Gettysburg College - Spectrum Yearbook (Gettysburg, PA)

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--.---- .n-m-n-ol --.--uu -- - Do. In Old Dorm furniture had been destroyed, certain tix- tures removed, and many books in the library rooms which had been used as pillows for wounded fighters were bloodstained and useless. Some of these volumes are still in the college library. Repair work was started immediately with aid from the government and church donations. Old Dorm was ready for occupancy in September, although the college did not reopen after the battle until the beginning of the next college year. x; Gettysburg to dedicate the soldiers cem- e etery, most of the students in college 5,1 were in the parade preceding the dedi- wJD cation exercises. They were given a position right in front of the speakefs platform when Mr. Lincoln made his immortal Gettys- burg address. 4 President Baugher died in 1868, the only president yet to die in office. His administration had been faced with grave financial problems as well as the havoc created by the war. Nevertheless one building was erected under his guidance, Stevens Hall. This was completed in 1868 and was used to house the prepara- tory dehartment. Dr. Milton Valentine, '50, an out- standing scholar and preacher, was elected to the presi- dency in 1'868. During the 16 years that Dr. Valentine was president, irritating diEerences with the squabbling Pennsylvania ministerium were settled, the debt was greatly reduced and the curriculum was enhanced by a number of new courses. Two buildings were also erected, although neither are standing today: the Observatory, finished in 1875, located near Stevens Hall, and McCreary Gym- nasium, which was built in 1872. This building was located northeast of Old Dorm near the present SCA Building. It was a large barnlike structure and was converted into a chemical lab in 1890. The position of Dean of Gettysburg College was also created under Dr. Valentine's administration, Dr. P. M. Bikle being the first to hold this position, being elected in 1889. After Dr. Valentine had resigned in 1884, the college had completed its first half century. Dr. Harvey W. McKnight, '65, an outstanding minister and teacher, was elected to the presidency. Under his administration much was accomplished. For over 4.0 years no building of any significance had been built. One of the first things Dr. McKnight did was to purchase new land for the college. He thereupon launched his new building program. The iirst building to be erected was Glatfelter Hall, which contained the library, a large museum, two halls for the literary societies, administrative offices, in addition to 12 classrooms. Originally a wing to house a chapel was to be built but this was dropped when Colonel Brua otfered to build a separate chapel building. Giatfelter Hall was completed in 1889, while Brua Chapel was finished in the spring of the same year. Rickety McCreary Gymnasium was converted into a science building in r890, while Linnaean Hail, the citadel of science, was transformed into a gym. The building spree did not stop here. Contributions to the college were liberal and Dr. McKnight was quick to use the incoming funds. Stevens Hall was recon- ditioned in 1898 and what is today McKnight Hall was constructed in the same year to provide for addi- tional dorm quarters, Old Dorm having been recondi- tioned and expanded but still inadequate to fill the de- mands. The new men's dorm was called South College until 1912, when it was named in honor of Dr. Mc- Knight. The question of co-education first arose in 1873. The question was rejected by the board, but finally young women were admitted, the tirst coed registering in the fall of 1888. Coeds were taken as day students until 1923, when it was decided to admit no more. Several years later coeds were again admitted, however, when the prep school was disbanded. The first intercollegiate games between Gettysburg and other institutions occurred during the '7ois. How- ever, intercollegiate athletia were not a significant fac- tor in the life of the school until about 1890. During the decade between 1890-1900 sports as we know them today became firmly established at Gettysburg. Previous to 1877 croquet was the main sport and it was on a purely intramural basis. Those in need of more strenuous activity took to smashing windows and rolling cannon balls up and down the halls. Football fever hit the campus about T77. The college boys liked the game but townspeople who visited the games were a bit dis- gusted, reporting that twenty-two men got together for the purpose of yelling and kicking each other on the shins; the cry of the game being iOutaboundsJ and the side that yelled the most won. In 1879 track became popular and in September of that year the first inter- collegiate football game was played with Dickinson. In 1881 the first intercollegiate baseball game was held not

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conflicts were involved. of which the college company was a part, did not achieve any brilliant military successes, it was the first to oppose entrance of the Rebels into Pennsylvania; the first to meet the enemy at Gettysburg, and the iirst to draw blood in that historic combat. Although the 26th regiment, HE monument standing at the inter- section of Springs and Buford avenues in Gettysburg was erected to the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment as a tribute to the outfit. By engaging the enemy and by forcing them to pursue and attack, the 26th regiment had delayed the Con- federate advance on Gettysburg a full day, allowing more Union troops to be rushed to the scene. History may have been greatly altered if Union Commander Meade had been unable to take advantage of this delay and postponement of battle. Classes were still being held at the college until the morning of July 1 when gunfire was heard. Thereupon they were suspended amid great excitement, not to be resumed until the next term. On that fateful afternoon, l9! Vt: W .. the Union Signal Corps occupied the cupola of Old Dorm, this point oEering an excellent panorama of the battlefield. However, toward the afternoonh end, the Union forces were forced to abandon their vantage point. Scores of bloody soldiers streamed across the campus. By nightfall the South had possession of the entire northern end of town, including the campus. Old Dorm was converted into an emergency hospital. By this time the few remaining students had fled the campus, leaving their possessions with the president and his wife, the only remaining persons. The next day General Lee ascended to the top of Old Dorm to observe the drawing of battle lines. The Union army once again took possession of the college grounds on July 4. after they had won the battle. About 500 battered and wounded men, mostly Confederates, were housed in Old Dorm. Many died and were buried on the camping but their bodies were later exhumed and removed to na- tional cemeteries. After the removal of casualties to field hospitals sev- eral weeks after the fighting, considerable renovation of the building was necessary before it could be reoccu- pied by the school. The only other college building at that time, Linnaean Hall, apparently was not entered.

