3. The Bloomington Female Seminary, intended to promote the general interests of education, "and to qualify young females for the honorable and useful discharge of the various duties of life."96 4. Some of the academies had a normal school department for the education of teachers. "A department is attached to this school for the instruction of teachers."" 5. The Hillsboro Academy was an example of an institution that existed for the education of both boys and girls: "The design of the institution is to accommodate those of either sex who may wish to pursue a systematic and thorough course in Education, in the various English branches or in the languages."" 6. The Rushville High School Association declared: "The sole object of this corporation shall be for the promotion of science and literature, and the general interest of Education, and its corporate powers shall be similar to those conferred upon other corporate bodies for the advancement of education.""" 7. A distinctly moral purpose was given as the reason for establishing some academies. Monticello Seminary was founded on the principle that education should have reference to man's relation to God, Christ, and the future world, in accordance with the Christian religion.5 8. The physical education of the students was one purpose for which some schools were established, but there is no evidence that physical education as we now understand the meaning of that term was given. 9. The trustees of the Monroe Academy were library trustees, whose additional duty was to circulate books among the people of the community: "That there shall be established in the said county, a public library, to be called the Monroe Circulating Library, and that the trustees of the said academy shall be the directors of the said library society, who shall have power to make such rules and regulations for the government of the same, as they shall deem proper.' • Session Laws, 1835-6. 10 Session Laws, 1827. 9910 10. Several academies were established as manual labor schools, of which more will be said later. 11. Finally, some school associations were formed for the education of all of the children of the locality-"all," meaning the children of the common people.11 One of the most interesting and unusual ways of electing the seven trustees for each of the first three academies is defined in the following manner: "Be it farther enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the several persons herein before named, to wit: Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph Bowers, Robert Latham, John Todd, Joseph Conway, Abraham Prickett, and Theopholis W. Smith, be and they are hereby appointed trustees in the town of Edwardsville in the aforesaid county of Madison to continue in office until the election of their successors as herein after provided." The time for the election is stated in the act, notification of which was posted in public places, the election district is defined, and the qualifications for suffrage are given.1 12 Danville Academy, a public joint stock company, appointed twenty-seven commissioners from the five surrounding counties to solicit and receive stock. When $1,500 had been collected, the commissioners were to call an election in three weeks, notice of which was to be posted in six of the most public places in the county, of the time of holding the election for trustees. The election was held at the court house in Danville between the hours of twelve and six p. m. of the day determined upon. Moreover, the commissioners were appointed to act as judges of the election. Subsequent elections were to be held annually, the first Monday in October. Those who had the privilege of voting for trustees were stockholders who had paid on, or before the said election day, five dollars on each share subscribed and the remainder, within six months.13 The church was represented on the board of trustees of many academies: "The trustees of this institution shall consist of nine, who shall be elected as follows: one-third of the whole number by the Presbyterian Church N. S. of Rushville, one-third by the stockholders, and the remaining by the 11 Sangamo Jr., June 5, 1845. 12 Session Laws, I. Sess., 1819, p. 48. 13 Session Laws, 1836-37. patrons of the school for the time being, and they shall hold their office for the time of three years. 9914 Moreover, this method for the perpetual succession of policy was provided: the trustees were to hold "their office for the term of three years, except from the first election, when one-third of the number shall be elected for three years, one-third for the term of two years, and the remaining for the term of one year, and any year thereafter, one-third of the whole number shall be elected for the term of three years, at such a time and in such a manner as may be prescribed by the by-laws of the institution.""14 Town trustees, ministers of religion, county school commissioners and stockholders were members of the board of trustees; the term of office, manner of election, and number varied to suit the ideas of the incorporators rather than following, or having a fixed policy of administrative organi zation. The powers and duties of the trustees of the academies covered a wide range. They called special meetings to transact the business of the academy; made contracts for the repairing and erection