Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-27
EDUCATIONAL.
Our Grand Old University as IL is
Personal of the Professors.

own citizens but OF the country at large, ha,
been directed to the great advantages offer
ed by Nashville as an educational centre
by reason of the munifcent donation OF ;
New York merchant prince, and the small
er gifts OF q numerous and wealthy church
throughout fifteen States, for the establish
ment of great church University, repre-
sentative of this paper took occasion TO visit
and inspect the class rooms and halls of The
venerable institution 10 which our city is
mainly indebted for that intellectual prem
eminence to which she is inevitably destin.
ed to attain.
A single well equipped university gives
distinction to town or city. Nashville is
already the seat Of three, one of which has
long enjoyed prominent position in pub
lie favor, while each of the others, firmly
founded aud strongly backed, will, beyond
| question, expand, develop and accomplish
a separate and distinct portion of the wide
domain of education; each will add vastly
to the renOwn and prosperity of our grow
ing city, and all should be cherished by city
and citizens as our bright and peculiar jew
els.
Upon the occasion Of bis visit, our repre-
| sentative was shown through the entire iu-
stitution, visiting the school rooms during
the recitation of lessons. The various
buildings have been erected with a view to
| additions in the future, those already erect
| ed being Of the most Substantial character.
The rooms in the dormitory are conven-
iently arranged and are all well ventilated.
They boast of no extra furniture, but that
they are provided with is of the most sub
stantial and useful character. From the
upper stories of this building magnificent
view Of the surrounding country can be had.
We come DOW to the personnel of the IN
dergrsduate faculty:
Russell Il. Marling, assistant in the gram
mar school, is son of the late Hon. John
L. Marling, an honored and beloved mem
Der Of the editorial corps of Nashville, whose
many admirers and friends viii be gratifed
to learn that his son has commenced his
professional career in so useful and bo1ora-
bio post.
S. NJ. d. Clark is native of Louisiana;
graduated at Kenyon College, class Of 81,
and two years soldier in the Confederate
army. He was taken from bank in this
city to occupy a position as teacher because
Of demonstrated abi6ty as q teacher In the
Sunday school of Christ Church.
A. D. Wharton, the Professor of Mathe-
mates and head of the Grammar School, is
the son of the late well known divine and
physician, DIR. W. II. Wharton, whose life
and labors are embalmed in the hearts of a
numerous church. Prof. Wharton gradu-
ted in the United States Naval Academy in
1850, and in 1861 resigned his position in the
navy to take that of prisoler of war for six
moths, being confined in the Federal
prisons at Forts Lafayette and Warren.
| Upon being exchanged, he entered the Con-
federate service, where be remained until
the close of the war, being in command of
the iron-clad "Richmond" in the winter of
1864. 65.
VIM. A. Obenchain, Commandant CT
Cadets, is graduate of the Virginia Mill
tsry Institute, class of 81, and went at once
into the engineer corrs of the Confederate
army, and in '64 was appointed captain of
engineers on the staff of Gen. Robt. E.
Lee. He was in charge in the construction
of the defences between the New Market
aud Williamsburg roads, and won distinc-
tian by his services in Virginia. He was
in Gen. Smiths corps of teachers at New
castle, and for varied information and sue
cess in impartiDg general knowledge, has
but few equals.
]. A. Cunningham, Professor of Latin,
is University of Virginia man, with the
thorough and exact scholarship for which
that institution is so justly famous. So also
is r. II. Willis, Professor of Greek, one of
the junior members of the Faculty.
J. W. Yeatman, the promising young
chemist, is a member of one of the oldest
and best known banking and mercantile
families in the State. He was trained at
Yale College and the University Of Toronto,
and taught with entire success in our city
schools Tor several years before undertaking
his present work.
This we'll disciplined ard thoroughly
tested professional corps is headed by Gen.
Bushrod r. johnson, as President of the
Faculty. The General was brought here
in 1855 by the Board of Trustees, when
the Western Military Institute was merged
into the collegiate department of the Uni
Versity. He graduated at West Point,
served in the Mexican war, and as discip
linarian, had won high reputation in con
nection with the distinguished Thornton
Johnson's educational enterprises. The
solid and paying success of the Military
College here from 1855 to 1861 was largely
owing to lis eXertions as Superintendent.
From 1861 to 1865 he was conspicuous, re-
markably so, upon many Of the most holly
contested fields of battle; at one time
prisoner, at another desperately wounded,
he had the good fortune to return to Nash
vile, his chosen home, where he resumed
his position in the University when the Col
lege was reopened, in 1870.
Gen. E. Kirby Smith, Chancellor Of the
University, and ex-officio head of each Fa-
Guilty, as military character, enjoys world
wide reputation. In the Mexican, Indian
and Confederate wars, bis qualities of dash
and courage won him early and enduring
note. We have now to look at him in the
quiet and retired classroom, hid from pub
lie gsze, and of his own choice devotiDg
himself to the selfdeDying and laborious
work of ditfusiDg knowledge. For, though
his position is that of chief executive officer
of the University, be gives much of bis
time to doing the work of Professor of
Natural Sciences. At West Point, from the
great naturalist Bailey, both while stu
dent, and as q member of the teaching
corps, he imbibed an enthusiasm for nature
which has never relinquisbed its hold.
Upon the Mexican frontiers for years The
study of Botany, Geology ard the allied
sciences filed his spare time and supplied
the Ia, K of polished society, thus giving him
LOO pIaCllCdl huOWtCOSC oO AhdIopCbooOAC W
every teacher of science. For years
he has, as occasion offered, discharged the |
humble but sacred office of Lay-reader IL
the Protestant Episcopal chu-ch.
From the above rapid sketch it is evident
that the trustees of the Nashville Universe |
ty have we'll discharged their duty in Sc
Letting teachers. The fact that so large
corps Of pupils has been gathered together |
in so brief period, proves that the public |
is wide awake to the advantages here Of
fered, for it must always be remembered |
that colleges are numerous, and many pa
rents are poor, and therefore compelled TO |
count the cost of educating their children.
AN ingenious and painstaking person,
with a well-deyeloped taste for figures, has,
from authentic records, computed the ag-
gregate of the sums which have fallen to
American heirs from English estatess The
tOt al fOOta nm the sDuO ann Of 1920 000 000