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tion had been created to receive it. They desired that the institution should be called provisionally "The Academy of the Town of Schenectady," but expressed a wish, at any future time, to change its name, should the occasion arise, to that of the most liberal individual benefactor.

This application was favorably received, and an academic charter was granted January 29, 1793, under the name suggested as a temporary one in the petition.

This academy appears to have been conducted with great success, by Col. John Taylor, who afterward become one of the first College Professors. In a report of Visitation signed by Dirck Romeyn and Gen. Philip Schuyler soon after, it appears that the number of students in 1793 was 128, of whom thirty-eight were pursuing the classical languages and other higher branches, the remainder being in English studies. They expressed their full approbation of the management and their confidence in its future prosperity.

Application was again made early in 1794 for a College charter, but on the 28th of January this was again denied, upon the ground that the state of Literature in the academy did not appear to be far enough advanced, nor its funds sufficient to warrant its erection into a College.

In a few months afterward we find the subject of a College under active discussion, as appears from the following papers on file in the Regents' office:

"At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Academy in the Town of Schenectady upon the 19th day of August, 1794, the Board appointed Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Stephen Van Rensselaer, John Saunders, Nicholas Veeder, Stephen N. Bayard, Joseph C. Yates, and John Taylor, a committee to digest and report a plan for a College to be established in the Town of Schenectady; and instructed their committee to form the plan that it may exhibit the most liberal principles and remove the objections to the instituting of a College in the said Town, offered by the Regents in their report of last winter, when application was made to them for that purpose.

The committee above named met at the house of Henry Ten Eyck, upon the 17th day of September. After reading their instructions, and considering the subject, it was resolved that the subject is of the greatest importance, and therefore requires the most mature deliberation.

Resolved, That public utility, liberality of sentiment and entire exclusion of all party whatsoever, ought to be attended in forming a plan for a College.

Resolved, That in order to render the business more extensive,

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and to collect the sentiment of others, this committee will meet at Albany upon the 11th day of November next, and invite a number of gentlemen of information in the city of Albany to unite with them in carrying the business of their appointment into effect. Adjourned.

(A true copy from the minutes.)

JOHN TAYLOR, Secretary."

The above nanied, and several others from the city of Albany and the northern and western parts of the State, met at the house of James McGourk, in the city of Albany, upon the day appointed, and the following proceedings were had:

"Mr. Jeremiah. Van Rensselaer was elected to the chair; John Taylor, Secretary.

Resolved, That a College be established in the Town of Schenectady.

Resolved, That the Board of Trustees of the College shall consist of twenty-four members, who shall in the first instance be appointed at a general meeting to be convened as hereinafter directed.

Resolved, That a majority of the Board of Trustees shall never be composed of persons of any one particular religious denomination. Resolved, That no President or Professor of the College, being a Minister of the Gospel, shall take upon himself or hold the pastoral charge of any church or congregation.

Resolved, That there shall be taught in this College the Latin and Greek Languages, Antiquities, Geography, Rhetoric, Logic, the Belles-Lettres, Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, History, Moral Philosophy, Natural Jurisprudence, and such other branches of Science as the said Trustees shall deem necessary, and the funds of the College will admit.

Resolved, That the establishment of a College will require at least £10,000 principal.

Resolved, That a meeting of the inhabitants from the northern and western parts of this State, disposed to patronize the establishment of a College, be called at the house of James McGourk, in the city of Albany, on the 16th day of December next, in order to consider of, and revise the preceding plan, and devise ways and means to obtain collegiate powers from the Regents of the University of the State of New York and to nominate the first Trustees.

Resolved, That John Taylor, Joseph C. Yates, Stephen N. Bayard, John Saunders, Simeon De Witt, Hunloke Woodruff, John V. Henry and William Pitt Beers be a committee to report to the general meeting upon the 16th day of December next, the plan which, and the funds with which the said College is intended to be founded and provided, to be submitted to the Regents of the University.

Resolved, That John Lansing, Jr., Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Peter Gansevoort, Jr., be a committee to draw a circular letter,

and cause two hundred copies thereof to be printed and distributed in the northern and western parts of this State. Adjourned. (A true copy from the minutes.)

JOHN TAYLOR, Secretary."

CITY OF ALBANY, December 16, 1794. The above committee, together with sundry gentlemen from the city of Albany, and from the northern and western counties of the State, assembled at James McGourk's, agreeably to adjournment, and proceeded to business.

The committee appointed for the purpose, reported a plan for the establishment of a College, which plan is hereunto annexed, as amended and agreed to.

The meeting then proceeded to nominate the first Trustees who were elected, and entered into the said annexed plan.

Agreed, that if upon examination it be found that any particular part of the said plan be contrary to the laws of this State, for estabfishing Colleges in the same, the committee, or a majority of them, be empowered and directed to amend it accordingly. Adjourned. (A true copy of the minutes.)

JOHN TAYLOR, Secretary."

The plan above mentioned, and ordered to be printed, was as follows:

"To the Regents of the University of the State of New York:

We, the subscribers, inhabitants of the northern and western counties of the State of New York, taking into view the growing population of these counties, and sensible of the necessity and importance of facilitating the means of acquiring Useful Knowledge, make known that we are minded to establish a College upon the following principles:

1st. A College shall be founded in the town of Schenectady, county of Albany, and State of New York, to be called and known by the name of UNION COLLege.

