40 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



pocket money, such as the parent might approve of, might 

 be allowed by the Patron provided it did not exceed what 

 in his judgment, reinforced by the advice of the President, 

 the interest of the student and of the College might require. 

 These rules were still in force a quarter of a century later, 

 according to the Collegiate catalogue. 



The students as a rule took themselves very seriously. 

 They had a number of societies, among them the Union 

 Philosophical Society, dating back to 1789, which included 

 both students and members of the Faculty, and of which 

 William M. and Spencer F. Baird were secretaries in 

 1845 and 1846, respectively; the latter having become a 

 member in his freshman year. 



In the journal we find it noted that the members of 

 one of the societies, feeling that it had been unfairly 

 reflected on by some remarks in the minister's sermon, 

 rose in a body and solemnly filed out of church. 



However different from modern collegiate customs 

 some of their rules might seem, they were undoubtedly 

 framed for the benefit of the student and the security 

 of moral conduct. 



The long series of illustrious names which grace the 

 catalogue of this ancient seat of learning shows that the 

 discipline and paternal care of its Faculty were far from 

 being wasted. 



The president at the time of Spencer's matriculation 

 was the Rev. Dr. John Price Durbin. The member of 

 the Faculty who must have had the greatest influence 

 on young Spencer was William Henry Allen, A.M., 4 

 Professor of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy (which 

 then included all the Natural Sciences), whose post in 

 1830 had been filled by Henry D. Rogers. 



4 Afterward President of Girard College. 



