Genesee Wesleyan Seminary
Encyclopedia
The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York
.
The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I) was founded in 1831 by the Genesee
Annual Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
. The plan for its establishment dates to 1829 when the Conference appointed a committee
for this purpose. In 1849, there was a substantive attempt to upgrade the institution to a truly college
-level entity, and Genessee College was created to replace the seminary. By the end of the Civil War
, the location at Lima was seen as too limiting, and plans by civic leaders in Syracuse
for a new university in that city led to the removal of Genesee College to Syracuse in 1870, where it became the basis of Syracuse University
.
The facilities at Lima remained open as the second Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (II) from 1870 through to 1941. Although vacant through the war years, in 1947, Genessee Junior College opened in the grounds in 1947, again under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, (The Methodist Church?).
The junior college closed in 1951. The Elim Bible Institute
has operated on the grounds since that time. Two seminary / college buildings
were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976.
Annual Conference of the M.E. Church to the Genesee Conference. He remained in this office until 1836, when he was elected by the M.E.
General Conference as the Editor
of The Christian Advocate and Journal, an important denominational periodical.
The institution is said to have "opened most favorably," with a total enrollment the first year (1831–32) of 341, with 170-180 students attending at any one time. The Agents of the seminary solicited funds for the erection of handsome buildings. In 1880, Bishop
Matthew Simpson
of the M.E. Church described the seminary's early years thus "no other institution in the church accomplishing apparently more in the education of active and useful young men and young women."
The early years of the institution were said to be ones of "great prosperity." This was especially true under the administrations of the Rev. Schuyler Seager. Seager was born 8 July 1807 in Simsbury, Connecticut
. He joined the Genesee Conference in 1833. He graduated from Wesleyan University
in 1836. That same year he was appointed Teacher
of Moral Science and Belles-Lettres
in the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. He was chosen as Principal of the seminary in 1837. After entering pastoral ministry in 1844, he returned to the seminary in 1854, again as Principal. In 1856-57 he was made Principal of the Genesee Model School in Lima, New York, an offshoot of the seminary.
(January 24, 1820 - June 18, 1869), journalist
and politician who was a founder of The New York Times
, attended Geneva Wesleyan Seminary.
Sarah Amelia Scull (1834–1913), respected Greek scholar and author of Greek Mythology Systematized, who became one of the leading Greek scholars in the world during her time. and Catalogue on Greek Art.
was elected President
of this endeavor. The name was chosen as Genesee College
. However, the location was thought by many not to be sufficiently central. It was resolved, therefore, to remove the college to Syracuse, New York
to become the nucleus of Syracuse University
). The college, its libraries, the students and faculty, and the college's two fraternity chapters all relocated to Syracuse.
(October 24, 1830 – May 19, 1917) was an American attorney, politician, educator and author.
years.
Lima, New York
Lima, New York refers to two locations south of the City of Rochester, New York in Livingston County, New York:*Lima , New York*Lima , New YorkNote that the names of both places are pronounced like the bean, not like the capital of Peru....
.
The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I) was founded in 1831 by the Genesee
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
. The plan for its establishment dates to 1829 when the Conference appointed a committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
for this purpose. In 1849, there was a substantive attempt to upgrade the institution to a truly college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
-level entity, and Genessee College was created to replace the seminary. By the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the location at Lima was seen as too limiting, and plans by civic leaders in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
for a new university in that city led to the removal of Genesee College to Syracuse in 1870, where it became the basis of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.
The facilities at Lima remained open as the second Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (II) from 1870 through to 1941. Although vacant through the war years, in 1947, Genessee Junior College opened in the grounds in 1947, again under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, (The Methodist Church?).
The junior college closed in 1951. The Elim Bible Institute
Elim Bible Institute
Elim Bible Institute is a Bible college in Lima, New York, offering a three-year non-degree diploma program intended to prepare Christian leaders and workers for revival ministry.-History:...
has operated on the grounds since that time. Two seminary / college buildings
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and Genesee College Hall
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and Genesee College Hall are two historic buildings located on the campus of Elim Bible Institute at Lima in Livingston County, New York. The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary building was constructed in 1842 and now serves as the college Administration Building. It is a -story...
were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976.
