THE FIRST PROFESSOR IN DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

In the present academic year there are ten men teaching English in the College, six teaching Latin and Greek, a college pastor and about twenty persons on the library staff. The extreme modesty each of these shows about entering upon the preserves of his nearest colleague is very noticeable. It is, therefore, hard to realize the condition of the College a little over a century ago, when it was thought proper to put the duties of all of these thirty-five persons, so far as those duties were actually performed, upon the shoulders of one man. And, in addition to this, that one man was expected to teach "Hebrew, Chaldee, and other Oriental Languages", was Trustee of the College, and at one time also Vice-President. This mighty man of early Dartmouth was John Smith, the first of the nine men of that name who have received degrees from .the College.

Three biographies of Doctor Smith exist. The brief statements in Chapman's Alumni merely conceal the real interest in the man's life. A succinct account of most of the facts of his life is contained in Baxter Smith's Historyof Dartmouth College, but the most valuable single source is the memoir by Doctor Smith's widow, Susan Smith, written at "Dartmouth College Plain" in 1842, and presented to the librarian of the Northern Academy. This manuscript. in bound form, passed with other books of the Academy into the possession of the College, and is now in the College Library. The introduction, in the handwriting of Mrs. Smith, states that the volume contains "The substance of a part of a course of theological lectures delivered before the students of Dartmouth College at the close of the last, and beginning of the present century. To which is added a brief memoir, written by myself." Some good material is found in the account of the First Half Century of DartmouthCollege by Nathan Smith (D. C. 1820). Indispensable, also, are the pamphlets, sometimes vindictive, always passionate, issued in connection with the controversy between President John Wheelock and the Trustees, taking its origin in the dispute over the pastorate of the College Church, and resulting in the establishment of the University, and in the Dartmouth College Case. But for an accurate account of the relation of any one man to the development of the College, one must constantly depend upon the scholarly and readable Historyof Dartmouth College and the Town ofHanover by Frederick Chase. And lastly, the records of the Board of Trustees during the first thirty years of the history of the College betrays many secrets, of the life of the faculty and the students of those days.

This John Smith, born in Rowley, parish of Byfield, Mass., in 1752, attended Dummer Academy to prepare for Yale. His teacher, Master Samuel Moody, was noted, according to the account of the celebration of the 125 th anniversary of the founding of Dummer Academy, for great thoroughness in his teaching of the Classics. Master Moody brought Smith in the train of Governor Wentworth to attend the first and most memorable commencement at Dartmouth College. The boy was persuaded to remain and take his degree here. What the terms of admission to College were we do not know, but it is not probable that they differed much from those specified in the code of rules and regulations made by the Trustees in 1796. At that time the following were the terms of admission: "The usual time for admittance of students shall be on the week of commencement or on the close of the vacation immediately succeeding. No person shall be admitted into the Freshman Class unless he be versed in Virgil, Cicero's Select Orations, the Greek Testament, be able accurately to translate English into Latin, and also understand the fundimental rules of Arithmetic." (The handwriting is that of Bezaleel Woodward, Professor of Mathematics, who had written a different vowel in the second syllable of fundimental, but erased it and wrote the i). But when Smith entered College he had gone far beyond these requirements, for he "had then read through Homer twice, and all the Greek minor poets he could find." He must have read extensively in other subjects also, for he was admitted immediately to the Junior Class. Here again we are without information as to the curriculum, but this same series of regulations of the year 1796 may give what was substantially the course of study in 1771: "It shall be the duty of the students, to study the languages sciences and arts at the College in the following order, viz. The Freshmen, the Latin and Greek classics, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Rhetoric, and the Elements of Criticism—The Sophimores, the Latin and Greek classics, Logic, Arithmetic, Geography, Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra, Conic Sections, Surveying, Mensuration of heights and distances, and the Belles Lettres—The Juniors, the Latin and Greek classics. Geometry, Natural and Moral Philosophy, and Astronomy The Seniors, Metaphysics; Theology and Natural and Politic Law —The study of Hebrew and other oriental languages and also of the French language is recommended to the students —All the classes shall attend to composition and speaking as the Authority may direct." (Sophomore is regularly spelled Sophimore in the records of the Trustees). Smith must have found the courses of Junior year rather easy, for we are told by his wife that during this year he "had so far mastered the Hebrew and Chaldee Languages as to lay the foundation of his Hebrew and Chaldee Grammars, the latter of which was never published, and in his senior year he wrote a letter to his old preceptor, of which I have a copy, telling him that in the course of the year he had read through the Hebrew Bible once and nearly thro. again."