of buildings; passed by-laws and ordinances for the conduct and government of the school; filled vacancies in their own body; elected a principal and teachers; determined salaries; removed officers for misconduct; appointed committees of their own number; received money subscribed for the institution, and appointed their own treasurer, secretary, stewards, managers and other necessary officers. "The chairman of the board shall have power to call special meetings, giving five days previous notice thereof, a majority at any stated, adjourned or special meeting, shall form a board of quorum, and a majority of them shall be capable of doing and transacting all the business and concerns of the said academy, and particularly of entering into contracts for erecting and repairing any building or buildings necessary for the said institutions, of making and enacting by-laws and ordinances for the government of the said academy and not contrary to the constitution and laws of the United States, or of this state; of filling vacancies in the 14 Session Laws, 1844-5, p. 311. board of trustees occasioned by death, resignation or removal out of the state; of electing and appointing the principal professors and teachers of said academy; of agreeing with them for their salaries, and of removing them for misconduct, or breach of the laws of the institution; of appointing committees of their own body to carry into execution all and every resolution of the board; of appointing a chairman, treasurer and secretary, out of their own number; and stewards, managers, and other customary officers for the taking care of the estate, and management of the concerns of the institution." The trustees of the chartered academies, after 1830, were specifically made bodies politic and corporate, "with power to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, to acquire, hold and convey property, real and personal, to have and to use a common seal, to alter the same at pleasure, to make laws for its regulation provided they are not inconsistent with the laws of the United States and this state.""15 Some restrictions of power placed upon trustees were that they should "hold the property of the said institution for the purpose of female education, and not as a stock for individual benefit of themselves, or of any contribution to the endowment of the same; and no particular religious faith shall be required of those who become trustees or students of the institution. ''16 Sometimes the trustees regulated and prescribed the course of study; fixed the rate of tuition; purchased books and regulated the conduct of pupils: "The trustees of said high school association shall have authority from time to time to prescribe and regulate the course of studies to be pursued in said high school, and in the preparatory department thereof; to fix the rate of tuition, to make rules for the general management of the affairs of the said high school, and for the regulation of the conduct of the students, and to add, as the ability of the said corporation shall increase, and the interest of the community shall require, additional departments, for the study of all or any of the solid, useful and 15 Session Laws, I. Sess., p. 48. 10 Session Laws, 1834-1835, Sec. 1. profitable branches of classical, mathematical and philosophical literature."" Financial Support. School lands, very early, were the basis of any state support that was given to the academies. An act approved January 27, 1821, by the state, gave the trustees of Belleville Academy the "power and authority to lease out, upon such terms and conditions as to them shall seem meet, for any time not exceeding ten years, section number sixteen, in township number one, north of range number eight, west of the third meridian, reserved for the use of schools, for the benefit of the inhabitants of said township." "Be it further enacted, That the trustees of Belleville Academy shall and may appropriate one-half of the net proceeds of the annual profits accruing from the rents of said sixteenth section, to the use and benefit of said academy, and shall reserve the other half of said rents and profit, to and for the use of schools in the north half of said township, to be paid over and applied in such manner as shall be pointed out by law." "Be it further enacted, That there shall be a meeting of the male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years, residing in the north half of said township, at Belleville, on the first Monday in April next; which meeting shall take into consideration the propriety of permitting the trustees of Belleville Academy to apply the whole of the rents and profit to the said Academy, and should said meeting consent, the whole of the rents and profits of said section shall be applied to the use of said Academy for such term of time as said meeting shall agree to." 18 The state at other times authorized the use of some of the money of the township fund for the establishment of school: The inhabitants of township five south, range six east, of the third principal meridian, upon being incorporated as required by law for school purposes, be and they are hereby authorized to use the sum of two hundred dollars of the interest accruing from said township fund, to the erec 17 Session Laws, 1844-1845. Sec. 3, p. 311. 18 Session Laws, 1821, p. 34. |