The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-18
COLBY UNIVERSITY.
President Pepper Resigns and Pro-
lessor A. W. Small Succeeds Him.
Professor Smaller Mathews Elected
to the Chair of History.

to the Chair of History.
The board OF trustees of Colby University
held meeting in this city yesterday after
noon. 1t was an adjourned meeting called 10
settle an important question brought up al
the meeting in Wateryille at commencement
time. At that time, to the great surprise OF
the board, Dr. G. d. Il. Pepper, president OF
the University, rendered his resignation. To
some very intimate friends he had disclosed
about a year ago his purpose to resign, but
at that time he was dissuaded. When the
announcement came at commencement 1t
was surprise to most of the trustees and by
unanimous vote they earnestly requested
him to withdraw it. The matter was not
made public In the hope that no further ac-
tion would be necessary. The board APP
pointed committee o confer with him, and
adjourned to meet in this city yesterday.
There has always been the utmost harmony
between the president and the board and
they were very unwilling to sever their rela-
tions. President Pepper has been at the
head Of Colby since 1882 he had previously
been professor of church history at Newton
Theological Institution. and for IA years
professor Of theology at Grocer Theological
Seminary, Upland, Penn. During DIR. Pep
per's administration the college has pros
pered and grown The funds have been
largely increased, and changes have been
made in the course of instruction, tending 10
broaden its scope and add to its usefulness.
The matter of physical training has re-
| aaiva6 a. frha hoe
been developed, the progress made at He
bron and Houlton being especially marked.
But Dr.. Pepper felt that his strength
would not allow him to continue in the posi-
ton, aud that the work would 20 ON better
in other hands, and insisted ilp1l his resig
nation.
When it was found that DIR. Pepper must
probably be given up there was sponta-
neous opiuion among the members of the
board, and without consultation with one
another, as to his successor They agreed
upon the gentleman whom DR.. Pepper had
in mind, before they knew his views, as
when his resignation was presented, his
reasons for it were not given.
At the meeting yesterday these views
took form by the election of Professor AL
bion w. Small, PHI. D.. to succeed DIR. Pep
per. The election was unanimous, absent
members expressing their views by letter.
The trustees also elected Assistant Profess
sor Smaller Mathews to the chair Of history
and political economy left vacant by Profess
sor SmalPs promotion. They also voted to
grant Professor Mathews years leave from
1890 to 1891 to study in Germany. Professor
Mathews is a native of Portland and a grad
uate of Colby in the class OF 1884. His con-
spieuous brilliancy as scholar, both in col
lege and at Newton Theological Seminary
recommended him to position as assistant
| professor of rhetoric at Colby, which he has
| filed so satisfactorily as to earn this promo
| ton.
PRESIDENT sMALL's WORK.
Albion Woodbury. Small, Ph.D., was born
at BuckfeId. Me-, May IL, 1854. and is ac-
| cordingly 50 years OF age. He is the young
est president that Colby ever had. At the
time OF his birth his father. Rev. A. X. p.
Small, DID,, new pastor of the First Baptist
church in this city, was settled over the Bap-
| fist church in Buckfield, but afterwards
preached in Bangor. and in 1868 came to
Portland as pastor of the Free STREET Baptist
church.
From 1868 to 1872 the young man, who was
yesterday afternoon chosen president of
| Colby University, was member of the
Portland High School, graduating as one Of
the medal scholars. He graduated from
| Colby in the class of '76, and FROM Newton
Theological Institution in 70.
| Directly after his graduation from Newton
Mr.. Small went to Germany for the purpose
of deyoting himself to the study Of history
and philosophy. From. 1879 to 1880 he was
at the University Of Berlin, and from 1880 t
1881 at the University Of Leipsic. At these
two leading German institutions of learning
he had the advantage of constant attend
ance on the lectures on history and philos
ophy rs .tsl.gte ws ptsr fcoins
In 1881, while he was at the University Of
Leipsic, he received news of his election a.
professor Of history at Colby University. III
decided to accept this responsible position
| longer. r As rs;
During the last two months of his stay ii
Europe lie devoted himself to the study O.
authorities on early English history in thu
In Europe he spent his vacations travelling
through Germany, France. Italy,. Scotland
and England, going as far east as Greece ant
visiting Athens.
In The fall of 1881 Professor Small begar
his work at Colby in the chair of history. HI
at once gained the respect.and regard OF the
studentsIunder his tuition. and was eminentl,
successful in the class room from. the very
outset. He was then the youngest professor
at Colby, but his originality and energy
brought him Immediately into the front rank
Outside the college he attracted attention
being constantly engaged in preaching and
lecturing. No man of his age in the Baptis
denomination has occupied SO prominent 6
a place In the estimation of the public al
large as Professor Small, since he became
connected with Colby as a teacher in 1881. =
Prof Small was not able to stay in Germa.
ny long enough to finish his course of study
and receive the degree of Doctor of Philoso
ply, as he had intended, being called away
terville. One year ago he obtained leave OF
absence from Colby, and went to Johns
| Hopkins University in Baltimore. Since
| that he has been Working in the lines of his.
tory and sociology. During the year he has
| Instructed class, composed partly Of col
lege graduates and partly Of undergraduates
| of Johns Hopkins, in English and American
constitutional history. He preached fully
one-third of the Sundays in Baltimore and
Washington, and delivered several lectures
ginning OF the State sovereignty controversy
| subject to which he was giving special at
tention. At the last commencement of Johns
Hopkins he received the degree of Doctor of
| Philosophy, which he had well earned.
Several days ago Professor Small read A
paper on the Dynamics of Social Progress
before the American Institute of Instruction
at Bethlehem, N. H., which has attracted
much attention of prominent educators al
| over the country.
| Professor Small has several times declined
calls to the pastorate of leading Baptist
churches In New England. He is deep and
| original thinker and has an earnest, straight.
forward and powerful diction, which never
falls to command the attention of his listen.
| ers.
In the future President Small proposes To
devote himself to the study of sociology. He
will occupy the chair of Babcock Professor
Of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, which
bis. previous training and line of study has
| well fitted him to enter upon, President
Small has been member of the Maine His
| torical Society since 1881.
| lIntr,so Cfaas,, 4 ...--L