Ch.3
CHAPTER III PRESIDENT ALBERT M. SHIPP’S ADMINISTRATION (1847-1850) GAIN quoting from the Centennial address of Dr. T u r n e r M. Jones, the following is recorded: “At the expiration of this period, in December, 1847, Rev. Mr. Lea resigned the presidency, and Rev. Albert M. Shipp, D.D., of the South Carolina Conference, now (1876) professor in the Biblical department of the Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tennessee, was elected his successor, and entered at once upon his duties. H e possessed qualities of mind and heart that rendered him peculiarly well adapted to the position. “ During the first year after the Rev. Dr. Shipp took charge of the college, there was a considerable increase in the number of pupils. T h e friends of the enterprise were greatly encouraged. Their hopes of success constantly grew brighter. Some, who had but little faith in the success of the undertaking, were inspired with confidence. Some, who had prophesied failure, became silent, and the eyes of many of our people were turned to Greensboro Female College, as a suitable place f o r the education of their daughters. “During the administration of President Shipp, which lasted two and a half years, there were twenty-six regular graduates. I n June, 1850, he handed in his resignation, to take effect from that date.” No official records, including catalogues, were available giving information about the details of the administration of Dr. Shipp as president of Greensboro Female College. I n the introduction of his Centennial address, Dr. Jones said: “ I have not had access to the record of a single meeting of the board of trustees, from the incipiency of the enterprise to the seventeenth year of its existence, the books containing those records having been burned in the fire of 1863, o r misplaced since that time. All the information in my possession has been obtained from a f e w Conference resolutions, the record of the faculty and personal recollections.” T h e bound volumes of old catalogues of Greensboro Female College, now contained in the fire-proof safe in the office of the college registrar, Miss Letha Brock, are evidently composed of catalogues gathered from various sources, which the late Mrs. R. R. Alley, college librarian, had bound f o r preservation.
REV. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. (Second President)
and MRS. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP (Mrs. Mary Gillespie Shipp)
A W O R D - P I C T U R E OF MRS. MARY GILLESPIE S H I P P B y BELLEVANS THURMAN (Mrs. H. J. Thurman, Greensboro, N . C . , Great Niece of Mrs. A. M . Shipp) M a r y Gillespie Shipp, wife of Dr. Albert M . Shipp and daughter of Harriet Godfrey and Samuel Wilds Gillespie, was born at Rose Hill Plantation in the northern part of Marlboro County, South Carolina. She came f r o m Revolutionary parentage on both sides of her family. H e r paternal grandfather, General James Gillespie, served with distinction in the war of the Revolution, and her maternal forebear, John Godfrey, was Colonial Governor of South Carolina. Mrs. Shipp impressed everyone with her gentleness. She carried her head a little to one side and the smile that always played around her lips and the sparkle from deep brown eyes suggested that, in spite of her very quiet nature, she had quite a hit of hidden coquetry. She was of small stature and had a rich olive complexion, with dark hair, slightly waving and always worn neatly parted. She was reared in a home where social graces abounded, a member of a large and happy family. These charming social gifts inherited from her parents, she transmitted in full measure to her children. She was an ideal mother, guarding the habits and thoughts of her children carefully. T h e Shipp home was a happy one. T r u l y the latchstring of her door hung on the outside. It is said that when she married D r . Shipp, a young minister at that time, she conformed to the demands of those days and cheerfully laid aside her jewelry and the flowers on her wedding bonnet. Astronomy held her interest all her life; from young womanhood, when she used to go on stargazing parties at Wofford College conducted by Dr. Carlisle, professor of astronomy, until she viewed the last total eclipse of the sun f r o m her death bed. H e r son, T h o r n well, placed a looking glass at such an angle as to throw the image of the sun to her eyes. Mrs. Shipp’s life with her husband carried her into many college campuses, hut her last days were spent at the old home on Rose Hill Plantation, in MarlMarlboro County, South Carolina, where she was horn. After Mrs. Shipp’s death, among her most treasured belongings, was found the Confederate uniform of her oldest son, John, who had fought through the Civil War. REV. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. Born in Surry County, North Carolina, June 15, 1819. Died a t Cleveland Springs, North Carolina, June 27, 1887. Buried in Cemetery a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina.
MRS. M A R Y GILLESPIE S H I P P Wife of REV. ALBERT MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. Born a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina, November 20, 1825. Died at Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina, June 9, 1900. Buried in Cemetery a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina.
