The Dickinson ExperienceIn 1851, Charles Collins received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Dickinson College and in July of 1852 he was elected as the college’s eleventh president.[1] Following his time at preparatory school, King enrolled in the class of 1858 at Dickinson College at the age of sixteen. Once again, he found himself following in his uncle’s footsteps, this time to Carlisle, a small town in central Pennsylvania. Despite being a first-year student and the nephew of Dickinson College’s latest president, King was determined to make a name for himself and did precisely that. During his four years in Carlisle, King was a member of the Union Philosophical Society as well as Phi Beta Kappa, which he described to be “known only to its members” as fraternities were strictly prohibited during Collins’s presidency at Dickinson College and the disclosure of the group “would cause great trouble.”[2] Not only did his membership of the Union Philosophical Society foreshadow a lengthy career in literature and politics, King’s defiance of his uncle’s jurisdiction as a member of Phi Beta Kappa was representative of the man he would later become, one that formed his own opinions instead of conforming to the environment around him.
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Departing from DickinsonFour years filled with “love, foolishness, and the like” had slipped by at Dickinson College, and upon commencement, King was thrust into a world outside of academia. Although he had never been without the presence of a family member throughout his time at both preparatory school and college, King was prepared to lead a life of his own. During his first year removed from academia, he traveled throughout New England, Canada, and New York.[3] Following his various excursions, King returned home to Washington, D.C., and studied law under Edwin M. Stanton for two years.[4] Similar to his arrival at Dickinson College, King was determined to make a name for himself in the field as he was well-versed in the nuances of law from his time studying with Stanton. By virtue of this aspiration, King left his home behind and moved to New York City in 1861 to pursue a career in law and was admitted to the New York State Bar before practicing law in the office of Edgar S. Van Winkle.[5] Although King had made substantial progress in furthering his career during his first year in New York, his interests were uprooted; the United States was at war with itself, and King believed that the front lines of battle were where he was best suited.
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