The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-12-17
INSTITUTE HAS BEEN ESTAB.
LIsHED NEARLY EIGHTY
YEARS.
MANY FAMOUS INSTRUCTORS
oyercame All Obstacles and Now One
Of Best of Its Kind in the Country.
Rev. and Mrs. Walter B. Capers in
Charge.

The founding of Columbia Institute
is inseparably bound up with the &C
tive efforts of many Columbias lead.
Ing men to give forward movement
to the Intellectual and spiritual life
Of the town and county in 1910.
After the preliminary work neces-
sary to the establishing a mission of
the Episcopal church in Columbia,
lead by the Rev. Jas. H. Otey and Mr..
Jas Walker, we find the Rev. Daniel
Stephens coming to Columbia in
June, 1928, for the purpose of finding
a home for large and growing fam
lily. He became rector of st. Peters
Mission. He had eleven children to
claim his care, his anxiety and his
prayers He opened a school for
Young ladies' He was, later, ordained
minister of the Episcopal church
and as school teacher and preacher,
he began his diocese in Tennessee.
His school in Columbia prospered and
he carried it on until his removal to
Bolivar January 1st, 1884. This was
the preparation for the successful es.
Enlistment Of Columbia Institute.
In December, 1888, the Rev. Le0ni-
dsS Polk moved to Columbia and took
up the work commenced by DR.. Ste
phens. ST. Peters church was then
in the process of erection.
In December, 1886, Bishop Otey
loyed from Franklin to Columbia to
reside The Bishop and the Rev. Mr..
Polk began the building of Column
Oa Female Institute. Subscriptions
we're solicited for the erection of suit
able buildings, and sums from $500
to $1,000 were subscribed from
friends in the neighborhood The
humber of communicates in the
church at this time, was exceedingly
small, The buildings were commenc-
8 60 but, before their completion
Though school was held during the
erection of some of the buildings) dis
"ter fell on the enterprise. A debt
ten thousand dollars ($10,000,00)
accrued partly from failure on the
part Of the contractor, and then the
financial crisis of 1887 ruined many
d the original subscribers. This
uS" could not be discharged by the
income Of the school, because of the
necessity of the situation and the
NullStian and missionary character
the institution, which demanded a |
neral scale of expenditures. Bishop
V'ey' therefore, had to travel east !
ud secure the funds to make up for
ae Indebtedness occasioned by the
|'lSlS that wiped out many of the
prescriptions which were never made !
EoOd
III IHdS, the Rev. Franklin G. Smith.
virginia, came at the invitation of !
'"nop Otey to assume charge Of !
'umDla Institute, DIS Rector, and |
NY successfully administered the af-
'us OF the school until 1852, when
resigned his Office.
me next fall Mr., William Harding
MS accomplished wife came out |
:" North Carolina to take charge
Tue institute. DR.. Harding's ad-
'1'SIIatiun covered the eyentful
VI the civil War. For two years
U'' time, the school buildings were
W ny the Federal troops as a hos
DR. Harding, of Spring Hill, is
"" 4" this educator, of whom we
ave spoken, and spent a number Of !
w. vi MS boyhood at the old school.
''oTge Beckett. of Kentucky. !
-, IL July 1866. to take charge of
historic old school DR.. Beckett
'''h IN England, received his ed |
NV" ID the Old Country, had had
experience as teacher before I
'Is to America. DR.. Beckett be-
MS splendid work as President
,ns. ' institute by repairing and re-
lug me buildings that had been
,nased in the war, and soon there
A.. ~ through the generous assist
~, Oh Miss Margieretta Bowels he
he beautiful Terrace. Miss
also gave the classic statues