WAYLAND, FRANCIS. 



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no means favorable. It was scantily endowed, 

 Lad little apparatus, and a small library. He 

 soon reduced the affairs to order ; and Brown 

 University became remarkable for the exem- 

 plary behavior of its students and its high 

 standard of instruction. " Its departments of 

 instruction," it is said, " were but imperfectly 

 organized ; and, in addition to his own proper 

 work, he taught whatever there was no one 

 else to teach. For several years he held the 

 reins of discipline entirely in his own hands, 

 and, both by day and by night, watched over 

 the students with truly parental care. He did 

 not care especially to make the college popular, 

 as it is called ; but he labored most earnestly 

 to render it a school of thorough discipline and 

 of sound education." The result of such assid- 

 uous labors and a management so skilful was 

 most happy. The library rose to a respectable 

 rank, and a permanent endowment of $25,000 

 was secured for it. Its increasing size required 

 ampler accommodation ; and Manning Hall, 

 with its fine library and chapel-rooms, was 

 erected. The new president's house and Rhode 

 Island Hall were erected ; and, on Dr. Way- 

 land's earnest appeals, the endowment of the 

 university was considerably increased. Yet, 

 with all these evidences of success, Dr.* Way- 

 land's ideal of a university was not reached. 

 The number of students did not increase, but 

 actually diminished, and the annual expenses 

 had become greater than the annual receipts. 

 He investigated with great care the existing 

 system of collegiate instruction in the United 

 States; and, becoming satisfied that a radical 

 change in some of its features was demanded, 

 gave expression to his views in a little volume 

 published in 1842, entitled " Thoughts on the 

 Present Collegiate System of the United States." 

 In 1849, despairing of any decided improve- 

 ment while the existing system was retained, 

 Dr. Wayland resigned the presidency. The 

 corporation, unwilling to release him, asked if 

 he could not be prevailed on to remain in office. 

 In reply, he stated freely the reasons of his res- 

 ignation, and suggested such changes as he be- 

 lieved essential for the largest usefulness of the 

 university. The experiment was tried, and 

 proved reasonably successful. An endowment 

 fund of $125,000 was raised by subscription in 

 four months, and the university commenced the 

 year 1850-'51 under the new system. During 

 the second term of that year the number of 

 students increased to 195, and from that time 

 to the date of Dr. Wayland's resignation the 

 average was 249. On the 21st of August, 

 1855, his resignation was again sent to the 

 corporation; this time not from any discour- 

 agement in regard to the condition of the uni- 

 versity, for it was enjoying a higher degree of 

 prosperity than at any former period, but from 

 the state of his health. It was accepted with 

 regret, and only from the conviction that it 



* He received the degree of D. D. from Union College in 

 1827, and from Harvard University in 1829. The latter in- 

 stitution conferred on him the degree of LL. D. in 1852. 



was indispensable to the preservation of his life. 

 He was accustomed for many years to preach 

 to the students every Sabbath; and his ser- 

 mons, though not marked by the graces of or- 

 atory in their delivery, were replete with sound 

 and vigorous thought. For two or three years 

 he preached with great acceptance in the First 

 Baptist Church in Providence. But his great 

 work, so far as his relations to education were 

 concerned, was the preparation of his text- 

 books. For eight years after he entered upon 

 the presidency, he taught moral philosophy by 

 lectures and discussions. Having, by this long 

 course of study, settled fully the great principles 

 of the science, he gave his "Elements of Moral 

 Science" to the public in 1835, and for thirty 

 years it has continued to be a standard work. 



In 1837 his "Elements of Political Econ- 

 omy " was published, and though meeting with 

 less universal success than his preceding work, 

 as was to be expected from the diversity of 

 views on the subject, and its connection with 

 partisan warfare, it has enjoyed a high degree 

 of popularity. It is marked by the same clear- 

 ness and precision of thought characteristic of 

 his Moral Science. His "Elements of Intellec- 

 tual Philosophy," though its substance had been 

 given to many successive classes in the lecture- 

 room, was not published till 1854. Here he 

 was treading upon difficult ground, and, amid 

 conflicting systems, could hardly hope to satisfy 

 all. His aim was to give a clear and impartial 

 as well as comprehensive view of the elements 

 of metaphysics, and he was remarkably success- 

 ful. His other published works were " Uni- 

 versity Sermons" (1838), subsequently enlarged 

 and published under the title of "Salvation 

 by Christ" (1838); "Limitations of Human 

 Responsibility" (1840); "Life of Rev. Ado- 

 nirarn Judson, D. D.," 2 vols. (1853) ; " Notes 

 on the Principles and Practices of the Baptists " 

 (1856); "Occasional Discourses "(1858); "Ser- 

 mons to the Churches " (1858); "Letters to 

 the Churches on the Ministry of the Gospel " 

 (1863) ; " a Memoir of Thomas Chalmers, 

 D. D." (1864). He also held a written discus- 

 sion with Dr. Richard Fuller in 1844, and the 

 letters of both parties were published in 1845, 

 under the title of " Christianity and Slavery." 

 His labors in the cause of education were not 

 confined to his own university ; they were co- 

 extensive with the limits of the world. In his 

 own State, the efforts for educational reform in 

 the public schools found in him a zealous and 

 efficient leader. In the founding of colleges 

 and theological seminaries, in the promotion of 

 a higher and more truly liberal education among 

 clergymen, and in the establishment of training- 

 schools in the mission stations in foreign land*, 

 he was always an efficient helper. The affection 

 and esteem in which he was held by the people 

 of the gallant little State of which for thirty- 

 eight years he had been a resident, were high 

 evidence of his moral worth. Of all her citi- 

 zens, there was none whom Rhode Island more 

 delighted to honor, none who would have been 



