tmxfxxms THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES i^ b PI A f .'. THE FOUNDING BSEQUENT HISTORY The School Burneii 1878. MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL I THE FOUNDING II. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1891 TO THE OLD BOYS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL THESE MEMORIALS ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. O-fl GQ^O I. THE FOUNDING. BY GEORGE C. SHATTUCK, M. D. I. I HAVE been asked to give some account of why and how I was led to try to do something toward the establishment of a boarding-school for boys in connec- tion with the Episcopal Church. I had been a member of a public grammar school of the city of Boston, and at the age of nine I was sent to the Latin School, and was a member of that school for three years. Thence I went to the Round Hill School, Northampton, a prin- cipal reason for the change being the advantage of a country life. The school had been established nearly two years, and already had a great reputation ; I was the seventieth boy and found there companions from all parts of the country. The effort to improve edu- cation was made there under favorable auspices. There were academies, at one of which Mr. Cogswell, principal of Round Hill, had been educated, where the instruction in Latin, Greek, and mathematics was very 6 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. thorough. The boys boarded in private houses and went to the school to study and recite. But Mr. Cogs- well's object was not merely to train the intellectual faculties and to supply the mind with knowledge. He wished to train the physical and moral faculties, and in order to do this he must live with the boys and have them constantly under observation and care. Extracts from the prospectus of the school, dated June 20, 1823, from letters written by himself soon after its establishment, and from a pupil, written after the lapse of several years, will show what Mr. Cogswell proposed doing and what he accomplished. " The promise which we give to parents is that we will be zealous in our endeavors to preserve the health and improve the morals and the mental powers of their sons. We must, on receiving the charge of them, be to them as parents. " And hence the methods of discipline and govern- ment must be parental. There is a difference between severity and strictness. The one may be gained by the frequent use of punishments, while the other is best secured by gentleness and example. The relation of the pupil and tutor is that of the weak to the strong, of him THE FOUNDING, 7 who needs instruction and defence to him who is able to impart them. Keeping this principle in mind, we shall endeavor to govern by persuasion and persevering kindness. These will be sufficient for all who are neither perverse nor disinclined to study ; for others the institu- tion is not designed, and obstinate disobedience on the part of the pupil must ever be a reason for his dis- missal. " To read, to write, and to speak English with correct- ness, and, if possible, with elegance, are the first and most necessary objects of instruction. . . . An acquaint- ance with English literature must be commenced with the first efforts at learning to read and write the English language. The pupils must be encouraged to grow familiar with our great masters of prose and verse ; and, however much attention may be claimed by other stud- ies, we must always bear in mind that nothing can supply the want of a thorough knowledge of our own tongue. " The study of the Greek and Latin classics is the next in the order of importance. They form the basis of learning and taste, both for their antiquity and their in- trinsic excellence ; and while the history of literature is 8 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. made clear and the connection between the culture of ancient and modern times is explained by the study of them, the mind is well exercised and grows accustomed to fix itself on foreign and distant objects, the best foundation for philological research and the scientific knowledge of grammar is laid, and the acquiring of the modern languages facilitated beyond expression. " Yet there is a distinction between the two lan- guages when we consider them as forming a part of a useful education. No one science can be thoroughly learned without an acquaintance with the Latin tongue, while there is no science for the study of which the Greek is indispensably requisite. ... A knowledge of the Latin tongue is, therefore, essential to a practical education, and no circumstances in the situation of our country can deprive it of its importance, its interest, and, we might add, its absolute necessity. " On the other hand, the Greek literature surpasses the Latin in variety, interest, originality, and actual merit As those of the Grecians who in the first days of their culture excelled in tragedy, epic poetry, and philosophy had no predecessors to imitate, so they have never been equalled in succeeding times ; and while THE FOUNDING. 9 among modern nations each contends that its own literature is the best, each yields the second place of honor to the Grecians. . . . While, therefore, all our pupils must learn Latin, we submit to the decision of parents whether their children shall be instructed in Greek. We shall aim rather to assist a few in learning it well than to excite a larger number to learn it im- perfectly. " We regard the study ot languages as the proper basis of education, both because it provides the mind with the most salutary employment and exercises the powers of invention and judgment no less than those of comparison and memory, and because it furnishes the keys of knowledge for future use." The first letter is dated October 12, 1823 : " Our number is twenty-five, of which fifteen are with us altogether, and ten day scholars from the vil- lage. We rise at six and meet soon after for prayers, study till eight, at which hour we breakfast, then play till nine ; from nine till twelve study, dine at half-past twelve, play till two ; from two to five study, sup at half-past five, play till seven, and then assemble for the evening occupation, which thus far has been reading 10 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. only, as there was scarce one among the number who could read English decently. A little before nine they are dismissed and go to bed." The second letter is dated October 26, 1823 : " I am very happy in being able to say that every day gives us the satisfaction of perceiving that we are not laboring in vain. In regard to order, correctness of deportment, and docility of disposition, we have made a progress with our pupils very far beyond my expecta- tions — so much so that I really feel that the three last weeks of my life have been productive of more good to my kind than all the rest of it. " For the last fortnight we have had a regular trial of skill in running round our wood, which is a measured distance of half a mile. Five minutes before eight we let the boys out for their morning exercise and head them in a race. We are all in perfect health and so contented on -our little hill that we never go down. The boys have never asked to go off the hill on any oc- casion, although there have been military musters and cattle shows. We have no refractory boys, and in no case has any disregard or disobedience of our com- mands been shown. Still our task is a most arduous THE FOUNDING. II one, for although our children are docile, they are wild as young colts and require to be constantly curbed and guided by a very tight rein. " We take a great deal of fexercise — running, jump- ing, leaping, climbing, etc. Neither cold nor rain nor snow keeps them indoors at hours assigned for play." To these statements we may add extracts from an account of the school given in his later life by one edu- cated there: " While the school owed much to the proved scholar- ship and genius of Mr. Bancroft, the historian, and to the large staff of officers under him, all ' Round-Hillers,' as they love to call themselves, agree in attributing to the singular combination of admirable qualities in the char- acter of Mr. Cogswell its prosperity and success. He was a man who united as is rarely met the qualities of the man of study and of action. His head, filled as it was with the learning of America and Europe, could not overbalance his generous large-heartedness. So com- pletely, without attempting it in any manner but by the direct display of his own character, did he win the re- spect and confidence of all his many scholars, . . . not war, not distance, not time, could ever break the bond 12 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. which bound them to each other ; and the clasp which held them all was their reverence and affection for Mr. Cogswell. . . . *' But the side influences of Round Hill were, per- haps, the best part of it, and are certainly what the scholars love and remember longest. Many another school has come up to as good a mark of training in its curriculum ; many, no doubt, have been superior in the severities of classic study to Round Hill. Though one of the most distinguished Greek scholars of Germany and one of the most distinguished Latin scholars of America were at the head of the Greek and Latin de- partments, we can allow this ; but let any one visit the lovely site of this school and he can readily imagine how many converging influences from such scenery acted upon these boys. . . . " Mr. Cogswell's was an educational and training establishment which rendered the services of book- learning and study but accessories to the larger inten- tion of making the man and the gentleman. He was in his school, as in one of his summer excursion walks, where he led off the procession, a boy of a larger growth and maturer experience, but nevertheless one THE FOUNDING. 13 of the party, and by no means a Jupiter Tonans frown- ing from his arm-chair on a raised platform aloof and apart from the rest. Indeed, his relation to the boys was scarcely even that of a teacher. He was the organ- izer, manager, and father of the community, while his partner, Mr. Bancroft, did a great deal more of the teaching ; and a large staff of German, French, and Ital- ians, as well as eminent young men fresh from our col- lege training, all worked assiduously under his general supervision. His department especially was that of moral and affectionate influence, besides which he was head farmer, builder, gardener, and treasurer of the place." The opening and successful carrying on of Round Hill School was in the writer's mind an epoch in the education of this country. The establishment of Dr. Muhlenberg's school, at College Point, was another epoch. In these schools distinct religious training was introduced and made a positive feature of the work. Mr. Cogswell in his prospectus says : " As the fear of God is the most sacred principle of action, there is none which should be developed with more care. Each day will begin and end with devotional 14 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. exercises. The Lord's day must be sacredly observed, and the exercises of public worship constantly at- tended." When the writer was in search of a school for his own children he did not find any in New England where he was disposed to put them. He had a country home in a healthy and beautiful spot, and as his boys must go away from home to school, he thought it well to try to start a school there. One cause for the Round Hill School being closed at the end of ten years was that it was strictly a private enterprise started by two very accomplished gentlemen, but with narrow means ; and though later an act of incorporation was obtained and several gentlemen took shares, which were after- ward surrendered, the fees from the pupils were insuffi- cient to carry it on as it was commenced. The situation was admirable, in a beautiful healthy country with hills and a large river and a fertile valley, and near a town, the residence of people of culture and refinement. There was a large corps of teachers, and accomplished men from Germany, France, Italy, and Spain were among them. The modern languages were taught by natives. Mr. Cogswell and Mr. Bancroft had enjoyed advantages THE FOUNDING. 15 of education in this country and abroad, and were famil- iar with the schools and colleges of Germany and France, and the ideas and modes of education of those countries. Attention was paid to physical culture, and the first gymnasium in this country was there estab- lished. The writer had spent weeks at the College of St. James, and was intimate with the rector and teachers, and also with the Bishop of Maryland, who was mainly instrumental in establishing the College of St. James. Insufficient endowment was a principal cause of the closing of that college. From such sources the writer derived his ideas of a boarding school for boys. The intellect can be trained and the mind furnished at a day school. Physical and moral culture can best be carried on where boys live with and are constantly under the supervision of the teachers, and in the country. The English public schools of renown, such as Eton, Rugby, Harrow, Win- chester, and others, with their extensive play-grounds, show the advantages of such a situation. Outdoor exer- cise is thus secured. Green fields and trees, streams and ponds, beautiful scenery, flowers, and minerals, are educators. The things which are seen are very valuable. 