The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-26
WILLIAMS COLLEGE HISTORY
A Painstaking Account Giving Re-
suIts Of Fresh Researches.


Leverett Wilson Spring, affection
ately remembered by successive
classes as professor Of English litera-
ture from 1886 to 1909. when he be-
came emeritus professor has render
ed a signal service to the institution
with which he was so long connected
by his History Of Williams college"
just published by the Houghton Nifiiin
company (pp. AZ, net price 5000.
This is not a mere retelling of a
story already twice told, but is an
authoritative narrative. based upon
painstaking researches which have
brought to light q considerable amount
OF new material having to do espe-
cially with the earlier years OF the
college Our meagre infortHatipn in
regard to the founder is augmented
by few interesting items, such. for
example. as the fact that Col. Williams
took with him upon the campaign in
which he met his death IA New
Roman History by Questions and
Answers" and other books not of
military character. That Colonial
colonel, who on going to wars put
IL books into his army chest, became
the founder OF a college, should not
occasion surprise"
The long delay OF 80 years in carry
ing into effect the provisions Of Col
Williams will-due chiefly to the dis
puted Jurisdiction between Massachu-
sets and New York;-the incorpora-'
ton OF the Free school in 1855, and
the granting of a college charter In
1893; the judicious administration of
Ebenezer Fitch, the first president, the
most important incident in which, as
1t afterward proved. was the famous
"Haystack Prayer Meeting ths~ at
tempted removal ofsthe college to
to which the legisla-
ture refused assent, and the with
drawal OF the second president. DR..
Moore, in 1921 with a number of the
students, to Amherst, thus giving
Williams at once her dearest foe and
her nearest friend; the rescue of the
institution from its desperate plight
through the acceptance of the presi-
dency by Edward Dorr Griffin, one of
the famous pulpit orators of his day, |
whose prestige attracted students and |
make possible the raising OF funds
all these events OF the earlier years |
are recorded not in dry detail, but |
with picturesque interest. One Is i'm |
pressed by the number OF men who |
afterward became distinguished who |
were connected with the college in
do 90 oh nd w |
Up to the administration OF Mark
Hopkins, Williams college had only a
local repute. 1t was the commanding
OF its fourth president
which transformed the struggling in
stitution, and secured for 1t general
recognition. The mystical religious
genius of Albert Hopkins was a
powerful cooperating factor. The
Dortraitures of the two Hopkins
brothers are more deliberately shown
han any others in the volume, but
Prof, Spring has unusual skill in de-
ineation, and while he gives us
sketches of more than a hundred
professors and alumni, no
onger living, who seem worthy of
,ommemoration, and most of these
sketches. are necessarily brief, each
me of .hA subjects stands out clearly
it Ia byTno means a mere catalog
" names AN interesting expression
VI opinion. Justly recognizing the fact
hat many o. President Hopkins CO.
ldjutors were men of unusual gifts,
s this. Probably no better teaching
'ould be found in any New England
College than in Williams during the
asst 20 years of DR.. Hopkins admins
ration"
Transition. " shows an appreciative
understanding of the special difficult
les under which President Paul Ansel
labored in the prolonged