EARLY DAYS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO 33 



elected on April 29. At the same meeting it was voted to open the 

 university with preparatory and normal departments on September 

 5, 1877. On the 28th Dr. Joseph A. Sewall, of Normal, 111., was elected 

 president of the university at a salary of $3,000, and Professor Justin 

 E. Dow, of Boulder, was elected professor of Greek and Latin at a 

 salary of $2,000/ President Sewall had been professor of chemistry 

 at the Illinois Normal University and Professor Dow, principal of the 

 public schools of Boulder. These were the only faculty appointments 

 made by the regents before the opening of the university. 



The Boulder News on August 31, 1877, gave notice of the inaugural 

 exercises to be held on Wednesday, September 5, and added: "The 

 Regents have been wise in their selection of a President and Professor. 

 .... One hundred and seventeen seats have arrived and are being 

 placed; the blackboards are painted; the rooms are cleared and 

 cleaned ; the ventilation and water for buildings arranged ; the grounds 

 graded, rubbish removed, and roads made. President Sewall's family 

 have arrived and are furnished with pleasant rooms in the building 

 which they make their home." September 5 was a perfect day in 

 contrast to the stormy 20th of 1875, when the corner-stone was laid. 2 

 The exercises began with a parade headed by Gilman's band. "The 

 University bell heralded the approach of the procession to the grounds. 

 The bell occupied the place of humility — on the steps of the temple 

 of learning, but in due time will be elevated to the summit." 3 The 

 Rev. A. J. Chittenden opened the exercises at the building with the 

 invocation. The choir sang. President Dolloff, for the regents, 

 made a few introductory remarks and was followed by the speaker of 

 the day, President Sewall. Other addresses were made and the 

 university anthem, "We hail thee! great Fountain of learning and 

 light," was sung. 



With such formalities the University of Colorado was at last 

 opened. 



1 Regents' Minutes, p. 7; Boulder News, March 30, 1877. A brief account of Mr. Sewall's life is given 

 in the Boulder News, April 20, 1877. 



3 A full account of the exercises is given in the Boulder News, September 7, 1877. 

 1 Boulder News, September 7, 1877. 



