To enter the first class the applicant was required to "pass a competent examination" on Cæsar's Commentaries, Sallust, Ovid or Virgil, "or other Latin books equivalent," and the Greek grammar. This class was to devote the year to the study of English grammar, Roman antiquities, and the Latin classics. The second class studied arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, Grecian antiquities, and Greek classics. The third class devoted the whole time to mathematics, including geometry, surveying, navigation, algebra, natural philosophy, and astronomy. The fourth class had logic, moral philosophy, principles of civil government, chronology, history, ancient and modern, the belles-lettres, "and the revisal of whatsoever may appear necessary to the officers of the University." It was also provided that those who wished to study only the sciences and the English branches "be either formed into a class called the scientific class, or else arranged with some of the literary classes when they shall be studying the sciences." In addition to the Annual examinations, three quarterly examinations were given. The students were required to attend daily both morning and evening prayers, morning prayers being held at sunrise. From then until 8 o'clock the time was devoted to study. One hour was given to breakfast. Then followed three hours of study and recitations. After an intermission of two hours came another period of work, which lasted till 5 o'clock. Evening prayers were then held, and the student was allowed his freedom from that time till 8 o'clock, when he was required to repair to his lodgings, which were not to be left without the consent of a teacher till prayers the next morning. A monitor was appointed for each class, who reported absences and disorderly conduct. Every Saturday morning the students were required to speak, read, and exhibit compositions, the afternoon being given them for recreation. From the opening until about the close of the Caldwell administration there was a steward's hall connected with the University, and the students "boarded at commons," being seated at the table according to classes. The following picture of student life is taken from an address delivered at the University in 1859 by Dr. William Hooper, who entered that institution in 1804. He said: "Coarse corn bread was the staple food. At dinner the only meat was a fat middling of bacon, surmounting a pile of cole-worts; and the first thing after grace was said (and sometimes before) was for one man, by a single horizontal sweep of his knife, to separate the ribs and lean from the fat, monopolize all the first to himself, and leave the remainder for his fellows. At breakfast we had wheat bread and butter and coffee. Our supper was coffee and the corn bread left at dinner, without butter. I remember the shouts of rejoicing when we had assembled at the door, and some one jumping up and looking in at the window, made proclamation: Wheat bread for supper, boys!' And that wheat bread, over which such rejoicings were raised, believe me, gentlemen and ladies, was manufactured out of what we call seconds, or, as some term it, grudgeons. You will not wonder if, after such a supper, most of the students welcomed the approach of night, as beasts of prey, that they might go a-prowling and seize upon everything eatable within the compass of one or two miles; for, as I told you, our boys were following the laws of Lycurgus. Nothing was secure from the devouring torrent. Bee-hives, though guarded by a thou sand stings, all feathered tenants of the roost, watermelon and potato patches, roasting ears, etc.-in fine, everything that could appease hunger was found missing in the morning. These marauding parties at night were often wound up with setting the village to rights." Dr. Hooper then relates some amusing and characteristic student exploits. THE FIRST PROFESSORS. At the opening of the University no president was appointed. As has been before noted, the Rev. David Kerr, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, who had been conducting a classical school at Fayetteville, N. C., was elected "Professor of Humanity" and had the general management of the institution. He had charge of the department of ancient languages. Mr. Charles W. Harris, a citizen of the State and a graduate of Princeton, was appointed professor of mathematics. Samuel A. Holmes had charge of the preparatory department. Mr. In a few years the entire personnel of the faculty had changed. In 1796 Mr. Kerr resigned. He demitted the ministry, removed to Mississippi, and began the practice of law. In 1802 he was appointed to a judgeship in that Territory by President Jefferson. After the resignation of his professorship in 1796, Mr. Harris entered upon the practice of law, and before his death in 1803 he had won an enviable reputation in his profession. He was regarded as one of the most promising young men in the State. The last of the trio, Mr. Holmes, resigned in 1798. Mr. Harris was succeeded in the professorship of mathematics by the Rev. Joseph Caldwell, whom he had known at Princeton. Mr. Caldwell became first professor, and, from this time till his death in 1835, his history is a part of that of the University. AN INTERESTING LETTER. The writer, while exploiting the manuscript records of the University, came across some correspondence of Prof. Charles W. Harris, which shows the practical tendency of the higher education, gives an insight into the workings of the University, and pictures the state of society at Chapel Hill at that time. The letter, from which the following extract is taken, is addressed to Dr. Charles Harris, Cabarrus County, and is