He concurrently served as the sole faculty member and instructor, providing a general college education as well as seminary training to prepare his students for Presbyterian ordination and missionary work.

[2] John Miller Dickey, the school's founder and president of the board of trustees, offered Carter a salary of $700 per year, along with use of a house and farm on campus.

[5] He taught geography, history, grammar, composition, elocution, mathematics, classical languages, theology, and prayer.

Rather, the Ashmun Institute was committed to "the noble cause of Africa education, missions, and colonization.

The school struggled financially during the ensuing years, and the board of trustees forced Martin to resign the presidency in 1865.