SERIES 12 
 
 NUMBER 11 
 
 w tlHMftr 
 
 (!f Tfff 
 
 Iff Of M'mq 
 
 Agtt^s %>wtt Cullpg? Bulletin 
 
 THE STORY OF 
 
 AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE 
 
 -JL'M V ;i X IT' 
 
 JUL..9 JS1F. 
 
 DECEMBER, 1915 
 
 Issued Quarterly Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia 
 
 Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office, Decatur, Georgia 
 
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 
 
 J. K. Orr, Chairman 
 F. H. Gaines . . . 
 
 C. M. Candler . . 
 
 J. G. Patton . . . 
 George B. Scott . 
 W. S. Kendrick . , 
 John J. Eagan . . 
 L. C. Mandeville . 
 
 D. H. Ogden . . . 
 
 K. G. Matheson . . 
 J. T. Lupton . . . 
 J. P. McCallie . . 
 W. C. Vereen . . 
 
 L. M. Hooper . . . 
 J. S. Lyons . . . . 
 Frank M. Inman . 
 
 .Atlanta 
 
 .Decatur 
 
 .Decatur 
 
 .Decatur 
 
 .Decatur 
 
 .Atlanta 
 
 . . . . . Atlanta 
 . . Carrollton, Ga. 
 
 .Atlanta 
 
 •. . . . . Atlanta 
 Chattanooga, Tenn. 
 Chattanooga, Tenn. 
 . . Moultrie, Ga. 
 . . . Selma, Ala. 
 . . . ■ . . Atlanta 
 .Atlanta 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/storyofagnesscotOOunse 
 
Agttps ^rott (ftnUrgr lullrtitt 
 
 Series 12 DECATUR, GEORGIA, DECEMBER, 1915 Number 11 
 
 ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER AT THE POSTOFFICE, DECATUR. GEORGIA 
 
 The Story of Agnes Scott College 
 
 There are three great Epochs in the history of the institu¬ 
 tion indicated by the three names it has borne. 
 
 I. DECATUR FEMALE SEMINARY. 
 
 II. AGNES SCOTT INSTITUTE. 
 
 III. AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE. 
 
 I. 
 
 DECATUR FEMALE SEMINARY. 
 
 This was the name under which the institution was origi¬ 
 nally chartered August 27, 1889. Under this name three 
 things are specially worthy of note:— 
 
 1. The Beginning. The institution had its inception in 
 prayer and faith. Its promoters were members of the Deca¬ 
 tur Presbyterian Church and congregation. It wag dis¬ 
 tinctly a Christian enterprise. 
 
 2. The Grade of the School. It was an elementary and 
 grammar school. It had two teachers in the literary depart¬ 
 ment, Miss Nannette Hopkins, Principal, and Miss Mattie E. 
 Cook, Assistant, one teacher of Music, and one of Art and 
 Calisthenics. 
 
 3. Financial Resources. The institution began its work 
 in a rented building. Its total financial resources consisted 
 of a subscription of $5,000.00. Decatur was a town of only 
 about one thousand (1,000) population, and the Presbyterian 
 Church had something over two hundred (200) members. 
 
The community was not wealthy. Only one man in it was 
 considered rich by comparison. 
 
 There was absolutely no interest in Christian education, 
 either in Decatur or Atlanta, six miles distant, or in the 
 Presbyterian Church in Georgia. The new enterprise was 
 the only effort for Christian education under Presbyterian 
 auspices in the State. This new enterprise must win its 
 way, must create public sentiment, must justify its existence. 
 Would it fail as many other such experiments had begun 
 under apparently more promising conditions? 
 
 AGNES SCOTT INSTITUTE. 
 
 On petition of the Board of Trustees the Charter of De¬ 
 catur Female Seminary was amended, November, 1890, by 
 changing the name to Agnes Scott Institute. This marks 
 the second great epoch in the history of the institution. The 
 following are some of the crucial events of this period: 
 
 1. The Gift of Col. George W. Scott. Col. Scott was 
 the largest subscriber to the original fund of $5,000.00 re¬ 
 ferred to above, and one of the prime movers in opening the 
 Seminary. He had watched its progress with keen interest 
 and saw its possibilities. In the spring of 1890 he said to 
 his pastor, “The Lord has prospered me in my business and 
 I don’t want it to harden my heart. I have made up my 
 mind to give $40,000.00 to provide a home for this school”. 
 With him to resolve was to act. He proceeded at once to 
 carry into effect his plan. He purchased the land, erected 
 and equipped the present Main Building at a total cost of 
 $112,500.00. For this property he made a deed of gift to 
 the Board of Trustees at its dedication, November, 1891. 
 Up to this time this was the largest gift to the cause of 
 education made by an individual in the history of Georgia. 
 Truly it was an epoch making gift. It not only transformed 
 the outlook for the school, but its effect on Christian educa¬ 
 tion in the State was very great. In accordance with Col. 
 Scott’s wishes the Board of Trustees applied for an amend¬ 
 ment to the Charter changing the name of the institution to 
 Agnes Scott Institute in memory of his sainted mother. The 
 
 4 
 
institution thus became the loving tribute of a generous and 
 noble son to his mother. It, therefore, bears witness to the 
 power and far reaching influence of motherhood. Who can 
 measure the importance of the work of the institution if it 
 can train mothers of such sons! 
 
