The news & observer., 1897-05-28

ITS MAGNIFICENT LIBRARY
MONEY GIVEN FOR BUILDING
LIBRARY AND GYMNASIUM.
OUR OLDEST FEMALE COLLEGE

Never More Progressive, Broao
and usefuI--its Able Faculty
and Liberal Directors.
Greensboro, N. c., May 27.-(Editorial
Gorrespondence)- This is destined to be
ane of the first cities of the State. 1t
has the two things which build cities
the material and the intellectual as ITS
Foundation stones. Its manufactures
have increased steadily and with won
aerful strides. Not to speak of the to-
hacco enterprises, which are on the up
krade. and it's other cotton mills, the
Gone plant is in itself big town, and
when completed will give employment to
eight hundred people.
From its earliest history Greensboro
has been famous as an education centre
sor young women When it was mere
village fifty years ago its female schools
Old Edgeworth Seminary, under Presby-
terian auspices, and Greensboro Female
College, educated the mothers and grand
mothers of this generation. Edgeworth
closed with the war, and the Presbyter-
ians have since concentrated their patron
age on Peace Institute in Raleigh-an in
stitution deserving of their hearty sup
port.
Greensboro Female College, which clos
ed a most prosperous session last night,
is the oldest institution for the higher
education of women in the State, and
shares with Wesleyan Female College, of
Georgia, the distinction of being the two
eldest female colleges in the South. Be
fore the Methodists Of this State had been
set apart in conference of their own,
they addressed petition to the Virginia
conference in 1887 setting forth the nee
sssity of a female school of high grade
Cor the education of women under the aus
pices Of the church. At that session, the
North Carolina Conference was estab-
kshed, and trustees elected to secure a
sharter for Greensboro Female School"
The t-ustees chosen are now all dead, but
as they were the pioneers in woman's
higher education their name >ought to
e known to all the people. They were:
'ses Brock, Hezekiah G. Leigh, Will
Compton, Peter Doub, John Hank,
q Reid, Bennett L. Blake, William
nass 1 and Samuel S. Bryant. The
fsai vas granted by the Legislature of
lrfeEs ,e work of raising funds was
49,. N great difficulty, and it was
OF ved. tember, 1S43 that the corner
until Sap 1, and not until 1916 that
me was 'ia' Tas completed and ready
e bAidlng. Rev. Solomon Lea, still
r occupancy. ul old age at Leasburg,
ing IN Deat"H Us the first president.
lswell county, W. Rev. A. NJ. Shipp,
e was succeedediS. i'll 1S47 when Dr.
D., VINO server chosen president.
larles F. Deems Was .ement Of Or
/ 1854, upon the retal Homes d D..
GEMS, Rev. Turner: NJ ar his admin
.came president, and undA the college
tration for thirty six. years r Dixon
.ew and fourished DR.. B. ,stitution
lccessfuiiy presided over lne d, upon
r three years, and was succeeo& Frank
s resignation, by the late Rev. ,,non
Reid. D. D., who had entered ,,ort
successful career which was cut 81
' his sudden death.
DR.. Reid possessed the requisites Tn.
,rustees recognized as essential, ana
hen he died were at sea for some time
, regard to his successor.
Up to 1895, since the chartering Of the
ogJsge in 1888. it had been an unwritten :"
wv that a preacher should be at the :
cad of the college, and upon the death
f DIR. Reid, overtures were made to Kew. -
Y. C. Norman to take the presidency. y
Ie declined, and as they were looking
bout for preacher to do the work OF
..acber wise man among the number
aid. "You are not looking in the right
Iirection. You want a school teacher TOT
of your college, not preacher.
gou have in your own faculty here man
II scholarship, ability, and OF executive
sapacity in the person of Prof. Dred
Peacock. He can manage the colege
better than any untried preacher, ana IN
tact better than any man you can select.
Some doubted the experiment OF taxing
!, teacher who did not preach, and some
hesitated about the selection of a young
man not over thirty years Old, but rnose
who knew most of the internal workfnss
.f the college saw that in the young
nrofessor they had the very man best ht-
fea for the presidency. He was elected
and his wise. progressive and successful
management has more than Justihea Tue
wisdom Of the directors. In all its ms
cory the college has not been better man