40 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
pocket money, such as the parent might approve of, might 
be allowed by the Patron provided it did not exceed what 
in his judgment, reinforced by the advice of the President, 
the interest of the student and of the College might require. 
These rules were still in force a quarter of a century later, 
according to the Collegiate catalogue. 
The students as a rule took themselves very seriously. 
They had a number of societies, among them the Union 
Philosophical Society, dating back to 1789, which included 
both students and members of the Faculty, and of which 
William M. and Spencer F. Baird were secretaries in 
1845 and 1846, respectively; the latter having become a 
member in his freshman year. 
In the journal we find it noted that the members of 
one of the societies, feeling that it had been unfairly 
reflected on by some remarks in the minister’s sermon, 
rose in a body and solemnly filed out of church. 
However different from modern collegiate customs 
some of their rules might seem, they were undoubtedly 
framed for the benefit of the student and the security 
of moral conduct. 
The long series of illustrious names which grace the 
catalogue of this ancient seat of learning shows that the 
discipline and paternal care of its Faculty were far from 
being wasted. 
The president at the time of Spencer’s matriculation 
was the Rev. Dr. John Price Durbin. The member of 
the Faculty who must have had the greatest influence 
on young Spencer was William Henry Allen, A.M.,4 
Professor of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy (which 
then included all the Natural Sciences), whose post in 
1830 had been filled by Henry D. Rogers. 
4 Afterward President Y; Girard College. 