1 6 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. and may be used to teach of Him Avho made them, and thus of the things unseen. Religious teaching and train- ing for beings such as we are is all important. The things of this world are engrossing ; but boys ought to be trained not only for this life, but so as to enter into and enjoy eternal and unseen realities. The life of this world is short and uncertain. To live well here in the fear and love of God and with love to our fellow-men is not easy, and teachers and instructors who have learned and practiced the arts of so living and passing through this world as not to lose the things eternal are essential to the success of a boarding school for boys. Land and buildings having been provided for begin- ning such a school as the writer wished to see estab- lished, the selection of trustees was the next step. The bishop of the diocese, the rector of St. Paul's Church, Concord, the judge of the United States District Court in New Hampshire, the Secretary of State, and after- ward Governor of New Hampshire, the Chief Justice of Vermont, a judge from Connecticut, where successful Church schools had been established, four gentlemen from Boston, eminent in different walks of life, zealous Churchmen and interested in education, consented to THE FOUNDING. 1 7 serve as trustees, and took a warm interest in the enter- prise. The most important step was the choice of a rector. The trustees had land and buildings, but no endowment ; seven or eight boys were ready to enter the school. The enterprise was regarded as difficult, nor was it easy to find one capable of managing a work where a large growth should come from a small begin- ning. The trustees made a wise choice. The rector- elect had been trained at St. Paul's, College Point, and at St. James's, Maryland, and came from missionary work in a difficult post, where success had crowned his labors. He was told, You have possession of land and buildings, but we can not promise you a salary, and you must derive your support from the fees of the scholars. He began the work under these conditions. It was em- phatically a work of faith. The rector had a helpmeet full of interest in the new field of labor, and with facul- ties and qualifications admirably adapted to it. They labored together for many years, success crowned their efforts, and at last the faithful, devoted, and accomplished wife was taken to her rest. We live in a democracy, but no one can read the life of the general of the army of the Revolution and of the first President of the re- 1 8 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. public without being impressed with the fact that the one man was essential first to the independence of the country, and then to the establishment of the new gov- ernment. And for a school to be well managed with many boys and many masters, the rector must know how to govern himself in order to direct and secure the harmonious co-operation of the many teachers and many boys, and he must have full power and liberty, and the support and co-operation of the trustees. And here I would refer again to the history of Round Hill School and introduce a letter from a distinguished alumnus vouching for the important work done by the principal, how successful he had been in securing the affection and admiration of his pupils, looking back upon his influence after a lapse of thirty years. y. Lothrop Motley to J. G. Cogswell. Vienna, April 2b, 1865. My dear Mr. Cogswell: A short time ago I re- ceived a note from Mr. Wales, together with a little pamphlet which he was so thoughtful as to send me, knowing instinctively how much pleasure it would give me. THE FOUNDING. 19 The pamphlet consisted simply of the remarks made by yourself at the testimonial dinner given to you at the Parker House by Round Hill scholars. My first emotion was one of deep regret that it had not been my good fortune to be associated with so many of my ancient comrades in this affectionate tribute to one so venerated and beloved, and by none of them more so than by myself. I read your beautiful speech with an almost painful interest ; and, as I read it, forty years seemed to roll off my back and I was a small boy again in the never- forgotten chestnut groves of Round Hill. The ten- derness and truth of the sentiments and the fidelity of the painting gave me a most sincere though mel- ancholy pleasure much akin to that caused by the photograph of yourself which embellishes the first page, and in which I recognized at the first glance the familiar face of the benignant teacher and master of my childhood and the kind and ever-sympathizing friend of riper years. It wouldn't be agreeable either to my taste or my feelings to make fine phrases about that beautiful little volume of seven pages which now lies before me as if it 20 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. were the author's presentation copy of a new work ; but I can't help saying that I have read it many times, and that the oftener I read it the more deeply do I feel that " simple truth is highest skill." It produces on my imagination the effect of an ex- quisite idyl — exactly the effect which the greatest artist in words, if writing from the brain and not from the heart, would probably have failed to produce. I will say no more except to repeat my regret that I could not have been among the old pupils who paid this tribute not only to yourself, but to those three eminent and honored associates of yours, who, as I see, were also present at the dinner. No, my dear old friend, not one of your numerous family ever thinks of Round Hill and of Dotheboys Hall at the same time except through the association of contrast, and I don't know how you could more adroitly have complimented yourself than by that pro- test. . . . And with the most sincere prayers for your health and happiness I remain, my dear Mr. Cogswell, Your ever affectionate pupil, J. LoTHROP Motley. THE FOUNDING. 