A ROMANCEOF EDUCATION
49
REV. ALBERT M. SHIPP [As Related in “Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina” (1937) By Rev. William L. Sherrill] T h e Rev. Dr. Albert M. Shipp was born in Stakes County, January 15, 1819, son of John and Elizabeth (Oglesby) Shipp. His father died when Dr. Shipp was very small and the widow with two sons moved to Lincoln County to be near her brother-in-law, Bartlett Shipp. Albert and his cousin, William M. Shipp, were prepared f o r college in local schools and graduated from the State University in 1840. Both were bright scholars and shared first honors when they graduated. Mrs. John Shipp was a devout Methodist and took special pains to rear her sons, Albert M. and William T. Shipp, in the fear of God. Albert was converted and joined the church at Rock Springs Camp Meeting in August, 1834, and his life motto was “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Upon his graduation he gave himself to the Christian ministry, was, at Lincolnton in December, 1840, licensed to preach and a month later was admitted into the South Carolina Conference. W a s ordained deacon by Bishop Andrew in February, 1843, and Elder by Bishop Soule in December, 1844. He served as pastor in Cokesbury, Charleston, Santee, Cheraw, and Fayetteville, and as presiding elder o f the Lincolnton District until *1847. He was then elected President of Greensboro College, and served in that capacity f o r *two and a half years. W a s Professor of History at the University from *1850 to 1859; President of Wofford College 1859 to 1875; Professor of Exegetical Theology in Vanderbilt University, 1876 to 1886, when on account of ill health he retired. In 1887 his physician advised him f o r a change to go to Cleveland Springs and there, attended by skilled physicians without benefit, he died June 27, 1887, and his body was buried near Cheraw, S.C. Dr. Shipp was a mighty man in his day; a wise leader in the church; a delegate to every General Conference from 1850 to 1886; a member of the Centenary Conference in Baltimore in 1884; author of a comprehensive History of Methodism in South Carolina. T h e honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Randolph-Macon College in 1859 and Doctor of Laws by the University of North Carolina in 1883. His versatility is shown by the fact that he taught history at the University of North Carolina, mental and moral science at Wofford, and Exegetical Theology at Vanderbilt. O n e of his old Wofford students remembered him as a spare-built man, stoop-shouldered and clean shaven, a master of pure English and oratory, and, while a strict disciplinarian, loved by the student body. Dr. William Martin in Southern Christian Advocate, December 15, 1887, paid to Dr. Shipp this high tribute: “He was a close student *Dates are corrected b y Author.
50
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
all his life and a scholar of high order. He was a noble gentleman, generous in deed, pure in life, courtly in hearing, considerate of the weak, and chivalrous to women. As a preacher he occupied a place in the front rank of theologians; his pulpit efforts were marked with clearness of conception, systematic in arrangement, powerful in thought, vigorous in expression, and always instructive and impressive.” At the session of the S.C. Conference at Morganton in 1867, he preached a sermon of overwhelming power and eloquence from John 12:48, which brought a shout from Dr. Chas. Betts. He was married in Cheraw, S.C., April 23, 1846, to Miss Mary Gillespie and among their children were: 1. John Wilds Shipp, who died in 1888. He, like his father, was an educator, and Professor of Languages in Bellevue College at Caledonia Mission. 2. Samuel W. G. Shipp of Florence, S.C., one of the most learned lawyers of South Carolina, a judge of the Superior Court f o r many years. He is a man of wide culture and ranks high among the lawyers of his State. (Deceased). 3. Harriet Elizabeth Shipp, married John M. Webb, one of the founders of the celebrated W e b b School, located at Bell Buckle, Tenn. Their son, Albert Micajah Webb is a Professor of French at Duke University. 4. Mary Wade Shipp, married Rev. Samuel G. Saunders, a Methodist minister of Texas. Their son, Shipp Saunders, teaches Greek and Latin at the University of North Carolina. (1935-1943.) (Died January, 1944.) 5. Sarah W., who died in 1882 at Cheraw, S.C., when about 18 years old. 6. Susan V. Shipp, who now lives in Durham, N.C. (Deceased.) 7. Albert W. Shipp, who died recently (1937) in Nashville, Tenn., where he was a merchant f o r many years. 8. J. Thornwell Shipp, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, a Civil Engineer, now residing at Chattanooga, T e n n . Dr. Albert M. Shipp was one of the great men who went out from Lincoln County and his descendants honor the name.
ALBERT M I C A J A H S H I P P (June 15, 1819-June 27, 1887)
From Dictionary of American Biography (Vol. 17, Pages 113 and 114.)
