Part 43 (1/2)

Near the close of the war it was seen that many of the soldier students of the college would be unable to complete their education because of the sacrifices they had made in the service of their country. A fund of fourteen thousand dollars was therefore contributed by patriot friends at home and in part by Iowa regiments in the field for the education of disabled soldiers and soldiers' orphans. No gift to the school has ever been more useful than this foundation, which aided in the support of hundreds of the most worthy students of the college.

Two of the students of Cornell were enrolled in the armies of the Confederacy. Of these one became a lieutenant in a Texas regiment. At one time learning that one of his prisoners was a Cornell boy and a member of his own literary society, the Texas lieutenant found Cornell loyalty a stronger motive than official duty. He took his prisoner several miles from camp, gave him a horse and started him for the Union lines.

THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

From the beginning Cornell college has been coeducational. In the earliest years of her history some concessions were made in the courses of study to the supposed weakness of woman's intellect, and ”ornamental branches,” such as ”Grecian painting,” which seems to have been a sort of transfer work, ”ornamental hair work and wax flowers” were grafted on the curriculum for her special benefit--branches which soon were pruned away.

Woman's presence seems to have been regarded in these early years as a menace to the social order, safely permitted only under the most rigorous restrictions. So late as 1869 Rule Number Twelve appeared in the catalog--”_The escorting of young ladies by young gentlemen is not allowed_.” This was a weak and degenerate offspring of the stern edict of President Keeler's administration:

”_Young ladies and gentlemen will not a.s.sociate together in walking or riding nor stand conversing together in the halls or public rooms of the buildings, but when necessary they can see the persons they desire by permission._”

For many years these blue laws have been abrogated, and the only restrictions found needful are those ordinarily imposed by good society. The a.s.sociation and compet.i.tion of young men and women in all college activities--an a.s.sociation necessarily devoid of all romance and glamour--has been found sane and helpful to both s.e.xes, and no policy of segregation in any form has ever been as much as suggested.

The social life of the college has always been under the leaders.h.i.+p of the literary societies. They are now eight in number: The Amphictyon, Adelphian, Miltonian and Star for men and the Philomathean, Aesthesian, Alethean and Aonian for women. The students of the Academy also sustain four flouris.h.i.+ng societies, the Irving and Gladstone, Clionian and King.

These societies meet in large and rather luxuriously furnished halls in which they entertain their friends each week with literary and musical programs, followed by short socials. Business meetings offer thorough drill in parliamentary practice and often give place to impromptu debates which give facility in extemporaneous speaking. The societies also give banquets and less formal receptions from time to time and in general have charge of the social life of the school. Members are chosen by election and the rus.h.i.+ng of the incoming freshman cla.s.s is a fast and furious campaign, occupying a week or so of the first half-year. However it may affect studies, it certainly develops friends.h.i.+ps and promotes the rapid a.s.similation of the large number of new students in the body social of the school.

The societies have always been in effect fraternities and sororities so far as social advantages are concerned, and they have performed the function of the best fraternities in the intellectual and moral supervision which they have given their members. But the literary societies have been more than fraternities, and under their supervision the social life of the college has been lived on a distinctly higher plane than had its organization been purely social and for recreation only. They have also been markedly distinguished from fraternities in their democratic character. Instead of excluding fifty or even seventy or eighty per cent of the students from their privileges, they have given their inestimable social advantages to practically all who cared to join them. They have thus prevented the growth of a leisured cla.s.s of students whose sole interest in college is found in its recreations and who have been allowed the control of the college social life.

Indeed, so valuable in the history of the college has this social organization proved that students have suggested that it be extended to other colleges by means of affiliated chapters.

ENDOWMENTS

During the earlier years of its history the college received few notable gifts. It was largely sustained by innumerable small contributions to its current expenses and endowment funds made by devoted friends whose generosity and self sacrifice deserve the praise bestowed upon the widow who cast her mite into the treasury of the temple. The larger gifts which have been made in endowing chairs, with the amounts and dates of the foundation and names of the donors, are as follows:

1859 Hamline Professors.h.i.+p of Greek Language and Literature, $25,000, by Bishop L. L. Hamline.

1873 D. N. Cooley Professors.h.i.+p of Civil and Sanitary Engineering, $10,000, by Hon. D. N. Cooley, Dubuque, and Oliver Hoyt.

1873 Alumni Professors.h.i.+p of Mathematics, $50,000, by The Alumni.

1885 W. F. Johnston Professors.h.i.+p of Physics, $50,000, by Hon. W. F. Johnston, Toledo.

1902 Edgar Truman Brackett, Jr., Professors.h.i.+p of History and Politics, $30,000, by Hon. Edgar T. Brackett, Saratoga, N. Y.

1904 David Joyce Professors.h.i.+p of Political Economy and Sociology, $50,000, by David Joyce, Clinton.

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1904 Lucy Hayes King Foundation, now in support of the presidency, by ex-president Wm. F. King, $50,000.

1910 Alumni Professors.h.i.+p of Geology, $50,000, by The Alumni.

Among the other notable gifts to the college must be mentioned that by the Hon. Andrew Carnegie, of $50,000 for the erection of the Carnegie library, dedicated in 1905.

The largest donations to the college have been those of its president emeritus, William Fletcher King. Most valuable of all have been the long years of service, but besides these he has given from time to time many financial gifts to meet current needs and near the end of his term of office, he crowned his benefactions not only with the endowment of the professors.h.i.+p just mentioned, but with the munificent gift of $100,000 to found 100 scholars.h.i.+ps in memory of Margaret Fletcher King.

At the unveiling of the bronze tablet in her memory, in 1904, Hon. L.