The Portland daily press., 1894-06-28

county even, kennebe and Lincoln put
ting in strong claims. Finally Brunswick
was settled on blythe two boards-the trus-
tees and the overseers-and thirty acres
OF land of William StRnwood selected as
the site, provided Mr.. Stanwood would
give it, and that 800 acres of adjoining
land could be obtained on the same
terms. The land was obtained on the
stipulated terms The college was ac-
tually opened to students On the second
of September 1902. The Hon. Jane Nc
Keen of Beverly, Mass, had been elected
President, and under his charge the
college was opened. The first freshman
class consisted of eight mem bers. The
growth Of the college for many years was
slow. Indeed for number of years after
1t was opened owing to the business de-
preston which overlook the country
and was felt nowhere more severely than
in Maine it practical " stood still The
first commencement came on the first
Wednesday of Septem Der. 1906. The next
year the second large building was
erected. In the summer of that year
'ONAOSS oAO" LSAA dpOii oLS OO1lOSO LII UuO
death of President McKeen. There was
considerable trouble in ageeing upon
successor. The trustees elected Isaac
Parker, afterwards Chief Justice of Mass
sachusetts, ssbut the overseers refused to
concur. Eilphalet Mott was then elected
only to be rejected by the overseers.,
Finally Jesse Appleton was chosen, and
in December, 1907, inaugurated. Presi-
dent Appleton remained with the college
until his death in 1919. During the years
of Mr.. Appleton's administration the col
lege experienced some serious financial
reverses, and the trustees petitioned the
legislature to be allowed to resort to
lottery for the benefit of the institution
"a method of helping educational and
benevolent undertakings quite common
in those days. But the oversees object
ed and the college escaped that
stain upon its record. The next Presi-
dent was the Rev. William Allen who
was chosen in Deem Der, 1919. During
his administration the Medical School
was established. During Mr.. Aliens
term the college fell upon troublous
times due to the separation of Maine
from Massachusetts and the changed
legal status of the institution growing
out of that event. Out of this came
an acrimonious controversy between the
President and Trustees. that led to
unjust measures to secure the formers
removal. A legal controversy followed
which pnHnd in rpcfnrinn pracidonf
Allen and also restoring the college to
the independent position it had occupied
before the act of separation. In 1888
President Allen resigned, and Leonard
Woods, Jr., who was then professor of
biblical literature in the Bangor Theo
logicals Seminary, was chosen his sue
cessor. This was = in 1888. President
Woods remained in Office until 1867, when
he had grown ungrateful to the religious
denomination that was the chief support
re of the college, by reason of his some
what heretical views, and unpopular
with the people because of his political
sentiments. He was undoubtedly one of
the foremost presidents the college had
had. He was profound scholar and a
cultured gentleman. Following him
came Samuel Harris, who entered upon
his Office in May, 1867 Four years
later he resigned to accept the profess Or
ship of theology in Yale University.
He was succeeded by Gen. Joshua Law
renee Chamberlain, who remained until
1883. Two years passed without a Presi-
dent the duties of that Office being di-
vided among the professors, but at the
Commencement in 1885 the present very
able and scholarly President, Rev. Will
liam Dewitt Hyde, was elected to that
office and has continued to fill it with
distinction and to the general accept
ance of the friends of the institution to
the present time
1t is not possible in the limits of a
newspaper article to trace the growth of
the college under the direction of these
distinguished men from year to year, or
even from decade to decade. They were
all able men, all devoted to the institu
ion at the head of which they were
They all doubtless impressed something
of their personality and the characters
tics Of their minds upon the institution
Cooperating with them were no less dis
| tinguished professors, many of them
| famed the country over for their pro-
found learning, and their brilliant
| achievements in the particular branches
| to which they devoted their lives. Bow
| doin would be reckoned one of the
smaller colleges of the land, but it is to
be doubted if any college, whatever its
| size, has had the services of more emf
nent men in it's faculty. Nor can any
institution in the land point to names
more eminent in craftsmanship, in liter
allure, in law, in divinity Or in the bust
ness walks of life than are borne upon
| the roll of its graduates.
The glories of this ancient college,
its progress from it's small beginnings to
the present proud position which it
holds among the educational institutions
of the country, the eminent presidents
and professors who have directed its
steps, and the distinguished graduates
who have conferred honor upon it by
their achievements in all departments OF