Methodist Episcopal clergyman, educator, was born in Stokes County, N.C., the son of John and Elizabeth (Oglesby) Shipp. Converted at Rock Spring Camp Meeting in August, 1835, he joined the Methodist Church. I n 1840 he was graduated at the University of
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
51
North Carolina and January of the following year was admitted on trial to the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I n 1843 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Andrew, and in December, 1844, elder by Bishop Soule. H e served two years on circuits, four years on stations, and one as presiding elder. He was a member of every General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, from 1850 to 1886, inclusive, and of the Centennial Conference, held at Baltimore in 1884. H e early became one of the outstanding preachers in his denomination, but in 1848 his voice weakened under a chronic throat affection, making regular pulpit service thereafter impossible. His intellectual ability and his thorough scholarship pointed naturally to educational work as an alternative, and in *1847-50 he served as President of Greensboro Female College, North Carolina. *From 1850 to 1859 he was Professor of History in the University of North Carolina, and f o r the next sixteen years President of Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C. From 1875 to 1885 he held the chair of exegetical theology at Vanderbilt University, f o r three years of the time serving as dean of the Theological Department and Vice-Chancellor of the University. Dr. Shipp resigned in 1885, and was at his own request superannuated by the South Carolina Conference. T h e remaining two years of his life were spent at his home “Rose Hill,” Marlboro County, near Cheraw, S.C. As a teacher he won the respect and affection of his students. He was a man of correct literary taste and broad scholarship. I n December, 1876, his Conference requested him to prepare a history of Methodism in South Carolina. Pressure of his new duties at Vanderbilt University caused him to delay the project until the summer and fall of 1880, and the work, THEHISTORY OF METHODISM IN SOUTH CAROLINA, was published in 1883. Comprising a large amount of valuable data regarding both institutions and persons, it is still the most copious single body of information on the subject. It is less systematic, though more extensive, than Dr. A. M. Chreitzberg’s EARLY METHODISM IN THE CAROLINAS, published in 1897. T h e effort expended on its preparation was a labor of love, and any profits from the publication were directed to the support of wornout preachers and their widows and orphans. Though marked by hasty composition, it shows a realization of the part that Methodism has played in the life of the State and its people, not neglecting the remarkable service rendered the slaves. Dr. Shipp reared a large family; his wife was Mary, daughter of Samuel Gillespie, a planter of Cheraw. A n illness brought on by aiding a neighbor to fight a forest fire terminated in his death, at Cleveland Springs, N.C., where he had gone in quest of health. *Dates are corrected by Author.
52
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION IN 1 8 5 0 “THE COLLEGE WAS GROWING RAPIDLY”
From the Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina, 1896-97; 1897-98, page 110, the following items have been gathered: “ T h e College (Greensboro Female College) was growing rapidly, twenty-six young women being graduated under Dr. (A. M.) Shipp in 1850. T h e enrollment consisted of twenty-five seniors, fifty-three juniors, thirty-nine in the first class and nineteen in the preparatory department-a total of 126 students.” RECENT LETTER FROM DR. SHIPP’S SON
Mr. J. Thornwell Shipp, of 7091/2 North Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, son of Dr. Albert M. Shipp, wrote me, September 1, 1944, in reply to my request f o r information about his father and stated the following: “ Dr. Shipp’s father was a farmer and lived in Surry County, bordering on Virginia line where Dr. Albert M. Shipp was born. H e (his father) was of good old common English stock. His mother must have been posted in the Old Testament, f o r she gave him his second name from a Jewish name that means a ‘Gift of God’ or ‘Like God’. W e used to call it ‘Micajah’, but I find by reference to the concordance that it was spelled ‘Micaha’. But whatever the name was it must have influenced his young life. “After his father died he and his older brother ran the f a r m till the death of his mother. T h e y sold the farm, and William, the oldest, bought a f a r m near Charlotte, N.C., and father went out to get an education at Chapel Hill. With the driving power of a strong will and ambition he took first honor in his graduating class. T h e n he studied law. H e was converted at some revival (Rock Spring Camp Meeting, Lincoln County, N.C.) and felt that he should preach, joined the Methodist Church, and one of his early appointments was to Cheraw, S.C., where he met his wife, who was descended from a Revolutionary General; and on the other side from a Colonial Governor of the old English colony of South Carolina. So her grace and charm and gentle nature polished up the angles in his strong and rugged nature, until it was a pleasure to see him at the head of a long table, carving at ease the turkey and keeping up a conversation with his guests. “In his sermons he put so much energy that he injured his vocal cords, and had to stop active duties as a minister of the Gospel. “Then he was elected as President of Greensboro (G.F.C.), from there he went as a professor to Chapel Hill, (U.N.C.), and from there to Wofford College, then to Vanderbilt University. From there
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
53
he went back to his old plantation that was the former home of his wife. “ H e rarely preached, but when he did it was a flow of eloquence and beauty of diction. He was pastor of Methodist Church at Cheraw, S.C., where he met my mother, who was an Episcopalian. I n those days the Episcopal Church, built in colonial times by a colonial government, was an English church. After the Revolution it was used jointly by different denominations. “I suppose the St. Johns Church must have been where Dr. Shipp preached. A f t e r losing his voice he was elected president of your college (G.F.C.), and went from there to a professorship at Chapel Hill (U.N.C.) Professor of History). From Chapel Hill he went as President of Wofford College, succeeding Bishop Wightman. From Wofford he moved to Vanderbilt Theological Department. T h e r e he looked after the training of a young Chinaman, Charley Soong, who was sent to him by one of his old pupils at Chapel Hill to train him as a missionary among his own people in China, Mr. Julian S. Carr, who wrote him to charge on him f o r any expenses he incurred in that work. “Dr. Albert M. Shipp was a man of medium stature, gray hair, wore beard kept neatly trimmed. He was mostly serious, but he had an undercurrent of humor. “My earliest recollection makes him seem very much different from my impression gotten in later years-for as a kid I did something that needed a good whipping. Mother turned me over to him. I do not remember his working on me but twice, but he did a thorough job. So my youthful impression still holds in a way, f o r what he had to do was done thoroughly. “My brother Albert had his father’s character reproduced in him, modified by the soft and mellow love of his mother, a true blending of a perfect love. “Honorable James Clark McReynolds, Associate Justice of U.S. Supreme Court characterized him as a ‘Prince’. Dr. A. M. Shipp wrote and had published a history of Methodism in South Carolina. “From Vanderbilt University he returned to his old plantation that was the former home of his wife. “His death resulted from over exertion in putting out a forest fire, brought on jaundice, and he died at a mineral spring in Western North Carolina, Cleveland Spring, and was buried in the old graveyard on his own plantation in South Carolina.”
