Chicago, Baptist Union Theological Seminary at (NOTE: This is distinct from the current University of Chicago and its seminary- the original University of Chicago closed in 1886.)

Jim Curran

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Chicago, Baptist Union Theological Seminary at (NOTE: This is distinct from the current University of Chicago and it’s seminary- the original University of Chicago closed in 1886.) About the year 1860, a conviction had become quite general in various parts of the Northwestern States that provision should be made at some suitable point west of the lakes for distinctively theological education. The University of Chicago had been recently established and was already giving promise of permanent growth and power. Colleges of considerably older date existed in other parts of the West and were acquiring financial independence and literary reputations. For theological education, however, the West was wholly dependent upon the East. It was felt that an institution more logical centre for the Northwest, as also its commercial and literary centre, is at Chicago, and also that if they were right in this, they must be equally justified in their confidence that, planted thus at the true centre, the institution would make its own way. Accordingly a meeting was called by the three brethren who decided to assume this responsibility, viz. W. W. Everts, J. B. Olcott, and J. A. Smith, to be held at the First Baptist church in Chicago. This took place in the year 1860. But few were present, yet it was decided there to or- ganize the Baptist Theological Union for the North- west, which was accordingly done. Officers were chosen, and a committee appointed to report a con- stitution at a meeting to be held in the following year. At the meeting in 1861 other members wereeasily accessible, and in which the Western min- istry could have a Western theological training, was becoming indispensable. In the year 1859 a con- vention of delegates representing the denomination in several Northwestern States was held at Chicago for the consideration of this subject. No result was reached, further than to make it clear that while a conviction of the need referred to was unanimous, there were decided, and possibly irreconcilable dif- ferences of opinion as to the point at which to locate the proposed theological seminary, should one be decided upon. In view of these facts, a few brethren in Chicago decided to take the responsibility of an initiative ; influenced by the persuasion that the true theo- (Note a section here on my electronic copy is missing) received, and further preliminary steps taken. The organization, however, was not perfected until the meeting held Aug. 13, 1863. A constitution was then adopted and officers chosen; Hon. Richard 8. Thomas being made President, Rev. Luther Stone, Secretary, and Ndward Goodman, Esq., Treasurer. The charter of incorporation was. given, by act of the Illinois Legislature, Feb. 16, 1865. As appears by this recital, the steps of progress were slow. Care was exercised that no measure should be premature; that the enterprise should yest, for its growth, upon an increasing conviction of its necessity in the denomination to which it must look for the means of success. Strenuous effort was made, also, at this time in behalf of the university endowment, and it was judged unwise to bring forward another claimant to the liberality of our people in a way that might embarrass both undertakings. No more, accordingly, was at- tempted than simply to hold the enterprise in such a state of forwardness as would facilitate more direct and energetic effort when the time for it should come. In the mean time theological in- struction was commenced, under a temporary ar- rangement, first by Dr. Nathaniel Colver, as Pro- fessor of Doctrinal Theology, and in 1866 by Dr. Colyer and Prof. J. 0. C. Clarke, who organized at the university theological classes, numbering in all about a dozen students. The expenses of this ser- vice were met chiefly by personal friends of Dr. Colver at the Kast,—W. W. Cook, Esq., of White- hall, N. Y., and Messrs. Barnes and Davis, of Bur- lington, Vt. : In the autumn of 1866 a faculty was organized by the election of Rev. G. W. Northrup, D.D., then Professor of Heclesiastical History in the Rochester Theological Seminary, as president, and Professor of Christian Theology, and of Rev. J. B. Jackson, pastor of the Baptist church in Albion, N. Y., as Professor of Ecclesiastical History. Dr. Colver became president of the Freedmen’s Insti- tute at Richmond, Va., and Prof. Clarke entered the pastorate. More direct effort was now made for the raising of funds. Generous friends in Chicago and elsewhere came forward with dona- tions in sums ranging from $1000 to $5000, and the