Armour Institute of Technology - Cycle Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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x. X X i ALTHOUGH Armour Institute has been in existence only a short time it lias a very remarkable and interesting history. W hen Mr. Joseph Armour died he left a bequest of one hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of building a Mission in Chicago for church, school, and educational purposes. To this his brother, Philip Dan forth Armour, added a large sum to complete and outfit the building. The building was opened in 1886. Kver ready to help those who wished to help themselves, Mr. Armour built at various times, several large fiat buildings in the neighborhood of the Mission, the revenue from which served to make it as far as possible self-sus- taining. To the religious work, a free dispensary and library were added, the latter in charge of Mrs. Julia A. Beveridge. Mrs. Beveridge, believing that the usefulness of the Mission might be increased by taking up manual training, organized classes in wood-carving, clay-modeling, tile-making, and drawing for boys, and classes in domestic arts for girls. The success of her endeavors so pleased Mr. Armour that he de- cided to take up the educational work on a still larger scale than the size of the Mission would permit. Accompanied by Dr. Gunsaulus and Mr. John C. Black, Mr. Armour visited eastern institutions and, on his return to Chicago, decided to organize a school similar to Pratt or Drexel Institute. X A board of Trustees was organized, consisting of the following: Mr. Philip D. Armour, Mr. J. Ogden Armour, Mr. William J. Campbell. Mr. Philip D. Armour, Jr., and Mr. John C. Black. A charter was obtained from the state government and in 1892 the present main building” was erected. The first classes were organized in 1893. Dr. Gunsaulus, President, was assisted by a small, very efficient faculty, of which Prof. L. C. Monin. Mr. John E. Snow, and Mr. Edward D. Agle are still associated with the Institute. At the time of its foundation the Institute comprised the Armour Scientific Academy and the Technical College, as at present, and also the Departments of Domestic Arts, Commerce, Music, and Kindergarten Normal Training. The courses included in the Technical College were: Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chemistry. Architecture, and Library Science. Between 1896 and 1901, the courses in Domestic Arts, Commerce and Music were drop- Seventeen 1R xo XX XX—XX XX XKHZXX XX

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X X % x+ OJC MR. F. U. SMITH In the resignation of Mr. Frederick Urling Smith as Comptroller of the Armour Institute of Technology, there comes to mind many evidences of the growth and development of our city, especially in educational lines within the last thirty years. Mr. Smith was at the right hand of Mr. Philip D. Armour when he was devising means and ways for helping the youth of the middle west by creating the Armour Institute. Mr. Smith met Mr. George V. Childs who had in- fluenced Mr. Drexel of Philadelphia. Mr. Smith’s former home, to establish an institution like the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn and the Cooper Institute of New York City. He heard these men discuss the matter of education with Mr. Armour, and he became closely allied with the new institution. For twenty-five years Mr. Smith has appeared upon the platform at Commencement time with his annual report as Comptroller. He has been a model of courtesy, gentility, wisdom and loyalty in the presence of thousands of students. The Institute itself would feel bereaved if it were not for the fact that he goes to his rest or pleasure as he will, at the close of the current year, and he goes in perfect health of body and mind to enjoy with his good wife many recollections of his labors on the Executive Council of the Institute, and especially the influence he has had and the participation which has been his in the new plans for the Armour Institute of Technology, when its walls shall echo with the tread of the thousands of students and teachers who shall throng its new and larger home at Windsor Park. Dr. F. W. Gunsaulus. Sixteen x

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OKI ' i9 - THE CYCLE - 20 oic U! jr I III y! x; u ped one by one to meet the increasing demand for young men trained in ap- plied science. In 1901 co-education in the Academy was given up, so that tlie instruction is limited to young men. All the engineering courses have strengthened from year to year. Departments of Chemical Engineering and Fire Protection Engineering have been added to the other engineering depart- ments. Since 1902, Evening Classes and Summer Course have been offered and much good has been derived from these. An additional building known as Machinery Hall was erected in 1902, Mrs. P. I). Armour having donated the building, while Mr. J. Ogden Armour bore the expense of providing equipment. Mr. J. Ogden Armour also presented the Institute the ground known as Ogden Field, the opening of which greatly stimulated the interest in Athletics at Armour. The latest addition to the buildings of the Institute is Chapin Hall. During the summer of 1909, a fire occurred on the third floor of the “main building” in the store-room of the Chemical Department. Quite a loss was suffered, but was fully covered by insurance. The store-room was immediately rebuilt and is now very much better than ever. THE NEW A. I. T. THE Armour Institute of Technology, after twenty-five years of adjustment and re-adjustment to opportunities and conditions, has adopted its ma- tured plans for the future and has received a substantial gift of land and money from Mr. J. Ogden Armour, so that it will inaugurate and develop its com- pleted plans. The difficulty of obtaining a proper location has been great. It has cost one million dollars to find and obtain title to a contiguous parcel of land upon which the institution may stand and develop for all time. It will occupy the entire eighty acres near the lake south of the South Shore Country Club. This tract has been formerly known as the Windsor Park Golf Club. The land has been purchased, and is now turned over to the Armour Institute of Technology. The Institute has sought the advantage of a situation easily approached by the city and suburban service of the Illinois Central and the Baltimore Ohio Railways. Near the north portion of the land obtained is the Windsor Park station of the Illinois Central which will be reached in a few minutes from down town, when the railway and the Institute have completed their arrangements. The cross town electric lines at the north of the campus on 75th street are satisfactory. On the south end of the campus at 79th street are electric lines connecting the west and southwest sides with our location satis- factorily. The Baltimore Ohio almost touches the southwest corner of the eighty acres. The lake is within a few blocks and will furnish opportunity not only for water athletics, but hydraulic engineering and marine engineering, which must be undertaken in time. On the south are the great steel and cement plants of the Calumet district. These are not surpassed in the world for the uses of an institution whose students must visualize engineering pro- cesses in maufacture. Modern methods with us require visits to operative industries with which high grade engineering concerns itself. The tentative plans for our buildings with the accompanying sketch of their arrangement, constitute only a provisional study. They have required a gift of $5,000,000.00 for their erection and extra equipment. The whole scheme which has been worked out after a quarter of a century of experience Eighteen DOC DOC