21 Certainly we may regard this testimony as to how much depends on the rector or head master of a board- ing school and his power of winning the confidence, re- spect, and affection of the pupils as not out of place. For a school must be large, attracting pupils from all parts of a large country, with various dispositions, talents, and requirements, many of them lacking the wholesome stimulus of prospective want. To mould such into a harmonious community, to inspire it with sentiments of truth, honor, and loyalty to God and man, is no slight task, and success in it can only be expected from one who has learned and practiced daily to bring his own body into subjection and to subordinate his own interest and preferences to a higher power. St. Paul's School as it is now is the growth of thirty- five years, and yet much is to be done. An endow- ment, so that many boys whose parents struggle with narrow means can be educated there, is essential to the permanent success of a school the principal but not the only object of which is to educate the sons of wealthy inhabitants of large cities. These must be furnished with lodging, food, and with suitable comforts and ele- 22 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. gances ; and the furniture and equipments must be such as to gratify the taste and promote the refinement of those destined to take a prominent part in their after- life in various communities. The celebrated English public schools were supplied with land, buildings, and an endowment sufficient for the maintenance of seventy or a hundred boys at the very start. There was provision to receive a much larger number on the payment of fees ; and thus a very large number of active, useful, and distinguished men have been fitted for their life's work. St. Paul's began with buildings and land enough for a few boys only ; year after year new buildings have been put up, ad- joining land has been secured, and many bo3^s whose parents could not afford to pay the fees of the school have been educated at a large reduction or gratuitously. The success from the small beginning has been most gratifying, but very much is still to be done. A sufficient endowment, new buildings to replace the old, embellishment of grounds, completing the beautiful chapel, are objects still to be attained. New schools are springing up in all directions and with the same avowed objects; but the originators of these new schools do not, THE FOUNDING. 23 perhaps, sufficiently realize how much it costs to estab- lish thoroughly and permanently a large school with an adequate endowment. We recognize how many have taken part and contributed to the advancement of St. Paul's School. No one of the first board of trustees is now a member of the board, and but one survives. The trustees now forming the corporation are a body worthy of respect and have important duties, and their character and repute attract to the school and inspire confidence. They have been very successful in the investment and care of the property. How much has been done by the present treasurer in a work extending through many years ! Two of the present trustees are alumni, and as- suredly it is a wise policy to look first to them in filling vacancies in the board. All friends of the school must recognize how much the alumni have contributed to its prosperity ; and as we look backward to what has been accomplished and forward to carrying on the present work and furnishing necessary facilities for its extension, we may well thank God for his gracious strength and guidance in times past, and be instant in supplication for the wisdom and the strength necessary for success in the time to come. George Cheyne Siiattuck. 4 II. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. Dr. Shattitck's account of the influences and circum- stances which led him to found a School will be highly valued by all Concordians* as well as by many other friends of St. Paul's. It has seemed proper to append to the venerable found- er's brief and modest statement a fuller narrative of what he has done, in order to show not only the extent of his benefactions, but also how far the purposes he had in view have been accomplished. At the same time the occasion appeared a fitting one for describing with some particularity * The name Concordian for a St. Concordian will be found more con- Taiil's boy is in conformity -with good venient. The boys of St. Vaul's usage. The pupils of St. Mary's, School, London, are called 'Paulines. IVinchester, are known as IVinto- But this exception to the usual Eng- nians, from the city ; those of Eton, lish custom has probably come from as Etonians ; of Harrow, as Harro- the fact that there are several great vians ; of St. Peter's, Radley, as schools in London and from the ob- Radleians. In the same way, in- vious difficulty of taking a name stead of the rather awkward expres- for the scholars from so vast a sion, a St. Taul's boy, the name city. 28 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. That sort of a school has gradually grown up ; what mani- fold agencies and institutions have gathered about it ; how they came into being, and what ends they serve. Almost of necessity certain persons have been spoken of freely, and the parts which they have taken in the work have been dwelt upon at some length, because the history would not otherwise be intelligible or just. It has been a pleasure to record the generous gifts St. Paul's has received in past years and to acknowledge the debt she owes to those whose talents and labors have been the chief instruments in pro- ducing the present results. How could the tributes of due appreciation be withheld when the natural opportunity for offering them was presented ! The names of all who have in any positive way aided the progress of the school would gladly have been given had the plan of the sketch permitted this. Ab paucis disce omnes. Concordians will not object to any of the examples which have been taken. The only regret will be that so many others who have been warm and true friends of St. Paul's in word and deed have received no special mention. It is right to add that whatever expressions of regard and esteem for particular persons are found in the following pages appear without the knowledge or consent of those con- SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 29 cerned ; no one is in any sense responsible for them but the writer ; they set forth his own sentiments and feelings. But he rejoices to believe that they will be heartily and cordially approved by all who are familiar with the history of the school. A short account has been given of the system of educa- tion pursued, the methods of training and discipline used, and the results aimed at. The religious customs are also briefly described. But it has not been intended to portray at all minutely the life and work at St. Paul's. The chief object of the sketch has been to call attention to the following facts : After more than thirty years of slow growth and prog- ress, St. Paul's School can show an honorable record of good work done for Church and Commonwealth. At the present moment it possesses those valuable traditions, customs, and agencies which are chief factors in the education which our age demands. The school has a fair equipment of the necessary buildings, a domain sufficiently ample for its pur- poses, and the beginning of an endowment. But for