 Even though the students had petitioned the Board of Trustees to name a prominent scholar, suggesting William Holmes McGuffey, Brown's election was well received, as he had been a well liked professor at Jefferson.His term was generally successful, graduating 50 to 60 graduates each year by the end of his term.Notably, the Synod of Pittsburgh offered to supervise Jefferson, as had been done by the Wheeling Presbytery for Washington College.