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From: DC0129s, Munroe, Colin Alexander, 1844-1919 (1872). Letters, 1869, 1917 (Finding Aid)
Transcript
Davidson College, N.C [1]
Sept. 28, 1869 [2]
Mr. Chris;
Dear Sir:
According to Promise I seize my brass pen + dip it in my blue ink with the intention of sketching you a few lines.
Well sir, I am in the “college” called “Davidson” as snug as a bug in a rug. Although this is a pretty considerable place to a country born backwoods greenhorn like myself, yet + falls far short of being such as was pictured by my imagination. New students are coming in every week, from the best information, I have there are about “115” here now.
After undergoing a pretty rigid examination[3] I entered the soph’ class. Was examined first by Prof. Anderson[4] on English grammar, Ancient + Modern Geography, + Derivation of words,
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Stood pretty well on English grammar but “tell you what” the old “chap” gave me particular fits when he came to Geography + Derivation of words. Was next examined by Prof. Richardson [5] on Latin and Greek. Stood an excellent examination on these studies not having missed but one word in each. Was finally examined by Prof. Philips [6] on mathematics He commenced in addition in Arithmetic + kept ascending until he came to the 5th Book in Davies Legendre [7]; of course, he didn’t make ^a clean Sweep, but was little cleaner than I expected + the consequence was he “rushed” me a good deal especially in arithmetic. Hope it will not be considered, anything amiss to give you a brief description of the faculty of this institution, of Pres. McPhail [8] is about 5ft 9 in high weight about 140 lbs net, a little slooped in the shoulders black hair, black eyes, long whiskers, mustache ditto, intelligent forehead, very modest + dignified, yet firm + decided + very much beliked by all lawabiding students.
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2nd Prof. Blake [9] is (making a rough guess) about 5 ft 9 ¼ in high, weighs about 125 lbs net, straight as a shingle, gray eyes, fair hair, whiskers ditto. Being cut after the French Style, an earnest look, quick step + is said to be the most eloquent + deepest man of the faculty. 3rd Prof. Anderson is about the height of Pres. McPhail, weighs about the same only not quite as much, round shoulders, black hair pretty well sprinkled with gray ones, whiskers +mustache ditto, big mouth, shrill voice, pleasant countenance, an excellent flow of language, sharp as a needle point + generally goes by the name of “Rasor.” 3rd Prof. Richardson is about 5ft 11 ¾ in high, weighs about 160 lbs. noble figure. Black piercing eyes. Black hair, whiskers + mustache, head partly bald, “Esau” like, hairy hands, rather explain a difficult sentence than eat, never at a loss for words to express himself, the finest looking man of the whole “shebang” + is better known among the students by the name of old “Dick”
Last, but not least, Prof. Philips is another rough guess about 5ft-10 ½ in high. about 2ft 2 ½ in. in diameter, weighs somewhere between 200 +400 lbs net. A mouth well proportioned to the size of the man,
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pretty thick lips with a kind of pucker, to them which you know always makes
a person look independent, a man of great talents, cannot be beat in his manner of communicating ideas, very lively + cheerful disposition + stands rather higher in the estimation of nearly all the students than any of the Profs.
John Steele [10], Bob Rush [11], Dugald [12] + myself belong to one club boarding [13] ourselves. We get an old negro woman living in the campus to do our cooking: we eat in one of the unoccupied rooms of the college, cant tell yet how much it will cost per month but don’t think it will cost more than $8.
Several of the boys are anxious to follow our example in this particular another club is about made up consisting of 10. Several of the boys are trying to get into ours. Think we will take in 3 or 4 more.
“Chris” please excuse the many mistakes in this scrawl remembering it was done in haste. My love to all inquiring friends especially to those of the feminine gender.
An early reply will be anxiously looked for by your friend,
Colin A Munroe [14]
Annotations
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[1] Davidson College in the 1869-1870 academic year had 125 students and 7 faculty members (D.C.C. 1869-1870,10). Located in the town of Davidson college on “the line of the Atlantic, Tennessee, and Ohio Railroad,” the college was approximately equidistant from the four neighboring towns of Charlotte, Statesville, Salisbury, and Concord.” According to the Davidson College Catalogue, the school’s remote location provided for a population “free from any local sickness at all times of the year.” Moreover, Davidson students were renowned for their morality, as the college’s isolation from towns removed “all temptation to vice and extravagance” (D.C.C. 1869-1870,11). The College offered two courses of instruction: scientific and classical. Students pursuing the classical course of instruction were given a relatively structured curricular plan to follow. On the other hand, students of the scientific course of instruction were allowed more decision making power about their courses, and could also pursue “studies in the Classical course as they prefer[red]” (D.C.C. 1869-1870, 13) The tuition was $67 for that year. Total expenses (including laundry, room furnishings, and books) were estimated to be between $75 and $85 per term (D.C.C. 1869-1870,16).
