COLUMBIA COLLEGE. In Dec., 1746, an act of the colonial assembly was passed to raise money by public lottery for the encouragement of learning and towards the founding of a college in the city of New York. The amount thus raised was vested in ten trustees, seven of whom were members of the church of England and some of them vestrymen in Trinity church. A parcel of ground, w. of Broadway, bounded by Bar clay, Church, and Murray streets, and the Hudson river, was granted by Trinity church as the site for the college. On a portion of this, at the foot of what was afterwards called Park place, the college edifice was built; the rest of it was leased and became a very valuable endowment.. Dr. Samuel Johnson, of Connecticut, was chosen president, and in July, 1754. commenced the instruction of a class of students in the school-house belonging to Trinity church. Soon after, a charter was obtained, according to which the institution was called King's college, and was to be governed by a board of trustees, con sisting of the archbishop of Canterbury, the first lord commissioner for trade and plan tations, the lieutenant-governor of the province, several other public officers, the ministers of the five principal religious denominations in the city, and twenty-four private gentle men. The new buildings were host occupied in 1760. In 1763, a grammar school was established. In March of that year, on the resignation of Dr. Johnson. the Rev. Dr. Myles Cooper of Oxford. Eng.—an accomplished scholar—was elected president. In 1767, a grant of land containing 24,000 acres was obtained from the province, but as it was within the bounds of what afterwards became the state of Vermont, it was ultimately lost. In Aug., 1767, a medical school was established. Before the war of the revolution, the emoluments of the college were largely increased by grants from the king and by contri butions in England and America; and the course of instruction was extended so as to include " divinity, natural law, physic, logic, ethics, metaphysics. mathematics, natural philosophy, astronomy, geography, history, chronology, rhetoric, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, modern languages, the belles-lettres, and whatever else of literature may tend to accom plish the pupils as scholars and gentlemen." Among the earliest graduates were Robert R. Livingston, Gouverneur Morris, and John Jay. " All students, except those in medicine, wen; required, unless specially exempted, to live in the college building, the grounds of which were surrounded with a high fence whose front gate was constantly attended by a porter and was closed each evening in winter at 9 o'clock, and in summer at 10. The names of all students who came in after the hour were reported to the presi dent." In the disputes which arose with England, Dr. Cooper wrote on the side cf the mother country and was answered by an anonymous correspondent, who afterwards was found to be Alexander Hamilton, then a student. When the war commenced, Dr. Cooper returned to England, and the Rev. Benjamin Moore was chosen to take his place. In 1776, the building became a military hospital, the students were scattered and the college was broken up. On the return of peace, when its affairs were put iu order, its name was changed to Columbia college, and its original charter, with the necessary alterations, was confirmed by the legislature of the state. DeWitt Clinton was among the first students under the new order of things. In May, 1787, Dr. William Samuel Johnson, an eminent lawyer and statesman, and son of the first president, was elected to the office. Among the students of this period, was John Randolph of Roanoke. In July, 1800, Dr. Johnson .resigned, and was followed .first by Dr. Wharton and soon after by bishop Moore, with the understanding that, on account of his ecclesiastical duties, he would not ordinarily take an active part in the business of the college. In 1810, the standard of admission was raised and a new course of studies arranged. In 1811, bishop Moore having resigned, in order that a president might be chosen who could give his whole time and attention to the office, Rev.William Harris was elected. with the addition of Rev. John M. Mayon as provost. This office was created for Dr. Mason, and held by him only. He had charge of the senior class and gave new life to the lecture-room. He resigned in 1816. In 1814, a grant of land, containing about 20 acres, and then valued at $5,000, was made to the college by the legislature, with the condition (afterwards repealed) that new college buildings should be erected ou it. As this ground is between 5th and 6th avenues, and extends from 47th to 51st street, its value has, of course, vastly increased. Between 1817 and 1820, the old edifice was thoroughly repaired and addi tional buildings were erected. In 1829, a grammar school was established under the charge of the faculty, and a building for it erected within the grounds. This school was
discontinued in 1864. In 1830, besides the original course of study, which was continued entire, a scientific and literary course was established, the advantages of which, either entirely or in part, were offered to persons who were not matriculated students; but as it did not appear to find favor with the public, it was discontinued in 1843. At the same time the Gebhard professorship of the German language and literature was established upon the endowment made by the bequest of Frederick Gehhard. In 1847, the study of German was made voluntary for the two higher classes, and in 1857 for all the classes, with the addition of two annual prizes of $30 each, and two of $20 each, in order to stimulate attention to the study. The requirements of commerce having, after the lapse of a cen tury, made the removal of the college from its original site necessary and desirable, new buildings were erected for it on the block extending from 49th to 50th street, between 4th and Madison avenues, and were occupied in 1857. At the same time the scope of instruc tion was greatly enlarged and several new professors were added to the faculty. In 1858, the law school was established. The distinguished jurist, chancellor Kent, had formerly been professor of law iu the institution, and had delivered courses of lectures which attracted much attention and were of great service in preparing students to prac tice at the bar. Ile was followed by 'William Betts, LL.D., whose lectures were at length wholly discontinued. The object of the new organization was to give law students a systematic and comprehensive course of instruction, and to combine the constant drill of oral recitation with lectures by thoroughly qualified professors. The advantages expected from the system adopted have been attained. In 1860, a union was effected with the college of physicians and surgeons by which it became the medical department of Columbia college. The union is complete in the single respect that the united author ity of the two institutions is necessary to the conferring of degrees; all diplomas bearing the signature of the president of C. college with those of the faculty of medicine. The school has an independent board of trustees, and its financial affairs are distinct from those of Columbia college. In 1864, the school of mines was established, with the distinctive purpose of furnishing the means for acquiring a thorough scientific and practical knowl edge of those branches of science which relate to mining, and of supplying persons com petent to conduct mining and metallurgical operations on scientific principles. Instruc tion is given in five regular courses of scientific study, viz.: Mining engineering, civil engineering, metallurgy, geology and paleontology, and chemistry, analytic and applied. In 1874, a new building for the school of mines, admirably adapted to its uses and work, was erected at a cost of $150,000, and this was followed in 1878 by a building for the school of arts. Prizes, scholarships, and fellowships have been founded by the trustees and by benevolent associations and individuals, to be annually conferred on students who excel in various departments of the several schools. The school of mines is provided with a library whose value has been greatly enhanced by a judicious selec tion of standard and recent works in the various departments of science which it embraces, and in their adaptation to the specific wants of the school. There are also collections of specimens and models illustrating all the subjects taught in the school. A liberal appropriation is annually made for the increase of the library and collections. The law school has a choice library of nearly 6,000 volumes, including works in all departments of legal study. The general college library contains about 20,000 volumes. The formhtion of it began in 1754. A large number of valuable books were contributed by friends of the institution in London and Oxford as well as in this country. But dur ing the revolutionary war the library was removed from the college building and a great part of it was ultimately lost. It has since been enriched from time to time both by liberal gifts and large purchases. In forming it the wants of the faculty and students have always been first considered, so that it has become eminently a eollege library. There are also collections in astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, architecture, typog raphy, natural history, music, and the fine arts; and a good supply of biographical dictionaries, encycloptedias, and reviews. The institution has in all its faculties, includ ing the president, an assemblage of 123 professors, instructors, and assistants; and in all its schools a total of about 1500 students.