in hand with the Bible, the rifle and the axe. With fourteen 

 years after the first permanent white settler, William Bean, 

 braved the savage by erecting his cabin within the limits of what 

 is n<>\\ Tennessee; seven -years before this land became even a 

 Territory, and fourteen years before it became a State, the first 

 school was established in 1783. All honor and respect are due 

 to Samuel Doak, the founder of this "the first literary institution 

 that was established in the great valley of the Mississippi." He 

 was the firm, fearless, dogmatic and brainy John Knox of the 

 West : his influence over the hardy pioneers of those days was 

 remarkable, and the impress of his genius, and the far-reaching 

 effects of his work on succeeding generations is inestimably great. 



This school was chartered by the Legislature of North Caro- 

 lina and was named Martin Academy in honor of the Governor. 

 It was located at Salem in Washington County, and was re-char- 

 tered in 1795 and re-named Washington College. 



Doak was the President of the College continuously until 

 1816, when he resigned in favor of his son. The institution 

 which the elder Doak employed to direct the popular mind of the 

 new territory is the cause of education was continued by his son 

 and his successors and still exists, a useful school of the Academ- 

 ical-college type, and the spirit of its founder still inspires the 

 people of the beautiful region in which it is located. 



Samuel Doak and his associates, Houston, Balch, Carrick, 

 and Craighead, constituted an excellent representation of that 

 branch of the army of the Lord which looked upon the school 

 house as the twin sister of the "church house," and believed that 

 ignorance was the lever which satan employed for the enslave- 

 ment of mankind to his service. Craighead, indeed, was in hot 

 water with his church authorities and suspected by some of heresy 

 but, such his force of character and his honesty that by 1829 he 

 had induced the church to sanction his educational views. 



This man, Rev. Thomas B. Craighead, servant of God and 

 of his fellow men, is especially mentioned here because he was 

 not only the associate of Samuel Doak, but also the first president 

 of Davidson Academy, which later became the University of 

 Nashville. 



UNIVERSITY OF NASHVILLE. 



While the first beginnings of education in this State were 

 made in East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee followed in similar 

 efforts with a very brief interval. It was Robertson, too, who 

 laid the foundation for the reputation which Nashville has now 

 as an educational center; for in 1785 he secured from the Legis- 

 lature of North Carolina a grant for Davidson Academy of 240 

 acres of land. For many years Andrew Jackson was a member 

 Of it- board of trustees and did much for it during its infant 



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