By the generosity of Frederick Gebhard, esq., a chair was endowed under the title of "The Gebhard Professorship of the German Language and Literature."

In December, 1844, Mr. J. W. S. Hows was appointed professor of elocution. Upon his retirement in 1857 instruction in this art ceased. In 1847 Chancellor Kent died. This was a severe loss not only to the college, but to the legal profession. Mr. William Betts, A. M., an alumnus and a trustee of the college, was elected in his stead, and in the following winter delivered a course of lectures on international law. The law lectures, however, seem to have been intermittent; they led to no degree, and for a number of years prior to 1858 there was no systematic instruction in law given in any public institution in New York City.

ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT KING, 1849-1864.

In July, 1849, Dr. Moore resigned the presidency. On the 7th of November of the same year Charles King, esq., was elected his successor. Dr. King was the second son of the Hon. Rufus King, who had for eighteen years served the college as a member of the board of trustees. He was educated at Harrow, England, and at Paris. In 1813 he had been elected a member of the legislature of New York, and was engaged in the publication of a conservative newspaper, the New York American. From 1827 to 1845 he was the sole editor, but in that year he left the American to become associate editor of the Courier and Enquirer, which position he held until he was chosen to the presidency of the college, when he "gave himself heartily to the duties of his new office, advancing the interests of the college in every way by his scholarship, energy, and wise management."

In 1854 an order of emeritus professors was instituted for the purpose of appropriately acknowledging the services of those professors who had devoted themselves to the college for twenty years or more, and Dr. Renwick was made the first emeritus professor. "These gentlemen were to be without salaries or stated duties, but were to have certain privileges and honors, the principal of which were these: Each of them was to have the right of nominating to one free scholarship to be called by his name, of delivering an annual lecture in the college, and of sitting with the faculty on public occasions. His portrait also was to be painted at the expense of the college and hung in the library or in some proper room in the college buildings."

THE REMOVAL OF THE COLLEGE.

The rapid growth of the city and the falling in of the lease of the Botanic Garden directed the attention of the trustees, early in 1850, to the consideration of the disposition of that portion of their property. It had for many years brought in but a trifling revenue, wholly inadequate to meet even the expenses in which it had involved the

college, and now it seemed about to make still more formidable demands upon her resources for taxes, assessments, and the cost of regulating the lots. The whole subject of the disposition of this property was one of extreme delicacy and difficulty, and occupied the attention of the trustees for nearly two years, when it was finally leased.

were.

The college edifice was again becoming inadequate to the needs of the institution; a remodeling of the course had become necessary, and the best plans could not be carried out in the buildings as they They consisted of "dwelling houses for the president and three professors; of a building occupied as the grammar school of the college, and of the chapel, library, and recitation rooms, the whole constituting the range of buildings in Park place between Church street and College place. Their value may be estimated according to their present use at $50,000, but the ground on which they stand may be estimated at $500,000."1

The noise of commerce was fast drawing in around the college, and attached as many were to the old situation, it became evident that they must move away from the halls which through years of labor they had learned to love. The new site was under consideration for a number of years, and it was not until 1857 that it was finally chosen and the college moved to the block between Fortyninth and Fiftieth streets and Madison and Fourth avenues. The buildings on this block were those formerly occupied by the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and were chosen partially because they could be occupied immediately at comparatively small expense.2

The cost of this property was $75,366.10,2 and in altering and refitting the buildings and regulating, grading, and fencing the grounds the college spent $38,969.91 more. Meanwhile they sold the old college property for $596,650, "and the college green is transformed into streets lined with costly warehouses."

CURRICULUM IN 1857.

The college had now succeeded in finding new and comfortable quarters, and it remained to carry out the rest of the plan and rearrange and liberalize the course. The committee which had been appointed in 1856 had the matter under consideration for several months. They personally investigated the methods used by each professor and the results obtained, and studied the curricula in many other colleges. The report of the committee embodied a new scheme providing for a university course of study as follows:

Lectures shall be delivered in the college, which shall be conducted in three distinct schools. They shall be open to any person, under such regulations as the Trustees may from time to time prescribe.

1 Report of the Regents, 1857.

2

Regents' Report, 1858, contains a description of these buildings.

1. A school is established, called the School of Letters, in which shall be pursued the following studies:

Moral and mental philosophy, including an analysis of the moral and intellectual powers, æsthetics, or the principles of taste and art; the history of philosophy; appropriate literature of the Greeks and Romans; oriental and modern languages, as far as possible; comparative philology and ethnology.

2. A school is established, called the School of Science, in which shall be pursued the following studies

Mechanics and physics, astronomy, chemistry and mineralogy, geology and palaeontology, engineering, mining and metallurgy, art of design; history of science, natural history, physical geography.

3. A school is established called the School of Jurisprudence, in which shall be pursued the following studies:

History, political economy, political philosophy, the principles of national and international law civil and common law, the writings of the Greeks and Romans, and of the modern civilians and jurists appropriate to the last three subjects. The conjunction of the above three schools shall form the university course. Any person who may enter either of the said schools may receive the degree of master of arts after having pursued for a space of time not less than two years, to the satisfaction of the Trustees and Faculty, such of the studies thereof and under such regulations as the Trustees may from time to time prescribe.

