The degrees conferred at the close of the year were:
A. B.
GEORGE B. JONES, Virginia.
THOMAS B. GORDON, Georgia.
ROBERT C. GILLIAM, S. C.
WILLIAM H. DENTON, S. C.
WILLIAM H. BASS, Virginia.
MARCELLUS STANLEY, Georgia.
THOS. S. ARTHUR, S. Carolina.
THOS. H. CAMPBELL, Virginia.
THOMAS H. JONES, Virginia.
WM. W. HEREFORD, Mississippi
SAMUEL B. SCOTT, Virginia.
EDWARD WADSWORTH, N. C.
OLIVER P. WILLIAMS, S. C.
A. M.
CHARLES W. BAIRD, Virginia.
THEOPHILUS STEWART, Georgia.
JOHN T. BRAME, N. Carolina.
EDWARD H. MYERS, Florida.
JAMES M. FITTS, N. Carolina.
HENRY E. LOCKETT, Virginia.
JAMES R. THOMAS, Georgia.
EZEKIEL A. BLANCH, Virginia.
GEORGE W. BLAIN, Virginia.
YEAR 1841-'42.
At a called meeting of the Board held April, 1842, Prof. E. D. Sims tendered his resignation. The law of Virginia at that time prohibited a person from marrying the sister of his deceased wife. The Professor was about to marry Miss Andrews, the sister of his former wife, daughter of Prof. Andrews, author of Latin Grammar, and therefore was compelled to leave the State to marry her.
The loss of a Professor so capable and eminent as Professor Sims was much regretted by the trustees and the friends of the College. Under the circumstances, it could not be remedied, for there was no one to take his place in the special English course. He had been elected to take the chair of English in the University of Alabama, which he accepted. At this institution he formulated a course of instruction in English based on Anglo-Saxon, similar to the one he had taught at Randolph-Macon. Here he proceeded with the work on the Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Dictionary. This work he was not long permitted to prosecute. He died in 1845. Forty years after his death the manuscripts of his Anglo-Saxon works came to Randolph-Macon in an unexpected way. Rev. Mr. Stephan, of Missouri, found them at a second-hand bookstore in St. Louis, and noticing the name of Professor Sims on the title-page, he purchased the lot, embracing other papers, and sent them to the writer. Prof. Sims labored faithfully, but "others have entered into his labors."
[Illustration: SAMUEL D. SANDERS, A. M., M. D., Professor Southwestern
University, Texas.]
Rev. Dr. Capers, of South Carolina, was elected to fill the vacancy, and also president of the College, President Garland having tendered his resignation.