NEW JERSEY COLLEGE. 



27 



Dr. Smith now became president, and with such pro- 

 fessors as Dr. Walter Minto, a distinguished mathe- 

 matician, and Dr. John Maclean, who introduced the 

 " new chemistry " into this country, and at that time 

 had few equals in his special branches of study, a career 

 of prosperity seemed to be opening for the institution. 

 But again was the prospect blighted, for on March 6. 

 1802, Nassau Hall was destroyed by fire. Friends soon 

 rallied around her. Dr. Smith and others visited the 

 Middle and Southern States and succeeded in collecting 

 funds sufficient to rebuild Nassau Hall, and to erect two 

 other build ings for recitation and lecture-rooms, library, 

 and refectory. 



In consequence of impaired health Dr. Smith re 

 signed in 1812. His administration was very success- 

 ful and his influence upon the students remarkable. 

 There was trouble at times, but the number of students 

 increased and about 30 were graduated annually, 534 

 in the 18 years of his administration. 



He was succeeded by the Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green, an 

 active trustee and very prominent in the Presbyterian 

 Church. Some of the old troubles remained and were 

 increased, but they finally disappeared and the pros- 

 perity of the college under him is shown by the large 

 increase of students. He did much for their religious 

 instruction, and in 1815 occurred a must remarkable 

 revival of religion. Under his administration 356 stu- 

 dents were graduated, about 36 annually. 



He resigned in 1S22 and was succeeded in 1823 by 

 the Rev. Dr. James Carnahan, an excellent scholar and 

 administrator. From various causes there was a dimi- 

 nution in the number of students in 1828-29, and sev- 

 e.-al nf the professors resigned. Prof. John Maclean, 

 a man of remarkable energy and executive ability, alone 

 remained. Chiefly through his efforts and with the 

 hearty co-operation of the president a new faculty of 

 remarkable ability was formed, which gave great repu- 

 tation to the college. In it were Profs. Henry, Torrey, 

 Vethake, Dod, J. A. and J. \V. Alexander, Jaeger, 

 Hart, and 8. Alexander. The policy of enlargement 

 proved to be a wise one, the number of students in- 

 creased and new buildings were added, notably East 

 and Wrt College*. \\'hiir and Clio Halls, and finally 

 a new chapel. Dr. Carnahan's administration, begin- 

 ning inauspiciously, was the longest and nm.-t successful 

 in the history of the college hitherto. When he re- 

 signed in 1854 the faculty, the number of students and 

 of i In- college buildings had been doubled, and an en- 

 dowment had been begun in the form of scholarships. 



Rev. Dr. John Maclean, who had been the vice- 

 iirr.-Mrnt tor ~S> years, was now elected president. He 

 began his administration by at once enlarging the fac- 

 ulty, bringing in such eminent IIKMI as Profs. Atwater 

 and (iiiyut, and prompting the younger men, extending 

 the curriculum, and increasing the endowment. The 

 college again sustained a nio-t serious loss. Nassau 

 Hall was destroyed by fire for the second time, March 

 1", lN~>5. The insurance and contributions of friends 

 defrayed one-half of the cost of its restoration, the 

 other half was derived from the income of the college. 

 The original walls still remain, and the noble building 

 still stands almost substantially as of old. 



The college contained the largest number of students 

 (317) in its history when the rebellion broke out in 

 1861. It had always had a large number of students 

 from the South. After the firing upon Fort Sumtrr 

 '."> students left in a body to return home. No college 

 in the North probably felt the effects of the war more 

 severely than Princeton. Of her alumni and students 

 150 entered the Union army and a large number of 

 course were found in the Confederate ranks. The 

 nunitxT of students was reduced to 221, and the in- 

 come of the college was greatly diminished. Appeal* 

 were made to friends and the result was large contribu- 

 tions from Mr James Lenox and his sisters. Mr. John 

 I. Blair, Mr. John C. Green, and many others. Dr. 

 Atwater was especially active in obtaining an endow- 

 ment. Ix'L'aci, - ere received from Mr. Silas Holmes, 



Dr. John Woodhull, and Prof. George M. Giger, and 

 were promised by others. The college was placed on 

 a firm basis, the salaries were increased, and the num- 

 ber of students in 1867 was 264 ; in that year it re- 

 ce.ved 117 new students, the largest accession in its 

 history. In the same year the corner-stone of the fine 

 observatory was laid. This building, the gift of Gen. 

