My Genealogy Hound

JAMES WARRENNE SUNDERLAND, A. M., LL. D., the founder of Pennsylvania Female College, the first institution of the state to confer collegiate honors upon women, was born February 19, 1813, at Exeter, Rhode island. His father, Worham Sunderland, was of English descent, his surname coming from Henry Spencer, who was created Earl of Sunderland by King Charles I in 1643, for military services rendered. His mother was Mercy Sherman, also of English origin. Her forefathers of the same name were among the earliest settlers of Massachusetts, who followed the fortunes of Roger Williams into Rhode Island, where they have permanently remained.

In early youth James Warrenne Sunderland attended the common schools. At twelve years of age he invented a machine for spinning wool directly from the cards. Later this invention was perfected and patented by Seth Boyden, who realized a large fortune from it. At fourteen years of age Mr. Sunderland obtained permission from his parents to go abroad with his uncle, who was captain of a vessel and sailed the Mediterranean Sea on the flagship “Asia,” Admiral Codrington commanding. In 1827 he witnessed the destruction of the Turkish squadron in the harbor of Navarino by the combined forces of the English, French and Russian fleets, which secured liberty to the Greeks.

In 1830 Mr. Sunderland entered the Methodist Academy at Wilbraham, Massachusetts, to prepare for college. From that institution he went to the Wesleyan University at Mddletown, Connecticut, from, which he graduated in 1836. Before graduating, however, he was appointed professor in mathematics and natural sciences in McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois. He accepted the position, and with him were associated in the faculty the two brothers, Rev. John W. and Professor Annis Merrill, the former as president, and the latter as professor of ancient languages. It was under their administration that full courses of collegiate study were introduced, and by them the first class was graduated-all classical-in 1841. The three persons above named constituted the faculty until 1845, when other inducements caused J. Warrenne Sunderland to sever his connection with McKendree College, and accept a position as professor of mathematics and languages in Kemper College. In 1846 he was appointed professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in O’Fallon University, and this, institution conferred upon him the degree of LL. D.

It was in 1848, after a visit to his relatives and friends in New England, he and his wife being on their return to St. Louis, that they stopped in Philadelphia for a time, to await the abatement of the cholera, then prevalent in the region to which they were going. In the meantime he was induced to accept the principalship of Freeland Seminary founded by Rev. Abraham Hunsicker. In its early history Dr. Sunderland was the guiding spirit of this institution, shaping its policy and course of study. His influence was felt there in a marked degree. Among his pupils were a number of young men who have become famous. One of these was Hon. Wayne MacVeagh, who, with others, was prepared by Dr. Sunderland for the junior class at Yale. When the seminary was developed into Ursinus College by the late Dr. Bomberger and other men prominent in the Reformed church, Dr. Sunderland lent valuable aid, advisory and material. It was while engaged in the seminary that the lamentable lack of opportunity for the higher education of women presented itself to Dr. Sunderland, and so forcibly did it appeal to him that he at once began to formulate plans for the establishment of a woman’s college. Notwithstanding the fact that it was an educational centre, some time was necessary to overcome the prejudice in reference to such a movement which existed at that time.

On April 7, 1851, Madam LuAnnie Sunderland, of Freeland, Pennsylvania, opened a private seminary for young ladies. She occupied for this purpose temporarily a dwelling now owned by Hon. H. H. Fetterolf, in the village of Collegeville, and the old public school house then standing on the opposite lot. Her board of instructors for the first year consisted of seven members. Her list of pupils for the first session, a half year, included forty-one day pupils, girls from the neighborhood, one young lady boarder from abroad, seven lady visiting pupils from the nearby country, and eight young gentlemen, students from Freeland Seminary, forming a special class in drawing and painting-making a total of fifty-seven in attendance.

The second session of the Institute opened October 27, 1851, in the new edifice now known as Glenwood Hall, with some twenty young lady boarders from Pennsylvania and other states, and a goodly number of day pupils, but no more of the sterner sex were admitted. The catalogue for the first year contained the names of 115 students, many of them from other states. The Montgomery Female Seminary was from the beginning intended for the preparatory department of the contemplated college, of which, as yet the public had no authorized intimation. Its separate history terminated with the legal announcement of the existence of the Pennsylvania Female College. On April 6, A. D., 1853, the legislature of the state of Pennsylvania passed an act granting a perpetual charter to a board of trustees, authorizing them to establish in the state of Pennsylvania, in the county of Montgomery, and near Perkiomen Bridge, so-called, an institution of learning for the liberal education of women (that is to provide for them the means of study and culture equal to those usually enjoyed by young men at our American colleges) to be known by the name, style and title of the Pennsylvania Female College. This charter conferred the most ample powers, and full university privileges upon the corporation, and recognized the institution thus created as the equal of the best then existing in the commonwealth. The corporators named in the charter were: James Warrenne Sunderland, Wright A. Bringhurst, William B. Hahn, Matthias Haldeman and John R. Grigg.

