166. One of the recommendations which the Faculty now made in order to reduce the cost of maintenance to the lowest point, was that all horses should be dispensed with on the grounds ; and another was that but one man should be em- ployed in addition to the janitor. The proctor even was to be dropped, and also the superintendent of buildings. The duties of these officers were to fall on the backs of the chairman and his colleagues. The income was to be swelled by imposing a new library fee, and by increasing the rents of the hotels and the dormitories. It was anticipated that, by this curtailment of expenses and augmentation of charges, the sum of $5,760 could be saved if one hundred students should enter, and the sum of $10,976, should double that number matriculate. At this time, certain houses within the precincts were occupied by the families of Captain Zimmer, Captain Col- FINANCES 241 ston, Mrs. McCoy, Mrs. Matthew F. Maury, Mrs. Charles Maury, Colonel J. L. Maury, and John Ran- dolph Tucker. All of these were permitted to remain. They were paying from eight to twelve dollars a month, an amount, which, small as it was, was considered to be of importance at that hour of extreme impoverishment. The notes endorsed by the professors, — which had been negotiated to acquire a fund for repairs at the be- ginning of the session of 1865—66, — were paid just as soon as they matured. The money needed for this liquidation had been received in the form of matricula- tion fees and dormitory and house rents. The current expenses of the first session, exclusive of the salaries, were met by the current income for that session; and at its end, a small surplus was even left in the treasury, a condition announced by the Board of Visitors to be the result of the skilful manner in which the chairman, Pro- fessor Maupin, had discharged the duties of the proctor- ship. The State had resumed the payment of the an- nuity, but, in 1867, a part of this sum was expended in the defrayment of interest on the University's indebt- edness. In June, 1867, it was expected that the income for the session to follow would rise to $36,597; and that the expenses would fall but little below $33,931. The Faculty, in 1869, appointed a committee of its own members to draft a petition to the General Assem- bly in support of the University's claim to the large ap- propriation of lands made to the State by Congress for the encouragement of agricultural education; and they also counseled the Board of Visitors to send in a second appeal. At this moment, the financial condition of the institution was not satisfactory. The interest accruing on its debts, — this indebtedness amounting to $38,000, — swallowed up so large a share of its revenues that the 242 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Board and Faculty alike were constrained to acknowl- edge that, without the aid of money falling in from the Miller fund, many of the most important ends for which the University had been established would have failed. Its credit too was liable to be suspended at once, if the course of political events in the State should take a turn adverse to the domination of the Conservative Party. The Faculty were now of the opinion that no expendi- ture should be authorized for any object whatever unless the means to cover it were already in the proctor's hands. It was under the influence of these financial straits that a committee of that body submitted a report to the Visi- tors, which pointed out what, in their judgment, was the most useful way of employing the Miller Fund; namely, ( i ) to improve the facilities for instruction in the new professorships of applied chemistry and applied mathe- matics; (2) to assist needy and deserving students; and (3) to provide salaries for the incumbents of the chairs of applied science. We have already seen that the trus- tees of the Miller fund declined to assent fully to this disposition of the income that fell annually into their possession; but they did afford substantial assistance in such directions as they considered in harmony with the ends which Mr. Miller had had in view. Thus, during the session of 1869-70, they appropriated, in part pay- ment of the salary of the professor of applied chemis- try, $ 1,000; of the salary of the professor of applied mathematics, $300; for the support of a scholarship, $500; and for the defrayment of interest on certain Uni- versity bonds, $2,400, — a total sum of four thousand, two hundred dollars. The income from the Miller fund at this time amounted to nine thousand dollars. Again in January, 1870, the Faculty discussed at length the question of the best means to be employed by FINANCES ^ 243 the University to obtain the Congressional grant for the support of agriculture. An influential committee, — Ven- able, Peters, Mallet, and Southall, — was named to draft a report on this subject; this report when completed was first sent to the Board of Visitors; and afterwards through them, was delivered to the General Assembly. So onerous was the task of managing the financial affairs of the institution at this time, — a task which fell in real- ity on the proctor alone, — that it was finally decided to relieve him of the serious burden of police duty. In June, 1870, the floating debt of the University amounted to $12,323. The bonded indebtedness now consisted of the following specific obligations to various creditors : to the Virginia Military Institute, $20,000 x; the estate of General Philip St. George Cocke, $5,000; George W. Spooner, $2,600; estate of Lewis M. Coleman, $2,500; estate of Mrs. Martha Randolph, $8,500, — a total sum of thirty-eight thousand, six hundred dollars. In June, 1871, an addition of $10,000 was made to this indebted- ness for the purchase of Carr's Hill, and $5,000 for the increase of the water supply. The improvements to the property on Carr's Hill imposed a further charge of $i,- 500, while the erection of Professor Mallet's residence also required an outlay of $9,200. An act of Assembly passed in March, 1871, authorized the University to float bonds, not to exceed $30,000, for use in paying off its current debts, amounting to $18,163, and certain long standing obligations soon to mature. The entire indebtedness of the institution at this time was $82,915. The policy of the Board of Visitors was to provide for its gradual liquidation. The strictest eco- 1 We have found but a single reference to this debt. It was possibly one of the assets of the Cocke estate transferred to the University, as no further allusion is made to it in connection with the Institute. See later paragraph in present chapter. 244 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA nomical methods newly enforced, together with the limi- tation of each professor's salary to $3,000, encouraged the proctor to think that, by 1880, he would be in a posi- tion to take up the new issue of eight per cent, bonds amounting to thirty thousand dollars. For the fiscal year ending June i, 1871, the University's income from all sources, — including an appropriation by the Miller trustees of $8,800, — was $48,427. The expenses for this session did not exceed thirty-eight thousand dollars. Barely twelve months elapsed before the Faculty were compelled to acknowledge, in their annual report, that the University was again dragging its financial anchors. Their first suggestion for its rescue was that the fees of all the schools, with the exception of law, should be aug- mented to the extent of five dollars; and that every hotel- keeper, instead of depositing in the treasury a flat sum of $400.00, should pay seven dollars and a half for each student boarding under his roof. Their second sugges- tion was that there should be specific curtailments in nu- merous sources of heavy expense. By this time, the pe- cuniary benefit which the University had expected to realize under the will of Thomas Johnson, of Augusta county, had been proved delusive. The financial status of the institution in June, 1872, was as follows: matured bonds of the Randolph estate, $3,500; debt to the Coleman estate, $1,000; to the Cocke estate, $25,000*; to Charles S. Venable, $1,250; bonds negotiated for the purchase of Carr's Hill, $2,000; bonds of the agricultural department payable in 1888, and bear- ing eight per cent, interest, $28,000; mortgage bonds, $26,850, — a total of $87,600. The following appropri- 1 This amount due the Cocke estate doubtless included the Virginia Military Institute item mentioned in a prior paragraph. The previous indebtedness of the University to that estate was put down at only $5,000. FINANCES 245 ations for the session of 1872-73 indicate the extent to which the Miller fund contributed annually to the sup- port of the department of agriculture and its associate schools: the experimental farm, $1,000; the salary of the professor of agriculture, $2,000; scholarship, $1,000; the salary of the professor of agricultural chemistry, $500.00; salary of the professor of applied mathematics, the like amount. Again, in 1874, the Board of Visitors concluded that it would be an advantage to the University to refund its outstanding indebtedness; but it was not until January, 1875, tnat tneY assembled in Richmond to draft a bill, with this end in view, to be submitted to the General As- sembly. Their object was to obtain the authority of that body to negotiate a loan of $95,000, to be secured by a mortgage on all the real estate belonging to the Uni- versity. A statement accompanying this bill demon- strates that the indebtedness of the institution at this time amounted to as large a figure as $93,400. It was only by adopting the strictest methods of economy in all ex- penditures; by cutting down the appropriations for re- pairs below the point of safety; and by reducing and equalizing the emoluments of the professors to a degree that might have caused the most distinguished to leave, that the Board was able to pay the current charges, to take up the debt as it matured, and to defray the interest accru- ing from time to time. " With the cheerful coopera- tion of the Faculty," they declared, " we have arrested the accumulation of further obligations, and, but for the panic of 1873, would have been able to lay aside a sink- ing fund. But the present necessities of the University would not allow this." The General Assembly passed the bill, which seems to have been a measure of practical wis- dom, as there were several urgent reasons for refunding 246 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the debt: (i) owing to the excessive interest charges, the buildings were left in a state of disrepair; and (2) there was not surplus enough to erect a new system of drainage, or to make additions to the collections of the library, or to the apparatus of the scientific school. In 1875-6, the General Assembly appropriated for the benefit of the University the sum of $30,000, on condi- tion that it would impose no tuition fee in the case of the matriculate from Virginia, provided that he was at least eighteen years of age. This was to apply only to the schools of the academic department. This annuity was to be used as far as necessary in paying the bills for re- pairs, and the interest upon the obligations of the insti- tution ; and should any surplus remain, it was to be cred- ited to a sinking fund. At this time, June ( 1876) , there was a bonded debt of $86,000, and a floating one of $10,253.09. The sum of $9,255.35 had recently been locked up by the failure of the Charlottesville National Bank; and it was not expected that more than one half of this amount would be recovered when the affairs of that bankrupt con- cern should be finally liquidated. The interest charges to be annually met out of the resources of the University now amounted to $7,500. The income derived by it at this time from its miscellaneous bonds was $3,000, and the annual sum received from the Miller Fund was $4,- 500. The trustees of this fund were instrumental, in 1877, in assisting the Board to negotiate a loan for the completion of the Brooks Museum. A committee of the Visitors had recommended that the personal property of the institution should be mortgaged for that purpose. The Miller trustees consented to accept these secured notes, for which they were to settle by means of a sale of certain Richmond city bonds held by the Miller estate. FINANCES 247 The University was not required to pay interest on the mortgage bonds, as the School of Agriculture was ob- taining an equivalent from the use of the museum with- out charge. These bonds were to be redeemed by the accumulation of the interest of Central Railway deben- tures held by the Miller Fund. The financial condition of the University at the end of the fiscal year in June, 1878, was as follows: from the State it derived an annuity of $30,000, while from the fees of the dispensary it obtained, on the average, each year, $1,200; from matriculation fees, about $17,270; from interest on the newly received Corcoran fund, $3,- ooo; from the annual appropriation by the Miller trus- tees, $3,975, and from rents, $15,320. Its current ex- penses, independently of the salaries, had amounted to $29,365; the salaries themselves, to $51,000. There remained a surplus only in consequence of a balance brought over from the preceding year. In July, 1879, the Board of Visitors pronounced the financial condition of the University to be more satis- factory than it had been at any time during a long period. The entire indebtedness of the institution, with the excep- tion of three thousand dollars, was now funded in bonds payable at the end of thirty years. The General Assem- bly, during its ensuing term (1879-80), omitted to make the usual appropriation, and the proctor, in consequence, was compelled to borrow the sum of $30,000 with which to pay the different salaries; but this cloud had passed by the end of the next fiscal year (June, 1881), for, in their report to the Legislature for 1880-1881, the Visitors went so far as to say that the condition of the finances at that time was full of encouragement, and that, by the exercise of economy, there was even ground for hop- ing that the debt of the University would be liquidated 248 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA within a measurable time. Definite steps were now taken that apparently gave substance to this expectation, — the proctor was able to cancel the following obligations : the Randolph bonds, $7,500; the Cocke, $25,000; the Spooner, $2,600; the Coleman, $2,500; the Venable, $i,- 250; the lien on the Carr's Hill property, amounting to $10,000; certain first mortgage bonds, amounting to $30,- ooo; and certain second mortgage bonds, amounting to thirty thousand dollars also. The income of the institution for the fiscal year ending June, 1884, was estimated at $75,477-35- This sum did not take in the interest accruing from the bonds which had recently been contributed for the support of the new ob- servatory, nor the annual appropriation by the Miller trustees, nor the infirmary fees. The total was $93,307. Expenditures for the same period aggregated $93,699. The total debt had at one time amounted to $87,000, but, by means of the sinking fund, it had been reduced to $74,- 500; subsequently, it had been forced back to $89,500, and was now grouped under three different heads, all of which were secured by the University's debentures : ( i ) bonds for $74,500, payable in 1876, and carrying six per cent, interest; (2) bonds for $5,000, payable in 1883, and also carrying six per cent, interest; and (3) bonds held by the Miller trustees amounting to ten thousand dollars. At the end of the session of 1883-84, there was a defi- cit of fifty-five hundred dollars. Hitherto, the receipts and expenses of the institution had, as a rule, balanced from year to year, but causes now arose which increased the outlay disproportionately to the income, among which may be mentioned the addition of new schools, the elec- tion of new professors, the enlargement of the bills for re- pairs to the buildings, improvements in the system of FINANCES 249 drainage, and an expansion in the volume of the water supply. The Faculty urged the Visitors to persuade the General Assembly to take over the existing debt, as it would re- lieve the institution of an interest charge that amounted annually to $8,500. Unless, they said, a more liberal in- come could be placed at the disposal of the University, its efficiency, and with that efficiency, its reputation, must decline. Some impression must have been made on the Legislature by the Board's consequent petition, for the annual appropriation was increased to $40,000, — of which sum, $4,500, was to be expended in necessary re- pairs to the buildings. The condition attached to the appropriation was that all Virginian students sixteen years of age and upward, instead of eighteen years and upward, were, as formerly, to be admitted to the aca- demic schools without any charge for tuition, but subject as before, to a preliminary examination. It was estimated that the receipts of the session of 1884-85 would rise to $93,307 and the expenses to $94,- 699. The volume of the salaries had, by this time, swelled to $59,000. The interest on the bonded debt of $79,500 was $6,260. A large addition to the resources of the University was made, in 1886, by the will of Mr. Austin, who bequeathed it the sum of $435,000. The income of the institution in 1887 was substantially as fol- lows: annuity, $40,000; matriculation fees, $6,000; in- firmary fees, $2,100; tuition fees, $17,000; rents, $5,128; contingent fees, $110.00; interest from endowment bonds, $6,156; from observatory bonds, $4,780; from the Miller Fund, $6,000, and from other sources, $i,- 900, — a total of $89,174. During the session of 1887-88, the annuity from the State was cut down to $35,000, in consequence of the 250 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA large surplus which was supposed to have been shown at the end of the previous fiscal year; but this was found to be delusive, as that fiscal year had been arbitrarily made to terminate in May. On June 30, the former end of the year, it was discovered that no surplus really ex- isted. In 1891-92, the General Assembly, under the in- fluence of the protest submitted by the University author- ities, restored the annuity to the original amount. In the meanwhile, a large bequest had been received from the Fayerweather estate; but as there was a controversy over the meaning of the will, the University consented to a compromise, by which the sum to be paid to the Board of Visitors was fixed at one hundred thousand dollars. The bonded indebtedness of the institution now consisted of $40,000, payable in 1905, and carrying eight per cent, interest; $28,000, payable in the same year, and carry- ing six per cent, interest; and $1,500 payable in 1907, and carrying eight per cent, interest. The interest charge amounted to six thousand dollars. The indebtedness to the Miller estate still remained unpaid. The invested funds, which included two gifts, aggregating $100,000, from Mr. Corcoran, and gifts for the endowment of the Observatory, amounting to $75,000, — of which W. H. Vanderbilt had presented $25,000, — had now risen to a total of $277,600. For the last fiscal year of the Seventh Period, 1865- 95, the receipts were approximately $126,140.41, and the disbursements $i25,254.46.1 1 The following were the principal items that entered into the receipts and disbursements for this year: RECEIPTS DISBURSEMENTS Annuity $40,000.00 Salaries $67,933.33 Matriculation fees 15,804.13 Instructors 9,850.00 Rents 6,1 12.28 Officers 5,750.00 Tuition fees 32,491.75 Interest 6,220.00 FINANCES 251 Interest 7,566.00 Sinking Fund Dispensary 1,910.00 Chair of Agriculture and Biology 5,250.00 Kent Memorial Professor- ship 3,000.00 Scholarships 1,230.00 Infirmary 3,246.00 Sinking Fund 1,480.00 Observatory Fund 6, 110.00 2,450.00 Schools 150.00 Library 366.25 Wages 4,250.00 Working Expenses 11,410.00 General Expenses 17,720.00 Special Expenses 3,560.00 EIGHTH PERIOD RESTORATION, 1895-1904 I. The Great Fire If we should be permitted to compare small things with great, we would venture to say that what the Great Fire during Nero's reign was to Rome, or the Great Fire dur- ing the reign of Charles The Second was to London, the Great Fire of 1895 was to ^e University of Virginia. It was an episode in the history of that institution so far beyond the utmost sweep of the normal course of events; it was so sudden, so unexpected, so startling in its occur- rence; so destructive in its physical consequences; so far reaching in its moral influence, — that it can, with per- fect accuracy, be taken as a milestone to mark the close of one period and the opening of another. The Uni- versity, after its complete restoration, was not the same physical entity which it had been before this conflagra- tion. The Annex had vanished forever in flame and smoke; the new Rotunda differed in several cardinal fea- tures from the model of the old; and there was a noble semicircle of new academic buildings, — in exquisite har- mony with the Jeffersonian scheme of edifices, — that shut off the Lawn from further extention towards the south. Nor was the University the same moral entity, for no seat of learning can pass successfully through such a plunge into calamity without emerging from the black waters into the sunshine with a spirit purified and lifted up by the experience of adversity. The catastrophe of 252 THE GREAT FIRE 253 1895 was an appalling one; but the firm resolution with which it was faced, the practical wisdom with which it was redressed, the outburst of filial loyalty and affection which it caused, left behind it the benison of a splendid tradi- tion of sagacity, courage, and devotion, which seemed, in its moral influence at least, to be almost a full com- pensation for the destructive physical consequences of that dreadful day. We have pointed out in our history of anterior periods, back to the very start, that apprehension of a conflagra- tion in some one of the pavilions and dormitories, and even in the Rotunda itself, had always lurked uneasily in the minds of the officers, and also of the members of the Faculty. It was as much for the purpose of securing a supply of water with which to extinguish a possible fire in these different groups of buildings, as for domestic uses, that, decade after decade, various measures were adopted to swell the contents of mountain reservoir, cis- tern, and tank, by tapping new fountains and laying down new and larger connection pipes. There had been many times when the flames had burst out from dormitory roof or flooring, or pavilion chimney, but they had been quickly smothered, and no damage of a serious nature had been inflicted. As late as June 12, 1894, an address, signed by the rector, Dr. W. C. N. Randolph, and the chairman, Professor William M. Thornton, had been sent to the So- ciety of Alumni, in which attention was earnestly directed to the fact that the Rotunda was not a fire-proof struc- ture ; and that, should it be burned down, the collection of books which it contained, — many of which were of unique value for their rarity and could not be replaced, — would inevitably be consumed along with it. In the course of the first year that followed this far- sighted warning, a thin, wavering wreath of smoke was 254 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA descried issuing lazily from the mouth of the ventilator situated in the cornice at the northwestern end of the Annex. This was on the 2yth of October; the day was Sunday; and the hour was fifteen minutes after ten o'clock in the morning. The weather was clear, and there was a distinct suggestion of autumnal crispness in the air. A student, — Foshee by name, — returning from a late breakfast at a neighboring boarding-house, happened to glance upward as he reached the corner, and at once de- tected the smoke, although not yet voluminous enough to rise skyward in a cloud. Startled and excited by the un- expected sight, he hallooed to two young men, — Sloan and Penton, by name, — who were lounging in view; and when they had run up and seen the smoke, they hurried off with him to inform Henry Martin, the janitor. Henry, as usual, was not far from his bell-rope, and before the almost breathless students could finish speaking, he had seized it, and with an energy which he had never before been required to put forth, rang the bell until the pro- tracted sound had alarmed the University community from end to end. The first strokes, however, were taken by all as simply an announcement of the hour for morning services in the chapel ; but the prolonged ringing, followed by loud cries of fire, caused the young men to swarm out of their dormitories and rush down the arcades and up the Lawn to the Rotunda. At their head was Professor William H. Echols, who, at this time, combined with the duties of his chair, the general supervision of the build- ings and grounds. On reaching the main entrance to the Annex, they found that the door was locked; but quickly staving it in, they crowded forward into the public hall. Smoke was already gathering below the high ceiling of this large apartment, and flame was to be seen playing around the THE GREAT FIRE 255 upper section of the curtain of the platform just at the spring of the arch. It had eaten its way through the floor of the engineering drawing-room, which was situ- ated immediately above the public hall. A flue rose from a spot behind the great picture, the School of Athens, and passed the second floor on its way to the roof. The draught through this conduit had quickened the speed of the downward advance of the flames. When the draw- ing-room above the hall was entered, it was found to be full of black smoke, although no flames were visible ; but when the door which gave admission to a small instru- ment-room through the lath and plaster partition that ran across the north end of the larger apartment, was broken in, a dense wave of additional smoke poured out, and the interior was discovered to be lapped in flames shooting up between the planking of the ceiled arch that curved over the stage beneath. The fire had started in one of the three following areas : ( i ) in the closed space between the ceiling of the public hall and the floor of the instrument-room on the western side; or (2) in the space, — also closed, — between the lower and upper surfaces of the arch above the stage ; or (3) in the closed space lying between this arch and the partition which shut off the eastern end of the west gal- lery. The last fire that had been lighted in the public hall had been extinguished two complete days before. This fire had been in the stoves which were used to heat that apartment, and there had been none in the basement flues at any time during the previous eighteen hours. As the instrument-room had been cleaned up from end to end during the preceding summer, there was no tenable ground for attributing the conflagration to spontaneous combustion among rotting materials stored within its walls. There had been noticed, not long before the fire 256 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA burst out, vagaries on the part of the electric light, and it was afterwards conjectured that the origin of the con- flagration lay in some unaccountable disadjustment of the wires.1 When the young men made the first rush from the dormitories, some of them had the forethought to pull along after them the college engine and reels. There was a small pond or water-hole situated about fifty yards to the west of the Annex; but no advantage could be taken of it owing to the absence of a suction pipe. The hose, having been quickly joined on to the nearest plug, was dragged, by way of a pair of backstairs, up to the plat- form of the public hall. Unfortunately for the salva- tion of the building, the stream which the nozzle could throw at that height above the water-mains did not exceed four or five feet in length, which signified that it did not have sufficient head to reach the ceiling. In the mean- while, an attempt to form a bucket-brigade in the draw- ing-room above the public hall had been thwarted by the massive cloud of smoke. While Professor Echols and his equally brave and faithful assistants were vainly endeav- oring to check the spread of the flames southward along the public hall ceiling, the lights and reflectors situated just at the edge of the stage, fell, with a terrific crash, to the floor. This had happened because the fire had burned through the beam which held them up and left them without support. Professor Echols, who was standing upon a ladder close at hand, so as to raise the hose, (which he had in his grasp), that much nearer to the flames, only avoided being completely cut off by let- ting himself down in a hurry, rung by rung, hand over hand. He soon perceived that all the chances pointed to the 1 See Report of Faculty on the origin of the fire. THE GREAT FIEE 257 sweeping destruction of the Annex. Could the Rotunda, — which was joined on to that structure by a roof rest- ing upon strong supports, — be saved by blowing up this connecting bridge? If so, it had to be done quickly, for already the flames had spread as far along the surface of the ceiling of the public hall as the south door. There had been prevailing very dry weather during the preced- ing three months, and the timbers of the building were in a highly inflammable condition. While Professor Ech- ols was arranging for the destruction of the intervening roof, his unresting assistants, the students, were remov- ing the volumes of the law library, which was stored on a lower floor; and they also rescued most of the engineer- ing instruments, and a small number of those belonging to the department of physics. This feverish task had not been finished when the bom- bardment of the threatened portico began. Professor Echols, having got possession of one hundred pounds of dynamite, with the necessary fuses and caps, and aided by Finch, a medical student, and Brune and Bishop, Uni- versity employees, was successful in bringing down pell- mell a portion of the intervening pillars; but the firm roof itself, still upheld at one end by the Annex, and at the other, by the Rotunda, remained in its place undam- aged. Unless it could be shaken to pieces, the preserva- tion of the Rotunda was impracticable. The flames of the burning Annex were already licking the bridge; the wind was blowing violently southward; and in a brief time, the fire would leap across the barrier. There was now but one possible means of disrupting the roof, — it must be assaulted with dynamite from the top of the Ro- tunda. Dr. Gordon Wilson was hurried off to town to procure an additional supply of explosives. He jumped into the first buggy that he met on the road, and having 258 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA covered the intervening ground at racing speed, knocked up a merchant at his home, — it being Sunday, — car- ried him off to his store, and returned with two boxes of dynamite. During his absence, Professor Echols and his assistants had smashed in the door to the passageway which led up through the walls of the Rotunda to the dome. By this act of forethought, a second exit was secured, should the advancing flames bar their descent through the library. Professor Echols pried open one of the boxes with an ax, poured the entire contents into a meal-bag, shouldered it, and followed by other persons, mounted up by the secret passageway to the top of the building. While these rapid preparations for the abrupt destruc- tion of the connecting roof were underway, the lofty cir- cular apartment of the library had become a scene of ex- traordinary tumult and confusion. In anticipation of the successful leap of the fire, the students, assisted by hun- dreds of other willing and