The Faculty of Hastings College as first constituted in the summer of 1882 included J.W. Wilson, Professor of Mathematics, G. E. White, Professor of Latin and Greek, and Miss Abbie Brewer, Instructor in English and German. Miss Lou Vance had also been elected Instructor in Art and John Rees, Instructor in Music; but these last mentioned two were not closely connected with the management of the College. The school was opened for instruction on September 13^th, with twenty-three scholars, all of whom were in the Preparatory Department, and during the year there was no teaching done in any collegiate branch. At the beginning of the spring term Rev. W.F. Ringland was chosen President, but having charge of the First Presbyterian Church in the city, was to do no class-room work, nor did he attend the meetings of the Faculty for the following three months.

The instructors, being so few and so closely associated, conducted their Faculty meetings informally and considered them to be called when there was common business to consult upon rather than at regularly recurring times. Results were not reached by motion and vote, but rather by common discussion and agreement. Hence, no permanent records were kept by the Secretary. Rules were few, and no list of rules was published for the students, the theory being that each scholar should be put so far as possible upon exercising his own sense of right.

There was but one serious trouble in matters of government during the year: the editors of the "Hastings College Review" having repeatedly used language that the Trustees deemed out of place, by which they felt that College interests would be damaged. The Trustees requested the Faculty to take the matter in hand and publish the paper. The editors being willing to make such transfer, the May and June numbers were issued by the Faculty.

The curriculum as at first adopted, planned for a three-year preparatory course, which is given on the following page. Before the end of the year certain changes seemed desirable and a curriculum was drawn up as published in the first College Catalogue. The chief point of change was in reducing the preparatory course from three to two years, and in advancing the requisites for admission to this Department in a corresponding degree. An English Department was then formed, to be distinct from the Academy, wherein a greater freedom of studies could be allowed the pupils, and a broader range of classes could be provided for those not yet fitted for the Academy, or who wished to prepare for teaching, or who could pursue but a short special course in English.

*Greek led to the Classical Course; German to the Scientific.

The first year’s work of the College was one of quiet unostentatious progress. The number of students, while not so very large, was as good as could have been expected for an institution entirely new, in a county but ten years old. Most of the pupils were faithful to their studies; most of the patrons satisfied with the institution. The hand of God, which seemed so manifest in the organization of the College, was present also in its first work, and especially the hearts of all were cheered during the winter, when in a revival prevailing in the city, five of them decided for Christ. The close of the year brought every encouragement to go forward with the work begun; and all connected with it felt the College had a noble work to perform, a work that must be vigorously pushed forward.

Dec. 17^th, 1883