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I)
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Luckey was elected the first Principal of the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, and was transferred from the New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Annual Conference of the M.E. Church to the Genesee Conference. He remained in this office until 1836, when he was elected by the M.E.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
General Conference as the Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of The Christian Advocate and Journal, an important denominational periodical.
The institution is said to have "opened most favorably," with a total enrollment the first year (1831–32) of 341, with 170-180 students attending at any one time. The Agents of the seminary solicited funds for the erection of handsome buildings. In 1880, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Matthew Simpson
Matthew Simpson
Matthew Simpson , was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1852.-Early life and family:...
of the M.E. Church described the seminary's early years thus "no other institution in the church accomplishing apparently more in the education of active and useful young men and young women."
The early years of the institution were said to be ones of "great prosperity." This was especially true under the administrations of the Rev. Schuyler Seager. Seager was born 8 July 1807 in Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
. He joined the Genesee Conference in 1833. He graduated from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1836. That same year he was appointed Teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
of Moral Science and Belles-Lettres
Belles-lettres
Belles-lettres or belles lettres is a term that is used to describe a category of writing. A writer of belles-lettres is a belletrist. However, the boundaries of that category vary in different usages....
in the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. He was chosen as Principal of the seminary in 1837. After entering pastoral ministry in 1844, he returned to the seminary in 1854, again as Principal. In 1856-57 he was made Principal of the Genesee Model School in Lima, New York, an offshoot of the seminary.
Notable alumni
Henry Jarvis RaymondHenry Jarvis Raymond
Henry Jarvis Raymond was an American journalist and politician and founder of The New York Times.-Early life and ancestors:...
(January 24, 1820 - June 18, 1869), journalist
History of American newspapers
The history of American newspapers goes back to the 17th century with the publication of the first colonial newspapers.-Colonial period:-The New England Courant:...
and politician who was a founder of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, attended Geneva Wesleyan Seminary.
Sarah Amelia Scull (1834–1913), respected Greek scholar and author of Greek Mythology Systematized, who became one of the leading Greek scholars in the world during her time. and Catalogue on Greek Art.
Genesee College
In 1850 it was resolved to enlarge the institution from a seminary into a college, or to connect a college with the seminary. The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Franklin TefftBenjamin Franklin Tefft
Benjamin Franklin Tefft was an American Methodist minister, author, newspaper editor, and diplomat. As the American Consul in Stockholm, Sweden during the US Civil War, he encouraged and facilitated Swedish emigration to the United States, particularly his native state of Maine...
was elected President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of this endeavor. The name was chosen as Genesee College
Genesee College
Genesee College was a college founded in 1832 as the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was located in Lima, NY and eventually relocated to Syracuse, NY, becoming Syracuse University.-Genesee Wesleyan Seminary:...
. However, the location was thought by many not to be sufficiently central. It was resolved, therefore, to remove the college to Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to become the nucleus of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
). The college, its libraries, the students and faculty, and the college's two fraternity chapters all relocated to Syracuse.
Notable alumni
Belva Ann LockwoodBelva Ann Lockwood
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood was an American attorney, politician, educator, and author. She was active in working for women's rights, although the term feminist was not in use. The press of her day referred to her as a "suffragist," someone who believed in women's suffrage or voting rights...
(October 24, 1830 – May 19, 1917) was an American attorney, politician, educator and author.
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (II)
After the removal of Genesee College, a seminary was again operated on the grounds. There is likely some dispute as to which institution was continued where. There may have been some intent to preserve a full college at Lima by those who did not support the move to Syracuse. There have also been claims that the seminary after 1870 was simply a continuation of the first seminary, (this article separates the two institutions more for clarity rather than to take a definitive position on the question). Genesee Wesleyan seminary flourished under the presidency of the Rev. G.H. Bridgeman, as reported by Bishop Simpson. At that time, it had large and commodious buildings, and all the facilities of a first-class seminary. The institution did not survive the early World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years.
Further reading
- Simpson, Matthew. Cyclopaedia of Methodism (rev. ed.). Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1880.