indefatigable hands, were now absorbed in removing the books from the shelves. No time was lost in waiting for the keys of the cases to be brought, — the glass was ruthlessly broken open with the aid of the first instrument at hand, and the volumes dragged out in tumbling and indiscriminate masses. The arms of the young men were heaped up with the precious books; and so were the skirts of the ladies of the Uni- versity, who, at that critical moment, rushed forward, with the spirit of heroines, to aid in saving the beloved library from the flames. Load after load was thus rushed to the windows overlooking the south portico, and there dumped in a torrent into the blankets and sheets held up below to catch the volumes as they fell, — after- wards to be borne away to a spot on the Lawn that lay beyond the reach of further danger. All the portraits THE GREAT FIRE 259 were removed without injury. It is said that one sturdy student, with a strength that appeared superhuman, car- ried off the large bust of Professor Minor, without assist- ance, and then hurried back for the pedestal. Smoke had soon begun to creep into the apartment from above, and this increased the appalling strangeness of the scene. Such an unmistakable proof of approach- ing flames only augmented the excitement. The shuffling sound of darting feet and the uproar of shouts and com- mands and cries of encouragement were again and again broken by the loud reverberations of the exploding dyna- mite without. The college-bell was ringing continuously in order to bring the people of the town to the rescue. Four of the ladies had, of their own motion, seized the bell-rope; and they did not cease to pull so long as it re- mained intact. The flames, leaping across the connect- ing roof, first struck the Rotunda just over the little room that was entered from the upper gallery. This apartment was stored with files of newspapers, yellow from age; with stacks of pamphlets, old catalogues, and engravings, that had been laid aside to be assorted; and with a part of the Bohn donation of books. It was a heap of tinder, and the fire on reaching it, spread at once into a mighty furnace of flames. The conflagration, however, had not yet reached so far when Professor Echols, accompanied by Bishop, came out upon the dome. Indifferent to the imminent peril of his position, he, from a commanding point, coolly hurled a mass of dynamite, fifty pounds in weight, upon the con- necting roof; and so terrific was the explosion which fol- lowed that it was said to have been heard fifteen miles away. The Rotunda rocked under the concussion, the plaster fell from the ceiling of the dome, and every pane of glass, not already broken, was shattered. The crowd 260 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of people within the library made a rush for the single door, for all were for the moment convinced that the building was about to topple in ruins to the ground. The connecting roof, however, remained intact, and the roar- ing flames continued to advance. The thrower of the dynamite, with his companion, only succeeded in escaping by beating a retreat to the door of the steps descending from the dome. A few minutes before the explosion occurred, the fine marble figure of Jefferson by Gait had been lowered by ropes to the level of a table hastily pushed forward to catch it. So great was its weight that this support at once gave way under it; but luckily the fall to the floor did not damage the statue. Turned over on its face, it was rapidly dragged to the door opening on the front stairway, and just as there began the attempt to pull it through this narrow exit, the explosion shook the whole building. " The statue," says Morgan P. Robinson, in his vivid description of the scene,1 " was gotten out on the staircase, and step by step, it was carried down the west- ern stairs feet foremost. As the base of the statue was eased over each step, it would gather momentum, and gaining speed, would tear off the top edge of the next step, while, under the combined weight of the statue and twenty to thirty of the students, the whole staircase would trem- ble. It is conservatively estimated that it took from ten to fifteen minutes only to remove the statue from the library to the Lawn." When the statue had been pushed through the door of the library, Colonel Venable, taking his stand on the landing, quietly refused to permit the students to brush 1 Mr. Robinson's account of the fire is the most graphic narrative in existence relating to the conflagration. He was an eye-witness of all those scenes, and he has preserved their spirit with extraordinary fidelity. THE GREAT FIRE 2tfl by him or to dive under his arms, in order to bring off additional loads of books, — which now could only be effected at the risk of their lives. So soon as he con- cluded that the last attempt had been made to enter, he placed a stick across the two wings of the door, and then descended the west stair. But as he went down on that side, a party of students ascended the east stair; and hardly had they reached the platform at the head of the steps in front of the door, when its two wings flew open sucked in by the draught. " It was," says Mr. Rob- inson, " a magnificent sight to look on that gigantic roar- ing furnace as the fresh air rushed in and cleared away the smoke; here the pedestal of the marble statue, there the pillars in the gallery; here the old iron railing from the statue; there some dusty books left to their fate on the shelves in the library; here a broken bookcase on the floor; and there a perfect volcano of flame pouring into the Rotunda from the Annex, and in a minute a cloud of smoke shutting off everything from view." The Rotunda was, by this time, abandoned to its un- avoidable fate. The prospect of the first pavilion on either side of the Lawn catching fire from sparks and flying brands had now become imminent. As a preven- tive, blankets, previously thoroughly wetted, were spread over the surface of their north walls and over their fronts; and these were kept continuously saturated by a bucket brigade which passed the water from the ground to the roofs. This water had been obtained from the spigots and hydrants of the nearest pavilions, and was brought by all sorts of people, in all kinds of vessels, from a pitcher to a basin. There was hardly a person belonging to the University or to Charlottesville who failed to take an active part in one way or another, in the endeavor to arrest the flames, or to assist those who were 262 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA frantically employed in beating them back. Many of the wives of the professors, — and it was even said that some of the grave professors themselves, — performed their share by cooking meals to appease the hunger of the fire-fighters. The pavilions and dormitories were, per- haps, only saved from destruction by a turn in the wind. At first} it had blown fiercely from the north; but as the already enormous heat of the burning or burnt buildings increased, the current, suddenly shifting, began to blow equally violently from the south; and this, in some meas- ure, walled back the flames. Brands were carried by the changed wind as far as the home of Dr. Lambeth, beyond the new gymnasium ; and they even set Dr. Chan- cellor's stable, on the opposite side, on fire. Professor Echols and Bishop, thwarted in their cour- ageous endeavor to destroy the connecting roof, started at once to break down the two wings which joined the Rotunda, on its south front, with East and West Lawn. While in the act of blowing up these low-lying buildings with dynamite, Professor Echols slipped through the roof of the reading-room, — into which one of the wings had been converted, — and seriously injured his left hand. At one o'clock, the interior framework of the Rotunda fell in, and as the burning mass crashed downward, it was noticed that there were few dry eyes among those that looked on at this closing event in the drama of the con- flagration. The mighty furnace of embers lying on the floor of the basement, within the circular line of the still standing walls, died down, after a few hours, to a black- ened heap, composed of the still smouldering ashes of the interior timbers, bookcases, and books. From the moment that roof and floor caved in, there was no im- mediate danger of a further spread of the flames; but THE GREAT FIRE 263 it was not until half past two o'clock in the afternoon that the last reason for apprehension was removed. The time-piece of the University had stopped running sharply at five minutes to twelve. During the following night, the entire Lawn remained littered with nearly twelve thousand volumes, and also with the different in- struments from the laboratories which had been saved, and with a large quantity too of miscellaneous articles. The statue of Jefferson lay at full length on the grass, its delicate marble protected from the weather by a canvas covering. " When the moon came out," says Mr. Robinson, " as though to take a last look at the pride of Jefferson's latter days, it was a ghastly and heart-rend- ing sight to see the blackened walls and hollow windows, and the tall white pillars, with their marble capitals, all smoked up, standing as silent sentinels on the old portico, where had stood so many of the men of note of this country beneath the shadow of the dome of the Ro- tunda." The Rotunda was merely a begrimed shell. One wall of the Annex had fallen ; the other tottered upon its base. The two wings at the south front of the Ro- tunda had been left a mass of ruins by the dynamite used to destroy them. So soon as the fire began to make such progress that the ability to arrest it was perceived to be doubtful, Aubrey Bowers, a law student, suggested to Colonel Venable that a telegram should be at once despatched to the cities of Richmond, Lynchburg, and Staunton for immediate assistance. Staunton promptly sent fifteen men and a large quantity of hose to the University. That city possessed no fire-engine. The authorities of Lynchburg forwarded a special train loaded with a fire- engine, firemen, and hose. The cars transporting an en- 264 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA gine, hose, and firemen from Richmond travelled at the rate of sixty-five miles an hour. When the engineer was signaled at Gordonsville to stop in order to be informed that the flames were under control, so great was the speed with which his train was moving that he only suc- ceeded in halting it after running several hundred yards beyond the station. It was not simply to the hearts of those who resided in the shadow of the Rotunda that the destruction of that imposing edifice carried a pang of unaffected sorrow and sharp regret. The alumni of New York fully expressed the sad emotions of every branch of the General Asso- ciation, however remote from the scene, when they said: " In all our memories of student life and joyous youth, those stately buildings (Rotunda and the Annex) stood in the center of our associations of love and pride. Even in their architectural forms, in the shaping and posing of the columns, and in the curve of the dome, — lines and elevation that stood in such exquisite relation with the natural loveliness of the Piedmont landscape, — there was something that seemed always to speak to us of the amplitude and symmetry, of the grace and strength and nobleness, of the mind of the great Virginian from which our University system, the largest and most abiding work of the American people in dealing with education, had sprung into existence. And it was in the passing under the dome, and through the colonnade into the great hall itself, that the sweetest scenes of our young lives lived in our memories, — the pressure on our arms of hands that were very dear, the burst of youthful oratory from the champions of the Washington and the Jefferson that we loved, the solemn words of our old professors urging us to the manly life, and the bestowal of those hard-earned degrees that were to be our passport to the duties and the ACTION OF THE FACULTY AND BOARD 265 honors of the world. To each of us the loss of those buildings meant a personal sorrow that is perhaps never to be consoled." II. Action of the Faculty and Board The fire was still burning, though now beginning to die down for lack of new material to consume, when the members of the Faculty assembled in the Chemical Hall to discuss the means of carrying on the work of the University without the interruption of a single hour. It was at three o'clock in the afternoon of October 27, 1895, that this memorable meeting took place. Profes- sor Echols was absent, in consequence of the severe injury to his hand received in the course of his determined fight to balk the further spread of the flames. Professor Stone also was not present, owing to an oversight in not sending him notice of the appointed hour. The rector, Dr. W. C. N. Randolph, and Armistead C. Gordon, a member of the Board of Visitors, took part in the de- liberations. If a stranger had entered and attentively followed the proceedings, he would have detected in the words which quietly fell from the lips of the participants no suggestion whatever of a feeling of discouragement or of an emotion, even momentary, of despair. On the contrary, the spirit of these men, calmly talking over every side of the situation at one of the most critical hours in the long and chequered annals of the institution, was as sanguine as it was resolute. Like a professor tranquilly engaged in teaching his class, the chairman chalked off on a blackboard a diagram of lecture hours, leaving certain vacant spaces to be filled in with the names of the apartments in which the classes of the different schools were to be directed to assemble. The places soon assigned for this purpose were the Brooks Museum, 266 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Jefferson Society Hall, Washington Society Hall, Tem- perance Hall, the biological laboratory, and at a still later date, a new frame building which had been quickly erected on a site not far from West Range. A commit- tee of restoration was chosen, which comprised Pro- fessors Echols, Smith, Mallet, Noah K. Davis, and Wal- ter D. Dabney; and a second committee was selected to draft an address to the students. There was no clock to mark the hour, no bell to sum- mon the various classes to lectures, when Monday morn- ing arrived, and yet the attendance in every instance was as full and prompt as if no catastrophe had occurred to upset the daily routine. In the evening, there was a meeting of the professors, officers, and young men, — " a joint gathering," remarked Professor Thornton, who presided, " for mutual encouragement, and to make fit acknowledgement of the heroic endeavors of the stu- dents." Professor Harrison read aloud the manifesto addressed to them, which had been drafted to express the grateful emotions of the Faculty. " In this unspeakable calamity," he said, " all that remains to us, except brave hearts and unbroken spirits, is the memory of your gal- lant, heroic conduct, without which nothing could have been saved from the library and scientific halls in or near the Rotunda. We feel the profoundest gratitude, and the warmest praise, for your noble and admirable de- meanor on this trying occasion; for your intense sym- pathy with us in our irreparable losses; and for your manly and self-sacrificing cooperation to save something from the wreck and rehabilitate this great institution." The conviction which Professor Harrison voiced in closing, that the young men " would stand by their alma mater," was fully confirmed by the history of the remain- ing months of the session. " That which seemed a great ACTION OF THE FACULTY AND BOARD 267 calamity," the Faculty declared in their annual report to the Board of Visitors in the following June, " showed itself as, in one sense, a great blessing, kindling in the hearts of the students a most intense patriotic devotion to alma mater, cementing the relation between Faculty and students by bonds of deep sympathy and kindly feel- ing, and developing in the students themselves such pow- ers of self-restraint and appreciation of the crisis through which the institution was passing, that it seems worthy of permanent record in this place." The recommendations which the Faculty, within a few days after the last ember of the fire had ceased to glow, drew up and sent off to the Board of Visitors, form, from several points of view, the most remarkable docu- ment that has ever been drafted by that body in the course of its long history.1 In its contents, we find the concrete suggestion of nearly every measure which was after- wards adopted to restore the Rotunda and its wings, and to add new buildings to the existing group. These rec- ommendations had almost the weight of prescience from the practical foresight which they exhibited for the per- manent guidance of the Board, with whom the ultimate decision would rest. In the preamble, the Faculty paid an emphatic tribute to the indefatigable exertions of the students, officers, townspeople, and railway companies, in combating the conflagration and in limiting its scope. " We feel assured," they continued, " that your Board, facing the emergency with like spirit, will unite with us in the most active and earnest efforts, not simply to re- store the beauty and convenience of our establishment, but to increase its usefulness by providing facilities more ample and splendid than we have heretofore enjoyed for 1 Professor Thornton was the chairman of the Faculty at this critical and exacting hour. 268 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA our scholastic work." The Faculty were thinking, not only of the present, but also of the future, with all its possibilities of broad and noble public service. Their at- titude, confronted as they were by disheartening ruins, which would have aroused in the hearts of most men only a desire for the reestablishment of the old condition, without one aspiration for the moment beyond it, indi- cated a spirit that had something imperialistic in its grasp, — a largeness of view, indeed, that was fully in harmony with the grand outlook of the Father of the institution, who would allow no material circumstance, however de- pressing in itself, to chill or thwart his ambition for the exaltation of his beloved seat of learning. They counseled ( i ) that the debris of the Annex should be removed, and the sunken site filled in, for, in their opinion, the restoration of the vanished edifice would only invite a second catastrophe; (2) that the gymnasia, or south wings of the Rotunda, should be re- constructed in their former shape, and temporarily em- ployed,— one for sheltering the rescued volumes of the library, the other for accommodating the School of Nat- ural Philosophy; (3) that the Rotunda should be rebuilt with scrupulous fidelity to the original proportions, — except in one particular: that a portico should be joined on to the north end, which should precisely resemble the old portico attached to the south end, with an imposing flight of steps descending to the esplanade, and with a sec- ond flight of steps descending from the ramparts at the edge of the esplanade, to the ground; (4) that the archi- tect to be chosen should draft the plans for the construc- tion of a new academical building, which should contain a public hall arranged in the shape of a horse-shoe, with two wings spacious enough to afford area for six lecture- rooms suitable for large or small classes; (5) that addi- ACTION OF THE FACULTY AND BOARD 269 tional plans should be prepared for the erection of a phys- ical laboratory, to be located on a site so isolated as to make possible the most delicate experiments; and also for the erection of an engineering building; and of a third building besides, to be used by the classes in the depart- ment of law; and (6) that all these edifices should be modelled upon classical types of architecture. In stating their convictions on this last point, the Fac- ulty were particularly earnest in urging that the man who should be employed to plan the new edifices, and supervise their erection, should be one, not simply of local distinc- tion, but of a reputation coextensive with the nation. " He should," they said, " be instructed to consider in his design not only the convenience and the elegance of the single structure, but also its effect as a member of the general architectural system of the University; he should submit to the Board a comprehensive scheme showing the location both of the buildings recommended by the Fac- ulty, and of such other hospital structures, official quar- ters, and the like, which the Board might have in mind. And, besides, the character of the ground should be care- fully studied, with a view of solving the problem of the form of landscape gardening to which they were best adapted." In addition, the Faculty, wisely descending to the smallest details, recommended that provision should be made at once for the manufacture of bricks in the vicinity of the University. " By choosing the brickfield promptly, digging out the earth, raking it over and screen- ing it, and letting it weather through the cold season," they asserted, " we shall get a better brick than can be purchased in the local market, and at a lower price." In concluding their farsighted advice, which was at once comprehensive and minute, the same body earnestly counselled the Board to petition the General Assembly 270 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA boldly and frankly for an appropriation of two hundred thousand dollars, to be laid out in buildings alone. They expressed the hope that the alumni could be relied upon to supply the money with which to purchase the equip- ment that would be needed for these buildings; and in order to obtain that body's immediate assistance they issued an address to all the chapters. In this commu- nication, they calculated that the sum of $346,000 would be required for the restoration and the additions pro- posed. Towards the acquisition of this amount, there could be counted on the insurance money payable for the destroyed Rotunda and Annex, amounting to $25,000, and the residue in hand of the Fayerweather Fund, esti- mated at $23,000 more. There was a prospect of secur- ing, at an early date, $10,000 besides, under the provi- sions of the Fayerweather and Shields bequests. From these different sources approximately $58,000 was im- mediately available, which reduced the total sum to be collected to $288,000. A committee of the Faculty was appointed to act in concert with the alumni in soliciting as large a sum as should be obtainable by gift. This committee was composed of William M. Thornton, the chairman, Charles S. Venable, William E. Peters, W. M. Lile, W. D. Dabney, Paul B. Barringer, and A. H. Buck- master. The Faculty, only a few days after the catastrophe of the fire, employed the firm of McDonald Brothers, of Louisville, as consulting architects, in order, as they re- ported to the Board, " to clear up their view upon the state of the ruined buildings, and to estimate the cost of improvements " ; but they very properly refrained from endeavoring to commit the University to the terms of a permanent contract. On November 4 (1895), the Board of Visitors con- ACTION OF THE FACULTY AND BOARD 271 vened for the first time since the conflagration had oc- curred. Their initial act was to adopt almost precisely as drafted the recommendations of the Faculty already quoted; and their second, to appoint a building commit- tee. This committee, upon whose practical judgment, correct taste, and filial zeal, so much depended, was com- posed of Dr. W. C. N. Randolph, the rector, W. Gordon McCabe, and Armistead C. Gordon, with whom were associated as a section of their own body, Professor W. M. Thornton, the chairman of the Faculty, and Profes- sor William H. Echols, who, as already stated, combined with the functions of his chair, the responsibilities of superintendent of grounds and buildings. The first duty to be performed by this thoroughly capable body was the selection of an architect of distinction. This architect was to be commissioned to draft plans for the construc- tion of the academic building suggested in the Faculty's report. He was not to be restricted in the character of these plans, except to the degree that they must receive the approval of the building committee ; and to this com- mittee was also confined the right of choosing the site. Plans were to be drafted by the same architect for the erection of the other edifices which the Faculty had recommended in the same document. Professor Thorn- ton was named by the Board as the agent of the Uni- versity to collect subscriptions from the alumni, and from all others who were interested in the prompt rehabilitation of the institution. Professor Lile was selected to act as the chairman of the Faculty during his absence, and Pro- fessor Echols was instructed to perform the full duties of the chair of applied mathematics. A committee was also chosen to confer with the Governor of Virginia in regard to an appropriation by the General Assembly for the general purpose of rebuilding. 272 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA The appointment of these several committees did not diminish the vigilant interest with which the Faculty as a whole followed the successive stages of the construction. That body, — with the exception of Professor Thornton,1 — was in favor of restoring the Rotunda, both inside and outside, in a shape as near as possible to what it had been before the occurrence of the fire. " We believe," they declared at a meeting held on November 2Oth, " that it would be extremely inadvisable to remove any of the in- terior partition walls, or to fail to restore the floor of the main library to the old level. The retention of the old rooms will make the building more valuable and conven- ient for practical use." The sole alterations which the Faculty looked upon as expedient were : ( i ) the employ- ment of fire-proof material alone; (2) the omission of the middle gallery of the library room; (3) the enlarge- ment of the skylight of the dome; and (4) the introduc- tion of lifts for the transfer of books from the lower floors to the upper. There were, at this critical hour, four important tasks to be accomplished by the combined wisdom and energy of the Board and Faculty: (i) the courses of instruction in the several departments were to be maintained without any falling off in earnestness and thoroughness; (2) new buildings were to be erected, which should fully meet, by their larger space for lecture-rooms and laboratories, all those scholastic needs which had been growing more and more acute with the passing years; and these structures must be finished by the end of twelve months at the furthest; (3) funds, to defray the cost of restoration and addition, were to be collected as soon as practicable ; and 1 Professor Thornton favored the plan adopted by the building com- mittee as to the flooring of the Rotunda, which differed, as we shall see, from the Faculty's suggestion. (4) the books and scientific apparatus consumed by the fire were to be replaced, and the quantity of both sub- stantially increased. The spirit which prompted the Faculty to assemble while the flames were still unextinguished within the for- lorn shell of the Rotunda, and designate places for the meeting of the different classes on the following morn- ing, exhibited not the smallest slackening during the re- mainder of the session. As war could not dampen the pedagogic ardor of the Faculty of 1861—65, so fire, and that subtle depression of mind which so often follows ca- lamity, could not paralyze the high sense of duty, the un- daunted resolution, the unremitting industry, the noble optimism, of the Faculty of 1895-96. It was due, in no small degree, to the determined, self-reliant attitude of that body, in the continued performance of their func- tions amid surroundings of so much discouragement, that public sentiment, already aroused by the conflagration, re- sponded so quickly to the critical wants of the institution. During the session of 1895-96, the General Assembly authorized the Board to place a second mortgage of $200,000 on all the property of the University; and the State assumed the obligation of paying the interest on this lien, which was expected to amount annually to ten thousand dollars. The bonds were to mature at the end of forty years after date; but they could be taken up at the termination of the first decade. There was already a first lien of $69,500 resting on the buildings, grounds, books, and apparatus.1 Prior to 1896, the subscriptions obtained from the alumni had reached a total of seventy- five thousand dollars. 1 The amount of this prior indebtedness does not seem large, when it is recalled that the institution had been in existence seventy years, and had passed through many vicissitudes. 274, HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA in. The New Buildings At the session of the building committee held on the 1 8th of January, 1896, Stanford White, of the firm of McKim, Mead, and White, of New York, an architect of original genius, who occupied a very distinguished posi- tion in his profession, was chosen to draw the plans for the erection of the new group of buildings called for in the scheme of the Board and Faculty. The selection of so great an expert in his art was the most important of all those practical acts, which, in the end, was to change the catastrophe of the fire from the calamity which it was supposed, at the time, to be, into the blessing which it was to prove to be in reality. If the shade of Jeffer- son could, at that hour, have found an earthly voice, it would have uttered words of the utmost approval and satisfaction. The McDonalds, who had been temporarily employed by the Faculty, and permanently accepted by the Board of Visitors, as soon as they first convened, now terminated their part in the work of restoration, and White was au- thorized to take it up and push it to a finish.1 He gener- 1 To what degree of credit was the McDonald firm entitled in the work of reconstruction? In a letter to the present writer, Professor William H. Echols says, " The McDonalds were appointed the architects for the restoration of the Rotunda. They made the complete design for the restoration of that building and of the present wings east and west, and had completed the east wing in its present condition before they re- signed." It may be remarked parenthetically that the firm was emplo3red about November i (1895) and withdrew on January 18 (1896), an in- terval of seventy-nine days. In an article entitled The Work of Restora- tion, in the Alumni Bulletin for 1896, Professor Thornton, at that time a member of the building committee, states that " under the direction of McDonald Brothers, the Rotunda was covered with a temporary roof and otherwise protected against weather, the walls of the adjacent terrace rooms rebuilt and covered with flat, fireproof roofs, the construction of which was carried as far as possible before the arrival of winter; the walls of the Annex were razed and careful measures were taken of the Rotunda, with a view to its restoration both in general proportions and in THE NEW BUILDINGS 275 ously agreed to deduct from the fee which he was to re- ceive, the amount which the University had contracted to pay his predecessors. The report subsequently submitted by him provided for the completion of the reconstruction of the Rotunda ; the early erection of an academic build- ing, a physical building, and a mechanical building; the ultimate erection of buildings for the departments of law and languages, of an infirmary or hospital, and, finally, of a hall for the use of the Board of Visitors. Two ad- ditional edifices of a general character were included in the general scheme, — which was so arranged as to admit of expansion as the needs of the institution should call for it, and the increase in its funds should allow. The most important of all the buildings from an archi- tectural point of view, was the Rotunda. The design for its restoration required that the exterior lines of the de- stroyed edifice should be exactly reproduced, with wings attached to the north front to correspond precisely with architectural details. The same firm engaged at once on preliminary studies for the reconstruction of this building, and were able to report their general plans to the building committee on the 4th January, 1896." Fourteen days later, on January 18, the McDonald Brothers withdrew, and McKim, Mead, and White took their place. In the report of this firm, represented by Stanford White, which was submitted March 20 (1896), we find the following expression which indicates a certain degree of initiative in the restoration of the Rotunda, " We submit working plans for the Rotunda, the Academic building, &c. The plans for the Jefferson Rotunda contemplate its exact restoration so far as its exterior is con- cerned. The interior is thrown into one large Rotunda. The low ter- raced wings in the front of the building are repeated at the rear, and these two wings are connected by a colonnade forming two courts, to be completed now or at some future time. . . . To the question of re- modeling the interior of the Rotunda, we have given most careful study. We urge upon your Board the adoption of a single domed room. The scheme submitted contemplates the restoration of the Rotunda as a fireproof building throughout." It is evident from these extracts that Stanford White, if he did not originate the plan for the restoration of the Rotunda in its present form, at least adopted that plan with modifica- tions, and saw that it was carried out by the builders. His report is printed in the Bulletin for 1896. 276 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA those which had been attached to the south front, before the two had been blown up to arrest the progress of the flames. These quadruple wings were to be united, on both the western and the eastern side, by a colonnade, which would be the means of extending an open terrace or walkway, on perfectly square lines, around the whole of the Rotunda, with intervening courts on two sides, to be planted in shrubs and trees. The esplanade on the north front, reached by a pair of steps descending from the north portico, was to spread as far as the ramparts; and from the ramparts, was to fall to the level of the ground by a second pair of steps. The plan for the interior of the Rotunda was not in har- mony with the original recommendation of the Faculty, which had also received the approval of the Board, — in- stead of that plan providing for the restoration of the two floors which had been laid down when the edifice was first built, it reduced the number to one. This one was to sep- arate the great library room, — which was to rise to the ceiling of the dome, — from two large apartments in the basement, suitable for use as reference or reading rooms. In counseling the adoption of this nobler plan, the archi- tect was, in reality, following the original wish of Jeffer- son, who had been only led to split up the area within the Rotunda by the imperative need of obtaining space for laboratories and lecture-halls. In the scheme submitted by White, the academic build- ing was to be erected at the foot of the Lawn, with the physical building on one side in front, and the mechanical building on the other, each in general extension of the line of pavilions and dormitories of either East or West Lawn. The sites of these new structures were to be at a level so much lower than the sites of the original ones, that, looked at from the south front of the Rotunda, they THE NEW BUILDINGS 277 would present the aspect of buildings of one story only; and while they would close the quadrangle, they would not shut out the wide expanse of the southern sky. In their architectual design and physical composition, they were to be in the closest harmony with the existing group. On March 2Oth, 1896, this comprehensive and exquis- itely artistic scheme was laid by Stanford White before the building committee. That committee had under- gone some changes in its membership, — it now comprised W. C. N. Randolph, the rector, Armistead C. Gordon, Leigh R. Watts, and Daniel Harmon, of the Board, and W. H. Echols and W. M. Thornton, of the Faculty. The general plan was approved by the Visitors during the same month. Plans in full detail were submitted to the committee on April 16, and, with some modification, were finally adopted. About two weeks subsequently (May 2, 1896) , the contracts for the erection of the buildings were given out. By October 8, 1897, the Restoration Fund, amounting to $328,624.54, had been exhausted, and it then became necessary to draw upon the Fayerweather Fund by warrant to the extent of $29,992. In his report for June, 1905, Colonel Thomas H. Carter, the proctor, stated that the total cost of the improvements from 1895 to 1897 had reached the sum of $450,000. At this time, the value of the entire group of the University's buildings, with their complete equipment, was appraised in excess of one million and a half dollars. The popular impression of the practical value and the artistic beauty of the new buildings was expressed in the resolution which the Board of Visitors adopted in March, 1898, in appreciation of the University's indebtedness to Stanford White. They paid a very just tribute " to his unceasing labors, his unreserved devotion of his signal ability to the accomplishment of the best and noblest re- 278 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA suits for the University's buildings, which have greatly in- creased the efficiency and attractiveness of the University, and made it a more splendid monument of its great founder, Thomas Jefferson." At the hour of inauguration, the new edifices which confronted the delighted eyes of the spectator were the restored Rotunda, the academic building, the physical building, and the mechanical building. The changes pro- posed in the Faculty's plan for reconstructing the Ro- tunda have already been specified; and these had been carried out with the strictest fidelity. The old library- room was, perhaps, the handsomest apartment in the State; but the new, with its greater height of circular wall and dome, was still more imposing in its spacious dig- nity. Besides the area reserved on the floor for books, there were three galleries for additional storage; and to increased beauty there was thus joined augmented utility. The promenade along the flat roofs of the front and rear wings and the lateral colonnades, — which made up a continuous terrace around the classical main building, — constituted a new feature of the extraordinary architec- tural setting of the University; and it also opened up over the Lawn and the adjacent ground, east and north and west, a view of the most beautiful landscape and group- ings of trees to be discovered within the bounds of the academic village. The new buildings at the foot of the Lawn occupied the three sides of a court that was three hundred feet broad, and two hundred feet deep, from north to south. The public hall in the academic building, which was very appropriately named in honor of Joseph C. Cabell, was designed along the most practical lines. The entire area of the great apartment was spacious enough to seat THE NEW BUILDINGS 279 fifteen hundred auditors. It was so partitioned that six hundred could be accommodated below the pillared rail- ing; if the audience should number as many as one thou- sand, it could still find room back of the railing and next to the wall; and if it exceeded that number, the overflow could be seated in the gallery. However small the audi- ence, it would always present an aspect of more or less compactness by occupying the compartment or compart- ments exactly suited to its size. In addition to the pub- lic hall, the academic building contained at either end an upper and lower lecture-room. The pediment was adorned with a fine group by Zolnay. On the eastern side of the court was situated the physical building, which was erected principally by means of the generous dona- tion of Charles Broadway Rouss, of New York, a native of Virginia; and on the western side, was the mechan- ical building. The address at the inauguration ceremony, which oc- curred in June, 1898, was delivered by James C. Carter, a member of the New York bar, and a lawyer of extraor- dinary ability and culture. It was singularly weighty in thought, philosophical in spirit, and choice in diction. The poem composed by Armistead C. Gordon for the same notable hour, which took as its text the Greek motto engraved upon the fagade of the academic building, Ye Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free, was, in loftiness of sentiment, beauty and dignity of expression, and fervor of patriotism, entitled to rank among the very finest occasional poems that have sprung from the mind and heart of a Southern author. In the vision of the poet, the alma mater, risen from the ashes of her great catastrophe, and surrounded by the shining host of her devoted sons, is 280 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA " Seated on her throne once more, Turning the latest page of her illumined story, — An open book that he who runs may read, Annal of patience, courage, and sacrifice, Blazoned with lofty thought and splendid deed, Science and Song and Battle's great emprize, Scroll of the intellect's majestic sway, Scripture of hope and faith that shall not fade away. Not the nameless dead, Who, through the centuries by the Grecian sea, Sleep in the narrow pass they kept, shall shed A nobler lustre upon liberty, Than those heroic hearts to whom she taught That Spartan fortitude was born of Spartan thought." To many of the alumni, the destruction of the impres- sive canvas, the School of Athens, which had adorned the public hall in the Annex, and been associated in the minds of all with the brilliant commencement scenes that had taken place there from session to session, during so many years, was one of the most melancholy losses caused by the conflagration; and a popular desire soon sprang up to acquire for the University another replica. It was due to the generosity of an alumnus that this feeling, — which had its root in so many vivid memories of student life, — was ultimately gratified. A copy of the original was painted in Rome by G. W. Breck, and in April, 1902, was presented to the University authorities, and soon thereafter permanently placed upon the north wall of Cabell Hall. Another landmark, the destruction of which was re- gretted, although it had often been a target for the shots of hilarious students, was the college clock. This had been consumed along with the other contents of the Ro- tunda. A substitute, modelled upon the latest scientific appliances, was given by Jefferson M. Levy, the owner of Monticello. The system of this timepiece was so ar- ranged that all the clocks in the surrounding buildings, THE NEW BUILDINGS 281 — lecture-halls, and pavilions alike, — could be brought on the same electrical current, and operated by the cen- tral regulated mechanism.1 There was another feature of interest attached to this new clock, — the dial was manufactured of a material so hard that it would re- sist the impact of an ordinary bullet. The hands were also protected from the force of the wind, and the oil that lubricated the works, from the stiffening which for- merly always accompanied a very cold spell of weather.2 A new structure of large dimensions was the Ran- dall Hall. In June, 1898, the Board of Visitors re- ceived a check for twenty thousand dollars from the trus- tees of the J. W. and Belinda Randall Charities Corpora- tion. It was offered subject to the condition that it should be either expended in the erection of a building to be known by the name of the donors, or should be re- served as a permanent fund for the establishment of scholarships, or for such other uses as might be preferred by the University authorities. A spacious building con- taining forty-three dormitories was the form which the gift ultimately assumed. Another gift of high utility received at this time was the sum of ten thousand dollars, which Mrs. Frances Branch Scott, of Richmond, pre- sented as a memorial of her son, John Scott, an alumnus. This money was expended, — partly in equipping, and partly in maintaining, a laboratory of electrical engineer- ing. By 1900, the General Assembly had appropriated 1 It has been whispered that this clock has not been very faithful in keeping time; and it is even reported that it has a way, at intervals, not only of getting out of order, but of stopping, like a common clock. 2 The capitals of the south portico pillars remained, during several years, simply Carrara marble in the rough, owing to the absence of the means required to pay a skilled worker. The money necessary was finally provided by John Skelton Williams, Comptroller of the Currency, and the capitals were chiseled into their present shape as a memorial to his father, the late John L. Williams, a loyal and generous alumnus through- out bis long and useful life. 282 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA a large amount for erecting a thoroughly modern plant for heating and lighting the premises of the University. Major Green Peyton, who, as proctor, had, during thirty sessions, successfully managed the financial affairs of the institution in a period of extraordinary perplexity on ac- count of the South's impoverishment, died in 1897, anc^ was succeeded by Colonel Thomas H. Carter, one of the most expert artillery officers of the Army of Northern Virginia, and, during many years, associated, as commis- sioner, with the railways of the South. IV. Courses of Instruction — Academic In June, 1897, the Faculty were requested by the Board of Visitors to devise a scheme of entrance examinations for the young men who should wish to join the academic classes of the University. The following rules, recom- mended at a later date, seem to have embodied the con- victions of that body on this important subject: (i) the applicant should be required to demonstrate, either by a certificate from another institution, or by actual examina- tion, that he was generally equipped to derive the utmost advantage from the institution; (2) this having been shown, he should be directed to obtain from the professors of the schools in which he wished to enroll his name, an acknowledgment of his fitness to become a student in those schools through previous preparation. These recom- mendations were ultimately adopted by the Board. If successful in gaining admission, the former applicant was permitted to take up at once after entrance the simpler sides of the academic branches of instruction. These lower classes were so arranged that they would meet with precision the needs especially of the young men who had received their primary training in the public schools. It was the object of Board and Faculty alike, in laying down COURSES OF INSTRUCTION— ACADEMIC 283 the course that should precede admission and the one that should follow it, to make the institution exactly what Jef- ferson had wished it to be: the capstone of the entire system of public education. By the year 1902, there was a more complete under' graduate, or bachelor of arts, course, and a more com- plete graduate course also, offered in the schools devoted to the study of the Greek, English, French, Italian, and Spanish languages, English literature, history, economics, moral philosophy, mathematics, applied mathematics, as- tronomy, natural philosophy, natural history and biology, and general chemistry. The course belonging to each of these schools had been broadened and strengthened, — particularly the graduate or university courses, which were designed and conducted for the benefit of the stu- dents who were candidates for the degrees of master of arts and doctor of philosophy, or who had concentrated their powers upon the acquisition of a special training in some department of science or letters. Taking up the separate academic schools, and making a short reference to some of the salient features of each, we find that in Latin, the course laid down for the degree of bachelor of arts was divided between two years; that the studies arranged for the first year were grouped in class A, and for the second, in class B; and that these classes were carefully graduated so as to ensure a logical advance from the simpler aspects of the language to the more complicated. The studies of class C were re- stricted to the course prescribed for the degree of mas- ter of arts. These were of a still higher tenor. The doctorate of philosophy was designed for those students who should wish to specialize in philology. At the be- ginning of the session of 1902—3, Professor Thomas Fitz- Hugh became the incumbent of the chair of Latin so long 284 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA occupied by Colonel William E. Peters. He had been elected in 1899, but was tnen given a leave of absence with a view to his prosecuting his studies on the Euro- pean continent. The division of the courses in the School of Greek corresponded to those in the School of Latin. Here too the ground to be traversed by the candidate for the bac- calaureate degree was arranged in graduated studies to extend over a period of two years. It embraced ( i ) a general survey; (2) a course in Attic prose; (3) a course in the after drama; and (4) a course in Greek history. During the session 1898-99, Professor Milton W. Hum- phreys undertook to instruct in the Greek of the New Testament for the benefit of those students who intended to become ministers of the gospel. A course in Hebrew was also begun under the tuition of Rev. Charles A. Young; but this seems to have been discontinued after June, 1900, by the action of the Board of Visitors. By means of the John B. Cary endowment fund, provision was made for outside undenominational instruction in the text of the English Bible. In 1896, the Schools of English, Romanic Languages, and Teutonic Languages were reorganized as the School of Modern Languages. Professor Harrison, who had been giving instruction in the Romanic languages was now assigned to the subdivision comprising the English, French and Spanish tongues, and Professor Perkinson to the subdivision embracing the German and Italian. Before the end of the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, instruc- tion in the modern languages was given in three separate schools, with a full professor at the head of each: (i) the Linden Kent Memorial School of English Literature and Rhetoric; (2) the School of Teutonic Languages, — which offered courses in Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — ACADEMIC 285 the history and philology of the English tongue, and the language and literature of Germany; and (3) the School of Romanic Languages. There was an assistant in each school. In June, 1899, R. H. Wilson was appointed to the associate professorship in the School of Romanic Languages. In these different schools, there were em- braced the studies of the college, or undergraduate course, of the university or graduate course, and of the postgraduate course, with the customary division into the three classes of subjects. In 1902, four prizes were of- fered for the most meritorious dissertation and the three best narrative, expository, and argumentative essays. During many years, the Schools of Mathematics and Moral Philosophy continued to be the only ones of those founded in the beginning which had not undergone some alteration of character by subdivision. On the resigna- tion of Professor Venable in 1896, in consequence of im- paired health, Professor W. H. Echols was promoted to the vacancy as the head of the school, with James M. Page as adjunct. Page subsequently became an associate professor, and ultimately a full professor. He had com- pleted his mathematical education in Germany, and was a doctor of philosophy of the University of Leipsic. The instruction in the undergraduate and graduate courses was divided between the two teachers. These courses, like those of the other academic schools, were adapted to the nature of the several degrees. The studies in the round for the degree of bachelor of arts were designed, it was said, " to give an intelligent compre- hension of the fundamental principles of mathematics to those who pursued it as a component part .of a general education; and as a preparation to those who desired a working knowledge of the subject for use in subsequent 286 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA studies of physics, astronomy, and engineering." The topics in the courses for the two higher degrees embraced " the chief branches of higher mathematics exhibited in the writings of the best authors " ; and were intended to encourage " a serious and thoughtful contemplation of pure mathematics as an art, a science, and a branch of philosophy." The work of the school was so arranged as to spread over five years, two of which were to be spent by the student in traversing the undergraduate course; the other three in traversing the advanced courses leading up to the degrees of master of arts and doctor of philos- ophy. In the interval between 1896 and 1902, the number of matriculates admitted to' the school rose from ninety-one to one hundred and thirty-three. In former years, the original classes in this school were limited to three, but by 1902, the number had grown to six. The undergraduate classes were now so large that they had to be divided and instructed in sections. During the first decades that followed the opening of the University, history, as we have seen, was taught by the professors of ancient and modern languages. Then, after the erection of a separate chair, the lectures on this subject were delivered along with the lectures on English literature and rhetoric. Subsequently, history was di- vorced from literature and rhetoric, and joined on to a course in economics. The course in economics in its turn underwent an almost equal number of shiftings: it was at first linked up with the chair of moral philosophy and then with the chair of history; afterwards it was reasso- ciated with the first of these chairs, and then with the second. The School of History now embraced the courses in history, political science, and sociology. By the session of 1898-99, it had received the name of the Corcoran School of Historical and Economical Science. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 287 Professor Holmes was now dead, and Adjunct Professor Dabney had become the full professor. The school comprised two distinct divisions of study: (i) history; and (2) economics. General history formed a part of the undergraduate course assigned to the degree of bachelor of arts, and English and Ameri- can history a part of the graduate course assigned to the degree of master of arts. In the School of Natural Philosophy, experimental physics were reserved for the undergraduate course, and advanced physics and electric- ity for the graduate. In the School of Practical Astron- omy, the subjects for the corresponding courses were respectively general astronomy and advanced astronomy. In all the schools mentioned, a special course of graduate studies was laid down for the degree of doctor of philos- ophy. No alterations of importance were made during the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, in the subjects embraced in the Schools of Natural History and Geology, Chemis- try, Analytical Chemistry, and Biology. v. Courses of Instruction — Professional During the session of 1903-4, Professor Kent deliv- ered a series of lectures on the general subject of jour- nalism. Only those aspects of it were discussed which were necessary for the proper equipment of students who intended to become members of the press, — such as the collection of news; what constituted news; how to obtain and how to record interviews with accuracy; how to pre- pare the facts or supposed facts, gathered up by the re- porter, for the printed column ; how to organize the staff of a journal; and how to allot to each member his propor- tion of the daily recurring task. No attempt was made beyond mere word of mouth to impart to the student a practical knowledge of this profession. Whatever infor- 288 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA mation was derived from the lectures was admitted to be purely theoretical in its nature. The corps of professors associated with the School of Law at the beginning of the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, comprised James H. Gilmore, W. M. Lile and W. D. Dabney, with R. C. Minor as adjunct professor. Dab- ney died in March, 1899,* and on the 28th of the same month, Charles A. Graves was appointed to succeed him. Graves was at this time a member of the Faculty of Wash- ington and Lee University, with which institution he had been identified in the capacity of teacher from the time of his graduation, and where he had acquired a very high reputation as a professor of law. James B. Green, al- though handicapped by blindness, had been serving as licentiate in the school since the beginning of the session of 1896-97. Adjunct Professor Minor was subse- quently promoted to a full professorship. By the session of 1895-6, the courses in the law depart- 1 Walter D. Dabney, a brother of William Cecil Dabney, like many distinguished lawyers before him, began his active life as a teacher. He had been a practitioner at the Charlottesville bar only a few years, when he was elected a member of the House of Delegates, in which body he filled the highly responsible positions in turn of Chairman of the Commit- tee on Railroads, and of the Committee on Finance. He was a member of the Commission that settled the public debt. A volume on Governmental Regulation of Railways published by him at this time so impressed Judge Cooley, chairman of the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission, that he offered Dabney the office of legal secretary of that commission. One of the duties which he performed in this office was to conduct cases in various Federal District and Circuit Courts. Judge Gresham was so much struck by an argument which Dabney delivered before him as judge of the Chicago Circuit, that, on becoming Secretary of State in Cleveland's Cabinet, he appointed him Solicitor of the department. Dabney resigned this office, which he had filled with marked ability, to accept one of the professorships of law in the University of Virginia. It was said of him that he possessed a peculiarly clear and logical mind, with a very happy faculty for imparting the great fund of professional knowledge which he had accumulated. In addition to this knowledge, he had acquired an unusual degree of literary culture. He died prematurely when at the height of his usefulness as a man and a teacher. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 289 merit had been so divided as to require the study of two years to traverse them all. To the first year were as- signed the law of pleading and practice in civil cases, constitutional and international law, law of contracts, torts and carriers, and the law of personal relations, per- sonal property, partnership, probate and administration; to the second, the law of real property, evidence and equity, corporations, mercantile law and criminal law. These subjects occupied the time of eight classes, four of which were employed with the studies of the first year, and four with those of the second. The students of the second year were not called upon to pass successful exam- inations upon any subject in the first year course of which their knowledge had already been satisfactorily tested. There was still no bar to prevent a matriculate who had been well drilled before entering the school from win- ning the degree of bachelor of law at the end of a single session ; but so extensive was the double course that it was not often that one was enrolled who could carry off that honor by the industrious application of his faculties dur- ing nine months. Those whose time or means were lim- ited were permitted to pursue a special line of study care- fully laid off in harmony with their preferences. In June, 1896, the Board concluded that, in the inter- est of economy, the law department should be reorgan- ized by the elimination of one of the professorships. During the session of 1896-97, the number of classes was increased from eight to ten, but, as before, they were equally divided between the two years embraced in the course. During the first year, seven lectures were de- livered weekly; during the second, eight. In April, 1 897, the Faculty recommended that, after the session of 1897— 98, an attendance during two sessions should be made ob- ligatory upon the candidate for the degree, unless he 290 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA could show a certificate of x>ne year's study in some other approved law school, and should, before his admis- sion to the University School of Law, also have sub- mitted satisfactory examination papers on the various subjects assigned to the first year. The Board appears to have balked at this suggestion. A resolution of the Faculty in December, 1897, asked permission to state their reasons for offering the recommendation. But it was not until the session of 1901—1902 that graduation after two years' study was required.1 The thoroughness of the instruction now imparted was indicated by the fact that, of the eight successful candidates for admission to the Virginia bar in March, 1897, seven had graduated in the University's department of law. The attendance was annually growing, — which was an additional proof that the reputation of that department had not declined in consequence of the death of Professor John B. Minor. The number of students was one hundred and thirty-eight during the session of 1898—99. It had been but one hun- dred and ten during the session of 1895-96. In April, 1897, Professor Echols offered a resolution at a meeting of the Faculty calling the Visitors' attention to the need of a new building for the department of law, and proposing that the sum of twenty thousand dollars should be expended in its erection. During the first year that followed the fire, the members of the law classes assembled for lectures in the hall of the Washington So- ciety; but so soon as the Rotunda was entirely restored, an apartment in one of the wings of that building was re- served for their use, and also space in the basement for the storage of their library. This area, owing to the growth in the attendance, ultimately proved to be too restricted. 1 Minutes B. V. Dec. 10, 1897. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 291 The general moot court at this time found a meeting place under the same roof. The Minor Law Debating Society composed of first year men only, was also now in existence (1899-1900). A question touching upon some phase of law was selected by the law faculty for ar- gument, and one of the members of that faculty acted as the presiding officer. Two attorneys were appointed for each side. There was a bench of five judges known as the supreme bench, but the right of appeal lay to the whole body of the society. Students in their second year, it seems, were honorary members of this association; but they were permitted to speak in voluntary argument, and vote as members of the court of appeal. During several years, it was customary to grant to every law student of the first year who had fallen slightly below the standard required in his examinations, an op- portunity, at the beginning of his second session, to pass a special examination on the same course, instead of com- pelling him to devote another session to that course, and thus delaying for another twelve months, his acquisition of his degree. In 1899, the law faculty were authorized by the Board to deny this privilege altogether, or to sub- ject it to such conditions as they should decide to be ex- pedient. That faculty had, for some time, been also dis- satisfied with the rule which permitted a student who had passed a course of study in another school of law to en- ter (after a satisfactory examination before the law fac- ulty on such subjects as he desired credit for) the ad- vanced classes of the University's law department. This rule they wished to be empowered to abolish, should time confirm their impression of its doubtful utility. It seems to have been revoked by the session of 1899-1900. The ten classes in which the entire two year course had been divided were subsequently increased to twelve. In 292 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA May, 1902, the law faculty recommended that the two year course should be extended to a course of three. They were prompted to urge this change by the example of other law schools of high standing. Coincident with this counsel, and perhaps suggested by it, they advised the appointment of a fourth full professor, together with an assistant; and also the introduction of additional studies. Although the General Faculty gave their assent to these proposals, the Board of Visitors were unwilling at that time to order their adoption; but afterwards they did confer upon the law faculty the power, for which they had asked, to demand, as a condition of admission to the department, the previous enjoyment of a high school education or its equivalent. In the long interval between 1826 and 1904, the end of the Eighth Period, the degree of bachelor of law had been conferred on thirteen hun- dred and thirty-five graduates of the school. VI. Courses of Instruction — Professional, Continued It has been affirmed that the senior John Staige Davis, the second demonstrator of anatomy in the history of the School of Medicine, was the first instructor in the annals of that school to encourage the members of his class to learn for themselves through individual dissections. This practical method of teaching was carried further in this department during the Eighth Period, 1896—1904, than it had been during any of the periods which ante- dated it. It was in the expansion of laboratory facilities that the growth of the department in practical useful- ness was now most discernible. That expansion, as we have 'seen, had become increasingly perceptible after the election of Professor Tuttle, in 1888, to the chair of biology. Down to 1907, he continued to offer a course in medical biology, the most important feature of which, COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 293 perhaps, was the instruction in histology in the labora- tory during one half of the year. In 1892-93, he as- sumed charge of the course in bacteriology, in which lab- oratory instruction was given during fourteen weeks of the session.1 A course in pathology, — which included four hours of laboratory work each week, from Novem- ber to April, — was undertaken by the younger John Staige Davis, who had been appointed Professor Turtle's assistant. But the Faculty was still discontented with the progress of the department. " The lack of a hospital," they as- serted in June, 1895, in their report to the Visitors, " stands as a bar to our keeping pace with the improve- ment in other schools, and we, therefore, urge the neces- sity of securing it." These schools, — even in the South, — with their improved clinical facilities had already be- come destructive competitors. Not long before the oc- currence of the Great Fire, the General Faculty asked the medical faculty to draft a scheme that would provide for a three years medical course; and this change, when pro- posed to the Board, was adopted by that body. The distribution in force from the session of 1895-96, was as follows: the studies of the first year embraced anatomy, histology, bacteriology, and chemistry; those of the sec- ond, physiology, pathology, materia medica, and obstet- rics; of the third, surgery, gynecology, practice of medi- cine, hygiene, and medical jurisprudence. The theory of this arrangement was that the first year should be given up to the acquisition of those special sciences which were to form the foundation of the whole work of the course ; and the second year, to the mastering of those more dis- 1 Histology and bacteriology were the two courses in the School of Biology during this session. Embryology was added during the ensuing year. 294 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tinctly medical sciences which were based on the work of the first year, and also of professional subjects of study. The third year was to be entirely taken up with the latter subjects. The course of the first year also called for a large degree of practical research in the laboratory and the dissecting room. With the adoption of a three years course, it became necessary to provide for reexaminations at the end of the second and third sessions in case of a student's failure to reach the prescribed standard in his examinations on some of the subjects of the previous session. The course was already so long and so varied that few candidates for the degree would have been willing to cover the whole of any single year again, should he have fallen short in his ex- aminations in one or two branches only. He must, how- ever, have passed satisfactorily in at least two of the studies pursued during the previous session and attained on one or more of the remaining subjects a standard ap- proved by the Faculty. If the student had attended one course of lectures spread over seven months, or two courses spread over fourteen months, in another medical school of high repute, he was to enjoy the right to gradu- ate in the University's department of medicine at the end of one year or two years, in correspondence with the length of his previous studies elsewhere. But he must have first passed a successful examination at the Uni- versity of Virginia * on all the subjects which had been embraced in this course in the medical school with which he had been previously associated. These different provisions, valuable as they were, still did not satisfy the paramount aspiration of the medical faculty. What they still desired most was the establish- ment of a modern hospital, which would furnish the clini- 1 In the autumn examinations. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 295 cal facilities now more pressingly demanded than ever, if the prestige of their department was to be maintained. The professors of that department pointed out that the three years course was, after all, a three years course only in name, as the graduate was compelled to pass at least twelve months in some hospital elsewhere in order to ob- tain the indispensable knowledge of clinics. It is true that the department was still in possession of a dispensary in which about three thousand cases were annually treated; but the drawback to this fact, advantageous as it was, was the brevity of the time that could be allotted to each patient, for it did not pretend to be more than out-door practice. The medical faculty earnestly dis- claimed any wish or intention on their part to abandon the theoretical plan of teaching. A hospital, they said, in reality, would be only the logical upshot of the tradi- tions of the school. It would be merely an extension of the pathological laboratory. " Theory and practice," they declared, " had become so closely related that men like Pasteur had been obliged to leave their research for the causes of disease and to try to find out its treatment." It was estimated by a committee of the General Fac- ulty that the erection and maintenance of a hospital would entail an expense of at least seventy-five thousand dol- lars. Of this amount, about twenty-five thousand would be required for the mere building. No action was taken by the Board until March 2, 1899, and when they did move, it was chiefly due to the influence of the chairman of the Faculty, Professor Barringer, of the medical de- partment, who, with all the persistence of a modern Cato, had never ceased to emphasize the need for hospital facilities. The sum of one hundred and fifty dollars was appropriated for the drafting of plans for suitable struc- tures. Paul J. Pelz, the architect of Randall Hall and 296 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the Congressional Library, was employed for the pur- pose. He submitted a scheme for a short corridor pa- vilion hospital, consisting of a central administration building, with pavilions on either side having the breadth and length to afford the area required for one hundred and fifty becls. This plan having received the approval of the Board, that body reserved twenty thousand dollars out of the Fayerweather Fund, yet to be collected, with which to make a start upon the building; but it was not until October 10 of the same year, (1899), — in conse- quence of the delay caused by the litigation over that bequest, — that it became practicable to deposit $9,200 in the hands of the construction committee, composed of Professors Barringer, Mallet and Davis, for immediate use so far as that sum would be able to go. Barringer was instructed to solicit, during his vacation, contributions from the alumni and public at large to repay the expense of pushing the work to a finish. After the structure had been raised to the second story, it was found necessary to draw upon the general income of the University in order to put the walls under roof. The administration building was inaugurated in April, 1901. It had cost the sum of $26,600, about one-fourth more than the original calculation, owing to the advance in prices. This building contained the offices, operating rooms, and clinical laboratories. It was not at first in- tended for the accommodation of patients; but after a short interval (1902), several rooms on the second floor occupied by nurses and the solarium, together with some space on the first floor, were thrown open to admit the beds of twenty-five patients. The building continued to be used as a general hospital until the pavilions had been added. During the session of 1903-04, the General As- sembly appropriated the sum of $31,000, and with this COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 297 supplementary amount, one of these structures was erected. In the enlarged design for the entire hospital as finally drafted (1904), the group was to consist of a row of rectangular edifices, separated by open spaces about thirty-five feet in length. The administration building was to stand in the centre. On each side of it were to be placed two other buildings, which were to contain sep- arate wards for white and colored patients, male and female. The University infirmary was to be erected at the south end of the group, and a lecture-hall at the north end. The plan for the entire number of edifices was not carried out in actual construction until after the close of the Eighth Period 1896-1904. By the end of 1904, however, six hundred and fifty-seven patients had been ad- mitted to the wards then in use, and the hospital was al- ready fulfilling with conspicuous success the clinical pur- poses which the medical faculty, led by Professor Bar- ringer, had so persistently and so wisely harped upon in their unbending determination to secure the establish- ment in the end. By the session of 1895—96, the faculty of the medical department comprised Mallet, of the School of Chemis try, Tuttle, of the School of Biology, Barringer, of the School of Physiology and Materia Medica, and A. H. Buckmaster, of the School of Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Practice, while Christian was the professor of anatomy and surgery, John Staige Davis, the adjunct professor of pathology and hygiene, and H. S. Hedges, the demonstra- tor of anatomy. Davis was subsequently succeeded by William A. Lambeth as the professor of hygiene. The Faculty in October, 1898, recommended that Davis should be appointed to a new chair to be devoted to courses in pathology, clinical diagnosis, and surgical dis- 298 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA eases.1 It was also to include practical laboratory in- struction. During the last session (1904-1905) of the Eighth Period, the medical faculty was made up of Pro- fessors Mallet, Tuttle, Barringer, Christian, Buckmas- ter, Davis, Dunnington, and Flippen, with Lambeth as professor of hygiene and materia medica. Dr. Flippen was the adjunct professor of bacteriology. There were numerous assistants, instructors, and demonstrators. During the session of 1898-99, the different courses of the medical department were for the first time distributed over a period of four years. The studies for the first year were to embrace chemistry, descriptive anatomy and biology; for the second, physiology, bacteriology, general pathology, regional anatomy, and hygiene ; for the third, embryology, obstetrics, practice of medicine, surgery, spe- cial pathology, clinical diagnosis, and materia medica ; for the fourth, the practice of medicine, therapeutics, clinical surgery, dermatology, diseases of eye and ear, gynecol- ogy, and medical jurisprudence. During the fourth year, the previous laboratory courses in histology, pathol- ogy and comparative anatomy were to be extended, and additional work in chemistry and physics was also then to be required. Professors Dunnington and W. J. Hum- phreys were the lecturers on the last two subjects. During the following session (1899-1900), the medi- cal faculty announced that, in the future, they would ex- pect of every medical student at his first matriculation, " evidence of adequate preparation for the work of the medical department." For the present, they said, they would be content with the proof of his possession of a sound general education. It would be looked upon as suf- ficient proof of this fact should the applicant be able to 1 In 1904-5, Davis was full professor of pathology and practice of medi- cine. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 299 show that he had obtained the degree of bachelor of arts from a seat of learning of collegiate rank; or be able to present a certificate of good standing in the classes of such an institution; or the diploma of gradua- tion in a high school of reputation, whether public or private; or a testimonial of excellent character from the principal of such a school. If thought to be advisable, the applicant could be further required to demonstrate his proficiency by the test of an actual examination. In 1901, a training school for nurses was established at the University; and two years afterwards, the first class was graduated. The instruction in the primary branches was given by the professors in the medical school ; the instruction in clinics by the professors or their assistants who were attached to the hospital. VII. Courses of Instruction — Professional, Continued Upon no single department did the catastrophe of the fire fall more heavily than on the department of engineer- ing. It was asserted at the beginning of the ensuing ses- sion,— jestingly, it is true, but with too close an approx- imation to actuality to be pleasant, — that the engineer- ing corps of teachers and their audience comprised one professor, one instructor, and one student. But how ex- tensive was the growth of this department during the decade that followed was demonstrated by the number of persons whom it became necessary, within that period, to add to its faculty, — besides the four full professors in 1906, there were four instructors. Taking in all the branches of study that impinged on the science of engi- neering, there could be counted in the faculty of the de- partment not less than fourteen professors and instruc- tors. In spite of the ruin which appeared to have over- 300 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA whelmed the department just after the fire, the Board wisely determined that it should not be allowed to remain in this condition. The sum of five thousand dollars was appropriated for its reequipment. The erection of the mechanical building put the department in a position of practical usefulness far superior in its advantages to the one which it had previously occupied. The first gift for the restoration of that usefulness was made by R. C. Tay- lor, of New York; and it was followed by a donation of twenty-five hundred dollars by his mother, Mrs. John A. Sinclair. This was to be employed in providing the lab- oratory with the means for testing the quality and strength of constructive materials. The number of stu- dents in attendance began to increase so steadily that, after an interval, it was found necessary to choose an assistant from the ranks of those members of the class who had proven themselves to be most competent. Ulti- mately, three were thus singled out. In 1903, Lewis L. Holladay was appointed to the adjunct professorship of applied mathematics. The second gift to the depart- ment,— to which we have alluded elsewhere, — was the sum of ten thousand, five hundred dollars presented by Mrs. Frances Branch Scott, of Richmond, as a memorial of her son. One half of this amount, as we have already stated, was spent in equipping the manual laboratory of electrical engineering; the other half was invested with a view to the maintenance of that laboratory. Through the liberality of Peter B. Rouss, two new adjunct profes- sors now became practicable, — one in civil engineering; the other in mechanical. These were established in mem- ory of Charles Broadway Rouss, the philanthropic father of the benefactor, and were filled by the appointments of John Lloyd Newcomb and Charles M. McKergow. The courses which had to be mastered during and after COURSES OF INSTRUCTION — PROFESSIONAL 301 the session of 1895-96, in order to secure the degree of bachelor of science, which was now the title granted in the department, embraced the five following divi- sions : mathematics — mechanics, physics — astronomy, chemistry — analytical chemistry, geology — biology, and applied mathematics. Astronomy was subsequently dropped. Each of these divisions led up to a special di- ploma of graduation. There were to be found in each school (1896—97) two courses, — one general, the other advanced; one dealing with the general principles of the subject, such as were necessary to be known for a liberal education, the other with the extensions of that subject, especially in its industrial applications. The first was re- quired of all who were candidates for the degree of bach- elor of science, which corresponded to the degree of bach- elor of arts ; the other was an advanced course, which cor- responded to the graduate course required of a candidate for the degree of master of arts. In the School of Applied Mathematics, there was es- tablished,1— in addition to the general and advanced courses, — a complete series of technical courses in the different branches of engineering; namely, civil, mining, mechanical, and electrical. The work of instruction was simultaneously pursued in the drawing-room, the labora- tory, and the field. Some changes in the courses of study in engineering were announced during the session 1898—99. Four divi- sions were laid off, each of which led up to a separate degree. One course was arranged for the degree of civil engineering; another for that of mining engineering; an- other still for the degree of mechanical engineering; and still another for the degree of electrical engineering. In each was introduced a notable expansion of subjects; and this was particularly discernible on its technical side. 302 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA The enlargement in the electrical course was the most perceptible of all; and this was to be observed as much in its practical aspects as in its purely technical. The equipment of the electrical school consisted of a work- shop, metalshop, testing laboratory, and drawing-room. At the end of the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, the engi- neering department had the use of four large buildings: (i) the mechanical laboratory; (2) the Rouss labora- tory and museum of industrial chemistry; (3) Brooks Museum, (4) pattern-shop, foundry, and forge. The course was now spread over three sessions. The student in the department of agriculture was not confined to its lectures. If he should so desire, it was permissible for him to combine the study of the several courses in this department with the study of selected courses in the academic schools. The object of granting this privilege was to place the courses of the agricultural department among those that might be elected by the can- didate for the graduated degrees of bachelor of arts, mas- ter of arts, and doctor of philosophy. The income of the Miller Fund was not sufficient to provide at the same time for practical tests in the arts of agriculture, and also for instruction in all those sciences upon which that art was founded. During the session of 1896-97, it was announced that new regulations had become necessary in order to lay out the fund more usefully, without departing by a hair's breadth from the wishes of the donor. First, the experi- ment station was discontinued. No loss to agriculture was really occasioned by this act, as the Federal Govern- ment had, by this date, set up stations of its own in all parts of the Union. Second, agricultural colleges with vocational advantages of all kinds were now numerous throughout the South, — the region from which the agri- SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS 303 cultural department of the University of Virginia could alone expect to obtain its patronage. The existence of these two facts seem to have convinced the Faculty and Board that the funds of this department should now be entirely expended in the enlargement of the opportuni- ties of those students who aspired to the acquisition of the sciences on which the art of agriculture was based; and it was, therefore, decided, — apparently with the approval of the Miller trustees, — to limit the instruc- tion to the courses embraced in the Schools of Biology and Agriculture, Analytical Chemistry, Applied Mathe- matics, Chemistry, Natural History and Geology, and Natural Philosophy. This instruction was, in its general aspects, such as was considered to be essential to the equipment of a liberally educated man who happened to be pursuing agriculture as a calling in life; but it also ex- tended to special courses in those sciences which related directly and practically to the art of farming. The trustees of the Miller Fund, at a later date, were not fully satisfied with the manner in which the School of Biology was conducted, — in June, 1899, tneY informed the Visitors that, in their opinion, the instruction given in this school did not bear the precise relation to prac- tical and experimental agriculture which they, as repre- sentatives of Mr. Miller, were required by their oaths to keep strictly and constantly in view. Under the pressure of this protest, the Board adopted the rule that the lec- tures thereafter should be restricted to the principles of agriculture as based on the sciences of chemistry, botany, and zoology. viii. Scholarships and Fellowships In 1896, the executive committee of the Board recom- mended that a fellowship should be erected in each of 304 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the following schools : Latin, Greek, Physics, Pathology, and Biology. The annual income to be used for the sup- port of each was to amount to three hundred dollars, and the holder was to be exempted from the payment of ma- triculation and tuition fees. No one was to be permitted . to be a candidate for any one of these fellowships unless he had been successful in a competitive examination ; and he must also be a member of the school to which the fel- lowship belonged; or at least have studied in some aca- demic department with a cognate subject. The Faculty apparently approved of the establishment of these new fellowships. They advised (i) that the appointees should be required to give up their time principally to advanced study in the province of original research; (2) that no one should be chosen who was not desirous of making such investigations; and (3) that those selected should possess such tact and capacity as teachers that they would be able to assist the professors of the schools in which they were fellows as often, and to as great an ex- tent, as those professors should decide to be desirable. The Faculty, in 1897, drafted a scheme of scholarships, which, in their opinion, was adapted to link the private schools more closely to the University : ( i ) one scholar- ship was to be annually awarded to every such school that could prove that five students of the previous session had been admitted to the University's academic department; (2) the holder of each of these scholarships, if a Virgin- ian, was to be exempted from the payment of a matricula- tion fee ; and if from another State, from the payment of the tuition fee; (3) the candidate, however, was to be required to pass a preliminary examination in the Latin and English languages, and in the science of mathematics. These recommendations, — which were reported in De- cember, 1897, — were promptly adopted by the Visitors. SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS 305 It was also proposed to establish five public school scholarships. When these scholarships were announced by the Board, it was with the provision that each one of them should continue in existence at least three years, with an annual income of two hundred dollars. The Fac- ulty pointed out that if each of these scholarships was to be filled only once in three years, then only the gradu- ates of the third year in the public schools would have an opportunity of competing for them, — a fact which they anticipated would excite criticism and cause dissatisfac- tion. If, on the other hand, in order to shut off this feel- ing, the entire number of five scholarships were to be filled annually, there would be, at the end of three years, a com- pany of fifteen incumbents, which would thereafter never grow less. This would impose a burden of three thou- sand dollars, each session, upon the narrow resources of the University, — an outlay which it could not afford to incur. As a substitute for the plan presented by the Board, the Faculty recommended that the number of the scholarships should be limited to six; that only two ap- pointments to them should be made each year; that the holders should not be exempted from the payment of ma- triculation fees; that they should be selected by competi- tive examination from among the applicants furnished by the public high schools ; and that each school should be re- quired to choose at least three competitors from among its graduates or candidates for graduation. The Board adopted this recommendation, just as they had done the one touching the scholarships for the private schools.1 In June, 1900, the Visitors, perceiving the practical ad- vantage to the University of extending a certain number of scholarships to communities situated beyond the bord- 1 The same privileges under the same conditions and limitations were afterwards extended to the public schools of the whole country. 