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with Dickinson againrheing-the-opponenh Sporting in- terest sagged for many years, abut finally was put on a substantial basis about 1898. During this era the college publications that are ex- istent today were born. The Gettysburgian was estab- lished in 1897, the Mercury in 1893, and the SPECI'RUM in 1891. terrupted. Dr. McKnigth successor was Dr. Samuel G. Hefel- bower, 91. He served six years from 1904. to 1910. Dr. Hefelbower's regime was a transitional period in the history of the college. Great changes hadtbeen taking place in the academic world and the time had come when Gettysburg had to make those changes, de- 'part from time-honored customs, if she was to remain a first-class college. Dr. Hefelbower infused new blood into the faculty and instituted many new courses and requirements. No buildings were constructed, although the financial straits of the college were fair. In 1910 Dr. William A. Granville, an eminent math. ematician, well-known teacher and'Yale graduate, was made president of the school. He was a 'greatiadvocate of engineering courses and though opposed by certain ministerial factions finally succeeded in installing cer- tain engineering courses sufhcient for the granting of an engineering degree into the curriculum. This was All except the Mercury have continued unin- done in 1914,. The engineering department, however.' was abolished in 194.0. Another of Dr. Granville's achievements was the financial campaign he launched. Aided greatly by Dr. Charles Huber, then head of the prep deparement and now retired director of the women's division, President Granville conducted a widespread campaign that cleared the college of all debt for the first time in 30 years. Dr. Granville was Gettysburg's second wartime pres- ident. When the United States entered the World War in 1917 the United States Army in reality took over the school. As early as 1880-unsuccessful attempts had been made to secure military instruction. Finally in 1916 students petitioned for military instruction. In that year the Board of Trustees approved a plan to establish a de- partment of Military Science and Tactics under the act of June, 1916, passed by Congress. Thus Gettys- burg College was the. first college in the country to make application for a unit of the Reserve thcersl Training Corps and the first corps was established at Gettysburg. ---------1----.--..- ---- --n--.-v-.- - . -u- -9.- mcv-arn-au- -- -- - . - .. . nln...-mv.--- .p---. n... - -. .I--V.--'.'-.a- .-. . .- - - -I.v.'.I-q, -. .. Military instruction was revamped during'the' war. In the summu' of 1918, Congress providedforitaking over all colleges and organizing them'for training men for the armediforces. This training unit was known oEicially as the Student Army Training Corps. All colleges became in effect military. academies. Gettys- burg men were sworn in as soldiers of the 'U. S. A., and were under strict military discipline and rule. The campus was predominated by a martial air. Ste- vens Hall was converted into a kitchen.. A mess bar- racks was constructed between Stevens and Carlisle street. Companies of students drilled on the athletic field daily. Khaki-clad studentsmarched in orderly fashion to classes in Glatfelter, where they were in- structed in military tactics by armyvotiicers. .. :-1gNNixon Field were dugltrenches several 9 feet deep where instruction in trench with military duties coming above all else. This type of instruction was disbanded at Christ- mas time, 1918, when once again the town of Gettys- burg returned to'its simple and quiet ways and college life again began to flourish. After the war, in 1921, the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of- President Granville changed the name of the college from Pennsylvania College of Gettysburg to the more simple Gettysburg College. Ever since Gettysburg became associated with one of the most important battles in history there had been a desire to have the college bear the name of the town. In popular usage it had been Gettysburg for thirty years. In intercollegiate athletic relations the college was identified as Gettysburg to help relieve the con- fusion with the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, Pennsylvania Military College, and even Pitts- burghis Pennsylvania College for Women. One of the final moves of Dr. Granville was to estab lish a summer school. The board accepted his plan at their meeting in 1921. Under his administration little building took place as a result of the very nature of the period, however Weidensall Hall was erected with the substantial help of the Womenls League. Following Dr. Granvillds resignation in 1923, Dr. -.- - -- -.-.-.-..--..---..... ------.- ---'n-nl- .. g- - .- -.---.----- --.. ---- .v-qn-s-Asnn.