The College of Davidson
It
на к
establisli«4l in
1Ш
and lacks just
eight minutes of being the» oldest college in
the state. Among its students have been
some of North Carolina's greatest men.
PRESBYTERIANISM lind two
foci in Carolina; among tlic
Scotch of Capo Fear and with
the Seotch-Irish of Mecklenburg, and
as the result of the great educational
and missionary journey made by
Hugh Mc.Vden in the middle of the
eighteenth century, a string of Pres¬
byterian churches was established
from Cape Fear to Catawba.
Presyteriana were early founders of
educational institutions — those of
Cape Fear having founded Floral Col¬
lege, first woman’s college in the state
authorized to confer degrees ; and their
brethren of Mecklenburg and Cabar¬
rus founding Davidson, an institu¬
tion which larks only eight minutes of
being the oldest denominational col¬
lege in the state — its twin sister at
Wake Forest being the older by just
that infinitesimal fraction of time.
Many Presbyterian academies were
in existence, but it was not until 1820
that definite steps were taken to found
a college, at which time steps were
taken to secure a charter for Western
College, an institution which never
materialized because of differences
over location and other divergent
views. Agitation led largely by Joseph
Alexander of ancient. Sugaw Creek
Church continued, and in 1835
Concord Presbytery passed a res¬
olution looking to the establishment of
a denominational college. The move-
ment thus inaugurated resulted in the
securing of a charter for Davidson
College in DecemU r, 1838.
Named for General Davidson
In Davidson College, as in David¬
son County, is honored the memory of
General W illiam Lee Davidson, hero
of the Revolution, who gave his “last
full measure of devotion” in a skirm¬
ish with the British at. Cowan’s Ford,
and the sons of Davidson have lieen
warriors from that «lay down to the
present hour- of the Second World
War. During the Civil War there
rarne from its professorial chair Dan¬
iel Harvey Hill. Colonel of the First
North Carolina Regiment, from whose
ranks the first Southern soldier fell in
battle. Hill later becoming a distin¬
guished Confederate General; David-
By
К.
C. LAWKENCE
son bad also seen as a student Major
General Stephen D. Ramseur, who lost
his life at Cedar Creek ; and at Gettys¬
burg there served n future Davidson
student, Captain Tuttle, whose com¬
pany had every man in its command
either killed or wounded in the battle
of Gettysburg — a distinction possessed
by no other military organization in
the world. During the first. World War
the sons of Davidson served in every
capacity from Rrigadior General on
down, and scores paid the forfeit of
their lives.
First famous name in the annals of
the institution is that of Rev. Robert
II. Morrison, son of the South, who
became its first President. He bad five
daughters, each of whom married a
Confederate officer, becoming respec¬
tively the wives of Lieutenant Gen¬
eral Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson;
Major General Daniel Harvey Hill;
Brigadier General Rufus Barringer:
Col. Joseph E. Browne; and Major
(later Mr. Justice) A. C. Avery. In
1S40 he resigned because of ill health,
but his life has become a legend in the
annals of the institution.
Of course the infant college experi¬
enced the pangs of financial hunger
suffered by all unendowed educational
institutions. It was forced to resort to
the sale of scholarships, so that there
was one period when only one student
paid tuition ! Its necessities became so
acute that it was finally forced to join
with the othor denominational colleges
in making an unsuccessful appeal to
the Legislature for direct financial aid
from the state. But these Presbyterians
are a persistent folk, and they kept
tugging at the financial oar until they
stemmed the current ami rode the crest
of the wave.
Outstanding Presidents
Limits of spaco precludes mention
of all the famous occupants of the
presidential chair, for this is but a
skeleton sketch. But I must refer to
Rev. Drury Lacy, preeminent pre-war
president, who resigned to Income a
Confederate chaplain. 1 1 is son, Benja¬
min R. Lacy, beenmo Treasurer of the
State, and two grandsons, alumni of
Davidson, served in the first World
War. Today his grandson, Rev. Dr.
Benjamin R. Lacy. dr., is one of the
most famous Presbyterian preachers
in the world, being the veteran Presi¬
dent of I nion Theological Seminary.
The name of Lacy still lingers around
old Davidson, for two of his sons are
now enrolled as Davidson students.
Just here, “lest we forget." let us
list just a few of the many benefactors
of my subject: Maxwell Chambers,
from whom came the largest single
gift, in its history. Ir led to a famous
lawsuit which was decided in favor of
the College; a gift which resulted in
the erection of the largest and most
stately college building in the state, or
at least one of them ; George W. Watts
of Durham, who aided many an edu¬
cational effort ; J. W. Cannon, of Con¬
cord; Williamson W. Fuller, of New
( Continued on jh
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