Notes on the Alling Diary

Charles Alling Diary, 7 April 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Michael Gilliam, HC 2011

In the second paragraph, Alling talks about how the Spring Exhibitions had just ended. I discovered that the Spring Exhibitions were speeches that were given over the course of several days. One example was a speech delivered during the Spring Exhibition of March 25, 1863, by a man named John Holliday, a student at Hanover College at the time. This particular speech discussed the Civil War and hatred toward slavery. These exhibitions probably would have been very popular amongst the students at Hanover College because their own peers gave some of the speeches, as well as some guest speakers.

Another interesting passage I found in Charles Alling's entry from April 7 was his discussion of his sister. He states that she came down for the Spring Exhibitions and visited Dr. Fisher. We discovered in class that Dr. Fisher was mentioned several times in different entries leading us to believe that he was close to Alling, and apparently his family as well. Charles Alling had only one sister named Kittie, who was two years older.

In regards to Dr. Fisher, I found it very interesting that Charles was so close to him. We learned earlier in the semester from Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz and her book Campus Life, that the student-professor relationship was a very hostile one. It was not uncommon for riots as well as fights to break out during a school year, and we do not hear much of students taking an interest in getting to know their professors on a personal level. One explanation that did cross my mind while investigating this mystery in the archives was that Dr. Fisher had a son the same age as Charles named Howard. Obviously if Charles was close to Howard Fisher, he would probably know his father very well as well.

Another interesting topic of Alling's diary entry was in his final paragraph, where he talks about a certain young lady by the name of Ella Peace, whom he has taken quite an interest in. He talks about the date they had when he took her riding, which I assume meant on either horses or possibly bikes, and goes on to talk about how he sometimes gets jealous when other boys show her attention. He then says something very interesting when he states, "She is quite popular since Aunt Drusie & Uncle Newt allow her to go out in society." This made a lot of sense considering the male and female societies were still so segregated in the college environment. We did not yet have coed dorms, or even coed classrooms in some institutions, so being allowed to go out in public to hang out with those of other gender was a big deal.

Sources: John Holliday, "Conservatists," The Indianapolis Star Magazine, 25 March 1863, 1; Helen L. Horowitz, Campus Life: Undergraduate Cultures from the End of the Eighteenth Century to the Present (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1987), 23-55, 193-219.

Charles Alling Diary, 8 Apr. 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Jake Cummins, HC 2012

Charles Alling, Jr. was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He attended Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. He graduated from Hanover College and continued to study law at the University of Michigan until 1888, when he received a law doctorate from the university. He was a member of Sigma Chi and became the Grand Consul and editor of their national publication. While he worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health, there was a murder attempt on his life. The gunman shot him in the eye, but he eventually healed. He married Jane Murdoch but had no children. He died in 1931.

Charles Alling starts by stating that he has not been able to keep up on his journal entries because he was in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was there to help the Hon. Nathan Powell at the state oratorical. Nathan Powell was born in Madison, Indiana. After graduating from Hanover College in 1884, he studied law at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. Alling went to Indianapolis with members of Sigma Chi named Fisher, Wiggam, Turner, Irwin, and Voris. After the contest, they attended the Sigma Chi banquet at the New Denison. According to Alling, this event was the most extravagant occasion he had ever been a part of. He also comments on how expensive the banquet was by commenting on his "pocket book." He later makes a comment referring to himself as a "poor Boy." This shows that Alling did not see himself as an upper- or maybe even middle-class member.

Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, "Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana); "Alumni File of Nathan Powell, Class 1884," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College, (Hanover, Indiana).

Charles Alling Diary, 23 April 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comments by Amber Carrell, HC 2010

Alling's junior class in 1884 had nineteen students, including Alling. Based on the names of the students, it is reasonable to assume Alling's class was composed solely of males. Thus, it is fair to assume that at this time it was rare, if it happened at all, for a woman to attend school at Hanover. Sixteen students out of Alling's class were either from Hanover or neighboring towns in Indiana. Only three students were from out of state. Out of the students from Indiana, four were from Madison, one was from Charleston, one was from Franklin, one was from Vernon, three were locals from Hanover, one was from Greensburg, two from Vevay, one from Seymour, and finally one from Deputy, Indiana. The three from out of state were from Nicholasville, Ohio; New Liberty, Kentucky; and Chilocothe, Ohio. Hence, due to the class ratio from local Indiana students and students from out of state, and due to the difficulty and expense of travel, one can make the inference that it was difficult for students from a considerable distance to get to Hanover or even hear about it.

Alling mentions the Point House in this diary excerpt. The Point House existed where the Administration building sits now (in 2009), adjacent to the Fiji fraternity house and College House. The Point House was built obviously prior to 1884, and lasted until it was torn down in 1958 during the year that also marked the end of Albert Charles Parker, Jr.'s term as president at Hanover College and marked the beginning of John Edward Horner's term as president. The Point House began as an all-male dormitory, but as a few students fondly remember, it became a controversial co-ed dorm before it was destroyed in 1958.