306 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ers of Virginia, established three, which they named the Board of Visitors Scholarships. These were to be sup- ported by annuities, to amount, in each instance, to two hundred and fifty dollars; were to be awarded by the ex- ecutive committee on the recommendation of the chair- man of the Faculty; and were to be limited to a single session. They do not appear to have been confined to the academic department. During the session of 1900-01, there were twenty- three holders of scholarships, and during the session of 1901—2, there were twenty. A considerable proportion of these incumbents were in the enjoyment of alumni scholarships which had been created by the Board of Visitors in March, 1899. It was provided in that year that every alumni chapter which embraced a membership of ten, — the number was subsequently advanced to twenty, — should possess the annual right to name the holder of a scholarship at the University. He must, however, be a young man who was in need of assistance to obtain an education. If the chapter numbered fifty mem- bers, it was to be entitled to two incumbents annually. Each of these appointees, if a Virginian, was to be ex- empted from the payment of tuition and matriculation fees alike; if from another State, he was not to be re- quired to pay any of the tuition fees except those im- posed in the School of Analytical chemistry and for the use of the laboratories. It was not the several chapters that supported these alumni scholarships, — it was the University alone. Each chapter was supposed to con- tribute to the expenses of the General Alumni Association, but not to those of the University itself. In 1902, the following list embraced the scholarships then in existence : ( i ) the private and public school, — one scholarship for every five pupils sent by each to the SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS 307 University of Virginia; (2) the Virginia public high school, — each standard school was entitled to one schol- arship; (3) the alumni, — filled by the appointment of the local associations; (4) the Miller, — awarded on the rec- ommendation of the Faculty; (5) the McCormick, — awarded by the representative of the original donor; (6) the Thompson Brown, — awarded by the founder; (7) the Isaac Carey, — awarded by the Carey trustees ; (8) the Birely scholarship — awarded by the Board of Visitors to a student from Maryland; (9) the John Y. Mason Fellowship; (10) the Vanderbilt fellowship, — filled on the recommendation of the director of the ob- servatory; (n) the Board of Visitors fellowship, — one of which was awarded in the School of Teutonic Lan- guages; the other, in the School of English Literature. In 1903, a scholarship in English literature was estab- lished by Mrs. Herbert A. Claiborne, and her brother, Colonel Henry C. Cabell, in memory of their father, a distinguished officer in the Confederate army. At one time, there was a scholarship attached to the department of physical training. This was conferred by the Board of Visitors upon the candidate who had been recom- mended by the director of the gymnasium ; it entitled the holder to admission to the medical courses without the payment of either matriculation or tuition fees, and to a cash bonus of one hundred dollars; but he was required to serve as an assistant to the director in the athletic ex- ercises. This scholarship seems to have been subse- quently abolished. In November, 1903, the Board created a number of scholarships which were designated as the Scholarships of Accredited Schools and Colleges. Those institutions were pronounced accredited which had bestowed an un- broken patronage on the University, or the graduates of 308 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA which had, from year to year, been exceptionally success- ful in its lecture-halls. These scholarships were limited to the academic department, and each could only be held by an incumbent who had graduated the previous session in the particular school to which his scholarship belonged. In March, 1903, the Faculty awarded a medal for the best essay submitted on some branch of philosophy by a candidate for the degree of master of arts. A second medal was conferred upon the student of the graduating class in the department of law who possessed the most meritorious record; a third, on the student in engineering who had made the most original investigation into the properties of the hydraulic cements manufactured in Vir- ginia ; and a fourth, on the student in the graduating class of the School of Latin who had surpassed his fellows in the excellence of his marks. IX. Degrees In June, 1895, the Faculty recommended for adop- tion by the Board of Directors the ensuing rule for the bestowal of the degree of bachelor of arts: the candi- date should be required to win a diploma of graduation in at least one branch of every one of the following courses, — and with a sufficient addition from the same courses, in branches not at first selected, to make up a total of nine diplomas: (i) Latin, Greek; (2) German, French, and English languages; (3) English literature, history, political economy; (4) logic, psychology, ethics, and history of philosophy; (5) mathematics, mechanics and astronomy; (6) physics and chemistry; (7) biology and geology. It was claimed that this division of studies for the degree would be accompanied by several substan- tial advantages : ( i ) it would create a perfect balance between the literary and scientific requirements, and make DEGREES 309 certain a rational distribution between natural science in the sixth clause and natural history in the seventh; (2) it would remove the subject of political economy from the section of philosophical science, — to which it was im- properly assigned originally, — and transfer it to one of the branches of literary study; (3) it would admit the English language to association with the cognate Ger- man, and thus concentrate the instruction given in Teu- tonic philology; (4) it would add a ninth course to the ground to be traversed by the candidate, and thus widen the basis on which the higher degrees of master of arts and doctor of philosophy should rest. These recommendations do not appear to have been adopted. The necessity for new attractions in the requirements for the degree of bachelor of arts still remained. It was announced, during the session of 1897-98, that the divi- sion of subjects would hereafter be as follows: (i) an- cient languages — Latin, Greek; (2) modern languages, — French, German, Italian, Spanish; (3) history and English, — general history, English literature and Eng- lish language; (4) philosophical science, — economics, logic, psychology, ethics, and philosophy ; ( 5 ) mathemat- ical science, — mathematics, mechanics and astronomy; (6) experimental science, — physics and general chemis- try; (7) descriptive sciences, — botany, comparative an- atomy, and geology. A significant feature of this new grouping was the pro- vision, in 1898—99, that only the student who should se- lect both Latin and Greek would be exempted from the re- quirement of a general course of nine studies. It was considered by the Faculty to be adequate preparation for entrance upon these studies should the candidate possess a respectable knowledge of English grammar, composi- 310 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA tion, and rhetoric; of arithmetic, algebra, and plane geometry; and of the grammar and composition of at least one of the classical languages. It was calculated that the acquisition of the degree would call for the appli- cation of at least four years. Evenly balanced and nicely adjusted as these provisions appeared to be, they failed to be acceptable to the college authorities of New York and Illinois, because they did not fulfil the conditions adopted by those States for ma- triculating students with credits for their previous work in outside institutions. In order to surmount this ob- stacle, the Board, in November, 1900, determined to confer the degree only on the student who had completed ten of the studies presented, three of which could be selected from any of the courses included in the list. The remaining seven had to be chosen with at least one from each of the seven groups. The candidate who selected both Latin and Greek was permitted to limit his courses to nine. It was perceived, at an early date, that the adoption of a too voluminous division for the baccalaureate degree would extend too much the length of time which a pro- fessional student would be compelled to remain in the University. Many of the young men who expected to enter the department of law, medicine, or engineering after completing the undergraduate course, did not think that they could afford to prolong so far their stay within the precincts. The number of matriculates was soon di- minished by this fact, for a disposition, in consequence of it, sprang up to cut down the period spent in the academic department to two years. In order to remove the reason for this action, the Board, in 1903—04, permitted the candidate for the degree to choose, as one of his three electives, a course in the department of law or medicine, DEGREES 311 or three courses in the department of engineering. Knowing before hand what profession he intended to pur- sue, the candidate could make a selection among the studies for the baccalaureate degree that would be pre- cisely adapted to the character of his proposed calling in life. If his purpose was to become a lawyer, then it would be expedient for him to include in his list Latin, history, English literature, economics, and philosophy. If, on the other hand, he aspired to become a physician, he would be certain not to omit the subject of chemistry, physics, biology, French and German; or if his purpose was to enter business, then he would be sure to choose the subject of modern history and economics, English lit- erature, the English language, and such continental tongues as would probably be of most service to him. In 1903, the Faculty recommended that biology should be substituted for geology in the scheme adopted for the degree of bachelor of arts; and that geology should be transferred to the list of electives. Italian was to be dropped from this course, in order that it might become a part of the course for the degree of master of arts. Previous to the year 1892, the round of studies pre- scribed for the degree of master of arts was, as we have shown, an inflexible one. There was no room to be found in it for the exercise of a choice of subjects. It was de- signed for the promotion of mental discipline rather than for the acquisition of information, although well adapted to this latter end also. But the expansion in the scope of the higher academic classes, and the introduction of more courses in science, rendered it inevitable that the curric- ulum of the degree of master of arts would undergo in time very material alterations to suit the special tastes of the young men who should desire to win it. The number of those whose inclinations leaned, not so much to math- 312 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ematics and the ancient languages, as to English litera- ture and history, natural science, natural history, the Teutonic and Romanic languages, was steadily growing larger. This disposition could not be permanently brushed aside. A complete revolution in the character of the degree was brought about when it was decided to award it to the candidate who had obtained diplomas in four specified elective courses, but it was essential that he should have beforehand won the degree of bachelor of arts, either at the University of Virginia, or at some other approved institution, as a foundation for these advanced studies, and as a guarantee of the culture necessary to their fruitful prosecution. Among the practical benefits to be gained by these changes was the assurance which it gave ( i ) of a closer bond to be created between the academic work of the Southern college and the similar work of the University of Virginia; (2) of a more powerful influence to be brought to bear for the further expansion of the higher courses of the latter institution; and (3) of a more vigor- ous encouragement to be given to specialization on the part of both student and professor. Under the rule that formerly existed, a candidate for the degree of mas- ter of arts, who had previously received a degree in an- other college, was still called upon to win a diploma in every school belonging to the old curriculum. Even the bachelor of arts of that college was required to stand an examination on the subjects which had not been al- ready traversed by him. " Experience has proven," says Professor Thornton, in commenting on the abandoned regulation, " that this onerous provision was useless. The work of the South- ern colleges grew better and better. It seemed unreason- able to keep these men back from their special work. DEGREES 813 The policy of the University is to admit a bachelor of arts of a good college to full advanced study, and to permit him to take in each department of his work the highest class which he can profitably pursue. The Faculty re- serves the right in extreme cases to exact examinations and to require the pursuit of supplementary courses of under- graduate study. But their attitude in general is advis- ory and not mandatory. It is essential to the aspirant for the degree of master of arts who has been educated elsewhere that his preliminary training shall have been ample and thorough, and such studies as may be needed to fill up his training will be arranged for him. He must receive his degree of master of arts upon a course of study as comprehensive, as thorough, as enlightening, as liberal, as that of his brother bachelor of arts of the University of Virginia." In 1896, the Faculty asked the Board of Visitors' con- sent to the admission to the University's advanced courses, as candidates for the degree of doctor of philos- ophy, of all bachelors and masters of arts from other seats of learning with whose preparation they had rea- son to be satisfied, after an examination by two profes- sors. Having obtained the approval solicited, this body, during the session of 1897—98, announced that the pur- suit of three studies would be required as the first condi- tion for the attainment of the degree, whether by a can- didate from the University itself or from another insti- tution. These were to be a major subject, — in connec- tion with which a dissertation was to be written, — a cog- nate minor, and an independent minor. The second con- dition was that the entire course was to be spread over a period of three years as a minimum. The study of the major subject was to be continued throughout this in- terval ; of the first minor, through two years at least ; but HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of the second minor through only one. A third condition was that the candidate should possess a " reading knowl- edge " of French and German; and a fourth, that, at the end of the third session, he was to pass a successful examination on the whole ground covered by the major and minor subjects. In 1895, in order, as they said, to liberalize the re- quirements for the degrees in the engineering depart- ment, and to bring the practice of the University of Virginia into harmony with that of the foremost Ameri- can and European schools, the Faculty recommended: (i) that the existing degrees of civil engineer, mining engineer, and mechanical engineer should be abolished; and that in their place, the degree of bachelor of sci- ence should be established, with some special earmark to show the branch in which it had been won; (2) that this new degree should be awarded to the student who had obtained diplomas in seven courses, two of which should consist of electives. As we have already men- tioned, this distribution was subsequently revoked, and there was a return to the original scheme, to which the degree of electrical engineer was now added. During the first eighty sessions in the history of the University of Virginia, (1825—1904) , the degree of bach- elor of arts was won by three hundred and sixty-one stu- dents ; the degree of master of arts by three hundred and ninety-three; of doctor of philosophy by thirty-five; of civil, mining, mechanical and electrical engineer by ninety- nine; of doctor of medicine by twelve hundred and fifty- seven; and of bachelor of law by thirteen hundred and thirty-five. If the number of students enrolled, during this interval, is considered, there was perhaps not an- other institution which could show so small a proportion of graduates for the same period. ADMINISTRATION 315 * X. Administration Many years before the divisions into departments had been officially approved, — although, in the meanwhile, these divisions had been recognized in the catalogues, — the professors connected with each one had exercised, as members of the standing committee to which their par- ticular department had been assigned, the functions of a minor faculty. The efficiency of such small governing bodies had been conspicuously exhibited in the instance of the professional departments, although it was tacitly acknowledged that not one of them had, except as a com- mittee, the authority to act in that character. As the at- tendance at the University increased, and the teaching in the professional courses grew more highly specialized, the need of a frank and open statement of the powers of these minor faculties became more difficult to ignore. It seemed to be imperative that some member of each one of them should be formally designated to represent it when the occasion arose for voicing its convictions, or for giving information and advice touching some matter be- longing to that particular department. The burden of these duties now fell on the chairman of the General Fac- ulty, and it was feared that, with the more numerous calls upon his time, created by the ever swelling mass of correspondence, and the rapid expansion of college work, he would not be able to stand up under so great a burden. In order to relieve this over-taxed officer in part, and also to secure for the minor faculties a more direct con- trol over the affairs of their several departments, the General Faculty recommended that the academic depart- ment and the departments of agriculture, law, medicine, and engineering, should be formally recognized, and that they should be organized in harmony with the following 316 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA regulations: (i) the professors in each department should constitute the faculty of that department (2) this minor faculty should possess the right of supervision over all the general interests of their department; and should also exercise such authority over the attendance, scholarship, and behavior of every ma- triculate enrolled in it as the General Faculty should specially delegate to them; (3) a right of ap- peal from the decisions of the minor faculty to the General Faculty should always exist, and no student should be dismissed without a review of all the cir- cumstances of his case by the larger body; (4) each minor faculty should be empowered to elect by ballot a dean from the circle of its members, whose duties should consist of acting as the presiding officer at every meeting of his own faculty; of assisting the chairman in replying to the University's general correspondence ; of matriculat- ing those students who should wish to be admitted to his own department; and of serving as its public representa- tive whenever the occasion made it appropriate for him to do so. This recommendation was earnestly opposed by several of the older professors, but in May, 1899, it was finally adopted by the General Faculty, and sent on to the Board of Visitors, who stamped it with their ap- proval. Two years afterwards, the committee of the General Faculty charged with the distribution of powers among the minor faculties reported in favor of the following rules, — which, in some small particulars, modified the existing regulations touching this subject: ( i ) each minor faculty should possess the sole right of control over the discipline of the young men enrolled in their department so far as it related to attendance and class standing; but this was not to be accompanied by the additional right to LIBRARY 317 require a delinquent to withdraw from the University un- less the General Faculty had first approved the order; (2) in each case in which a special examination was requested by a student, the minor faculty of the department to which he belonged should first decide whether it should be granted; and (3) they alone should be authorized to permit a student of that department to change his classes or to extend his courses of study. In 1902, the Visitors instructed the General Faculty to appoint a special committee of their members who were to be ready to attend any meeting of the Board to which they might be summoned for consultation. The chair- man of the Faculty was to act as the head of this com- mittee.1 XI. Library When the books which had been dropped in confused piles on the Lawn during the Great Fire were about to be gathered up for temporary deposit elsewhere, it was de- cided that the safest place of storage for the present was one of the upper rooms of the Brooks Museum; and here the remnants of the once fine collection found a resting spot until the Rotunda was rebuilt. In the meanwhile, at least one plan for a second temporary removal was de- bated by the Faculty. In January, when barely sixty days had passed since the reduction of the old library room to ashes, that body, in their anxiety to assort the surviving volumes and rearrange them for use, recom- 1 W. C. N. Randolph remained in the office of rector until December 10, 1897, when he resigned. He was succeeded by Armistead C. Gordon on that date, who, in turn, was succeeded on February 28, 1898, by Charles P. Jones. Among the prominent members of the Board of Visitors during the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, were Legh R. Watts, Robert Tate Irvine, Joseph Bryan, Carter Glass, R. Walton Moore, Eppa Hunton, Jr., Henry C. Stuart, and W. H. White. The Secretaries of the Board were James D. Jones and J. B. Faulkner. 318 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA mended that the chapel should be put in shape to receive them until more commodious quarters could be obtained. But the Board apparently failed to adopt this suggestion, — in all probability, because it would have made neces- sary at least two transfers of the books. When the library-room was first ready for reoccupa- tion, the volumes were not removed there at once. Be- fore this could be done, shelves had to be provided. This brought the question of the physical equipment of the apartment up for disposition; there was, at the mo- ment, an almost complete lack of funds for the continua- tion of the building; and the Faculty were of the opinion that the rough shelves then in existence at the Brooks Museum should be taken down, and replaced in the new library-room, there to remain until the University should be in a financial position to substitute for them shelves of a better quality. One year later, the same body com- plained that the professors and students were still prac- tically deprived of the use of the books, — there were, they said, no enclosures to the shelves, no doors to the cases, few chairs for seating the readers. Apparently as late as October, 1898, the books had not been deposited on the shelves owing to the fear that they would be damaged by the repairs, which had now become neces- sary in consequence of certain defects in the original re- construction. The students went so far as to threaten to place the volumes before these repairs were begun, as they had grown impatient over the small use to be made of the library. When the last touch, however, had been given to the room, the University was in possession of one of the noblest apartments of that character to be found in the United States. Apart from law and medical books, about eleven thou- sand volumes were snatched from the jaws of the consum- LIBRARY * 319 ing flames by the fierce energy of the students, with the heroic cooperation of the ladies of the University, and with the assistance also of the people of Charlottesville. Frederick W. Page was still the librarian. In May, 1 896, he was able to report that nearly seven thousand volumes had been presented by friends of the institution during the short interval that had elapsed since the conflagration. Among these donors were publishers like Little, Brown, and Company, Harper Brothers, and the Macmillan Company; universities like Tulane, Yale, and Columbia; and private citizens like Colonel Charles S. Venable, Gen- eral Eppa Hunton, and John S. Pierson. In the course of the same year, the choice Hertz collection, comprising twelve thousand titles, which had been bought by the mem- bers of the New -York chapter of the alumni, was deliv- ered to their alma mater, with an eloquent expression of sympathy and affection, which made the gift doubly valuable. By the opening of the year 1897, not less than twenty thousand volumes had been added to the collection by the generosity of individuals and organizations. Among the donors in 1897 were the Virginia State Library; the Universities of Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge; the executors of Professor Minor; Colonel R. T. W. Duke, educator, lawyer, and soldier; Dr. W. H. Ruffner, who had been most influential in establishing the public school system in Virginia; John S. Wise, the author of the End of an Era; F. W. M. Holliday, Governor of the Common- wealth, and a man of uncommon culture; Professor W. P. Dubose, the distinguished theological writer; Daniel B. Lucas, the poet and jurist; and John L. Williams, the philanthropic banker of Richmond and a devoted alum- nus. No one had been more instrumental and more suc- cessful in replenishing the depleted library by their pri- 320 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA vate appeals to friends than Colonel W. Gordon McCabe and Rev. Dr. J. William Jones. By February, 1897, the librarian reported that the number of volumes then in the University's possession was thirty-eight thousand. A gratuitous stream of valuable books continued to flow in. Alfred Roelker, of New Ybrk, in May, 1897, presented a large number of volumes relating to German philology; and in September of the same year, gave a complete set of the works of Professor Bledsoe. An alumnus purchased a bulky portion of the collection which had belonged to Professor George F. Holmes, — three thousand titles in all — and made a gift of it to the Uni- versity. Governor Holliday, who died in 1899, be- queathed to the institution his entire library, which had been gathered together with remarkable discrimination extended over a long period. It contained more than four thousand volumes, and was especially rich in works relating to the history of Virginia. Several hundred vol- umes of a very choice collection were presented during the same year by Miss Marie Bruce as a memorial of her father, William Ballard Bruce. In the course of the next year, Professor James A. Harrison and his wife gave a large number of books bearing upon the subject of South- ern literature; and they also presented a cabinet filled with editions of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and publi- cations relating to his chequered life. During the twelve months ending with June, 1899, not less than nine thou- sand additional volumes were placed on the shelves of the library. Among the donors of 1901, were Rev. Haslett McKim, Rev. Charles A. Briggs, and Dr. B. W. Green. By the end of the following year, the library had swelled to fifty thousand volumes, and it now lacked only about seven thousand to be equal in size to the one which had fallen a prey to the flames in 1895. The original LIBRARY 321 had contained some old and rare editions which were of almost priceless value in the eyes of bibliophiles, and which could never be replaced; but for practical useful- ness, the new library was superior in quality to the old; the room too was far better lighted and heated; and it was observed also that it was much more resorted to by the students. In 1903, three thousand books belonging to the Barnard Shipp collection were added to the library. Mr. Shipp had directed his chief attention to the purchase of works relating to American history. This gift was swelled, in the course of the following year, by Mrs. Thomas R. Price's presentation of her deceased hus- band's collection of four thousand volumes. The law library of General Bradley T. Johnson was also given at this time by his son and executor, Bradley S. Johnson. In addition to these numerous and valuable gifts, sev- eral endowments were established for the annual purchase of books. In 1899, the family of Alfred H. Byrd, of New York, in conformity with his wishes, presented his entire estate to the University as a memorial fund, the income from which was to be annually invested in the pur- chase of volumes relating to the history and literature of Virginia. A separate alcove in the library was reserved for the storage of the special works to be thus acquired. The D'Arcy Paul memorial fund, amounting to one thou- sand dollars, was created by his widow, with the provision that the interest annually accruing from that sum was to be used for subscriptions to journals devoted to modern philology. Interesting busts and portraits were also added to the existing collection of the library in the course of this period. As we have seen, there had been no loss in either form by the fire in consequence of the fact that these ob- jects, having caught the eye of the rescuers at once, had 322 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA been promptly carried out to a place of safety. All, in- cluding Gait's statue of Jefferson, were restored to the room as soon as it was thrown open for reoccupation. Among the additions to the number of busts was a marble one of Senator W. C. Preston, of South Carolina, pre- sented by his brother, the former rector, Colonel Thomas L. Preston; a bronze bust of Poe, the artistic work of Zolnay; a replica of Houdon's bust of Lafayette, which was presented by the French Republic in appreciation of the warm reception extended by the University to Jus- serand, the French ambassador, on the occasion of his visit; and a bronze bust of Cicero, the gift of Doctor Coles, of New York. The portraits added, during the same period, were those of Alfred H. Byrd, a benefactor; Schele de Vere, the professor; John R. Thompson, the poet; Robley Dunglison, a member of the first Faculty; John Marshall, the gift of John L. Williams; W. Gordon McCabe, the gift of the alumni of his school; Commo- dore Maury, the gift of John L. Williams also; and Thomas Norwood, the gift of his former pupils. In October, 1902, John S. Patton was appointed as- sistant librarian for the session of 1902-3. When Fred- erick W. Page retired from the senior position, after oc- cupying it for nearly twenty years, Mr. Patton was elected in his place, with Miss Anne S. Tuttle as his assistant. A resolution of the Faculty paid a just and feeling tribute to the character of Mr. Page, — his love of books, his in- terest in literature, his courteous manners, his sense of order, his knowledge of the students' needs, and his ex- traordinary tact, patience, and kindness. xii. The Students — Their Number and Expenses During the long interval between February, 1825, and June, 1904, approximately sixteen thousand young men STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER AND EXPENSES 328 matriculated in the University of Virginia. Beginning with the session of 1896-97, and ending with the session of 1903-04, — the Eighth Period, — the total enrolment from Virginia fell little short of twenty-seven hundred, with an annual enrolment averaging about three hundred and thirty-six. The attendance from all the States grew from five hundred and four in 1896-97, to six hun- dred and thirteen in 1903-04, — an average attendance during these eight sessions of five hundred and ninety-five for each session. The total for the entire Eighth Period closely approximated four thousand, eight hundred ma- triculates. One-fourth of this number were admitted from Virginia. The attendance from the other States had increased from two hundred and twenty-one in 1896- 97 to two hundred and sixty-seven in 1903—04. Thirty- two commonwealths were, during this interval, repre- sented in the enrolment ; all the Southern were to be found in it; and of the Northern, New York, Illinois, Pennsyl- vania, Connecticut, Montana, California, Indiana, Kan- sas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The total at- tendance from these Northern States, during the session of 1896—97, was thirty-one students; during the session of 1903-04, fifty-two. Not until the session of 1899-1900 did the number of matriculates pass the highwater mark recorded for the session of 1856—57, — the enrolment for the two sessions was respectively six hundred and sixty-four and six hun- dred and forty-five students. During the sessions of 1901-02 and 1903-04, the number again declined below that of 1856—57. The increase in the general attendance was attributable, in the first place, to the growing pop- ulation of the Southern States, with its accompanying accumulation of wealth; and, in the second, to the influ- 824, HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ence of the local alumni associations, which had begun to show a thoroughly practical interest in the prosperity of their alma mater. At a meeting of the Faculty, held in March, 1899, Vir- ginia was divided into groups of counties, and to each group a professor was assigned, with instructions to start upon a canvass among its citizens, with a view to per- suading them to send to the University such of their sons as were fully prepared to enter its classes. There had already been appointed one committee to solicit en- dowments and benefactions; a second, to conduct a lit- erary and correspondence bureau; and a third to keep the run of the affairs of the numerous alumni chapters. The following table indicates the proportion of stu- dents attending the different departments at the begin- ning and at the end of the Eighth Period : >• 1895-6 1903-4 Academic 250 299 Engineering 14 58 Law no 190 Medicine 168 164 Total 542 711 Anterior to the Eighth Period, 1896—1904, the session began on October I, and terminated on the last Wednes- day that came before the third day of July. After the close of the session of 1896-97, the scholastic year seems to have begun on September 1 5 and ended on the Wednes- day that preceded June 19. The vexed question of granting a formal holiday at Christmas was broached for decision again in November, 1895. The Faculty, with the Board's full approval, set apart the interval between December 21 and December 28 as the period for the suspension of lectures; but be- STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER AND EXPENSES 325 fore six months had passed, they were of the opinion that their recommendation to this effect should be recalled. They had gone back to their original attitude of hostility to the proposal under the influence of the revived con- viction that a holiday at this time of the year was detri- mental to the welfare of the University, in addition to being repugnant to the wishes of a large proportion of the students, who were anxious to avoid any interruption in their work. The Board having refused to shift around to this view, the Faculty, at a meeting held in the June of 1897, declared, by a vote of twenty to two, that, in their judgment, the Christmas holiday, if it had to be established, should run from December 23 to December 28. One of the most tenable objections to the adoption of such a holiday was removed by the division of the ses- sion into three terms, the first closing on the second day before Christmas. In 1898, the Board of Visitors unani- mously decided that the Christmas