On April 10, 1853, the corporators named in the charter met by appointment in the office of J. W. Sunderland, in Freeland, near Perkiomen Bridge, Montgomery county, and, having duly examined the laws and the execution of said charter, they, by a unanimous vote accepted the same, and by a magistrate were separately sworn into office. The board was then duly organized by electing Wright A. Bringhurst president, and Matthias Haldeman secretary. The board thus organized, on motion agreed to go into an election for president for the Institution, and on motion James Warrenne Sunderland was nominated and unanimously elected to that office. The president-elect, on request of the board, submitted a plan for putting the literary department into immediate operation in their contemplated work. He also outlined a financial system and other necessary arrangements, all of which were after due consideration unanimously adopted. In fact, every needful arrangement was made for the successful working of this new-fledged candidate for public favor. The Montgomery Female Institute was wiped out, or, rather, metamorphosed into the Preparatory Department of the young College.

The first annual catalogue of the College showed a patronage of 150 pupils and a corps of nine professors and teachers. Patronage increased and work improved from year to year. Most of the states were represented by pupils, and a few of them were from foreign lands. In fact, the experiment had proved a success in its work, in its popularity, and in its financial showing. It verified the correctness of Dr. Sunderland’s theory, namely, that an educational institution judiciously managed might possibly be made financially self-supporting and even self-endowing. Dr. Sunderland had but little capital to commence with, about $4,000 ready cash; some western lands on which he raised a temporary loan and sold two or three years afterwards for $16,000 cash; and a loan of $5,000 negotiated and insured for ten years by a good friend, for which service, however, Mr. Sunderland was bound to pay him one per cent per annum over and above the interest specified, and a bonus at the end of the period of ten years. In four years time this contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and Dr. Sunderland paid him his per cent of interest up to date, and one thousand dollars cash bonus. Beyond this, when the College closed its doors in 1880, it owned clear of incumbrance the building called Glenwood Hall, Glenwood Cottage, fronting on the turnpike; a large barn, fronting on the avenue, and 26 ½ acres of land, divided into a large park, set with ornamental trees, the college campus, an avenue 900 feet long, groves, orchards set with every kind of fruit trees to which the soil is adapted, ornamented with a great variety of shrubs and flowers, and a large amount of marble classical statuary. The College was provided with every appliance for carrying on the work of instruction; a good chemical laboratory, abundant philosophical apparatus; a library of over 3,000 volumes, maps, charts, models, etc. The institution was entirely free from debt. Thirty thousand dollars had been repeatedly offered for it and refused, and yet all this value was but the surplus earnings of the school over and above its running expenses! Not a dollar had ever been contributed gratuitously by any one outside of the five original corporators, and by but one of them- Dr. Sunderland,-does not this fact corroborate the theory that a college may be made at least self-supporting?

The institution educated to some extent about 2500 young women. The exact number can not be given, as some of the records were destroyed in the fire of 1875. Many of these pupils had fulfilled the requirements for the baccalaureate degree, and gone forth, accredited with the testimonials of educated women, and are some of them today filling creditable positions of trust and usefulness in society, some have earned distinction in the learned professions, in the church, in associations of public beneficence, and more particularly in the most important vocation of all, the education of rising generations. The training of young women for the profession of teaching was a special purpose of the institution. Dr. Sunderland had effected arrangements to supply the rapidly increasing demand for efficient teachers for public schools, private families, and higher institutions of learning; and so extensively and rapidly did the demand for such increase that it could by no means be filled. From Maine to California, from Canada to Mexico, in South America and in the East Indies, “wandering fays” from dear Glenwood have left their footprints as they journeyed on in their mission of good will and useful service to the needy and suffering in distant lands. And, alas, how many of them, even in their young years, have gone down the dark and devious path to that bourne whence no tidings ever come back. The survivors will cherish their memories, but they too must soon pass away, and other generations may come and go, unmindful that these have ever lived.

After twenty-five years of arduous work in his chosen profession, Dr. Sunderland leased the College for a term of five years. This venture did not prove a success, and in 1880 the institution closed its doors as a seat of learning to the public.

Dr. Sunderland was a man of splendid intellect, fine scholarship, and refined tastes, exceedingly modest, never consenting to publish any of his treatises on science, literature or other learned subjects; he was a rarely sympathetic and inspir ing teacher whose influence tended to raise the popular standard of excellence in life and character. Chester county appreciated the efforts of Dr. Sunderland and sent many of her daughters to his college. A number of his former pupils reside today in West Chester, among them at least two graduates, Mrs. J. Curtis Smith and Miss Josephine Caldwell.

The latter part of his life was spent among his books in scientific study. Advancing in years, his strength gradually failed him, and he grew weaker and weaker until, April 9, 1904, he passed from earth to rest, in the ninety-second year of his age.

Dr. Sunderland was twice married, his former wife being Miss LuAnna Munson, of New York. A daughter of this union is the wife of Dr. John Helfrich, of Allentown. Some years after the death of Mrs. Sunderland, he married Miss Rebecca Eichholtz, a graduate of Pennsylvania Female College, an estimable lady and most faithful and devoted wife, who survives him.