Sources: Clinton D. Christenson, Annual Catalog of Hanover College, Hanover College Archives, 1833-present, April of 1884, Frank S. 1978. Glimpses of Hanover's Past, 1827-1977. [s.l.]: Graessle-Mercer Co.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 4 May 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comments by Jared Gluff, HC 2011

About Charles Alling
Charles Alling, Jr., was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865, to Charles and Harriet Alling. He had six brothers and one sister. Alling attended Hanover College from 1879 to 1885 and received his bachelor's degree; four years later, he received his master's degree from Hanover as well. He was the first in his family to complete a college education. Alling was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity during his time at Hanover and after.

As stated in Campus Life by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Alling is considered a college man because of his active membership in his fraternity, which is one of the key markers of the college man category. Charles Alling, Jr., acquired a quite impressive resume throughout his lifetime. Charles Alling served as the editor of the Sigma Chi Catalogue and as the Grand Consul from 1907 to 1909. Charles had the longest stint as superintendant of First Presbyterian Church School -- thirteen years between 1892 and 1912. He was part of the National Guard from 1902 to 1907. He was the attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health and Dean of the Chicago Business Law School. Alling married Jane Murdoch on March 28, 1914, but the two had no children.

About Dr. Daniel Fisher
Dr. Daniel Fisher was born on January 17, 1838, in Arch Spring, Pennsylvania. He coincidentally graduated from Jefferson College (Hanover is in Jefferson County) in Pennsylvania and studied theology. He pastored numerous churches throughout his career including Second Presbyterian Church in Madison, Indiana, which is just outside of Hanover. In 1879, Fisher became president of Hanover College and served until his resignation 27 years later. According to The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, his presidency included many challenges, including erasing the institution's debt, increasing the endowment, and restoring confidence among churches and friends of the college itself. At the time of his retirement, the college's endowment was $200,000, and the property and buildings were worth $150,000.

About John Ferguson

Alling also mentions his friend and roommate, John Ferguson, who was a fellow member of Sigma Chi at Hanover College and a graduate in the class of 1887 and was deputy clerk.

Sources: Lyman Abbott and others, The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (James T. White and Company, 1891), II, 125; Charles Alling, "Letters from Active Chapters," The Sigma Chi Quarterly, November, 1892, 337; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (University of Chicago Press, 1987), 12-16; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, p. 24.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, May 25, 1884

Carrie Calloway was living at home with her parents and siblings in 1880, but Ella Peace and Alice Emmet were in less traditional households. Peace, who had been born in Texas, was boarding in Madison with her siblings but away from her parents, perhaps with maternal relatives. Emmet was living with her mother and her grandparents in 1880. "Lively as a cricket," she had plenty of opportunities to socialize with other young people because her grandfather owned a soda fountain in Madison. Ella Peace and Carrie Calloway were both juniors at the nearby Madison High School in 1884.

Sources: Ruth Hoggatt, "Graduates of the Madison High School: 1862 to 1895" (2009) MyIndianaHome.net (accessed 23 May 2009); U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Ella Pease," "Carrie Calloway," and "Allace B. Emmet." -smv

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Monday, May 26, 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Azra Besic, HC 2010

Charles Alling, Jr., was the third child of seven, born to Charles and Harriet Alling in Madison, Indiana, December 13, 1865, a little over eight months after the end of the American Civil War. Charles Alling (senior) described his profession in the 1870 census as "Hardware Merchant," while Harriet was a fulltime homemaker; this makes it safe to assume the family qualified as middle class. The family, as described in the 1870 census, consisted of Charles senior (37), Harriet (31), Albert (9), Kati (7), Charles Jr. (5), Howard (3) and William (1); his youngest brothers, Van and Frederick, were not yet born.

Charles's early education likely consisted of the staples of American education in the mid-to-late 1800s--reading, writing, mathematics, and the Bible. This early education clearly had strong moral and religious content, as indicated by his multiple references to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath and fond memories of Bible stories; that education influenced Charles all of his life, leading him to become active in community politics and civic organizations. Charles attended Hanover College, graduating in 1885, the year during which the first successful appendectomy was performed, Leopold II established Belgian possession of the Congo, the Washington monument was dedicated, Grover Cleveland succeeded Chester Alan Arthur as president of the United States, AT&T was incorporated, Louis Pasteur tested his Rabies vaccine, Serbia declared war on Bulgaria, and America's first skyscraper was built in Chicago .

Charles went on to the University of Michigan, was admitted to the bar in Chicago in 1888, and received a master's degree in 1889. He went on to practice law until Christmas Eve, 1914, when he lost his right eye to a gun shot wound inflicted by a defendant he was prosecuting for the Illinois State Board of Health . Earlier in 1914, on March 28, Charles had married Jane Murdoch, who, along with his brothers Van and Fred outlived him. Charles and Jane had no children.

In his diary, Charles mentions Miss Mary Hanley and a grandma Crane. A census search returned seventeen Mary Hanleys in Indiana in 1880; of these, he may be referring to a 27 year old black seamstress and washer woman who lived in Madison , though I am unable to assert this with confidence.

