Carthage College - Driftwood / Crimson Rambler Yearbook (Kenosha, WI)

Page 16 text:

1. THE COLLEGJAN I ' J'J mJ mJ :JEEMM

Page 15 text:

THE COLLEGIAN CAROL WATKINS Waikins, Mo. CLARENCE WARFEL Rock Falls. Ill. KATHRYN M. WILD Murphysboro, Ill. ORVILLE E. WEIHE Postville, Ia. ARTHUR E. WHLF Chicago. Ill. MARY WISCHMEIER Burlington. Ia. The following have completed all gradw ation requirements and will receive their degrees in 1937: DELL ATKINSON CAROLINE MOORMAN ' Mt. Carmel. IlI. Metropolis. Ill. FREDERICK ROTH DAYNE STOUT Milwaukee, Wis. Indianola. Ia.

Page 17 text:

THE COLLEGIAN way gdClZ when . . . r N Wednesday. May 10, 1871, a vast crowd assembled in Carthage t0 5' lay the cornerstone of the building known as Old Main to the present generation. People from the surrounding community and distinguished visitors from distant parts of the state came for the great event. At noon the women of Carthage served dinner to 3.000 people at the Courthouse Square. Long-before this auspicious day. however. Carthage College had been a dream in the minds of thoughtful men in the Middle West. August 31. 1869. a convention was called at Dixon. Illinois, by authority of the Luth- eran Church of the West. at which time it was resolved to secure a loca- tion and to found a college of high grade. Committees were appointed and a second meeting planned for December, 1869. chiefly for the purpose of receiving bids for the erection of a college building. At this meeting. held in Carthage because of its central geographic location, many towns presented claims for the location of the college and agreed to furnish the necesaary buildings or funds for opening such a school if the Lutheran church would provide the necessary endowment. Perhaps because the convention was meeting here, the site chosen was Carthage. A local board of trustees was selected. and work was begun on the building in July, 1870. The laying of the cornerstone took place May 10, 1371. The four-stoz'y building, 85 by 65 feet. was completed in the autumn of 1872 at a cost of $35,000. On September 5, 1870. Prof. L. F. MA Easterday had opened a pre- paratory school in the Burbank building on the south side of the square. At First there Were only sixteen students but the roll increased to 58 by the end of the year. The next year 84 were enrolled. In the spring of 1872 the school was transferred to the rooms which had been completed in the basement of the College building. 011 February 26. 1873, Pres. D. L. Tressler of Lena, Illinois. was elected Professor of Ancient Languages and also assumed the Presidency of the College. Prof. Easterday became Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy: Rev. 1. M. Richard was Professor of Latin: and I. M. Hel- frich. the Professor of Music. In September 1373, the college opened with 160 students. In 1875 the first class was graduated. President Tressler's death in 1830 led to a period of financial distress and general depression. but the young college survived the storm and has continued to thrive even though progress has been difficult. Mr. Henry Denhatt's generous gifts stimulated the benefactions of others and gradu- ally the resources of the college grew until her present endowment now exceeds $350,000100. hM. B. SCHMIEDESKAMP. Page 15