Beloit College's chapel was erected; Beloit citizens contributed $3,000 toward it; the graduating class included Eugene H. Avery, Daniel Densmore, John H. (Storey and James A. White); honorary M.A. degrees were conferred on Henry Freeman and James F.; James W. Strong graduated at the head of his class; Prof. Spicer and his wife resigned at the close of the spring term.

The evidence

• “Colton, of Beloit, who had previously aided the College to the amount of about $1,000, bequeathed a permanent fund of $5,000 for the increase of the library. In 1858, the citizens of Beloit made a special contribution of $3,000, for the erection of the chapel. Agencies in the East, in 1863, succeeded in securing assistance, which, added to benefactions previously made, amounted to about $30,000.' A Western agency, conducted by Rev.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/12-rock-county-ch06-politics-war-record.md, PDF p. 474 / book p. 478

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources

  

• “Entering the freshman class of the Beloit college in 1854, James W. Strong, notwithstanding many absences caused by sickness and outside work, graduated in 1858 at the head of his class. While at college, James was home chore boy, prep, tutor, college monitor, telegraph operator, town clerk (as such taking the town and village census in 1855), member of two quartettes, church chorister, ' secretary of the Choral Union, of the Library and State Teachers Association, and in 1856 was our first city superintendent of schools.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/34a-biographical-1.md, Vol. 2, PDF p. 296 / book p. 795

  Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources