The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-06-30

! Stltutlonal government had been organ
lied here, and when the independence
OF this Kingdom had been recognized by
foreign powers, that steps should be
taken for our becoming more independ-
ent of other countries in education as
well as in other respects, and that this
! institution, which had been founded as a
private school, should then be placed on
broader and more permanent basis as
a national college.
Moved by such considerations as these,
eight years after the founding of the
school, its Trustees applied to the Gov
eminent for charter, which, as we have
stated, was granted in 1S49.
In anticipation, however, OF the future
growth of the country, new and en-
larged charter was applied for and
| granted May 23d, 1858, under the title
OF " Oahu College" with thirteen Trust
ees, including the President. 1t was a
year OF great expectations, which are
not yet fully realized; and it was the
hope OF the Trustees to furnish here a
full college course, so that our young
people might be able to obtain a liberal
education without leaving the Islands.
The " hour and the man had come
for an important step in advance.
The Rev. E. G. Beckwith, who had
arrived here in 1851, and had conducted
the Royal School with remarkable sue
cess for three years, was formally in
stalled in the Office of President under
the new charter on the 25th of Septem-
Der, 1854, Mr.. Dole remaining two years
! longer as professor of languages. The
new President proved himself not mere
| ly teacher, but a born educator. The
impulse which he gave not only to Oahu
! College but also to the cause OF education
throughout the Islands, is well known to
you all.
A group of young men OF unusual
promise were induced to remain and form
a collegiate class, most of whom after
wards entered advanced classes in New
England colleges. In the spring of 1857,
it was deemed best to suspend the col
lege for nine months, and to send Pres.
Beckwith to the United States to labor
| for its endowment, but he met with only
partial success in consequence of the
severe financial crisis of that year.
Still about 1900 was raised in the
| United States at that time. besides a
special grant from the American Board
of $4,000.
The principal donor in the United
| States was the late James Hunnewell OF
| Boston, who made donations at different
! times amounting in all TO $4,000. He
was the first officer ON the brig Thad-
! deus" which brought out the first Mis-
| sionaries to these Islands, where he
afterwards resided as a merchant, hon
ored and esteemed by all who knew him.
| The American Board also made q special
grant of $4,000, to build the first Presi-
| dents house, better known as the Soc
| tagon," which was built in 1858.
| The Hawaiian Government afterwards
| granted the land of Hamakuapoko on
Maui and three small lands on Kauai the
sale OF which realized $7,745.69.
In consideration OF this grant TO the
endowment, the Government has the
right OF appointing two OF the fifteen
! Trustees.
| The college was reopened in January,
1858, after the long intermission, and
went on prosperously with seventy-six
pupils during the year.
In February, 1859, occurred the fam
Gus expedition of the Faculty and twenty
OF the students on the schooner Kinoole
to visit the great eruption of Mauna Loa
of that year. On the 22d of August,
Pres. Beckwith was obliged by the state
| of Mrs. BeckWith's health to tender his
resignation in order to seek cooler eli
mate.
The Rev. Eli Corwin acted as I" Presi-
dent pro tenn until the arrival Of the
Rev. G. T. Mills and wife in November,
| 1910 fNh.. -rhs1h fhaxy bo1
gained by conducting the Batticotta
Seminary in Ceylon for five years stood
them in good stead here. l need not
enlarge on the well-known administra-
tive ability which they brought to the
service of the college, and which after
wards found a fuller scope and wider
field in California. Their friends and
former pupils here rejoice in the success
of the sister institution, which bears
their name, and which has just cele
brated its twenty-fifth anniversary, and
regret the absence to-day OF its honored
foundress
When failing health compelled Pres.
Mills to resign his position in the sum-
mer of 1864, he had brought up the col
lege from position of partial dependence
on the American Board to a self-support-
ing basis.
Among the improvements made dur
ing his administration may be mentioned
the laying of water pipes from the spring
to the building in 1861, and the addition
of verandahs to the school hall in 1858,
the funds for which were mostly raised
by concert given by the school. The
course of study was also rearranged, and
in some branches, such as vocal music,
the results then attained have not been
surpassed since. One sweet voice, which
added a charm to the school exercises OF
those days, has since delighted thous
ands in many other lands.
For the next seven years, the writer
OF this essay was forced by circumstances
to occupy the difficult position which had
been so ably filled by his three gifted
predecessors. Fortunately l had eff
cient helpers. During the first year
Prof. Brigham was my assistant, and as
might be expected, the physical training
of the students of both sexes was thor
oughly attended to. During the remain
der OF my term, / had the able assistance
OF Prof. and Mrs. E. P. Church, who
took special charge of the boarding es-
Enlistment, as we'll as that OF Mrs. NJ. r.
Whitney and of Miss H. Coan and Mrs.
Dillingham;.
In 1865, a set of improved school desks
were imported from Boston, to take the
place of the ancient green desks which