The General Catalogue states that after graduation in 1773 he was preceptor in Moor's Charity School for one year, but I cannot find any authority for the statement, although it is not at all improbable, since the Preceptors were usually recent graduates. However, he was in Hanover living in the home of President Wheelock, and studying Theology under his direction. From 1774 to 1778 he was Tutor 'in the College, but I have not vet discovered what his salary was. In 1779 Tutor Sylvanus Ripley received 65 pounds, and probably that was about the normal salary of a tutor. In 1776 the Trustees granted Smith the degree of Master of Arts.

Late in 1777 he made a most remarkable agreement with President Wheelock, part of which reads, "Mr. Smith agrees to settle as Professor of English, Latin, Greek. Hebrew, Chaldee, etc., in Dartmouth College, to teach which, and as many of these and other such languages as he shall understand, as the Trustees shall judge necessary and practicable for one man, and also to read lectures on them, as often as the president, tutors, etc., with himself shall judge profitable for the Seminary. He also agrees, while he can do it consistently with his office as professor, annually to serve as tutor to a class of students in the College. In consideration of which, Dr. Wheelock agrees to give him (Mr. Smith) 'one hundred pounds lawful money annually as a salary to be paid one half in money and the other half in money or in such necessary articles for a family as wheat, Indian corn, rye, beef, pork, mutton, butter, cheese, hay, pasturing, etc., . . . . . " Such were the duties, and such was the salary of the first professor appointed in Dartmouth College. The agreement was ratified by the Trustees at their next meeting. Some interesting comments on this agreement may be found in President Tucker's Inaugural Address. Prior to 1778 all instruction was given by the President and Tutors. Smith was the first who was raised to professorial rank.

But the College was in very serious financial condition, and in the first year of his service Professor Smith accepted only half his salary, namely less than two hundred and fifty dollars. The records of the Trustees show that in 1779 Professor Smith wished leave of absence, for a short time, and that the Trustees voted to grant his request, provided he gave due notice of the time he wished to leave, and would forfeit a proportionate part of his salary (spelled sallery). No hint is given of the reason for the request, but probably it was connected with the effort he was making at the time to have his Latin Grammar published. Perhaps this is the best place to give the later changes in the salary of this hard-worked man. In 1780 he and Tutor Ripley each received seventy pounds, and the Trustees voted that this should be their annual salary until such time as they could increase it to ninety pounds. But byway of compensation, they each had the use of fifty acres of land, on terms specified in the records of the Trustees. In 1778 Smith was granted also "in addition to his salary" the "use of the meadow at the mouth of Mink Brook." It was eleven years after his first appointment that he began to receive the one hundred pounds originally agreed upon. His salary was continued at $500 until 1805, when it was increased to $600; but almost immediately afterwards it was reduced to $550, owing to the quarrel with the Trustees over the pastorate of the church.

