1905-06 Volume 30 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

36o THE SCROLLtrustees to incorporate a college to be called Emory, inmemory of Bishop John Emory, of Maryland. For $14,000these trustees purchased 1,400 acres of land for the site of atown, which they named after Oxford, England, and inwhich the college was founded. The institution is now thejoint property of the North Georgia, the South Georgia (theold Georgia Conference having been divided) and the FloridaConferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.The college was incorporated in December, 1836. Thefirst formal meeting of the board of trustees was held onFebruary 6, 1837, and on the eighth of December following,the first members of the faculty were elected. The collegewas opened for the reception of students, in 1839, under thepresidency of Dr. I. A. Few. The first class, of three members,was graduated in 1841.From 1841 to 1861 the graduating classes averaged abouttwenty, and the annual enrollment varied from 150 to 225.The college suspended work from November 1861, to January1866. For nearly a year, its buildings were used by theConfederate army for a hospital. When the college re-openedit did so with a faculty whose members agreed to do theirwork for what small amount might be paid by the students astuition. This was a hard year for every one, and the attendancewas small; but the next year, the state appropriatedmoney for the support at the college of maimed soldiers.This not only aided the institution but enabled the unfortunatesoldiers to receive instruction.Since the war the attendance has steadily grown until, inrecent years, it varies from about 275 to 325, the graduatingclasses ranging from 35 to 50. The old college can nowlook back with pride upon almost 1500 of her sons, many ofwhom have become eminent in the different walks of life.Among the distinguished alumni may be mentioned the following:O. L. Smith, '42, president of Emory College; G. J.Orr, '44, state superintendent of public instruction ofGeorgia; M. P. Tucker, '44, congressman; Thomas Hardeman,'45, congressman; R. G. Harper, '45, congressman; J.J. Jones, '45, congressman; L. Q. C. Lamar, '45, UnitedStates senator and justice of the United Statessupreme court; H. R. Harris, '47, congressman, assisttantpostmaster-general under Cleveland; J. S. Key, '48,bishop, M. E. Church, South; L. M. Smith, '48, presidentof Emory College; W. H. Potter, '49, missionary secretary,M. E. Church, South; R. E. Dixon, '50, secretary Confed-