PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY. 



165 



PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF. This 

 institution, established in Philadelphia, claims as its 

 founder Benjamin Franklin. In 1 749 he issued anony- 

 mously Proposals Relative to the Education of Youth 

 in Pennsylvania, which led influential citizens of Phil- 

 adelphia to form an association and raise over 2000 

 for the purpose of an academy. A building which had 

 been erected to accommodate the congregation of 

 Whitefield was purchased and opened as "The Acad- 

 emy and Charitable School' in 1751. It contained 

 an English, a Mathematical, and a Latin School. Two 

 years later a charter was obtained from Thomas and 

 Richard Penn, the proprietors of Pennsylvania. Rev. 

 William Smith, a graduate of the University of Aber- 

 deen and a clergyman of the Church of England, was 

 invited to take charge of the academy. Such was his 

 success that in 1755 a new charter was granted, raising 

 the school to the dignity of "The College and Acad- 

 emy of Philadelphia." Its first commencement was 

 held in 1757, when seven young men received the de- 

 gree of Bachelor of Arts. Provost Smith made two 

 visits to England in behalf of the College, and obtained 

 for its use more than 6000, while the University of 

 Oxford conferred on himself the degree of D. D. The 

 College received other donations and legacies, yet for 

 the erection of its own building in 1 762 the trustees 

 availed themselves of a lottery, a plan then not un- 

 usual with religious and charitable enterprises. Rev. 

 Francis Alison (1705-1772), a Scotch-Irish Presbyte- 

 rian minister, was the vice-provost of the college from 

 1755 until his death. Rev Ebenezer Kinnersley, who 

 shared in Franklin's electrical experiments, taught 

 oratory and English literature. In 1765 a medical 

 school was projected and it became an important part 

 of the institution. Its growth will be noticed later in 

 this article. 



During the Revolution Provost Smith adhered so 

 firmly to the British Parliament and the Proprietors 

 that the Legislature of Pennsylvania caused his arrest 

 and imprisonment, but he received and instructed his 

 classes even while in jail. In 1 779 the Legislature, in 

 the excess of its patriotic zeal, annulled the charter 

 of the college and bestowed its rights and properties 

 on the "Trustees of the University of the State of 

 Pennsylvania." Liberal grants were also made to the 

 new body from the confiscated estates of royalists. 

 Rev. Dr. John Ewing (1732-1806), a graduate of 

 Princeton College and the pastor of the First Presby- 

 terian Church of Philadelphia, was then made provost, 

 and David Rittenhouse, the astronomer, was vice- 

 provost. In 1789, when the Federal Constitution was 

 adopted and a new government firmly established, the 

 friends of Dr. Smith procured the reversal of the 

 former act of the Legislature and the reinstatement 

 of the college trustees. In 1791, by an act of the Leg- 

 islature, the two bodies were united in one under the 

 present title. Dr. John Ewing remained provost until 

 his death in ls<m. 



The subsequent provosts have been as follows : 

 Rev. John McDowell, D. D., appointed 1806; Rev. 

 .I'llin Andrews. D. D., 1810- Rev. Frederick Beasley, 

 D. D., 1813; Rev. W. H. De Lancey, D. D. (after- 

 wards bishop), 1828 ; Rev. John Ludlow, D. D., 1834 ; 

 Henry Vethake, LL.I)., 1853; Rev. Daniel R. Good- 

 win, D. D., 1860; Charles J. Stille, LL.D., 1868; 

 William Pepper. M. D., LL.D., 1881. 



In 1828 two large and commodious buildings were 

 'I on Ninth street 1> lu\v Market, one for the De- 

 p.-irtmcnt of Arts, the other for the Department of 

 Medicine. These continued to be used until 1872, 

 when the site was sold to the U. S. government for the 

 erection of a post-office. The Law School, which had 

 been organized in 1789, and other associated depart- 

 ments, were also accommodated in the Arts building. 

