Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-06-01

ernor James BowdOin of Massachusetts,
whose son endowed it on it's foundation
with money and lands to the value of
nearly 81 900 and decided it G, 900 acres of
land in Lisbon, Me, just before his death,
besides remembering it generously in his
will.
Brunswick having been settled on as the
most favorable place for the location of the
college, Massachusetts hall, three story
building of brick was built, and the col
lcgc opened in 1902 with class of eight
students, all of whom graduated four
years later
Rev. Joseph McKeen, D. D., graduate
Of Dartmouth, was the first president, and
John Abbott, a Harvard graduate who was
nominally professor of languages, was all
the rest of the faculty till 1905, when Par
ker Cleaveland, afterward famous at home
and abroad for his achievements in chemis-
try and mincralogy, was added to the staff
as professor of mathematics and natural
philosophy. President McKcen died in
1907 and was succeeded by Rev Jesse APP
pleton, d. D, another Dartmouth man,
under whose management BoWdoin made
rapid advancement.
President Appleton died in 1919 His
daughter aftCrward married Franklin
Pierce, president of the United States, who
graduated from Bowdoin in the class of
1924.
Rev. William Allen, Harvard man
and editor of the first two editions of the
American Biographical and Historical
Dictionary, who had been president of
the short lived Dartmouth university, sue
ceedcd DR.. Appleton in the presidency of
Bowdoin. He founded the medical depart
ment, which has since become well known
as the Medical School of Maine. During
his administration two new buildings were
erected-North college, since rechrstened
Winthrop hall, in 1929, and Commons
hall in 1885. Longfellow, Hawthorne and
John :. &. Abbott, all members of the
class Of 1928, were among the famous
graduates of Bowdoin during President
Aliens term, and Governor Andrew of
Massachusetts and DIR. Fordyce Barker
We're in the class of 1887.
President Allen resigned in 1889, and
Leonard Woods, a graduate of Union col
lege and Andover seminary, was his sue
cessor President " GODS administered the
affairs of the college for ~ years and dur
ing his incumbency the college made
marked advances in every line. Appleton
hall, King chapel and Adams hall We're
built during his term, and Senator Frye,
General o. o. Howard, Chief Justice Full
the famous graduates of his presidency
which he resigned in 1866.
Rev. DR.. Samuel Harris of Bowdoin and
Andovcr was president and professor of
mental and moral philosophy from 1867 to
1871. Memorial hall was begun during
his term, though it was not completed I'M
til 1882. DIR. Harris resigned the presi-
dency to take the prOfessorship of system
attic theology at Yale.
Joshua l.. Chamberlain, LII d., a grad
uate of Bowdoin, who had been brgadier
general of volunteers during the war and
three times governor of Maine, was presi-
dent of the college from 1871 to 1888,
Rev. DIR. William Dewitt Hyde, the
present president, was elected TO that Office
in 1885, when he was only 81 years of age.
He is a graduate of Harvard Before he
was called to Bowdoin he was pastor of
the Congregi tional church at Paterson, n.
j., for two years.
Under his management the college has
prospercd greatly its funds, facilities and
the number of its faculty and students
having been materially increased. Its en-
dowment now amounts to over $780, 600
and its libraries contain SO, 600 volumes.
it has 2S professors and other instructors
Ind about 800 students
Including Bowdoin, there are now 81
universities and colleges in the United
States that are 100 years old and over
Harvard, founded n 1896, is the oldest,
and the Virginia college of William and
Mary, dating from 1893, the next. Yale,
founded in l70l is third, and after that
they como in the following order Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Washing
ton and Lee, Columbia, Brown university,
Rutgers, Dartmouth, Hampton Sidney,
Washington college at Chestertown, Nd;
Dickinson college at Carlisle, Pa; Univer-
sity of Georgia, University of Nashville,
Georgetown college in the District of Co
lumbia, St. Johns at Annapolis; st.
Mary S, Baltimore; University of Vermont,
and Williams.