Back to College Letters Collection | Back to Elijah Frink Rockwell Letters
Jump to Original | Jump to Annotations | Jump to Works Cited
From: DC0152, Rockwell, Elijah Frink, 1809-1888. Papers, 1783, 1848-1869 (Finding Aid)
Transcript
Davidson College[1] Jan. 25. 1867[2]
Rev W. W. Pharr[3]
Dear Br,
Your favor of the 18th inst [instant]. notifying me of a meeting of the Miss.Conv[4]. yesterday in Salisbury[5], came to hand since dinner[6]. Of course I could not be there. I send you Br. Morrison’s[7] letter- I have received almost nothing since synod[8]. I suppose not $10: all that I then had went to pay Dr. Chapman[9] what was due before last Apl [April].
I have a collection in progress here at this time, and what is raised I will forward to Br. M[Morrison]. for present wants. You were probably apprised of the expected meeting of Ex. Com.[10] at Charlotte tomorrow to consult with him. He has made a very favorable impression here- He is a different man from any we have had in that position[11] before. He will return in a few weeks. We are anxious for him to come.
We have had a few new students and all are doing well. We have not had a case of Discipline[12] in 4 months. We should have had a communion last Sabbath, but for the weather. The Dr.[13] came late Sat. night.[14]
Remember me kindly to Mrs. P[15]and family-we are all well. Be so good as to hand the inclosed paper to Col. Allison[16]
Yours, truly,
E.F. Rockwell[17]
Original
Jump to top
Annotations
Jump to top
[1] Davidson College was founded in 1837 as a Presbyterian, agrarian, and all male institution. The college is located in Davidson, NC about 22 miles north of Charlotte, NC. The town was incorporated as Davidson College in 1879 and in 1891 the town’s name was officially changed to Davidson. (Town History)
[2] In the school year of 1866-1867, Davidson College had a total enrollment of only 27students, with only one of them graduating with a Bachelors degree. There were 4 faculty members, with George W. McPhail as the president of the college. (Statistics)
[3] E. F. Rockwell refers to Reverend William Walter Pharr, a Davidson graduate of 1853. Pharr was born on January 1st, 1832 in Cabarrus County, NC. His father, Walter Smiley Pharr served on the Board of Trustees from 1836 to 1859. (Lingle) Pharr served as the president of Trustees from 1845-1866, then on the Board of Trustees from 1860 to 1894. He was also the clerk of the Concord Presbytery for 22 years. Pharr passed away on January 10, 1910. (Pharr)
[4] Rockwell refers to the Missionary Convention, which was a regular event for Presbyteries. At these conventions, there was a committee that got together to discuss presbytery decisions. (Blodgett)
[5] In 1867, the Missionary Convention was held in Salisbury, North Carolina. (Blodgett)
[6] When Rockwell writes that “came to hand since dinner, he means that it was of late delivery. (Blodgett)
[7] E. F. Rockwell refers to Robert Hall Morrison, the founder of Davidson College in the 1830s. (Beaty) He was born in 1798, and was only 37 years when he was elected the first president of Davidson College in 1835. Morrison graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1818, and served as a pastor of the Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church before becoming the president of Davidson College. Although he had to retire in 1840 due to illnesses, Morrison taught mathematics and science courses during his time as president. He also served on the Board of Trustees from 1852 to 1874. He passed away in 1889. (Morrison) For more information of Morrison, visit https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/robert-hall-morrison
[8] Synod is a formal meeting of the council of the Presbytery Church. (Synod) It is a governing body that lies between the Presbytery and the general assembly, in which they often discuss important decisions at meetings. (Blodgett)
[9] Robert Hett Chapman was a member of the Concord Presbytery, and served as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1856 to 1861. (Lingle 8)
[10] The Executive Committee refers to a part of the Board of Trustees of Davidson college, which met twice a year to discuss important matters of the college. (Blodgett)
[11] Rockwell is referring to the position as president of the college. (Blodgett)
