Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-02

District of Columbia and in Baltimore. have con-
,inued to take the liveliest interest in it's well
rare. and men OF all Protestant denominations,
discovering that its management was uDsecta-
rian. have generously contributed to Its support
and extension.
Mr. CORCORANs BENEFACTIONs
1t does not need to be said in this community
that MIR. Corcoran, member of the Episcopal
church, has been the most munifcent of all its
benefactors. He gave to it the building in which
the medical department Of the University holds
Its lectures and exercises. He laid the founda-
ton Of 1.-THE Corcoran endowment" by giving to
III the Trinidad estate, and made besides to
that endowment q large gift in money He re-
Gently contributed $50. 600 towards the purchase
building is to be reared. We ought to add that
MS honOred father was one of the constituent
trustees of the college.
GERMS OF THE UNIVERSITY.
The Columbian College was university
In fact before it became q university In
name The medical department was al
most cOntemporane0us with the early
foundation of the institution. Occupying
at first a building erected by the medical faculty
at their own expense. and afterwards permitted
to occupy rooms In the old United States In
Urinary which was consumed by fire during the
late civil war while being used as a military
In its faculty some of the most eminent members
OF the medical profession OF Washington.
law department was organized in the wear
1925, William T. Carroll, late clerk of the United
States Supreme Court, and the eminent Judge
VIM. Cranch, being its first professors. Discon-
tinued soon after its establishment, because of
pecunary reverses, the law school was re-estab-
uShed in 1863 and now stands among the tore
most schools of the kind in the country, while
It counts its alumni Cmore than a thousand In
numoer) In every state and territory Of the
Union. Its present professors, Judge Cox As
sistant Attorney General Maury and Judge WIN.
Strong, offer in their names sufficient guaran-
tee tor the seundness and thoroughness of the
instructions OF the school.
The successive presidents OF the college after
Drs. StaughtOn and Chaplin. are DR.. Joel s.
Bacon, elected in 1913, resigned in 1854; Dr. JOS
e. Binney. elected 1855, resigned 1858 Dr. Geo
w. Samson, elected 1859, resigned 1871: Dr. Jas,
Z. yelling, elected 1871 and still holding the
office At the time of the election Of Dr. Well
ing ne was one Of few who had been called
from the ranks of the aity to the post of COL
lege president. Their number has since increased
in view OF the fact that so large part OF the du-
ties of college president are secular and ad-
ministrative.
CORPORATION REoRGANIZED IN 1871.
By an act of the Territorial Legislature" Of
the District, approved In the year 1871, the cor
poratiOn of the Institution was reconstructed. in
so far as relates to the mode of its appointment,
with the view Of giving greater steadiness and
continuity to its proceedings. Previously, the
board of trustees had been elected .triennially
by the contributors to the college," and this
mode OF election. especially after so MANY of
the original contributors had died. RENTED the
constitution Of the board every three wears to a
state OF uncertainty. Benefactors of the insti-
tuition could not tell in these circumstances who
might be called to administer their requests or
hnft Inv anf of iii, Il
feet was cured BY that act the governing
power OF the institution is vested in sef-per-
petuatng body Of trustees. all Of whom must
reside in the District of Columbia. and in a body
OF overseers. who may be selected from any part
OF the country. The two bodies jointly compose
the corporation. and, as now constituted, Mr.
COTcOran stands at its head.
This change in the organization of the GOV
erning body was made at the beginning of DR..
yelling presidency. Immediately on his sue
cession to the office of president he devoted
himself to four leading objects: l. A change In
the title OF the college. to guard against its per-
petual confusion with columbia College" in
New York, as also in order to make its name
correspond with the nature of it's work as a
university in the ordinary American sense of
that term .. An increase in its endowment to
provide for the enlargement of it's courses of
instruction. 3. An increase in the salaries Of
the existing corps Of professors. f. The erec-
ton OF scientific school, as an integral part of
the board of trustees, under date Of December
Is. 1877 Ga paper from which we are able to
quote because it was printed by the board that
its members might the better consider his
reflections and suggestions') he wrote as fol-
lows:
For the present, 1t is a source Of regret thae
no steps have been taken in pursuance of the
recent resolution of the corporation to raise
fund OF $3.50 600 for the permanent endowment
Of the college.
Meanwhile the college languishes for the want
OF an adequate number OF professors az also
for the want Of the educational equipment in
dispensable to an institution of the highest
class at the present day. The salary of a pro-
lessor at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Is to-day
So,OOO and residence free of rent We pay to our
professors less than this sum. As q
rival of small colleges" in the adjoining states,
the Columbian College has smaller territory
than they from which to recruit its pupils.
But as rival OF great seats of learning drawing
patronage, from near and from affair." like those
at Cambridge, New Haven, Princeton, and
Charlottesville, there is magnificent field open
to it tor successful competition and for perennial
usefulness. Until our college shall be placed
ON tlts broad and elevated basis, it must miss
the prize of its high CALLING And to reach
this broad and elevated basis we must have an
endowment somewhat approaching that of the
great colleges and universities, among which
We should aim to take rank if we wish to pre-
serve our right to be-"
THE NEW DEPARTURE FOREsHADOwED.
BY an act of Congress approved March 3,
1913, the Territorial act before mentioned
was confirmed, and the original name OF the in
stitution changed to that OF '.The Columbian
University"
Already, at that date, Mr.. Corcoran had given
notice of his generous purpose to present his
Trinidad estate to the corporation. 70 secure
this gift SlOO, 600 was subscribed in Washington.
Baltimore and In other parts of the country.
The larger part of this sum has been paid into
the treasury, and has been safely invested under
Mr. CorcOran's direction. Already, too. move
ment had been initiated for the establishment of
scientific school as part Of the university.
The plan of this school was sketched in Outline
by President Yelling, was endorsed by Prof.
Henry, and approved by the authorities Of the
institution; but soon afterwards the financial
paralysis which lately fell upon the whole land
came to put obstacles in the way Of it's reaIiza-
tton. For long and weary years the trustees and
overseers could but "stand and watt till this
cloud should be lifted. How severe the trial
was to their faith and patience can be known
only by themselves.
1t was seen from the start that this scientific
school must be located in the heart of the city.
In close proximity to the government establish
ments by which it is to profit. For here are the
Smithsonian Institution and its cabinets in nat