This was no munificent salary, nor was it even adequate for those times. Indeed, the two votes of the Trustees granting him the use of certain land prove that he could not live comfortably upon his salary. But there is another vote of the Trustees, passed in 1785, which lays bare a condition of actual want: "Resolved that a grant be made to Mr. Professor Smith of twenty-six pounds ten shillings on account of past sickness, and extra expenses in his family." His first wife died in April, 1784, leaving him the care of two small daughters, and he had married again in January, 1785. He was himself, even as early as this, not in robust health, but seems to have shown some signs of the consumption which ultimately caused his death. Under these circumstances, he might readily be grateful for this slight addition to his small salary. It is amazing that he accomplished what he did, for the conditions under which he was forced to live and work must have been conducive to anything rather than good results. His wife, in her memoir, says: "His only study for many years was a small room, which was constantly occupied by his family and all the company they had to entertain, which was by no means few in number: but amidst all these hindrances he sat at his desk with his attention immovably fixed upon the studies which he happened to be employed in, as if alone in the world, and here he wrote and rewrote everything he published." The house here referred to was built on an acre of land granted him by Eleazar Wheelock, under authority of the Trustees, "west of road to Lebanon." This is the plot of land on South Main Street where the Episcopal chapel and rectory now stand. It might be added also that in order to increase his income slightly he kept in his house the "Hanover Bookstore." the first bookstore in town, and that this was continued three or four years after hiss death by his wife.

Exactness in the title of members of the faculty does not seem to have been considered necessary in those days. We have seen in the agreement with President Wheelock something that looked like a title, but in the ratification by the Trustees, the word English does not appear. On the Broadsides. Smith is called simply Professor of Languages. On the title-pages of his publications he calls himself Professor of the Learned Languages, or Professor of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and other Oriental Languages. His title, however, does not seem to have varied much more than his duties. A similar variation is seen in the name of the degree conferred on him by Brown University in 1803. The Broadsides call him thereafter D.D., copied thence by Chapman, the General Catalogue, and some historians, but in the title-pages of his publications appearing after that date he writes himself S.T.D.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to determine how many hours each week the Professor of Languages was expected to teach. In 1779 the Trustees voted that Tutor Ripley should instruct the Senior and Junior classes, and Professor Smith should instruct the Sophomores and Freshmen. That was a natural division, since Mr. Ripley was particularly interested in Philosophy and Theology, being appointed to the Phillips chair in 1782, while Professor Smith would have his hands full with all the language work of the first two years. Bezeleel Woodward was Tutor at the time, and probably conducted the work of the first two years in Mathematics, to the professorship in which he was appointed in 1782. The earliest printed catalogue is of the year 1822, where the courses and text books are specified, but it would be useless to speculate as to the texts of a quarter of a century earlier. In addition to his classroom instruction, Smith had "the task of correcting all the exercises that were spoken on the stage." This would entail superintending the famous "Wednesday Rhetoricals," provided for by the Trustees in 1796: "The members of the classes in rotation shall declaim before the officers in the chapel on every Wednesday at two o'clock in the afternoon such and so many in a day as the Government may from time to time order . . . . The Senior Junior and Sophimore classes shall successively pronounce such orations and other exercises composed by themselves as the President Professors and Tutors shall appoint and order, on the last Wednesday of November the second Wednesday in March and the third Wednesday in May."

The next duty assigned to the Professor of Languages was the librarianship. On August 30, 1779, he was appointed Librarian, "which," his wife tells us, "was at that time an arduous task." In 1773, Bezaleel Woodward had been appointed Librarian, and the Trustees had voted: "That the Library be kept in the southeast chamber of Mr. Woodward's house till ordered otherwise." This house was where the Patterson house, 'the home of the Graduate Club, now stands. The Trustees ordered otherwise in 1777, and the Library was located in the old College building until the erection of Dartmouth Hall, when the books were removed to it, and placed on the second floor. The following are the regulations for the use of the Library. In 1779, the Trustees voted that: "Officers and students of the College and resident graduates and they only be permitted to take books out of the College Library." Then in 1796 it was voted: "Students may have the use of books from the College Library: but no Freshman shall take more than one book at a time, no Sophimore or Junior more than two, and no Senior more than three . . . . For the purpose of taking books out of the Library the Seniors may attend from one to two o'clock on the first and every alternate monday in term time except on Commencement week; the Juniors at the same time of day on the tuesdays of the same week—the Sophimores at the same time of day on the monday and Freshmen on the Tuesday of the intervening weeks—provided that not more than five be in the library chamber at a time, and that no one remove a book from its place but by the consent of the Librarian." From this vote it appears that the Library was open from one to two o'clock every Monday and Tuesday of the academic year. From the statements of Judge Swift, 1800, and others, it would seem that the Library was not much used, and that the students did not become acquainted with its contents. It was reported in Judge Swift's day that the Library contained about 4000 volumes. He says further: "The books seemed not to be selected because they were appropriate for a college library." These statements are now given, not as being true, but merely to show how little the students knew about the contents of the Library. They then, and for three-quarters of a century afterwards, used the Society Libraries regularly. There is now in the College Library a manuscript list of the books which composed the library in 1815, six years after Professor Smith's death, showing a total of 2866 volumes. An alphabetic list, printed at Hanover, but undated, shows a total of 2998 volumes. The evidence proves that this list was slightly later than the written list. From these facts it is hard to see how the care of the Library was arduous.