54
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION DR. JNO. R. STEWART, A FORMER PUPIL OF DR. SHIPP, RECALLS LECTURES A T VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
O n April 16, 1943, in the interest of securing matter f o r a proposed Greensboro College History, I wrote to Dr. Jno. R. Stewart, of Nashville, Tennessee, who was a former pupil of Dr. Albert M. Shipp, President of Greensboro College during 1847-1850, and Professor of Exegetical Theology in Vanderbilt University, 1876-1886, f o r any items of interest that he might recall regarding services rendered by Dr. Shipp. Dr. Stewart’s reply follows: “My dear Dr. Turrentine: “ It was my privilege to be in the class of Exegetical Theology at Vanderbilt University under Dr. Shipp. His lectures were much appreciated by the class as well as the high esteem the class h e l d for Dr. Shipp personally. I was in his class in 1886 ANOTHER FORMER STUDENT PRAISES DR. SHIPP I n conversation with the late Dr. E. L. Stamey, of Greensboro, who also studied under Dr. A. M. Shipp at Vanderbilt University, he testified that Dr. Shipp’s instruction was of a high order and that he regarded Dr. Shipp as having superior ability. AN INTERESTING LETTER WRITTEN BY A STUDENT DURING DR. SHIPP’S ADMINISTRATION “Hill of Science March 2/50 “Dear Friend: “Resolved that I will redeem my character f o r punctuality, I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of your last. It is Saturday night, and after spending the day as I generally do here, in various employments, I have leisure now t o spend an hour with you. Would that we could have a personal interview. I know that we could spend the evening delightfully together. T h e girls are promenading the passage as usual. T h e y have not yet quit that foolishness, about darlings. We have some pretty bad girls here now, I assure you. I think they are decidedly the worst that I ever saw. “Old Mrs. Shipp would have plenty to do, from morning till night, to scold if she were to do nothing else I don’t know how she stands it. “ Mr. Shipp intends starting to General Conference in about a month, and will probably be gone more than two months, and if Conference is not moved to Nashville, it is possible that he may not get back in time f o r the examination. “His classes will not be prepared f o r examination at any rate, and if he does not get back in time I think we will not have any examination.
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
55
He told us this week that we must commence our compositions, f o r they must be written and corrected before he started to Conference. Becky has the Valedictory to read. It was I think very deservingly given to her. “Eliza Jane Purdie has come back, but she says she is not going to graduate. Tillie Hill, and Hetty Dossey are going to receive their diplomas at the same time with us. Nannie Morris has never received hers yet but she prefers taking hers privately. Nannie has not altered any that I can perceive. She still wears her hair curled, and I don’t think she is any larger. Dr. Carter is living in the house that was formerly occupied by Mr. Fields family just opposite James Moreheads. Mr. Andrews has almost ceased to pay any attention to Miss Augusta. I don’t think he has called on her more than once this session. They say he is going to marry Miss Leach, sometime this year. So none of us are going to set our caps f o r him. We go down street to church more this session than we have been accustomed to do, because there is nobody to preach f o r us, but Mr. Shipp, and occasionally Mr. Jameison. W h e n they get the new church completed, which I suppose will be in about a month, we will go every Sabbath. “The town ladies are going to have a fair in May. T h e i r object is to get furniture f o r the new church. Miss Hay and Miss Bensein belong to the society and say they will petition Mr. Shipp to let us go to the fair. Mr. Collins has declined accepting the Presidency, so we are still uncertain who will fill Mr. Shipp’s place. “Mr. Forster was here last week on business. It seemed like old times to see him here again. He has a very good school in ClemmonsCelmmonsveli I understand. It is growing late and I must reluctantly conclude by wishing you a kind good night. “Ever yours,
“MAG.” (Copied April 5 , 1945) addressed to Miss Isabella S. Wiley, Fair Grove, Davidson Co., (Furnished by Dr. L. L. Gobbel) Mary Willis Wiley Gray Oct. 2, 1818. Isabelle Shannon W i l e y Martin, born April 18, 1822, died March 3rd, 1907. Married April 1st, 1856 t o Edmund Loftin Martin who was born April 26, 1804. Passed away April 26, 1862.