Regarding "An eminent priest has said, 'give me the children to educate till six years of age and you (protestants) can make what you please of them,'" it seems Charles may have been referring to someone else's citation of the Jesuit motto, "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man." This quote is often attributed by some to Francis Xavier (1506-52), and by others to Baltasar Gracian (1601-58).

Sources: "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1870," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries; Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1885, s.v. 1885; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, Thursday, November 26, 1931; "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1880," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries; "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1860," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 26 May 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Hanna-Maria Dubourg

Charles Alling, Jr., was a Hanover College student (from 1879 to 1885) who wrote a diary during his junior year in 1884. He was born in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. His father, Charles Alling, Sr., was a "descendent of Roger Alling, who was a life treasurer of the New Haven colony of Pilgrims founded in 1638. His mother, Harriet Scovel, was the daughter of the Rev. Sylvester Scovel, who was the fourth president of Hanover College from 1846 to 1849." In 1879 he attended Hanover College, where he studied for six years. He graduated in 1885 with his Bachelor's Degree. From 1886 to 1888, he studied at the University of Michigan, where he received his Master's Degree in law and a doctorate in law. "From 1897 to 1905 he was an Alderman in Chicago. He served as judge advocate and Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois National Guard from 1902 to 1907. Alling was the Dean of Chicago Business School of Law and was the Grand Consul and editor for the national publication of Sigma Chi [a fraternity]. Beginning in 1907, he worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health." Charles Alling practiced law until 1914. (Alling was in his office in Chicago, when a man called Frank Klimer came in and shot him in the eye; he lost consciousness but then recovered.) On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch, the daughter of the late Thomas Murdoch, a wholesale grocer. On November 25, 1932, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

A year before his graduation, in his junior year in 1883, he decided to write a diary, in which he describes his experience as a Hanover College student.

Charles' acquaintances
Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances when he was around Hanover College and Madison in 1883-1884. He talked about the Harper family but more about George and Will ("my early years on Main St. are intimately associated with the Harper boys - George and Will") and more precisely about Will ("Will Harper who was an interesting party at that time"). Charles's other acquaintances were "Charley, alias Sonny" 12, "Belser" 13, and "Harvey." I did some research about these people, and, except the diary, I found nothing. The last person that Alling mentioned in this excerpt is "'Professor' A. H. Young." According to another source, Professor A. H. Young was a Ph.D. professor of natural science at Hanover College from 1879 to1926. He "was a great teacher, and breathed deeply the spirit of scientific inquiry." "His laboratory was the first in which the students had an opportunity to do individual experimentation." "He was a man who was deeply interested in the slowly developing uses of electricity." Thus we can say that, according to this excerpt, Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances with whom he did some very attractive activities.

Charles' activities
When Charles Alling, Jr., first attended Hanover College in 1879, he was only fourteen years old. In 1883-1884, he was around eighteen or nineteen years old. According to his diary, Charles was playful and curious: "and many an hour have I spent in rolling clay marbles and balls to bake in the sun." What was also funny at the time was stealing stores: "That was the time when our passion for keeping a store was at its height. Those fellows were in the habit of stealing all the stock from the drug store." However when we talk about stealing, we also talk about escape, which was the case for Charles and his friends: they "found convenient avenue of escape and were soon past all danger." There was another game that boys liked to play with each other, which was teasing other friends like Harvey in this particular case: "Will often tells that Harvey, as he calls him, grew very angry one day where he stopped him in a buggy just to ride from Broadway hotel to his grandfather Greens - or Fords present residence." I think that this behavior was and is still typical of boys/men.

The last activity that Charles mentioned in this excerpt is the episode of the velocipede (see picture). As we can notice, this activity was important to him: "Let me not fail to mention the velocipede they [Mr. and Mrs. Harper] had given them [George and Will] on one Christmas It was among the first in Madison and the rest of us boys considered it quite a treat to have a ride." The velocipedes were created around 1850s-1860s in America. Thus it was a luxury at the time to possess this kind of vehicle.

As a conclusion, I would like to say that this excerpt was very interesting because it gives us, twenty-first century students, an idea of how students from the late nineteenth century lived. For instance, we noticed that Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances when he lived in Madison and in Hanover College (friends, parents, and professors), and that he did different activities with them (the velocipede, stealing stores, playing games). He seemed to be a very interested, playful, and nice man.

Sources: Charles Alling Jr., "Supplement to July Bulletin" (Hanover College's Library's Archives); Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 November 1931 (Hanover College's library's Archives); Clinton D. Christensen, "Charles Alling, 1865-1931"; Charles Alling, Jr., diary, 1883-1884; MSS 21; Hanover College Archives Agnes Brown Duggan Library; Hanover, Ind.; Waterloo Reporter (Iowa), vec 24, 1913, page 2; William Alfred Millis, History of Hanover College, 1827-1927, WM Mitchell Printing Co. Greenfield, Ind., 1927, page 204; Wikipedia, s.v. Velociped, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocipede. Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_American_Velocipede.jpg

