Academics at Western Reserve College
In 1835 the course of study called for classes in the categories of Classical; Mathematical and Physical; English and Rhetorical; Intellectual, Moral, and Political; and Biblical and Religious. A freshman would read Livy in Latin, Xenophon’s Anabasis in Greek as well as write and give speeches in English, read Acts of the Apostles, and begin learning geometry. A sophomore would dive into Lock’s Conduct of the Human Understanding and Plato’s Phaedo. A Junior could read scripture in Hebrew, as well as learn about Astronomy, Chemistry, and Natural Philosophy. Finally, seniors would read selections of Greek and Latin poetry, Whately’ Rhetoric, Say’s Political Economy, and Butler’s Analogy. Various, slight changes would occur in the timing and specific topics over the years. For instance, in the 1871-1872 catalog, Livy is still studied by freshmen, and sophomores still read Plato, but juniors are now reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth and seniors are learning modern languages such as French, German, or Italian.
In addition to exerting their minds, students at Western Reserve College were expected to perform manual labor as a part of their education. Starting in 1830, two hours per day (except for Sunday) of manual labor on the college farm or in one of the shops on campus was expected from every student. These shifts were broken into separate, one hour chunks. The first came after breakfast and the first class of the day, while the second came from 4-5 pm. Aside from exercise to keep physical health up, the idea was that students would be paid a small hourly wage to create objects such as barrels, furniture, and coffins, which in turn could be sold to help the school financially. In reality, the inexperienced and usually apathic student laborers created less-than-desirable products, which ultimately cost more to produce than they could be sold for. The requirement become voluntary around 1840, with the idea entirely scrapped by 1852.
A typical day for students, approved by in 1837 by the trustees, was laid out by Frederick C. Waite in his book, Western Reserve University The Hudson Era:
The curfew bell would then ring at 9pm. Shortly before 1840, the first recitation and breakfast swapped places. In the summer term, the first set of prayers was also moved up to 5am, to allow for a single two hour window to conduct work on the college farm.First Bell – 5:45, Prayers – 6:00, Recitation – 6:15, Breakfast – 7:15, Work and Exercise till 9:00, Study Hours – 9:00 to 11:00, Recitation – 11:00 to 12:00, Dinner – 12:00, Study Hours – 1:00 – 3:00, Recitation – 3:00 – 4:00, Work and Exercise – 4:00 to 5:00, Prayers – 5:00, Supper – 5:30, Study Hours: - 7:00 to 9:00
Theological Department
Aside from the Collegiate Department, there was also a Theological Department on the Hudson campus. Approved in 1830, the inaugural class of three students began in the fall of 1831. However, there was heavy turnover in the professors, due to deaths and resignations. Around 1836, the department’s three-year program was revamped, with courses in Sacred Literature, Ecclesiastical History (later called Historical Theology), Systemic Theology, and Practical Theology. In 1847-48, the department reached an all-time high of 23 students. By 1851-52, it was back down to eight students. On top of the low enrollment, the theological students did not pay tuition, which was not helping the college’s poor financial situation at this time. So, when two of the three professors in the department left in February 1852, two students graduated in July of that year followed by a final two more in July 1853, before the department was indefinitely suspended.The Medical Department, which formed in Cleveland in 1843, will be covered in a future post.
