The President of the College devoted his time largely in raising funds to discharge the debt of the College. In his annual report, June, 1880, he announced the completion of the new College chapel, built in place of the old chapel.

Although there was an increase of students, still the expenses exceeded the income by over $3,300.

At the commencement, June, 1880, degrees were conferred as follows, viz.:

A. M.

JESSE TALBOTT LITTLETON, of Virginia.

A. B.

W. W. SAWYER, Virginia.

CHAS. W. TILLETT, N. Carolina.

D. D.

Rev. ADOLPHUS W. MANGUM, A. M., Prof. University of North Carolina (Cla.s.s 1854).

At a called meeting of the Board, held at Danville, Va., November, 1880, the announcement was made that the sum required to cancel the debt of the College had been subscribed. This gratifying result was achieved by the long and arduous labors of Dr. Bennett, President of the College.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOCTOR M. JAMES, _Of West Virginia. Sutherlin Medalist._]

1880-1881.

The following received degrees at the annual commencement, June, 1881:

A. M.

JOSEPH C. JONES, Virginia.

JOHN B. CRENSHAW, Virginia.

BASIL W. WATERS, Maryland.

JAMES C. SHELTON, Virginia.

ROBERT W. TOMLIN, Virginia.

JAMES W. MORRIS, Virginia.

A. B.

JOHN F. BLACKWELL, Virginia.

JOSEPH C. TERRELL, Virginia.

D. M. JAMES, West Virginia.

WM. B. CRENSHAW, Kentucky.

E. E. HARRELL, N. Carolina.

The following resolution was adopted by the Board, on motion of Dr. Paul Whitehead:

"_Resolved_, That the Rev. W. W. Bennett, D. D., President of this College, deserves, and we hereby tender to him, the thanks of the Trustees for the patient and indefatigable manner in which he has performed the duty committed to him of raising, by subscription, the amount necessary to pay the debt of the College, amid discouragements and difficulties which have rendered the work at once thankless and toilsome."

[Ill.u.s.tration: JESSE TALBOTT LITTLETON, _Prof. Emory and Henry College; Pace Medalist, 1880._]

In the annual report of the President the following items are noted: The number of students matriculated was 128. The debt of the College had been considerably reduced by collection of subscriptions. The Finance Committee reported that if the subscriptions were paid up the financial condition of the College would be better than it had been at any period of its recent history.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. BASIL W. WATERS, A.M., _Missionary to j.a.pan._]

At the close of this session, after spending four years in College, diplomas in Greek and Mathematics, and the Mathematical prize were awarded to a young man whose subsequent career has marked him as one of the first mathematical scholars of the age. This was David W. Taylor, of Louisa county, Va. In September, 1881, he was second among one hundred and fifty candidates for entrance as cadet engineer at the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from the Naval Academy June, 1885, standing first in his cla.s.s each year; was ordered to the flagship of the European station, under the command of (then) Captain Dewey; then sent to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, near London, England, taking at that place a three-years' course in naval architecture and marine engineering; graduated there in 1888 at the head of his cla.s.s, _receiving the highest marks ever obtained for the course by either an English or foreign student_. He is now (1898) an a.s.sistant to Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, Washington, D. C.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. SAMUEL RODGERS, D. D., _Vice-President of the Board of Trustees._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JAMES W. MORRIS, A. M. _Sutherlin Medalist; Pace Medalist, 1881; Missionary to Brazil._]

1881-1882.

At the close of the year 1881-'82 the following received degrees:

A. M.

R. E. L. HOLMES, Virginia.

EDGAR A. POTTS, Virginia.

EDMUND S. RUFFIN, Virginia.

JOSEPH T. REESE, Georgia.

A. B.

HUGH C. DAVIS, Virginia.

J. P. MAUZY, Virginia.

THOMAS N. POTTS, Virginia.

D. D.

Rev. CHARLES B. STUART (Cla.s.s 1845), Texas.

_Sutherlin Medalist_.--SAMUEL M. GARLAND, of Virginia.

_Pace Medalist_.--JOHN NEWTON MCCORMICK, of Maryland.

The number of students, by the President's report, was 100, a decrease of 28.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DAVID W. TAYLOR, _Mathematical Prize, 1881; Naval Constructor, U. S. Navy._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BISHOP A. W. WILSON, _President Board of Trustees._]

The completion of the Duncan Memorial Church was announced. The credit of this work was given to ladies of the congregation, who had worked with great zeal and efficiency to raise the needed funds.

At the annual meeting President W. W. Bennett tendered his resignation of the presidency of the Board of Trustees and of the College.

Bishop Alpheus W. Wilson was elected president of the Board, and Rev.

John D. Blackwell vice-president.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HUGH C. DAVIS, A. B., 1882, _Attorney-at-Law._]