About Charles Alling Jr.
Charles Alling, Jr., was the son of Charles and Harriet Scovel Alling. He was one of six brothers and sisters: Albert, Howard, Robert, Kitty, Will, and Fred.
He was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana, where he stayed to attend college at Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. During this time, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz states that college men of this time were less interested in "faculty standards" or success and were greatly intrigued by social rules of competing, girls, and drinking . Charles Alling was different. Although it is a possibility that he enjoyed the fraternity lifestyle, he must have cared for his grades because in six years (1885) he graduated with a bachelor's degree. Later, he attended the Law Department of University of Michigan, from 1886 to 1888. He then received his L.L.B. in 1888 and became a lawyer. On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch and had no children. He was involved in many different clubs throughout late adulthood including: member of multiple Sigma Chi organizations for alumni, superitendent of Sunday school for thirteen years, founder of the Indiana Society of Chicago, and member of the Union League club, the University Club of Chicago, the Knollwood Country club, the National Guard, and the Friends of Opera. His life finally came to a conclusion on November 25, 1931.

About this excerpt
He mentions a Capt. Spillman whome he and his friends would visit. It is difficult to discover who Capt. Spillman was, but I did discover a forty-four year old merchant who could be referred to as "captain" and who lived in Trimble County, Kentucky. Later in the journal he speaks of Trimble and Carroll counties. These are located on the other side of the Ohio River in Kentucky. Trimble in the county immediately to the south, and Carroll is neighboring it to the east. Alling mentions Capt. Spillman residing opposite of Eagle Hollow, which is in southern Indiana just north of the Ohio River. There is a bridge that links into Kentucky and placed a traveler on Spillman Ln. aligned with the border between Trimble and Carroll counties. Charles expresses his enjoyment for Kentucky dinners, and it would be conceivable to believe these locations are in Kentucky .

Sources: Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (New York : Knopf, 1987); "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); United States Atlas, 1990.

Charles Alling, Jr., was born on December 13, 1865, to Charles and Harriet Scovel Alling. Alling had five brothers - Albert S. Alling, Howard S. Alling, Robert Alling, Will R. Alling, and Frederick Alling - as well as one sister, Miss Kitty Alling. He attended Hanover College in 1879, receiving his Bachelor's Degree six years later in 1885. While at Hanover College, Alling was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Greek life in the nineteenth century was a new outlet for undergraduate men. It had great appeal for those seeking escape from the traditional rules and norms of the college and the larger society as a whole. Horowitz states that in the mid-nineteenth centuries "fraternities provided the economic and social basis for feasts, strong drink, loose talk about women, card playing, and gambling." This trend of fraternity life must have been carried over to the time of Charles Alling's inclusion in a Greek society. However, Alling seems to have kept his mind more focused on his studies than some of his contemporaries. After graduating from Hanover College, Alling continued his education at the Law School of the University of Michigan from 1886 to 1888; he was admitted to the Bar in Chicago in 1888 as well. Alling also served as the Principal at Ryker's Ridge School from 1885-1886. According to the Chicago Daily Tribune, "he practiced law until 1914, retiring because his right eye was shot out on Dec. 24, 1913 by an insane defendant whom he was prosecuting as attorney for the State Board of Health." Charles Alling, Jr., married Jane Murdoch on March 28, 1914. They had no children.

This diary page of Charles Alling, Jr., talks about his memories of Sunday School at the First Presbyterian Church on Broadway Street in Madison Indiana. In doing so, he mentions a Miss Mary E. Reid as the lone teacher during his time at the Sunday School. According to the census records, Miss Mary E. Reid, was a 35 year-old female in 1880. Living in Madison, Indiana, her main occupation was to work at home, where she lived with her mother, H.A. Everson, and her brother, C.R. Everson. Miss Mary E. Reid was either a widow or a divorcee at the time of these census records, which could account for her difference in last name. Her father was originally from Maryland.

The diary page also discusses a certain Sunday School practice, in which Alling would cite scriptures in order to earn a card; and upon the collection of twenty cards or so he would receive a book or pamphlet. This practice refers to new reforms in Sunday school that were taking place in the nineteenth century. According to R. DeWitt Mallary, in talking about how Sunday school should be explained, "there should be a normal class in every Sunday school for the training of teachers, possible in pedagogy, certainly in the historical understanding of the Bible, and in such books such as Bushnell's Christian Nurture. Methods should be devised to secure lesson study on the part of the pupils, whether by honor-rolls, merit cards, or by the presentation of Bibles or other books." It appears that the practice Alling refers to Miss Mary E. Reid utilizing was a combination of new methods of Sunday school teaching that were taking place in the nineteenth century.

Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archive of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, IN); Horowitz, Helen Lefkowitz (1987). Campus Life: Undergraduate Cultures from the End of the Eighteenth Century to the Present. New York: Knopf, 36; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Mary Reid"; Mallary, R. DeWitt. "Reforms in the Sunday School." The Biblical World. 14, no. 6 (1899): 422.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 14 Sept. 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Chelsey Cabatu, HC 2009

On December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana, Charles Alling Jr. was born to Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel. Alling was one of eight children. All together there were seven sons and one daughter. Coincidentally, Alling was the grandson of Sylvester Scovel, the 4th president of Hanover College from which Alling graduated in the year 1885. Although Alling has passed, his experiences at Hanover College live on in the pages of his diary which he kept for his junior year.

