was not a dollar's worth of property anywhere to pledge for these bonds and they were worth simply his promise to pay them out of the proceeds of the college. One simple incident alone saved the project from failure.

Rev. J. T. Ward, of Washington, D. C., a member of the Maryland Conference, was compelled by ill health to retire from the active work of the itinerancy, and, in the spring of this same year, 1866, decided to settle in Westminster. Mr. Buell needing a teacher in his academy and Mr. Ward needing some remunerative employment, an agreement between them was reached. Now, it happened that Mr. Ward possessed in a marked degree, by reason of a previous pastoral relation, the confidence and affection of Mr. John Smith, of Wakefield, and of Mr. Isaac C. Baile, both then living in Westminster and of considerable wealth. These men, Mr. Smith in particular, willing to venture something in an enterprise that promised congenial employment and profit to their former pastor, agreed to loan Mr. Buell $10,000, with which to erect a suitable building and begin the operations of his college, Mr. Ward to be at its head. Work was begun at once, the corner-stone was laid in the presence of a large gathering September 6, 1866, and on the 4th of September, 1867, the first session of Western Maryland College was opened with 73 students and 6 professors.

At the close of this session, February 27, 1868, Mr. Buell called together his board of directors and laid before them the financial status of the college. It was, indeed, a pitiable one. The building was still unfinished, all the money had been spent, all the interest on the loan was unpaid, and the property was covered by mechanics' liens for nearly as much as had been borrowed in the first place. This was the situation reported to the Maryland Conference at its session in March, 1868. Although in no sense responsible for the disaster, the conference had been nominally connected with it and determined to prevent utter failure if possible. The conference, therefore, appointed 33 men to become incorporated by the legislature of Maryland as a board of trustees. They were authorized to purchase the property of Mr. Buell for an amount equal to what had been spent and what was still due on it, and Mr. Ward was directed to proceed at once to raise among the friends of the church sufficient money to meet the most pressing claims. The charter was obtained March 30, 1868; the agreement with Mr. Buell closed August 12, 1868; and on September 14, 1868, the college was enabled to open its second session and begin its long struggle with debt and financial distress.

President Ward.-Any, sketch of Western Maryland College, however slight, would be incomplete without some notice of the man who before all others has been its founder.

Rev. James Thomas Ward, D. D., was born in Georgetown, D. C., August 21, 1820. At the age of 16 he entered the Classical Academy at Brookville, Md., and, although he did not prosecute his career

through this institution, and never entered college, he became at a very early age, and has continued through life to be, a systematic student. In 1841 he entered the itinerant ministry of the Methodist Protestant Church, and continued that relation to 1866, serving churches in Carroll County, Md., Williamsport, Cumberland, Philadelphia, Pa.-succeeding Rev. T. H. Stockton and remaining there nine years-Alexandria, Va., Frederick County, Md., and Washington, D. C. He was for a time engaged in journalism in Washington, editing the Columbian Fountain, but his chief work has been in connection with Western Maryland College.

It was a rare good fortune, [says one of his contemporaries,] let us rather say, favoring Providence, that the one selected at the beginning as the active and responsi ble head of the college proved to be the one who could be continued in that position for nineteen years. This of itself gave a degree of confidence in the stability of the institution and the benefit of the accruing experience of its president.

In 1886 Dr. Ward was released at his own request from the presidency of the college, to accept a similar position in the Westminster Theological Seminary of the Methodist Protestant Church, as he felt unequal to the demands made upon his strength by the increasing responsibilities of the college. On his retiring numerous eulogies appeared in the newspapers of the State and church, and from many friends and students came letters of regret; among others, Attorney. General Roberts wrote, "the knowledge of your contemplated change will cause profound regret to a large body of the best citizens of the State, and especially of this community." Dr. Ward had nearly 1,000 students under his instruction and influence during his administration, and it is safe to say that every one of them would cordially endorse the words of one of their number, Mr. J. A. Diffenbaugh, of the State board of education, in a letter to Dr. Ward:

Among the most potent factors in producing the good results with which the college is to be credited, I reckon your personal character, example, and influence. Deeply indebted to you myself for many valuable lessons, I know that in acknowl edging the fact I echo only the common sentiment of those who have had the advantage of your teachings.

Organization. The men most active in the organization of Western Maryland College were identified with the Methodist Protestant Church. And, as that church also contributed the money with which it was purchased and supplied its earliest and largest patronage, it was but natural to expect that its affairs should be shaped in accordance with the wishes of that church.

The fact is, however, that the church has nothing in the college except its identity in name with it and the privilege of doing educational work in it and bearing its burdens. The charter declares that:

The said Western Maryland College shall be founded and maintained forever, upon a most liberal plan, for the benefit of youth of every religious denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages of education and to all the literary honors of the college, without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test, or urging their attendance upon any particular place of any religious wor

ship or service, other than that in which they have been educated or which they have the approbation and consent of their parents or guardians to attend.'

The college has faithfully observed the letter and the spirit of this clause of the charter from the beginning. Students are required to attend divine services twice every day in the college chapel, but the service there is a simple one in which all Christians can freely join. The attendance upon church is also compulsory, but the parents make the choice of the particular church to be attended. During the present year, as is generally the case, students from the college are regular worshipers in the Protestant Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Roman Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran Churches of Westminster.

The college was organized for both sexes. The design, however, of this arrangement was not to carry out strictly the coeducational idea. Both sexes are received and taught by the same faculty and graduated with the same degree; but in almost every other respect the sexes are treated separately. The course of study is not the same for both, although the difference is mainly in the substitution of French for Greek for the ladies; the recitations are conducted separately and the gentlemen live in a building separate from the main building in which the ladies reside. In chapel, dining hall, and, once a month, in the reception parlor they meet in the presence of teachers. The arrangement has worked admirably. The presence of both sexes is inspiring and restraining in its influence, while the limitations have served to relieve the natural embarrassment often found in working together.

The educational work of the college was organized at first into a preparatory school, which continued the work Mr. Buell's academy had been doing, and four collegiate departments, viz: (1) Biblical literature and moral science; (2) natural science and ancient and modern languages; (3) English and mathematics; (4) vocal and instrumental music. The changes that took place in this organization were mainly those of development. The departments were divided as the college developed the means, until at present the work stands as follows: (1) Philosophy, including ethics, psychology, logic, metaphysics, and Christian evidences; (2) English, including composition, rhetoric, literature; (3) history, including English, ancient and mediæval, civics and political economy; (4) ancient languages, Latin and Greek; (5) modern languages, French and German; (6) natural science, including physiology, physics, chemistry, botany, biology, and geology, (7) mathematics, from algebra to the calculus, and astronomy. The students are divided into the usual four classes. But one academic degree is given-bachelor of arts-and for this all the studies of the above-named departments are required. The degree of master of arts is conferred in course. Besides these, there are special departments of: (1) Instru

1 Copied from charter of Washington College. 1122-No. 19

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mental music; (2) vocal music and elocution; (3) drawing and painting; and (4) physical culture.

The department of Biblical literature has been discontinued since 1882, when the Westminster Theological Seminary was organized, to which the work was turned over.

As a foundation for the work the college set out to do in training and developing young people, provision was made in the beginning for a boarding department. This is a work on which great stress has always been laid. No students are received to reside out of the campus, except such as live in Westminster. And to all students on its campus the college stands in loco parentis, undertaking the supervision both of their work and habits. As a consequence a larger faculty is required and more service from each member, but the results have been, thus far, so satisfactory that no change has been thought necessary or desir able.

Development. The whole history of the college has been a history of development. It began with the least equipment that could be called with any justice a college, and what has been gained in the years of its existence has been evolved by its own labors to a large and unprecedented extent. "Not many wise, not many mighty" kept guard over its beginnings, or held it on its way in the succeeding years.

The first effort was to get buildings. The main building was pur chased at a large price, and it was unfinished and unfurnished. This required an immediate outlay of about $5,000, which had to be added to the debt of the purchase money. Then in 1871 the patronage had outgrown the one building and it became necessary to erect another at a cost of about $7,000.

Here the building operations of Dr. Ward's administration ceased, with the exception of a building erected for male boarding students at a cost of about $3,000 in 1882. Dr. Ward became impressed with the conviction that such a building was necessary and could be built by the small offerings of many friends. He accordingly appealed by circular to a large number for contributions from 50 cents to $10, and received in this way about $2,000. His own contribution was added and the remaining deficiency in the amount needed was met by the college. The building was erected, and the trustees named it "Ward Hall."

Constant efforts were made, too, for the extension of the patronage. Agents were employed to travel through the State and a great deal of money was spent in miscellaneous advertising; and a fair patronage was obtained. The highest number was reached in 1874 when it was 141. It declined in 1877 to 85 and in the following year to 98. Just at this time the State legislature, at its session in 1878, directed 26 of the students it was educating for public school teachers by free scholarships to Western Maryland College and this added 26 students at once to the roll. There was little variation after this to 1885-86 when the roll numbered 115, but this was smaller than the usual registry, which probably averaged 125.