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Knoxville College |
Eliza B Wallace
Eliza B Wallace was born on June 6,
1838 to John and Jane McClenanhan Wallace in Fairvew, Guerney County,
Ohio.
Her brother David was president of
Monmouth College when she attented.
Eliza Wallace lived in Illinois, in 1866, where she is listed as a
Science Course Senior from Monmouth.
In 1870, Eliza Wallace lived in Monmouth, Illinois, in 1870.
Post Office: Monmouth, Occupation: College Professor
After Eliza Wallace graduated from
Monmouth, she came to Knoxville, Tennessee where she worked with
Knoxville College to provide better educational opportunities for
black children.
She also worked to establish a school
of nursing and a hospital. The hospital was established soon
after her death, and was commonly called the Eliza B. Wallace
Hospital.
In 1882 she is listed in the city directory as a math teacher at
Knoxville College.
Eliza's brother David wrote the
following about their parents:
She was eight years of agee when her
parents came to America. They were married, June 14, 1825,
when
they settled on a farm near Fairview. John Wallace was a ruling elder
in the Fairview congregation of the Associate Reformed (Presbyterian)
Church for over twenty years: first under the pastoral care of the
Rev. Samuel Findley, D. D., afterward under that of the Rev. Hugh
Forsythe. He died April 20, 1850.
His pastor, the Rev. Hugh Forsythe,
writes: "He was a man of good sense, sound judgment, very
judicious and very prudent. He was kind hearted. ln cases of
discipline, if he erred at all. it was on the side of mercy. I
suppose he had more influence over me than any other member of
session. He had
great influence in the congregation. Two things
gave him influence in congregational meetings, good
sense and a
perfect willingness to do his part. He befriended a great many poor
people, without respect
to race or color. When he was buried,
some colored people, whom he had befriended, were standing near the
grave looking into it while tears were rolling down their cheeks.
John AVallace was emphatically the poor man's friend.'' (Source: A
Busy Life: A Tribute to the Memory of the Rev. David A. Wallace,
1885, p. 5)
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SUMMARY: The aggregate enrollment in
all the schools under uur care this year is 1,518 and in our Sabbath
Schools over 1,600, showing a very encouraging increase over last
year. Since our last report 110 students from our school were engaged
in teaching in the public schools. Of these 90 received their
education wholly or in part in the Knoxville College. Source:Minutes
of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian ..., Volumes
25-28, Board of Publication, 1883, p. 73)
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"Knoxville exhibits an increase in
enrollment the number now being 328. Religious services were
conducted regularly with spirit and with profit throughout the year.
The normal department received particular attention and it has been
especially satisfactory," (Source:Minutes of the General
Assembly of the United Presbyterian ..., Volumes 25-28, Board of
Publication, 1883, p.426)
KNOXVILLE: The work here has gone
forward without interruption. The only change worthy of note is in
the afternoon service on the Sabbath. Instead of holding the Sabbath
school in the College in the afternoon, two school houses have been
occupied. One is a quarter of a mile distant and the other two miles.
At the nearest school house very few attend aside from the pupils who
attend at the College in the morning. At the other school house we
reach those who seldom attend elsewhere. The design in this change
was to lessen the number of meetings in the College building and
leave the afternoon free and also to afford an opportunity to
students and others to do missionary work. Very little difficulty has
been experienced in securing volunteers for the afternoon Sabbath
schools. There is a Sabbath school in the morning followed by a
sermon. The same personns, old and young, are present in the Sabbath
school and at church Prayer Meetings. Two prayer meetings are held on
Sabbath evening, one for males and the other for females. These are
attended by students mainly who are living in the dormitories. A
prayer meeting is held on Monday morning, at which all the students
attend and which they conduct, as they do the others themselves.
Day of Prayer for Colleges This
day was observed and in addition to a sermon in the morning a prayer
meeting was held in the afternoon by the students. Extra Meetings
were held throughout the last week of March. They were arranged so as
not to interrupt the regular work and were attended with interest
bible Lesson. The International Sabbath school lesson for the
following Sabbath is recited on Monday, and both teachers and pupils
are better prepared for the work ni the Sabbath. The Congregation has
81 colored members and 10 white. Increase by profession 3, by
certificate 3, decrease 16, Infant baptisms 7, adult 8. Contributions
to all the Boards $49. Total $180.
Average attendance: 161, at nearest
school house 70, at the other 36.
The laborers here are: President JS
McCulloch, Lady Principal Miss Eliza B Wallace, teachers: DT
McClelland, Edgar MacDill, Mac H Wallace, Mrs AH Wait, Miss Ida
McCulloch, Miss Henrietta Mason (colored) and Miss Maggie McDill.
Miss McDill has charge of the Little Girls Home and Mrs Mary J
Johnston has charge of the work in kitchen and dining room.
Miss Mary L Buchanan has assisted
throughout the year in the Sabbath school and sewing without
pecuniary compensation. She has also given lessons in instrumental
music at half the ordinary rates ot tuition.
The Enrollment for the year is 202. The
attendance was seriously affected by the prevalence of small pox in
the vicinity during December and January. At no time however did a
panic seize the students nor was a discontinuance of the school
seriously threatened. For this we are devoutly thankful to God. One
of the most encouraging things in the work of this year is the
disposition of the students to hold on till the end of the term and
pass through the examinations preparatory to regular promotion. Some
however are still compelled to leave in order to earn money for the
support of themselves and their parents. Sewing School The
sewing school has been conducted this year very much as it was last
year. Nearly all the girls in the school are divided into three
classes supervised by teachers. They sew by hand forty minutes a day,
and while they sew, they sing, or some one reads from an interesting
and instructive book, so that the sewing hour combines both pleasure
and profit, Students are encouragud to make garments for their own
use and some are able to cut out as well as sew. They have the
privilege of purchasing any garment thus made for about half the
price of the material. The beginners have made patches for several
quilts and put them together and the more advanced have made about
160 garments. A Mother's Meeting was carried on from September
1st to March 16th. It was held on Friday afternoons when about two
hours were spent. It was opened and closed with devotional exercises,
memorizing scriptures, singing and prayer, and a talk was given on
the lesson sometime during the meeting.