From reading Alling's entries and stories from those who knew Alling, in many ways, Hanover was not that much different from the present day. For example, Alling watched the river from the point, walked to the grocery store, since he was a part of Sigma Chi fraternity and the Grand Consul (National President), he did his part in recruiting more members, walked girls to their classes, and like many present day students, every once in a while thought he could fool the professor into thinking that he did the lessons for the day. The other side of Alling attended church on Sunday, debated the affirmative on 'Resolved: that the U.S. government should prohibit the running of Sunday trains,' and never missed meetings such as the literary society meetings. So, more or less, Alling was a normal college student and 'one of the boys.'

After Alling received his B.S. degree from Hanover College in 1885, he went on to study law at the University of Michigan from 1886 to 1888 and received his A.M. degree. Alling then furthered his studies at University of Michigan and received his doctorate in law in 1888. Alling used his education for the good and held many positions in his lifetime. From 1897 to 1905, Alling was a member of a council, otherwise known as an alderman, in Chicago. From 1902 to 1907, Alling served as the Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois National Guard. But Alling did not stop there; he also became the Dean of Chicago Business School of Law. In the beginning of 1907, Alling worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health.1 Alling lived quite a successful and busy life. Alling married on March 28, 1914. Although he did not have any children, his name can still be heard on the Hanover campus.

When Alling wrote the diary entry excerpted above, he was in his senior year of Hanover College, early awaiting commencement.

Charles Alling, Jr. graduated from Hanover College in 1885 and kept a diary documenting his experiences as a student of Hanover College. Alling was one out of seven sons to graduate from Hanover College. Alling's older brother, Albert S. Alling, attended Hanover College in 1878, but was not fortunate enough to graduate. Alling's two younger brothers, Howard S. Alling and William A. Alling, also attended Hanover College in 1882 and 1885, respectively, but also did not graduate from Hanover. There are many reasons why Alling's brothers did not graduate. At this time many men were pulled out of school in order to help their family. But Alling was privileged and had a chance to finish his schooling. This was one of the reasons why Alling viewed commencement as one of the most important days to experience. Although Alling was filled with overwhelming emotion giving his oration on "The Spirit of Nationalism," this feeling only came from the fact that Alling knew that his father would be sitting among the crowd, watching his only son to graduate. Graduation was a great accomplishment for Alling. He realized that his days of hearing the Hanover bell play its familiar notes were soon coming to an end.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, pp.147; Clinton D. Christensen, Charles Alling, 1865-1931, Diary, 1883-1884 (Indiana, Hanover College Archives), 2; Frank S. Baker, More Glimpses of Hanover's Past (Indiana: Graessle-Mercer Company), 89. Supplement to July Bulletin (Indiana; Hanover College Archives), 1; Clinton D. Christensen, Student Records Ledger Book Collection, 1832-1930 (Hanover College Archives); Charles Alling, "The Spirit of Nationalism"; 1885 Commencement Program, Hanover College.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 14 Sept. 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Kristine Schuster, HC 2009

Charles Alling, Jr., named after his father, Charles Alling, was born on December 13, 1865 and raised in Madison, Indiana. He was the third of eight children born to Charles and Harriet Alling. Interestingly, although he was one of the oldest of the children, his father was 34 years old when he was born and his mother was 26. The family also had a servant counted in the census records as a resident of their home.

Alling's first pursuits of adult life began with attending Hanover College. There, he was an active member of extracurricular activities. He attended church twice a day every Sunday, was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and "never missed a literary society meeting." The literary societies were a large part of the college entertainment at that time and were well-accepted. There were a variety of topics discussed, such as Alling's topic of the "The Treatment of the Insane" in one such event. The fraternities were not so welcomed. The faculty fought a great deal about the presence of these organizations and any organization that did not include the membership of faculty members. However, prior to Alling's entrance to Hanover College, the fraternities were permitted. This dispute took twelve years to settle.

Beginning in 1872, Hanover College announced they would offer two parallel courses of study, the classical course and the scientific course, leading to a Bachelors in Arts or a Bachelors in Science, respectively. Prior, the school offered science courses but did not give special certificates or notation of these special courses taken by the student. This was a significant change in the school's curriculum. The announcement explained that this change was meant to increase the efficiency of educating and to prepare more fully the students intending to continue to post-graduate studies. The courses were identical aside from an offer of Greek and Latin in the Classical courses and modern languages in the scientific courses. It is likely that Alling chose the Classical course, as it was intended to prepare students intending to continue in theology, medicine, and law and was meant to "furnish that useful and liberal culture which becomes the Christian scholar and the enlightened citizen."

Further differences between the Classical courses and scientific courses are a general breakdown of the student's educational path into two categories; the early being general education of all departments followed by a focus on subjects meant to allow further knowledge in areas related to future career pursuits. These two categories were created into two-year segments. This mirrors today's structure of major declaration, as students are not required to make a declaration until the second semester of sophomore year.

