Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, Composition, Elocution,
Evidences of Christianity, Moral and Intellectual Philosophy,
Rhetoric, and Logic. Verily, an encyclopaedic
man of vast industry! Only four years after Dr.
Humphreys’ death the War of the Rebellion broke
out, and St. John’s, unlike the temple of Janus,
closed its doors at the rumors of war. The buildings
were used as an hospital, and not until 1866 was the
college again reopened with the well-known educator,
Henry Barnard, at its head. In less than a year
he resigned to become the first United States Commissioner
of Education, and neither he nor his successor, Dr.
James C. Welling, who was principal until 1870, was
able to graduate a class. Since the beginning
of the administration of the next principal, James
M. Garnett, LL. D., the succession of classes
has been unbroken and the college has steadily advanced
in reputation and usefulness. Dr. Garnett made
the English department especially excellent and, after
ten years faithful service, resigned in 1880.
The Rev. J.D. Leavitt, his successor, made a
departure from the old classic curriculum and organized
a department of Mechanical Engineering. After
he resigned Prof. W.H. Hopkins acted as
principal for a time and introduced military discipline,
having secured the detail of an officer from the United
States Army as instructor in Military Tactics.
St. John’s celebrated its centennial in 1889,
and has begun its second century with excellent prospects.
The four years’ administration of its present
principal, Thomas Fell, LL. D., has been a most
successful one, and St. John’s is fulfilling
the purpose of its founders “to train up and
perpetuate a succession of able and honest men, for
discharging the various offices and duties of life,
both civil and religious, with usefulness and reputation.”
THE SECOND UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Most universities have developed from a college; the
University of Maryland differs from them, for it originated
in a medical school.[11]
In 1802 Dr. John B. Davidge of Baltimore began a private
class in Medicine and was so successful in it, that,
in 1807, he associated with himself Drs. James Cocke
and John Shaw and these three obtained from the Legislature
a charter for the school, under the name of “the
College of Medicine of Maryland."[12] There was made
a close connection between the College of Medicine
and the State “Medical and Chirurgical Faculty,”
and its board of medical examiners were made ex-officio
members of the Board of Trustees of the College.
The Legislature also granted the college a lottery
of $40,000.[13]