Miss Wallace, Mrs McCulloch, and Miss
Buchanan had charge of this work. The enrollment was 69; garments cut
and made: 275, material used: 600 yards, receipts from garments sold:
$24.38, expenditures: $11. About 30 boxes and packages of bed
clothing, wearing apparel, material and papers have been received
from Ladies Missionary Societies and individuals. These have been
distributed with much care so as not to encourage thriftlessness.
Comparatively few articles are given away. The prices are very low,
but the money thus obtained serves to keep up the sewing schools and
is used to assist the needy, both in health and when sick.
Colored Teachers About 70 who
have at some time attended the College have been engaged in teaching
this year. Their schools continued from two to seven months the
average being less than four, perhaps. They taught in Tennessee,
Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
Many of them have taken an active part in Sabbath schools, and in
this way not less than 3,000 have been educated to some extent
indirectly through this institution.
Aid for Students As a church we
are doing comparatively little in the way of direct personal aid to
students, however deserving they may be. Some of the oldest colored
institutions appeal annually to the churches for a large part of the
money necessary for the support of the students. A large proportion
of the students in some of the best colored colleges are helped from
year to year to the extent of from $25 to $100. We have been entirely
too modest in appealing for such help. Our own sons and daughters
would in many instances give up in despair or disgust if they had to
encounter the actual trials of some of the colored young men or women
now in Knoxville College. The President says I could, if it were
prudent, give names I could relate simple unvarnished facts. I could
tell of patient long continued toil, of pinching economy, of self
denial that would appeal powerfully to every real friend of the
colored man. Here are boys and girls whom every member of the Faculty
would deem it an honor to help through an education. Are there not
generous individuals, and societies, and Sabbath schools, and
churches ready to promise $25 a year or $50 a year for one such needy
student? Let them send for the names and they will be furnished. When
a young woman works hard all summer at low wages and succeeds in
saving enough to barely support her four months, let us say to her
that her heavenly Father has provided enough to finish. When a young
man comes with $50 the savings of four months with pick and shovel
let us relieve him from worry about the $25 or $50 more that may be
needed.
Boarding Department There were
78 boarders this year. The number was not as great as last year. The
falling off may be attributed partly to the increase in the price of
boarding and partly to a wide spread rumor of small pox in the city
referred to above. Among the boarders there are 4 who belong to the
Presbyterian Church, 9 to the United Presbyterian, 12 to the
Methodist, 14 to the Baptist. the others are not members of any
church. What a work there is here to be done. The daily religious
exercises consist of worship as in a Christian family all joining
morning and evening in the service. Nearly all the boarders grouped
in two companies agree to read the same chapters daily in their rooms
and on Saturday evening they meet, each company with a teacher, and
talk over the chapters read during the week. These meetings are
voluntary but nearly all attend. They are opened and closed with
prayer. This exercise seems to be much enjoyed and good must result
from it. There is a reading room for the girls in this department
which is of great benefit. It is open every evening. A donation of
$50 worth of books was received from L MS of the Cleveland Ohio
congregation. Also a donation from the Western Tract Society. For
these good gifts the donors have cordial thanks.
Orphanage or Little Girls Home A
new feature has been added to our work here under this title. Little
girls from the age of 6 to 15 are received and kept in the Home
during the entire term. These children have no homes of their own or
live with relatives or strangers who are not able to support their
own families. This Home had 8 little girls last year, all orphans or
half orphans except one. They were under the charge of Miss Maggie
McDill, who lives with them and does for them as nearly as possible
all a mother could do. She teaches them to do all kinds of work and
requires them to carefully prepare their lessons for school. The
number would be greatly increased if the expense could be provided
for. A business man in Chicago provides for half the support of two
girls. He has our thanks and will have the blessing of the Lord. The
Ladies Missionary Society of the Presbytery of Southern Illinois paid
the salary of the matron Miss McDill last year and is deserving the
thanks of the whole Church. This part of the work must be continued
and enlarged. (Source:Minutes of the General Assembly of the United
Presbyterian ..., Volumes 25-28, Board of Publication,
1883,p.767-769)
She died on December 12, 1897, at the
home of her sister, in Pennsylvania, at the age of 59. Her death is
listed in the Catalogue of Monmouth College, Illinois, 1906-1906
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Obit
Sad News.-President J. M.
Wallace of the Salem Water Community,has received sad news of the
death of his sister, Miss Eliza B. Wallace, in Waters Park, Pa., her
demise occurring Sunday night. Miss Wallace's death was sudden and
unexpected, in recent letter received by her brother
Indicating an
Improvement In her slightly impaired health. Having held the
important position of principal of the Knoxville college at
Knoxville, Tenn., for the past 25 years, Miss Wallace was only
obliged to resign her position owing to ill health.
Interment will
be had in the family vault at the old home in Cambridge,Ohio.(Source:
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.), 14 Dec. 1897.
Chronicling
America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.)
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One of her dreams did not come true
during her lifetime. For years, Wallace wanted to establish a
nurse-training program but could not find the funds. In her will, she
bequeathed the money for such a program. The Wallace Memorial
Hospital opened on the campus in 1907, 10 years after her death. The
first black Red Cross nurse in the United States was Frances Elliott
Davis who took her initial training at that hospital. Robert J
Booker Eliza B. Wallace