Following Hanover College, Alling attended the University of Michigan School of Law. He became an attorney and practiced in Chicago, Illinois. Mirroring his involvement from college, Alling was still heavily involved in many activities, including the State Board of Health as well as the national president of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He passed away at the age of 66 on November 25, 1931, in Chicago.

This page of his diary is the second half of his entry dated Sunday, September 4, 1884. This marks the early days of his senior year of school, as he graduated the following May. His entry discusses the anxiety that he is experiencing over his coming graduation, particularly concerning the ceremony.

Within this entry, Alling refers to a speech he gave earlier in his college career. This speech was likely given at the Spring Exhibition dated March 20, 1883, which was the event at which he delivered his speech, "The Treatment of the Insane," previously mentioned. During the time that Alling was in school, exhibitions were a common part of college life in which students prepare speeches to deliver to a crowd. This was a form of entertainment to the students, and Alling participated through his membership with the Union Literary Society. Alling participated in at least three of these exhibitions, which, in addition to the Spring Exhibition, included the Sophomore Exhibition and an event with the Union Literary Society. These societies were intended to aid students in building their literary skills, which were well tested in the researching, writing, and public delivering of the subjects chosen.

Towards the end of his entry, he refers to anxiety over speaking in "chap", which seems likely to have meant "chapel." The graduation requirements at the time required twelve hours of "Bible."

The entirety of his entry is over the anxiety he is experiencing in representing his family on graduation day, which is the day that he must deliver a speech with them present. He is fearful of being a poor representative of them, as is more evident in the first half of his journal entry. It is interesting to read about shared emotional experiences as someone in my same position over 100 years ago.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147; A. M. Millis, History of Hanover College 1827-1927 (Greenfield, Ind.: Wm. Mitchell Printing Co, 1927); F. S. Baker, More Glimpses of Hanover's Past 1827-1988 (Seymour, Ind.: Graessle-Mercer Company, 1988).

Charles Alling was a student at Hanover College and graduated with his class of seventeen in 1885. One of the students referred to the eighteen of them as the Eminent Eighteen. Alling was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He attended Hanover from 1879 to 1885 when he received his B.A. and a few years later, in 1889, he was given an A.M., an honorary degree from Hanover. Even after Alling graduated from Hanover, his name continued to show up in The Journal of Hanover College under the Alumni section, which gave updates on some of the alumni. The Journal reported in April, 1894, that Charles Alling, Esq., of Chicago, Ills., is meeting unusual success in his profession. He is the Superintendent of the Sabbath School of the First Presbyterian Church. The following year, in April 1895, The Journal gave another update on Alling, that they notice, with pleasure, that Charles Alling, Jr., of Chicago, has been appointed attorney for the Woman s Protective Association of Chicago. Three years later, The Journal had another report on Alling, that Charles Alling, Jr., Esq., Chicago, was nominated and elected Alderman for the Third Ward of that city. He will, we doubt not, represent his Ward honestly, ably, and courageously. The Journal also had a second update on Alling that year, announcing that he was elected a member of the Chicago City Council and takes a strong stand in favor of an honest administration of city affairs.

Alling wrote this diary entry in September 1884, soon after the beginning of his senior year at Hanover, he discusses his need to complete his studies and lessons. Around the same time, in the Hanover Monthly from September 1884, an editorial explains a common feeling among college students, that in the beginning of the college year, how many students return with firm determination to utilize each shining moment one thing or another or many things have deterred us from our labor, have diverted our minds from careful study and methodological thought. And we are ashamed of our weakness. As Alling says in his diary entry, he wants to be able to focus on his lessons, but the interruptions are frequent so that a whole evening is often wasted. He also talks about other activities such as participating in his fraternity, Sigma Chi, as well as social events.

Frank D. Swope, born in 1862 in Seymour, Indiana, was a classmate of Alling, although Swope was three years his senior. Swope attended Harvard Law School and lived in Louisville, Kentucky, until his death in 1902 at the age of 40. As mentioned in his diary entry, Alling admired Swope for completing all of his lessons while having leisure time leftover. Swope also wrote The Class Letter of 85, which appeared in The Journal of Hanover College.

Sources: Hanover College, ed., Hanover Monthly (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1885), I: 1; Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Supplement to July Bulletin, Hanover College Archives, 1885; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1894) I:32; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1895) II:26; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison, 1897) IV:75; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: , 1897) IV:120; Hanover College, ed., Hanover Monthly (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1885), II: 9; Alumni File of Frank D. Swope, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, Sept. 28, 1884, continued
Transcribed with editorial comment by Sarah Beckman HC 2009

Born in Madison, Indiana, Charles Alling stayed near his hometown to attend Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. At the time of Alling s death in 1931, he had a long list of achievements and was known as an esteemed lawyer; it is obvious Alling was a hard worker. Charles Alling s diary entry from Sunday, September 28, shows his studious nature started while he was a student at Hanover, as he discusses being prepared for his classes. The diary he kept while he attended Hanover is a great primary source into the collegiate world of late-nineteenth-century America, but it also shows Alling might not have had the same study habits as his peers.

