Hastings College - Bronco Yearbook (Hastings, NE)

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The reaction of Hastings College to World War I is an interesting one to note. Many of the men students enlisted for military service, and after a few months the campus was nearly devoid of men. Those who were left donned the khaki uniforms of the SATC CStudent Army Training Corpsj and turned Ringland Hall into a barracks. Strict military rules were adopted, and the men spent a part of each day in military training. Many of the men went into active service for their country-service from which some of them never returned. Dr. Crone proposed the construction of a new central building for the college as a 'memorial to those who gave their lives. Fart of the funds were raised for that purpose but the drive was never completed and the structure was never built. The funds were used for endowment. Below: P. L. Johnson, oldest member of the board of trustees, and his granddaughter Marcia, now a college treshman, stand in front of McCormick Hall. E l J Lcff: With an increasing en- rollment came the necessity of enlarging the Chapel. Here We see a number of football fellows under the supervision of Mr. D. P. Jones, business manager of the college, moving the chapel walls in the fall of 1928. Dr Crone, after serving three years longer than he originally agreed to, resigned in 1920 to return to Iowa. He left the college in the capable hands of Dr. Calvin H. French, who had had much experience as a college executive, and under whose guidance the college again developed very rapidly. Because Hastings College was faced with many new problems at the close of the war, Dr. French began at once on the problem he considered most pressing-that of endowment. He named f5470,000 as the goal, and the great campaign began. Money for the fund came from all over the country. The John D. Rockefeller General Education Board gave the largest sum, 51310005 and gifts of 510,000 each came from J. C. Penney of New York City, A. H. Jones of Hastings, and Dr. E. C. Foote, also of Hast- ings. Four thousand people in all contributed to the total sum which was reached on February 1, 1925. Three new buildings were constructed during the '20's: Taylor Dining Hall in 1921, the temporary chapel in 1924, and the gymnasium in 1925. The old chapel in McCormick Hall was no longer adequate, for the enrollment in 1924 had grown to 379 full-time students, in addition to 247 part-time students. Athletics and social affairs developed rapidly dur- ing the twenties. The literary societies had passed from the scene and in their place were the Greek letter organizations. The Bronco teams won their share of contests, and from their ranks came some excellent athletes and coaches. One of the most outstanding was Thurlo McCrady, '29, who was called back to his alma mater as head coach in 1932. Substantial increases in enrollment during the '20's were accompanied by an increase in expenses to the students. Enrollment in 1920 was 209 full-time college students, tuition was 5380, board and room were 3194. The enrollment in 1930 had reached a total of 494 full-time students, and tuition 'costs had risen to the present level of S150 per year. Dr. French resigned from the presidency in 1954 because of ill health, brought on, in part at least, by his tireless efforts in behalf of the college. He had completed fourteen years of service, the longest term

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college, gave the first S500 for the building. He also drew up the plans and supervised the construc- tion of the building, each college man making a con- tribution of three days, voluntary labor. College students did all the work-carpentry, painting, erecting-and every member of the student body pledged to pay S1 per person per year until the pay- ments on the building were completed. This united effort marked the start of the pres- ent Student Association. The new gymnasium boasted a cushioned bas- ketball floor, which was said to be one of the best in the country at that time, and a seating capacity for 1,000 people. The structure caught fire and burned to the ground in 1925, and the present 535,- 000 brick building was constructed shortly after- Wards. Following the resignation of Dr. Turner in 1912, Dean Martin Kemp became acting president until the appointment of Reuben B. Crone, who came from the superintendency of the Fort Dodge, Iowa schools in the summer of the same year to assume the presi- dency of the institution. During Dr. Crone's admin- istration of eight years the college made more ad- vancement than it has during any similar period of years up to the present. The enrollment in 1912 was 615 by 1920 this figure had risen to 209. Dr. Crone was able to clear a 512,000 debt that the college had accumulated in 1912 and succeeded in raising a building fund of S160,000g he raised the endowment to 55243385 in 1920 and raised academic standards so that Hastings College was admitted to member- ship in the North Central Association of Colleges in Above: This picture of Edwin L. Stratton was taken in a training camp during World NVar I. 1916. One member of the board of trustees very aptly summed up Dr. Crone,s record when he stated, Dr, Crone was the man of the hour for Hastings College. Below: The annual spring May fete during World War days. Honored queen was Miss Elizabeth Bowen, now of the college faculty. Left to right are Willard Brown, Mabel Vance CMrs. Robert Taylorj, Grace Simrnering fMrs. E. L. Strattonj, May Finch, QMrs. Joe Matterj, Willabelle Nelson, Mary Simms, CMrs. Luther Steinj, Elizabeth Bowen, Curtis Galt, two unidentified persons, Margaret Brown, and Bob Harry. The two pages seated in front of the court are Don Foote, left, and Melville Foote, right.

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Above: Dr. Clyde B. Aitchison, '93, now chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission, recently wrote the Hastings College hymn which is found on the end sheets of this book. of any president to date. Hastings College and its man friends mourned his assin some months later U Y P 1n the same year. To replace Dr. French, Dr. John W. Creighton, missionary and educator in China for twenty years, was called from the faculty of Wooster College in Ohio as seventh president of Hastings College. Among his noteworthy achievements have been the clearance of the 560,000 debt and the completion of Taylor Hall, women,s residence for fifty-four students. The merger of Bellevue College with Hastings College was completed in 1934, sixteen years after Bellevue closed its doors. In 1936 the gymnasium at Bellevue burned, and with the insurance money Hastings College purchased the golf course and club house that adjoin the campus to the north. Appropriately renamed Bellevue House, the building is now used as a student union center. The newest development in Hastings College is the accelerated educational program which will go into effect with the beginning of the 1942 summer term. Starting in June, the school program will be conducted on a four-quarter basis, which will enable students to earn their degrees in three full years in place of the usual four years of nine months. The new system is optional and is designed principally for men who will be needed later in the armed services. Thus the history of Hastings College is brought up to the present. The college has gone through many crises, and may perhaps be called upon to go through others. No one can predict the future, but Hastings College already has plans, some of which appear in the Future Section of this book-and these plans will be carried out if its thousands of friends rally to its support as they have in the past. The writers of this history wish to express their appreciation to the following persons for the valuable help in preparinglthis material: Dean Frank E. Weyer for information taken from his recently published book, Presbyterian Colleges and Academies in Ne- braska , Mr. P. L. Johnson, member of the board of trustees since 1903, for information from his His- tory of Hastings Collegen funpublishedjg Mr. Clyde B. Aitchison, '93, chairman of the Interstate Com- merce Commission, Washington, D. C., for the in- formation and pictures furnished by him, and to the countless others who have helped in many, 'many ways. Below: Taylor hall from 1921 to 1938 was only a basement. Then, as now, the college dining hall was in the basement.