 2. The Agnes Scott Ideal. Money is necessary to make a 
 college. But to make it at all worth while something more is 
 necessary. It must he used according to a wise plan. There must 
 be a great dominating purpose and certain guiding prin¬ 
 ciples which shall direct and control in its development. Such 
 considerations led very early to “The Agnes Scott Ideal” 
 which was issued as a booklet in 1892 and published in the 
 annual Catalogue for several years. Here it is: 
 
 1. A liberal curriculum, fully abreast of the best institu¬ 
 tions of the land. 
 
 2. A sound curriculum with text-books along all lines in 
 harmony with the Bible. 
 
 3. The Bible a text-book. The Bible course necessary to 
 graduation. 
 
 4. Thoroughly qualified and consecrated teachers. 
 
 5. A high standard of scholarship. 
 
 6. The Institution a model Christian home. 
 
 7. All the influences in the school to be made conducive 
 to the formation and development of Christian character. 
 
 It will be noted that this Ideal contemplated four things: 
 
 (1) A College. 
 
 (2) A High Standard. 
 
 (3) Christian Character. 
 
 (4) The Glory of God. 
 
 The glory of God was the dominating purpose, every¬ 
 thing else contributory. 
 
 3. The Process of Development. From an elementary 
 and grammar school to a college, a real college, was a long 
 and difficult road. Our plan was gradually to cut off the 
 
 5 
 
lower grades and add higher. This process continued for 
 years until elementary and grammar school work had been 
 dropped and the Institute attained the grade of a college- 
 preparatory school. During this process of development 
 there was constant anxiety as to the effect this development 
 would have upon the attendance. We had no endowment and 
 so were dependent upon students for our very existence. 
 
 'W ctad to this difficulty we had set a high standard and 
 were determined at all hazards to maintain it. No wonder 
 we had recurring deficiencies. But for our noble benefactor, 
 Col. Scott, it is doubtful whether or not the institution could 
 have survived this trying period. In twelve years he paid $30,- 
 000.00 in deficiencies and also gave to the school his moral 
 support and counsel. He was an optimist and also a man 
 of great courage and resources. Many were the times when 
 his cheering words and strong support were a strong tonic 
 amid great discouragements. 
 
 Another of the great problems of these early years was 
 to gain recognition. We had great difficulty in winning 
 recognition from Atlanta. Decatur was a small suburban 
 town. Was it possible it had anything worthy of the con¬ 
 sideration of a city like Atlanta? Besides there was no 
 very great interest at that time in education, less in Chris¬ 
 tian education, and still less in a school for girls. We felt 
 that Atlanta must be won, but it took years to do so. Then 
 there was the constant fight for wider recognition throughout 
 the State and the country. There was, however, a recog¬ 
 nition apart from publicity and co-operation we very 
 much desired, namely, the recognition of our standard and 
 our work. The Institute now had a college-preparatory 
 course and a capable faculty. It applied to the Eastern Col¬ 
 leges for women for certificate privileges. At that time they 
 seemed to think no good thing in education could come out 
 of the South and only after persistent effort could we gain 
 recognition. How proud we were when finally the Institute 
 was placed on the accredited list of some of the leading 
 colleges! 
 
 On October 3, 1903, Col. Scott passed away. His death 
 was felt to be an unspeakable loss to the Institute. But his 
 
 6 
 
influence, his prayers, his generosity, and his work had done 
 much to place the Institute in a position for continued growth. 
 
 On October 13th the Board of Trustees unanimously 
 elected Mr. S. M, Inman Chairman of the Board as Col. 
 Scott’s successor. To some of us it has always seemed that 
 God raised up Mr. Inman for such a place and time as this. 
 In many ways he and Col. Scott were kindred spirits. Both 
 were able men, both modest, gentle, devoted Christians, pub¬ 
 lic spirited, generous, both were wise leaders, and both com¬ 
 manded the confidence of all who knew them. Mr. Inman 
 accepted the position with some hesitation, but threw himself 
 heart and soul into the work of developing the institution. 
 He expressed the earnest desire that his Chairmanship should 
 result in the growth and strengthening of the institution, 
 and in this he must have felt abundantly gratified. 
 