After the death of Sylvanus Ripley in 1787, the College was without a Professor of Divinity for seventeen years. During this time President John Wheelock gave such classroom lectures. on this subject as were given, but they were infrequent and apparently unsatisfactory, for he was not regarded as a good teacher. Meanwhile Chapel service was conducted for the most part by Professor Smith, who took occasion to talk on theological subjects, although he felt unqualified. Finally, about the year 1800, he thought it necessary for the students to have more systematic instruction, so he prepared a series of lectures "which he delivered Saturday evening at College prayers for two years." These lectures were written out with great care, and form the bound volume to which is added the memoir by Susan Smith. He used to say that the preparation of these lectures required more time than all the rest of his teaching.

In 1788 he was appointed to the Board of Trustees, but the records do not indicate any great activity there. His colleague Woodward was also a Trustee, and a curious vote of the Board at this time shows that the members realized that it was difficult for a person to be Professor and Trustee at the same time. They passed a resolution that no member of the Board should vote Upon a question upon which he had already voted as a member of the Faculty, nor one in the administration of which he would be concerned.

This closes the account of Smith's connection with the instruction and administration of the College. Turning now to his published works. It has already been stated that during his Junior year in College he began the preparation of Hebrew and Chaldee Grammars. The latter seems to have remained unfinished. The former was sent in the following year to the patrons of the College in England, in order that they might see what were the attainments of an undergraduate of the College, and might have the book published, provided it seemed proper to them to do so. The accounts of what happened are a bit hazy, but apparently the patrons could get the book published on no advantageous terms, and either sent it back, or Smith refused the terms. Undoubtedly the book met its appropriate fate, for the author was but twenty years of age, and had studied the language for only one year. It finally appeared, printed in Boston, in 1803, just twenty years later. Whether it had any vogue, or was regarded as an advance upon the current grammars, I do not know.

Soon after graduation he prepared the first draft of his Latin Grammar, on which subject we find the following votes of the Trustees, August 31, 1779: "Voted that Mr. Burroughs, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Ripley and Col. Wheelock be a committee to examine an english and latin grammar compiled by Mr. John Smith, professor of languages in this college, and in case they approve thereof, that they may annex their recommendation in order to its being published, and procure the publication of it if means to defray the charge can be provided without expense to the College." "Voted that the thanks of the board be rendered to Mr. John Smith for his generous donation for the use of the college of an english and latin grammar compiled by him." When the grammar finally appeared, copies were tor a time given to the College without charge for the use of students. In 1780 the Trustees voted to suspend publication of the grammar, but no reason is assigned for this action. The book appeared in 1802, under the title "The New Hampshire Latin Grammar," published by John West, Boston. While all Latin Grammars of the eighteenth. and early nineteenth centuries were based upon Donatus, through Lyly, Ward, and the Oxford Latin Grammar, that of Smith shows considerable originality in definitions, arrangement, and choice of material. Much is relegated to footnotes that in contemporary grammars ordinarily stood in the body of the page. The book went through three editions. The following somewhat extravagant praise was bestowed upon these two grammars by President John Wheelock: "The eminent attainments of Dr. Smith in the knowledge of the languages are attested by multitudes, scattered in the civilized world, who enjoyed his instruction. They will be attested, in future times, by his Latin Grammar, published about seven years ago; and by his Hebrew Grammar, which has since appeared. In each of these works, in a masterly manner, he treats of every matter proper for the student to know. Each subject is displayed in a new method, with perspicuity, conciseness, simplicity, and classic taste."

