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and plans not perfected. It was probably intended to meet a want since supplied by the School of Mines in Columbia College.

AUBURN COLLEGE.

In the winter of 1835, a project was undertaken for the establishment of a College under the control of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was started at a meeting of the Oneida Conference, at Oswego, September 25, 1835, and upon assurances of support and coöperation, William H. Seward, Nathaniel Garrow, George B. Throop, John Seymour and Rev. Zachariah Paddock, of Auburn; Rev. George Peck and Rev. Josiah Keyes, of Cazenovia, were appointed to procure a charter from the Regents of the University. The Genesee Conference, on the 14th of October of that year, appointed a committee to coöperate, consisting of Rev. Samuel Luckey, D. D., and Augustus A. Bennett, of Lima; Rev. Abner Chase, of Penn Yan; Rev. John B. Alverson, of Perry; Jonathan Metcalf, of Seneca Falls; Dr. Samuel Moore, of Palmyra, and Dr. O. C. Comstock, of Trumansburgh.

The commissioners met at Auburn, December 23, for counsel, and Messrs. Garrow, Seward and Throop were authorized to take such measures with respect to the Regents as might be deemed expedient.

On the 26th of February, 1836, the form of a Provisional charter was ordered to be prepared. It was definitely proposed to erect the College on the Dill farm, on the north side of Allen street, a few rods east of Washington street, and the cost of buildings and lands were to be $30,000, and the endowment, $50,000, all of which were readily consented to by the Regents.

A public meeting was held on the 25th of August, 1836, at which $18,000 was subscribed, and a Board of Trustees soon afterward was organized, with Nathaniel Garrow as President and William H. Seward as Secretary.

About $40,000 were subscribed, a plan for College buildings was prepared, and ten acres of land for a site donated. It was intended to commence the erection of buildings in the spring of 1837, but the financial crisis of that year soon came, blighting the prospects that had promised complete success, and effectually prostrating all further efforts in the undertaking.

AUBURN FEMALE UNIVERSITY.

Incorporated January 29, 1852,1 and intended to form an institu1 Chap. 3, Laws of 1852.

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tion for the education of young women upon an extended plan. Charter amended July 21, 1853,' as the " Auburn Female Seminary.' Efforts were made to procure an endowment, but difficulties arose, partly from being unable to agree upon a site, and the project was abandoned. In this proposed undertaking no one denomination of religious bodies was given a preference in the act, but they were to be represented in proportion to the amount of funds they subscribed. This effort was the germ of what was afterward matured in the Female College at Elmira under a separate charter.

BROCKPORT COLLEGE.

An institution under this name with the usual powers of a College received a charter March 4, 1836,' which was not to be valid unless in three years, or sooner, the sum of $30,000 should be raised for a building, and $50,000 for an endowment.

This enterprise was begun by the Baptists, and funds were subscribed sufficient, as was thought, to warrant the undertaking. The walls of a four-story stone building were erected, but the inside work had not been done, when the financial crisis of 1837 came. This prevented subscriptions from being paid, and effectually stopped further progress. The unfinished building remained unoccupied for several years, excepting that its basement was used for stabling horses and cattle.

Some years afterward an entirely new corporation was formed under the name of the "Brockport Collegiate Institute," and acquired the title of the site. The building was finished and used for some years as an Academy, until burned. A new one was built, which now forms the central building of the State Normal School at Brockport.

1 Chap. 624, Laws of 1853.

This discrepancy of name occasioned much discussion, and a majority of the Trustees under the first act regarded the amendment as inoperative. The Regents considered it an amendment of the act of 1852, and lengthy opinions upon this point were entered in their records.

* The Trustees of Brockport College under its provisional charter were Henry Davis and Benjamin Putnam, of Brockport; William B. Brown and Tenas Case, of Ogden; Elon Galusha, Ogden Sage, Albert G. Smith and Eleazer Savage, of Rochester; Joseph Elliott, of Wyoming; David Eldridge and Rawson Harmon, Jr., of Wheatland; Witman Metcalf, Rauson S. Burrow and Harvey Ball, of Albion; Elisha Tucker and Orange H. Dibble, of Buffalo; Nathaniel Garrow, of Auburn; Ichabod Clark, of Batavia; Gerrit Smith, of Petersboro; H. B. Dodge, of Greece; Samuel Phoenix, of Perry; Martin Coleman, of Holly; Bela H. Colegrove, of Sardinia, and James McCall, of Rushford.

BROOKLYN LADIES' COLLEGE.

Incorporated by the Legislature, April 5, 1866,' with the usual powers of a College, and subject to the general provisions of the Revised Statutes. Capital, $150,000, with power to increase the same to $500,000. Plans never perfected.

BUFFALO COLLEGE.