N.C.,
According to a letter written by Miss Ida Clifton Hinshaw, Spotswood Apartments, Winston-Salem, N.C., who sent the above letter to President Gobbel on March 12, 1945, Mrs. W a t t Martin, of 668 West 4th Street, Winston-Salem, gave this letter which was written to Mrs. Martin’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Isabella Martin (nee Isabelle Shannon Wiley), a student here probably in 1847, to the college, and said that Mrs. Martin was a great-aunt of James A. Gray, of Winston-Salem.
REV. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. (Second President)
and MRS. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP (Mrs. Mary Gillespie Shipp)
A W O R D - P I C T U R E OF MRS. MARY GILLESPIE S H I P P B y BELLEVANS THURMAN (Mrs. H. J. Thurman, Greensboro, N . C . , Great Niece of Mrs. A. M . Shipp) M a r y Gillespie Shipp, wife of Dr. Albert M . Shipp and daughter of Harriet Godfrey and Samuel Wilds Gillespie, was born at Rose Hill Plantation in the northern part of Marlboro County, South Carolina. She came f r o m Revolutionary parentage on both sides of her family. H e r paternal grandfather, General James Gillespie, served with distinction in the war of the Revolution, and her maternal forebear, John Godfrey, was Colonial Governor of South Carolina. Mrs. Shipp impressed everyone with her gentleness. She carried her head a little to one side and the smile that always played around her lips and the sparkle from deep brown eyes suggested that, in spite of her very quiet nature, she had quite a hit of hidden coquetry. She was of small stature and had a rich olive complexion, with dark hair, slightly waving and always worn neatly parted. She was reared in a home where social graces abounded, a member of a large and happy family. These charming social gifts inherited from her parents, she transmitted in full measure to her children. She was an ideal mother, guarding the habits and thoughts of her children carefully. T h e Shipp home was a happy one. T r u l y the latchstring of her door hung on the outside. It is said that when she married D r . Shipp, a young minister at that time, she conformed to the demands of those days and cheerfully laid aside her jewelry and the flowers on her wedding bonnet. Astronomy held her interest all her life; from young womanhood, when she used to go on stargazing parties at Wofford College conducted by Dr. Carlisle, professor of astronomy, until she viewed the last total eclipse of the sun f r o m her death bed. H e r son, T h o r n well, placed a looking glass at such an angle as to throw the image of the sun to her eyes. Mrs. Shipp’s life with her husband carried her into many college campuses, hut her last days were spent at the old home on Rose Hill Plantation, in MarlMarlboro County, South Carolina, where she was horn. After Mrs. Shipp’s death, among her most treasured belongings, was found the Confederate uniform of her oldest son, John, who had fought through the Civil War. REV. A L B E R T MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. Born in Surry County, North Carolina, June 15, 1819. Died a t Cleveland Springs, North Carolina, June 27, 1887. Buried in Cemetery a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina.
MRS. M A R Y GILLESPIE S H I P P Wife of REV. ALBERT MICAJAH SHIPP, A.M., D.D., LL.D. Born a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina, November 20, 1825. Died at Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina, June 9, 1900. Buried in Cemetery a t Rose Hill Plantation, Marlboro County, South Carolina.
A ROMANCEOF EDUCATION
49
REV. ALBERT M. SHIPP [As Related in “Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina” (1937) By Rev. William L. Sherrill] T h e Rev. Dr. Albert M. Shipp was born in Stakes County, January 15, 1819, son of John and Elizabeth (Oglesby) Shipp. His father died when Dr. Shipp was very small and the widow with two sons moved to Lincoln County to be near her brother-in-law, Bartlett Shipp. Albert and his cousin, William M. Shipp, were prepared f o r college in local schools and graduated from the State University in 1840. Both were bright scholars and shared first honors when they graduated. Mrs. John Shipp was a devout Methodist and took special pains to rear her sons, Albert M. and William T. Shipp, in the fear of God. Albert was converted and joined the church at Rock Springs Camp Meeting in August, 1834, and his life motto was “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Upon his graduation he gave himself to the Christian ministry, was, at Lincolnton in December, 1840, licensed to preach and a month later was admitted into the South Carolina Conference. W a s ordained deacon by Bishop Andrew in February, 1843, and Elder by Bishop Soule in December, 1844. He served as pastor in Cokesbury, Charleston, Santee, Cheraw, and Fayetteville, and as presiding elder o f the Lincolnton District until *1847. He was then elected President of Greensboro College, and served in that capacity f o r *two and a half years. W a s Professor of History at the University from *1850 to 1859; President of Wofford College 1859 to 1875; Professor of Exegetical Theology in Vanderbilt University, 1876 to 1886, when on account of ill health he retired. In 1887 his physician advised him f o r a change to go to Cleveland Springs and there, attended by skilled physicians without benefit, he died June 27, 1887, and his body was buried near Cheraw, S.C. Dr. Shipp was a mighty man in his day; a wise leader in the church; a delegate to every General Conference from 1850 to 1886; a member of the Centenary Conference in Baltimore in 1884; author of a comprehensive History of Methodism in South Carolina. T h e honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Randolph-Macon College in 1859 and Doctor of Laws by the University of North Carolina in 1883. His versatility is shown by the fact that he taught history at the University of North Carolina, mental and moral science at Wofford, and Exegetical Theology at Vanderbilt. O n e of his old Wofford students remembered him as a spare-built man, stoop-shouldered and clean shaven, a master of pure English and oratory, and, while a strict disciplinarian, loved by the student body. Dr. William Martin in Southern Christian Advocate, December 15, 1887, paid to Dr. Shipp this high tribute: “He was a close student *Dates are corrected b y Author.
50
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
all his life and a scholar of high order. He was a noble gentleman, generous in deed, pure in life, courtly in hearing, considerate of the weak, and chivalrous to women. As a preacher he occupied a place in the front rank of theologians; his pulpit efforts were marked with clearness of conception, systematic in arrangement, powerful in thought, vigorous in expression, and always instructive and impressive.” At the session of the S.C. Conference at Morganton in 1867, he preached a sermon of overwhelming power and eloquence from John 12:48, which brought a shout from Dr. Chas. Betts. He was married in Cheraw, S.C., April 23, 1846, to Miss Mary Gillespie and among their children were: 1. John Wilds Shipp, who died in 1888. He, like his father, was an educator, and Professor of Languages in Bellevue College at Caledonia Mission. 2. Samuel W. G. Shipp of Florence, S.C., one of the most learned lawyers of South Carolina, a judge of the Superior Court f o r many years. He is a man of wide culture and ranks high among the lawyers of his State. (Deceased). 3. Harriet Elizabeth Shipp, married John M. Webb, one of the founders of the celebrated W e b b School, located at Bell Buckle, Tenn. Their son, Albert Micajah Webb is a Professor of French at Duke University. 4. Mary Wade Shipp, married Rev. Samuel G. Saunders, a Methodist minister of Texas. Their son, Shipp Saunders, teaches Greek and Latin at the University of North Carolina. (1935-1943.) (Died January, 1944.) 5. Sarah W., who died in 1882 at Cheraw, S.C., when about 18 years old. 6. Susan V. Shipp, who now lives in Durham, N.C. (Deceased.) 7. Albert W. Shipp, who died recently (1937) in Nashville, Tenn., where he was a merchant f o r many years. 8. J. Thornwell Shipp, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, a Civil Engineer, now residing at Chattanooga, T e n n . Dr. Albert M. Shipp was one of the great men who went out from Lincoln County and his descendants honor the name.
ALBERT M I C A J A H S H I P P (June 15, 1819-June 27, 1887)
From Dictionary of American Biography (Vol. 17, Pages 113 and 114.)
Methodist Episcopal clergyman, educator, was born in Stokes County, N.C., the son of John and Elizabeth (Oglesby) Shipp. Converted at Rock Spring Camp Meeting in August, 1835, he joined the Methodist Church. I n 1840 he was graduated at the University of
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
51
North Carolina and January of the following year was admitted on trial to the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I n 1843 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Andrew, and in December, 1844, elder by Bishop Soule. H e served two years on circuits, four years on stations, and one as presiding elder. He was a member of every General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, from 1850 to 1886, inclusive, and of the Centennial Conference, held at Baltimore in 1884. H e early became one of the outstanding preachers in his denomination, but in 1848 his voice weakened under a chronic throat affection, making regular pulpit service thereafter impossible. His intellectual ability and his thorough scholarship pointed naturally to educational work as an alternative, and in *1847-50 he served as President of Greensboro Female College, North Carolina. *From 1850 to 1859 he was Professor of History in the University of North Carolina, and f o r the next sixteen years President of Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C. From 1875 to 1885 he held the chair of exegetical theology at Vanderbilt University, f o r three years of the time serving as dean of the Theological Department and Vice-Chancellor of the University. Dr. Shipp resigned in 1885, and was at his own request superannuated by the South Carolina Conference. T h e remaining two years of his life were spent at his home “Rose Hill,” Marlboro County, near Cheraw, S.C. As a teacher he won the respect and affection of his students. He was a man of correct literary taste and broad scholarship. I n December, 1876, his Conference requested him to prepare a history of Methodism in South Carolina. Pressure of his new duties at Vanderbilt University caused him to delay the project until the summer and fall of 1880, and the work, THEHISTORY OF METHODISM IN SOUTH CAROLINA, was published in 1883. Comprising a large amount of valuable data regarding both institutions and persons, it is still the most copious single body of information on the subject. It is less systematic, though more extensive, than Dr. A. M. Chreitzberg’s EARLY METHODISM IN THE CAROLINAS, published in 1897. T h e effort expended on its preparation was a labor of love, and any profits from the publication were directed to the support of wornout preachers and their widows and orphans. Though marked by hasty composition, it shows a realization of the part that Methodism has played in the life of the State and its people, not neglecting the remarkable service rendered the slaves. Dr. Shipp reared a large family; his wife was Mary, daughter of Samuel Gillespie, a planter of Cheraw. A n illness brought on by aiding a neighbor to fight a forest fire terminated in his death, at Cleveland Springs, N.C., where he had gone in quest of health. *Dates are corrected by Author.
52
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION IN 1 8 5 0 “THE COLLEGE WAS GROWING RAPIDLY”
From the Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina, 1896-97; 1897-98, page 110, the following items have been gathered: “ T h e College (Greensboro Female College) was growing rapidly, twenty-six young women being graduated under Dr. (A. M.) Shipp in 1850. T h e enrollment consisted of twenty-five seniors, fifty-three juniors, thirty-nine in the first class and nineteen in the preparatory department-a total of 126 students.” RECENT LETTER FROM DR. SHIPP’S SON
Mr. J. Thornwell Shipp, of 7091/2 North Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, son of Dr. Albert M. Shipp, wrote me, September 1, 1944, in reply to my request f o r information about his father and stated the following: “ Dr. Shipp’s father was a farmer and lived in Surry County, bordering on Virginia line where Dr. Albert M. Shipp was born. H e (his father) was of good old common English stock. His mother must have been posted in the Old Testament, f o r she gave him his second name from a Jewish name that means a ‘Gift of God’ or ‘Like God’. W e used to call it ‘Micajah’, but I find by reference to the concordance that it was spelled ‘Micaha’. But whatever the name was it must have influenced his young life. “After his father died he and his older brother ran the f a r m till the death of his mother. T h e y sold the farm, and William, the oldest, bought a f a r m near Charlotte, N.C., and father went out to get an education at Chapel Hill. With the driving power of a strong will and ambition he took first honor in his graduating class. T h e n he studied law. H e was converted at some revival (Rock Spring Camp Meeting, Lincoln County, N.C.) and felt that he should preach, joined the Methodist Church, and one of his early appointments was to Cheraw, S.C., where he met his wife, who was descended from a Revolutionary General; and on the other side from a Colonial Governor of the old English colony of South Carolina. So her grace and charm and gentle nature polished up the angles in his strong and rugged nature, until it was a pleasure to see him at the head of a long table, carving at ease the turkey and keeping up a conversation with his guests. “In his sermons he put so much energy that he injured his vocal cords, and had to stop active duties as a minister of the Gospel. “Then he was elected as President of Greensboro (G.F.C.), from there he went as a professor to Chapel Hill, (U.N.C.), and from there to Wofford College, then to Vanderbilt University. From there
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
53
he went back to his old plantation that was the former home of his wife. “ H e rarely preached, but when he did it was a flow of eloquence and beauty of diction. He was pastor of Methodist Church at Cheraw, S.C., where he met my mother, who was an Episcopalian. I n those days the Episcopal Church, built in colonial times by a colonial government, was an English church. After the Revolution it was used jointly by different denominations. “I suppose the St. Johns Church must have been where Dr. Shipp preached. A f t e r losing his voice he was elected president of your college (G.F.C.), and went from there to a professorship at Chapel Hill (U.N.C.) Professor of History). From Chapel Hill he went as President of Wofford College, succeeding Bishop Wightman. From Wofford he moved to Vanderbilt Theological Department. T h e r e he looked after the training of a young Chinaman, Charley Soong, who was sent to him by one of his old pupils at Chapel Hill to train him as a missionary among his own people in China, Mr. Julian S. Carr, who wrote him to charge on him f o r any expenses he incurred in that work. “Dr. Albert M. Shipp was a man of medium stature, gray hair, wore beard kept neatly trimmed. He was mostly serious, but he had an undercurrent of humor. “My earliest recollection makes him seem very much different from my impression gotten in later years-for as a kid I did something that needed a good whipping. Mother turned me over to him. I do not remember his working on me but twice, but he did a thorough job. So my youthful impression still holds in a way, f o r what he had to do was done thoroughly. “My brother Albert had his father’s character reproduced in him, modified by the soft and mellow love of his mother, a true blending of a perfect love. “Honorable James Clark McReynolds, Associate Justice of U.S. Supreme Court characterized him as a ‘Prince’. Dr. A. M. Shipp wrote and had published a history of Methodism in South Carolina. “From Vanderbilt University he returned to his old plantation that was the former home of his wife. “His death resulted from over exertion in putting out a forest fire, brought on jaundice, and he died at a mineral spring in Western North Carolina, Cleveland Spring, and was buried in the old graveyard on his own plantation in South Carolina.”
