Bradley University - Anaga Yearbook (Peoria, IL)

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from President Bailey. The exercises occurred in the morning and the address was by Hon. Christian C. Kohlsaat of Chicago. Un Founder's Day, October 8, 1898, Prof. C. T. Chamberlain of Chicago was the orator. Dr. Harper delivered an address and Mrs. Bradley occupied her place of honor. The orchestral pipe-organ, given by Mrs. Bradley and placed in the audi- torium of Bradley Hall was played for the first time at chapel exercise Nov- ember I6, 1898, Mrs. Henry Velde presiding. On May I7, 1899, Mrs. Bradley conveyed to the Institute all her real estate wherever situated Qsaving only her homesteadj, subjected to her life use and management, such estate comprising much of the best improved and unimproved property of Peoria, and the best farm lands in this and surrounding counties. A conservative estimate of Mrs. Bradley's endowment is ,g2,000,000, but in the natural improvement of city and country, the values placed should be largely increased. But wonderfully enriched is such endowment by the life and presence of Mrs. Bradley. May she yet witness many years of the unfold- ing and development of the life of Bradley Polytechnic Institute. Many important gifts have been made to the Institute and publicly ac- knowledged , the most important of these, perhaps, was the collection of the Scientific Association of Peoria, presented june 23, 1899. But these gifts are not regarded with the presentation of the bust of Mrs. Bradley by the citizens of Peoria, as an expression to the founder, of the appreciation of her great and noble work in behalf of Peoria and the cause of education. The bust was given a prominent place in Bradely Hall, as a work of art by the noted sculptor, Mr. Fritz Triebel, and should endure through all generations, to perpetuate before the world the face of this noble woman.

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te.. 9 ef Mrs. Bradley's original proposition to the trustees contemplated an expen- diture of ,lfiIO0,000 in buildings and 3250.000 in equipment, but generosity has been continually drawn upon until building and equipment accounts represent a total expenditure of ,8220,000. Bradley Hall in addition to its administration department, faculty officers, and school rooms, contains the manual training and domestic economy depart- ment, and their furnishings are marvels of utility and practical demonstration not excelled in any schoolg and the horological department justly contends for the distinction of having the best building and the best equipment of any watch making school in the country. Ground was broken April Io, 1897. October 4, 1897 had already been fixed upon by the Board of Trustees for the beginning of school work. Mr. Eclward,O. Sisson, at this time President of South Side Academy, Chicago, had been secured as Director of the Institute to enter upon his duties, March 5, 1897. The departments of manual training and domestic economy were to be, and ever remain, special features of this school, tho not more thorough and important would be their instruction than in every department. Mr. Charles Alpheus Bennett was secured for the manual training department and Mrs. Nellie Sawyer Kedzie was given charge ofthe Domestic Economy Department. On October 4, 1897 there assembled in Bradley Hall a full corps of in structors and 105 pupils. The students rapidly increased in number, nearly reaching the limit of ISO, the number which had been fixed upon as a proper number to be cared for the iirst year, altho the buildings would well accomo- date five hundred. - The Dedicatory and Founder's Day was October 8th, IIon. Lyman j. Gage, Secretary of the Treasury, was the orator. The only words of Mrs. Bradley, in public presence, were on this occasion in presenting the keys of the buildings, and in charging the trustees with their responsibilities. At the dedi- catory exercises the members of the faculty appealed in their academy caps and gowns, and wore them before their classes, for the iirst time, at chapel exercises October II, 1887. The first issue of the college paper, ft The Tech, appeared in February, 1898. Its editor-in-chief was Miss Lucie B. Clark, and the business manager, Mr. George R. MacClyment. The first lecture in Bradley Hall, open to the public, was by Dr. Harper, on the subject, Art among the Hebrews. In planning the courses of study, it was decided to add to the usual four years high school course, two years to be known as the tt College Course, and to divide the entire six years into the tt Lower Academy , Higher Academy and College , two years each, carrying forward into the College Course special work with large freedom, and allowing a fair proportion of purely elective work, thus giving to the College Course advantages of a home train- ing equal to the First two years in the great colleges and universities. On June 24, 1898, occured the tirst convocation, or graduating exercises. The only graduate was Miss Corrine F. Unland. She received her diploma

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The talk of our pair-trees And sod-pounder clubs, Has caused many a Polyscope rhymeg But the clock-building class, In Horology Hall, ls the place Where they really kill Time