vacation should last during the whole interval between December 20 and Jan- uary 2. A motion that April 13 should be marked by a suspen- sion of lectures also, was rejected, in 1903, at a meeting of the Faculty; but Founder's Day seems to have been celebrated as early as 1900-01 by exercises in the evening, the most important part of which was an address by an invited speaker of distinction. Thanksgiving Day, how- ever, had, by this date, been adopted as a college holi- day. In the course of 1888, a mass meeting of students was held in the public hall to consider the expediency of alter- ing the University colors. Hitherto these colors had very appropriately consisted of silver gray and cardinal red, — the gray having been suggested by the tint of the Confederate uniform, the red by the blood with 326 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA which it had been dyed on so many heroic battlefields. The passion for athletic sports was now all-engrossing, and it was imagined that these colors, in spite of their inspiring patriotic associations, were not suitable for ath- letic uniforms; and in addition, that, even if they were, the gray tint would soon, with hard and rough wear, be- gin to fade. How was it possible to obtain a combina- tion that would successfully resist the test of the rudest and longest use? This question was so difficult for de- cision that the brains of the entire audience were said to have been, for the time being, paralyzed by an emotion of complete perplexity. Suddenly, as if by a revelation from another sphere, the problem which was confusing so many bright intellects was solved. The recorder of the event thus relates the story: " Mr. Allen Potts had come in in his football clothing, being on his way to the field. He had about his neck a very large silk handker- chief striped navy blue and orange. A student pulled this handkerchief from his neck, waved it, and cried out, ' How will this do ? ' The students adopted the combina- tion without opposition. It is said that the handkerchief was a waist handkerchief that the English college men used at that time instead of a belt. Mr. Potts had got it at Oxford the previous summer, with a lot of boating clothes." As might have been expected and predicted, this abrupt discardal of the old colors, with their splendid historical memories, and the adoption of a bald substitute under the influence of circumstances so casual and so trivial, stirred up a feeling of opposition in the breasts of those members of the Faculty who remembered the silver gray and the red in their college years. " The bloody gray of the old Confederate was good enough for the first gen- eration," said Professor William H. Echols, " and it re- STUDENTS — THEIR NUMBER AND EXPENSES 327 mained for a younger to discern that it would not take water well, and that blue and orange would be better, in imitation of Princeton's orange and black; and here comes Princeton saying that her real colors are orange and blue. Let the University of Virginia go back to the colors of her battlefields, which she carried to the front of Virginia crews for eight successive years over all the waters of Virginia." After the session of 1895-96, there was a tendency in the general charges of the University to advance. The matriculation fee was now forty dollars; the contingent fee, ten. The payment of the former entitled the stu- dent, not only to the use of the books in the library, but also to the enjoyment of all the advantages of the gym- nasium, including, besides free baths and free lockers, gra- tuitous physical examination and instruction ; the right, in case of illness, to be attended by a member of the medical faculty, without expense to the patient; and also without expense to be nursed, should it become necessary for him to be removed to the infirmary for treatment. The con- tingent fee, now, as formerly, was to cover the cost of re- pairing injuries to books, or to settle fines imposed for violations of the rules, should either occur. The tuition fees varied according to the school and department. The general academic fee was still proportioned to the number of studies, — there were still special charges only in the case of the laboratory courses, or courses belonging to a prearranged series of lectures. The only expense for tuition that was borne by the students from Virginia was incurred in the laboratory courses. All the profes- sional departments, as the table offered further on will show, still retained their original scale of charges. It was estimated that the cost of board, fuel, lights, servants' attendance, and laundry, would not exceed 328 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA eighteen dollars a month; but there is reason to think that the majority of the matriculates, during the Eighth Pe- riod, 1896—1904, spent for these purposes from twenty to thirty dollars every thirty days; and many were led to indulge in an even greater outlay of money for the same objects. The following table sums up the average charges during the session of 1899—1900, which was sub- stantially representative of all the sessions embraced in this period. Department University Fees Tui- tion Books Living Expenses Total Academic $40.00 $7S.OO $ 1 5 .00— $2 5 .00 $m— $270 $265— $400 Engineering .... Agricultural 40.00 40.00 IOO.OO 7C.OO 15.00- 25.00 15.00— 25.00 135- 270 I5C— 27O 290- 425 265— 400 Medical 40.00 88.OO 20.00 m— 270 •1IC— ACQ Law 40.00 IOO.OO 4.C.QO ni— 270 12O— 4«< In 1902, it was calculated that the living expenses of the average matriculate varied from one hundred dollars to two hundred and seventy, in the course of a single ses- sion. Some of the young men, it was asserted, were able to reduce their outlay on this account to a still lower fig- ure. In order to meet the needs of the members of the student body who were compelled to subsist on the most economical footing, the Faculty, in 1903, recommended that a loan fund should be created by setting aside for that purpose all the sums due at the end of each session by those young men who had been credited with their Uni- versity and tuition fees at the beginning of their terms; that out of this fund, definite amounts should be loaned on notes to such individuals as would otherwise be unable to enter; and that a permanent committee should be ap- pointed whose duty should be to find manual labor in the University and its neighborhood, which would, by the in- come it would afford, enable indigent students to acquire PUBLICATIONS AND DEBATING SOCIETIES 329 the money that would be needed to pay the general fees of admission. XIII. Publications and Debating Societies The first number of the Alumni Bulletin to be printed was issued in May, 1894. The second series began in April, 1901 and the third in 1908. The Visitors gave their emphatic approval to this publication, as it was ex- pected to be an important channel of official communica- tion between themselves and the Faculty, on the one hand, and the alumni and public at large on the other. The Annals of Mathematics was also coming out during the same interval. The principal innovation in the management of the magazine between 1895 and !9O4 was the attachment to the different articles appearing in its pages of the names of their authors. Three prizes were now awarded for contributions to this periodical. One of these was for the most meritorious translation written by any matric- ulate of the current year, — such translation to be of a poem or prose article belonging to any of the languages taught in the University. The purpose which it had in view was to foster grace of style and stimulate a taste for letters. The donor of this prize was Professor James A. Harrison. The second prize, — which was also presented by Professor Harrison, — was for the most excellent poem; and the third, — the gift of Professor Harrison again, — was for the most admirable prose ar- ticle. The magazine medal awarded by the two societies, and valued at fifty dollars, was still annually conferred. There were many persons who thought that now, as for- merly, this medal alone should be given as a reward for the production of highest merit printed in the pages of the college's only literary organ. The Harrison prizes, 330 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA — which were valued at but twenty dollars apiece, — were considered by those who held this opinion as more suitable for a high school, or even for a kindergarten, than for a university. There were now two terms, the autumn and the spring, for each of which a separate group of editors for the mag- azine were chosen; but the members of this board, dur- ing the first term of the year, were eligible to reelection to the same body during the second. Of the new set of constitutional rules adopted by the two societies in the course of the Eighth Period, one of importance related to this periodical, — instead of those bodies offering one medal, of the value of fifty dollars, for the most meri- torious prose article printed in its pages during the ses- sion, two medals, of the value of twenty-five dollars each, were to be conferred by them, — the one for the most ad- mirable story, the other for the most excellent prose piece. This change followed the spirit of Professor Harrison's annual gifts for the same purpose, which had, as we have seen, been a ground for criticism. Unlike the Harrison prizes, however, these medals could only be won by mem- bers of the societies and subscribers to the magazine. In addition to these two medals, two were still presented by Professor Harrison, one of which was now awarded for the most excellent poem, and the other for the best trans- lation of a prose article written in some foreign language. These two last prizes were thrown open to the competi- tion of all the matriculates. After delivering an address at the University before the literary societies, William Jennings Bryan offered them the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, on condi- tion that the annual income accruing from it should be awarded to the author of the most thoughtful essay on government printed in the magazine for each year. PUBLICATIONS AND DEBATING SOCIETIES 331 In 1898, the editors complained that they had to sup- port the burden, not only of managing the business affairs of this periodical, but also of writing the larger propor- tion of its contents ; and as a possible remedy for the lack of interest in its welfare exhibited by the students as a body, they proposed that all literary work of merit done for its pages by any matriculate should be credited to his standing in his classes. It seems that this rule had been adopted in many of the Northern colleges. By 1900, the magazine had shed some of its conven- tional, classical, and imitative spirit, and had become more distinctly reflective of the social characteristics of the South, — more racy, in short, of the soil. It had, by this time, begun to publish dialect stories and poems drawn from the inexhaustible fund of negro lore, or the tradi- tions of the plain white folks of the back regions cut off from intimate touch with the modern currents of thought and speech. Miss Murfree and Page and Harris were now the beckoning stars rather than Poe and Tennyson, Bulwer and Addison, as in former years. This new dis- position was directly traceable to the influences created by the award of the Harrison prizes. The tendency was now to nurse the imaginative sense as contradistinguished from the purely descriptive, critical, or historical sense. While the imitative spirit which is always bobbing up in college literature, was still far from being exorcised, it had taken a direction in which it was liable to develop more vigor of thought and skill in treatment. By 1900, enough stories of merit had been printed in the magazine to justify the publication of a separate volume ; the Idyls of the Lawn contained six tales which were of remarkable talent by whatever standard they might be tested; and their charm was enhanced by the decorative designs from the graceful pencil of Duncan Smith. 332 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA In 1902, the prize offered by Professor Harrison for the most meritorious poem was divided into two prizes, one of fifteen dollars and one of five, — the first of which was to be awarded for the authorship of the best poem, the second for that of the next best, printed in the mag- azine during each year. These prizes had a tendency to encourage the production of verse, a form of composition well adapted to improve the student's power of verbal ex- pression, but also perhaps promotive of a spirit of youth- ful literary dilettantism. On top of these two prizes, there was still open to competition the prize bestowed for the most excellent translation in prose, the two societies' medal conferred for the best essay, their additional medal awarded for the best story, and the Bryan prize granted for the most thoughtful dissertation on civil government. Besides these numerous agencies for arousing interest in English composition in its different forms, the department of English announced, during the session of 1901-02, that it would give a prize annually for the most admirable original poem which should be printed in the pages of the magazine. This prize was open to the competition of every student in the University. The practical result of this additional, perhaps imprudent, stimulant to the poet- ical fecundity of the young men was a shining multitude of poems of every variety. Not less than forty poetical pieces, — some of them translations from foreign tongues, — were published in the numbers for 1902—3 alone. The condescending, not to say impartial, verdict of other institutions of learning was highly favorable to the merits of the University magazine during these years, when so many prizes were sharply pricking the students on to extraordinary volubility of prose and poetical ut- terance. In 1904, the editors of the Harvard magazine PUBLICATIONS AND DEBATING SOCIETIES 333 placed the periodicals of the principal colleges in the fol- lowing order of proportionate merit: Princeton, Har- vard, Columbia, Williams, and the University of Vir- ginia. In such a shining company, it was presumed to be an honor even to bring up the rear. A trophy, consisting of a gold and silver wreath encir- cling a scroll of copper, was offered by Professor James A. Harrison, in 1895, as a prize to be contested for by the debaters of the two societies. Each of these bodies was to be represented by its own group of selected cham- pions, the names of whom, in case of victory, were to be engraved upon the face of the trophy, and the trophy it- self placed in the possession of that society, until it should be won by the champions of its rival. There had been such a decline in the interest which had been once shown in the discussions in the two halls that the Visitors, in the course of the following session (1895-96), appropriated one hundred dollars for the purchase of medals to be awarded by the societies themselves to their two most skilful speakers. These were to be known as the " Rec- tor and Visitors' debating medals." In April of this year, there was a public test of oratorical ability be- tween the recipients of the two society medals, and the representative of the Washington having been declared to be the victor, he was appointed to speak for the two societies in the State oratorical contest, which was to take place at the College of William and Mary, and also in the similar contest of the Southern Intercollegiate Associa- tion, which was to come off at Centre College. The energy displayed by the students towards the ac- quisition of these medals was so feeble that the Faculty requested the Board to abolish their award; and in June, 1899, this was done. But it was afterwards perceived by the Visitors that it was not entirely becoming for them 334 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA to show indifference to what had once been such an im- portant feature of the University's activities, and in November, 1901, they appropriated fifty dollars to be bestowed annually upon the best debater of the two soci- eties. At this time, each of the societies conferred a medal costing twenty-five dollars on its ablest argumen- tative speaker; and a medal of the same value was pre- sented to its most eloquent orator. The two bodies still contested each session for the Harrison trophy. The de- bate for this trophy seems to have been held, occasionally at least, in the public hall, while the separate oratorical tussles of the Washington Society champions not infre- quently took place in the chapel, — perhaps because that apartment offered more spacious seating for the persons who wished to be present. In 1901, there was a State Oratorical Association in existence composed of the eight most conspicuous institu- tions of learning in Virginia. These contested for a gold medal valued at forty dollars. During the same year, the Johns Hopkins University invited the Universi- ties of Virginia, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and Pennsyl- vania, to organize, along with itself, an oratorical league ; but the proposal, in spite of its practicability, appears to have fallen to the ground. The debaters of the Univer- sity of Virginia, selected by the test of inter-society discus- sions, frequently struggled for the palm of victory with representatives of the Northern colleges. In the spring of 1902, a debate was arranged with the champions of Columbia University; and for this occasion, four speak- ers were chosen by the Faculty, one of whom was to serve as a substitute only. A joint discussion was held with the debaters of the University of Pennsylvania in March, 1904. It was thought at the time that these in- tercollegiate contests sensibly stimulated the interest of SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 335 the students in the Washington and Jefferson Societies; and as an additional influence for increasing this interest and directing it into the most productive channel, the Fac- ulty, in 1902, recommended that a special instructor in the art of speech should be employed; that he should be attached to the School of English ; and that he should be subject to the control of the professor in charge of that school. This recommendation was adopted, and during the session of 1903-4 the position was filled by N. L. South, one of the licentiates. xiv. Social Organizations It would seem that, anterior to 1895, no fraternity had possessed the means necessary to build a residence of its own. The associations continued to hold their weekly meetings in some vacant garret or dormitory, where there was reason to know that they would be in no danger of in- trusion. At this time, they made up an assemblage of more or less disjointed clubs, with no perceptible influence beyond conferring on their members a certain measure of social standing or exercising a decisive preponderance in the event of a close and embittered contest for political honors in the debating societies. The earliest step towards the acquisition of separate residences was the use by different fraternities of rooms in the houses in Dawson's Row. The Chi Phi set up their home in House D, the Phi Kappa Psi, in House E, and the Delta Psi, in House F. The Zeta Psi, in 1898, took possession of the pavilion situated at the southern end of East Range; and here they remained during a period of several years. The Delta Kappa Epsilon, — which was the first of the modern fraternities to found a chapter at the University of Virginia, — was also the first among them to build there a club-house 336 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of its own. This was undertaken by it in October, 1899. The members were required to show that they had collected a fund large enough to enable them to erect a building that would be completely in harmony with the general architectural design of the Univer- sity as a whole. It was to be constructed of brick, with a roof of metal or slate. The contractors must agree to waive all liens in case of a failure on the part of the fraternity to make the promised payments. The title to the house was to be vested in the University cor- poration; and should its premises remain vacant for the space of a year, the Board reserved the right to take pos- session of it. If the disuse arose from the disbandment of the proprietary fraternity, and that fraternity should, at any time, be resuscitated, the decision should lie with the Visitors whether the house should be returned at all; but in no case was it to be permanently turned over to the University's purposes without -the fraternity that built it being recouped for the money which had been expended in its original construction. The first independent home of the Delta Kappa Ep- silon seems to have been situated on Fourteenth Street not far beyond the college boundaries. It was a very modest framed building, which was divided off on its ground-floor into an entrance hall, library, and billiard room. Above were the sleeping apartments. It was at first designed to serve more as a lodge than as a place of actual residence. The example set by this fraternity was followed by the Delta Tau Delta, which acquired the right to occupy the building that had formerly been used as the infirmary. The interior of this structure was com- pletely renovated, and a billiard room, reading room, bed rooms, and baths added for the comfort and convenience of the members. SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 387 In the autumn of 1902, the Beta Theta Pi and the Delta Psi also were established in homes of their own. The Beta Theta Pi took possession of a building opposite the gymnasium which had formerly been occupied as a boarding house, and they altered the interior so as to pro- vide a reception-room, a reading-room and a ping pong room. There were sleeping accommodations for twelve persons on the several floors. The house of the Delta Psi, known as St. Anthony's Hall, was erected at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. This was partitioned off on the first floor into a large reception-room, billiard-room, library, and three bedrooms. There were under its roof sleeping accommodations for ten, and it contained every modern appliance for heating and lighting. The Pi Kappa Alpha leased a house situated on Madison Lane and looking across the campus of the Young Men's Chris- tian Association. In the autumn of 1904, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon rented a building immediately adjacent to St. Anthony's Hall. During the following year, the Phi Kappa Psi erected a handsome house of their own with three bedrooms on the first floor, and five on the second. The influences which followed the establishment of these commodious homes were distinctly beneficial from several points of view. Prior to their purchase or erec- tion, it very frequently happened that the young men of the same fraternity, in consequence of their being domi- ciled in different parts of the university precincts, and at- tending different lectures, possessed no real opportunity of cultivating intimate friendships with each other. The grouping of the fraternities under their own roofs, by bringing the members of each one into daily and even hourly intercourse, had the very natural effect of remov- ing all trace of formality in their personal relations. For the first time, these organizations assumed in full the 338 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA character which their names and mottoes had previously, in most instances, only perfunctorily indicated. Posses- sion of handsome homes of their own also tended to raise the general standing of these associations. It was no- ticed that, with this increase in dignity, their older mem- bers were disposed to set a better example to the younger. The spirit of hospitality was also nursed by them with extraordinary success, — the fraternity houses became the scenes of pleasant dances, musicals, and soirees; a hearty welcome was held out to outsiders; and a sober and gen- ial atmosphere was created, which made itself felt, not only in the personal relations of the fraternity men them- selves, but also in the social tone of the University at large. The members, residing like a single family under the same roof, were quite naturally inclined, like their elders in the homes of after-life, to uphold the reputation of their houses for refinement and orderliness. The erection of these buildings, — many of which were after a handsome architectural model, — not only con- tributed to the attractive physical aspect of the Univer- sity, but were also of great practical advantage to the in- stitution by adding to the number of its dormitories. In the history of the previous period, some descrip- tion was given of the disorderly conduct of the Eli Banana Society, and reference was made to the Faculty's determination to put an end to its existence at the Uni- versity as a separate association. Finding this body deaf to their repeated solicitations, the Elis made a direct ap- peal to the Board for an order that would permit them to reorganize ; and the Visitors were so much softened by the earnestness of this petition, that they requested the Fac- ulty to remove their bar upon the disbanded society if it were possible to do this without shaking the discipline of the University. But the Faculty continued immovable. SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 339 " Many individual members of the Eli Society," they said in their reply, " were worthy and excellent as students and gentlemen, but for years, the society itself has been a disgrace to the University, and a source of lamentable scandal before the public. Their songs, avowing and glorifying drunkenness, habitually sung over the Univer- sity grounds, and on the public streets of Charlottesville; outrageous annoyance of ladies and sick persons by drunken orgies prolonged far into the morning of each recurring Easter Sunday, followed by an annual disturb- ance of the congregations of the Charlottesville churches in the midst of Easter services; and the flagrant estab- lishment, during the public exercises of at least one com- mencement, of a place of assembly serving practically as a free barroom in one of the dormitories of the Uni- versity,— are samples of conduct which cannot be excused on the ground of mere effervescence of boyish spirit; and all has rendered the existence of the society a scandal and a nuisance in the eyes of the sober and respectable people throughout the State." But the Elis appear to have been made of stuff that was not to be dispirited even by excoriating reflections upon themselves like these, and after posturing for a brief period under the name, as already stated, of " Peter Magill," they succeeded in June, 1897, in wheedling from the Board the right to reorganize under their old name. In the ensuing December, they petitioned for their old privilege of holding a german in the gymnasium during Easter week. While the star of the Elis was under temporary eclipse, their rivals, the Tilkas, had been industriously employed in coddling their own prosperity. A larger proportion of the college honors had, during this interval, fallen to their share than had ever before been recorded in thei*- 340 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA history, but they were not to be permitted to con- tinue to reap without any competitor in the field. In the session of 1898-99, the Eli Bananas, — their appetite whetted by their long sojourn in outer darkness, — threw themselves into all the contests with such energy that the Tilkas retired before them beaten and discomfited. They succeeded in electing one member of their body the president of the General Athletic Association, and an- other the vice president; a third and fourth, manager and assistant manager of the football team; and a fifth, the manager of the baseball team. A sixth member was chosen to the distinguished social office of president of the German Club. But during the next session, the Tilkas became aggressive again and recaptured the presidency of the General Athletic Association. Not very many months had gone by when the exciting rumor ran through the University that these two powerful organizations had entered into a secret compact to make an equal division between themselves of all the separate honors of the foot- ball, baseball, and track teams as well as of the General Athletic Association itself. The two lions were not to leave even a hoof to the unfortunate jackals. It was calculated that, during the session of 1903-4, there were thirty positions of political prominence open to election, and that of this number, all the most conspic- uous were filled by members of the ribbon societies. From their ranks were drawn the president and vice-pres- ident of the General Athletic Association; the managers of the football, baseball, and track teams; the president of the academic class, the president of the law class, and the president of the medical class; and a long list of assistant managers and vice-presidents. There flourished during the Eighth Period, 1896- 1904, numerous other kinds of associations. The classes SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 341 were organized during the session of 1890-91 with the election of presidents to represent the academic, engineer- ing, law, and medical departments respectively, and these positions continued to be filled by popular election from year to year. There followed various clubs of a social or practical character, notable among which were the Cof- fee House Club, the Whist Club, the O. F. C, — whose distinctive mark was the figure of Cupid sitting on the top of a beer barrel, pulled by a team of bottles and to- bacco boxes; the Kodak Club, the Riding Club, the Gun Club, — which contested with teams from other commun- ities; the Graduate Club, — which was made up of gradu- ates and instructors who banded together to advance the welfare of the University by every legitimate means avail- able; the Goosequill Club, the Masonic Club, the P. K. Club, the V. B. M. Club, the Philosophical Club, — com- posed of professors and students who met to discourse upon questions of science and literature, to report their researches and experiments, and to listen to addresses by distinguished strangers; the Alliance Francaise, — which was organized to disseminate French culture by means of social intercourse and popular lectures; and finally, the Raven Society, — which was composed of students who were the foremost members of their classes, with honor- ary members selected among the most distinguished alumni. The musical clubs continued, throughout this period, to keep a foothold in spite of numerous discouragements. In 1897, there were the Glee Club, the Banjo Club, and the Mandolin Club, each a separate organization, with a different leader, but, apparently, with a single president, a single director, and a single manager. The three com- bined were designated the Glee, Banjo, and Mandolin Association. In 1900, there was in existence an organi- 342 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA zation that bore the name of the Mandolin and Guitar Club. Three managers were elected by its members in the course of this year, one of whom was to be the director of the concerts to be given at the University of Vir- ginia; the second, of the concerts to take place in Richmond and Washington; and the third, of the con- certs to be held at Staunton and elsewhere at Easter. The instruments used by this club comprised the first and second violin, the first mandolin, the second mandolin, the mandola, the first flute, the second flute, the first and the second guitar, and the bass violin. There was also a vocal quartette. The tours of the musical clubs, — which were subject to strict regulations, — were not discountenanced by the Faculty, as they tended to arouse interest in the Uni- versity among the members of the most influential social class of the large cities visited. A complaint was heard that the popularity of these clubs within the precincts of the University itself was so impoverished that the at- tendance at the concerts was always discouragingly small. The eagerness of the students at large to be present at the public performances had perhaps been dulled by the constant intrusion of the same sounds upon their ears when the practicing was going on in the dormitories. The social distinction of these occasions was naturally enough greater abroad under fashionable roofs than at home in the familiar public hall. For some years, there existed within the precincts no dramatic club made up of students alone, although dra- matic performances took place there. About 1903, how- ever, a University club, composed of men, seems to have visited different cities to present the lighter plays. This was the V. V. V. Club. A meeting of interested students was called in 1904 to organize a permanent dramatic SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 343 club. " This," said the editor of College Topics, " is the first year the dramatic club has appeared as a college club." It assumed the practical name of the Arcadians, and its members petitioned the Faculty to put them on the same footing as the Glee Club and the Athletic teams so far as to grant them the privilege of giving perform- ances beyond the precincts, provided that they obeyed the rules which had been adopted for the other associa- tions when absent on a tour. The Hot Feet was an association formed apparently for the single purpose of enjoying the grand ceremony of crowning one of their number king in the presence of the public as spectators. First came the monarch in a motor car, with his predecessor following in the humble convey- ance of a phaeton. Behind the two trooped a gorgeous line of cavaliers, with a motley and miscellaneous train of attendants. After traversing a route that ran first down East Range, and then across the Lawn to West Range, and then down this range and back to the Lawn, the dis- mounted procession slowly defiled through the Rotunda, and thence marched, with stately step, to East Range again, and down this range to the southern end. Here the coronation took place. The new king, when he placed the crown on his head, was surrounded by a flam- boyant company, composed of the queen, the heir, the court poet, the wizard, the chancellor, the archbishop, the pages, the musicians, the cup-bearers, guards, jesters, and chamberlains. There were also present ambassadors from the kingdoms of Dawson's Row and West Range, from the duchy of East Lawn, the principality of Mon- roe Hill, and the independent republic of Carr's Hill. A feast was spread in Randall Hall, to which the gaping multitude, with mediaeval hospitality, was invited en masse by public proclamation. 