Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-01-18
OLD THALlAS ACADEMY.
Sketch Of The LIie-work Of johh Leland Ken
nody, the Famous Teacher and Preacher.

< located in what was then, as now,
known as the Slabtown section of
Anderson county. Perhaps no other
section of the county orof the Pied
mont region surpassed or even
e9ualled it in wealth, Intelligence and
culture. The McCanns, Hamltons,
Robinsons, Earles, Smiths and others
were people of this class and were ar
dent friends of higher education,
having large families of boys and
girls to educate and having the
means to do it.
This institution was known as the
old ITALIAN Academy and in its day
was one of the most famous of its
kind in the State and its presiding
genius was the late John Leland
Kennedy, familiarly known to his
students as "Old Boss" Soon after
his graduation from the South Caro-
lima College in the class of which ex-
Governor j. ii. Hammond was
member, and after he had finished
his theological studies and been or
dained into the ministry of the Pres
byterian church by the Presbytery of
South Carolina, he located at Old
Pickens court house, and began his
life work as teacher and preacher,
work destined to bring untold good
to his students and his State as well.
This was somewhere in the 30's,
not long after the division of Old
Pendleton district into what was then
known as Anderson and Pickens dis
tricts. During this time he preached
at Pickens court house and at Carmel,
church founded soon after the Revo.
lutionary War by some of his Revo-
lutionary ancestors who removed to
that region soon after the close of
the war and entered large bodies of
land. How long he remained there
/ do not know, nor have been able
to find any record of it, and all the
old men of that day, who could have
thrown any light on the subject, are
gone. From the best Information |
can gather the McFalls and the Law
rences were among his chief sup
porters.
1t may not be generally known, but
- l. Il. Al,
nedy was among the first to adopt
and put into practice the idea of in
dustrial education, now so popular
with us. About the year 1886 he
established near Pendleton, on farm
until recently owned by Col. r.. w.
Simpson, what was known as the
Manual Labor School. This school
was Incorporated by the Legislature
in 1884, and went into operation the
following year, it being the plan for
the students to study part of the
day and work on the farm the balance
of the time. Just how long this
school lasted have been unable to
find out, but it was brought to an un-
timely end by an epidemic of typhoid
fever which broke out, resulting in
several deaths among the students.
Mr.. Kennedy then removed to
Slabtown and established about 1886
or 1888 his famous Thaian Academy,
classical school where young men
were prepared to enter the South
Carolina College, or for the active
duties of life. For more than 20
years it remained here and was the
scene of his great life work. From
the portals of this academy many
young men went forth during these
years who became useful and honored
citizens, and some of them became
eminent, among whom may be men
ton the late Judge Orr. | doubt very
much if any school of like character
IN the State sent as many men into
the various professional ranks, the
law, medicine and the ministry as
this school. Its field of patronage
was the entire State, there being not
more than two or three counties in
the State which did not at some time
have young men in the school. Be-
sides this, some came from North