Eastern Kentucky University - Milestone Yearbook (Richmond, KY)

Page 21 text:

r n Eastern ' s ideal would be to have her the property of the state. But is she not? Not at the best. Were she, the State would look oftener upon our ef- forts. Counties which send two or three students would send dozens for they would claim Eastern as their right. Eastern would become as an open book. Hundreds would come to give counsel, helpful criticism, and praise whenever it was found to be merited. Briefly, Eastern would be more greatly used, more frequently visited, more thoroughly counseled. She would be the State ' s joy, if she performed worthy service and the State ' s shame, if she did not rise to her obligations. And she would rise and she would fight with even greater energy than she now displays. E. K.S.N. Student Sept.— Oct. 1913 The class of 1913 would be proud knowing that Eastern has finally become the State ' s joy. Now celebrating its 75th anniversary as a state educational institution, the University can look back on its history with pride. For 75 years, the men and women of Eastern have strived for the ideal. They ' ve taken the small teacher ' s training school and made it into a major university in the state. I 4 m 1 u EjU ' l ■Us I mi- m l ll r I Sm j

Page 20 text:

jfo SAG 7 ■40 9 %

Page 22 text:

Easterns Beginnings Richmond Gets Normal School No. 1 By an act of the legislature of 1906, Eastern Kentucky State Normal School was established with an annual appropiation of $20,000 for maintenance. Not a vote against the bill creating the school was recorded in either house. The citizens of Richmond were primarily responsible for their city being chosen as the site of one of the new schools for training teachers. Having had Central University from 1874, until its merger with Cen- tre University in 1901, and then having been the home of Walters Collegiate institute, they knew the values of being a college town. Mayor Clarence E. Woods, Jere A. Sullivan, W. Rodes Shackelford and other promi- nent citizens led a group which lobbied to have Richmond chosen as the location for the state normal school. Woods traveled to Frankfort where he covered an entire wall of the Old Capitol Hotel with literature designed to influence the legislators. The display was entitled What Richmond Of- fers Free Of Cost to the State for a Normal School. One pamphlet cover read: What Richmond Offers A ready-made Normal School Plant. A main college building seating 800, worth $60,000. A dormitory, 35 rooms, worth $30,000. An athletic field, a grand stand . A city with a college and a school spirit. A railroad center — the most accessible point to the majority of Kentucky teachers. The legislature was duly im- pressed and on May 7, 1906 Eastern became Normal School No. 1 and Western became Normal School No. 2. The first regents were ap- pointed in May and on June 2, 1906 Dr. Ruric Nevel Roark was named president. Roark defined the goals of Normal, outlined the courses of study and selected the faculty. During his term, the home economics house, a home for the superintendent of buildings and grounds, Roark Hall, Sul- livan Hall, and the power plant were all completed at the staggering cost of $168,481. Dr. Roark died on April 10, 1909 at the young age of fifty. Four days later, Mary Creegan Roark, the late presi- dent ' s wife, was ap- pointed acting president of the school. She served in that posi- tion until Dr. John Grant Crabbe was appointed in 1910.