344 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA xv. Athletics It has already been stated that a field for the athletic exercises was ottered to the General Athletic Association by the University, and this was in a condition to be thrown open to use on the threshold of the session of 1888-89. The acquisition of this private ground so long aspired to was largely due to the foresight and energy of Felix H. Levy, at that time the president of the associa- tion. The space occupied in 1896 was bounded by Main Street on the north, by the roadbed of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway on the east, by the Lynchburg highway on the south, and on the west by a line that extended from the site of the postoffice building, parallel with East Range, back to the road to Lynchburg. This area proved in the end to be unsatisfactory as it was marred by serious in- conveniences. In 1901, the land for a substitute having been obtained on the north side of the University, the first spade was struck in the soil of the new field, and by the end of the second year the arduous work upon it was completed. The fund in the treasury of the association at the beginning of this work was only sixteen hundred dollars. The entire cost ultimately mounted up to ten thousand dollars; and of this sum, the alumni contrib- uted a respectable share. The surface of the new ath- letic grounds spread over twenty-one acres. To prepare it for football, baseball, and track contests, required the removal of forty-eight thousand cubic yards of earth. Within its bounds not less than one thousand persons could be seated without jostling or over crowding. It was very properly named Lambeth Field, in honor of Doctor William A. Lambeth, to whose knowledge, fidelity, and industry, the prosperity of athletic sports at the University was already so deeply indebted. ATHLETICS 345 It is a proof of the increased importance of these sports at this institution, that, in the course of 1903, one of the debating societies discussed at length the question whether athletic instruction should not be required as a subject indispensable to the winning of a degree. Some years earlier, the students had suggested that twelve athletic scholarships should be established; but the Faculty had refused to listen to this recommendation; and that body also, in 1902, declined to allow the ceremony of present- ing the V to each distinguished member of the athletic teams to form a part of the public exercises of commence- ment week. The most popular games during the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, were football, baseball, track, golf, and tennis; cricket and lacrosse also had a small number of ardent devotees; while the events in the gymnasium were as absorbing as ever to the students at large. The foremost of all these sports, however, continued to be football and baseball. It was said, at this time, that, in proportion to the number of its matriculates, the University of Virginia had one of the most remarkable records in these two branches of athletics that had been made in the different American seats of learning. Her leadership in both was frankly admitted by every member of the Southern group of colleges. Of the two, football enjoyed the primacy in the popular view. This fact was, in a measure, attributable to skilful coaching by outsiders like Spicer, the two Neilsons, Gresham and Johnson Poe, Mackay, Sanford, Abbott, Chamberlain, and John de Saulles. There was, during many years, a feeling of opposition to the employment of strangers for this duty, and under its influence, the General Athletic Association, in the course of the session of 1898-99, concluded that it would be expedient to substitute alumni instructors for the pro- 346 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA fessional experts from the Northern colleges who had been hitherto engaged. The rule now adopted was that a fully qualified alumnus should be placed in charge of the team; and that, if he should be found to require assist- ance, other alumni, of equal experience and efficiency, should be summoned to his side. Although the scores recorded, during the existence of this system (1898— 1900), seem to have been capable of a favorable compar- ison with those made under the preceding one, it was abandoned after 1900, and the alien coaches were again called in. Some of the most distinguished members of this class of experts in the East now took up the drill on the University ground; but in spite of their success, the former regulation of using only alumni coaches was, after the lapse of some time, reintroduced. There was a prevailing impression that no matter how skilful as trainers, or agreeable as men, these foreigners might be, it was impossible for them to enter with such spontaneous sympathy into the spirit of the University life as to feel exactly as the student felt. Naturally, their interest was restricted to the triumphs of their teams, and as long as they were in command, there was a risk of professionalism creeping in, — an insinuating poison which was so firmly to be eschewed. On the other hand, it was thought that the alumnus coach took instinc- tively a larger view of his duty and for that reason, bore always in mind the higher welfare of the University in the pursuit of the different sports. Moreover, he was more likely to fix a vigilant eye on the future, and, as the result of this deliberate foresight, to leave behind him suitable material for the team of the ensuing year. " The professional coach," it was said at the time, " comes for one year and is paid for one season to develop one team. He does not care what the next professional ATHLETICS 847 0 who comes along, — probably from some college the rival of his own, — will find for developing a team and making a reputation." Doctor Lambeth, whose opinion was, on account of his ripe experience and acknowledged ability, entitled to thoughtful consideration, preferred the alumni coach for the following reasons : ( i ) the student of the University of Virginia was just as intelligent and just as acquisitive as the student of any other seat of learning in America, and was, therefore, quite as capable of making of himself a competent trainer; (2) the game of football depended upon those definite principles of force and strategy which have been accepted as correct for many years in the past, and were not likely to change substantially for many years in the future; the method of forming and operating change, but the principles remain; and these principles were as fully inculcated in the student of the University of Virginia as in the student of Yale or Harvard, Princeton or Columbia ; and he was equally as competent in his turn to teach them; (3) under the foreign coaching system, there was no prospect at all of the player's rise to a class higher than the one in which he started, but always a chance of his falling into a lower one; the principal coach could give the University nothing that could properly be considered its own, — nothing which local pride could con- centrate itself upon and gradually perfect; he left the team as he found it, without sentiment, spirit, or confi- dence in its own exertions; (4) the alumni system was employed by every college which could show a record of success in football; it fostered harmony; it encouraged the players to be more thorough in the lecture-room; it caused more students to become players; and it put a ban on pro- fessionalism; (5) the Southern colleges that employed graduates of the University of Virginia as coaches were as 348 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA often triumphant in the competitive games as those which obtained their coaches from the Northern seats of learn- ing; this had been demonstrated at the Universities of Alabama and Mississippi, at Tulane University, and at the Blacksburg Agricultural and Polytechnic College, — to mention only a few among many. Z. N. Estes concurred in opinion with Doctor Lam- beth. " A hired coach," he said, " will usually have a set system of football beaten into him, during four years at a Northern college, which he will teach regardless of the character of the team. He does not pick out the strong- est team possible, and adapt the playing to it. He can- not observe the capabilities of each player. Besides, he is apt to offend in many ways, as he is not accustomed to our conditions and traditions. The alumni system, on the other hand, fosters traditions. It presents to us more athletes who have done great things for alma mater. The spirit of enthusiasm which alumni coaches employ in their work will stimulate zeal in their men." In spite of a solid foundation for the views which we have quoted, there was, nevertheless, some disadvantages accompanying alumni coaching which could not be put un- der foot. In the first place, the absence of a curriculum system at the University of Virginia, by placing every student, whether in his first or second, or even his sixth year, on the same platform, tended to dwarf and even to prevent entirely the growth of that feeling of reverence which the freshman has for the fellow-collegian who be- longs to a class above him. The alumni coach was crip- pled in his authority by this attitude of perfect equality, and the edge of his instructions was, to that extent, blunted in the ears of his subordinates. Moreover, it would require a series of years to pass before the novelty and rawness of the alumni coaching system could wear ATHLETICS 349 off completely. But, above all, as the enormous majority of the graduates had, after leaving the precincts, to look to their own industry for support, very few could afford to give up any of their invaluable time to the exhaustive work of preparing a team for the field. There were two supreme regulations which were en- forced by the General Athletic Association with unremit- ting strictness : ( i ) every player must be a genuine stu- dent, and not a matriculate who attended the lectures for the ostensible purpose of graduating, but with the real purpose of securing an appointment on the team; and (2) he must ask for and receive no money for his serv- ices in the field. By these two rules, the slightest taint of professionalism was made impracticable. So keen was the opposition to such a spirit creeping in that a member of the Faculty was charged with the special supervision of the University players, in order to block its introduc- tion. The record of the football scores during the ses- sions between 1898 and 1902 inclusive is exhibited in the following table. This record embraces the contests with all the schools, colleges, and universities, both Northern and Southern. Year University Opposition 1895 206 104 1896 242 88 1897.. in 54 1898 117 6° 1899 92 1900 186 37 1901 274 48 1902 157 5i During these years, there were found among the op- ponents of the University of Virginia, the Universities of Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Pennsylvania and Johns Hop- kins. The majority of the games, however, were played 350 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA with the teams of small colleges and academies situated in Virginia and other parts of the South. xvi. Athletics — Continued By the year 1896, the Faculty had become so philo- sophically reconciled to the existence of the acute interest now felt by the students in -every branch of athletic sport that they actually, on one occasion, granted to the base- ball team an extra day to enable it to play an important game. It should, however, be mentioned that, in this instance, the proceeds were to be used to swell the restora- tion fund; but not even so patriotic a motive as this would, at an earlier day, have caused that body to con- sent to the suspension of any lectures for an additional twenty-four hours. The University baseball team was now intrepidly chal- lenging the most carefully drilled teams in the entire country. Among the competitors whom it faced in the field in the course of 1897, were the players of Lafayette and Lehigh Colleges, and of the Universities of Pennsyl- vania, Yale, Princeton, and North Carolina. In April of this year, the team of Yale University was defeated by a score of thirteen to five, but that of Princeton triumphed by a score of nine to three. Previous to 1898, the University team had been trained by a coach from one of the Northern colleges, at an annual ex- pense of six hundred dollars ; but, during this year, — with the enthusiastic consent of the players themselves, — the preparation of its members was undertaken by Murray M. McGuire, and the success that followed reached the highwater mark in the history of the game at the Uni- versity of Virginia. The baseball team, during 1898, was the winner in as many as two hundred and seventeen runs, and the loser in but one hundred and four. In at ATHLETICS 351 least two games the team defeated the team of Yale Uni- versity,— once by a score of thirteen to zero, and once by a score of four to zero. Yale, in the interval, succeeded, on one occasion, by a score of five to zero. The Univer- sity team also triumphed over the Princeton team, in one instance, by a score of fourteen to ten; but, in turn, was beaten by the team of Harvard University by a score of seven to five. A more remarkable record still was established in the spring of 1899. In two games played with Yale Uni- versity, the team of the University of Virginia was vic- torious by a score, in one instance, of ten to four, and in another, of ten to three. On two occasions also, this team defeated the team of the University of Pennsylvania by a score of eighteen to three and six to four. On an- other occasion, the team of the University of Virginia won a victory over the team of the University of Prince- ton by a score of nineteen to four; but, subsequently, was beaten by a score of eighteen to six. The same fate over- took the team in a game played with the team of Har- vard University, — it was defeated by a score of nine to three; but compensation for this rout was found in a vic- tory obtained over the Cornell team by a score of four- teen to five. In the course of 1899, there were one hun- dred and seventy-six games won by the University team and one hundred and twelve lost. The record for 1900 was less brilliant in achievement. The team was defeated by its Harvard, Yale and Prince- ton competitors, and was only successful in winning one game of several played with the University of Pennsyl- vania. The total number of runs made by the team in 1900 was one hundred and fifty-five, and by the opposition only, sixty. The general proportion for the year 1901 was one hundred and sixty-nine runs, and one hun- 352 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA dred and twenty defeats ; but the contests with the great universities, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell, seemed to have ended in discomfiture. A somewhat sim- ilar upshot marked the history of the University team in 1902, — its only conspicuous victory, during that year, was achieved in a game played with the team of Prince- ton University, which, in one instance, was defeated by a score of fourteen to one, after it had, in another, won by a score of nine to eight. There was, on one occasion, a tie between the team of the University of Virginia and the team of Yale University. In one contest with Har- vard University, the score in favor of that Northern competitor was eleven to eight. The total number of runs made, during this year, was two hundred and three, to one hundred and twenty-five by the opposition. The corresponding numbers for the year 1903 were one hun- dred and fifty-five, and eighty-one. Summing up the results of the games played with the teams of the principal colleges, the record down to 1902 was approximately as follows : In eighteen with the team of Yale University, five were won by the team of the Uni- versity of Virginia; in eight with the team of Cornell University, five again; in fourteen with the team of Le- high College, seven; in fourteen with the team of Lafay- ette College, ten; in twelve with the team of the Uni- versity of North Carolina, nine; and in seven with the team of Johns Hopkins University, five. In the numer- ous games played with the team of Princeton University, the team of the University of Virginia was successful on five occasions. When it is recalled that, with the excep- tion of three only, these Universities were attended by a far larger number of students than the University of Vir- ginia, and thus possessed a wider margin within which to select the individuals of their teams, the record of the ATHLETICS 353 » champions of the Southern institution was one which could very properly be contemplated by them with an emotion of pride, and even of enthusiasm. During the year 1896, track athletics received such stinted encouragement from the students at large that the manager was, at one time, compelled to put aside all hope of a public exhibition. A like condition in this important branch of sport seems to have prevailed dur- ing several of the previous sessions, for, in the course of 1897, College Topics commented with stinging disgust " on the miserable showing for the past five years in track athletics." There was, nevertheless, carried out a public day in May, 1896, on which occasion the Faculty promptly assented to the petition for a suspension of lectures. At the meet in April of next year (1897), a series of track events took place; namely, the 100 yard dash, the 220 yard dash, the half-mile run, the mile run, the running high jump, the pole vault, putting the shot, throwing the hammer, throwing the baseball, the one mile bicycle race, and the hurdle race. The trophies delivered on this occasion were contributed by Professor W. M. Lile, while one cup was presented by Mr. Charles Maphis, and additional cups by other persons; and there were also a medal and several prizes awarded by mercantile firms of the town of Charlottesville. In spite of the elaborate efforts to bestow distinction on this particular exhibition, it was regretfully stated by persons who remembered the earlier events that the interest which the students once displayed in track athletics had now fallen away. This was not to be attributed to any discouraging attitude on the Faculty's part, — in 1897, and again in 1898, that body ordered lectures to be suspended on the occasion of the public day. In the autumn of 1902, there was an interscholastic 354 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA and field meet, in which, at the instance of the General Athletic Association, representatives of the most conspic- uous preparatory schools of the State took part as com- petitors, such as the Episcopal High School, Woodberry Forest Academy, Pantops Academy and Jones' Academy in Charlottesville. In 1903, the champions of the University of Virginia contested for the first time in track athletics with the ex- perts of other colleges. In the beginning, the University team was beaten in Baltimore by the team of Johns Hop- kins University, but was afterwards successful in a meet held on Lambeth Field, in which the University of North Carolina was the opponent. At this time, the field com- mittee of the University players was composed entirely of members selected from the Faculty. This was the first exhibition to be given within the bounds of the new field. It was admitted in 1904, that, in spite of this improved track and the increasing number of candidates for the prizes in the different events, the records made upon the primitive area of the Ficklin farm had not, in some instances, been again equalled at the University of Virginia. The session of 1904 marked the third since Lambeth Field had been in use, and yet only two points of the older teams had been surpassed. Nevertheless, it began to be noticed at this time by the lovers of that branch of sport that the interest in track athletics at the University was slowly extending to a wider circle of the students. Stimulated by this fact, an elaborate schedule was arranged by the manager for the exhibition of this year. A trainer was brought upon the ground and a large number of the young men, — having placed them- selves under his supervision and control, — assembled daily for the exercises which he prescribed. During the session of 1896—97, lessons were given in ATHLETICS 355 light gymnastics to classes which came together in the Fayerweather Gymnasium. This was in addition to the special instruction which each individual privately re- ceived,— there was marching and running, and also calis- thenics, and the wielding of the dumbbell and the Indian club. The extensive course of winter exercises was us- ually terminated in the spring with a gymnastic tourna- ment, an episode that always aroused a more vivid spirit of competition than the track public day. The large number of prizes which were offered on this occasion never failed to raise up a crowd of aspirants who were willing to devote their leisure hours to practising in view of the rewards to be won by superior skill. Professor James A. Harrison, with characteristic generosity, pre- sented at least six medals annually to successful partici- pants, three of which were given for remarkable feats on the horizontal bars and three for the like feats on the parallel. The three medals conferred by Professor Peters seem to have been restricted to agility in tumbling. A gold medal valued at fifty dollars was presented by Richard Anderson, of the firm of respected booksellers of that name so long established in business just without the precincts of the University. This medal was awarded to the " best all round " gymnast of the year. The events in the tournament for 1897 embraced the hor- izontal bars, the parallel bars, vaulting, Roman ladders, flying trapeze, flying rings, German horse, the high kick, and tumbling. So valuable had the services of Doctor Lambeth, as the director of the gymnasium, proved to be, that, in 1898, a substantial addition was made to the amount of his salary. A few years later, he was appointed associ- ate professor of the School of Hygiene and Materia Medica. 356 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Some falling off in interest in the gymnastic exercises was observed, in 1902, on the part of students who were passing through their first session; this led the director to suggest to the Faculty that physical training should be re- quired of every matriculate, and that specific credit for successful work in the gymnasium should be given in the markings for diplomas. This proposal was not favor- ably received, on the ground that it was repugnant to the spirit of the elective system as enforced at the University of Virginia ; and moreover, it was thought to be imprac- ticable to estimate accurately the real proportion which gymnastic skill should bear in the valuations for gradua- tion. In opposition to these conservative conclusions, it was pointed out that, of the one hundred and nine con- spicuous colleges of the United States, not less than sixty- four per cent, of the whole number had raised instruction in physical development to a separate department, which stood on a footing of equal dignity with the academic and professional departments; and furthermore, that at least sixty-six per cent, had made physical training indis- pensable to the acquisition of a diploma. So efficient was the gymnastic team of 1903 considered to be that one public performance was given by it, dur- ing that year, in Charlottesville, and one in Staunton. The annual tournament continued to be held, with ap- parently no decline either in individual expertness or in popular interest. In the autumn of 1903, the Tennis Association num- bered in its enrollment about one hundred members ; and it was so confident of the skill of its players at this time that it sent a team to other universities to contend for the different prizes. A series of games was arranged with the team of the University of North Carolina in the course of this year; and there was also held a tournament RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 357 on the home courts. A lacrosse team was made up, dur- ing the session of 1903-04; and so expert did its members become by practice that they ventured to send a challenge to the team of Johns Hopkins University, and also one to the team of Swarthmore College. The Golf Club em- braced a large number of members, many of whom had been drawn from the circle of the professors and the families of residents in the neighborhood. During the session of 1900—01, there was an enrolment of sixty-one; and during the session of 1902—03, of forty-five. A cricket club was organized during the session of 1897—98 ; but the game did not now acquire the popularity which it possessed at one time before the War between the States interrupted its advance in college favor. XVII. Religious Observances During the year 1895, Rev. Dr. Otts, of Alabama, of- fered to endow a lectureship in the University of Virginia, to be devoted to the perpetual defense of the truths of Christianity. The same proposal, it appears, had been made to the trustees of Davidson College. The im- portant condition was attached to the gift in each case that the two institutions should be associated in the man- agement of the double fund. The Board of Visitors, from the beginning, shrank from acceding to this condi- tion because they feared that embarrassing complications would arise in consequence of it, and they, therefore, recommended that private arrangements for utilizing the money should be entered into by those professors who approved of the lectureship. Apparently, however, it was not created even in this indirect way. During the sessions of 1896-97 and 1897-98, a course of lectures on the Bible, contemplated from a historical and literary point of view alone, were delivered at the University, with the financial assistance of persons who were specially interested in this particular subject. These lectures were countenanced by the Faculty's committee on religious services, and also favored by a similar commit- tee of the Young Men's Christian Association, because, both in spirit and in expression, they were undenomina- tional and unsectarian. The principal teacher in this valuable course was Rev. Charles A. Young. Among those outsiders of deep religious feeling who were eager to aid in establishing a permanent lectureship for systematic biblical instruction at the University, was Colonel John B. Cary, of Richmond, who had been very successful in business, and who, until his death, remained an influential factor in his church. He passed away be- fore he was able to mature his benevolent plan fully, but his earnest wishes were fruitfully carried out by his widow and children. In 1902, the amount of the Cary endow- ment approximated as large a sum as twenty-eight thou- sand dollars. The subjects of the lectures embraced the Old Testament Characters, the Acts and Epistles, the Life of Christ, and the Teachings of Christ and His Apostles. This lectureship was not originally connected with the normal work of the University, but, from the beginning, it was regarded by the authorities of the insti- tution with sympathy and approval, since all denomina- tional leanings were scrupulously avoided in its discourses. Its themes, indeed, were strictly limited to the literary and historical aspects of the English Bible, and from time to time it was filled by invited clergymen of acknowledged eminence. The last chaplain to occupy the pulpit at the University was Rev. L. C. Vass. He had been chosen to fill an unexpired term, 1896—97, but died while in the act of delivering his first sermon within the precincts. It was RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 859 always difficult to engage the services of a clergyman, should a vacancy occur after the session had begun, and this fact, in this instance, suggested that, for sometime at least, no one should be called to succeed Mr. Vass, but that, instead, his empty place should be taken from Sun- day to Sunday by representative preachers of the differ- ent evangelical denominations. The invitation to each in turn was extended by a committee composed of three students and three members of the Faculty, the students being trusted officers of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation. What was at first a temporary arrangement be- came a permanent one in the end. The first clergymen asked to conduct the services were the incumbents of the pulpits in Charlottesville. These were followed by the most famous preachers in the several Protestant denom- inations, among whom may be mentioned Bishops Whittle, Hurst, Cranberry, Randolph, Tucker, A. W. Wilson, R. H. Wilmer, and Julius Horner, and such ministers of the gospel as Rev. Dr. A. Mackay Smith, Rev. Dr. R. H. McKim, Rev. Dr. Hoge, Rev. Dr. Collins Denny, Rev. Dr. J. William Jones, and Rev. Dr. W. W. Moore. Be- tween October 4, 1896, and June 13, 1899, thirty-five clergymen of high distinction occupied in succession the pulpit at the University; during the session of 1897-98, thirty-nine; and this condition was repeated from year to year, — for instance, during the session of 1902-3, there were invited twenty-eight clergymen, and four bish- ops; and they came from parishes and dioceses as far away as New Orleans, Nashville, and New York, as well as from those much less remote. Rev. C. A. Young, to whose activities we have already made a passing reference, had, during several years in early life, been engaged in religious work among the stu- dents of the University of Missouri; had, during the 360 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA three succeeding years, served as a professor in a denom- inational college; had, afterwards, for a period of five more years, filled the pulpit of a church situated in sight of the campus of the University of Michigan; and in ad- dition to all this, had given instruction in the Bible to the students of the Universities of Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Kan- sas, and Nebraska. In short, there was hardly another minister of the gospel in the United States who possessed such a remarkable record for usefulness as a teacher and leader of young men in their religious life. His observa- tion of that class had extended, as he himself said, all the way from Michigan to Georgia, from the Atlantic coast to the far Pacific. " I have never known," he declared, in summarizing his experiences, " a more manly Chris- tianity among students than I have found under the lead- ership of the Young Men's Christian Association, of the University of Virginia. There is no show or sham in their religious pretensions." The following table for the session of 1900-01 and 1903—04 shows the proportionate number of young men at the University of Virginia affiliated with the principal denominations : 1900-01 1001-02 1003-04 Protestant Episcopal..!... 