The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-01

ton of the superior body In that year. in
 response to memorials from various sec
 tions of the state, a committee was ap-
 pointed to select site for the proposed
 college, and to procure funds for it's es-
 tablishment and maintenance; and at the
 conference meeting at Eutaw in 1855 it
 vas decided, after an acrimonious debate
 lasting for three days, to locate the in-
 stitution at Greensboro. The citizens of
 Greensboro and territory adjacent, lr-
 respective of church or creed, in thelr
 desire to have the college located in their
 midst, had promised several hundred
 thousand dollars toward its establish ment.
 Col. John Erwin of Greensboro became the first president of the board of trus-
 tees. At the first meeting of the board,
 March r. 1856. Rev. C. c. Callaway. agent, reported that nearly $17O,0O0 had been raised in three months from GreeRe including most of what is now Hale) and Sumter counties alone. On June II, 1856, the cornerstone of the main build ing was laid by the grand master of the grand lodge of Alabama Masons, Col James McCaleb Wiley, in the presence of Bishops Paine. Andrew and Pierce and a vast assemblage of people.
 In October, 1859, the institution was ready for the reception of students. pr. Landon c. Garland, professor Tn the University of Alabama, who had been chosen as the first president, declined, ana pr. William M. Wightman was selected. The first faculty was composed of the iol l. lowing men: William M. Wightman, DID ] Heal literature: J. c. Wills mathematics; | Thomas M. Lupton, chemistry; Edward Wadsworth, moral philosophy; o. f' | Casey, ancient languages; J. A. Reupei,' Hebrew and modern languages. pr. Al | len S. Andrews, president of the poard oi education, reported to the conference III | 1859: ''The collegiate department was lfS aGgurated on the first Wednesday m oc- | tober in the presence of a large ana de- l I; l;ghted audience Fifty students matrlcu- lated"
 After the state was divided into two conferences. in 1883, the North Alabama conference joined with the Alabama COT | ference in the support of the Southerh uli- l iyersity. pr. Andrews became It's pres, ident, and the buildings being erected ano general improvements being mace .n. number of students registered TOT .nN year reached the highest marx h the HIS | tory of the institution.
 | At the session of the North Alabama conference held at Tuscaloosa in No vember, 1896, it was decided to beglr 1 the enterprise of establishing a col l 1ege for men within the bounds Of the l conference. On February 3, 1897, committee met in the First Method | ist church of Birmingham for the pur- pose of considering a site for the pro- posed college. AfterA careful consider l alton of various offers and inducements ] for the location, the committee agreed '. with unanimity that the college should | be located in Birmingham. Among the inducements offered by the city was | splendid property of 56 acres wei | suited for the campus In the fall o1 i 1897 the foundation for the first build | ing was laid In April, 1898, Rev. z | A. Parker, D. D., was elected presi. dent and faculty was duly choser | and organized. The conference ther surrendered it's interest in Southern 1 university, and on September IA, 1897 1 in the presence of a great congrega l tion of people, the North Alabama Con | ference college Qater named Birming
 ham college) opened it's doors for stu
 dents. Additional land was brought Several dormitory cottages with al | modern conveniences were built. Dur
 ing the summer of 1911 there wa
 erected adjacent to the excellent ath
 lettic field, 8 spacious gymnasium
 which has been equipped with dressing
 rooms. hot and cold shower baths an
 various apparatus In 1916 a three
 story science hall, mousrn in every re
 spect and equipped for the eff sctiv
 teaching of the sciences, was opene
 for 1iSe. At-the session of the confer