Incorporated by an act passed April 18, 1859,' with the design of establishing a College for the education of both sexes, and to be forever free from the teaching of sectarianism in any form. Practical Mechanics, Mining and Engineering might be taught, as also the science of teaching. The Genesee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church were to have the right to nominate the President of the College, and it was to be subject to visitation by the Regents. Nothing was accomplished in the execution of this plan.

BUFFALO COLLEGE OF ST. JOSEPH.

Incorporated March 12, 1851, under the general law for the formation of Benevolent, Charitable, Scientific and Missionary Societies, but no reports were ever made to the Regents.

CHAUTAUQUA UNIVERSITY.

Incorporated March 30, 1883,' with power to acquire an estate of $200,000. The objects declared to be the promotion of liberal and practical education, especially among the masses of the people; the teaching of the Sciences, Arts, Languages and Literature, and the preparation of its patrons for the professions, and for the various duties of life. Not under the visitation of the Regents. The only measure adopted hitherto has been the delivery of a summer course of lectures, etc. None of the provisions of the Revised Statutes, embraced in chapter 15, part 1 (relating to the Regents of the University), are to apply.

The Regents, in noticing the incorporation of this institution, remark:

1 Chap. 402, Laws of 1866.

2 Chap. 452, Laws of 1859, p. 1061.

3 Chap. 148, Laws of 1883.

* Regents' Report, 1884, p. 4.

"It is probably not the intention of the Legislature in this act to create an institution of learning of the character recognized as Colleges and Universities. This is evident from section 4 of the law which provides that none of the provisions of chapter 15 of the Revised Statutes shall apply to it. By this it is freed from all requirements to report its course of study, or its means for imparting instruction. From the statement of its leading objects it does not appear that a prolonged and thorough system of study and examination is contemplated, as is required in the case of the regular College. This being the case, it seems unfortunate that the name 'University,' which has heretofore been restricted to institutions giving a full four years' course of educational training, should have been used in this connection. And it is still more unfortunate that section 15 of the act confers on this irresponsible institution the power to give diplomas and confer the usual University degrees."

CLINTON COLLEGE (Fairfield).

On the 13th of March, 1809, the Trustees of Fairfield Academy applied for a College charter, which was declined at that time on the ground of insufficient funds.

In 1812, the application was renewed, but again deferred for like

reasons.

In 1816, it was again urged, and this time with the expressed intention of naming it "Clinton College," and on the 25th of March of that year, a provisional charter was granted, in all respects similar to that recently conferred upon Hamilton College. It was not to take effect unless it were proved to the Chancellor that funds to the amount of $50,000, independently of buildings and lots connected therewith, be secured, and that the Trustees of the College of Physicians and Surgeons for the Western District, and of the Fairfield Academy, respectively surrendered their charters. No limit was set to the time within which this should be done, but the friends. of the measure did not succeed in meeting the conditions, and the project ended.' This enterprise was under Protestant Episcopal auspices, and finally resulted in the establishment of Geneva College.

'Before this, we had "Hamilton College," at Clinton; we have now “ Madison University," at Hamilton, and had the above measure not failed, there would be "Clinton College," at Fairfield. Had the name of the place last mentioned been changed to Madison, the combination of names would have been carried to its extreme limit, and some knowledge of our local geography would have been needed to avoid confusion.

COLLEGE OF MISSIONARIES.

Formed under a general act, and located at Syracuse. The only information we have of it is that it was dissolved by a special act of the Legislature, May 9, 1877.1

FLUSHING FEMALE COLLEGE.

This institution, formerly a private school known as "St. Thomas Hall," was incorporated April 6, 1857, with power to confer degrees upon completion of the course of studies usually taught in colleges in this State. No reports were made under this act.

GERMAN MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE.

Incorporated under the general law for the incorporation of Benevolent, Charitable, Scientific and Missionary Societies, July 1, 1853, and located at Buffalo. It has never reported to the Regents, and no information can be given concerning it, if, indeed, it was ever organized.

GRAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. Incorporated May 23, 1884, with' power to teach music and kindred arts, and to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctor of Masic upon such persons as may be deemed eligible to such degrees, by reason of proficiency in the art of music, or the production of original musical works, or of the kindred arts.

ITHACA COLLEGE.

This was to have been a Methodist institution for both sexes. It has already been noticed on pages 95, 202 and 203 of this volume.

KINGSTON COLLEGE.

On the 25th of August, 1779, some five years before the first Board of Regents was created, the Assembly Journals show the ollowing record:

"A petition of the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Kingston, praying leave to bring in a Bill, to enable them to erect a College or University in the said Town, was

read.

1 Chap. 250, Laws of 1877. Chap. 265, Laws of 1857. 3 Chap. 352, Laws of 1884.

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