54
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION DR. JNO. R. STEWART, A FORMER PUPIL OF DR. SHIPP, RECALLS LECTURES A T VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
O n April 16, 1943, in the interest of securing matter f o r a proposed Greensboro College History, I wrote to Dr. Jno. R. Stewart, of Nashville, Tennessee, who was a former pupil of Dr. Albert M. Shipp, President of Greensboro College during 1847-1850, and Professor of Exegetical Theology in Vanderbilt University, 1876-1886, f o r any items of interest that he might recall regarding services rendered by Dr. Shipp. Dr. Stewart’s reply follows: “My dear Dr. Turrentine: “ It was my privilege to be in the class of Exegetical Theology at Vanderbilt University under Dr. Shipp. His lectures were much appreciated by the class as well as the high esteem the class h e l d for Dr. Shipp personally. I was in his class in 1886 ANOTHER FORMER STUDENT PRAISES DR. SHIPP I n conversation with the late Dr. E. L. Stamey, of Greensboro, who also studied under Dr. A. M. Shipp at Vanderbilt University, he testified that Dr. Shipp’s instruction was of a high order and that he regarded Dr. Shipp as having superior ability. AN INTERESTING LETTER WRITTEN BY A STUDENT DURING DR. SHIPP’S ADMINISTRATION “Hill of Science March 2/50 “Dear Friend: “Resolved that I will redeem my character f o r punctuality, I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of your last. It is Saturday night, and after spending the day as I generally do here, in various employments, I have leisure now t o spend an hour with you. Would that we could have a personal interview. I know that we could spend the evening delightfully together. T h e girls are promenading the passage as usual. T h e y have not yet quit that foolishness, about darlings. We have some pretty bad girls here now, I assure you. I think they are decidedly the worst that I ever saw. “Old Mrs. Shipp would have plenty to do, from morning till night, to scold if she were to do nothing else I don’t know how she stands it. “ Mr. Shipp intends starting to General Conference in about a month, and will probably be gone more than two months, and if Conference is not moved to Nashville, it is possible that he may not get back in time f o r the examination. “His classes will not be prepared f o r examination at any rate, and if he does not get back in time I think we will not have any examination.
A ROMANCE OF EDUCATION
55
He told us this week that we must commence our compositions, f o r they must be written and corrected before he started to Conference. Becky has the Valedictory to read. It was I think very deservingly given to her. “Eliza Jane Purdie has come back, but she says she is not going to graduate. Tillie Hill, and Hetty Dossey are going to receive their diplomas at the same time with us. Nannie Morris has never received hers yet but she prefers taking hers privately. Nannie has not altered any that I can perceive. She still wears her hair curled, and I don’t think she is any larger. Dr. Carter is living in the house that was formerly occupied by Mr. Fields family just opposite James Moreheads. Mr. Andrews has almost ceased to pay any attention to Miss Augusta. I don’t think he has called on her more than once this session. They say he is going to marry Miss Leach, sometime this year. So none of us are going to set our caps f o r him. We go down street to church more this session than we have been accustomed to do, because there is nobody to preach f o r us, but Mr. Shipp, and occasionally Mr. Jameison. W h e n they get the new church completed, which I suppose will be in about a month, we will go every Sabbath. “The town ladies are going to have a fair in May. T h e i r object is to get furniture f o r the new church. Miss Hay and Miss Bensein belong to the society and say they will petition Mr. Shipp to let us go to the fair. Mr. Collins has declined accepting the Presidency, so we are still uncertain who will fill Mr. Shipp’s place. “Mr. Forster was here last week on business. It seemed like old times to see him here again. He has a very good school in ClemmonsCelmmonsveli I understand. It is growing late and I must reluctantly conclude by wishing you a kind good night. “Ever yours,
“MAG.” (Copied April 5 , 1945) addressed to Miss Isabella S. Wiley, Fair Grove, Davidson Co., (Furnished by Dr. L. L. Gobbel) Mary Willis Wiley Gray Oct. 2, 1818. Isabelle Shannon W i l e y Martin, born April 18, 1822, died March 3rd, 1907. Married April 1st, 1856 t o Edmund Loftin Martin who was born April 26, 1804. Passed away April 26, 1862.
N.C.,
According to a letter written by Miss Ida Clifton Hinshaw, Spotswood Apartments, Winston-Salem, N.C., who sent the above letter to President Gobbel on March 12, 1945, Mrs. W a t t Martin, of 668 West 4th Street, Winston-Salem, gave this letter which was written to Mrs. Martin’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Isabella Martin (nee Isabelle Shannon Wiley), a student here probably in 1847, to the college, and said that Mrs. Martin was a great-aunt of James A. Gray, of Winston-Salem.
