General catalogue of Dartmouth College (1769-1910), Book

HISTORICAL SKETCH

CHAPTER I
THE FOUNDING OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

THE story of the founding of Dartmouth College is an heroic romance. Like other early New England institutions, it received much in the way of inspiration and material -aid from the Old World. Indirectly, at least, its origin may be traced to Bishop George Berkeley. The great philosopher, becoming discouraged at the decadence of society in Europe, embodied his sentiments in a poem containing the famous line, —

“Westward the course of empire takes its way,”

and turned his thought toward America. He planned to found a college at Bermuda, in which English and Indian youth should be trained together to furnish satisfactory ministers and missionaries for the New World. The project failed through default of Lord Walpole, in withholding a grant by the government, and Bishop Berkeley, who had resided at Newport in the meantime, gave the remnant of the funds contributed by friends for his enterprise to Yale College, to provide the first foundation for graduate study in the country; a gift which has been characterized by President Noah Porter of Yale as, on the whole, the most important ever received by that institution. The first Berkeley scholars were Eleazar Wheelock and, his brother-in-law, Benjamin Pomeroy. While there is no record that the founder of Dartmouth consciously adopted the plan of his benefactor, the fact is patent that he did so exactly.

Eleazar Wheelock was one of the most resourceful men of his time. He was born in Windham, Conn., April 22, 1711, a descendant in the third generation of Ralph Wheelock of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and probably from Wheelock Manor in Cheshire,^ an eminent non- conformist preacher, who came to America to escape from persecution. At Dedham, Mass., he participated in the founding of the first free school in America, which he served as teacher; and while himself the progenitor of three college presidents, was associated with Dwight, the progenitor of two presidents of Yale, with Everett, the ancestor of Edward Everett of Harvard, with Fisher, from whom descended Fisher Ames, and the forebears of the Fairbanks’ family of Vermont. President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the University of California also is a lineal descendant of Ralph Wheelock.

Eleazar Wheeloiik graduated from Yale College in 1733, and entered the Congregational ministry in 1735 and settled in Lebanon, Conn., where he soon became eminent in a time remarkable for illustrious men. He took an active part in the Great Awakening, both as a preacher and as a wise counsellor against emotional extravagance; in 1741 he is said to have preached nearly five hundred sermons. His association with George Whitefield led to a warm personal friendship, out of which came important results in his later work. Following the custom of the time, he received young men into his family to be fitted for college. His first effort on behalf of the Indians was the result of an appeal of Samson Occom’s mother for the education of her son, an Indian of the Mohegan tribe. The results of three years’ instruction in this case were so remarkable that Wheelock was led to enlarge his efforts in this direction. • Indian boys and girls were received at Lebanon, Conn., from various tribes in increasing numbers, with about an equal proportion of white pupils, after the plan laid down by Bishop Berkeley and the only one which has been confirmed by subsequent experience in Indian education. It involved the complete separation of Indian youth of both sexes from their native environment, and their training in intimate association with white youth, both in literature and in the manual and domestic arts, which would equip them as agents of civilization among the native tribes. Nothing short of this training could overcome the latent tendency in the Indian character to relapse into barbarism.

The creditable work of Occom, and the actual success of the school, soon attracted friends and material support. Gifts came from many sources. A lot of land, with buildings, from Joshua More, placed the enterprise upon a definite foundation in 1755, with the name “More’s Indian Charity School.” English and Scotch societies for the propagation of the Gospel responded to appeals for aid, as did also the General Association of Congregational Churches of Massachusetts. Most valuable help now came from Whitefield, through whose influence generous philanthropists abroad became interested in the cause. The Marquis of Lothian sent three gifts of fifty pounds each, and the Countess of Huntington gave one hundred pounds. Among the gifts from nearer home was one from Benedict Arnold, of “a large proportion of the profits of a venture which he sent to sea.”

The most fruitful source of aid came through a suggestion of Whitefield that the presence in England of an Indian who could preach and give addresses would be of great assistance in awakening interest. Wheelock was quick to see the force of the suggestion, and had in Occom the best possible instrument for putting it into effect. It was unfortunate that Whitefield’s further advice was not followed, that Wheelock himself should accompany his agent. “Born diplomat that he was, it is not unlikely that he might have achieved some flattering success.” ^ As it was, the mission proved to be the most important event leading to the establishment of the future college. Occom, who has been called “the glory of the Indian nation,” was a remarkable character. In feature and complexion he bore indubitable marks of his unmixed native blood, but in his demeanor he was dignified and attractive, with a very considerable degree of oratorical and poetical talent. One of his hymns, commencing with the line “Awaked by Sinai’s awful sound,” still survives in modern collections.