 Up to this time the institution was doing college-prepara¬ 
 tory work and probably two years or more of College work. 
 Its growth had been steady and marked, but its goal was a 
 College and this ambition had not yet been attained. But 
 the attainment was not long postponed. By 1905 the final 
 plans were made for the institution to apply for an amend¬ 
 ment to its charter changing the name from Agnes Scott In¬ 
 stitute to Agnes Scott College. This amendment was granted 
 in March 1906, and the institution entered upon the third 
 period of its career. 
 
 III. 
 
 AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE. 
 
 The following are some of the leading events of this 
 period so far: 
 
 1. Careful compliance with every requirement of a real 
 college. 
 
 The preparatory work was organized as Agnes Scott Acad¬ 
 emy with separate Principal and faculty. The Academy 
 and College were conducted as distinct institutions. The 
 College curriculum was revised, equipment added, and en¬ 
 trance requirements fixed at fifteen (15) units. One of the 
 
 7 
 
features of our Ideal was a high standard and it must be 
 maintained as a College as it had been as an Institute. Noth¬ 
 ing must be left undone to comply with the standard of a 
 College. 
 
 2. The fight for recognition . The struggle for recog¬ 
 nition had to be made again. Now it was for recognition as 
 a college. It was one thing for the institution to call itself 
 a college. We felt it to be quite another thing for it to be 
 recognized in the best educational circles and by the highest 
 standardizing agencies. For two years we had our applica¬ 
 tion before “The Association of Colleges and Preparatory 
 Schools of the Southern States” before the College was en¬ 
 rolled as a member. This was a recognition by an Asso¬ 
 ciation which stood for standards and was gratifying. A 
 little later our B. A. degree was recognized by Columbia 
 University by admitting our graduates as candidates for the 
 M. A. degree without examination. And a little later still 
 the Specialist in Higher Education of the United States 
 Bureau of Education placed Agnes Scott in “Group 1“ of 
 colleges for women in the United States. It was and is 
 one of twelve colleges for women included in this “Group”. 
 It is true that it, and a few others in the “Group” are starred 
 (*), indicating that the upper third of the graduating class 
 could take the M. A. degree in one year in one of the great 
 graduate schools. And yet the fact remains that it is one 
 of two colleges for women South of Baltimore in the “Group” 
 even with the star. The College has, therefore, had the very 
 highest recognition as a college. 
 
 3. The Campaign of 1909. This was a campaign to raise 
 $350,000.00. Of this sum the General Education Board of 
 New York offered $100,000.00 on two conditions (1) That 
 the College raise an additional $250,000.00. (2) That $175,- 
 000.00 be set apart for permanent endowment. The Board 
 of Trustees at once began an organized effort to comply with 
 the first condition, under the leadership of Mr. S. M. Inman 
 and Mr. J. K. Orr. Mr. Inman’s was the first and largest 
 subscription, $50,000.00. Mr. Carnegie offered to give $25,- 
 000.00 for a library. Col. It. J. Lowry of Atlanta sub- 
 
 8 
 
scribed $25,000.00. This left $150,000.00 to be raised. This 
 was accomplished in a brief campaign in Atlanta and Decatur 
 under direction of Messrs. Inman and Orr. Great was the 
 rejoicing by the faculty, students and friends of the College 
 when the victory was won. This achievement placed the Col¬ 
 lege upon a new high plane. It added several acres to the 
 campus, three new brick buildings and seven frame buildings. 
 It gave the College an endowment of $175,000.00 and ad¬ 
 ditional equipment. It added greatly to the capacity, efficiency 
 and standing of the College. Truly it was a long step for¬ 
 ward. 
 
 Just here it is a privilege and pleasure to pay a deserved 
 tribute to Mr. S. M. Inman. He was a man of the highest 
 character, of fine business ability, a wise counsellor, and a 
 man who sought to use his influence, his ability and his 
 wealth for the glory of God. The service he rendered the 
 College can scarcely be estimated. He came into the Chair¬ 
 manship of the Board at a critical time and by his wise 
 leadership, influence, and generosity left it upon a very much 
 larger and firmer basis. He believed sincerely in the impor¬ 
 tance of the work the college is doing. In one of the many 
 interviews the writer had with him the conversation turned 
 on the value of the College to the advancement of the King¬ 
 dom of God. He made a statement to this effect: “The 
 Church has been engaged for centuries in the effort to evan¬ 
 gelize the world. I have sometimes thought the progress 
 would be very much more pronounced if woman could be 
 brought into more active and larger co-operation.” More 
 than once I have heard him make the statement that he did 
 not see why the Christian College for women was not as im¬ 
 portant and did not promise as large usefulness as the 
 college for men. 
 
