Salaries

For many of the early decades of the college faculty accepted reduced salaries to enable the college to continue operations. By 1879 the college had incurred a significant debt finishing Blanchard Hall. Charles Blanchard raised a considerable part of it through faculty giving up their claims for the unpaid salaries.  Afterward an arrangement was then entered into with the faculty whereby there would be no further deficits. When possible their modest salaries were paid in full, if not they received a partial salary to allow the college to run debt-free. In more than twenty-five years the faculty contributed over $22,000 (Alumni Quarterly, July 1931, p. 12). Many faculty had large gardens, chickens and livestock, as well as accepting borders to make ends meet.