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and Boynton St., which he rented from Stephen Salisbury. This was to
be the President's home until the middle nineties, when a new
structure was erected on the opposite corner. Mr. Gladwin and his
bride of two years lived not far from the school. Mr. Alden, then
unmarried, boarded in a nearby home. Mr. Higgins, who was appointed in
December, 1868, was also a bachelor.
Informal faculty meetings were held each week at Thompson's home,
whole evenings being devoted to general discussion of problems and of
the progress being made by individual students. The outlook was not
encouraging at times, for early in the first year Thompson wrote,
"Things are in such a chaotic condition that I cannot make any
suggestions to the Trustees in regard to the future, nor have they any
plans beyond the present."
The first relief for the overloaded staff came in June, 1869, when two
new teachers were added, and Thompson was given an allowance for
assistants in Chemistry. Miss Marietta S. Fletcher, an accomplished
young woman of Worcester, was appointed to succeed Miss Goodrich as
the feminine member of the faculty. Several years of study in France
and Germany qualified her to teach the languages of those countries,
which she did with efficiency and charm.
The other appointee was one of Thompson's classmates at the Chandler
Scientific School, who although only thirtyone, had had eleven years'
teaching experience. John E. Sinclair had taught at Adrian College and
at Washington University before his appointment as assistant professor
of Mathematics at Dartmouth in 1863. Three years later he was promoted
to professor and was somewhat reluctant to leave Hanover. The
Institute trustees offered him $2,000, which Thompson assured him was
adequate to live on. "Should you lease a large house near the
Institute, all the spare rooms can be rented to students. The salaries
of the clergymen do not average $2,000. If any success should attend
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