perma- nent prosperity and usefulness it needs additional buildings and appliances, and an endowment fund at least five times as large as that it has now. That St. Paul's has not been unworthy in the past of the generous benefactions and aid 30 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. already received is the ground on which those who are most deeply interested in the school's welfare rest their hope that old friends and new friends will combine to make the future secure, and will gladly see that the fruits of laborious serv- ices and sacrifices, of loyal and wise demotion to the highest ends of education, of munificent gifts and foundations, shall not only he preserved, hut shall he bettered and augmented for the benefit of posterity. The writer may be permitted to claim an adequate knowl- edge of his subject. A residence of more than twenty-five years at St. Paul's, and an active share in the work which has been going on there, have made him very familiar with the facts and details which he records. f. K C. New York City, January 14, 1891. II. In the year 1855 the Legislature of New Hampshire passed an act to incorporate St. Paul's School. The act was ap- proved by the Governor on June 29th of the same year, and took effect from that date. Horatio Southgate,* Newton E. Marble, t Nathaniel B. Baker, t William F. Otis,* Isaac F. Red- field,! Matthew Harvey,^ Jacob Carter,^ William E. Coale,;^ Henry M. Parker, $ their associates and successors, were made a body politic and corporate by the name of St. Paul's School, and by that name it was enacted, "they may sue and be sued, prosecute and defend to final judgment and execution, and shall have and enjoy all the powers and privileges and be subject to all the liabilities incident to corporations of a similar character." * Formerly missionary bishop in the || Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Turkish Empire, and at the time rec- of Vermont. tor of the Church of the Advent, Bos- ^ Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ton, Mass. of New Hampshire. ■f- Rector of St. Paul's Church, Con- ^ Prominent citizen of Concord. cord, N. H. J Physician and devoted Churchman X Secretary of State of New Hamp- of Boston, shire. ^ Prominent lawyer of Boston. * Distinguished citizen of Boston. 5 32 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. The trustees above named were personal friends of Dr. Shattuck, and heartily approved his plans and purposes. The act of incorporation restricts the number of trustees to eleven, and empowers them to fill any vacancies in their body. Five members present at a meeting constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business except the election or removal of the principal of the school. The principal must be elected or removed by a majority of the whole number of trustees. The corporation was permitted to acquire and hold by gift, be- quest, or otherwise, real and personal estate to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars,* to erect suit- able buildings, employ proper teachers and assistants, estab- lish all necessary by-laws and regulations, and to exercise any other powers proper to carry into effect the object of its creation. The first meeting of the corporation was held at Dr. Shat- tuck's residence in Concord, on the 5th and 6th days of Sep- tember, i8s> All the nine grantees were present. The two vacancies in the board were filled by the election of the Right Rev. Carlton Chase, Bishop of New Hampshire, and the Hon. Samuel H. Huntington,! of Connecticut. A deed of gift from Dr. Shattuck and his wife, conveying to St. Paul's School, * By an act passed by the Legislature f Judge Huntington was a well- in 1873, "St. Paul's School may acquire known lawyer and Churchman, a by gift or otherwise and may hold real prominent member of General Con- or personal estate not exceeding in value ventions, and an influential citizen in five hundred thousand dollars." his State. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY, 33 under certain conditions, three pieces of land situated on op- posite sides of the road running from Concord to Dunbarton, containing in all about fifty-five and one third acres, together with certain buildings, was presented and accepted. The buildings consisted of a large dwelling house, a grist mill, saw mill, miller's and farmer's cottages. The conditions under which this gift was received were as follows: 1. The property is never to be mortgaged for any debt or loan, or any other purpose. 2. The members of the corporation must always be com- municants of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. 3. The religious education of the scholars must be in con- formity with the doctrines, discipline, and worship of the same Church. At this first meeting it was voted that the title of the principal of the school should be Rector. An election of a rector was also made, and Mr. Roger S. Howard, of Bangor. Maine, was chosen. The property given to St. Paul's School at this time was intended to provide a site and temporary accommodations for the new establishment. Among the buildings was Dr. Shattuck's summer residence. The house had been originally a homely structure, known as the Brick Tavern. But it had been enlarged and transformed by many improvements, so as to become a commodious and comfortable dwelling. In this building, after certain repairs had been made and the necessary furniture supplied, St. Paul's School was to begin 34 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. its life. The grist mill and saw mill would, it was hoped, produce a useful although small addition to the income, and the land would furnish garden spots and play-grounds. This first gift was only the starting point of large hopes and de- signs. It provided a convenient home where the enterprise could take root and under generous guardianship have pros- perous growth. The founder's purpose was to give liberally during the early years of the school's existence toward its needs, and to further its expansion and improvement when the proper opportunities occurred. The rector first chosen, Mr. Roger S. Howard, declined the offer, and at a meeting of the trustees held in Boston, January 15, 1856, the Rev. Henry A. Coit, then a missionary in Clinton County, northern New York, was elected rector. Mr. Coit accepted the office. He was married early in the spring to Miss Mary Bowman Wheeler, of Philadelphia, and arrived with his wife at Concord on the 3d of April. The school was opened at once with three pupils present* Other boys came in, and the number of scholars soon exceeded ten. It was, of course, the day of small things, but the outlook was very encouraging. Applications were made for all avail- able accommodations, and the boys received in the first months, as well as those for whom places were sought, be- longed to families of excellent social position, and the favor and approval of these families were elements of future en- larged success. * George B. Shattuck, Horatio Bigelow, and Frederick C Shattuck, of Boston. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 35 The new rector and his wife were in hearty sympathy with the founder. The management of the school, from the day of opening, had for its inspiration the fulfihrient of the noble purpose expressed in the deed of gift. "We are de- sirous," said Dr. Shattuck, for himself and in behalf of his wife, "of endowing a school of the highest class for boys, in which they may obtain an education which shall fit them either for college or business, including thorough intellectual training in the various branches of learning, gymnastic and manly exercises adapted to preserve health and strengthen the physical constitution, such aesthetic culture and accom- plishments as shall tend to refine the manners and elevate the taste, together with careful moral and religious instruction." It was during these first months of the school's history that the words of S. Augustine, now so familiar to all Con- cordians, were taken as the motto best expressing the motive and end of the work proposed to be done: " Ea discamus in terris quorum scientia perseveret in coelis. " On a fly-leaf in the front part of the first volume of the Rural Record (a journal of weather and of the daily events in the school life, begun in 1857 and continued until 1880), the rec- tor wrote: " ' Da mihi quod jubes, Deus meus, et jube quod vis.' S. Aug. The words contain the whole system of St. Paul's," Persons familiar with the history of Dr. Shattuck's foundation will readily agree that this last quotation from S. Augustine carries in it the principle by which those chiefly concerned in building up the work were governed. They looked upon the school as work for God ; they sought his 36 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. favor and guidance upon all that was done and planned; without his blessing they had no hope of true success. And that deep religious spirit which marked the beginning has fixed a sort of distinct stamp upon all the after years of change and progress. Among the influences contributing to make what is called the tone or moral atmosphere of the school, the most powerful and efficacious has been the persistent recognition of the fear and love of God as the firm and last- ing basis of character, as supplying the strongest motives to resist evil and do duty, and as leading on to the chief virtues and graces. This principle has pervaded the long adminis- tration of thirty-five years under one head, and, by its means, a high standard of conduct and character and a steadily good tone have been maintained. The rector was soon joined by two assistants. One, Mr. Copeland,* of Boston, remained only a few months ; the other, the Rev. Francis Chase, f a son of the bishop of the diocese, was, from i8s7 until 1862, the able and faithful asso- ciate of the head master. There is a great difference between the school order of a day in June, 1856, when only a dozen boys composed the household, and the order which now regulates the day for three hundred boys. During the sum- mer session of 1856 the rising bell was at 5 a. m. ; prayers at * Mr. G. W. D. Copeland took Luke's, Charlestown, N. H., in 1864, holy orders a little later, but died a After several years of successful work few years after leaving St. Paul's. in Charlestown he removed to New f The Rev. F. Chase resigned his York and took charge of the parish in mastership and became rector of St. Scarsdale, where he still resides. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 37 5.45 ; breakfast at six. The study hours were from seven un- til 1.30 P.M., broken by fifteen minutes intermission at nine and a half-hour at eleven. The dinner hour was 2 p. M. The afternoon was free for recreation. Tea came at 6.30 p. m., and there was an evening study hour from eight to nine.* The school year was at first divided very differently from the way which has been followed since 1863. The year be- gan December 1st, and until i860 the boys spent Christmas at the school. There was a fortnight or three weeks' recess in the spring, and the closing day fell in the latter part of October. In i860 the opening was November ist; a week's recess was given at Christmas, a break of two weeks was allowed in April, and the session closed at the end of August. About 1864, what was nearly the present arrangement of the year was finally settled upon. The session opened in the first part of September, and closed in the last week of June. A period of four weeks, beginning just before Christmas and extending into the third week of January, took the place of the spring recess. The decade following the first opening was necessarily a time of germination. There were many arrangements of the details of school life which had to be tested before their value * The order of the day has not two intermissions of five minutes each. varied much during the last fifteen The dinner hour is 1.30 p. m. The aft- years. Now (1891) the rising bell ernoon study hours are from 4.4s p. m, rings at 7.30 a. m. Breakfast is at 8; to 6.40, with a break of five minutes, prayers, at 8.45. The morning study Tea is at 6.50 p. m., and there is an hours extend from 9 to 12.45, with evening study hour from 7.35 to 8.45. 38 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. or suitableness could be decided. Tlie methods which have gradually come into use are a growth from the trials and ex- periences of the early years. During this same period large additions were made to the accommodations and appliances by the generous provision of Dr. Shattuck, augmented by savings from the annual income. In the spring of 1858 a wing was built on the southwest side of the house, contain- ing a school-room and dormitory, with a lavatory in the base- ment. The number of places for boys was thus increased to forty. During the same year a chapel was built and furnished at the entire cost of the founder.* This chapel was small, having seats for only sixty boys and about eighty other persons, but it was a very carefully designed structure. No pains and expense were spared to make it dignified, beautiful, and adapted to its important part in the school work. More than twelve thousand dollars was laid out upon it, and although it has been much changed by enlargement the main features of the original structure still remain and witness to the devout purpose of the founder. The corner-stone of the chapel was laid on June 29, 1858. It was used for the first time for public worship on December 5th of that year. The consecration took place on the eve of St. Paul's day, January 24, 1859. Bishop Chase, of New Hampshire, and Bishop Williams, of Connecticut, were pres- ent, with several clergy from Boston and the neighboring * The dimensions of St. Paul's Chapel, before its enlargement in 1868, were : Length, 48 feet ; breadth, 23 feet. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 39 towns. Bishop Williams preached the sermon. The event was significant as presaging the permanence of the school and its rapid growth. At the opening of the session in 1859 forty-three boys were in attendance; there were no vacancies, and applica- tions were coming in for places to be taken months and years later. It was during the first fifteen years that many of the present school customs took their rise, and most of the clubs and societies were organized. The silver medal, which is now given by the rector on the last night of the session "for distinguished excellence in the performance of school duties," was first offered in 1857 by Governor Baker, one of the trustees, to the "best boy" in conduct, and all other respects. It was conferred that year upon John Hargate,* who had entered the school in December, 1856.1 The medal has been given annually, with but one omission, in 1858, since 1857. The careers of those who have received it during the third part of a century have on the whole eminently illustrated the fairness and wisdom of * The Rev. John Hargate, known, of the Lower School during eight years, loved, and respected by all boys who from 18S0 to 1887. He then removed have been at St. Paul's School, the to the Upper School, of which he devoted friend of Dr. and Mrs. Coit, has been the head for the last four was born in Manchester, England. He years. came with his parents to the United f The change of the original title of States in 1849. He entered St. Paul's the medal, " given to the best boy in School in December, 1856. After St. Paul's School," to the present more completing the sixth form, he became suitable designation was made about a master in 1861. He was in charge ten years later. 6 40 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. the awards. The medal conferred at school has been the augury of an honorable and useful life in the years that have followed. The founder's birthday, July 23d, was observed as the school /^/^ day as long as the session included July; but after 1862, when July was thrown into the summer vacation, a day in the early part of June was taken as founder's day. What is now called briefly "Anniversary" is really a cele- bration of Dr. Shattuck's birthday, including a commemora- tion of the founding of the school, at a time as near to the actual date as can be conveniently arranged. S. Paul's day, January 25th, was also made a special holiday until 1863. In that year the winter recess was lengthened to some day between January 20th and Janu- ary 25th, and it was found impossible to keep up this custom. A gymnasium, with bowling alley, was built by the founder at the same time that the other improvements were made, in 1859, and for nineteen years it contributed largely to the physical development and to the health and pleasure of the boys. The building is yet standing, having been moved at the time the new gymnasium was built to a site near the farm stables, where it is now used for a wagon shed.* * All Concordians whose dates lie Morrill. The tradition of his gymnas- between 1868 and 1888, will asso- tic feats will last a long time. Dur- ciate both the old and new gym- ing his twenty years' residence at St. nasiums with the Rev. Charles A. Paul's he was a most efficient helper SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 41 Cricket was played for the first time in June, 1857. The two elevens were composed of the boys sitting on the op- posite sides of a long dining-table. Base-ball had then none of the prominence which it has now, and its popu- larity as a game followed long after cricket had taken root at St. Paul's. In 1859 the Olympian and Isthmian Cricket Clubs were started. The Olympians changed their name at an early date to Old Hundred. The two clubs still exist, although on a far larger scale, and with better or- ganization than when they began. Within the last two years the whole school has been divided into three athletic clubs, called Isthmian, Delphian, and Old Hundred. Each of these clubs has three cricket elevens, two foot-ball teams, besides hockey sets and base-ball nines. The school eleven has always been made up of the best players in the entire company of boys. It has a long and honorable record of contests with some of the most prominent clubs in the United States and Canada. Cricket has been successful at St. Paul's. It has a sort of right to be considered the school game on account of its long establishment, the large ex- penditures which have been made for it, and its excellent history thus far. The present elevens inherit fine traditions of good playing and of courteous and manly behavior in sports, and the invaluable experience which thirty years' practice of the game on the same grounds must certainly yield. in the atheletic training and sports, and his associates for many excellent and was greatly liked by the boys qualities. 42 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. The original playing field was not more than three and one half acres in extent, and is the pretty tongue of land lying between the road and pond, now about to be occu- pied by the new Lower School and its grounds. As the school increased in numbers and enlarged its accommoda- tions, additions were continually made to facilities for the various games and athletic exercises. When the Upper School was built, in 1869, the level meadow lying back of it became at once a play-ground, and it has until lately been the scene of the foot-ball games, and is still in use for tennis courts. The beautiful playing fields now called the "Lower Grounds" came into possession of the school in 1866. But the land remained in a rough state for a long time. It has taken fifteen years of constant work at improvement and a large expenditure of money to trans- form these fields into what they are now. Among the many persons who have aided in this work, three ought rightfully to be named. Mr. James C. Knox, the Rev. James P. Conover, and Mr. Godfrey M. Brinley, all of them old boys and masters, have given ungrudgingly and unwearied- ly time, patience, and money to bringing the playing fields into their admirable condition. Under Mr. Knox's super- vision the cricket turf was laid out and the club house built. Mr. Conover