The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-03

SKetcn OF tne Administrator OF ErBKlne
College, From 1871 to 1889, Under the
Presidency of Rev. william NJ. Grier,
D. D., Which was Read by Professor
william Hood, in Lindsay Hall, at the
Semi Centennial Commencement, We'd
nesday Afternoon, June &c. 1889.
When the Associate Reformed Synod OF the
South assembled at Long Cane, Abbeville
county, S. c.. In September, 1871, that portion
South Carolina especially, was still in the
agony of tears apd bitter sorrows incident to
tic horrible results of the intestine strife by
which the land had >Seen so recently over
whelmed. $685..
Every branch of our ndustry was still pros
trated and paraliZed. Graves still fresh were
everywhere, filled with young men, and old
men, whose lives had been sacrificed on the
altar of their country for principles deurer to
them than even life ITSELF
For five years, then scarcely passed, every
walk of lie had been searched for recruit TO
be sent to the front. College students OF ten
der years and boyish frames, often with their
professors as their captains, had exchanged
their books and desks for the sword. All
ranks. al. ,rofessions, had been fearfully thin
ned. Even the ministers OF the gospel Of
peace and good will TO men, whose great fight
heretofore had been against the world and
the "Prince OF the power OF the air" had felt
1t TO be their duty 10 lay aside for time
their priestly robes and put on the armNr Of
another warfare, and they too had been thin
ned down until the pulpits and the schools of
In addition to these and OTHER un ed and
almost incon ceivable trials and embarrass-
ments. when the Synod Of 1871, convened, IT
was announced that the Great Reaper was
| still in the field. and his sickle keen for its
| work-the white horse and his rider were yet
abroad in the land-and that to Rev. r. G.
| Grer, d. D., President Of Ersklue College the
March of that year. this noble and useful ser.
want of tho Church and this College, had laid
aside the armor of life, and gone TO his re-
ward.
Although at that time, it was sore strain
on the already far spent strength OF the
| Church to remove any one from his pulpit,
much more one Of her strongest men, yet the
interests of the College required that this, the
highest position in the gift Of Synod, must be
Another element OF embarrassment ut that
time was, that the temporary plan OF support
| ing the College, known as the Five Year En-
dowment, was about expiring.
She would then be left without permanent
| funds, except remnant OF about thirteen
thousand dollars that had been saved, out OF
the general wreck OF the war, from her former
somewhat comfortable endowment.
| II was, therefore, felt that another fuller en-
dowment had become n necessity, if'the Col
lege was TO be continued. To sustain 1t under
these adverse conditions, it was also felt that
nothing less than one OF the strongest and
most popular men must be placed ut the head
| OF the Institution.
In the meantime. the choice must be SO
made that no strength will be wasted by
alterations, and no bond weakened by lndl-
vidual preferences.
The main patronage and pccuninry support
must come from people greatly scattered,
and much reduced in property, as we'll as
otherwise embarrassed by the general gloom
and almost hopeless condition of the South
ern States over all OF which the few thousand
immediate friends of the College had their
| homes.
Would it be assuming too much, even If we
did not know IL To be Il fact, to say that the
tanxious question went, by letter and by word,
throughout all the bounds of Synod, "Who
shall The successor be: Who is sufficient
| for these thngs?" Rev. VIM. NJ. Grier, the
son OF the deceased president, was then pas
tor ofthe tiourlshing congregation ofAllenton,
Ala, over which he had been Installed only
few years before He had left his studies and
| Joined the army in 1861. He bore the marks
! Of good soldier. He had lost n leg in the
battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1867 He had
| dies and was licensed April 1866, and INSTALL
ed as pastor Of the Attention congregation
August. 1867. fine scholar. popular orator,
pOrtly in person, familiar with College gov
ernnient from his youth, faithful in all the
relations in which he had been tried, well
known 10 the members OF Synod, rs well as
| to Il large number OF the laymen, with q
soundness of Judgment oltener admired than
met, and with an experience varied and Sc
| we're for one so young, none were better quail.
| fled to fill the vacancy and lrudently and
successfully handle the interests of the Col,
| lege than he OH whose shoulders 1t was hoped
and believed the mantle OF the father had
fallen. He was therefore unanimously elect
ed to the delicate and responsible position OF
| President of Erskine College-to succeed his
father In the chair of Mental and Moral Phil
oSophy.
Being assured by the members of the Facul-
| ty that he would be cordially received as an
officer of the College, and receive their full
support and cooperation In all that apper-
taincd to its welfare, he accepted the posi-
! ton, resigned his Attention charge, and at
once prepared to enter upon the work TO
in the College in November, 1871.
THE FACULTY IN NOVEMBER, 1871.
The Faculty as constituted at that time,
with the President elect, was as follows, NAM
ed in the order OF their election 10 their re-
Spectye chairs:
| Rev. J. n. Young, Professor of Mathematics.
Rev. JAS. +. Pressly, ID. d., Professor of
Greek.
WIN. Hood, Professor of Chemistry and
VIM. 5. Lowry, Professor of Latin.
! Rev. VIM. NJ. Grier, ID. d., Professor OF Nor
al and Mental Science.
THE NEW ENDOWMENT.
The same Synod that elected DR.. Grier, Pres
sident, resolved TO begin at once the new en-
dowment of the College: This was vital
question TO the future OF the institution.
AS has u already been stated, the temporary
| plan adopted in 1867, for supporting the COL
iege for five years by private subscriptions,
and the sale OF tuition certificates o short
term, was about to expire. Although her
doors had been open 10 students from the
| close OF the war;. we were nevertheless.
"AmidsL our own ruins, bcrcft of fortunes
and estates, with nothing remaining to us but
Il good name and Il public character, unsullicd
and untarnshed."
| 1t was dcLermind that the amount of the
endowment should be one hundred LhnuSPnd
| dollars. Agents were appointed and sent
out, and. with prOmptncSS seldom rquHlcd
even under normal conditions of wealth Gnd
prosperity, and probably never before in II
| country uS greatly Impoverished. as ours then
was did the people respond to this call.
| Involving such personal sacrifice as it did.
| IL was Il most hearty endorsement OF Synod'S s
resolution, and q magnificent demonstration
| Of confidence in the administration then as
suming control, and of faith in the perpet-
uity and future growth Of the College. Twice
was the President sent out to canvas sections
of the church on behalf of this work. On his
return he not only never failed to report an
encouraging increase to the endowment, but,
| by his contact with the people, remote from
| the College, he inspirci desire among the
young for collegiate cducaflon, and no doubt
| there are some present to- day, and partlcipat-
| Ing in this celebration, who rejoice that they
or their friends met The President on these
tours and heard the advantages of Il cullcgi-
ate education discussed, and the possibility OF
| It's attainment demonstrated.
L Nl.l .N.,,, - oil nal An fAC