Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / Nov. 1, 1952, edition 1 / Page 7
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Page 7 THE CHOWANIAN, CHOWAN COLLEGE, MURFREESBORO, N. C NOVEMBER, 1952 Dr. McDowell (Continued From Page Two) ing characteristics: his capacity to execute a purpose with speed and precision. (The fact that he waited until after graduation pro bably reflected no more than the fact that college authorities frown ed heavily upon student marri ages.) The winning of Miss Owen was a determinative event in the life of the young Wake Forest graduate not only because of the character and charm of the young lady he won but because of the influence she was instrumental in bringing to bear on his life affecting his interest in the education of women. Dr. McDowell was not the first nor will he be the last man to find a wife who takes a hand in helping him find his life’s work. The story of how Miss Owen be came a factor in Mr. McDowell’s interest in “female education”, as it was known in those days, is told in interesting fashion by Dr Pascha: Paschal in his History of Wak Forest College, vol. 1, page 391- 393. This is the story as told by ‘In this place it may be ment ioned that soon after entering on' his work at Wake Forest Professor Owen and two of his sisters opened a Female Boarding School and^ conducted it for several years. He, brought with him to Wake Fores ; his mother, Mrs. Rebecca C. Ower \ (Mrs. John Owen), and his sisters. They took up their residence in the South Brick House, which is still standing across the street from the church. On the third Monday in January, 1844, they opened a Female Boarding School at Wake Forest. The mother was matron, the sisters, Misses Mary and Sally Owen, were the teachers, while Professor Owen was super visor. In the advertisements of the - school the advantages of the sit uation are dwelt upon, ‘in a neigh borhood well known in the State for its healthiness, beauty, intelli gence and morality’; it is easily accessible by railroad. Emphasis was also given to ‘the opportunity afforded by its vicinity to the College, for the young ladies to be educated in a circle where the scholastic spirit has been generat ed, as also for attending gratuit ously such exercises of the college as may be of public nature.’ The charges were moderate, board ten dollars a month and tuition rang ing from ten to seventeen dollars for the session, music on piano ten dollars and on the guitar five dollars. Vacations were the same as those of the college.” “The school seems to have been successful,” Dr. Paschal continues “Though little appears about :t except the advertisements. There is no intimation of just how if was regarded by those in charge of the college, or what social re lations, if any existed between the young ladies and the College stu dents. There were some, however, who were ready to declare that uie young ladies were in a position to see too much society.” It is at this point—the point at which there was criticism that the young ladies were in position to see too much society that Archi bald McDowell entered the scene Oil behalf of the young ladies. Dr. Paschal, with the aid of articles b/ McDowell in the Biblical Recorder of January 20, 1844 and July 10, 1847, continues the story: ‘In re plying to the criticism. Rev. Archi bald McDowell, who married Miss Mary Owen on June 15, 1847, five days after his graduation from the College, Dr. William Hooper officiating, and who for the next year ran the school in his (Mc Dowell’s) name, said that he was now convinced that among the candid the impression exists that even in this favorable situation the voung ladies had no more social life than desirable, and not more tharj they would have at village boarding schools. He saw ‘numer ous advantages of having sons and daughters educated at the same place and to a considerable degree together, and he promised to give tiie students of the Seminiary an education that should resemble ir kind and approximate in quality that offered in the College.” Whatever might have been the influence of Dr. McDowell’s wife and his teaching in the girls school established by the Owens, it must be said that his stand oir is deserving of high praise. marks him as both courageous nd wise. It may give him the honor of being onie of the first advocates in the South of co-education. It should be observed that Dr. McDowell said he saw “numerous advantages of having sons and daughters educated at the same place and to a considerable degree together.” The phrase “to a considerable de gree together” could only be in terpreted as referring to a syste-n that would at least bring men an'! women together in the same classes. Thus we may say with a measure of pride here today that the first principal of Chowan wa not only a pioneer in the education of women in the South, but that he was a pioneer in the advocacy of co-education. His picture reveals a character marked by courage. The school for girls at Wake Forest discontinued after the spring session of 1848. The two moving spirits in its life. Rev. and ! Mrs. Archibald McDowell, removed to Murfreesboro to take up their work with the Chowan Female Institue, which opened its doors on October 11, 1848. Dr. McDowell was thirty years of age at this time. James K. Polk was president of the United States. The War be tween the States was thirteen years away. The following spring the school was temporarily sus- pcLided because of a smallpox epidemic in the town. Dr. and Mrs. McDowell moved to Milton, N. C. It is said in his obituary notice that here “he conducted a female school until 1853.” Thus was his great interest in the educat- ioij of women continued. It was during his residence in Milton that he was ordained to the ministry. In 1853 he moved to Raleigh where according to a biographer, “he labored for two years, preachin and teaching with much accept ance.” In 1S.,>5 Dr. McDowell re turned to Chowan to accept the chair of Mat'iematics and Natural Science. The college was then un der the presidency of his friend. Dr. William Hooper, who had been resident of Wake Forest during a portion of the time that Mc Dowell was a student there, it was upon his acceptance of the teaching position at Chowan, ac cording to Dr. McDowell’s obitu ary, that “Then and there opened up his great life work, destined to work out such great and good re sults for God and humanity.” It was iij 1862, upon the retirement of Dr. Hooper, that Dr. McDoweU became president of Chowan, serv ing the institution untU his death in 1881. The War Between the States was in progress when Dr. McDowell took up his work as president and we may be certain that these were trying years for him and the college. We may be certain too that he carried the burdens of administration in this trying period with the fortitude that characte rized him hroughou his Ufe. The college did rjo close its doors dur ing the Civil War. At the same time he maintained his devotion to Wake Forest College. He had been instrumental in the organization of an alumni association of the Col lege in 1858. As we have seen, he was a trustee of the college, and was one of those who ardently advocated continuation of the col lege after the war when there were those who said that Wake Forest should be closed. Dr. Paschal, in Col. II of his History of Wake Forest College (page 15). quotes his wise and brave words as fol lows: The College “has the same faculty it has had for years past all Christian men in the prime o. Ufe, with minds matured anc erJergies undiminished and with in creased incentives to make them faithful and efficient. Dr. McDowell went on to say that Wake Forest had done much for the Baptist of the State; it had equipped and trained three—fourths of the young er men who have come on the field of action in the churches in the past twenty—five years. He then went on to ask, “Shall we, then for a moment, entertain the idea of dispensing with it?” Wake Forest was not closed. It should not be forgotten that Archiba?ld McDowell was among that courage ous group that refused to surrender to circumstarjce and made the con- See DR. McDOWELL On Page 8 WVV%WWWVVWVWVWW\WVWMVWV\\\WWVWWW%^>M>WVU>W\Wm>VWm\W\\W\%\^VWWWW\\\W\VVW\\V\V\\VV\M Compliments of Riverside Manufacturing Co. Murfreesboro, N. C.
Chowan University Student Newspaper
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Nov. 1, 1952, edition 1
7
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