has brought the adjacent grounds into excel- lent shape, and Mr. Brinley has raised the necessary funds for the new tennis courts, and superintended their prepa- ration. Many generous gifts have been made to these objects by old boys, masters, parents, and friends. The SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 43 school has devoted to the Lower Grounds about fourteen acres of the best land it owns, and has aided the work upon them from its resources in numerous ways. The rector has always regarded the physical training of the boys as a most important part of their education, and has contributed largely by gifts and direct personal atten- tion to the maintenance and success of the games and athletic sports. The position of the school favors boating, swimming, and skating. Boating at first was confined to the pond which partly encircles the grounds and to the stream which is its outlet to the Merrimac River. In i860 a large, heavy barge, named the Ariel, was put on Long Pond, which is about one and one quarter mile distant from the school, and the sixth form were allowed to row there on summer evenings. Boys who had boats of their own were per- mitted to take them to Long Pond, and other boys on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons rowed there in boats which they hired on the spot. On these two pieces of water. Lake Penacook, or Long Pond, and the School Pond, the boys got considerable practice, although in a desultory way. When Harvard and Yale and other colleges began their rowing contests a great enthusiasm was aroused for boating at St. Paul's, and the excitement and interest led to the formation of the Halcyon and Shattuck Clubs. They were organized and had their first boat race in 187 1. A joint club house was built at this time, and the proper equipment procured. Each club had three crews, called 44 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. first, second, and third respectively, the first being com- posed of the oldest and most skilful rowers. Altogether between forty and fifty boys composed the crews and con- testants in the various races. The training at first was done under such direction as the captains, aided by some of the masters, were able to give. Many mistakes were made, chiefly in the way of too ambitious efforts and defective preliminary exercises; but as time went on boys who had left the school, and were in Harvard and Yale crews, came back to visit their companions and taught them the methods which they had learned at Cambridge or New Haven. There was in consequence a yearly improvement in training and in style, and the school followed rapidly the various changes in rowing matters which were adopted by the colleges. The present good state of rowing at St. Paul's is due to laborious efforts kept up for a period of nearly fifteen years. Two persons must specially be mentioned whose unwearied pains have produced lasting benefits : Mr. C. T. C. White, a scholar from i867-'75, and afterward for two years a master, was an enthusiastic boating man during his entire residence. He rowed on the Halcyon crews, raised the money for their club house, superintended its erection, and by his energy and skill brought about many improvements. The boys are also greatly indebted to Mr. L. C. Dole, who has been their teacher in gymnastics since 1878, and has been the assiduous and successful coach of the crews for the last ten years. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 45 Boating adds greatly to the pleasure of the boys. To many of them it has been of inestimable service in the ad- mirable physical training it has afforded. It is expensive, but experience seems to show that it is worth its cost. Every sport which trains one to obedience, to manly en- durance of restrictions, and to steady exertion; which holds up an honorable prize as an incentive to arduous effort, and at the same time teaches one to take disappointment and defeat with good temper and fairness to others, has its important place in education. Certainly boating pos- sesses these excellent qualities, and on this account it has always been favored by the authorities of the school, while constant care has been taken to keep any hurtful customs or associations from attaching themselves to it. Silver cups and other costly prizes have been presented from time to time by old boys and friends. The Halcyons and Shattucks have never wanted warm and liberal sup- porters, ready to aid them in all their projects and to stimulate and strengthen the improvement of the boys in boating. It is interesting to mark at how early a day provision began to be made for cultivating the tastes of boys in what used to be called "natural history." The arrangements and apparatus for a scientific course now existing are not the results of a late departure, but have gradually become what they are from plans and efforts carried on from the earliest years of the school to the present time. Among the many gifts of the founder at the start was a small, but choice col- 46 MEMORIALS OF ST. PAULS SCHOOL. lection of minerals and a Swiss herbarium. Mr. Chase was an excellent mineralogist and botanist, and imparted his own zeal and skill in making collections of flowers and stones to many of the boys. In 1859 an excursion was made under his direction to the silver and arsenic mine in South Dunbar- ton. Since then how many delightful botanical and miner- alogical trips have been taken to Hooksett, Grafton, and other places ! How many creditable collections of flowers, miner- als, and ferns have been annually offered in contests for prizes ! The boys who now attend St. Paul's are fortunate in having the skilful guidance of Mr. Edward M. Parker and Mr. George W. Lay* in their pursuits for flowers and minerals. A prize for the best collection of native wild flowers was first given in 1866, and in 1867 another prize was offered for the best collection of minerals. Since these dates both prizes have been conferred annually, and, in addition, prizes have been given for collections of ferns and woods. Great pains are always taken to have competent judges to decide on the relative merits of the collections submitted. The prizes are handsome and valuable books presented by the rector. The collection of minerals belonging to the school is quite large, and contains many fine specimens. Old boys have taken pleasure in sending additions to it from year to year. Bishop Chase bequeathed his own cabinet, containing a very * The Rev. E. M. Parker has been a master since 18S0, and the Rev. G. W. Lay since 1888, SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 47 good set of New Hampshire minerals. Suitable rooms and cases are needed in order to preserve and mai