Written during his senior year, the diary entry discusses the classes he had with Professors Young and Morse. According to The Crowe yearbook from 1900, Professor A.H. Young was the chair of Natural Science at Hanover, and Professor Morse was the chair of mathematics at the time Charles Alling was a senior. Alling describes his study habits, saying, I study hard and closely and aim to gain a general knowledge at least of every species that arises. I then sit up and look at [Prof. Young] like a man which I never used to do and even discuss the questions with him. Alling goes on to describe the study habits of his peers: It amuses me to see how John Wiggam manages his recitations. He often fails to look at his book before the vacant hour and then skims the lesson over here in my room or in Marshall s. When he goes to Prof. Morse s room he always seems to get through without any serious blunders. John Wiggam was a senior from Austin, Indiana, and the Marshall to whom Alling refers to could be William Douglass Marshall, also a senior, from Lexington, Indiana.

According to Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz in Campus Life, the study habits of John Wiggam were the norm among late-nineteenth-century students; Horowitz writes, To protect themselves from the demands of faculty, college men of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have attempted to define a reasonable amount of college work. They have perceived the especially diligent student as the grind and the student seeking the faculty friendship as the fisherman or brownnose. Horowitz also discusses how in the late nineteenth century, grades were not very important to most students, saying, Classes and books existed as the price one had to pay for college life, but no right-thinking college man worried about marks beyond the minimum needed to stay in the game. Faculty and students faced each other across the trenches . . . No real college man ever expected to learn in the classroom. Students only did the amount of work absolutely necessary, and excelling in the classroom was not, socially, a way to become popular among classmates.

By the standards Horowitz discusses in Campus Life, Alling might have been considered the grind, fisherman, or brownnose of his friend group since he prepared for his classes and seemed to care what his professors thought of him. John Wiggam, on the other hand, was a normal student by only preparing the amount absolutely necessary to muddle his way through class. It is humorous at the end of the diary entry when Alling discusses how Professor Morse always finds it out when he was not prepared for class apparently, Murphy s Law in the classroom was around in the nineteenth century.

Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death, Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; Published by the junior class, The Crowe (1900), III; Garrett, Joshua Bolles, Andrew Harvey Young, and Paul Prentice Boyd, Bulletin of Hanover College Alumni Record (Hanover: Hanover College, 1913), V: No. 11; Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987), 13, 12.

Born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865, Charles Alling was a descendent of Roger Alling, a treasurer of the New Haven colony of Pilgrims. He attended Hanover College from the years 1879 to 1885, graduating with an A.B. degree. In 1886, he went on to the University of Michigan and graduated with a Law degree in 1888. From the years 1897 to 1905 Alling was alderman of the Third Ward and attorney for the state board of health. While serving as attorney for the state board of health, he was attacked and shot in his right eye by an insane defendant that he had prosecuted. Although Alling survived, the defendant turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch, the daughter of a wholesale grocer. Together they collected art and had an extensive collection of fine etchings. They were married from 1914 until the time of Alling s death in 1932. After his death, his diary was found that contained information from his time at Hanover College. In this diary, he recorded his thoughts, feelings, and emotions concerning both social activities and school functions. From the diary, historians are able to read into the year of 1884 and discover what life was like during that time.

In this diary excerpt, Alling is discussing one of his professors (Professor Morse) who, from the passage, appears to be a math teacher. This leads Alling into a discussion about mathematics and his struggle with them. He refers to his marks in analytics and geometry that he found were sometimes unfairly graded. Although this particular page gives a little insight as to the type of person Alling was, it is not until the whole diary is read that one can gain full access to the man Charles Alling.

Sources: Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death. Chicago Daily Tribune in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Quack tries To Murder Prosecutor in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Charles Alling, Jr. in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Supplement to July Bulletin in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).

Charles Alling, Jr., an 1885 graduate of Hanover College and member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana. He was the second oldest son of Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel. His father was a hardware merchant, while his mother kept house. His mother was also the daughter of Reverend, and former Hanover president, Sylvester Scovel. Alling was a descendent of Roger Alling, an English pilgrim who emigrated to America in 1638. After graduating from Hanover, Alling was principal of Ryker's Ridge Elementary School from 1885 to 1886. In 1888, he obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan and, not long after, relocated to Chicago at the insistence of Walter Fisher, older brother of Howard Fisher. During his career in Chicago, he became known for his character and moral upstanding. Early in his career he was the lawyer for the Protective Agency for Women and Children and the Bureau of Justice, and later, served as the lawyer for Illinois' State Board of Health. Other positions held include: city council member of Chicago's second ward (1897 to1905), lieutenant colonel of Illinois' First Division National Guard, grand tribune of Sigma Chi (1888-1900), editor of the Sigma Chi Quarterly (1888-1895), and member of Sigma Chi's grand consul. In 1914, he married Jane Murdoch and also retired from law after having his right eye shot out during a trial. Toward the end of his life, he remained active in his community and was a member of several clubs and elder of the First Presbyterian Church. He died in 1935 at the age of sixty-six from a cerebral hemorrhage.

In this entry, Alling seems to be describing the routine he followed during the winter months when he did not reside on campus, but rather, in downtown Madison, Indiana, which is located at the bottom of a hill, about seven or eight miles from Hanover College. Furthermore, because Alling is describing his daily routine, he is not necessarily referring to Sunday chapel, but rather, the daily chapel services held at Hanover College. Indeed, according to the 1921 Herald and Presbyter, "Hanover holds a daily chapel service at which attendance of all teachers and students is required".

During the latter half of his entry, Alling alludes to the regiment of his schedule when explaining how he splits his studying and chores into blocks of time. First he begins to study and, then shortly after, attends to the horse and readies everything for his trip to school the next day. Once completed, continues with his studies, and sometime in the evening also has supper.

About Howard Fisher, Charlie Allison, and Linck Cravens Howard Fisher is more than likely the person Alling is referring to at the beginning of his diary entry. There were other students with the same first name, but Howard Fisher is the closest in age to Charles. An 1886 graduate of Hanover College and fellow member of Sigma Chi, Fisher was also the son of D.W. Fisher, Hanover College's president at the time of his graduation. After Hanover, Fisher attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and, following graduation, traveled to the East Indies as a medical missionary. He married Katherine Conner in 1896, and a few years later, attended Berlin University (Medical Society). He eventually settled in Washington D.C. as an "Associate in Children's Clinic."

In regards to Charlie Allison and Linck Cravens, both were students of Hanover College; however, there is no record of Charlie Allison having graduated. On the other hand, Linck, or rather, Lincoln Cravens, was an 1885 graduate of Hanover College. His parents, Vincent and Minerva Cravens resided in Madison, Indiana, but after graduating from Hanover, Cravens settled in Kansas and became the prosecuting attorney for Scott City from 1891 to 1893. Later, he returned to Madison and served as City Attorney. In 1909, he moved to Hammond, Indiana. In 1919 Cravens died in Rockville, IN.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death." Chicago Daily Tribune. Nov. 1931; Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Sigma Chi Quarterly, (1907), XXVII:1-4; John F. Baird and J.B. Garritt, ed., General Catalogue of Alumni and Former Students of Hanover College, (Madison, Indiana: The Courier Company, 1890), 37; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 20; Medical Society of the District of Columbia, History of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, (Harvard University, 1909), 378; Reverend W.H. Clagett, ed., Herald and Presbyter, (Cincinnati, Ohio, 1921), XCII:81; John F. Baird and J.B. Garritt, ed., General Catalogue of Alumni and Former Students of Hanover College, (Madison, Indiana: The Courier Company, 1890), 37; "Alumni File of Lincoln Cravens, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana).

To begin, we should first consider who Charles Alling was. Charles Alling was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He was the grandson of Sylvester Scovel (his mother's father), who was the fourth President of Hanover College. His father, for whom he was named, owned a hardware store in Madison. It can be presumed that the Allings were pro-education, as on the 1880 census, five of the Allings eight children were listed as "at school."

Charles was an interesting individual, historically, in that in his time at Hanover, he did not seem to fit into the category of the 'participants' or the 'outsiders', the participants being the children of the wealthy, the outsiders the students concerned with their studies. The above transcription clearly points to Alling being concerned about his studies. He complains of not being at the head of his class, and tries to justify his lacking abilities in mathematics and Greek. However, further study into Charles Alling s life reveals that Charles was something of a society man. He belonged to the Sigma Chi fraternity and belonged to a handful of other societies on campus.

Charles Alling went on to study law at the University of Michigan and was appointed to the bar in Chicago, where he practiced until 1914. In that year, he was shot in the eye by an insane defendant, who then committed suicide. He died at the age of 66 of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 25, 1931.

Also mentioned in the above of historical significance are Dr. Daniel Fisher, President of Hanover College when Alling attended, and Dr. Fisher's son, Walter. Fisher, after working for three years as a pastor in Madison, accepted the President position at Hanover. He was the college's tenth president and served from 1879 to 1907. Given the geographic location of Alling and Fisher, it is likely that the two knew each other before Alling began to study at Hanover.

Walter, Dr. Fisher's son, was approximately three years older than Charles and likely acted as something of a mentor to the younger man, as can be inferred by the casual way that Alling refers to him in the above diary entry. It is also likely that the two were lifelong friends, as Walter also studied law and was appointed to the bar in Chicago the same year that Alling was.

All in all, the above section of diary is not entirely unlike the diary of a student from today. Though the language is somewhat different, the general ideas are the same. Alling regrets not boarding with the President of the college and laments not being at the head of his class. This is not unlike a modern student wishing that they had taken different classes their first year, or wishing that they had lived in a different dorm or had a different roommate. He tries to justify his lack of knowledge when it comes to math and Greek by pointing out his prowess at Latin. He also writes a laughing comment about his Astronomy professor, and paints him as easily duped by him and his classmates. All of these things chime familiar in modern day college halls, proving that, no matter how many years pass, students will always be concerned with three things: their grades and standings in their class, their classes themselves, and the other students surrounding them.