 N. Norris Halstead, cost $50,000. Mr. John C. Green 

 also gave $100,000, the beginning of his munificence 

 to the college. 



After faithful service for 50 years Dr. Maclean de- 

 termined to resign. The destruction of Nassau Hall 

 and the civil war had been severe blows, but the college 

 was now stronger and more prosperous than ever. 

 Nearly $500,000 had been received under his adminis- 

 tration, a sum larger than the receipts during all the 

 previous history of the college. 



As his successor the trustees selected one of the ablest 

 philosophers of the present age. Dr. Witherspoon 

 had been chosen in 1768 ; the Rev. Dr. James McCosh, 

 another Scotchman, was chosen in 1868. As history 

 thus repeated itself at the end of a century in this 

 election the old regime passed away and a new era be- 

 gan. The new president entered upon his work with 

 the greatest energy, which was crowned with remarka- 

 ble success in all respects. New friends presented 

 themselves, liberal gitls were made, beautiful and 

 needed buildings were erected, new studies were intro- 

 duced into the curriculum, and the faculty was much 

 enlarged. Mr. John C. Green founded the School of 

 Science, erected the building, furnished it with appa- 

 ratus, and endowed its various chairs. He also erected 

 Dickinson Hall and the Chancellor Green Library. 

 After his death the trustees of his estate erected 

 Witherspoon Hall, Edwards Hall, the small observa- 

 tory, and made other larg^e contributions. Probably 

 $1,500,000 were thus contributed from this one source. 



Mr. William Libbey erected and furnished Univer- 

 sity Hall at an expense of $200,000, and gave the E. 

 M. Museum of Geology so admirably arranged by 

 Prof. Arnold Guyot. Messrs. H. G. Marquand and 

 Robert Bonner erected a fine gymnasium. Mr. Mar- 

 quand also erected a beautiful chapel, costing $125,000, 

 and from his brother's estate came $60,000 to found a 

 School of Art, while other friends of the college con- 

 tributed $42,000 to erect an art-building destined to 

 receive the splendid ceramic collection of Dr. William 

 C. Prime. Messrs. R. L. and A. Stuart presented the 

 elegant president's house and grounds, and Mrs. R. L. 

 Stuart gave $154,000 to found the School of Philoso- 

 phy. Mrs. E. Stevens and the Rev. S. B. Dod en- 

 dowed the chair of mathematics in memory of their 

 father, and Mr. J. S. Kennedy endowed the chair of 

 Latin. Murray Hall, for the meetings of the Philadel- 

 phian Society, a religious society among the students, 

 was a legacy from a young graduate, Hamilton Mur- 

 ray, who perished in the steamship Ville du Havre. 

 Fellowships, scholarships, and prizes were founded and 

 numerous other donations were made. At least 

 $3,000,000 have been contributed to the college under 

 the administration of Dr. McCosh. 



Not only was the curriculum of study enlarged, but 

 a wise system of elective studies was introduced, care- 

 fully guarded so as not to lower the standard of educa- 

 tion. Post-graduate courses leading to higher degrees 

 through examination were introduced, thus contemplat- 

 ing ultimately a university. 



The faculty has been enlarged from 16 members to 

 4o, and the number of students, including post-grad- 

 uates, has more than doubled, rising from 264 to 604. 



This has been the most brilliant and successful ad- 

 ministration in the history of the college, and after 

 20 years of arduous service Dr. McCosh has retired 

 with the admiration and gratitude of all the friends 

 and alumni of Princeton. 



While the College of New Jersey has never been 

 under ecclesiastical control yet nearly all its trustees 

 and professors have always been Presbyterians, while 