 4. The Discontinuance of Agnes Scott Academy. By ac 
 tion of the Board of Trustees the Academy was discontinued 
 May, 1913. For five years it had been conducted on the 
 College campus as a separate institution. Its discontinuance 
 removed the last remnant of Preparatory work from the 
 campus. The College now stood alone. It had attained 
 the end toward which it had been working for many years. 
 
 9 
 
5. The Celebration of the Quarto-Centennial. In May, 
 
 1914, the institution rounded out twenty-five (25) years of its 
 history. It was decided the occasion called for a somewhat 
 elaborate celebration. Under the efficient direction of Misses 
 McKinney, Markley, and Mrs. Parry, of the faculty, a histori¬ 
 cal pageant was organized and trained, illustrating the history 
 of education in Georgia and the departments of the College. 
 This was most successfully given during Commencement Week 
 to an audience estimated at twenty-five hundred (2500). 
 The next day in the college chapel the Anniversary 
 celebration proper was observed. There were present repre¬ 
 sentatives from many of the leading Colleges and Universi¬ 
 ties of America. All marched with the faculty in Academic 
 procession into the Chapel where an able historical address 
 was delivered by Hon. C. M. Candler, and greetings brought 
 to the College by Chancellor Barrow of the University of 
 Georgia, Chancellor Kirkland of Vanderbilt, Dr. Martin of 
 Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Dean Lord of Goucher, 
 and Miss Laura Drake Gill representing the Collegiate Alum¬ 
 nae. The celebration was closed by an address in the even¬ 
 ing in the Atlanta Theatre by Hon. Thomas R. Marshall, 
 Vice-President of the United States. 
 
 Before Mr. Inman’s death which occurred January 12, 
 
 1915, he had offered to give to the College $25,000.00 toward 
 the payment of its indebtedness on condition that the friends 
 of the College should raise a similar amount. This con¬ 
 dition was met and thus nearly all the indebtedness of 
 the College was provided for. 
 
 Mr. J. K. Orr, of Atlanta, was unanimously elected Chair¬ 
 man of the Board to succeed Mr. Inman. Mr. Orr has been 
 a member of the Board for several years and was one of 
 the leaders in the campaign of 1909. He is a Christian 
 gentleman of the highest type and a recognized leader. The 
 College is exceedingly fortunate in having such a man as 
 Chairman of the Board of Trustees. 
 
 The record for twenty-five years is most interesting— what 
 it was then—what it is now. 
 
 In 1889 the school was of elementary and grammar grade. 
 
 10 
 
To-day it is a College classed in “Group I” by the highest 
 educational authority. 
 
 In 1889 there were two teachers in the literary depart¬ 
 ment, four in all. 
 
 Now there are twenty-four college professors, and ten 
 other teachers and officers. 
 
 Then the school occupied a rented building. 
 
 Now 'it has a campus of eighteen acres, twelve buildings 
 on it and seven others adjoining the campus. 
 
 Then our only asset was a subscription list aggregating 
 $5,000.00. 
 
 Now the assets of the College are nearly $700,000.00. 
 
 Then the institution was practically unknown outside of 
 Decatur. 
 
 Now it is known throughout the country. 
 
 Then it had its reputation to make. 
 
 Now it is esteemed most highly for its high standard by 
 thousands. 
 
 Then it had an enrollment for first session of sixty-three 
 students of elementary and grammar grade. 
 
 Since the opening of the institution several thousand have 
 attended it for a shorter or longer time. Of this number 
 only two hundred and fifty (250) have received diplomas, 
 an evidence of its high standard. The enrollment for the 
 current session will exceed three hundred (300). 
 
 The above is a very brief and imperfect outline of the 
 history of Agnes Scott. Only the Lord can tell the influence 
 it has exerted upon the characters and lives of its students, 
 and through them upon homes, communities, and the world. 
 
 Let no one suppose, however, for a moment that the col¬ 
 lege has attained its goal and needs nothing. True it has 
 an excellent plant and equipment, an able faculty, and is 
 recognized as one of the very best colleges, yet it counts not 
 itself to have attained the full measure of its usefulness. It 
 
 11 
 
has still many needs. Most of all is the need of endowment. 
 Its present endowment is entirely inadequate. To meet this 
 need the Board of Trustees has inaugurated a movement to 
 add a half million to its endowment. In this eiFort the co¬ 
 operation of all the friends of the college is earnestly de¬ 
 sired. Inquiries concerning this movement are invited. Ad¬ 
 dress the President. 
 
 12