Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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Uavid II Maxwell About this time, athletics berame important in th life of the University. Until then, school spirit had beei channeled behind the debate team, which had beei sent away to each debate after rallies an l parades b the students. Sports events held on Jordan Field, hov ever, gradually took over first place in student attentioi and shouting. Some years later. Dr. William Lowe Bryan, a grat; uate of Indiana University, former instructor in Greek associate professor of philosophy, and vice-presideii under Dr. Swain, became president. Andrew Wylic

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A A I Z4o. King Henry HI of England granted a charter to Oxford University. Nearly four hundred years later in 1636, the New England religious and educational lead- ers founded Harvard. On January 20, 1820, in the four-year-old state of Indiana, the legislature enacted a bill to provide ifor an institution of learning called the Indiana State Seminary. It was in this manner that the diffusion of the seven liberal arts and the university idea came from England to colonial America and finally to backwoods Indiana. In 1818, Monroe County was organized and Bloomington was staked off. By 1820, a square was cleared, constru ction of a courthouse was begun and, with a population of over 200, the town was ready for a new state seminary. The county sent Dr. David H. Maxwell to lobby for a school. After the bill was passed — by a narrow margin — trus- tees were appointed to select its site in the uncut wilderness. Thus, Dr. Maxwell, whose efforts proved more valuable than then suspected, had his school. He may well be called the Father of Indiana University. The school became a reality in 1824, for in that year Professor Baynard H. Hall began teaching his class of ten students the traditional subjects: Latin and Greek. The follow- ing year saw a change of curriculum, since some of the pupils returned for further study. So, that year another Greek writer was studied. Six years later, the first commencement was held, and four men were turned out into the rough and unsettled Midwest, armed with a knowledge of the classics. In those days, each graduate was required to give a speech at the ceremonies. All foresaw a glowing future for the University, but they could not vis- ualize such a thing as a graduating class of 3500 men and women in the peak year of 1950. By 1827, the student body numbered twenty-one. The school met this increase by add- ing a mathematics professor, making a total faculty of two. The next year, the legislators changed the name of the seminary to Indiana College. There was such an extensive curriculum in 1831 that a catalog had to be prepared for the 60 students who attended. During that year and those which followed. Dr. Andrew Wylie guided the school on a road of marked growth. This period was not without its setbacks, however, for during 1832, a war broke out on the campus. It seemed that a letter in Dr. Wylie ' s handwriting, with some indiscreet remarks about a professor named Varney, turned up in that gentleman ' s possession. Dr. Wylie denied Varney ' s ac- cusations of having written it. The issue became so heated that the students and fac- ulty were forced to take sides. Finally, in a moment of anger, Varney drew a knife on Dr. Wylie. The affair ended with Varney ' s dismissal. In 1836, a new building was constructed, which was said to have resembled a New England cotton mill. Apparently, its lack of beauty did not hamper education or lessen enrollment, for two years later the college became Indiana University. At that time, it was granted the privilege of conferring degrees in law and in medicine, as well as in the arts. During the early ' 40 ' s, a military department was added, but remained for only two years. It was permanently reinstated during the Civil War. During the early 1850 ' s, two literary and oratorical societies vied for top campus hon- ors, but they soon had to compete with the fast-growing Greek-letter fraternities. Even- tually they gave way to the secret Greeks altogether. In those days, rushing was of a more rugged description and was, for the most part, done between the railroad station and the campus. Some of the more eager souls went so far as to board the trains a few miles out of town to peddle their pledgeships. The Civil War cut heavily into enrollment, but one redeeming feature of the period was the admission of women to the University in 1868. A few years later, sororities got started. The women followed the same general rushing procedure that the men did, but they carried things one step farther by showing off their new pledges. Each sorority would load its new girls onto a buckboard and drive thepi around past all the other houses.

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Department of Greek Old University Building