Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-30
OUR UNIVERSITY AS n IS.
Plans and Purposes of the Board.

Plans and Purposes of the Board.
As the present is child of the past and
parent of the future, it will be needful to go
back to the year 1850 and make q most
rapid, but instructive retrospect, in order TO
understand the present views and purposes
| of the Board. At that time the institution,
then consisting of the college only, with
| four years course, was conducted by
faculty to whom the Board guaranteed sal
aries. In years of cholers and other mis-
fortunes, when the patronage was cut
down, this brought the Board in debt. 1t
was then determined to suspend the insti-
tuition and organize only such departments
as could be manned with professors who
would risk their support upon the tuition
fees, thus making it impossible to get in
debt for current expenses.
The first department thus organized was
the medical with six professors, three OF
whom, Buchanan, Winston and Bowling had
taken up their residence in Nashville at
different times looking to the establishment
of such school; one, Watson was brought
here by its establishment, and two, Porter
and Lindsey, were of Nashville families.
The Board in conjunction with these six
men put the school upon such basis that
the ten years or sessions previous to the
civil war, foot up the following results,
without PARALLEL in the history of schools
medical cor otherwise in America or else
where. These six men took a peice of
ground almost bare, and without 3 dollar
from city or state, erected and furnished
one of the most complete medical schools
in the land, from the proceeds of their lee
ture fees and presented It TO the
public. During this ten years the number
| of students in attendance was three thou
sand one hundred aud ninety-nine (3,199).
OF these Tennessee furnished one thousand
seven hundred and ninety five q, 1850.
This one department of the University
thus saving to the State, at low estimate,
eight hundred and eighty-seven thousand
five hundred dollars (S8S7, 5000, which, but
| for its work, would have been carried from
Tennessee to Kentucky, Pennsylvania and
| other States. From other States there were
one thousand four hundred and four pupils
| Q,404), bringing into Tennessee from
Georgia, Alabama and other States seven
hundred and two thousand dollars ($702,-
| O00) or more. Thus, Nashville as the site
| of the school had the benefit in that decade
| of the expenditure of one million five hum
dred and eighty-nine thousand five hun
dred dollars Isl, 589, 500).
The next school opened was the Military
College, with three years. preparatory
and a four years. collegiate course, in 1856.
1t had five sessions, or years, when the war
came and transposed it's professors and Ca
diets to the battle field. During this period
| the number OF students from Tennessee
| was Just four hundred, and from other
States four hundred and eghty-six. The
amount expended in Nashville was not less
than five hundred thousand dollars. The
number from Tennessee was cut down by
| the fact that no State then had a greater
multiplicity of colleges, and that the public
schools of Nashville, in whose Board of Ed
ucation was the Chancellor, two trustees
and graduate of the University, were SO
well conducted as to retain in their class
rooms many boys who otherwise would
have been in the College.
The work of the Board during the dis
astrous revolutionary years, while its spa
cious buildings and grounds accommodated
great military hospitals, was one of faithful
watching and careful preservation, alike
honorable to its officials and 10 the various
army officers in charge. As rapidly as the
bankrupt condition of Tennessee, in whose
bonds all the endowment of the institution
| Was lAfColOOf pOA ohO val hOAS
schools have been set agOing. The Medical
indeed never gave up the ghost, and has
been educating the profession of Tennessee
steadily and faithfully in war and peace. In
| 1867 the Montgomery Bell Academy was
organized with six years. course, special
reference being had to the wants of the
county. In 1870, the College with four
years course was opened under the present
Faculty.
The Board propose to add school after
school, just as rapidly as suitable men can
be found, who will cult vate the field upon
the same terms as do the faculties now at
work, or as liberal men like Montgomery
Bell may endow them. While they have
sold, and may sell, grounds to put up
needed buildings, they will run no risk oil
doing so for paying salaries.
The Board have always appealed to the
citizens of Nashville, which reaps such sub
stantial benefits as the site of the Universe.
ty, for help, when in their opinion the ex
igencies Of the institution requh ed them to
do so. Perhaps, however, not so often as
might have been done. The last appeal was
in 1855, when Gen. r. c. Foster obtained
some fifteen thousand dollars for erecting
the barracks or students home. This Ia
mented public spirited man undertook a
similar work in 1870. Iii health delayed
him, and bis death has made it necessary tC
supply his place. The Board did this in
June last by giving its President, in con-
junction with Gen. E. Kirby Smith, Chan.
cellor, full power to employ agents, and
to bring the wants of the University not
only before the people of Nashville but be-
fore the people Of all Tennessee. Harvard,
Yale,an Princeton have been beggars from
their founding, and are more so this dsy
than ever. Boston, New York, and Phila
delphia make it their pride never to turn a
deaf ear TO these appeals, as do half ore
of States in their vicinage. Let our people
copy these examples, and like great results
| will fOlI0w