A Moment in Wabash History
Wabash College is a scenic experience unlike many other colleges. Throughout
this majestic College one will find brick walkways, Georgian architecture, and fields of trees. The College’s tree collection, more commonly know as the Arboretum, has a unusal history.
Walking through the Arboretum, one may notice the beautiful variety of aged trees evenly distributed throughout campus. One probably does not notice all of the hard work that was put into arranging such an environment.
Parrish Fuller realized the need to teach Wabash College students, and all people,
about the importance of good forestry practice, educating about the cultural and natural history of forests in Indiana and displaying some sign of our College’s wilderness
heritage. With this realization, Parrish and his wife envisioned a spectacular addition to the College that would capture these biological and educational characteristics of Indiana and combine all of them in a model called the Arboretum. Parrish suggested his ideas to faculty and administration at Wabash including Biology Professor Robert Petty, and President of the College, Thaddeus Seymour. The College chose to preserve the natural aspect of the campus, resisting pre-emption of the land area for buildings.
Because of the natural diversity that has been fostered, it is possible on campus to learn and enjoy all the tree species native to Indiana.
Parrish Fuller was born in Madison, Wisconsin on May 21, 1892. He grew up in Boonville and Shelbyville, Indiana. Fuller was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity at Wabash and graduated in 1915. He then moved to Louisiana in 1919 to pursue forestry and other businesses.
A former trustee of the College, Fuller supervised construction of numerous campus buildings as chairperson. He received an honorary LL.B. degree from Wabash in 1954 and the Alumni Award of Merit from the National Association of Wabash Men in 1960. Fuller never knew that he would play such an important role in establishing Wabash College and contributing to the benefit of society in so many other ways.
With the help of alumni and very large financial contributions from Parrish Fuller himself, the Arboretum was officially dedicated to the College on May 14th, 1973. At first, the Arboretum contained seventy different plant species from Indiana, but over the years, additions have been made to the forest model. Today, after the gradual planting of ivy, holly, spruce, juniper, pine, and hemlock, the Arboretum contains close to 90 different
species. Hopefully the Arboretum will continue to expand across campus in future years.
The Arboretum has allowed students to study and learn the leaves and structures of all of the great variety of species found here at Wabash. It has been a sufficient resource for botany, ecology, and other biological studies done on campus. The Arboretum also provides an aesthetic quality that cannot be easily acquired at other campuses in Indiana or the rest of the country for that matter. However, the Arboretum is not only an example of all of the tree species found in Indiana, but it also contains an example of the substance from which Wabash College continues to thrive. Tulip trees, sycamores, maples, elms, hickories, basswoods, white ashes, dogwoods, and many other species have been donated, planted, and dedicated to the College from people who truly care and love Wabash dearly. When walking through the Arboretum, you might notice a stone with 28 names carved on it. This was donated along with a weeping willow by the class of 1898.
Students, faculty, alumni, and friends leave a part of themselves at Wabash College
by donating or contributing a tree to the Arboretum. If the educational and aesthetic value of the Arboretum is not held in high regards to you as an individual, the cherished memories and experiences of Wabash affiliates that have grown with these trees on this beautiful campus should be.
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