Since its founding in 1769, Dartmouth College been home to a diverse range of characters including Daniel Webster, Robert Frost and Keggy. The story of how the College emerged from humble beginnings as a small log hut in the woods of New Hampshire to become one of the most distinguished academic establishments in the world is as intriguing as one would expect of an institution with such an eclectic heritage. Dartmouth College, the ninth oldest college or university in the country, is a relatively small institution that has influenced the hearts and lives of many of this country's greatest minds.
The Origins of Dartmouth
Two hundred thirty-five years ago, Congregationalist minister Eleazar Wheelock established Dartmouth College for the purposes of educating Native Americans and spreading the doctrine of Christianity. The original charter mandated the College "for the education and instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in this Land in reading, writing and all parts of Learning which shall appear necessary and expedient for civilizing and Christianizing Children of Pagans as well as all liberal arts and sciences and also of English Youth and any others."
Wheelock dedicated his life's work to bringing Christianity and education to Native Americans, starting with the creation of Moor's Indian Charity School in Lebanon, Conn. in 1754.
The school prospered for a time, but the challenge of finding new Native American pupils in Connecticut caused the institution to close after only 15 years.
Undaunted, Wheelock was eager for another chance. He sent Samuel Occom, his favorite pupil, to England to raise money. Occom returned with 11,000 British pounds.
Several New England towns bid for Wheelock's new school. Wheelock chose to accept New Hampshire Governor John Wentworth's offer of Hanover, a little village next to the Connecticut River.
On Dec. 13, 1769, King George III of England signed a royal charter for the College, thanks to Wentworth's efforts to promote the school with the King.
Dartmouth was born.
In 1770, Wheelock, the first president, moved to Hanover and erected a single log hut, which constituted the entire school.
He considered naming his new school "Wentworth," as a tribute to the governor who helped procure the charter, but Wentworth declined. He asked the school to be named after his good friend William Legge, the Earl of Dartmouth, an important benefactor of the College and an original trustee.
The first class of four people graduated in 1771, all of whom had completed their first three years of education at Yale University.
The Commencement ceremony took place where Reed Hall now stands and included a graduation address by a Native American student seated on the branch of an overhanging pine tree. Later, the large banquet planned for the celebration feast was cancelled because the chefs found their way to the rum Wentworth had brought and were too inebriated to prepare a meal.
Early Challenges
When Wheelock died in 1789, he was succeeded by his son John as president.
John's most cherished legacy is Dartmouth Hall, which was constructed in 1791. The new building, which would later become the centerpiece of the famed Dartmouth Row, housed a chapel, dormitory, library and classrooms.
In 1799, what is now The Dartmouth was established, making it America's oldest college newspaper.
However, John Wheelock's presidency was also clouded in controversy.
By the early 1800s, many of the College's original Trustees, who had been relatives or friends of Eleazar Wheelock, had died. A new board, which became hostile to John Wheelock, restricted his presidential duties. Despite his efforts to resist, John Wheelock was ousted in 1816.
Bitter at the board, Wheelock convinced the new governor and state legislature of New Hampshire to take control of the school away from the Board of Trustees, and to rename the school Dartmouth University.
The Board challenged the state, hiring a promising young lawyer and alumnus named Daniel Webster, who was from the Class of 1801, to defend them in court.
After an unfavorable ruling from the New Hampshire Superior Court, Webster argued before the United States Supreme Court that the original College charter was an inviolable contract, and thus the name of the school could not be changed.
In the 1819 case of Woodward v. Dartmouth College, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of the preservation of the College charter, free of state interference, a decision which is now recognized as a historic landmark in the evolution of American government.
Even today, Webster's words in his appeal for justice stir the emotions of the College community: "Sir, you may destroy this little institution; it is weak; it is in your hands! I know it is one of the lesser lights on the literary horizon of this country. You may put it out. But if you do so, you must carry through with your work! You must extinguish, one after another, all those great lights of which for more than a century, have thrown their radiance over the land. It is, Sir, as I have said, a small college. And yet, there are those who love it."
The College on the Hill
The rugged conditions of the New Hampshire landscape have long influenced the College and its students. The College's official color and official nickname, the Big Green, come from the surrounding evergreen environment.
Until 1820, each class had the chore of uprooting one of the many tree stumps that adorned the Green. Open to all residents of the Hanover community, the Green has long been a centerpiece of Dartmouth's geography, with many of the most important buildings sprouting up around its periphery.
The College seal features Dartmouth Hall, which is situated on the eastern edge of the Green. Dartmouth Hall has been involved in a number of pranks, such as when students who disliked the townspeople's cows grazing on the Green hid the frightened livestock in the basement of the hall. Another time, students drove the cows across the river.
The fence on the corner of the green facing Collis Center and the Hanover Inn is a remnant of the more complete fence that was constructed to restrict cow access. Most of the fence was destroyed in 1893.
Dubbed the Senior Fence, only seniors were allowed to sit on it. First-year students who ignored the rule were severely reprimanded.
The spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors that affects the hearts of many Dartmouth students was energetically embodied by John Ledyard, a feisty fellow who embarked upon a trip among the Iroquois after just four months at Dartmouth. He burrowed into the snow for warmth in the winter months. In 1773, he departed Hanover by sail on the Connecticut River.
Ledyard's legacy is especially apparent in institutions such as the Dartmouth Outing Club. Both the bridge connecting New Hampshire to Vermont and the Hanover boathouse bear his name.
Growing Up and Out
Dartmouth was originally founded as an institution for undergraduate education. While its focus proudly continues in that direction even today, it has experienced substantial expansion toward a research university with the creation of several linked schools.
Dr. Nathan Smith, one of the leading surgeons and physicians of his time, established the Dartmouth Medical School in 1797, the oldest of Dartmouth's graduate schools.
Sylvanus Thayer, a member of the Class of 1807, provided funding for the 1871 foundation of the Thayer School of Engineering. In 1851, the Chandler School of Science was integrated into the College. An agricultural school, no longer located here, was created in 1868.
Edward Tuck, a member of the Class of 1802, helped found the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, the world's oldest business school. Tuck celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2002.
Presidential Legacies
Appointed in 1826, Nathan Lord was the Dartmouth president who believed the Bible supported slavery. When U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was slated for an honorary degree, Lord fought against it. He resigned in 1863.
President Samuel Concord Bartlett possessed a strong belief in Bible-centered study and used his theological convictions to undermine the Chandler School of Science and end the agricultural school at Dartmouth. The agricultural school was transplanted to Durham, New Hampshire, where it created fertile ground for the establishment of the University of New Hampshire.
Ninth president William Jewett Tucker used his background as a preacher for different ends than his predecessors. He ended the College's mandatory chapel policy, asserting it not to be the place of the College to convert students. Instead, he provided the Dartmouth community with inspirational speeches encouraging spiritual development.
Tucker extended the curriculum beyond the classics and entrusted students with greater academic self-determination. Before Tucker, students were required to take identical classes in the same sequence.
During Tucker's tenure, 13 dormitories, a number of science buildings and Webster Hall were either built or greatly remodeled. The addition of a heating plant meant that students would no longer need to use their wood stoves.
Eleventh President Ernest Martin Hopkins, a member of the Class of 1901, rivaled Tucker in popularity. He started his presidency in 1916. Baker Library, a hallmark of the College and a defining structure of the Green, was built under Hopkins' leadership. Under his control, the College also experienced great controversy regarding the creation of the Orozco murals in the 1930s.
John Sloan Dickey, Class of 1929, presided in 1945 and established the Great Issues course that brought renowned speakers to Hanover as part of a popular interdisciplinary course for seniors. Today, the Master of Liberal Studies (MALS) programs continue the tradition of interdisciplinary study at the College.
"He expressed the hope that when we left college we would understand two things about the world -- that its troubles were our troubles and that its worst troubles, coming from within men, could be fixed by better human beings," Robert Kilmarx '50 said about Dickey.
In 1970, Dickey was succeeded by the mathematician John Kemeny, who helped create the important BASIC computer program language and worked to strengthen the mathematics department.
Dartmouth was the last of the Ivy League to go coeducational when women matriculated for the first time in 1972. The change came about after a long and controversial debate. The decision helped gave rise to the creation of the Dartmouth Plan, which turned the College's calendar into a year-round quarter system. The D-Plan prevented a reduction in male enrollment when women finally came to Dartmouth, representing a compromise to those who opposed coeducation.
David McLaughlin '54 succeeded Kemeny. McLaughlin's tenure saw the relocation of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the erection of the Berry Sports Center and construction of the Maxwell and Channing Cox apartments. The Office of Residential Life and the Committee on Student Life were also created under McLaughlin.
During President James O. Freedman's 11 years, there was a renewed interest in intellectualism on campus. His call for "creative loners" in his inaugural speech in 1987 effectively captured many qualities of his presidency.
A new curriculum with more distributive requirements took effect with the Class of 1988.
The leadership of current President James Wright will undoubtedly witness many more important debates in the Dartmouth community as the College prepares itself to meet the challenges and demands of delivering a complete 21st century undergraduate education.
Fraternities emerged in the 1840s, originally resembling secret societies more than anything else. The early organizations first centered around weekly debates on history and literature. In 1849, the Trustees voted to abolish fraternities. However, the prohibition on fraternities was ignored.
Today, fraternities and sororities have a strong visible presence in the Dartmouth community. Because of efforts by the administration to dampen the influence of the Greek system, fraternities and sororities are the focus of a heated debate between the Board and many members of the student body.
The Great Beyond
It is impossible to predict the outcome of the debate regarding the role of Greek life, just as it is equally difficult to foresee the conclusion of other explorations of student life. Prevailing attitudes and agendas change with each graduating class, guaranteeing the existence of a never-ending struggle between tradition and change.
Presidents and students alike will face continuing controversy -- both must make decisions with the best interests of the College at heart.
Despite the atmosphere of continual change, certain things will never alter.
Such legendary figures as Robert Frost and Nelson Rockefeller have emerged from the arms of the College. Dartmouth alumni have always been able to walk away from the Green with four years of valuable experience, characterized sometimes by unity, sometimes by diversity, but always with warmth, support and the challenge to be a better person.
