The Early Years, 1858 – 1887

Throughout the first forty years of its history St. Lawrence was a very small institution. Although the theological school was fairly prosperous, the college struggled to remain solvent (Blankman, Gaines, Delmage, Pink, & Edwards, 1957). The Civil War began shortly after the school opened, significantly impacting enrollment efforts from the beginning and placing its continued existence in jeopardy; in the following years, the founding of additional theological schools by the Universalist ministry, in Massachusetts and Illinois, further exacerbated this problem (Class of 1916, 1916). In 1869, the school had 25 trustees – and an enrollment of only 46 total students (Blankman et al., 1987). The average freshman class was typically seven or eight in any given year (Class of 1916, 1916). A large percentage of these early students were local men and women from nearby upstate New York farm communities and “to most, if not all, of these students, the attainment of a collegiate education was a matter of great sacrifice and difficulty; and it was appreciated accordingly” (Class of 1916, 1916, p. 47). After almost sixty years, by

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1915, a total of only 445 students had been enrolled at St. Lawrence; of these, 360 had attended the theological school and were ordained to enter the work of the Universalist ministry, while 295 were graduates of the college (Class of 1916, 1916).

During these formative years the bonds developing between faculty and students proved to be the bedrock upon which the University would later flourish. In the

beginning, College Hall was the only building on campus. This building, known today as Richardson Hall, served multiple functions for both the theological school and the

college. Not only did it house classroom space and faculty offices, it was also the hub of campus life and included student dormitories, a dining hall, and recreational space. Theological students had mandatory manual labor duties, while these responsibilities were optional for students enrolled in the college (Delmage, 1957). Similar to most other young campuses during the colonial and antebellum periods, the daily life for students at St. Lawrence was highly structured; morning chapel exercises were held six days per week, wherein roll call was taken, followed by classes throughout the day. The Class of 1916 (1916) describes campus life during the first decade as “uneventful and quiet,” with “a little skating, a little boating, some baseball, and occasionally a sociable; but never a dance, never a class banquet, never a Greek-letter society” (p. 51). As evidenced by an 1880 letter written by one of those students enrolled in the theological school, Reverend M. R. Leonard, this intimate setting allowed for the development of strong connections between faculty and students. In his letter, Leonard (1880) describes the “exceptionally bad” weather, as well as the lack of furnishings and books in College Hall, yet shares

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how “Doctor Fisher’s personal influence was about the only bond that held us at Canton during the first year” (from Class of 1916, 1916, p. 18).

Life at St. Lawrence quickly evolved yet continued to closely resemble the traditional college life at other campuses in the northeast. The first student organization was a debate and literary club – the Thelomathesian Society – which stands for love of

knowledge and desire to learn, formed in 1863 (Class of 1916, 1916). This organization

would ultimately evolve into the college’s formal student government structure in 1894 through the efforts of future Board Chairman Owen D. Young (Delmage, 1957). The first official campus tradition, Tree Holiday, was established in 1869. Held in the spring term, each student would plant a tree on the barren hill surrounding College Hall. This morning ritual was followed by a game of football or baseball in the afternoon while a formal banquet concluded the evening. The Tree Holiday tradition lives on today in spirit as Moving-Up Day. According to Blankman et al. (1957), while the students “showed purposefulness and appreciated good teaching, they brought to their classes small enthusiasm or zeal for learning” (p. 64). In this sense, the student body at St. Lawrence was similar to the description Horowitz provides when describing campus life throughout America during late 1800’s.

The original student clubs focusing on debate and literature where soon eclipsed by Greek life. The first secret society at St. Lawrence, the Five Lyres, was formed in 1871. This organization was short-lived but one of its members was instrumental in forming the P.D. Society in 1873 (Class of 1916, 1916). The P.D. Society officially became the college’s first Greek organization in 1875 as a chapter of Alpha Sigma Chi;

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four years later, in 1879, this organization was absorbed by another national fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. By the turn of the 20th _{century, St. Lawrence would have four Greek}

organizations. The first secret society for women, the Browning Society, was formed in 1875 and would ultimately become Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. The college’s second fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, was established in 1882. Finally, Delta Delta Delta

sorority was founded in 1891. The college accommodated these student organizations by enabling fraternities to occupy the dormitories on the third floor of College Hall, while the women were directed to live in private homes in the village (Blankman et al., 1987).

