Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/168

164 and his school and in an irregular way, which however the Presbytery condoned as in a great measure excusable on account of the pressing circumstances in which he was placed at New London, it being almost impracticable for him to apply for the consent of the Presbytery or the Synod in the usual way. He ramainedremained [sic] in the faithful charge of his duties, and under the charter of 1755 creating the College, he became Vice-Provost.

It was at the meeting of 10 December, 1754, that he joined with William Smith, then Professor of "Logick, Rhetorick, Ethicks, and Natural Philosophy" in submitting the thought of a College:

It being represented by Mr. Alison and Mr. Smith that it would probably be a Means of advancing the Reputation of the Academy, if the Professors had a Power of conferring Degrees upon such Students as had made a suitable proficiency in Learning to merit that Distinction; and that several ingenious young Men, not finding that Testimony of their Acquirements to be had here had left the Academy on that Account: The Trustees considering that such honorary Distinctions might be an Incitement to Learning, and having Reason to believe the Governor, if applied to, would readily grant the Power of conferring them, desired Mr. Alison and Mr. Smith to draw up a Clause to be added to the Charter for that Purpose, and lay it before the Trustees at their next meeting.

This was done; but the subsequent steps in securing the Charter of 1755 will be narrated in future pages. On 13 April, 1756, a minute records he was appointed Professor of the higher classics, Logic, Metaphysicks and Geography, and that he teach any of the other Arts and Sciences that he may judge himself qualified to teach, as the circumstances of the Philosophy Schools may require; but if it so happen that Mr. Smith can spare time from his Employment in the other Branches of Literature to teach any of these Branches, then and in that case Mr. Alison shall employ the overplus of his Time as usual in the Grammar School in the Capacity of Chief Master.

Besides his duties at the Academy, he continued his clerical work as assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia. Yale College in 1755, two years after Franklin had received his degree, and Princeton in 1756 conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, and in 1758 the University