AM'HERST COL'LEGE..A leading American college, situated at Amherst, Mass., and founded in 1821 by Congregationalists in the interest of Christian education. Up to the year 1900 the graduates numbered 4160, of whom 1237 entered the clergy, while an equally large number became teachers. The unusual educational int! uenee wielded by Amherst for half a century was due to a considerable extent to two of its presidents, Edward Hitchcock and Julius H. Seelye. The former was probably the most distinguished American geologist of his time, and the latter united with a broad scholarship in the human ities great ability as a practical educator. Am herst has never endeavored to branch out as a university, but has steadily increased in effi ciency as a non-specialized and non-technical liberal college. In 1900 the faculty numbered 36, and the students 400. The total value of the buildings and grounds is about $1,000,000; the interest of over $240,000 is used to aid needy students: the annual income of the college is about $110,000, and the entire property under the control of the college aggregates $2,500,000.
The library contains 75,000 volumes, and is the largest belonging to any purely collegiate insti tution in the country. Of accessories to the col lege may be mentioned the Hitchcock ichnolog ical cabinet, the Adams collection in conchology, the Shepard meteoric collection, and an extensive and valuable geological and mineralogical collec tion gathered largely by the personal efforts of Professor Benjamin K. Emerson. The Pratt Gymnasium, athletic field, and college hospital are the gifts of the sons of the late Charles Pratt of Brooklyn. N. Y. The presidents have been: Zephaniah Swift Moore. D.D., 1821-23; Heenan Humphrey, D.D., 1823-45; Edward Hitchcock, D.D..LL.D., 1845-54: William A. Stearns. D.D., LL.D., 1854-76; Julius H. Seelye, D.D., LL.D., 1876-90; Merrill Edwards Gates, LLD., I'h.D., 1890.99; George Harris, D.D., LL.D., 1899. Con sult Tyler, A History of Amherst College (New York, 1896).