The establishment of Greek life at St. Lawrence would prove to fundamentally shape institutional culture in the coming generations. It is important to note one of the founding members of P.D. Society, Charles Kelsey Gaines ’76, was also the son of the President at the time, Absalom Graves Gaines. More importantly, the younger Gaines would soon join the faculty at St. Lawrence, serving his alma mater for 57 years from 1876 to 1932. Looking ahead, Charles Kelsey Gaines’ son, Clarence Hurd Gaines ’00, would also join the faculty from 1912 to 1947 (Young & Delmage, 1957). At least one member of the Gaines family served on the faculty for 75 uninterrupted years, beginning in 1872 – just 13 years after the College of Letters and Sciences started classes – and continuing until after World War II. As this connection illustrates, the ties between the academy and Greek life grew fast and ran deep. This close relationship is also evident by the description of the P.D. Society in the book Sixty Years of Saint Lawrence – both in its tone and message:

It is safe to say that this society comprised a remarkable body of men; and great has been their service to St. Lawrence, both then and later, for little in subsequent

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history of the college has been done without their active participation. (Class of 1916, 1916, p. 142)

The elder Gaines served as President for 15 years, from 1872 to 1888, at which point he returned to teaching until his death in 1903. According to Blankman et al. (1957), “his tenure marked the formative years of the college. He did not make it wealthy…[but] efficient, and worthy, to win for it loyal support, to establish its standards, to build up for it a sound tradition” (p. 66).

The faculty at St. Lawrence quickly developed a reputation of being committed and passionate. The theological school and the College of Letters and Sciences were two distinct departments, each with their own President, both of whom reported directly to the University’s Board of Trustees. In the beginning, faculty culture placed a greater

emphasis on teaching as opposed to scholarship. In fact, when describing Professor J. S. Lee, an early student of the college explains “[he] was not a great scholar. His education was solid, but his activities were too broad to permit him to perfect himself in particular departments of learning” (from Class of 1916, 1916, p. 49). This focus on teaching was likely borne out of necessity, as the endowment was very small and the college survived with only two faculty members during its first few years of existence. Furthermore, due to these financial constraints, faculty were paid not by the amount of work they

performed, yet rather by how much was needed to support their family (Class of 1916, 1916). Despite all of this, students “always found in the professor an associate and leader, toiling in the same workshop and the same work with him” (Class of 1916, 1916, p. 47).

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Throughout the 19th century, the University faced serious financial challenges. Records from 1859 show the total assets of University’s farm were valued at a meager $354.50 (Blankman et al., 1987). As early as 1864, an idea was discussed to shutter the doors of the rural New York campus in Canton and relocate the institution to Tufts University in Massachusetts (Class of 1916, 1916). This possibility never materialized, yet financial challenges continued. A key turning point in the institution’s history occurred in 1886. The inadequate endowment was taking its toll, resulting in a major financial crisis. It was decided a capital campaign was necessary, but fund-raising needed to start with members of the Canton community if it was to be successful

elsewhere in the state of New York. A meeting was held in the village Town Hall on June 3, 1886 where faculty explained the situation and attempted to persuade local community members to donate money. Records show a few prominent members of the community offered to donate, at which point the meeting took an unexpected turn – students started to come forward and give what they could to the campaign. According to the Class of 1916 (1916), “these boys were mostly poor, working their way through college with hardly a dollar to spare…and their subscription totaled more than one thousand dollars” (p. 84). This act inspired the other residents of Canton to act, with practically every person in the room stepping forward and donating, followed by cheer and song (Class of 1916, 1916). The campaign would ultimately go on to exceed the intended goal of $50,000. It is an achievement credited to the passion and loyalty of the students, since labeled the “Spirit of 1886,” and it saved St. Lawrence University in its most dire moment.

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4.3. Campus Change and the “Epoch of Expansion,” 1888 – 1918