Next in order appeared his edition of Cicero, De Oratore, 1804, containing the text of Pearce, but with a life of Cicero prefixed, and with brief notes at the foot of the pages. His wife very inappropriately calls the notes "large." The life of Cicero, prefixed, is dull, and the notes of slight value. His last work, his Greek Grammar, was in the press at the time of his death. He had completed it some years earlier, and had taken the manuscript to show to an influential friend in eastern Massachusetts, who is said by Mrs. Smith, upon insufficient evidence, to have been the best Greek scholar at that time in the country. This friend had urged Smith to re-write the Grammar on a new plan, promising to have the book introduced into Harvard upon its completion. So he returned to Hanover, and set about the work of revision. Meantime his friend died, and the book did not appear until some months after Smith's death. It does not seem to have been successful, although in some respects it shows an advance upon the grammar next preceding, that of Caleb Alexander. At various times some of his sermons had been published, the most notable of which was that preached at the dedication of the new meeting-house, the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College in 1795.

It is worth noting that almost all of Smith's work was along the line of Giammar, and it is also worth noting that even at that date there existed the never-dying controversy between grammatical and literary studies. John Wheelock defends Smith stoutly: "Some, perhaps, may think less of the importance of Grammar; because like the atmosphere, its use is common, though necessary. Will such believe, that the enlightened Greeks and Romans assigned a place to its professors, as well as to philosophers, poets, in the temple of Apollo? Could they conceive, that Suetonius devoted himself to write the history of Illustrious Grammarians? Plato gave rank to this art in his sublime works; and Aristotle more largely discussed its" principles. A crowd of Stoic philosophers enlisted in the service. Varro, Cicero, Messala, and Julius Caesar, treated of the same, and did honor to the subject."

One other task fell to this man's lot. From a time soon after graduation until 1787 he was associate pastor of the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College, serving with Eleazar Wheelock and Sylvanus Ripley. From the time of Ripley's death in 1787 until 1804 he was sole pastor, having charge of both churches, one at the College, and the other at the four corners in Dothan. His salary as pastor of the two churches was one hundred and twenty dollars per annum, paid in part by the Trustees and in part by the congregations. Prior to the building of the church at Dothan, services for those on the western side were conducted in private houses, the most common meeting place being Mrs. Hazen's kitchen. He remained in charge of the Dothan church until his final illness forced him to give it up a few weeks before his death. He is the man who introduced the custom of giving commencement sermons to the Senior class on the Sunday before Commencement Day, a custom which lapsed for a few years and was then revived by Roswell Shurtleff.

His close association with John Wheelock in the controversy with Roswell Shurtleff, the Trustees, and the officers of the church, over the pastorate of the College Church, and the application of the income from the Phillips fund to the expense of preaching, has done much to injure his reputation. His enemies accused him of being a weak and subservient follower of the President, and few except his wife have defended him. She holds that, although he was mild in manner, no one who really knew him could believe that he would yield one inch on matters of principle. The facts, however, seem to be all against him. Leaving aside the bitter controversial pamphlets of the time, a readable and seemingly fair account of this wretched affair can be found written by Mrs. Cone of Hartford in the first volume of the Vermont Antiquarian.

