Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-26
THE GREAT UNIVERSITY.
Nashville's Interest i'm the Ceremonies
Of Next Tuesday.
Appropriate. Action of the Board Of
Trade.


For several years it had been considered
highly important and necessary that CELL
tral educational institution should be estab-
lished for the Southwestern portion o. the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In
the older Conferences there were the
Randolph-Macon College, in Virginia.
Trinity, IN North Carolina, the Waiford,
in South Carolina, the Emory, of Georgia,
the Southern University at Greensboro,
Ala, and the Centenary College, of Louis
lana. Texas also had college and Mis-
souri, had one. Lying within this rim
were six or eight Conferences, representing
100000 members, In a thickly populated
section, With no church educational
institution. The old Lagrange College
had died out, the Florence, Ala, institu-
ton had been converted into State Nor
NAL school, and the college at Trenton, in
West Tennessee, after doing good work
for some years, had fallen off for lack of
patronage
The Methodists Of the Southwest seemed
to be waiting to concentrate at some point,
and there was general opinion that Nash
vile would be, that point, the six or. eight
conferences referred to expected to indem-
Nifty themselves for the delay in Cst5blisl,-
ing their educational institution by build
ing up larger college than any existing in
the older conferences, as there would be no
conflicting local interest. The question of
uniting Eastern colleges had been tested
and had been found to be impracticable.
About three years ago, at a conference
held at Lebanon, in this State, initial steps
were taken to invite the six or eight con
ferenees mentioned to send delegates to
Memphis to take measures looking to the
establishment of this college. The dele
gates were appointed and met in Memphis,
in January 1872, and these delegates re-
solved on the following outline:
]. A large combination must he realized
in order to build up such an institution as
was desired.
2 The conditions were favorable for
such combination.
3. That they would inaugurate an insti-
tuition for university Notwithstanding
by that with five colleges or departments:
One for theology, one for letters and
science, one for law. one for. medicine, and
a normal college, or school to prepare
teachers for the various schools Of the
country, .
In order to avoid dissentions as to the
question of location, it was resolved that
all .....-
THE BISHOPS OF THE CtIUfsCH
sholld be invited to make a selection of a
site. 1t was resolved that a million of dol
lars was necessary to accomplish the object
and that none of the departments would be
opened until $4,000 had been secured.
The chief advantage proposed in this
university lay in the co-education of the
ministry and laity. The Methodist's hold
that the Presbyterian and Episcopalian
plan Of educating ministry, gave a sort Of
mOnastic tinge to their educa-
ton, as they get out of sympathy
with the people. The Methodists are
pre-eninently a practical people, ami
will not consent to educate their ministers
so as to put them out of sympathy with the
masses. Hence, co-education is the corner
principle. The young men studying for
the ministry may wish to attend lectures
on science, or languages, for instance, and
he has nothing TO do but to 60 over and
hear the professors in that department; or
a young man studying Mathematics may
wish to hear course Of lectuers on the
evidences of christianity.
The moral effect of this system the
Methodists consider very desirable They
do not intend to have "eut and dried"
preachers, as they strongly object to setting
their preacher away off the material upon
which he is 10 work.
The action OF this convention at Mem
phis having been ratified by the annual con
ference, it was decided to call the institu-
tion the"Central University" In the mean
time, board of trustees had been appoint
ed and a charter secured. In January,
1913, these trustees appointed agents to
canvass the field. Two months afterward,
a munificent donation of 100000 was re-
ceived from Cornelius Vanderbilt, of New
York.
The circumstances under which this do
nation was made by Mr. Vanderbilt are
somewhat peculiar. Mrs. Vanderbilt is a
SOutherner and is related to the wife of
Bishop McTyeire. The Bishop was visit
ing him in March, 1873, and after some in
quiries concerning Nashville and the South |
en Conference, Mr.. Vanderbilt said to the |
Bishop that he had determined to aid in |
the erection of the Central University by |
donation OF S500,0O0, presenting at the saiiie |
time the following document:
NEW YORK, March II, 1ST1.-To Bishop |
H. n. McTyeire, of Nashville:-I make the |
following Offsr, through you, to the corpora |
ton known as the Central University of |
the NJ. f. Church, South.
1. | authorize you to procure suitable |
grounds, not less than from twenty to fifty |
acres, properly located, for the erection of |
the following works.
?. To erect thereon suitable buildings |
for the use of the University.
3. You to procure plans and specifca- |
tiOns for such buildings, and submit them |
TO me, and when approyedj the money for |
the foregoing objects TO be furnished by me |
rs it is needed.
4. The sum included in the foregoing |
items, together with the endowment fund, |
and the library fund; shall not be, less, in
the aggregate than $4,000; and these last /
two funds shall be furnished the corporation
so soon as the buildings for the University
are completed and ready to be used.
The foregoing being subject to the fol-
lowing
CONDITIONS:
1. That you accept the Presidency of the
Board Of Trust, receiving therefore a salary
of $1,000 per annum and the use of dwell
ling house, free of rent, on or near the
University grounds.
.. Upon your death or resignation. the
Board Of Trust shall elect President.
3. To check hasty or injudiciotls apprU-
priationS, or measures, the President shall
have authority whenever he objects toany act
Of the Board, to signify his objections in
writing, within ten days after its enact
ment, and no such act is to be valid unless
upon reconsideration, it be passed by a
vote of the Board.
4. The amount set apart by me as an EN-
dowment fund shall be forever invisible,
and shall be kept safely invested and in
terest or revenue only used in carrying on
the University. The form of investment
which prefer, and in which reserve the
privilege to give the money for the said
fund, is in seven per cent first mortgage
bonds of the New FORK Central and Hud-
son River Railroad Company, to be regis
tered IN the name of the corporation, and |
to be transferable only upon a special vote
of the Board of Trust. --.-
5. The University is to be located in or |
near Nashville, Tennessee.
Respectfully submitted,
G. VANDERBILT.
The Board of Trustees at their first meet
ing after the tender of this donation accep-
ted 1t and resolved to change the name of the |
institution from the "Central" to the cyan
derbilt University" although Mr.. Wander
! ~ -. Il.