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The Story of Iowa P Lewis B. Parsons submitted by Richard Barton The
third Presbyterian college in Iowa is located at Fairfield and is known
as Parsons College.
Connected with its founding is a very interesting
history.
The college owes its establishment to Lewis B. Parsons,
a gentleman who was scarcely a citizen of the State of Iowa, not
a college-bred man himself, and not a man of great wealth.
But he was
a man of practical insight and great native ability, and the result of
many years' thought and prayer was that the bulk of his moderate fortune
was left to the cause of higher education in the growing State of
Iowa. It
was significant that he should select a new Western commonwealth
for the seat of his institution, as showing the far- sighted, practical
shrewdness of the man. A
brief historical sketch of his career will doubtless be of interest.
Charles D. Leggett, Esq., writes as follows: "Mr.
Parsons was born at Williamsport, Massachusetts, April 30, 1793.
He was the son of Captain Charles Parsons, a faithful and gallant officer
in the Revolutionary war.
His father died when he was quite young,
leaving him no inheritance but an honorable name.
He aided his mother
in the struggle to support herself and family, and had very limited
opportunities for an education.
Regretting this all his life, though
supplying the defect largely by great industry, he not only saw fit
to give his family great opportunities, but he became almost an enthusiast
in the cause of universal education.
He was a merchant all his
life. His
first business venture was at Scipio, in Cayuga county, New
York, about the beginning of the War of 1812.
He was successful until
the fluctuation of values at the close of that war carried him down
in the general wreck of business.
After a number of years of patient
toil and careful economy, he engaged in merchandizing at Perry, Wyoming
county, New York, remaining there many years.
He finally removed
to Buffalo, New York, and for a short time before his death his home
was at Keokuk, Iowa. "Mr.
Parsons was not a man of great physical strength nor of rugged health.
He was of a nervous, sanguine temperment, with not an indolent fibre
in his frame, and of great powers of endurance.
He had a quick, clear
mind, and excellent judgment of men and affairs.
He was a superior
salesman, skillful to present the advantages of his goods, apt in
making bargains, and honorable and prompt in all his engagements.
He exerted
a wide influence wherever he lived, for he was a natural leader among
men, but he was always ready for an honorable adjustment of honest differences
of opinion, and was fertile in suggestions for compromise.
In religious matters he was a Calvinist, and an orthodox, but
liberal Presbyterian.
And he was a valuable working trustee of the church to which
he belonged, a lover of the prayer-meeting, gifted in prayer and in
speech; a regular attendant at the services of the church, and a willing
and liberal supporter of all church work. "
In the year 1855 Mr. Parsons visited his son, Charles Parsons, Esq., who
then lived at Keokuk, this State.
He saw the beauty and fertility of
the soil, and he heard in the distance, and foresaw the coming millions
who were to make their homes on its virgin prairies, and he felt
their want of educational opportunities.
He had already given liberally
of his means for educational purposes, and he resolved to donate
the remainder of his property to secure the advantages of learning
to the future sons and daughters of Iowa. "
An unfortunate illness seized him while attempting to carry out his benevolent
intentions, and he died at the house of his son, Hon. Philo Parsons,
at Detroit, Michigan, December 21st, 1855.
When he felt that he
could not live to carry out his design, he embodied it in his will, which
was executed in the month of his death.
The history and character of
the man may be read in the will.
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* "Having
long been of the opinion that for the usefulness, prosperity, and
happiness of children, a good moral and intellectual, or business education,
with moderate means, was far better than large, unlimited wealth,
I therefore herein dispose of my estate mainly to such benevolent
objects and enterprises as I think will conduce to the greatest
good, earnestly requesting that all my children, after giving to
their children a good education, with habits of honesty, industry, economy
and liberty, will follow my example in the disposition of the property
God may give them.
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* "Having
long been convince that the future welfare of our country, the permanence
of its institutions, the progress of our divine religion, and an
enlightened Christianity, greatly depend upon the general diffusion of
education under correct moral and religious influence, and having during
my lifetime used to some small extent the means given me by my Creator,
in accordance with these convictions, and being desirous of still
endowing objects so worthy as far as in my power lies, I do, therefore,
after the payment of the foregoing bequests, and the reasonable
expenses of administration, give and bequeath the residue of my
estate, together with my Natural History of New York, and my small cabinet
of minerals, to my said executors and the survivors or survivor of
them, in trust, to be by them used and expended in forwarding and endowing
an institution of learning in the State of Iowa, or to be expended,
if it shall be deemed best, by my said executors, in aiding and
endowing an institution which may have been already established.
And while
I would not desire said institution to be strictly sectarian in its
character, yet believing its best interests require it should be under
the control of some religious denomination, I therefore direct that
it shall be under the supervision of trustees, presbytery, or synod,
connected with the branch of the Presbyterian church distinguished
as the New School, or the constitutional General Assembly of
said church, until such time (which I trust will speedily come) when a
union of the two branches of said church shall be honorably accomplished;
then to be made the care of said united church. The
adoption
or location of the institution, with the general regulations and
proper restrictions to be connected therewith, I confide to the sound
discretion of my executors, with the full assurance that as they know
my general views and sentiments, they will take pleasure, when my spirit
shall have departed hence, and memory alone remains with them, in using
their best endeavors to carry out my wishes, and make
most effective
and useful this bequest.
