The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-12
o UNIVERSITY
Some Extracts From the Early Records.
What Wilmington Did for the Institu.
tion-The First Professor

tlOn-Tho First professor
Correspondence Of The Messenger.)
Chapel Hill. October 9.-In the
Waste Book of the University of
North Carolina" are found many
things to show the loyalty of the Will
mington people to that institution,
which was then just springing into ex-
istence. This Waste Book seems to
be a general account book, in which
all donations, etc, are placed. The
first ate recorded is December is, 1889,
and the first item is as follows:
For 10000 acres of and given to the
university by Col. Benjamin Smith, of
Brunswick county, who made a deed
for the same this day"
In January, 1896. the people Of Will
district subscribed e1,111
for erection Of buildings, ETC., at the
university. Alfred Moore was the
largest donor. There were, in all,
seventy-three subscribers. 1t is inter-
esting to note that the first students
were from Wilmington. The university
was opened February II, 1895, and Hin
ton James was the first student to en-
ter. In the same year were Lawrence A.
Dorsey, Richard Eagles, Evan Jones
and also Mauric MoOre
On August /, 1895, the Concord So
ciety was formed, and among the
founders was Evan Jones. On August
20, 1896, the name was changed to Phi
lanthropic Society, and Richard Eagles
was the first president.
The WilmingtOnians did not long
continue to join the Philanthropic So
ciety. at that time the western part
of the state was so sparsely settled that
Wilmington was given over to the Dia-
l~~A;~ -; 80 ho1 4h0
part Of the state as it's territory, so as
to make a division. Alexander Kirk
patrick vas the first member from Will
mingtOn on the roll Of the Dialectic
Society. h was in 1876, and in the
same year Samuel Swami Joined the
Philanthropic Society.
The first trustee Of the university
from Wilmington was Robert Dixon,
whose name appears in the minutes of
a meeting held at Fayetteville, Novem-
Der Is, 1890. James Kenan was elected
in the place of Robert Dixon on his
death. The next trustee from Will
mington was Alfred Moore, in 1871.
At a meeting Of the trustees on July
20, 1871, William Hill, for the Whining
ton district, was appointed "tO secure
by instalment or otherwise, as to him
shall seem best, all such monies as may
be due and owing fprom any person or
persons in his district"
In the minutes or december Il, lI3l,
is recorded "A Letter from William H.
Hill, Esquire, Attorney for the presi-
dent and trustees of the university in
the district Of Wilmington, containing
a report of the property which had
come to his knowledge, and which it
was suggested had escheated, was read
and filed"
In these early days there was only
one b~uilding-the Old East-which con-
tanned the dormitories, dining hall and
recitation rooms. There were in all
about 100 students, 60 of whom were in
the preparatory school.
Charles Wilson Harris was one of the
first professors, and but for untiring
zeal in face of heavy obstacles it would
be hard to say what would have been
the outcome of this effort to establish
a university in North Carolina. Pro-
fessor Harris was graduated at Prince
ton, with highest hOnOrs the year after
DR.. Joseph Caldwell, and it was
through his earnest efforts that the
university obtained Caldwell as its first
president. Harris entered the univer-
Sity in 1895 as tutor of mathematics,
and was promoted in the fall to full
professorship. In 1896 he was made
presiding professor. 1t is to DR.. Kemp
P. Battle, head Of the department Of
history, that we owe a lasting debt of
gratitude for snatching from oblivion
the history of a man who did more for
the university than any man of his
day. Last week DR.. Battle gave a very
interesting and i~nstructing lecture in
the chapel on "Charles Wilson Harris,
First Professor of Mathematics in the
University and Father of the Literary
Societies."