Some April History at Davidson

1837-2012 ◊◊ Celebrating Davidson’s 175th anniversary

It’s been fun to research “this day” and “this week” in Davidson’s history. We’ll wrap up this theme this week with a few moments from the month of April over the years.

April 1: 1914 – No fooling – the first issue of the Davidsonian is published

April 2: 1862– The Senior Class petitions against a change in the curriculum, because it requires them to take class alongside Juniors.  For the first 20 years of the college, instruction was organized strictly by class year. President  Kirkpatrick explained,

The part of Intellectual Philosophy which it is proposed that you now pursue in connection with the Junior Class, is one which your Class has not studied. I deem it important not only for its intrinsic value, but also as preparatory to the study of Logic, on which you will enter in a few weeks. Owing to the time your Class has lost in consequence of our civil troubles, it is impossible for us to accomplish the entire course of studies in the thorough manner we would desire

April 3: 1885 – Faculty received a petition  from the students asking to be excused from compulsory attendance on the Sabbath Bible recitations. The petition was discussed and laid aside for one week. On April 10, the faculty decide they have no power to address this and pass it on to the Trustees.

April 4: 1918 – Faculty adopt a new policy on awarding degrees for students called into national service (military war service) – No concessions will be made for Juniors, but “where Seniors enter the Army or Navy after Christmas, and have a clear record on all work in lower classes, they shall be given credit for those courses of the Senior year in which at their withdrawal they were making a passing grade, and if the requirements for graduation are thus fulfilled, they shall be given their degree honoris causa and so designated on the diploma.”

April 4: 1929 – Faculty decided that in the future all scholastic diplomas shall be in one language.  By a vote of 16 to 15, Dr. Martin casting the deciding vote, it was decided that this language shall be Latin.

April 5:  1867 – Faculty adopted a resolution

to introduce the Bible as a regular text-book, requiring a recitation from each Class every Monday morning, in some department of Bible study.  The chronology, history and geography of the Bible were assigned to the Freshman class. Matthew in the original Greek and the Harmony of the Gospels were selected for the Sophomore Class. The Epistle to the Romans, and for such other Epistles as the Class might be able to get over, were assigned to the Juniors; and lectures on the Shorter Catechism and the Confession of Faith, by the President, were appointed for the Senior class.”

and  another resolution “that  no student be permitted to study outside of his own room unless his request to do so be granted at a regular meeting of the Faculty.”

April 5: 1974 Shaw Smith, director of the College Union, is announced as the president-elect of the Association of College Unions.

April 6: 1904 – On motion, the Faculty voted to cancel two of the baseball games this spring, in accordance with the written agreement with the  students that College property must not be destroyed. It was left wit the Athletic Committee to specify the games to be cancelled.

April 7:  1836 – Cornerstone is laid for the Chapel, the first building on campus. Minutes of the Concord Presbytery described the event

a large concourse of people having assembled Presbytery proceeded to the Solemn service of dedicating the institution to God. The services were commenced by Revd. Dr Robinson by singing an appropriate Psalm and an introductory prayer. The Revd Robt H Morrison then addressed the assembly in an appropriate and forcible discourse on the importance of Learning generally and specialty of a Learned Ministry to the happiness of a community and the security of a free and righteous Government.

April 7: 1870 Faculty report “of the 125students in College, 86 are Communicants in the Church, viz: 79 Presbyterians, 5 Methodists, and 2 Seceders. Thirty-three are Candidates for the Ministry.

April 7: 1898 – Faculty Minutes report that the Senior Class having asked that they be allowed to wear the cap and gown at the Senior Speaking at Commencement, the Faculty granted the request for the present Senior Class, but added that they were not prepared to approve or adopt class vestments as a permanent feature of the College.

April 8: 1979 – Davidson students and faculty participate in an anti-nuclear at the front gate of the unfinished McGuire nuclear plant six miles south of Cornelius.

April 9:1924– Faculty appoint a committee to “settle the shade of red in the colors of the college” (Douglas, J.M. McConnell, J.W. Porter).  They report back on May 14,  “the red being a bright cardinal red”.

April 9: 1962 – Davidson’s debate team spars with William & Mary on WUNC-TV.

April 10: 1919- Faculty adopt several resolutions – “Dancing is forbidden at Davidson and that this rule is violated when any organization or group of students engages in the pastime at Davidson or participates in it as a College organization elsewhere at any time; the existence of any organization in the College whose avowed purpose is to promote dancing is forbidden; that the holding of banquets, dinners, or other formal social functions on Sunday by an organization or group connected with the College here or elsewhere, is contrary to the rules of the Church and it spirit of Davidson College. and is hereby declared contrary to the express regulations of the College; that any opening of the fraternity halls during the time when any College exercise is in progress is strictly forbidden by order of the Trustees.”

April 11:  1868 – After a session of rigorous cleaning of his dorm room, James Bayliss Smith wrote about the role of women in 1868 to his friend Addison. According to Smith, after the cleaning session, “We are now living at home in as neat a room as any body’s who don’t have ladies to keep it in order for them. Ain’t they useful creatures about a house. I think I shall try to get me one when I leave college, that is if I can find a coop to keep her in. Don’t tell them how I talk about them for I might stand a poor back back among them if they were to turn loose their batteries on me.”

April 11: 1911 – Faculty give permission for students to attend the Davidson-Wake Forest debate in Greensboro on April 17 – provided that as many as 150 students desire to go and that arrangements be made to return as soon as possible the evening of the debate.

April 12: 1867 – The President informed the Faculty that he had a petition signed by the students, and other members of the “Reading Circle” requesting that Faculty meetings and other duties which interfere with the regular assembling of that Society, be altered, if possible, so as not to prevent the meeting of the “Circle” as heretofore on alternate Friday evenings.  The Faculty cordially approved of the object of the petitioners, and it was ordered that  hereafter the regular faculty meetings take place on Monday evening after tea.

April 13: 1946 – The Davidson College Symphonic Band began a performance tour to Shelby, Asheville, Hendersonville and Brevard (1946).

April 14: 1838 – Several students organized the “Polemic Debating Society” in 1837, a group later renamed (in 1838) the Eumenean Society.

April 17: 1874 Faculty Minutes not that  the Base-Ball-Club among the students asked permission to go to Charlotte and play a game to which they had been challenged by the Cadets of the Carolina Military Institute. The Faculty resolved to adhere to the precedent already set in this case, and declined to grant the permission requested.

April 20 : 1868  A number of students styling themselves “The Glee Club” petitioned the faculty for the use of one of the vacant rooms on the first floor of the main building, during hours of recreation. Granted on condition that it be used exclusively by students.