The Louisiana Democrat., 1866-06-20
The State Seminary.

| y
j The old Board of Supervisors Of thu
State Seminary of Learning and Military
Academy met on the 18th inst. for the pur
pose Of winding up its business preparator,
to the Inauguration Of the new Board recent
| ly appointed by the Governor under the lats
act Of the last session of the General As
sembly. The meeting lasted two days ant
was an exceedingly interesting and impor
tant one. In view of the aourishing con
dition of the Institution, and the prospec
tive increase in the number of students
the Faculty was considerably enlarged
and provision made, financially and other
wise, for the large number of young mer
1 who are expected to be in attendance al
the commencement Of the next session.
The new appointees are men Of the highest
order of intellect, of vast learning, Of IRE
proachable character, and conscientiously
devoted to the instruction of the rising
generation. Dr., James w. Wilson, who
has recently acted as Surgeon, was in adj
dition chosen professor Of Anatomy, Physi.
ology and Hygiene, the Board deeming q
general knowledge Of these subjects indis
pensableI in a liberal education. The crea
tion of such chair which now exists in
most of the Northern colleges, was strong
~ urged by the learned DR.. Draper, of New
York, in a letter to a member Of the Board
The occupant is eminently fitted for the
duties assigned to him., He is native o1
Virginia, and was for fifteen years sue
cessfnl practitioner of medicine in the city
of st. Louis. Driven South early in the
war on account of his Southern sentiments
he has refused to return to his former
home, where public opinion is now directed
by Radicals, and has located permanently
in Rapides, to whose society he will prove
a valuable acquisition. The many friends
of the lamented Governor Allen will be
pleased to learn that the new professor is
a near relative of his.
DR., John R. Page, of Virginia, was elect.
ed Professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy and
Geology. He was recommended for The
position in the highest terms by some OF
the first scientific men in the country. He
is an alumnus Of the University of Virginia,
and studied his profession several years in
Paris. He was q Surgeon in General Lees
army and ranks among the leading medi-
cal men in his native State.
Mr. James NJ Boyd was chosen Assistant
Professor Of Ancient Languages and Eng
lish Literature. He graduated at Wash
ington College, Virginia, now presided
over by General Lee, and subsequently
took the degree of A. NJ, with high dis
tinction, at the University of Virginia.
During the war he was an ordnance officer
in the Confederate army, and is now Prin-
cipal Of an Academy of high grade in Ten
nessee.
DR.. Robert E. Rives was elected Assis-
tant Professor of Modern Languages DR..
Rives is a nephew Of Hon. VIM O. Rives,
and graduated A. NJ. with eclat at the
University of Virginia at a very early age.
Having lived for many years in the same
family with his distinguished brother-in-
law, Professor Schele De We're, he has been
accustomed to speak the leading Modern
languages from his childhood. A physical
infrmity preventing his entering the
army, he went to Europe early in the war,
and has pursued his studies on the CONT
nent for the last five years, graduating Ph.
D. at one of the leading German Universi-
ties. A better selection could not possibly
have been made. By resolution of the
Board the Superintendent is authorised to
assign to any other duties, such Professors
as may not have sufficient labors to per
form in their own departments. This is a
very good arrangement, as it equalises the
labor to be performed, and will call forth
the energies Of all the Professors, many of
whom are qualified to fill every chair in
the Institution. @ &
We.will undertake to say that the Aca-
demic Board, as now constituted, is not ex-
celled in ability by any other Faculty OF
the same size on the continent. With
such an institution, holding forth such in
ducements, we cannot see why parents
should send their children abroad for edu-
cation. We shall, therefore, expect to see
the Institution crowded to its utmost ca
pacity the coming session. It's friends
have no reason to complain of its success
during the past session. There were one
hundred aud eight matriculates very few
of whom were State cadets--one half ais
many as at the University Of Virginia. the
leading institution in the South. And
these yonng men have all distinguished
themselves by the zeal and industry with
which they have applied themselves to
the prosecution of their studies None Of
those disorders, which were formerly SO
common in Southern institutions, have
disturbed the harmony Of the Seminary
during the past session. The stern school
of adversely has not been without it's ben
efts on the young, as we'll as on the old.
The present session closes on the 30tf
inst, and the next commences on the first
Monday in September next There viii
be an examination the last week of the
session, hat we understand that the public
exhibition, address and ball will be omit
ted on account of the condition of affairs
in the Parish, incident to the late disas
trous overflow. M
We subioin list Of the present officer.
of the Seminary:
1 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS,