There are very few churches in which revivals and conversions have been so frequent and so numerous; there are very few communities in which so large a proportion of the population, especially of the young men as in the colleges of New England and the Northern States…In the space of ninety-six years, beginning with the great revival of 1741 and ending in1837, there were twenty revivals in Yale College…Indeed, for thirty years previous to 1848, revivals occurred in Yale College on an average of about once every two years…What church has enjoyed as many revivals in the same amount of time?

In Dartmouth College, in the space of sixty five years, nine extensive revivals of religion were enjoyed…Middlebury College has been blessed in forty years with ten revivals,--some of them of great power.  During the first twenty-five years of its history, every class but one was permitted to share in a religious awakening, and some classes received three or four such visits of mercy while in college.

No class has ever yet left Amherst College without witnessing a powerful revival of religion, and scarcely has a year passed without some special interest in the church, and more or less conversions... In the first twelve years of the history of Amherst College there were four revivals; in Illinois College there was six in the first eighteen years; in Marietta College there was seven in fifteen years; in Wabash College there was nine in fourteen years; and no class has passed through its collegiate course there without having witnessed from one to four revivals.  Similar to these has been the history of all those missionary colleges which are under the patronage of the Western College Society…

Now what other communities are there in which revivals occur so frequently, where so large a proportion are hopefully becoming committed believers, and where so large a proportion of those who remain only four years, become hopefully pious during their stay?...This is no ground of boasting, but it does show the comparative safety of our colleges and the wisdom of sending our sons and daughters to them, if we would see them converted…

Revivals of still greater frequency and power should be a special object of our prayers and effort.  Revivals are in accordance with the analogy of nature, which has its seasons of renewal and rapid growth followed by seasons of ripening fruit and maturing strength.  They are in harmony with the nature of man, who requires alternate seasons of activity and rest; of stirring labor and excitement on the one hand and on the other, of tranquil enjoyment and sober reflection. Each in turn prepares the body and the mind for the other, and both in their due season imparts health and vigor to the whole body…

If students are not at particular times excited by thoughts of Christianity, they will be preoccupied, if not by something hurtful, at least by something not so useful, not so important, and not so essential to their temporal and eternal well-being…Under proper instruction, watch and care, the converts in college are found to holdout as well as any other congregation...

Revivals are still not so frequent, or so pure or powerful, even in college, as they are desired to be. Why shouldn’t a revival occur every year, so that every class as it enters may also enter the school of Christ?  That they may receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit and so all their studies would be pursued in His illuminating presence, and “Holiness to the Lord” would be written on every hall, on the door of every room, and at the entrance to every heart?  Then they would indeed know everything they need to know, having received an unction from the Holy One…

Why, we ask again, should not every year witness a revival in college, and every class, as it enters on a new stadium, receive a fresh anointing from on high?  Why should any class graduate without having witnessed as many revivals as they have spent years in college?  Why should any individual leave these schools unconverted?  Why should only one third of the members of college in New England—only one third upon an average, and far less in many colleges—be professors of Christianity; and why should only one half of these professors of faith—only one sixth of the whole number of the students—devote themselves to the ministry of the everlasting gospel?

When other professions are full to overflowing, and men cannot be found to supply our own churches in New England, still less to preach the gospel to the destitute in the new settlements and among the unreached; when the world is one vast open field that invites the sickle, and the harvest (and such a harvest! A harvest of immortal souls, which angels would gladly gather) is perishing for want of laborers—must five sixths of the alumni of New England colleges devote their energies to secular pursuits?  It is incredible on the face of it.  From the nature of the situation we know there is, there must be more power in the prayers and efforts of the Christian church, in the gospel and grace of God than has yet been brought to bear on the conversion of young people in college.  The facts show that greater results have been realized when greater and more direct efforts have been made for this express purpose.  At Mount Holyoke, and some other female seminaries where this is made a direct object of prayer and effort early in the year, revivals occur every year, and nearly all the new pupils are hopefully converted. In some of the missionary colleges of the West, revivals have occurred almost every year.  In a still larger number, more or less conversions occur every year near the beginning of the course.

When young men and women first leave home and parents and friends, and enter as strangers on college life, they are naturally thoughtful and serious; they feel the need of divine teaching and assistance, and almost spontaneously cry unto God, “Our Father, be the guide of our youth.”  Under these circumstances, if students were taken under the special watch and care of the officers and committed students, and kindly warned, entreated and led them by the hand of Christian friendship, and surrounded them with an atmosphere of prayer; and if at the same time, they were borne on the arms of faith and prayer by the whole church,--who can doubt that a revival would occur every year.

Reference: Prayer for Colleges by W. S. Tyler, published 1855. Edited by David Smithers