There shall be fellowships, with or without stipends, to be filled by the Board of Trustees. upon such examination and upon such rules and regulations as may hereafter be prescribed.1

These extensive plans serve to show that the aim of the college has always been toward the position of a liberal university, and, although they were not carried out in full, important changes in this direction. were made. In the faculty of arts the board of instruction was augmented by the appointment of several new professors. Up to this time, under the comprehensive title of professor of moral philosophy, Dr. McVicar had given instruction in the evidences of natural and revealed religion, ethics, intellectual philosophy, logic, rhetoric and belles-lettres, and historical and political science. This work was now divided between three professors. The chair in evidences of natural and revealed religion was retained by Dr. McVicar. A chair in moral and intellectual philosophy and literature was filled by the election of Charles Murray Nairne, M. A., L. H. D. Dr. Nairne was born at Perth, Scotland, on the 15th of April, 1808, graduated at St. Andrew's University in 1830, and two years later received the degree of M. A. from the University of Edinburgh. He then became assistant to the celebrated Dr. Chalmers, of Glasgow, a position which he held for a number of years. In 1847 he came to America, where his ability as

director of a classical school attracted the attention of the trustees and led to his election. Subsequent events have proved that this choice was a wise one.

No less important was the election of Francis Lieber, LL. D., to the third chair, that of history and political science. He was called from a similar chair in the University of South Carolina, where he had

1 Statutes.

gained great distinction as a publicist. Born in Berlin on the 18th of March, 1800, he had early joined the Prussian army and fought as a volunteer at Ligny and Waterloo, receiving a severe wound in the assault on Namur, which crippled him for life. Although arrested and imprisoned several times on suspicion of revolutionary sentiments, he never gave up his studies, and finally in 1820 took his doctor's degree at Jena. He then attempted to continue his studies at Halle, but was so persecuted that he found it necessary to leave the country. He spent a year at Rome in the family of Niebuhr (then Prussian ambassador) as tutor to his son Marcus. Returning to Berlin on the assurance of the King that he should not be molested, he was again thrown into prison, and only escaped through the pressing solicitations of Niebuhr. Leaving his native land in 1825, he came to this country, and in 1835 was called to a professorship in the University of South Carolina. It is here that the great works by which he is known were written-his Legal and Political Hermeneutics, his Political Ethics, and his Civil Liberty and Self Government.

These works represent the first real transmission of German political philosophy to the New World, through the clarifying influence of English history and American life. His was the first great original production of political science in America.1

By the call of Dr. Lieber to Columbia, history and politics were recognized as coordinate sciences, a combination which was the historical corner stone of the school of political science since founded by Prof. John W. Burgess.

Rather less prominent, but by no means less important, were the changes in the department of natural sciences. Professor McCulloh confined his work to the physical sciences, and to the chair in chemistry was elected Charles A. Joy, Ph. D. Professor Hackley took the chair in astronomy, and Charles Davies, LL. D., was made professor of mathematics, and to him was assigned, as an assistant, William G. Peck, A. M., with the title of adjunct professor.

In the classical department no new instructors were added, but a more logical division was made, Professor Anthon devoting himself to Greek, while Dr. Drisler became professor of Latin.

The university course was arranged practically as to-day, so that at the end of the junior year the student could take his choice between the lectures offered by the school of letters, the school of jurisprudence, and the school of science; and a post-graduate department was established corresponding to the present faculty of philosophy. From the regents' report we learn that during the year 1858 lectures were

'Study of History in American Colleges, by Dr. H. B. Adams. Circular of Information No. 2, Bureau of Education, 1887, p. 69. For interesting sketches of Dr. Lieber see this work and the History of Higher Education in South Carolina, by Dr. Colyer Meriwether, Circular of Information No. 3, Bureau of Education,

delivered in the university as follows: In the school of letters, by Professor Lieber, on the history of commerce and political science; by Professor Nairne, on ethics and æsthetics; by the Hon. George P. Marsh, on the English language; by Professor Guyot, on comparative physical geography in its relations to history and modern civilization. In the school of jurisprudence, by Professor Dwight, on municipal law and kindred subjects. In the school of science, by Professor McCulloh, on the mechanics of ethereal matter and the present state of knowledge in relation to heat, light, and electricity; by Professor Joy, on chemistry, with practical instruction in the laboratory; by Professor Peck, on civil engineering, including surveying and the use of instruments, general principles of construction, and graphics; by Professor Davies, on the higher mathematics and the nature and history of mathematical science; by Professor Hackley, on physical astronomy, with the practical use of instruments; by Professor Torrey, on botany. In speaking of the fate of these new courses, which were abandoned after the first year, Professor Van Amringe says:

The time seemed not to be ripe for the proper support by the public of the scheme, and it was relinquished after one year's trial. The college, indeed, by no means abandoned its cherished plan of giving more than ordinary academic training; but professional and scientific schools superseded that more liberal and extended course of teaching by which it had been hoped to inspire young men with an ardent and honorable love of learning and to qualify them for those higher and more arduous efforts of self-instruction which the college has ever regarded as the true aim and purpose of academic training.'

FOUNDING OF THE LAW SCHOOL.

From the remains of this experiment sprang the professional schools for which Columbia is to-day justly renowned. First among these was the school of law, under the able leadership of Theodore W. Dwight, A. M., who was appointed professor of municipal law on the 17th of May, 1858. Six years later he was placed at the head of the department, with the title of warden of the law school. This position he held until 1891, and for his long and faithful service he justly received the respect of all who could see and appreciate what he had done.2

Professor Dwight, who has a reputation throughout the whole Union as the greatest living American teacher of law, has in substance founded and keeps alive simply by his own capacity as a teacher one of the best schools of law, in which one generation of pupils after another learns those elements of English law which, according to a certain number of good people, can not be taught from a professor's chair.

This is what Prof. A. V. Dicey, of Oxford, said of Professor Dwight, and Prof. James Bryce in speaking of his course said:

'Historical Sketch of Columbia College by J. H. Van Amringe.

? Professor Dwight retired from the active duties of this chair in 1891 upon the reorganization of the law school. His death occurred a few years later.