The school was viewed as the "most liberal and advanced in the world." Eakin's teaching philosophy involved teaching by example and letting students find their own way with only terse guidance. "A teacher can do very little for a pupil and should only be thankful if he doesn't hinder him ...the greater the master, mostly the less he can say." In February 1886 Thomas Eakins became embroiled in a controversy over the use of nude models in mixed classes of male and female students. Zeller joined 55 PAFA students who signed a petition threatening to withdraw from the school if Eakins was not reinstated. The petition was rejected by the Academy and 15 of the students, including Zeller, withdrew from the Academy and formed their own school. They named it The Art Students' League of Philadelphia. Thomas Eakins frequently taught classes without pay to the students. The school was located at 1429 Market Street, moving into 1338 Chestnut Street after several months as the enrollment increased. From June 1887 to October 1890 (ages 24–27), Zeller lived and worked in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He moved there, striking out on his own after he had received a commission to carve a statue for the Gettysburg battlefield, dedicated to the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, honoring the 25th anniversary of their role in that battle. On 21 June 1888 the statue was placed and dedicated at the position of the regiment during that engagement 25 years before. "We are here to unveil the beautiful stone which marks the spot where our regiment fought twenty-five years ago. The monument, artistic merit of which reflects great credit upon the young artist who designed it, bears upon its face the history of our organization," Colonel Henry Royer's (96th Pennsylvania Infantry) address at the statue dedication. Based on his successful work on the Gettysburg statue, Zeller was commissioned to design the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. This was a huge effort which included five figures and weighed an estimated 100 tons. The initial carvings were done in wax and then were cast in bronze and took two years to complete. On October 1, 1890 (Monument Day) with thousands of people in attendance to watch the parade and unveiling ceremonies, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in Garfield Square in Pottsville, Pennsylvania was dedicated. Zeller did not attend these ceremonies; he was already at sea on his way to study in France. From November 1890 to September 1894 (ages 27–31), Zeller studied and worked in Paris, France.