 In the course of time the fame and growth of the 

 Medina! Department had greatly surpassed those of 

 the Department of Arts. Although the successive 

 provosts and professors were men of culture and 



acknowledged ability, their labors were confined to a 

 narrow field and a traditional curriculum. Even the 

 city of Philadelphia, from which alone the students in 

 general came, sent as many more of her youth to 

 other colleges for a liberal education. Dr. Charles J. 

 Stille, who became professor of English literature in 

 1866, began at once an active effort for the improve- 

 ment and enlargement of the University. A year 

 later he was made provost and his ability to effect 

 changes was greatly increased. He succeeded in stim- 

 ulating the liberality and civic pride of wealthy citizens 

 of Philadelphia. He also enlisted the aid of the 

 authorities of the city and State. As a result of his 

 persevering labor the University obtained a tract of 

 more than ten acres in West Philadelphia, on which 

 new and imposing buildings were erected. The main 

 building, in the collegiate Gothic style, has a front of 

 260 ft. and a denth of 100. It consists of a central 

 building containing the chapel, library, and other 

 rooms, and two wings, the western arranged for the 

 Department of Arts, and the eastern for the Depart- 

 ment of Science. This building was publicly inaug- 

 urated with appropriate ceremonies Oct. 11, 1872. 

 Dr. Stille had not limited his efforts to providing bet- 

 ter accommodations for the work of the University. 

 He had greatly enlarged the instruction in science, as 

 required by the demands of the age, and organized for 

 it a separate faculty. This new department after- 

 wards took the name "The Towne Scientific School," 

 from one of its liberal benefactors. 



Under the liberal administration of Dr. Pepper the 

 University has acquired 17 more acres of land and has 

 continued to increase the number of its buildings, 

 courses of study, professors and students. To the 

 College Department has been added the "Wharton 

 School of Finance and Economy," founded by the 

 liberality of Joseph Wharton and designed to give 

 liberal and special training to young men who expect 

 to enter on the management of large business. There 

 have also been added three new faculties the Veteri- 

 nary, the Biological and the Philosophical, and in con- 

 nection with these appropriate buildings the Veteri- 

 nary Hall and Hospital and Biological Hall. There 

 have also been erected a Nurses' Home and Maternity 

 Hospital. To the course in music and many of the 

 lectures in other courses women are admitted. The 

 instruction in the law department is now given in the 

 central part of the city, where it is expected that a 

 special building for this purpose will be erected. An 

 Alumni Hall on the University grounds is also projected. 



The public-spirited citizens who had taken part in 

 the founding 01 the college made to it valuable dona- 

 tions of books as the nucleus of a library. Unfortu- 

 nately, owing to various causes, this important adjunct 

 to liberal training was neglected. Few additions were 

 made to the stock of books until the University was 

 removed to West Philadelphia. On entering its new 

 buildings the University received from the family of 

 Stephen Colwell a valuable collection of books on 

 political economy; the library of Prof. George Allen, 

 rich in classics, bibliography, Shakespeare and the art 

 of war. Other additions were made at various times, 

 and in October, 1888, was laid the corner-stone of a 

 Library Building, which will furnish accommodation 

 for 500.000 books. The valuable philological library of 

 Prof. F. A. Pott (q. v.) was purchased for the Univer- 

 sity by some alumni. The law library of Hon. Ben- 

 jamin H. Brewster, U. S. attorney-general, was pre- 

 sented in the name of George Biddle. The total 

 number of volumes in the library is about 55,000. 



As already mentioned, the Medical School was pro- 

 jected in 1765. Dr. John Morgan, a pupil of Hunter 

 and Cullen, filled in it the first medical professorship 

 created in America. The school was organized in 

 1 767 with Dr. Morgan as professor of the theory and 

 practice of physic, and Dr. William Shippen as pro- 

 fessor of anatomy and surgery. Able professors, in- 

 cluding Dr. Benjamin Rush, were added within a few 



