Evening star., 1951-07-22

9ett FTOCtOI
it was just a college even prior to
this date.
When the university was begun
in 1920 the entire District of CO.
lumbia had a population of 33,039,
including Alexandria County. in
that part of the District south Of
the Potomac River-its buildings
included Kalorama Mansion as
we'll as the old Holt House, and
the Dean property. other early
suburban properties as well, and
the home of Commodore Porter,
then on Meridian Hill. Later the
university moved to H and Fiji
teenth streets.
And the Bond Played Dixie
Prior to this, and during the
conflict of the States the college
was turned into a Union hospital
and the Union band on Sabbath
morning played for the hospital
patients. However. it is said %
have played Nellie Gray" and
Dixie" and at o'clock our ma
tional flag was raised in front Of
the hospital.
e.. In the near distance SPAR
kled the blue Potomac in the SUM-
shine, making it a scene
never to be forgotten by the in
valid soldier"
This was typically a Southern
college, and after the war William
L. Wilson. a previous graduate, re-
turned to the school as an in
structor, and even wore his gray
uniform for some time in the class
room, as other clothing was prob
ably scarce AS is we'll known,
while he was a Representative in
Congress from West Virginia he
framed the Wilson tariff bill;
later served in President Cleve-
lands cabinet as Postmaster Gen
eral and died as president Of
Washington and Lee University
of Virginia.
| And so it is with the old-timer
who remembers the Columbian
College grounds of yore. and Four
teenth street road, Meridian Hill,
Mount Pleasant and Columbia
Heights before these places were
all built up. In some respects i'm
iprovements have made travel and
living conditions hereabout most
delightful, but the charm of the
country-the trees overhanging
the old road, the springs trickling
across the footways, the lowing
cattle in the open fields and the
wooded areas, including even
patches of the forest primeval-
are gone forever and the scenes
we recall in our childhood days
have given way to what man
takes pleasure in calling ex-
pansion and development.
Among the EorIy Students
/ Recently the writer came across
an early catalogue of the students
of Columbian College and among
the names appearing as academic
students for the year 1901
he noted that of his friend, Henry
L. Bryan of the Association of
Oldest Inhabitants, who has been
ill for some time. The name of
Campbell Darlington also ap-
peared. as did w. Clarence Du-
vail, E. B. Hay. A. A. Lipscomb,
W. Harry Rapley and w. H.
Singleton, all well-known men to
the old Washington resident.
i In the senior class of 1867
appeared the names of BENJAMIN
Alvord. jr.; Willis J. Baxter, Clar-
ence Beall. Howard Beall, Louis
K. Beatty. William K. Butler,
John w. Chappell, Clinton Cla-
baugh. Clarence Curtis, Harry C..
Davis, John w. Dunn, C. T. C..
Earle, George B. Edwards, Henry
S. Elliott, Warren w. Forster,
Leon L. Frederick, Miles Fuller,
Edward c. Goddard, Asaph Hall.
jr.;; Austin Hurr, Randolph c.
Hyatt, William B. King, william
A. Leetch, Halsey C. Lindsey,
George S. Lovett, jr.: John Lock-
wood. Ernest McGill, ]. A. Nc
> Knight, T. w. Laughlin, Thomas
A. Murray, Theodore w. Noyes,
William o. Petty, Frank Powers.
u. c. S. Richardson, Frank E.
Smith, w. Herbert Smith and
l.. Herfoot Shute.
In 1884 the Columbian Univer-
sity moved into its new building,
erected where now stands the
Woodward Building at Fifteenth
and H streets. and in 1904-5 it be-
came George Washington Uni
versity. About 1910 the building
at Fifteenth and H streets having
: been sold. the university moved
from this site and in 1912 took
up its present quarters on G street
between Twentieth and Twenty
first streets, and its growth since
| then has been marvellous.