Pranks!

Although he had little tolerance for students who disobeyed the strict rules of the College, Jonathan Blanchard did have a sense of humor. When his students got up to pranks, he would sometimes respond in kind.

One April Fool’s Day, students put a goose on the platform of the President’s classroom. When Jonathan walked in and saw the goose, he acknowledged that the students had chosen a new leader more to their liking and walked out.

One Halloween, students sneaked the Blanchard Family’s carriage out of the barn, intending to hoist it onto the roof of the main campus building. They carefully pulled the carriage out of the bar, across the railroad tracks and up the hill to campus. Upon pausing to catch their breath, they heard the President’s voice from the carriage. He said he hoped they had had enough fun and to please pull him back to the barn. Jonathan had heard of their plan and concealed himself in the carriage!