[12] In the 1860s, students were often disciplined for unexcused absences, which resulted in demerit marks. Too many of these demerits would consequence in excluding the student from the college. In 1860, a student was asked to leave the college for attempting to break into the professor’s house. In another case, a student was disciplined for removing a trap door and breaking into a college building. (Davidson)
[13] E. F. Rockwell refers to Dr. McPhail, the newly elected president of Davidson College. Before McPhail arrived to Davidson College on January 19th, E.F. Rockwell took the duties of the president. (Davidson 265)
[14] E.F. Rockwell is referring to Saturday, January 19th, 1867 when President McPhail was able to make it to the college. (Minutes)
[15] Mrs. P is Sarah Moore, the wife of Reverend William W. Pharr. She was born in December 18th, 1835 and married Pharr on May 26, 1869. Together, they had five children, 2 of which attended Davidson College. The first was James Moore, Class of 1890, and the second was Francis Claire, Class of 1895. She died on May 11th, 1898. (Pharr)
[16] Colonel Thomas A. Allison was born in Statesville, NC, and served as a member of the board from 1852 to 1873. He was appointed by the Trustees of Davidson College in 1840 by Reverend J. M. Wilson onto the committee that drew up a device for the college seal. (Beaty 27)
[17] Elijah Frink Rockwell was born in Lebanon, Connecticut in 1809 to Joseph and Sarah Huntington Rockwell. He entered Yale in 1829, but did not graduate until 1834 due to financial difficulties. Before becoming elected to Davidson College faculty in 1850, Rockwell studied theology for two years at Columbia and Princeton Seminaries, and was the Assistant Principal of Donaldson Academy, Fayetteville, NC from 1835-1837. At Davidson, he taught Chemistry, Geology, Latin, and Modern History from 1850 to 1868. (Rockwell) In 1858, he was elected the president of the Concord Female College, where he had been one of the trustees from its beginning. Rockwell was also the Pastor Fifth Creek for Bethany and Tabor Churches from 1872 to 1873. He died in 1888 at Fifth Creek, North Carolina. During his time at Davidson, Rockwell offered the first prize ever to be given at Davidson in 1860, where he donated 100 dollars, for which the interest was to be given in money or books to the highest achieving student in science. (Powell 240)
Works cited
Jump to top
Beaty, Mary D. A History of Davidson College. Davidson: Briarpatch Press, 1988.
Blodgett, Jan. Personal Interview. 2 May 2014.
Davidson College Faculty Minutes, 1842-1873. Davidson: Davidson College. [1867].
Lingle, Thomas W. Alumni Catalogue of Davidson College 1837-1924. Charlotte: The Presbyterian Standard Pub. Co., 1924.
Minutes of the Meetings of the Board of Trustees of Davidson College Vol.1, 1836-1869. Davidson: Davidson College Board of Trustees. [1867].
“Morrison, Robert Hall. Davidson College Archives and Special Collections. <https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/robert-hall-morrison>
Pharr, William Walter. The Pharr Family at Davidson College. Alumnus File Class of 1853. Davidson College Archives, Davidson, NC.
Photograph of Robert Hall Morrison. Davidson College Archives and Special Collections, Davidson, NC.
Powell, William S., ed. “Rockwell, Elijah Frink.” Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 5. Chapel Hill: Univ. of North Carolina Pr., 1994. 240. Google EBook. Web. 6 May 2014. <http://books.google.com/books?id=VeSDB5tKDagC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240#v=onepage&q&f=false>.
“Rockwell, E. F. (Elijah Frink), 1809-1888. The Social Networks and Archival Context Project. University of Virginia. <http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu:8888/xtf/view?docId=ark:/99166/w60s0p3c>
“Statistics and Class Events. Davidson College Archives and Special Collections, 1866-1867. <https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/databases/colhist>
“Synod.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011.Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synod>.
“Town History Timeline. The Town of Davidson North Carolina Website. <http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/index.aspx?nid=129>
Transcription and annotation author: Takuya Wakayama.
Date: May 2014.
Cite as: Wakayama, Takuya, annotator. 25 January 1867 Elijah Frink Rockwell Letter to W. W. Pharr. DC0152.
Available: https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/e-f-rockwell-letter-25-jan-1867.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.