A Journey with Silliman

THE EARLY YEARS
It was immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, by which Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States, that a retired businessman and philanthropist of Cohoes, New York, walked into the Manhattan office of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church and presented a generous and totally unexpected proposal. The man, Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman, wanted to establish an industrial school for Filipino boys, and offered the sum of $10,000.Although the board secretary, reportedly, felt it was too early to think of opening something like a school in that remote part of the globe, the visitor’s interest remained in the Philippines.

To Americans of zealous evangelical Christian sentiments, the relative swiftness with which the Philippines became a U.S. possession in 1898 served as an urgent invitation for them to come in to insure that a religious dimension, quite apart from political and military objectives, should be strongly felt in the administration of the new territory.

Dr. David Sutherland Hibbard, a Presbyterian pastor of Lyndon, Kansas, who sailed with wife, Laura, was commissioned to make the exploratory trip to determine the best location for the third mission station (Manila was their first station, Iloilo, second), as well as for the proposed school. A suggestion offered him during his stopover at Cebu led him to Dumaguete on nearby Negros Island. Arriving in Dumaguete, he was greeted with the warmth and friendliness of the people. After meeting with the local folks and officials of Dumaguete, he went back to Manila convinced that he had found the right spot.

On August 28, 1901, Silliman Institute was established. As Dr. Hibbard recalled 50 years later:

“There were fifteen boys that first morning. The equipment consisted of four long desks about ten feet long, two tables, and two chairs, a few McGuffey’s Readers, a few geographies, arithmetics and ninth-grade grammars. I was President; Mrs. Hibbard was the faculty.”

As the student population increased, the Institute also struggled to put in place a suitable curriculum. It was in 1910 when Silliman was awarded government recognition and the right to grant a degree. In the same year it was incorporated under the laws of the Philippines. By Board action in 1912, girls were admitted to the Institute. Silliman won full recognition as a university in 1938.

TODAY
What started as a school with only 15 young boys and humble resources is now considered as among the Philippines' top institutions of higher learning. Over 7,000 students from around the country and the globe trust Silliman with their future.
The University is located on a beautiful 62-hectare campus with the sea at its frontage and the majestic Cuernos de Negros mountains in its background. It is an hour away by plane from the bustling capital of the country, Manila.

At Silliman University, we see our success in the future of our students. It is our mission to provide the highest quality Christian education to those who quest for knowledge. We open our Gates to both Filipino and foreign students, and continue to commit to offer them no less than an education that leads to a career which concept of fulfillment and success involves faithful service to God and fellowmen.

It is the conducive residential campus life that sets Silliman University apart from the other leading universities in the Philippines. Corollary to this sense of community is the so-called “Silliman Spirit” -- an atmosphere of personal closeness, warmth, friendship and concern that can only be found in an institution that aims for the holistic development of the person.

We journey with our students at Silliman. But it is our belief that although graduation day marks the end of that journey, their experience on campus is one that will forever guide them and serve as their source of hope and inspiration when they embark on their individual journeys.