Wake Forest College
Starting from a humble beginning more
than a century ago. tlie institution has made
remarkable progress, thanks to the able
leadership which it always has had.
WAKE FOREST i* the oldest
denominatioii.il college in the
State. True, it* sister institu¬
tion of Davidson was chartered on the
«ame day, but Wake Forest is the
elder by some minutes.
The college had two fathers; Rev.
Dr. Samuel Wait who conceived tho
idea, and Rev. John Purefoy, whose
practical mind and business ability
translated into actuality the dream
of Wait, lie took the steps to locate
the institution where it is. and in
August 1832 a tract containing 615
acres was purchased for its benefit.
Application was made to the legisla¬
ture of 1S33 for a charter, which
brought about a contest unique in the
history of the State. Opposition de¬
veloped, largely from anti-Missionary
Baptist sources, and when the bill
came before the Senate on third read¬
ing, the vote resulted in a tie, broken
Stho vote of Speaker William D.
oselev of Lenoir in favor of the
charter. Moseley later became
Governor of Florida, but he was able
to render his adopted State no such
educational service as he rendered in
Carolina.
Opened in 1834
In 1834 the infant school was
opened on the manual labor principle
under the Presidency of Dr. Wait, and
seventy-two students were enrolled
the first session. The avowed pnr-
l-ose of the institution was the educa¬
tion of Baptist preachers, and it is
‘omewhat singular to note that of
these students only four were candi¬
dates for the ministry, and only
eighteen were members of the church !
The manual
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plan proved totally
unsatisfactory, and in 1838 the
charter was amended by changing the
name to Wake Forest College, and
conferring upon it the power to con¬
fer academic degrees.
Dr. Wait continued a.* President
of the college as ho had l«*on of the
Institute, graduating his first class
of four in 1839. He continued as it.
outstanding President until ill health
finally forced his retirement, when
he was succeeded by Rev. William
Hooper, a son of the Carolina signer
of the Declaration of Independence.
By
И.
C. LAWRENCE
After a short incumbency be retired,
and was succeeded by John B. White,
a layman. These administration»
were both comparatively short, hut
none the less steady progress was
made all along the educational line.
Rev. Dr. William Manly Wingate,
a graduate of the College, next become
its President, and he so continued
for more than a generation, laying
broad and deep the foundation upon
which t ho superstructure «if the Col¬
lege now rests. His name is venerated
upon the hill.
Naturally the small college had the
constant struggle for existence en¬
countered by all unendowe«l institu¬
tions. Indeed so bard pressed was it
that under the threat of foreclosure
of the mortgage on its only building,
its Trustees violated the cardinal
Baptist principle of total separation
of church and state, and sought for
and obtained a loan of $10,000 from
the Literary Fund of the State. In¬
deed a later unsuccessful effort was
made by the denominational colleges
to obtain an outright gift from the
same source. Notwithstanding this,
the opening of the Civil War found
the institution free from debt, with
an endowment of $50,000. This was
largely last during the war a. the
result of investment in Confederate
securities, am! the close of the strug¬
gle found an impoverished College, its
buildings dilapidated, its equipment
ruined. None the less, it was prompt¬
ly reopened, and again the struggle
for existence was renewed.
Dr. Pritchard's Administration
After a long and memorable admin¬
istration. tbo regime of Wingate enme
to an end, and the Rev. Dr. Thomas
II. Pritchard became its President.
He was a distinguished preacher, but
he lacked tho one prime requisite
for a Baptist College President— he
could not raise the money!
Ho was succeeded by the long and
illustrious administration of Rev. Dr.
Charles Elisha Taylor— primus inter
pares — a distinguished son of the
University of Virginia ; and under
him the college really began to grow.
He was successful in interesting
several business associates of John
D. Rockefeller in the institution, and
from Jaber. A. Bostwick and others,
the college received generous gifts in
Standard Oil «took and other securi¬
ties. New buildings were erected, the
auipinent largely increased, many
ditions made to the faculty, and the
curriculum broadened and deepened.
Among other outstanding achieve¬
ment* of the Taylor administration
was the establishment of the school
of law in 1893. I>r. Needham Y.
Gulley being its first professor, and
for some forty years its Dean. This
famous teacher prepare*! for the Bar
around a third of tho practicing at¬
torneys in the Slati-, and possesses
much more than a statewide reputa¬
tion in hi* field. The venerable
Doctor still lives, a much loved figure
on the hill and throughout the State,
and at times he still delivers a lecture.
He also continues to serve as Chair¬
man of the Wake County Board of
Education— at ST!
I)r. Taylor died in 1911, full of
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