dated "University, April 10, 1795." Professor Harris says: "We have begun to introduce, by degrees, the regulations of the University, and as yet have not been disappointed. There is one class in Natural Philosophy and Geography, and four in the Languages. "The Constitution of this college is on a more liberal plan than that of any other in America, and by the amendments which I think it will receive at the next meeting of the trustees, its usefulness will probably be much promoted. The notion that true learning consists rather in exercising the reasoning faculties and laying up a store of useful knowl edge, than in overloading the memory with words of dead languages, is becoming daily more prevalent. It appears hard to deny a young gen. tleman the honour of a college after he has with much labour and painful attention acquired a competent knowledge of the Sciences, of composing and speaking with propriety in his own language, and has conned the first principles of whatever might render him useful or creditable in the world, merely because he could not read a language two thousand years old. Though the laws at present require that the Latin and Greek be understood by a graduate, they will in all probability be mitigated in their effect. These old forms which have been sanctioned by time but not by utility ought to be dispensed with. I have lately found many good hints on education in a book entitled the rights of womana book of very great merit, the production of an original genius, and penned in such a strong, manly style that you would scarcely believe it to be the work of a woman. For we are taught by many able writers and tolerably accurate observers of mankind that the natural weakness of a woman's body extends to her mind and becomes characteristic of her thoughts and words as well as of her actions. Miss Mary Wollstonecraft is the lady born effectually to rectify these misrepresentations from which so much evil has sprung. Miss' intention is to bring about a total reform in the education of women, but she takes occasion to speak of the error in the present plan of teaching young men and boys in Europe. 'The memory,' says she, 'is loaded with unintelligible words to make a show of, without the understanding acquiring any distinct idea; but only that education deserves emphatically to be termed cultivation of mind, which teaches young people how to begin to think.' She effectually overthrows Chesterfield's plan of bringing up boys. The amendments which she proposes are two numerous to be detailed in a letter, but are such as do the greatest honour to the authoress and may be ben. eficial to mankind. That there is much wrong in the old manner of educating is plain and whatever alterations will be made in our Univer sity will be made by those who can be actuated by no other principle than general utility. At present we find much difficulty in procuring books; the trustees have ordered two hundred dollars to be expended for that purpose, but it is very uncertain when the books will arrive. Dr. Williamson is commissioned to purchase and he is so totally engaged about his own book which he is preparing for the press, that he may forget others of less importance. Col. More presented us with 17037-No. 2-5 globes; Mr. Beneham with an air pump as soon as it can be procured. We will shortly have an electrical machine and other trifles. "Our society is not so good at this place as we could wish. My only resort is to Mr. Kerr, who makes ample amends to me for the want of any other. He is a violent Republican and is continually deprecating the aristocratical principles which have lately prevailed much in our Executive." FIRST PURCHASE OF BOOKS AND APPARATUS. Early in 1795 Dr. Hugh Williamson, author of a history of North Carolina, was requested by the trustees to invest $200 in books for the University. This he did, purchasing principally Greek and Latin works, lexicons, etc. On December 4, 1795, the trustees voted an annual appropriation of $50 for the purchase of books. The trustees, on December 7, 1795, instructed Professor Kerr to have an air-pump, condenser, microscope, lenses, concave mirror, loadstones, magnets, phials for an electrical machine, and a set of surveying instruments purchased. During the first years of the institution a number of books and some apparatus for the scientific departments were given by individuals. This policy of individual contributions has continued to the present time. The first large purchase of books and apparatus was made in the first quarter of this century. THE CURRICULUM, 1796. On December 9, 1796, the committee appointed by the trustees to prepare and digest a plan of education made its report, which was adopted. The following is an outline of the system introduced: The students of the institution were "divided into a Preparatory School, and the Professorships of the University." In the preparatory school the English language was "taught grammatically on the plan of Webster's and South's Grammars." Thorough instruction in arithmetic was provided. Geography was taught on the plan of Guthrie. French and Latin were required, and before the student could enter the University the grammars of these languages had to be mastered and several standard authors in each read. The study of Roman antiquities was required. Greek was optional, but to enter the University class on this, it was necessary that the student should be able to read and translate the Gospels correctly. Instruction in the University was given in the following schools, called "professorships," viz: I. Rhetoric and belles-lettres.-Rhetoric on the plan of Sheridan; belles-lettres on the plan of Blair and Rollin. |