[2] On this date, Munroe would have nearly completed his first month of school as a sophomore at Davidson. The 1869-1870 school year began on Thursday, September 2nd, 1869. (D.C.C. 1869-1870, 3)
[3] Students at Davidson referred to the college’s entrance examinations as “rigid.” “A three-day affair testing proficiency in Latin, Greek, mathematics, English grammar, and geography,” examinations before 1874 were public, oral, and extraordinarily challenging. Davidson’s faculty planned to use the difficulty of these examinations to promote the college’s reputation as an institution with “a high standard of Scholarship.” (Beaty History 127) However, some teachers and parents were opposed to the severity of these examinations, and were angry because many boys were not admitted. To appease these individuals without lowering admission standards, Davidson created a preparatory class, “a stage of advancement below…Freshman.” During this preparatory year, students studied Latin, Greek, arithmetic, and algebra, to “prepare them thoroughly for College classes.” (Beaty History 127)
[4] Professor Anderson, also known as John Monroe Anderson, was a reverend and Davidson College English professor. As a “Professor of Belles Lettres,” his professorship primarily concentrated on composition rather than the schooling of literature. Anderson was the second man ever to hold this position at Davidson College. He was preceded by Victor Barringer and succeeded by Andrew Hepburn. (Harris “English” n.p.)
[5] Professor Richardson, also known as Wilson Gaines Richardson, was a Professor of French, Latin, Spanish, and Greek Languages at Davidson College from 1866 to1874. Wilson Gaines “W.G.” Richardson also served as Davidson College’s Librarian from 1869 to 1875 and worked in the College President’s Office as a clerk from 1868 to 1869. (Faculty and Staff Database “Wilson Gaines Richardson”)
[6] “Prof. Philips” was Dr. Charles Phillips (1822-1889), a Davidson College clerk and professor of Mathematics and Engineering. After teaching at Davidson from 1868 to 1875, Dr. Phillips retired and moved on to teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (Register, Henry Fries Letter) At UNC, Phillips served a short term as presiding professor over Phillips Hall, their Mathematics Department. (UNC “Names Across the Landscape”)
[7]Davies’ Legendre was a series of eight mathematics textbooks written by Dr. Charles Davies, a Mathematics professor at West Point from 1823 to 1833. Though these books covered a wide range of topics from elementary arithmetic to college mathematics, none included math more advanced than calculus. The Davies books were extremely popular, as they were conspicuously superior to other math textbooks available at the time. His most popular text, Elements of Geometry and Trigonometry, appeared in 33 editions and 300,000 copies between the years of 1828 and 1895. (Rickey, V. Frederick, and Amy Shell-Gellasch “Mathematics)
For more information about Charles Davies, visit http://www.maa.org/publications/periodicals/convergence/mathematics-education-at-west-point-the-first-hundred-years-charles-davies-mathematics-professor
[8]Reverend George Wilson McPhail was Philosophy professor at Davidson College from 1866 to 1871. McPhail also served as the college’s President during that time. (Faculty and Staff Database “George Wilson McPhail”) Before Davidson’s trustees elected him as President, McPhail worked in as a pastor in Fredericksburg,Virginia. George Wilson McPhail was the first president to be buried in the Davidson College cemetery. (Gillespie, Molly “George Wilson McPhail)
For more details about the life of President McPhail, visit https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/george-wilson-mcphail
[9]”Prof. Blake” was John Rennie Blake (1825-1900), a Davidson College professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy. After President McPhail’s death in 1871, Davidson’s Board of Trustees allowed the college’s faculty to elect a chairman. Blake was chosen, and consequently served as Chairman of the Faculty until 1877. Blake’s position replaced that of the college presidency for those years. (Gillespie, “John Rennie Blake”) In 1877, the Board of Trustees decided to reestablish the office of president. Blake was rendered ineligible for the presidency, as he was not an ordained minister. Instead, the Board chose Andrew D. Hepburn. After Hepburn’s election, Blake remained on the faculty, assumed the college’s vice-presidency, and taught courses in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy until 1885. (Gillespie, “John Rennie Blake”)
For a short biography on Blake and details concerning his administration, visit https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/john-rennie-blake
[10]John Elijah Steele was one year behind Rush, Monroe, and Munroe at Davidson College. Like Munroe, Steele took Davidson’s entrance exams in 1869. However, Steele was unlike his friend in that he barely passed the entrance exams due to his poor performance in languages. (Faculty Minutes) Originally from Pikin, North Carolina, Steele would have almost finished his first month as a freshman in college when this letter was written. After graduating in 1873, he became a farmer and moved to Little’s Mills, North Carolina. (Alumni Catalog 1837-1924, 99)
[11]Robert Teril Rush (b. 1845) graduated from Davidson College in 1872. He and Munroe had several commonalities; not only were they both in the same class, but also tested into the sophomore class as first years and belonged to Davidson College’s Philanthropic Literary Society. Originally from Perkin, North Carolina, Rush found work as a sheriff after graduating from Davidson. Ultimately, he became a farmer. (Alumni Catalog 1837-1924, 97)
[12]Like Munroe, Dugald Monroe (1846-1924) originated from Fayetteville, North Carolina, belonged to Davidson’s Class of 1872, and participated in the college’s Philanthropic Literary Society. Directly after graduation, Monroe spent a year working as a teacher. Subsequently, Monroe spent three years studying at the Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, after which he became a minister. Notable places where Monroe ministered include Soddy, Tennessee and Newton, North Carolina. (Alumni Catalog 1837-1924, 96)
[13]In July 1845, Davidson’s Board of Trustees decided to allow students to “board,” or receive regular meals, elsewhere if they wished. This resulted in a nearly one hundred year time period in which the college did not have a central dining facility for its students. Instead, the college students could board anywhere in the town deemed suitable by the college’s boarding committee. Students’ individual finances primarily dictated where they chose to board (Beaty History) Their options consisted of eating at the college-run Steward’s Hall, a family-run boarding house, or organizing an unofficial club. The organization of an unofficial club, the cheapest option, is described in this letter. Membership within an unofficial club only cost around $8 per month, while boarding houses cost between $10 and $15. Boarding at Steward’s Hall was a relatively expensive $14 per month. (Davidson, dining)
[14]Colin Alexander Munroe (1844-1919) joined Davison College’s Class of 1872 the fall of 1869. (Alumni Catalog 1837-1924, 96) Munroe performed so well on his entrance examinations, he was admitted to the sophomore class in full academic standing as a first year at the college. (Faculty Minutes) Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Munroe participated in the college’s Philanthropic Literary Society. Like his friend Dugald, Munroe taught for a year after graduation, then spent three years studying at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Subsequently, he ministered in a number of locations across several states, namely Crystal Springs, Mississippi, Old Fort, North Carolina, and Huntington, West Virginia. Ultimately, Munroe died in Davidson, North Carolina in 1919. (Alumni Catalog 1837-1924, 96)
Works cited
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Alumni Catalog of Davidson College, 1837-1924. Davidson College Archives.Davidson, N.C.
Beaty, Mary D. A History of Davidson College. Davidson, NC: Briarpatch, 1988. Print.
Charles Phillips. Photograph. UNC University Library. Accessed 27 April 2014
Davidson, Chalmers. “Davidson dining: the way it was.” Davidson Update. August, 1981. 4
Davidson College Catalog, 1869-1870. Davidson College Archives. Davidson, N.C.
Faculty Minutes. 2 September 1869. RG 2-3.2. President’s Office. Davidson College Archives. Davidson, N.C.
“George Wilson McPhail.” Faculty and Staff Database. Davidson College Archives, n.d. Web.
Gillespie, Molly P. “George Wilson McPhail ” Davidson Encyclopedia 1998
<https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/george-wilson-mcphail/>
Gillespie, Molly P. “John Rennie Blake” Davidson Encyclopedia 1998.
<https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/john-rennie-blake/>
Harris, Jim. “English Department.” Davidson Encyclopedia. 5 July 2012.
<https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/english-department/>.
“Names Across the Landscape:James Phillips (1792-1867), Charles Phillips (1822-1889), and William Battle Phillips (1857-1918) and Phillips Hall.”Museum.unc.edu/. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
Register, Keri, annotator. 3 January 1875 Henry Fries Letter. DC0029s.
Rickey, V. Frederick, and Amy Shell-Gellasch. “Mathematics Education at West Point: The First Hundred Years – Charles Davies, Mathematics Professor,1823-1837.” Www.maa.org. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA), n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
“Wilson Gaines Richardson.” Faculty and Staff Database. Davidson College Archives, n.d. Web.
Transcription and annotation author: Franzia Martin.
Date: May 2014.
Cite as: Martin, Franzia, annotator. 28 September 1869 Colin A. Munroe Letter to Mr. Chris. DC0129s.
Available: https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/colin-a-munroe-letter-28-sep-1869.
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