GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. The leading seminary in the United States of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The seminary was established by order of the General Conven tion in 1817, and instruction was begun in New York City in 1819. In 1820 the seminary was removed to New Haven, but was reestablished in New York in 1822 on a part of the plot of land given in 1819 by Clement C. Moore. That land now forms the entire area between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, Ninth Avenue and the North River. For many years the seminary suf fered severely from financial deficiencies, and it was not until the administration of Eugene A. Hoffman, dean of the school from 1878 until his death in 1902, that it was placed upon an inde pendent basil. Dean Hoffman's gifts alone amounted to $1,000,000 or over, while in 1902 the total resources of the seminary were not less than $4,000,000. The theological course proper extends over three years, and there is also a post graduate course. The degrees of D.D. and B.D.
are conferred; the former is both a higher aca demic and an honorary degree, while the latter is usually conferred in course on students hold ing prior academic degrees, who have completed the regular course in high standing. The control of the seminary is vested in a board of trustees composed of the bishops of the Church, twenty five members elected by the General Convention, and certain other members elected by the various dioceses, principally that of New York. The stu dent attendance is approximately 150. No tuition fee is charged, and many prizes of value are of fered. Within twenty-five years the student body has largely increased, and extensive buildings have been erected, including the library, Hoffman Hall, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, and nine dormitories.