Professor Smith's preaching was regarded as dull, as was also his teaching. His life of Cicero and his theological lectures harmonise well with his reputation. His style was ponderous and periodic. I have a letter written by him in 1781 to Rev. Mr. Willard of Stafford, Conn., from which one or two sentences may be given: "The friendly attention you was pleased to show me, when I had the honor of waiting on you, last spring, demands my grateful acknowledgment. I shall always be happy, whenever an opportunity presents, to prove the reality of the esteem and respect I bear you, as a gentleman of great merit and learning, and possessed of that great Catholicism, which results from a mind enlightened by the beams of genuine science, and well informed of the various and complicated eccentricities, with which human nature is connected. . . . . Could

not Phormio harangue Annibal upon the art military, and the duties of a general, with as much propriety, and to as good a purpose, as many modern divines discourse on metaphysical, abstract speculations, elaborate distinctions, and syllogistic, concatenated subjects, to their people astonished and bewildered? Will these warm the heart with a love of virtue? or with a detestation of vice?" At the time of writing this letter he was twenty-nine years old, but it is proper to add that later in life his style was simpler, although still dull.

As for his scholarship, John Wheelock says in his Eulogium: "The Latin, the Greek, and the Hebrew were almost as familiar to him as his native language." But Roswell Shurtleff, who had been his student, while admitting that he knew thoroughly the books he taught, did not think that Smith's knowledge extended far beyond these books. However, the many citations from Greek and Latin writers in his lectures on theology indicate a broad and careful reading.

His activity as a citizen of the town was not conspicuous, at least in comparison with that of his colleague Bezaleel Woodward. And yet he took part in many public affairs, sometimes serving on important committees. He was active in the movement to unite the river towns with the state of Vermont. He joined in the petition to the General Assembly in 1783 to have the town of Dresden created out of sections of the towns of Hanover and Lebanon. He was not a recluse, or he would not have been one of those sent out to solicit subscriptions for the building of Dartmouth Hall.

A few incidents in his life, and a few stories told of him, will show what kind of man he was. That his reputation for timidity was justified is evident from the following story: "It is said that Professor Smith, who was a timid man, and perhaps a little near-sighted, in passing across the Green early one foggy morning encountered, as he supposed, a she-bear with her family. Badly scared, he rushed to the chapel, with gown streaming in the wind, shouting, 'A bear and three cubs! A bear and three cubs!' The students, hastening pell-mell to the rescue, found but a large black stump and three small ones near it. It happened soon after that the professor, in the course of a rhetorical exercise, called for an example of the gesture of fright, which the student rendered with great effect by striking an attitude and shouting, 'A bear and three cubs! A bear and three cubs!'" Alone with this goes the following story, told by Roswell Shurtleff: "He could not well take a joke, and still,less could he retort one. When a little disconcerted. He at once lost his balance, and could only receive with meekness what should come next. Having a recitation of the class of 1802 in Watts' Logic on the dotrine of identity notwithstanding renewal of parts, one of the class, Fisk, held up his jack-knife and asked, 'If I lose this blade and get a new one, is it the same knife?' 'Yes.' 'If I next lose the handle and get a new one, is it still the same?' 'As a knife it is still the same.' 'Well, then, my chum finds the old blade and handle and puts them together, — what knife is that?' which silenced the professor."

One or two incidents indicate that with all his meekness he had a well-developed temper, and might even be rather vindictive. A certain John Payne (frequently spelled Pain) had, against the efforts of Wheelock, received a license as an innkeeper on College Street, close to the College buildings (probably on the site of the present stone house next north of Wheeler). The house had a bad reputation for being disorderly. The following incident is narrated by Wheelock in his diary for 1775: "Yesterday Pain as Constable, complained of John Smith, Tutor, for striking Wright Hall at his house, where Mr. Smith and Mr. Ripley went as Tutors to see if there were not a disorderly club of students, among which Wright was found, and in a contemptuous manner put on his hat before his Tutor while he was reproving him for that breach of College laws. Pain went to get Wright to testify; Wright said he justified Smith, and thanked him. Smith wanted the process to go on." Another story told in Chase's History illustrates the same characteristics: "One day in recitation before Professor Smith a student used a word which he pronounced 'quolity'. The professor corrected him, and said it should be pronounced 'quality'. The student replied that Professor Woodward pronounced it 'quolity'. 'That,' said Professor Smith, 'does not belong to his department'."