1868 Letters from Three College Presidents

In 1868, James received three letters from individuals -- all ministers and school teachers -- who would factor heavily in the college educational system of Kansas. The first two letters were from sitting presidents of both Baker University and the State Agricultural College (later Kansas State University). In both of these instances, James was being requested to serve on the Examining Committees of the respective schools. The last letter shown below was from Rev. John Anderson while he was stationed in Junction City. It would be five more years before he would be called to fill the chair vacated by Joseph Denison.

Yours is at hand. Please accept thanks. I am sorry you can not be with us at commencement. I think we shall have an interesting time.

This has been a year of prosperity with us. The future begins to look bright. Let me hear from you often.

Dear Brother. You are hereby cordially invited to attend our Examination June 22 to 24^th and act as a member of the examining committee. Please come without fail. All unite in kind regards to all,

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Rev. Joseph Denison
University Archives, Special Collections
Kansas State University

Dear Brother. Please accept with my best wishes, the enclosed tickets to our Tableaux Entertainments which will be given next Thursday & Friday Evenings at Brown’s Hall. [3]

Heartily Yours, -- John A. Anderson [4]

John A. Anderson
University Archives, Special Collections
Kansas State University

[1] Elial Jay Rice was born in Somerset, Vermont on 18 December 1822 and was graduated from Madison College (now Colgate University) with the class of 1854. Taught in New York State, Ohio, Indiana. On the first faculty of the University of Kansas and Acting President of the Faculty, 1866-67. President of Baker University 1867-December 1868. Source: John Baldwin and Son Milton Come to Kansas, p. 199. Also correspondence with Carl Peterson, Colgate University Archivist.

[2] Joseph Denison, President of the State Agricultural College in Manhattan from September 1, 1863 to 31 August 1873.

[3] Brown’s Hall was probably built around 1867. It was destroyed by fire in April, 1874, along with the “Hale House” and eight other buildings.

[4] John A. Anderson, President of the State Agricultural College in Manhattan from 1 September 1873 to 1 September 1879. At the time this letter was written, John Anderson was the pastor of a Methodist Church in Junction City.