2d. The said College shall be under the direction and government of twenty-four Trustees, the majority of which Trustees shall not at any time be composed of persons of the same religious sect or denomination.'

3d. The first Trustees shall be the following persons, namely: Robert Yates, Abraham Yates, Jr., Abraham Ten Broeck, Goldsbrow Banyar, John V. Henry, George Merchant, Stephen Van Rensselaer, John Glen, Isaac Vrooman, Joseph C. Yates, James Shuter, Nicholas Veeder, James Gorden, Beriah Palmer, Samuel Smith, Henry Walton, Ammi Rodgers, Aaron Condict, Jacobus V.

In one of the printed copies there is an interlineation making it to read "twenty-four Trustees, and if consistent with the Law the majority of said Trustees," etc.

C. Romeyn, James Cochran, John Frey, D. Christopher Pick, Jonas Platt, Jonas Col, who shall have perpetual succession, and enjoy all other corporate rights and privileges, which are by law or charter allowed to the present trustees of Columbia College, in the city of New York.

4th. When special meetings of the Trustees are deemed necessary, the senior Trustee, residing within one mile of the College (which seniority shall be determined according to the order in which they shall be named in the act of incorporation, and in elections thereafter to be made), upon application in writing from three or more of the Trustees, shall appoint a time for such special meeting, in some convenient place in the Town of Schenectady, by advertisements to be inserted in one of the newspapers printed in the city of Albany, and in one printed in Schenectady, at least three weeks previous to the proposed time of meeting.

5th. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall happen by death, resignation or otherwise, the senior Trustee, or in his absence the President of the College, shall immediately give notice of the same, and appoint a time and place of election for a new Member of the Board, by advertising in the manner above prescribed, for calling a meeting of the Trustees.

6th. The President of the College, Professors, Tutors and other officers shall be appointed by the Trustees.

7th. The President, Professors and Tutors of the College shall at no time hold the office of Trustee."

8th. No President or Professor of the College, being a Minister of the Gospel, shall take upon himself or hold the pastoral charge of any church or congregation.

9th. The President, together with the Professors and Tutors of the College, shall constitute the Faculty thereof, a majority of whom when met shall be a quorum.

10th. There shall be four Professorships instituted, namely: The Professorship for Latin and Greek Languages and Antiquities; a Professorship for the Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy; a Professorship for Geography, Rhetoric, Logic and the Belles-Lettres, and a Professorship for History, Chronology, Moral Philosophy and Natural Jurisprudence.

11th. Other Professorships shall be established from time to time as in the judgment of the Trustees the funds of the College may admit, and the numbers and proficiency of the Students shall require.

12th. In the commencement of the operations of the College, and until the above arrangements can be carried into effect, the President of the College shall officiate as Professor of Moral Philosophy, History, Geography, Rhetoric, Logic and Belles-Lettres.

13th. Every Student upon entering the College shall pay to the Treasurer thereof, two and a half dollars.

In one copy changed to five."

2 In one copy this article is erased.

14th. Every Student of the College, until the Trustees shall otherwise direct, shall pay to the Treasurer, for tuition at the rate of sixteen dollars per year, in half yearly payments, to be made at the beginning of each session.

15th. Every Student, graduated at the College, shall pay to the Treasurer, upon his receiving his diploma, the sum of six dollars.

16th. The usual College degrees shall be conferred on the Students by the Trustees, upon a Certificate of Merit, furnished by the Faculty of the College.

17th. The Funds of the College shall amount to at least $25,000.' 18th. Until other arrangements be made by the Trustees the salary of the President of the College shall not be less than $750. 19th. The annual salary of the Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, shall not be less than $550.

20th. The annual salary of the Professor of the Latin and Greek Languages, and Antiquities, shall not be less than $500, and while he shall officiate as Professor of Geography, Rhetoric, Logic and Belles-Lettres, such addition shall be made to his salary as the Trustees shall think proper.

We, therefore, respectfully request the Regents of the University to take the necessary measures for the establishment of the College on the above principles.

We, the subscribers, impressed with the importance of carrying the annexed plan into effect, do respectfully recommend to the Regents of the University, a compliance with the request contained in the preceding application."

December 18, 1794.

In furtherance of this measure, the Board of Trustees of the Academy in the Town of Schenectady, held a meeting on the 7th of Jannary, 1795, and passed the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the Board of Trustees of the Academy in the Town of Schenectady immediately upon the instituting of a College in the Town of Schenectady, will transfer to the Trustees of the said College, the building called the Academy in the said Town, together with all the appurtenances thereof, and all other property of every kind unto them the said Trustees belonging. It is further resolved, that as soon as possible after such collegiate powers shall be granted by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, the Board of the Academy will apply to the Legislature of the State to grant them full and sufficient powers to convey the

same.'

Resolved, That the Board of Trustees of the Academy in the Town of Schenectady, whenever a College shall be instituted in

1 In one copy this is marked "$30,000, with the Academic building valued at $5,000.”

* This power was granted by an act passed April 6, 1795.

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