I desire that the institution be selected
or located, and the expenditure commenced as soon as consistent,
and unless for very special reasons, not to be delayed the period
of five years after my decease, and the entire fund to be expended
and invested as soon thereafter as the same can be made most available.
Should my executors, however, at any time deem it best for the
cause of Christianity, that a portion of the above residuary legacy, not
exceeding six-sixteenths of the same, should be given in equal shares
to the American Tract and Bible Societies, both established in the
city of New York, they are authorized to give a sum not exceeding such
amount to said societies." As
was natural, a spirited contest arose between several Iowa towns to secure
the large donation left to the State by the provisions of this will.
Several committees of Synod were appointed to take the matter under
advisement and more than one location of the college was made.
But one after another the towns, having gained the prize, were
forced to give
it up through inability to comply with the conditions of the gift.
The steps which resulted in the selection of Fairfield for its site
are given,
as follows, by Mr. Leggett: "The
Rev. Carson Reed, who was a member of the committee appointed by Synod,
was at that time pastor of the church at Fairfield.
He called the
attention of his neighbor, Hon. Charles Negus, to the opportunity of securing
the college for Fairfield.
Judge Negus, with his accustomed energy
and vigor in all movements for the public good, began to interest the
citizens in the college.
The first meeting was held at his office on
the evening of Tuesday, ember 24th, 1874.
Rev. Carson Reed was chairman,
and stated the condition of the Parsons fund and the possilility
of securing the college.
Geo. A. Wells, Esq., was secretary.
On motion of Hon. Jas. F. Wilson, a committee was appointed to
invite the executive committee to visit Fairfield, to canvass among the
citizens and ascertain what amount could be raised to secure the college.
Public meetings were held in rapid succession.
On Monday, November
30th, Rev. John Armstrong, of the executive committee, was present
at the meeting.
The subscription was reported at over $7,000, which
amount had been raised within five days.
Up to this time Fairfield
had not been named to, nor considered by, the committee as an applicant
for the college. "On
the morning of December 3rd, Gen. Parsons and the committee came to Fairfield
from Ottumwa, by the invitation of Rev. Carson Reed, and met a number
of the citizens in one of the rooms of the Leggett House.
Wm. Elliott,
Esq., presided at the meeting and opened with prayer.
This circumstance
was remarked by Gen. Parsons, who said the meeting was the first
that had been opened with prayer in all the places he had visited to
found the college. "The
interest manifested by the citizens, and the beauty and desirableness
of the Jordan property for the uses of the college, determined
Gen. Parsons in favor of Fairfield.
And on the 11th of December,
1874, a proposition was made to Wm. Elliott, chairman of the citizens'
committee, to establish the college at Fairfield, provided the sum
of $27,000 was secured in good subscriptions, and the refusal of the several
sites at the prices named, was also obtained.
These conditions were
complied with after much exertion, and on the 24th day of February, A.
D. 1875, the articles of incorporation were signed.
The Parsons fund,
valued at $40,000.00 and consisting of 2,500 acres of land and $4,016.65
in money and securities, was passed over to the board of trustees
by the executors of the estate of Lewis B. Parsons, Sr., under restrictions
which, so far as human foresight can do so, will preserve the
fund sacred to the uses for which our wise and benevolent founder intended
it. The
Fairfield fund, consisting of money, notes and subscriptions
to the amount of $27,516.25, and of lands estimated at $2,000.00
was also delivered to the trustees, and Parsons College was a living
thing.
Its founding was celebrated by a banquet tendered by the ladies
of Fairfield to the trustees and friends of the new-born institution."
"The
faithful Parsons executors had preserved the fund with religious care
through a tremendous panic, which reduced its value to almost nothing,
through the greatest civil war the world ever saw, and through the
dangers of imprudent and poorly devised projects and embryonic institutions,
which must have led to its total loss and defeat of its intention;
and, after almost twenty years, the pious wishes of the founder
were realized in such an institution as he had designed." The
first president of Parsons College was the Rev. John Armstrong, D. D.
He had been greatly interested in the selection of a site for the institution,
and when Fairfield was chosen he undertook the arduous task of
serving it as financial agent.
He was afterwards called to the president's
chair and bore a leading part in framing both the financial policy
of the college and its general administration.
He was called away
in the midst of his work, regretting with his latest breath that he could
serve the college no longer.
Dr. Armstrong gave freely of his own means
to the cause and carried the young institution in his own strong and
loving arms over many a crisis in its first years.
He gave it such services
as money cannot buy, and neither asked nor thought of taking a dollar
for all his time and labor.
At the unanimous request of the board
of trustees he was buried in the college grounds in a beautiful spot
overlooking the campus, and thus his name and memory will ever be associated
with the institution he loved so unselfishly and so well.
After him came Dr. E. J. Gillett as president. The
Rev. T. D. Ewing, D. D., was president of the college during the period
of its growth toward prosperity, and now the Rev. Ambrose C. Smith,
D. D., has been called to assume the leadership.
The present enrollment
of students is 190, of which 115 are in the collegiate department
and seventy-five in the preparatory department, and there is every
prospect of still further advance and usefulness.
The conclusion of
the whole matter treated of in this chapter is that God will certainly
bless the wisely-directed zeal and sacrifice of the friends of those
young institutions which have for their object His glory and the good
of the church. |