Howard University - Bison Yearbook (Washington, DC)

Page 17 text:

li B made excellent progress. An active Medical School faculty was organized June 17. 1867, and the first classes opened in the old dance hall already referred to. The medical building was then being constructed. The Law School was organized October 13, 1868, with Mr. John M. Langston as dean. This department passed through a very distressing period during the years of financial difficulty. The students fell off rapidly after the Frecdmen’s Bureau passed out of existence, for many of the students had been employees of that bureau. As a result of the loss of this revenue, the law department was either actually suspended or barely kept open with a single teacher and a very few students. Dean Langston resigned in 1871. The law department gradually recovered under the administration of President Patton, and in 1881, B. F. Leighton was appointed dean, which position he luId until his death in 1921. He was, according to A. A. Birncy, one of the most distinguished members of the District of Columbia Bar.” From this reconstruction, dates the period of real growth. The Theological Department, although one of the first planned for the University, was not put into operation until January 6, 1868, and the active operation of it was not announced until 1871. In this announcement. .John B. Reeve is named as dean. This department did not receive funds from the government, and because of the financial embarrassment of the American Missionary Association, from 1872 until 1887, the Pres bvtery of Washington help to bear the expenses of the theological department. In Juno. 1887, the American Missionary Association was again ready to bear the entire expense. Dr. Patton resigned in May, 1887. but consented to continue in office until his successor should be elected. On November 15 of the same year. Dr. Jeremiah K. Rankin was elected to the presidency. Under Dr. Bun-kin. the Normal Department took the name of the Teachers College and was given academic rating with the College of Arts and Sciences. There was still retained an English department in which students might pursue studies in the common branches without professional aim. In 1903 the Commercial Department was organized and the English department merged into it. Both were under George W. Cook as dean. During Dr. Rankin's administration a permanent residence for the president was erected at a cost of twenty thousand dollars; and the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chanel was erected at a cost of twentv-two thousand dollars, in memory of Andrew E. Rankin, brother of president Rankin. Dr. Rankin resigned in 1903 and Dr. John Gordon was elected in 1904. Apparently. Dr. Gordon failed to understand the ideals and mission of the University, and after an unsuccessful term of two years he resigned. Reverend Dr. Wilbur P. Thirkield took up the duties of the office in 1906. He was formally inaugurated, November 15. 1907, which occasion marked the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the University. Seeing the need of expansion for the University and of facilities for the teaching of science. Dr. Thirkield succeeded in raising the government appropriation from less than fifty thousand dollars to over one hundred thousand dollars in a period of six years. Out of special appropriations amounting to eighty thousand dollars, a Science Hall was erected. In 1909 the Carnegie Library was erected at a cost of fifty thousand dollars, the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Dormitories were improved and a system of sanitary plumbing and electric lights was installed. In 1913. the Hall of Applied Science was built at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. A special BSSflUffliSBlKaUB 9 2 4 B I S O N Beum mSRBBBSJSfEm

Page 16 text:

