The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-02-26

~ VIC ldlu ouI ODe-uaIi acre OF the lois
laid of for public use in Frederick.
town, on the northwest corner of the
courthouse, which land was vested in
the Visitors of Frederick County
School, as donation from the State
aud on it was to be erected the school.
house. On this lot the academy
stands to dav.
Even under these circumstances
very little was done, as contributions
came in slowly. Finally lottery
scheme was proposed to raise the sum
of $500 necessary to erect The structure.
/ Three thousand tickets were sold at
$500 piece. There was $50 prizes.
1t was not until % years after the lot
terry drawing that the school existed
in material form. 1t is said that sew
eral academies were in existence at
that time, but no positive informa-
ton is given of them.
In December, 1896, an act of re-or-
ganization was passed by the Legisla-
ture of the State. The preamble to
this act stated that an acre of land had
been laid off for the school and that
by the active exertions and liberal en-
beavers of the inhabitants of Fred
erick County commodious building
for seminary of learning had been
erected and nearly completed George
Murdoch, Richard Potts, Philip
Thomas, Baker Johnson, Francis
MantZ, John Mcpherson and George
Bear were made visitors of the re-orga-
nized institution in 1896, about one
year before the Academy as it was then
called land which name has survived
to the present time) was started.
The substantial building in which
the teachers and students of to-day are
doing their work was opened as a
school October 2, 1897, with the Rev.
Samuel Knox as principal and teacher
of classics. Five days later an English
school was started, with Mr.. Hatch
Dent as principal, and before long two
other schools, a Junior English and a
French. These four distinct schools
seem to have been kept up for about
thirty years.
Thus the school was established
and was destined to make a broad
pathway through the wilderness of ig-
norance aud TO teach to tread in its
beaten tracks the toddling steps of
many noted men who have helped to
make the history of this and other
States In the Union.
There does not seem to be much
data concerning the earliest period of
the school after it became permanent.
From 1929 until the present time,
there has been three departments in
the school, superintendent in nearly
all cases by men of learning and abil-
ity. The division comprised CLASH
cal, higher English aud an elemen-
tary course, although at some time
they may have been graced with more
euphonius titles. The work has been
on the same plane of honest education
al worth and no unwise license has
ever been taken with the liberal char
name was changed from the Erred
erick County School" to that of Erred
erick College," which it still retains.
At one time females were admitted
to the school and only few years
since several ladies were living who
had been pupils of Mr.. Markell and
the late DIR. Chqrles w. Hoffman,
once remarked that the effects of the
instruction given them in penman-
ship could readily be seen in their let
tiers. written in a large, clear-cut
hand.
For the space of about IA years the
Lancasterian system was adopted at
the college Mr.. Samuel Markell, then
teacher of the elementary English
school, having spent some time in Bal
timOre, had produced satisfactory
testimonial from the teacher of st.
Peters Lancasterian School, in which
1t is stated that about five hundred
many of them charity schol-
ars, were taught under the authority
of a single master. 1t is evident that
the visitors made this innovation with
the idea of giving educational privi-
leges TO as many children as possible,
to those whose parents were
able to pay little or no tuition.
In 1927 this Lancasterian school was
suddenly abolished by majority Of
one.
In 1929 the Rev. D. F. Schaeffer was
elected superintendent and professor of
bellies lettres and moral philosophy.
He was given an assistant who was to
teach the classics. This was the most
pretentiOus extent to which the school
ever went, and was responsible for the
charter which was granted in 1880,
giving powers to admit students to any
degree in any of the faculties, arts, and
sciences and liberal professions, except
that of medicine, and that power the
school has to-day.
But fortunately the visitors of the
school have not exercised these ele-
waited prerogatives, and hence have
kept within the bounds of reason, as
evidence has shown. Freder-
lex College from its earliest history TO
the present time has been school of
the highest merit, and its pupils have
in many ways distinguished them
selves in the various walks of life
which they have chosen, and brought
honor aud credit to their Alma Mater.
The reputation Of this noted academy
of learning has been equalled only by
the worth and scholarship of many of
the teachers. Of these, there have been
in all between forty or fifty. Five, at
least, were at the head of the French
school. Most of the remaining forty
have been instructors in classics, math-
ematics and science.
OF those who have taught in the
junior or elementary English school
three have filled more than half the
century Messrs. Markell, Gracy aud
Harry. The last, after continuous
service since 1870, is still teaching in
the regular six years. course.
In the higher English or mathe-
NAUTICAL department period of sew
enty-five or eighty years has been COW
cred by three men-Rev. Patrick Dav-
idson, Mr.. Nathaniel Vernon and Mr..
K. G. Shepherd.
Mr.. Davidson was also pastor of the
Ennlish prashutarinn Ehnrnh In Ered-