The College of Charleston was a small, lively municipal college in
the year 1904. The pride of the city spilled onto the college, the eleventh
oldest in the nation and the very first in America supported solely by
city funds. The all-male student body saw the creation of its athletic
program and by 1904, the basketball, football and baseball programs were
a source of great pride. Also thriving was a campus literary society, the
Chrestomathics. By participating in the activities of the society, students
could take their academic pursuits beyond the classroom, debating ideas
and issues of the times. Officers of this society staffed the college's
monthly magazine. It was the equivalent of a modern day student government
group.
In 1904, there were 71 students at the college. Forty of them had grown
up within the city limits of Charleston, attending the city high school,
and all were from the state of South Carolina. Most had known each other
from early childhood.
Tuition was $40 a year, and a dormitory room ran an additional $10 monthly.
Most students lived at home with their families.
One of these students was a 19-year-old senior named Andrew Alexander
Kroeg, Jr. Kroeg's father owned and operated an insurance business on Broad
Street.
He possessed a leadership talent that was exact and sure. He had his
mind on law school and was dedicated to his studies. He was recognized
among his fellow students at the College of Charleston as "jolly, good
natured, always having a good word for friend and stranger alike." He was
a model gentleman with a thirst for success.
A block down the street from his father's office lived Kroeg's friend,
Simon Fogarty, Jr.. Fogarty was the second of four sons of a Charleston
grocer. In 1904, he was a 17-year-old junior and a stand-out athlete, earning
places on the school's baseball, basketball and football teams. Fellow
students regarded him asa warm friend, quick with a smile, who motivated
with such intent and heart that people were quickly drawn to him.
Playing alongside Fogarty on all three college athletic teams was a
16-year-old sophomore and close childhood friend, Lawrence Harry Mixson.
Indeed, some said the two were never seen apart.
"Harry" was destined to work for his father's successful seed business
in Charleston. It appears that Mixson inherited his father's business sense
as well, because he was commonly known for his attention to detail and
his setting of goals.
He was also known for his fun-loving spirit which often provided a needed
relief from the intensity of daily college life. It was this trait which
bound him closest to Fogarty.
Students at the college were extremely competitive, inside and outside
the classroom. Whether playing sports or debating an essay, every man tried
very hard to stand out and make his personality and opinion known.
The three friends encouraged and supported each other in every endeavor,
and a tight bond formed between them as they worked to achieve the highest
personal levels of scholastic and extracurricular achievement. Among their
goals were officer positions within the Chrestomathic Literary Society. |
