Public high schools had not then arrived at an excellence surpassing "seminaries" and "academies" in thoroughness and extent of study.
[3] The school was founded in the Lyons neighborhood of Clinton, Iowa before the Civil war, its dedication occurring on September 15, 1858.
John Covert, who was also identified with other similar institutions in Ohio and Indiana, and who had an impracticable idea of uniting them and the Lyons College into one system, with a central university at Chicago, Illinois or St. Louis, Missouri.
At first, the institution was well patronized, but owing to the workings of the injudicious scholarship system, and financial bungling by Covert, the attendance began to dwindle, a prejudice against the school was developed, and its reputation and value equally depreciated.
He conducted it for several years, but at no time did the institution adopt Soules' advice and keep pace with the progress of educational ideas, and therefore, failed financially.