Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 68

instruction to include a course in chemical manipulations. In this he was unsuccessful.

Several significant changes took place in the membership of the Corporation during the three years that followed the opening of the Institute. Most regrettable of these was the death, December 30, 1868, of the second of the founders, Ichabod Washburn. The great and good deeds of that worthy man were not confined to his lifetime, for in his will he provided abundantly for the welfare of the community in which he had risen to power and wealth. In a document that with codicils and revisions occupied thirty printed pages, he specified minutely how all of his real and personal estate, about $550,000, should be distributed. Churches, missions and Bible societies shared it, as did his family, servants and friends. He provided for a home for aged women, a mission chapel, and in memory of his two daughters, endowed The Memorial Hospital. To the Institute he bequeathed not only the sums promised in his original letter of gift, but an additional $30,000 to be used for general purposes. He died before signing the revised will but his executors faithfully carried out his wishes. There was much delay in the settlement of the estate, however, and the final payment of the legacy was not received for nearly five years.

To succeed Mr. Washburn, the trustees elected Philip L. Moen, his son-in-law and partner. Mr. Moen was forty-four, of French descent, and a native of New York state. Mr. Washburn had become acquainted with his family when Philip was a young man and had brought him to Worcester as his partner in 1850. A man of great financial ability, he succeeded Mr. Washburn as president of the Washburn & Moen Co. He also served the city in many positions of trust. Directly after his election he was appointed a member of the finance committee of the Institute, and subsequently became treasurer.

Emory Washburn resigned as representative of the State Board of Education in April, 1869. In his four years of service

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999