Less teacher than some of the others, Merrick's zeal significantly increased the school's coffers, but disappointment followed at the failure of his attempt to abolish fraternities in 1870-1872 and anxiety during the years of the construction of Merrick Hall.
Merrick's relatively low number of teachers had a significant impact on the school's finances, leading to increased revenue. However, this was followed by disappointment when he attempted to abolish fraternities between 1870 and 1872, and anxiety during the years leading up to the construction of Merrick Hall.