144 119 125 Presbyterian 64 60 68 Methodist 63 70 78 Baptist 45 52 60 Christian 14 16 18. Jews 10 7 5 Catholic ii ii 17 Lutheran 7 6 5 During the session of 1902-03, an assembly-room was set apart for the Young Men's Christian Association in the new academic building; and to its secretary, for cler- ical use, the dormitory on West Lawn numbered 13 was RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 361 assigned. In order to assure a fixed income for the sup- port of the religious interests of the University, Profes- sor Peters proposed, at a meeting of the Faculty in 1900, that the contingent fund of each student, — which, at this time, amounted to ten dollars annually,— should be charged with two dollars and a half for the maintenance of the chapel and chapel service, provided that he should offer no objection in writing to this diversion of his de- posit. Just one month later, Professor Barringer sug- gested that the net proceeds from the Temperance Hall leases should be used for the same general purpose. The Temperance Society had now fallen into eclipse. The Young Men's Christian Association and the Fac- ulty had united in choosing W. I. McNair to fill the posi- tion of General Secretary of the association. Mr. Mc- Nair had been in charge of the branch in Louisville, and had won unusual distinction in that office. In 1898, he was succeeded by J. M. Brodnax, who was followed, after a considerable interval, by the Rev. Hugh M. Mcllhany. Dr. Mcllhany took up, with extraordinary energy and intelligence, the important duties incident to his position. These duties still consisted of fostering a higher and bet- ter life among the members of the association by constant visits and exhortations; of assisting others beyond its bounds in becoming more faithful Christians; in holding weekly prayer meetings; in conducting Sunday school within and without the precincts; in arranging different Bible classes, and in inviting clergymen, or men of promi- nence engaged in Christian work, to address the students from time to time. The association maintained seven Bible classes — all in the University, — and four Sunday schools, three of which were situated in the country dis- tricts not far off. During many years, with the growth in the activities 362 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA of the association, the need of a large building of its own had steadily become more insistent. Various practical steps to acquire such an edifice had been suggested, but none had been seriously taken. It happened that John R. Mott, the general secretary of the World's Student Chris- tian Federation, had frequently visited the University of Virginia on religious missions, and ultimately, through the influence of Dr. Mcllhany, he became deeply inter- ested in increasing the prosperity of its religious life by securing more dignified quarters for the association. He mentioned the subject to William E. Dodge, a philan- thropical merchant of New York, and the latter was only prevented by death from donating the fund required for the erection of a suitable building. His widow gener- ously determined to carry the interrupted design of her deceased husband into effect, and with that object in view offered to give forty thousand dollars to defray the cost of construction, if an endowment fund of twenty thousand should be raised for the support, through its annual in- come, of the property. Before the end of two weeks, the students, the professors, and their friends had agreed to contribute ten thousand dollars of the desired sum. By April, 1904, the architectural plans for the edifice had been drafted and adopted, and on October 19, 1905, the structure was formally dedicated. xvill. Alumni Association With the passage of time, the General Alumni Asso- ciation,1 resting as it did on the principle of individual membership, proved to be limited in its power for useful- ness, although the authorities of the University endeav- ored, as far as they had the ability, to nourish and 1 Down to the session of 1902-03, the association was known as the Society of Alumni. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 363 strengthen it. In 1898, there were about thirty chapters widely dispersed over the eastern and southern parts of the United States. In the course of that year, Professor Raleigh C. Minor submitted a resolution at a meeting of the Faculty which was destined to bring about a beneficial change by drawing closer the bonds already existing be- tween the alumni and the University. He suggested that the chapters should be more thoroughly organized and co- ordinated. A committee was appointed at the instance of the Board of Visitors, comprising Colonel Thomas H. Carter, the proctor, Professor John Staige Davis, Jr., and Professor Raleigh C. Minor, with instructions to de- vise a scheme that would place the alumni chapters on a more practical footing, draw them more closely together, and keep them in constant touch with the institution. The new plan of government now propounded made pro- vision for the same scholarships and ordinances for each chapter, and proposed the insertion of vital new clauses into the body of the general constitution. The substance of this suggested innovation was that the local chapter, and not the individual alumnus, should be the unit, and that each meeting of the General Association should be regarded as a convention of delegates representing these scattered entities. Each chapter was to be entitled to one vote at this meeting for every five persons to be counted in its membership. A printed statement of this plan was sent to seven thousand alumni, and every answer that was received was favorable to its adoption. With this support behind it, it was called up at the annual meeting in June, 1899. A committee was then appointed to consider its terms, and to report their recommendations to the meeting in June, 1900. Having been amended, it was, on that occasion, adopted as a new constitution ; but it was not until June, S64, HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA 1902, that it seems to have gone into practical opera- tion. When the General Association assembled on the 1 7th of that month, a new president and executive com- mittee were elected, and they at once entered upon the performance of the duties of their several offices. At a meeting which took place in the following October, a for- mal charter was tentatively adopted. The aim of those who drafted it was to preserve to the limit of practicabil- ity the main features of the charter of 1873, and, at the same time, not only to throw a safeguard around the local associations by maintaining their privileges, but also to create influences that would encourage their rapid in- crease in number. In March, 1903, the Act of Assembly that granted this second charter was signed by the Gov- ernor of the State. The following was the substance of the new organic law in its final amended form: First, as to the aims of the association. These were ( i ) to advance the prosperity of the University of Virginia by acquiring endowments for its professorships, and by augmenting the number of its matriculates; (2) to cultivate a spirit of unity and good fellowship among its alumni; (3) to encourage the formation of additional associations in those communi- ties which contained a sufficient group of graduates; (4) to build an alumni hall, to establish fellowships, and to found scholarships. Secondly, as to the organization of the General Association. This was to rest on the mem- bership of the local association. In other words, the central body was to be simply a combination of the sep- arate local units. Thirdly, as to the right of representa- tion at the annual meetings. Each of the local units was to be entitled to one delegate for every knot of five active members which it contained. When the General Associa- tion should assemble annually, every member of a local ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 365 chapter present as a representative was to have the right to cast one ballot. Finally, the pecuniary assessments were to be determined only at this general meeting. The executive committee was to be composed of the president and secretary and seven other alumni selected periodic- ally, and to them was to be delegated the administration of the affairs of the General Association.1 By June, 1903, the year in which the second charter was obtained from the General Assembly, there were to be counted forty-five associations in as many widely scat- tered communities. Of this number, twenty-three were situated outside of Virginia in twelve States, extending as far south as Texas and as far north as New York. The commonwealth that contained the largest number of these local units, after Virginia, was Texas, which could claim a total of seven. Tennessee came next with three, and Alabama with two. There were two thousand, one hun- dred alumni on the roll during this year, of whom one thousand and twenty-five resided in Virginia, — the re- mainder were dispersed throughout the United States. The new coordination of the local associations, with a unified practical object in view, in place of the banquet which had formerly more or less limited their activities, soon began to disclose its beneficial influence in the in- creased interest which the alumni displayed in the work of the University. In 1903, the Baltimore chapter recom- mended that the General Association should obtain from the Legislature the right to a definite representation on the Board of Visitors in the person of some of their own members, whenever a new set should be appointed by the 1 The first president after the reorganization of the association was James B. Sener. The other officers were as follows: George W. Morris, vice-president, and John S. Patton, secretary. The executive committee comprised R. T. W. Duke, Jr., R. B. Tunstall, James P. Harrison, L. J. Hanckel, Armstead C. Gordon, and Edward Echols. 366 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Governor. This was a valuable suggestion, which, had it only been adopted, would have strengthened the Uni- versity's hold on its alumni, by extending the alumni's power to the practical management of its affairs. About this time, the General Association created a board of three trustees, who were to be responsible for the cus- tody of all funds which the association should collect as endowments, and for their disposition in strict harmony with the directions given by the donors. It had always been clearly perceived that the prosperity of the General Association was very much curtailed by the absence of an alumni hall. In June, 1903, its execu- tive committee was authorized to enter into an arrange- ment with the General Athletic Association by which the athletic club-house and the alumni hall would be consoli- dated into one building; such a combination would make it possible to obtain quarters for both bodies at an earlier day than would be practicable, should each be forced to depend upon its own separate resources. The three thou- sand dollars now in the treasury of the Alumni Associa- tion was to be reserved as a common fund for this pur- pose. This plan for a mutual building, excellent as it seemed to be, failed to be carried out. Another measure suggested, which was ultimately adopted, because indis- pensable to the welfare of the association, was the ap- pointment of a secretary, whose entire time was to be de- voted to the performance of the duties of the office. It was foreseen that the services of a competent officer could only be secured by the payment of a liberal salary, and in order to acquire the necessary sum, it was proposed that every member of the local chapters should be annually mulcted to the small extent of fifty cents. As indicating the position occupied by alumni of the University of Virginia in the political life of the nation ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 367 during the Eighth Period, 1895-1904, the following facts relating to the congressional session of 1903-04, — in no particular exceptional, — may be mentioned. In the Sen- ate, the proportion of membership belonging to several of the highest seats of learning was: the University of Virginia, six; Yale, seven; Harvard, three; and Prince- ton, nine. In the House, the proportion stood: Uni- versity of Virginia, twelve; Yale, eleven; Harvard, seven; and Princeton, five. The significance of these figures ap- pear more impressive when it is recalled that the number of students in attendance at the University of Virginia, during this year, was only six hundred in comparison with five thousand, one hundred who had matriculated at Harvard, twenty-seven hundred, at Yale, and thirteen hundred and fifty, at Princeton. Down to 1904, four alumni of the University of Vir- ginia had been members of the cabinet in Washington; one a Justice of the Supreme Court; one a Justice of the International Court of Appeals; twenty-five, members of the Senate; eighty-six, members of the House of Repre- sentatives; eighteen, governors of commonwealth; forty- eight, judges of State Supreme courts; and eight, am- bassadors or foreign ministers. In the General Conven- tion of the Protestant Episcopal church, during certain years of the Eighth Period, not less than eight bishops who were graduates of the University of Virginia occu- pied seats. In one session, 1901—2, seven candidates, educated at the same institution, were successful in meet- ing all the requirements demanded by the Examining Board of the medical department of the Federal Navy. Only one among the eight applicants from the Uni- versity of Virginia on this occasion failed. The other medical schools of the country were represented by fifty- four candidates, of whom only twelve were able to pass 368 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the ordeal. In 1902, the proportion of medical grad- uates of the University's school of medicine in the service of the United States Army Medical corps was nineteen per cent. ; of the Naval Medical corps, twenty per cent., and of the Marine Hospital, twenty-six. XIX. Relations with Public Schools Throughout the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, the male white teachers and superintendents of the public schools continued to possess the right to attend, without payment of tuition fees, the different lectures of the academic de- partment delivered during the last three months of the session. The professors were always willing to inau- gurate new and independent courses for their sole benefit. We have previously referred to the establishment by the Board of Visitors of six scholarships in this department for the benefit of the public schools of Virginia, — each to be held for a period of three years by the incumbent; each to be endowed with an annual income of two hun- dred dollars; and each to carry an exemption from the us- ual charges for matriculation and tuition alike. The manner in which these scholarships were to be bestowed was in harmony with that great principle which Jefferson was so eager to imbed in his system of public in- struction. It will be recalled that he provided for the ad- vance, from the district school to his projected university, of a definite number of young men, who had displayed conspicuous evidence of original talent and accumulated learning. Each public high school, under the similar plan adopted by the Board, was to have the privilege of bringing forward three candidates for the scholarships, all of whom must have demonstrated their capacity and knowledge by passing successfully preliminary examina- tion in Latin, mathematics, and English. The final RELATIONS WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 369 awards were to be made to those students whose papers tested by the standards of the University should indicate the greatest degree of merit. The Faculty, always ready to show their interest in the public school system of the State, and by every means in their power to increase its usefulness and prosperity, offered in January, 1898, the use of the dormitories, lec- ture-halls, and library to the School of Methods, which was to assemble in the course of the following summer. Two months afterwards they invited the superintendent and secretary of the Board of Public Instruction, — Messrs. Southall and Brent, — to visit the University with a view to conferring with the authorities there upon the best plan for establishing closer relations between that institution and the public school system. And this invi- tation was repeated in December, 1900, in the same earnest and farsighted spirit. A condition was now aris- ing that was to widen steadily with the progress of the sessions — the University's graduates were already ac- cepting the management of the large public high schools; and through the influence of men like J. P. Thomas, of Richmond, and George M. Bain, of Norfolk, — the pre- siding officers of the two most conspicuous schools of this character in the State, — the University had begun to stamp its temper and its standards on the whole public school system. By 1900, it was estimated that at least twenty-one of the county superintendents were graduates of that seat of learning; this was about one-fifth of the entire number; and by the beginning of the same year, it was also calculated that at least one-third of the super- intendents of the city schools were graduates of the same institution. When it was found that the six scholarships offered by the Board of Visitors to the public high schools had failed 370 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA to accomplish fully the purpose which that body had in view in creating them, it was wisely decided to make a more general distribution of the fund previously expended on their endowment. This now amounted annually to twelve hundred dollars. Instead of joining two hundred dollars to a single scholarship, they offered to as- sign one scholarship to every high school in the State, which they should specially designate yearly, and to support it with a fixed appropriation of fifty dollars. It was expected that this sum would relieve the incum- bent of all expenses except the bare cost of boarding. The only condition that was to be attached to the scholarship was that it should be considered to be the foremost honor open to the pupils of each school; and that it should only be conferred on the graduate who could show the highest marks. It was anticipated that, in time, the sum which the scholarship carried would be sensibly increased, and the length of time embraced in the scholarship materially extended. In 1902, there were fifteen public high schools in Virginia, each one of which could in turn hope to be awarded one of these schol- arships. The public primary schools were now rapidly growing in number, and their coordination with the high schools was steadily becoming more solid. It followed that the new close relation between the University and the high schools would signify in time an equally close relation between the University and every grade of the public school system down to the very bottom. This re- lation even now was not limited entirely to the assignment of scholarships by the Ujniversity, — it extended also to the arrangement of the studies taught in the primary schools in such manner as to lead naturally and directly to the grade of the high school, and the arrangement of studies in the high school in such manner as to lead nat- RELATIONS WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 371 urally and directly to the grade of the University of Vir- ginia. Between September, 1890, and September, 1900, the number of public high schools increased from forty-eight to seventy-three, a gain of fifty-two per cent. ; the number of secondary private schools increased from sixty-three to seventy, a gain of only twenty-three per cent. The num- ber of pupils enrolled in these secondary private schools in 1890-91 was two thousand, eight hundred and ninety- six; and in 1900-01, it was three thousand, five hundred and twenty-seven. This was a gain of only twenty-two per cent. On the other hand, the corresponding figures for the public high schools were two thousand and sixty, and four thousand, four hundred and forty-six, a gain in excess of one hundred and ten per cent. The difference in the growth of the two groups of schools indicated very clearly the importance of the public high school as a tribu- tary to the reservoir of the University of Virginia, and the practical wisdom as well as the public duty of utiliz- ing it in the cause of general education. The various methods which the Board of Visitors and the Faculty employed from decade to decade previous to 1900 to strengthen and push forward the interests of the public school system may be summarized as follows : ( i ) they offered a valuable scholarship to the most competent graduate of each standard public high school in the State; (2) they held out to the teachers and superintendents of the public schools the privilege of a course of instruction in the academic department during three months of each year, without any charge for either matriculation or tui- tion; (3) they adopted the recommendation of the State superintendent that the members of the classes in ancient languages, modern languages and mathematics, at the University should begin the study of those subjects at the 372 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA point where the graduate of the public high school had left off; (4) they threw all the weight of their influence in the scale of the bill before the General Assembly which provided for the erection of a high school in every rural district of the State; and, finally, (5) they authorized the summer School of Methods to make use of the University library, lecture-halls, and dormitories on the occasion of their sessions; subsidized these sessions with a large sum; and during their progress, assigned many of the Univer- sity's ablest professors to the duty of lecturing from day to day. How imposing has been the attendance at the meetings of this School of Methods is revealed in the history of any one of them which may be taken as an example. In June, 1902, one thousand teachers at least were present. On this occasion, one hundred names were registered in the academic department alone. In 1903, the general attendance was equally as great, while the registration in the academic department rose to two hundred and fifty individuals. Among the throng of persons present dur- ing these sessions were found teachers from every State of the South, and from many of the North and West. The aim of these summer students has been said to be " to continue the practical work of the normal school, and its academic dependent, with regular university courses of the broadest scope." There were manual training classes, besides a psychological laboratory, a basket fac- tory, a musical studio, and a typewriting establishment. The sessions were prolonged during these first years over a period of one month and a half, beginning on the 1 5th of June. "When one reflects on the condition of the rural schools in many parts of Virginia," remarks an observer who attended in 1903, " one is not surprised to find preparation often meagre, habits of application lack- FINANCES . 873 ing, and educational ideals low. It is just here that the University is exercising a silent but patent influence. No one can live six weeks among the serene arcades of Jeffer- son without drinking in some of their worth and scholar- ship. Recently, 1902, the county superintendents met in the auditorium there in convention. Happy augury for Jefferson's idea that the University should be the capstone of the public school system ! And it is through the public schools that the growth and expansion of the University in the next decades must come." As early as 1904, it was clearly recognized by Profes- sor E. Reinhold Rogers, of the Faculty, that there was already a demand for the creation of a department of education at the University of Virginia, and he earnestly recommended that courses in pedagogy should be taught there, in pursuance of the example already set by the Uni- versities of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Al- abama, Mississippi, Texas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. XX. Finances The expansion in the University's receipts as well as in its disbursements, during the Eighth Period, 1896-1904, as compared with that for the Seventh Period, 1865- 1895, is foreshadowed in the figures recorded for the ses- sion of 1896-97, — the income for that year amounted to $138,546.86, and the outlay, to $139,198.48. Of the receipts, $50,000 was derived from the State in the form of the customary annuity, and $21,490 in the form of in- terest from the following endowments, — Corcoran, Mil- ler, Linden Kent, Fayerweather, Observatory, Madison, Gordon, Brown, and Mason. About $53»95° was ob- tained in the shape of fees paid by the students. Turn- ing to the disbursements, we find that they were made to defray the current charges. The most voluminous of 374 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA these were the salaries of professors and instructors amounting to $71,500. The items in the annual budget of expenses were $5,954 paid to the officers of the Uni- versity and $2,000 paid to its employees. The outlay for the interest on the debt was $15,170, and for current re- pairs, $8,000. The strictly operative charges already reached as high a figure as $10,910. The scholarships absorbed about $1,080; the sinking fund, about $4,050; and miscellaneous calls about $4,650. The University of Virginia, in 1901, possessed the fol- lowing securities: The Corcoran Fund, $100,000; the Madison Fund, $2,600; the Gordon Fund, $5,000; the Mason Fund, $7,000; the Observatory Fund, $86,500; the Miller Fund, $100,000; the Kent Fund, $60,000; the sinking fund, $66,900; the Birely Fund, $4,500; the Byrd Library Fund, $10,000; the Paul Fund, $400.00; the Bryan Fund, $250.00; miscellaneous, $600.00. The bonded debt consisted of a mortgage for $200,000, and general obligations to the extent of $69,500. In Octo- ber, 1901, the trust funds, with legacies yet to mature, be- longing to the University, amounted to $900,000. During the session of 1897—98, the annuity received from: the State was reduced to $45,000. After the Great Fire, the General Assembly had increased the an- nual appropriation to $50,000, of which sum $10,000 was to be set aside to pay the interest on the money which the Board had been authorized to borrow for the restoration of the buildings, namely $200,000. During the session of 1899-1900, the annuity of $45,000 was raised again to $50,000. Ten thousand dollars of this amount was still to be used in defraying the charges for interest on the Restoration Fund. The remainder had been granted by the Legislature on the specific condition that all students from Virginia should still be admitted FINANCES 375 without any outlay for tuition. There was at this time no provision made for diminishing the volume of the Res- toration mortgage bonds by the establishment of a sepa- rate sinking fund, — the only reserve was credited an- nually to the sinking fund created for the gradual liquida- tion of the original debt of $69,500. This reserve fund was obtained by holding back a portion of the annuity paid by the State, the remainder of which was expended in the payment of the insurance premiums, the cost of re- pairs of buildings, the salaries of executive officers, wages of employees, and the charges for heating and lighting. It was calculated that, during the Eighth Period, 1896- 1904, the University of Virginia either kept within the State, or brought within its borders, a sum which was equal to the amount of the annuity many times duplicated. The total annual payments by students from this Com- monwealth, either directly to the University itself, or to colleges of the State in anticipation of entering its classes, did not fall below $280,000, if every branch of expenditure by them was embraced in the estimate. Tak- ing the outlay for one purpose or. another, in the course of a single year, the sum paid by the whole number of students, irrespective of the Commonwealths from which they registered, was thought to be as much as $300,000. This was six times the amount which the General Assem- bly appropriated annually to the University; and it was an amount which would have been entirely lost to the State's resources had not that institution been in existence to draw these young men to Virginia, or to hold them there, if they were natives of its soil. The daughter of the donor of the Austin bequest pos- sessed the testamentary right to dispose of the income accruing from it during her life, but she generously re- leased her claim upon $10,000 of that income in favor of 376 HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA the University, to which otherwise it would have gone only after her death had taken place. For the fiscal year ending with the session of 1901—2, the receipts of the institution amounted to $157,169.21, and the expenditures to $157,899.19. The salaries of the professors now absorbed $75,350, and those of the of- ficers, $5,850. The amount needed for the payment of interest on the debt, together with the annual additions to the sinking fund, was $21,287; for wages, $7,692; for op- erating expenses, $17,320, and for miscellaneous charges, $25,650. The State was still appropriating an annuity of fifty thousand dollars. The estimated expenses for the fiscal year ending with the session of 1903-4 were, $147,768, and the estimated income, $149,939*. THE END OF VOLUME IV PBINTED IN THE UNTTKD STATES OT AMERICA HILL REFERENCE LIBRARY ST. PAUL LD Bruce, Philip Alexander 5678 History of the University B7 of Virginia Centennial ed. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY