Rev. James Wightman
Title
Rev. James Wightman
Subject
Wilson College Presidents
Description
The Rev. James W. Wightman, Vice-President and Acting President
Edwards: Presbyterian minister from Hagerstown Maryland
Wightman: pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Greencastle. Wightman did not believe in a “female” education of women – he proposed a first-class college comparable to men’s colleges.
Wightman and Edwards envisioned a different kind of college for young women. It would be the intellectual equal of men’s colleges, have a government based on honor and self-discipline, and maintain a Christian atmosphere while promoting a non-sectarian student body. Above all, the goal would be intellectual and spiritual growth.
The two pastors’ vision led to a discussion at the Presbytery meeting in Greencastle on April 15, 1868. The meeting passed a resolution that the Committee on Education (chaired by Dr. Edwards) would start devising a means to establish such a college. By the Presbytery’s June meeting, the Committee laid out a plan. They needed to determine a Board of Trustees, advertise the College, secure a location, and raise the money to fund it all.
Edwards: Presbyterian minister from Hagerstown Maryland
Wightman: pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Greencastle. Wightman did not believe in a “female” education of women – he proposed a first-class college comparable to men’s colleges.
Wightman and Edwards envisioned a different kind of college for young women. It would be the intellectual equal of men’s colleges, have a government based on honor and self-discipline, and maintain a Christian atmosphere while promoting a non-sectarian student body. Above all, the goal would be intellectual and spiritual growth.
The two pastors’ vision led to a discussion at the Presbytery meeting in Greencastle on April 15, 1868. The meeting passed a resolution that the Committee on Education (chaired by Dr. Edwards) would start devising a means to establish such a college. By the Presbytery’s June meeting, the Committee laid out a plan. They needed to determine a Board of Trustees, advertise the College, secure a location, and raise the money to fund it all.
Source
VIP files
Publisher
C. Elizabeth Boyd '33 Archives, Wilson College
Date
1870-1872
Rights
For information on copyright or permissions for this collection contact the C. Elizabeth Boyd '33 archives
Format
Image/Jpeg
Language
English
Files
Collection
Citation
“Rev. James Wightman,” Hankey Center for the History of Women's Education, accessed April 16, 2024, https://exhibits.wilson.edu/items/show/1859.