The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-03-30

dt D6lLuol SciiSScJ hchtuChJI III AOOOi
at the head OF my class, receiving the
! degree of A. b. L went tn Hazard,
September, 1864, and entered the senior
class and graduated, 1861 with one OF
the honOrs, being a part" on the COM
mencement program. This was III
June, 1861, and the civil WAR had be-
gun. After my final examinations
were completed and the honors as
! signed, WAC advised by President
Fenton, then at the head Of Harvard
/ college, 10 return to my home in Ken
lucky, as | would find it difficult To
get through the lines if | delayed a
day AS it was | was stopped at
Louisville and my trunk examined tor
cOntraband. | succeeded in getting
through TO RussellviIie, my home, and
in due course OF time my diploma toll
| lowed together with "a copy of the
commencement program with my
name on it. | have these documents
yet and will snow them TO any one in.
terested III things OF this kind. l le-
manned at home but few weeks and
then entered the Confederate army as
q private in Breckinridge's Kentucky
brigade / was In the army four years
and returned home at the close OF the
war to fed that my fathers house had
been burned and most OF his property
gone. | took the first thing that offer
which was the principalship OF the
preparatory department OF Bethel
college, then one of the few southern
colleges whose endowment had not
been dissipated by the war. After
three years service here | was pro
NOTED TO the profeesOrship of English
in the college, which had lately been
endowed by wealthy friend of the
institution, and which was one Of the
first, if not the first, schools of English
established ia the south | held this
protessorship three years, and upon
the resignation of the president of the
college, Noah X, Davis, was pro.
NOTED first TO the craftsmanship and
then to the presidency of the institu-
ton. / was in charge of the college
for ten years, until 1883, when | came
to Texas, having been elected profes.
sor of English literature and history
in the stale university. DR.. Ma let
was chairman of the university during
the first year, 1883 "a, and upon his
resignation Dr. Brown was elecGed to
fill the place. DR. Brown resigning
during the summer of 1884, l was
elected chairman September, 1884, and
have continued to be elected unani-
every every year since that time.
Such In briet is my record
as u teacher. never sought but two
places in my life. One was the prin
cipalship of the preparatory depart
ment of Bethel college, the other was
the professorsbip in this university,
which / now hold, and to both of these
| was unanimously elected. All other
honOrs that have been conferred u pOn
me, and they have been more than |
have deserved, have been conferred
by mon who have known m and my
work, and without solicitation or ef-
fort on my part.
My A. M. was given Sin course" by
Bethel college, June II, 1867 This
was conferred on those who held the
A. B. degree OF the college, in &C.
cordance with regulation or custom
prevailing in nearly all institutions
at that time, 1867. lii Bethel college
ali that was necessary was the pursuit
tor three years of some literary pro.
fession and an Grafton during The
commencement week when the A. NJ
was CUuI6Tr6u. WIFI UUlH Vi lllosC
requirements had complied.
could have gotten the same degree
Ca. NJ from Harvard college at the
same time simply upon application
In answer to q recent letter
to President Eliot of Harvard, max
ing inquiries on this point, have
received the following:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY |
Cambridge. March II, 1881
DEAR SIR-Up to 1874 the degree of
A. M. as given in the Aninquennial
against the names of our graduates
represents no additional requirements
above that for A. b. l believe the fee
was SIS. In 1874 eight men received
the Masters degree after examination.
/ lend you catalogue of 1861, v. p. 50.
President Elliot is away tor a day or
two or he would have answered your
letter himself.
Yours very truly,
FRANK BOLLES, Secy.
Professor Leslie Waggener.
In confirmation of the statement in
the above letter quote from the Har
ward catalogue of LEGO I'll, page SO:
hc uoS IcO vi w dSUCl vi AItD 10 COh-
ferred in course on every Bachelor of
Arts of three years. standing, on the
payment of the usual fee, who shall
in the interval, have sustained a good
moral character. Graduates of longer
standing may also have the Masters
degree upon the same condition. In
both cases application should be
made at the stewards office, either
personally or by letter, as soon as the
second day before commencement"
My LII d. was confirmed by
Georgetown College, Ky, then pre-
sided over by DR.. Basil Manly. 1 con-
slider both the A. M and LII. ID. hon
oIary degrees and they are so indicat-
ed In our catalogue. 1 may say, for
the benefit of thuse who attach impor-
tance to such things, that have had
conferred upon me two A. BIS, two
LII. DPS and could have had two
A. MS had L wanted them. Honor
airy degrees come cheap. l rest my
claims as a teacher and as ga execu-
tive officer upon my work for the last
twenty-five years, which is known to
many in Kentucky and to more in
TaXaa