University of Virginia - Corks and Curls Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

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CORKS AND CLIFLS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR was authorized. The authorization of new degrees indicates that the faculty had at last realized that Jefferson's idea of a purely graduate school could never be fulfilled, mainly because of a lack of funds and a subsequent dependence on the legislature. In 187 5, however, entrance requirements and examinations became authorized, apparently in an attempt to keep the standards of the University from being lowered too greatly. The reiistablishment of student activities was not slow in starting and by 1867 we find the JeHerson and Washington Societies reviving the literary magazine. Sadly enough, the attitude of the students in those days was not very diHerent from that which is held to-day: The project could gain almost no subscribers and never became self-supporting. The first sport to become popular was baseball, which was played among the students as early as 1865. The sport was on a purely intramural basis until 1871, when one of the local clubs journeyed to Washington and Lee and won the first contest ever played between the two schools. Virginia continued winning until 1878, when they were defeated by an overwhelming score. This last, it is said, was the first game in which the Virginians had ever seen a curve ball, let alone tried to hit one. By 1891 a real Virginia team had been formed and was playing with no small degree of success against teams from all over the East. The Cavaliers enjoyed a national reputation for their victories for some years. In 1876, the Rives Boat Club was formed. This organization paid its expenses from its own pocket and from contributions by students and had considerable success in competition with other schools. Interest soon waned, however, and Virginia has had no crew since. Football was played among the students as early as 1870 but it was not until nineteen years later that we find a game played by a recognized Virginia team against another school. The game was with Johns Hopkins and the Virginia team won by the overwhelming score of 78-0. In 1894., the Virginians were playing teams from many other schools and ended the season with 414 points to their opponents 30. All athletics before 1881 were disorganized and without any oHicial sanction from the University. In that year, however, an athletic association was formed among the students which functioned, if poorly, until 1892, when the General Athletic Association was started. This organization claimed football, baseball, track, and tennis as its own and took new sports under its wing as they became popular. By 1901, athleticshad become so well recognized at the University that a field and grandstand were constructed and were named for Dr. William A. Lambeth, who had done much for the furtherance of college sports. It was about this same time that the G. A. A. first recognized the evils of professionalism and insisted that all I201

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V CORKS AND CLIBLS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR to send them with single-minded fervor to answer the call of war. It is estimated that 515 of the approximately 600 in attendance in 1861 joined the army before the close of the year. Twenty-seven per cent. of those who had matriculated between 1825 and 1865 saw active service. One has only to see the long list of names on the tablets on the Rotunda to realize that there were many men who dared: One-fifth of the University's sons in active service did not come back. Many of the faculty joined the students in the army, but those who were unlitted for service stayed with the University and performed a beneficial oliice by managing to keep the University in existence. For students, they had men who had been too seriously wounded in battle to return to their troops. In 1862, a military hospital was founded at the University over the protest of the faculty, who felt that other sites could be adopted just as easily and that the use of the grounds for that purpose would endanger the existence of the school. This was not, however, their only difficulty, for three years later, Federal troops took possession of Charlottesville. At the news of their proximity, the facultyis apprehen- sions for the safety of the University knew no bounds and with unconscious bravery, a group of the professors met the incoming troops and demanded protection for the University property. Apparently appeased by the earlier destruction of V. M. I., the Federal oHicers agreed, and set guards over the buildings. Little, if any, looting was done. After the close of the war, it was the faculty again who rose to the occasion and succeeded in keeping the University going. The professors borrowed money to advertise and to restore buildings, and exercised great energy in procuring students. Their success is shown by the fact that 220 matriculated at the start of the session. There began a period of renaissance in the University both in material and more abstract lines. The students were of a different type from those who attended previously. Older and more experienced as only a war can give experience, they exhibited a thirst for knowledge and a seriousness in behaviour which warmed their professor's hearts. The change of the South from agricultural lines to the more in- dustrial types of work, which necessarily followed the War, was reHected at the University by the establishment of a course in engineering and an increased emphasis on the sciences. A new chemistry laboratory was built, and in 1879 a geology building and an astronomical observatory were presented to the University. This same economic and institutional change brought about a number of modifi- cations in the scholastic structure and the system of degrees. The B. S. degree was established in 1868 and the B. Litt. followed in the next year. The Master of Arts degree remained the highest award of the University until 1880 when the Ph. D. ll9l

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CORKS AND CLIB..S OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR players should be genuine students and should receive no money for their eHorts. Some suggestions for athletic scholarships were made but were immediately rejected by the faculty. A year later, the foundation of a physical education department was suggested with the idea that gymnastic work be required for a degree. The faculty lost no time in condemning this movement as repugnant to the spirit of the elective system as recognized at the University. Later, they changed their minds, and such a de- partment was founded with the suggested requirements. This idea became so firmly entrenched that subsequently the names of over fifteen hundred students on a petition for its discontinuance were not able to bring about any change. Extra-curricular activities showed the same trend toward organization and ex- pansion during that period. CORKS AND CURLS, the University yearbook, which owed its origin to the social fraternities and whose business has remained in their hands up to the present day, made its first appearance in 1887. It was followed in the next year by College Topics, a student newspaper, still in existence. This publica- tion was shortly taken over by the G. A. A. and, in spite of frequent attempts to gain freedom, has been its unofiicial organ ever since. Student organizations came in vogue in the late eighties with the formation of Eli Banana, a society which gained great power and led all forms of student activities for a number of years. T. I. L. K. A. and Zeta soon followed and reached an ascendancy when Eli was disbanded by the faculty for repeated misdemeanors, most of them having to do with much wine and some song. All of these societies were supposed to include the most outstanding students in the University, but there were and are many criticisms directed at them for basing their selections more on qstylishness than any real ability. In 1894, a new development in the Honor System arose which directed it along the course it has followed up to the present. At that time, the question came up as to whether or not the system should apply to student conduct other than that during examinations.- Apparently, the point was immediately decided in favor of all conduct, for the next year, we find College Topics expressing extreme indignation over the fact that a student who had been caught cheating had had the effrontery to remain at the University over twenty-four hours. By that time, the Honor System had gained in strength and was entirely in the hands of the student body. It was in 1862 that a question was raised before the faculty which was to be fought over for the next thirty years. Before this time, the Univearsity had been solely a mans school with no one considering the possibility that a member of the other sex might have the desire, least of all the eHrontery, to request admittance. I211