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Remarks of Jonathan Russ, assistant professor of history, at the dedication of Thomas McKean Hall and James Smith Hall, Sept. 18, 2006 2:55 p.m., Sept. 18, 2006--While, of course, we are here to dedicate the opening of these two magnificent buildings named after James Smith and Thomas McKean, I think it is noteworthy that this group of three dormitories--Read, Smith, and McKean Halls--is collectively known as the Independence Complex. For indeed, these three men, all of whom studied together under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. Francis Alison, went on to become leading figures in America's quest for freedom and independence. As many of you know, the University of Delaware traces its roots to an academy established by Francis Alison in 1743, just up the road from here in New London, Pa. During the first term it was opened, Alison's academy had 12 students, including Read, Smith and McKean. Like many who settled in the area, Alison was of Scots-Irish decent, but by no means did that make him common or ordinary. To the contrary, in the words of Ezra Stiles, a onetime president of Yale University, Francis Alison was regarded as the “greatest classical scholar in America” at the time. It was thus under the tutelage of this extraordinary man that Read, Smith and McKean were taught Greek, Latin, rhetoric, logic, moral philosophy, ethics and political economy. Like Alison himself, James Smith was a native of Ireland, whose family moved to Pennsylvania in approximately 1730. Upon completing his studies under Alison, Smith went on to study law in Lancaster, Pa., after which he was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. He first established a practice for himself in Cumberland County, near Shippensburg, but eventually moved to York, Pa., in search of a steadier clientele. By all accounts, his career proceeded well, but it was in 1774 that Smith's public profile began to rise significantly. As conditions deteriorated between England and the Colonies, a meeting was convened in Pennsylvania at which delegates from all of its counties gathered to discuss the growing tensions. Smith, representing York County, introduced a resolution with three main provisions: a boycott of all British goods; a proposal to convene a congress of all the colonies; and, a measure to raise a voluntary militia. Although Smith's proposals were too bold for many of Pennsylvania's Quaker delegates, he was not discouraged. Indeed, upon returning to his home in York, Smith raised the first militia corps in Pennsylvania expressly mustered to confront the British, forever securing his reputation as an ardent Patriot. It should come as no surprise, then, that James Smith subsequently served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania Constitutional convention, and was elected to the Continental Congress that convened in Philadelphia in 1776 to debate and ultimately issue the Declaration of Independence. And although the Pennsylvania delegation was split on the issue of independence from Great Britain, Smith never wavered in his desire for liberty and the rule of just law. While it would be fitting to name any number of different buildings on this campus in honor of James Smith, it is particularly appropriate that this fine residence, located in the Independence Complex, bears his name. Likewise, it is also fitting that students shall call Thomas McKean Hall their home-away-from-home for years to come. When he matriculated to Francis Alison's academy, McKean was but a boy of nine years old and, like our first year students to this day, undoubtedly felt the pangs of homesickness as he adjusted to his new life. But adjust he did, and soon proved himself to be a worthy pupil. Like his classmate James Smith, upon finishing his studies with Francis Alison, McKean went on to study law, in his case under the direction of David Finney, a relative in nearby New Castle, and was admitted to the bar at the age of 20. Within a few years, he was practicing in both Philadelphia, later the city he called home, and New Castle, enjoying all the while a growing reputation throughout the region. As his law practice flourished, so too did McKean's prominence as a political figure. In 1762 he was elected to represent New Castle in the Delaware Assembly, a post he held for several years to come. In 1765, he was dispatched to New York to attend what became known as the Stamp Act Congress, a body that gathered to protest new English taxes that had been imposed upon the colonists. He and the others that gathered for this congress wrote to British authorities requesting that the taxes be repealed, and indeed, succeeded in their mission. In recognition of his intellect and powers of persuasion, in 1772 he was chosen to serve as speaker of the Delaware Assembly and, in 1775, to serve as one of three Delaware delegates to the Continental Congress. In 1777, the year after which he signed the Declaration of Independence, McKean briefly served as president of Delaware, the post that would later become known as the governorship. And, as if his service to Delaware weren't enough, he went on to serve as the chief justice of Pennsylvania from 1777-99, and as Pennsylvania's governor from 1799-1808. Without question, the men in whose memory these buildings are being dedicated today set high standards for those who will come to call these structures home. They applied the skills they learned from Dr. Francis Alison and dedicated their talents to the service of their fellow citizens. Just as the University of Delaware traces its roots to Francis Alison and his academy, may all of us who are part of the University community today look to James Smith and Thomas McKean as role models in public service and lives well led. |
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