Brother Lathrop is a man of vigorous mental endowments.  He is an able Preacher, has a reliable judgment, and possesses a kind spirit.  He hates shams and thoroughly detests the superficial.  He never hangs out a flag to catch the popular breeze, and does not turn the prow of his craft down the stream.  His convictions are strong, but Curtis G. Lathrop is the soul of integrity, and is most highly appreciated where best known.

The Lawrence University, located at Appleton, deserves special notice, it being the first, and, at the present writing, the only school of the Church within the bounds of the Conference.

In the Spring of 1846, Rev. Wm. H. Sampson received a letter from H. Eugene Eastman, Esq., of Green Bay, informing him that a gentleman in Boston, Mass., proposed to donate ten thousand dollars to found a school in the West.  And as the gentleman entertained an exalted opinion of the adaptations of the Methodist Church to the work contemplated, he was authorized to give the proposition that direction.  The conditions on which the trust must be accepted were, that the School should be located on the Fox River between Neenah and Green Bay, and that an additional ten thousand dollars should be contributed by other parties.

Brother Sampson submitted the proposition to the Conference, which met in August, and was instructed by that body to continue the correspondence, and, if possible, reduce the negotiations to a definite form.

In December following, Rev. Reeder Smith, who had been employed as Agent of the School at Albion, Mich., came to Fond du Lac, bearing the proposition directly from Hon. Amos A. Lawrence, the gentleman referred to.  Not finding Brother Sampson at home, he went down to Brothertown and secured the co-operation of Rev. H.R.  Colman in making an exploration of the Fox River.  They went to Green Bay, thence to Kaukauna, and, accompanied by George W. Law, Esq., thence to Grand Chute, the present site of Appleton.  After looking over the grounds now constituting the campus of the University, they passed on to Oshkosh, and thence to Fond du Lac.

Brother Sampson had now returned, and it was decided to hold a meeting in Milwaukee for consultation.  The meeting was convened December 2 8th, 1846, and was composed of the following members of the Conference:  Wm. H. Sampson, Henry R. Colman, Washington Wilcox, and Wm. M.D.  Ryan.  To these were added Reeder Smith, Geo. E.H.  Day, and doubtless several others whose names I have not been able to learn.  At this meeting a Charter was drafted for the Lawrence Institute, and Rev. Reeder Smith was sent to Madison to lay it before the Legislature.  The Charter received the signature of Gov.  Dodge, Jan. 17, 1847, and the following gentlemen were constituted the first Board of Trustees:  Henry Dodge, Loyal H. Jones, Jacob L. Bean, Wm. H. Sampson, N.P.  Talmadge, Henry R. Colman, H.S.  Baird, Wm. Dutcher, M. C. Darling, M.L.  Martin, Geo. E.H.  Day, D.C.  Vosburg, and Reeder Smith.