Historical Sketch of Brownell Hall

NEGenWeb Project
Resource Center
On-Line Library
Brownell Hall

BROWNELL HALL

the Bishop's stations were up and down the Missouri River. But after every trip he came back to the Hall, more than ever convinced that a girls' school was one of the noblest influences in his Diocese. All honor to the Bishops, Rectors, Principals and Teachers who have made it such!

Mrs. Hall's influence was pre-eminently a "Home Influence." There were very few rules and practically no troubles in discipline during the five years she was in charge. She expected every one to be a lady, knew the girls would always tell the truth, and was most careful about the health of all in her care and in every way made the pupils feel that they were a part of a noble Christian family and that they must live up to the plane of their high privilege.

Mrs. Hall had the rare gift of inspiring a desire to learn, her "General Information" class was something unique, and although there were no college requirements, pupils who graduated under her supervision continue throughout their lives their interest in Church studies, in History, in Literature, Art, Music, in "General Information" and "Topics of the Day." Physical culture was introduced at this time, Miss Lillie Martin, teacher, dumb-bells, rings, wands and Indian clubs forming the apparatus. Pupils were required to read well, and woe to the senior who blundered or faltered over a paragraph in Blunt's Key to the Bible, or Weber's Universal History or any other book Mrs.

BROWNELL HALL

Hall was teaching. The unlucky girl was sent immediately to the English teacher to be taught to read. Special stress was laid upon composition and spelling, even the Seniors being required to spell orally every day, and the silver medal given for spelling down the school was eagerly sought for every Friday afternoon. Once when the Bishop was in the East he sent word to Mrs. Hall that he had a list of words which he would give to the pupils to spell when he returned, and he offered "a box of the best French candy" to the young lady who could spell correctly all the words. There was great excitement and much studying of spelling books and test words, and sure enough when he gave out the words there were ten pupils who spelled every word correctly. The good Bishop, true to his promise, gave each one of the ten a fine box of candy, and expressed his pride in having so many good spellers in his school.

Essays were written and read aloud and poems declaimed at these same Friday exercises. Mental Arithmetic, too, was a study in which every pupil of the school was exercised at least three times a week. Mending was done every Friday evening and reading aloud was the recreation from 5:30 to 6 every day.

One of the very severe ordeals to which pupils were subjected in these earlier days was being examined by the Board. This was a "Board of Examiners," not the "Board of Trustees." In the early days the Hon. Horace Everett of

BROWNELL HALL

Council Bluffs was a member of this "Examiners' Board," and he was very thorough in finding out how much a certain Arithmetic Class knew in "Fractions." Later Bishop Garrett, then Dean of the Cathedral, was one of this Examining Committee, and his criticisms of certain essays on "Coral" and "Color' will never be forgotten by the terrified writers.

While Bishop Clarkson was so much of the time in residence at the school he was visited by Bishop Selwyn, Bishop Whipple, Bishop Hare and Bishop Tuttle, all of whom gave addresses to the pupils and preached in Trinity, where the entire family attended service.

In 1872 Rev. Mr. Paterson was made Chaplain as well as Secretary, Bishop Clarkson continuing as ''Visitor."

In September, 1871, under Mrs. Hall, five children entered as Primaries, and were taught by a student in payment for her tuition. By the end of the year the number had increased to fourteen, and Mrs. Hall secured the services of a Primary Teacher, Miss Lucinda B. Loomis, one of the early pupils of the school, and who now remained at the Hall for nine years and whose name and fame as a student and teacher are well known in both Omaha and Lincoln, more especially in University Circles. She was a progressive teacher, introduced "sight reading" and "phonetic spelling," and soon had a large Primary Department. Small boys were taken in the Primary Department.

BROWNELL HALL

The last two years of Mrs. Hall's Principalship were very hard ones financially on account of the terrible scourge of grasshoppers which visited the state. Pupils who were from the surrounding country were slow in paying their bills, and many had to withdraw entirely and there were not enough new ones to take their places. The poor crops and the grasshoppers made hard times in both city and country, but the brave Bishop weathered the gale and in two or three years all was again smooth sailing.

Many little incidents and happenings brightened up those schooldays in the '70s when Bishop Clarkson was the guiding spirit. His birthday in October was always a gala day, celebrated with a half holiday and "oyster stews." Once he returned to the Hall, after some trip, on March 17th, and was immediately besieged by the pupils with a request for a holiday, it being St. Patrick's Day. He replied that he thought there would be no trouble about that, but he would speak to the Principal. As it was in the midst of Lent, Mrs. Hall did not quite approve, but compromised by substituting in place of regular lessons, the memorizing of the fifty-first Psalm, and the penitential collect "Turn Thou us O Good Lord," etc., and the "General Confession" in the Communion Service. After dinner all went down town to see the St. Patrick's Day parade, and while all had enjoyed the cessation of the regular routine, they felt that they had most truly kept a Saint's

BROWNELL HALL

Day, and were better prepared to join in the Lenten and Penitential services.

One pupil, a "weekly boarder," used to return on Sunday evenings heavily laden, and the toothsome contents of her boxes and bundles were so generously shared with her friends that there was nothing left for said pupil to make herself sick with the next day. Will those girls ever forget how delicious were the pickles and how satisfying were the gingersnaps--a little trunk full of them? Good things were passed to the teachers first in those days, and midnight feasts had not been instituted.

One dear little girl got into some mischief, and did not seem to realize that she had done anything naughty, and when her teacher, to excuse her, sought to place the blame where it belonged, saying "I guess that was the work of Mr. Satan himself," the little girl conscientiously replied: "No indeed, I am not acquainted with the gentleman; I thought it up my own self."

During these years when the school was very directly under the care of Bishop Clarkson, there were, as we have said before, no ideas of higher education for women advanced, but morning, noon and night, day in and day out, students were made to realize that they were building character, just laying the foundations, and that "Truth and Justice,' Religion and Piety" were the four great corner stones. Most of the records of Bishop Olarkson 's personal

BROWNELL HALL

work were, at his own request, destroyed. When he left us he carried away with him the only thing that mortals are allowed to present at the final bar of justice, and the one thing that he urged day in and day out, as worth acquiring, viz: "Perfection of Character." His deep sincerity, his unvarying cheerfulness and courage, and above all his boundless love and sympathy, endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, and those of us whom he confirmed could almost feel a special blessing come straight from our Heavenly Father as we heard the dear Bishop's wonderful voice saying, "Defend, O Lord, this Thy Child with Thy Heavenly Grace; that she may continue Thine forever; and daily increase in Thy Holy Spirit, more and more, until she come unto Thy everlasting kingdom. Amen."

BISHOP CLARKSON'S PRAYER FOR THE SCHOOL.

Almighty Father, the Fountain of all Light and Wisdom, bless, direct and guide, we humbly beseech Thee, all the members of this Christian school. Give those who are in authority here, grace diligently and faithfully to labor for Thy Glory, and for the temporal and spiritual welfare of those entrusted to their guardianship and care. Endue the scholars with the spirit of meekness, docility and obedience. Keep them from the snares of temptation and idleness and enable them to walk in the paths of true knowledge and righteousness. Defend, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this Thy family, with Thy Heavenly grace. Let Thy Holy Angels dwell among us, and preserve us in peace, and let Thy blessing be upon us evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen



© 2005 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietch, Ted & Carole Miller