enterprise was vigorously pressed. In September, 1867, Rev. G. W. Warren, A.M., of Boston, was elected Professor of Hebrew and Exegesis, and on October 2 of that year the work of instruction under the new organization began. In the year 1867-68, 20 students were in attendance, 2 in the middle class, 18 in the Junior. Rev. G. 8. Bailey, D.D., at the time of the organization of the new faculty, was chosen corresponding and financial secretary, and, aided by Rev. Thos, Allen and Rev. Wm. M. Haigh, prosecuted with energy and success the work of raising funds. In 1868, lots of land having been secured near the university, the erection of a building was commenced, and the edifice was completed and dedicated July 1,1869. It was built of brick, 214 feet in length, 48 feet wide, and 4 stories high. The cost was $60,000. Of this sum $30,000 remained as a debt, in bonds secured upon the property. The number of students had now in- creased to 25, three of whom graduated that year. The assets of the seminary at this point in its his- tory were reported at $144,000; its liabilities, in- cluding bonds and indebtedness for the ground on which the buildings stood, and otherwise, at $54,266. Of these assets, $80,000 were in buildings and grounds, $11,250 in other real estate, and the re- mainder in notes and subscriptions. At the date last given, July 1, 1869, the connection of Prof. Warren with the seminary was terminated, and Prof, A. N. Arnold, D.D., of the Theological Seminary at Hamilton, N. Y., was made Professor of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, and Rev. Wm. Hague, D.D., Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Duties, For the year 1869-70 the number of stu- dents had increased to 40. In this year, also, the library of Dr. Hengstenberg, of Berlin, Prussia, consisting of 13,000 volumes, was purchased through the liberality of friends of the seminary and university. It is a remarkably rich collection, especially in patristic and medieval literature, and in works by foreign authors of later date. In Sep- tember, 1870, Prof. Jackson resigned, and soon after, Dr. Hague, being obliged by his wife’s state of health to return East, also resigned. Prof. H.C. Mitchell, D.D., of Shurtleff College, was elected Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Literature, and R. E. Pattison, D.D., Professor of Biblical In- terpretation and History of Doctrines. The Scandinavian department in the seminary was organized in 1873 under the instruction of Prof. J. A. Edgren. It has from year to year more and more proved itself an important feature of the institution. As the only department of the kind in this country, and as providing an educated min- istry for a large and increasing Scandinavian pop- ulation in the Northwestern States, it is entitled to special consideration. In 1874, Rey. TI. J. Morgan, president of the State Normal School of Nebraska, was elected Professor of Homiletics, continuing in that chair until 1879, when he was transferred to that of Church History. In the same year, 1874, W. W. Everts, Jr., was elected Assistant Professor of Church History, but left at the end of the year to enter the pastorate. Dr. Pattison’s connection with the faculty terminated at his death, Noy. 21, 1874. In 1875, Dr. Bailey resigned his secretary- ship, and in 1876, Rey. T. W. Goodspeed was chosen to the same office, which he still holds. In 1877, Prof. J. R. Boise, Ph.D., LL.D., of the uni- versity, was elected to fill the place of Dr. Arnold, who had been compelled by failure of health to resign. Dr. Mitchell also retired from the service of the seminary, his place in the chair of Hebrew being filled for one year by Prof. B. Maimon. Prof. W. R. Harper was then chosen to the chair, whick he now occupies. The faculty now stands: G. W. Northrup, D.D., President and Professor of Systematic Theology ; J. R. Boise, Ph.D., D.D., LL.D., Professor of New Testament Exegesis and Literature ; ‘I’. J. Morgan, D.D., Professor of Church History ; W. R. Harper, Ph.D., Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Literature; J. A. Edgren, D.D., Professor in the Scandinavian department; Galusha Anderson, D.D., Special Lecturer on Homiletics and Pastoral Duties; J. A. Smith, D.D., Special Lecturer on Modern Church History, Origin of Religions, and Philosophy. The removal of the seminary to Morgan Park in 1877 was a measure of great importance. It secures by this means a valuable site and building, with other real estate adjoining, mostly by donation, and at the same time it is sufficiently near the city to answer all the most needful ends of a city location. It graduated 26 in the class of 1880, raising its whole number of graduates during the history of the seminary to 338.From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart