The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-02-13
For the Central Presbyterian
Hampden Sidney College Fifty
Years Ago.

In recent visit to Hampden Sidney,
which had been my cherished home fifty
years ago, many dear friends and in
teresting incidents of my early life were
recalled. Time passes rapidly to all of
as and with unsparing scythe not only
cuts down valued friends associated with
Us, but also obliterates much that it
would be pleasant TO the generations
following to recall. No record remains
of much that we might desire to know.
Tradition alone supplies the vacuum, and
even with this, little is known that is
trustworthy.
am anxious to do something in aid
OF preserving some of the precious mem
cries of the past, and I send this com
munication to you, one of my esteemed
pupils in those early days, as giving a
picture of Hampden Sidney as it appear
ed to me fifty gears ago.
was called to Hampden Sidney Col
lege as Professor of Mathematics in 1887
The Faculty embraced the Rev. Dr. D
L. Carroll as President, Rev J. w. Ora
per, Professor of Chemistry, &C., and
Robert G. Branch, Professor of Latin and
Greek. The college had had an honor.
able record N the past under the presi
denotes of the venerable DIR. Hoge and
Mr.. Gushing, and its alumni occupied
prominent positions among the educated
gentlemen of the State.
An unfortunate Church controversy
between the Old and New Schools of the
Presbyterian Church was at it's height,
and tended very much to diminish the
patronage of the college at the period of
my connection with it, do not propose
TO enter upon the discussion Of this
trouble. l was a member of another
church, and knew very little of the
subject, but l realized that the college
suffered much by reason of the extreme
bitterness between the two parties.
DR.. Carroll was a cultivated Christian
gentleman. And he attached me much
to him by the many kindnesses received
from him. He belonged to the New
School party, and was very bitter IN the
newspaper discussions which the con.
troversy awakened. In a kind way I
tried to check his active partieanship,
telling him his articles in the papers
would ALLEVIATE our Old School patrons
and finally suggested to him that he was
now trying to run Hampden Sidney
upon the charter of old William and
Mary College. How is that? he said
replied, that the charter OF William
aud Mary required it's President to carry
on controversy with some hereto once
in three years. He laughed heartily at the
point made, but be did not alter his
course. he resigned in June, 1888, and
was succeeded by DR.. William Maxwell
DR.. Draper was a gentleman of I'M
doubted ability. He was an English
man 10y birth, and had been educated by
the distinguished Chemist, DR.. Edward
farmer, at the University of London.
He was soon called to the University
OF New York, and rose to great eminence
as Scientist. Professor Branch was an
industrious and console ntious teacher
He bsequently took charge of Mr.
Roote 8 female school at the court house
Hampden Sidney adhered closely, in
those daye, as sinoe, to the curriculum
Of studies, and although many changes
had taken place by the Introduction of the
elective system into most Of the colleges
OF the State, Hampden Sidney lost no
reputation by insisting on a thorough
ground work in the Classics -Mathema-
tics and Logic.
Bucn Improvement had taken place in
the Mathematical course, partly by rea-
son Of better text books, and partly by
the demands for larger range Of Mathe-
NAUTICAL studies. was very young