Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-08-20

From what did Washington Uni
vsrsity derive its manner" is a question
asked with increasing frequency since
the great institution of learning at st.
Ls1Iis commenced to attract worldwide
attention.
Although most of the inquiries origi-
nats in other cities than st. Louis,
many st. Louisans have inaccurate
Information on the matter.
The inquirer on the street in ST.
Louis is likely to be informed that the
name Washington naturally settled it.
self upon the university as a result of
its location when a small school, on
Washington avenue. That is the ex-
PLANTATION received by the writer
shortly after his arrival in ST Louis.
But that does not explain truthfully
True Story of Source of Name.
The real explanation may be found
m an historical sketch which the uni
versity has issued and which in part
follows:
instance of Wayman Grow, Esq, member
Of the State Senate, the Legislature of
K2zour granted a charter to an educa-
t9fAM institution to be located in St
FbpH. and to bear the name of Eliot
xsniRary, ia honor of the Rev William
Mot of st. Louis The charter,
s6st lbsrsa one, was to be perpetual.
n Rs limitations were imposed, except
n thsse which forbade any sectarian or
psgt &an instruction
NE nrst meeting of the corporation
nssrned in the charter was held on the
22nd OF February, 1854. In Difference to
the wishes of Or. Eliot, the name of the
institution was changed. Since the char
ter had been granted on the 22nd of Feb
rMaFs' the birthday OF Washington, and
stRee the meeting OF the corporation for
examination had also occurred on this
s'Nae anniversary, the name of the in
stfsstion vas shanged from Eliot Semi
nAsy to Washington Institute, which in
1887 became, by a change in the charter.
washington University. 1t seemed to the
founders that the name was significant
of the character of the Institution which
they sought to found.
The first educational work done under
the charter of 1853 was the opening of
sR evening school for boys, in a building
ca Sixth street. during the winter of
1854 So. This school was called the
"o'Fallon Polytechnic Institute in hon
or of Colonel John OFalon, for years
sRe of the University Directors.
Real Beginning of University.
This evening school and a day school
which had been in operation for some
together until, in September, 1856 a
building on Seventeenth street was COM
rleted and occupied by the day school
The evening school was sustained for
several years by the University, until by
special arrangement the entire care of
this school was assumed by the Public
School Board. This school on Seven
teenth street, the forerunner of the pres
ent Smith Academy, now a secondary
school or the University, was the real
begiRang OF Washington University.
The formal Inauguration of the Uni
versity took place on the 23rd Of April
1857. Later in the year building was
erected for the chemical laboratory In
tfse next year the organization of the Col
lege was completed The first College
degrees were granted in 1869.
The east wing of the main building, of
which the academic building formed the
south wing, was erected in 1853 and used
for College classes. The west wing was
added in 1871 and devoted to the Poly
technie School.
In the meantime the University h..
been growing, adding new departments
and receiving additional endowments
,bhe Law School was organized in 1867;
The Polytechnic School, now known as
lecture, in 1870; the School of Fine Arts
in 1878; the School of Botany in 1885
The st. Louis Medical College founded
in 1912, was admitted as a department of
the University in 1891, and the Missouri
Dental College In 1899 In 1899 the Mis-
seuri Medical College founded in 1S40
was united with the st. Louis Medical
eallege to form the Medical School of
Washington University