Conflict with George Washington Gale
George Washington Gale founded Knox College in 1837. Originally he supported Blanchard’s appointment to the presidency. But Gale and Blanchard soon began to butt heads. Blanchard was immovable on many issues while Gale was more moderate. Gale felt that Blanchard’s firm position against slavery was a source of conflict for both Galesburg and Knox. In 1849, Blanchard opposed the appointment of Gale’s son to the Board of Trustees because he served wine at dinner.
Another source of conflict between Blanchard and Gale was Blanchard's success and popularity. Blanchard was a popular and effective teacher. Gale was not. Gale claimed that his students performed just as well as Blanchard's. To this, the students pointed out that their success was due to Gale's custom of distributing exam answers to tests beforehand.
