146 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



INSTRUCTION IN THE UNIVERSITY RESUJIED. 



UNIVERSITY EDIFICE BURNT. 



July, and on the same day the Rev. James 

 Murdock was elected professor of the 

 learned languages, the Rev. Ebenezer 

 Burgess, professor of mathematics and 

 natural philosophy, and Jairus Kennan 

 professor of chemistry and mineralogy, 

 [nstruction was commenced on the first 

 Wednesday of September following, and 

 from that period the number of students 

 gradually increased, and the prospects of 

 the institution improved for several years. 

 But the aifairs of the university becoming 

 embarrassed inconsequence ofjudgmenls 

 being unexpectedly obtained against it, 

 on some long standingr claims, Dr. Austin 

 resigned the presidency on the 21 si of 

 March, 1821. The regular course of in- 

 struction was continued till the com- 

 mencement in Aug. when the Rev. Daniel 

 Haskel, one of the settled ministers in 

 Burlington, was appointed president -pro 

 tanfjorc till a president should be chosen, 

 but the prospects of the institution be 

 came so dark and unpropitious that the 

 acting college faculty were authorized to 

 suspend instruction in the institution 

 whenever they should think proper. Ac- 

 cordingly, soon after the commencement 

 of the fall term of l!*21, public notice was 

 given in the chapel, that the operations of 

 the university v.'ould be inderinitely sus- 

 pended from and after the close of that 

 term, and the students were advised not 

 to abandon their collegiate course, but 

 comjjlete it in connexion with some other 

 institution. 



The Phi Sigma Nu society, composed 

 of students and graduates of the univer- 

 sity, had at this time a very respectable 

 library, and the question now arose, what 

 disposition shall be made of this ? There 

 was at this time a considerable number of 

 graduates of the university, who were 

 honorary members of the society, residing 

 in Burlington, who were anxious that the 

 books should be so left that they could 

 have the use of them during the suspen- 

 sion of the university. A portion of these 

 resided near the university', and another 

 portion in the lower part of the town ; the 

 former wished the books to remain in the 

 university building where they were, 

 while the latter wished them removed in- 

 to their neighborhood. This matter was 

 discussed with much warmth by the hon- 

 orary members for several successive eve- 

 nings, till at length the ordinary mem- 

 bers, who possessed the constitutional 

 right to provide for the safe keeping of 

 the library, becoming weary of the debate, 

 voted that the books should be boxed up 

 and placed in the hands of Dr. N. R. 

 Smith, one of the professors of the uni- 

 versity, for safe keeping. 



The question with regard to the dispo- 

 sition of the society's library being thus 

 settled, a consultation was had by the 

 graduates present- with regard to the an- 

 ticipated suspension of the university, and 

 it was unanimously resolved that an effort 

 should be made to prevent such a calami- 

 ty. A committee was accordinglj' ap- 

 pointed by those present for the purpose 

 of carrying the resolution into effect; and 

 their efforts vrere attended with so much 

 success, that, before the students dispers- 

 ed, the notice of the suspension was re- 

 called, and the Rev. Daniel Haskel being 

 chosen president, and James Dean pro- 

 fessor of mathematics, on the 22d of No- 

 vember, the institution was enabled to 

 proceed without interruption, and confi- 

 dence in its permanence and ultimate 

 prosperity was rapidly restored.* 



At the time of Mr. Haskel's election, 

 the number of students in the university 

 was reduced to 22 ; but, by his efficient 

 labors, they were rapidly increased, and, 

 in the beginning of 1H24, they amounted 

 to about 70. But the days of darkness 

 and calamity were not yet ended. On 

 the 27th of May, of this year, the 'noble 

 college edifice was accidentally consumed 

 by fire and with it a portion of the library 

 anil apparatus. Nor was this calamity 

 the last, or the heaviest. The deep an.x- 

 icty and arduous duties devolved upon 

 president Haskel, produced, during the 

 •summer, a mental aberration, which ren- 

 dered him incapable of discharging the 

 duties of his office. Thus were the fair 

 and flattering prospects of the university 

 again involved in gloom and disappoint- 

 ment. But the friends of the institution 

 were not discouraged. Before the suc- 

 ceeding commencement in August, the 

 citizens of Burlington had subscribed 

 more than ^d,3(J0 towards the expense of 

 erecting new buildings ; and at the meet- 

 ing of the corporation, at that time, it was 

 resolved to proceed in the erection of the 

 same, and Luther Loomis, George Moore 

 and Win. A. Griswold were appointed a 

 committee for that purpose. The Rev. 

 Willard Preston was chosen president, 

 and rooms for the students and for recita- 

 tion being provided in private houses, the 

 course of instruction proceeded without 

 interruption, while contracts were com- 

 pleted and arrangements made to proceed 

 without delay in the erection of the new 

 buildings. 



'The plan adopted embraced three build- 

 ings; the tv^o outer ones, each 7.3 feet long, 

 36 feet wide and three stories high, were 



* Thus it would seem that as tlie caljhiingof geeso 

 once saved Rome, so tlie babbling of sophomores and 

 otiiers saved the university. 



