New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-02
WHEN SHOULD 1T CELEBhA1E'
QUESTION AS TO THE sEMl-cENrEN-
NAL OF THE PACKER INSTITUTE

THE HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION
WHAT Is SAID on BOTH SIDES.
difference of opinion has arisen among '"e
i,,,,oo Of the Packer Collegiate INSTITUTE !"
proo<lvn. as to the proper date for the jubilee 81
hro,ion of the founding of that institution Inc
h,biIoe celebration OF course will marx the 'o'"
plotion Of the first haf-century of the schoo'.
rho Packer is one of the three important educa-
tional institutions in Brooklyn. the others pe''e
I,rytacbuic Institute and the ASrlphl Academy me
Packer Is for the education OF girls anu Sou"e
y,o,,on only: th. Polytechnic is a school LOT boy"
and Young mon: the Adephl is for both sexes
In order TO understand the nature of the trouble
that has arisen among the members OF inc ASSo
ciated Alnmnae OF the Packer Collegiate ihS'.'"
II Ia necessary to rehearse brlei'y the "'so'' - VIZ
school
Tho o,l,caton Of girls In Brooklyn first took ue-
ciloI sion forward in 1874 when the Brooklyn re-
male Academy was Incorporated lnilKe "io9' ~
portant educational institutions ho"au"!'' va,
academy was established by stock co'hPlnS' 'u'
the idea Of money making on any large Sc''e uo.o
not appoar to have been entertained by any ol i'S
nroiortors The presidency of the academy was ac-
cepted by Dr. Al0nzo Crttenden, VINO hau We"
a good reputation az an educator AT the Hc"u % -
Albany Female Academy. The academy III ptoON
Ion was opened on May D. 1916 and enjoyed a large
degree Of prosperity until lsj3 when It's buiidihs III
Joralemon-st. between Court and clinton SIS, was
burned Among those most deeply Interested had peen
William : Packer who had been a trustee OF the
Albany Female Academy, and thus had pee" Id
milar with Dr. Crttendcn's work Shortly peiore
the burning Of the brooklyn Academy Duiiuips
Mr. Packer died. leaving a large property III ,he
hands of his wife. who shared her husDahu III
tcrcst IN educational affairs
Immediately after the fire Mrs. Packer wrote 70
the Board Of Trustees of the academy, oHeriHs "
give $4,000 for the erection OF new BUILDING on 'he
site Of the one destroyed. This generous offer was
! accepted and out of gratitude to her ana III mem
or,. OF her husband. 1t decided to attach MS
/ ,,,,a IN the Institution. Accordingly new charter
,,.s sac,red and thus the Packer Collegiate lnst-
, fute came into existence. At the same tiihe Inv
stock company ceased to exist. and some OF 'he
stockholders Joined in the establishment OF the
/ polytochnic Institute, already mentloned Inc
| Packer Institute was opened on November - 1917
the delicatory address being delivered by the Rev
Dr Francis Vinton. To make the record complete
il may be added that Mrs Packer died in lssZ' nav
ing enjoyed the privilege mp to the tim" OF her
death Of nominating trustees 10 fill vacancies Dr'
Crittendon died in 1852, and Vas succeeded by Dr.
/ Truman j. Eackus.
II seems clear enough from this outline Of the
history Of the Packer institute that it was the I'M
mediate outgrOwth Of the Brooklyn Female Academy
and that there was no break in the development OF
/ the institution. The same pre- sdent faculty ana
trustees were continued The last catalogue H. called
! Coiloette institute" The quarter-centennial was
oegDi' , r, a,ng Nryertheless there Is
Siderable clement IN the Aumnae Association Which
rh'Gs tn j' , In OF the iounIns Of the
| nrookiyn Female Academy. but from the date OF
| NJ, Pact.~'s cif; Considerable discussion has
taken place ON question, and in order 10 settle
| bv th. alunnae 1t decided that the institute had rs
beginning, lslj and that the sem-cente nnal sh9ud
! he aiunnae VINO favored the later date. and the
discussion was renewed in the association win tne
result that tn trustees nave been aSn' ~ Ih
| slider their decision The question VIII ne Dr3ughI
up again az he next mceng OF te Ta'u Ut ,1e
ih,'I of change OF the decision previously ma ie
Packer gft is the especial thns 10 ne SelSo ~,
mus put by one OF their number: we ieeI tnat we
the Brooklyn Female Academy In iact; We do ds I
recognize The Academy at all Therefore we Jar, are
should b.. Mold nifty years after the time when the
Institute vas founded 10y the gift 81 MIS-; f3 .
.rh.n there Is another Interesting thing The BroOk
| lyn F.ruile Academy was founded 10y STOCK COM
r'ny aad when II went Out oil nCl . of the
iriiy ,nrh, ms VII celebrate its semi-centennia in
IA or iV,j as for the Packer 10 DO This is a
matter Of sentiment; to be sure but good many any
the trustees will change their minds and postpone
a., ,b' 3,bSr hani the sentiment Of the institute
authorities as CLEANED from talks with those IN II
position To know may be- summit up a. iV' r1
''lt is singular that any one should desire TO MAX
the packer institute younger tnan IL reny Is ,nra,
| human Instinct is 10 dwell on the ancient origin or
an institution a family or dyn2sty; me sT Vi.
| 81 al
chester are very proud 10 90 back centuries 10 mo
h.ir beginnings. and II f. impossible to conceive OF
any body or Of their students putting lorth
strenuous Efforts to make g. appear that they were
| really founded later than is usually supposed In
I'm. case of the Packer institute there IL no dispute
Ives as beginning i'm 1915 IS. and the catalogues
! have come down from that time without preaK'
mn, las, one being called the fOriy-e!ghth. Ihel'
Too the silver Jubilee Of the institution was cee-
bratcI in 1871 without the least question. nat cee-
/ h,.,.,., vts held In the Academy of Music ana
Gore william Curtis delivered the Grafton II any
one a; that time had raised a doubt as 10 the pro
/ uri.ty of celebrating then and had proposed 10
POSTPONE the anniversary until ISIS, ne would nave
been laughed at. Moreover. the aumnae VINO FAVOR
Who were graduated between 1876 and 1888. although
these have always been regarded as belonging 10
our family ON one point what they say - WIDE
Of the mark There was no transfer OF STOCK from
tho fr0oklyn Female Academy to the Polytechnic
Institute though II is true that certain Of the stock
the fact that both Institutions sprang from com
mon root. The Packer was the direct ana immedl-
ate successor 90 the Female Academy. with the
same trustees the same principal ana the same
faculty. Mrs Packer herself never countenanceo
any other view than this The sentiment OF those
aumnae who think il would be a special honor 10
her to put of the semi-centennal until l%3 Is ELI
tircly mistaken"
The members of the Board of Trustees are Joshua
~ Van Colt. president: Henry L. Morgan secre
Alexander T., orr. Frederick T.. Be.lamy. James p
Wallace, Frank L. Blbbott. Darwin c. Eaton James
Mckccn Edward NJ shepard william q. Low
James II. Bates and Robert Ormston. The Mayor
of Brooklyn is member eN-oticio.
TO GTJ'E TENT 70 THEIR INDIGNATION