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| | Wesleyan Science 1831-1942 |
 | | For example, in the 1831 catalogue Rev. John P. Durbin was designated Professor of Natural Science, but almost immediately he resigned to become chaplain of the United States Senate, whereupon the instruction in natural science was assumed by Rev. John M. Smith, whose original assignment had been the professorship of ancient languages and literatures. |
 | | This presumed ability of a teacher to shift from one subject to another when needed is analogous to a similar custom in preparatory schools until quite recently, and since boys of fourteen could be admitted to Wesleyan in those days, it is clear that the subjects studied were often elementary in nature. |
 | | The first science teacher to pursue graduate work of importance was W. Rice, who became professor in 1867, and the second was W. Atwater, who began teaching in 1873. |
| www.wesleyan.edu /physics/history/earlyyrs.html (802 words) |
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