Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
[13] In later life the novels were always saved for long journeys. The
novel of the day was picked out, and one pleasure of a long day’s ride
in the train was to sit by his side and enjoy his pleasure at the good
things. The glee and delight with which he read Hawthorne, especially
the _Wonder-Book_ and _Tanglewood Tales_, make days to remember. So he
read George Eliot, and Adam Bede carried him happily through a fit of
the toothache. Scott always remained the prime favorite, and his last
day of reading, when the final illness was stealing so unexpectedly
and insidiously on, was spent over _The Monastery_, which he had been
planning to read on his homeward voyage in 1887.
[14] It was established as a college in 1812, having existed as a
school in the academy since 1809. There were then only five others
in the United Stated: Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Dartmouth,
and Baltimore. The war of 1812 with Great Britain made a demand for
army surgeons along the frontier, and New York and Boston were too
far to send the young men to be educated. Dr. Hadley was professor
in the literary academy, and Dr. Willoughby, who had a wide medical
reputation, was also in Fairfield. They planned a medical college, and
applied to the legislature for aid; the sum of $5,000 was granted,
and later, in 1812, $10,000. The first Faculty was organized by the
Board of Regents of the New York State University, which had control
of the educational institutions in the State. It grew rapidly in
favor, and soon outnumbered the schools of the large cities. In 1820
the school had one hundred students, and increased to two hundred and
seventeen later, and was the largest medical school in the country,
except the one at Philadelphia. After the Albany and Geneva medical
schools were established, it was seen there was no need of three so
near together, and Fairfield Medical College was discontinued in 1840.
In the list of graduates of Fairfield Academy were Albert Barnes,
the noted expositor, General Halleck, of the United States Army,
and James Hadley, professor of Greek at Yale and the distinguished
linguist. In the records of the academy it is stated that “Asa Gray
entered Fairfield Academy in the fall of 1825, and at the second
weekly meeting joined the Calliopean Society of the institute. His
handwriting on the register is still preserved, as well as all his
doings as a boy while here, since he entered at an early age, being
in fact much younger than the majority of the students.” He graduated
from the medical college January 25, 1831 in a class of forty-four.
His rank was seventeen in the class on graduation. The subject of his
thesis was “Gastritis.” Two old catalogues are preserved at Fairfield.
In the first there is the programme of studies at the academy for the
year 1826; the other, dating January, 1832, contains a list of the
professors of the medical college, the cost of instruction, and the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account