aegs Still this institution had neither name nor local habitation; its only possession was an aim to train colored youth for the ministry. Later the training of teachers was added to the original idea and the doors were thrown open to all who wished to enter, which act gave Howard University the unique distinction of being the first university in America to be established without some discrimination, either on a basis of race, sex, color, or creed. In the charter, provisions were made for departments of law, theology, and medicine; and it was named for the general, the philanthropist, the soldier—General Oliver O. Howard. The act of incorporation was signed by President Andrew Jackson on March 2. 1807; and instruction began in the following May. The first recitations were heard in a rented frame house which had been previously used as a dance hall on Seventh Street, extended, now Georgia Avenue, a little south of V Street. This property was afterwards bought for the University, and later resold when the permanent location was secured. General Howard experienced immense difficulty in obtaining the present very desirable location of the University. The owner of the property refused to sell a part of the one hundred-fifty acre tract, on the plea that the location of a Negro school would depreciate the value of the remainder. General Howard then purchased the entire tract at a cost of one hundred fifty thousand dollars, although the United States' Treasury was empty. With money received from the salt of surplus property and additional grants from rhe Freedmen’s Bureau, residences for several professors and four large buildings were erected. The four large buildings were University Hall, Miner Hall for girls, Clark Hall for boys, and a Medical building. For eight years Howard moved on. but found in May, 1873, that there was a deficit of almost one thousand dollars and every salaried officer in the University resigned as a result of readjustment in salaries and teachers. The university managed to survive the storm which came during the lean years that followed 1873; and came out a little wiser than before. The Freedmen’s Bureau had been abolished in 1873 and General Howard resigned the office of president of the University to re-enter the army. Not wishing to accept his resignation, the board of trustees granted him an indefinite leave of absence. The office of vice-president was revived, and John M. Langston (colored) was elected to that position. It was hoped that a new interest within the race would be aroused by placing a colored man in this position, but the lack of funds continued and he resigned. Philanthropists were not as willing to help in the support of the University as formerly, because it was assumed that the Government was paying the current expenses. On April 25. 1870. the Reverend Dr. William H. Patton was elected president of the university. His administration of twelve years was one of reconstruction and consolidation for Howard. The result of his efficient work was, that, beginning July 1, 1870, Congress appropriated ten thousand dollars toward current expenses. Since that time appropriations by Congress have been regularly made, and have so increased, that the institution at present receives over $360,000 per year from the United States Government. It was under Dr. Patton's administration that Howard rounded out and developed as a University; however, the various departments had 19 2 1 P. I S O N

Page 18 text:

department of Music was organized under Miss Lulu Vere Childers in 1909. In 1907, Professor Kelly Miller became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and through his writings did much to bring this department before the attention of the aspiring youth of the country. In 1912, Dr. Thirkield resigned, and Dr. Stephen M. Newman was chosen as head of the University, in which position he served five years. It was during president Newman's administration that Howard celebrated her fiftieth birthday. Thpre was on this occasion a memorable re-union, and Howard, recognizing with deep appreciation the breadth and vision of her founders who ignored prejudices, and that she might reflect their spirit for the years to come, made the celebration of this semi-centennial one of the events that will star through the ages. This occasion was fraught with opportunities of untold and inestimable value in the light of its history and in view of its future work. There was a very pronounced hope that out of this celebration there would grow a closer union of each alumnus with his fellow, and of the alumni and the faculty and students of the university. The possibilities that had grown out of fifty years of service had in like manner imposed upon those most interested in the development of Howard, correlated privileges and responsibilities, and they were now fully realizing that the enjoyment of the one precluded the possibility of denying tlit other. The preparation for the celebration of the semi-centennial from the alumni point of view included every thought, comfort and provision for the large body of men and women who were expected to attend it. About this time the General Alumni Association, under the leadership of Mr. Shelby -I. Davidson as president, took on new life ami vigor. From one of his stirring appeals to the association, written under the date of March 2, 1916, we quote the following paragraphs: “Finally in our Fiftieth Anniversary more now than ever before, the eyes of the world will he on us. Howard is to take stock, to take an inventory and in this, we, the Alumni, are not to be left out of the equation; and when the question in Napoleonic terseness is asked, 'What has he done?’ we must face the issue and give an accounting of half a century of effort, of opportunity, of service. What can we point to as our accomplished effort for Alma Mater? Will it Ik unitedness of effort? Solidarity of purpose? Oneness in genuine helpfulness, constructiveness. and activity? Let every alumnus examine himself and herself. Except two efforts, the one remaining as an example of applied energy in making the nucleus of the Professorship of Mathematics, now held by our beloved Kelly Miller; the other the Gymnasium project to raise ten thousand dollars, which did not as we had hoped— for one reason or another—meet with the success it merited and is still unfinished, but we do not count it dead, only sleeping. “The Alumni as such is behind those of other institutions in point of loyalty and tangible results of efforts put forth for our Alma Muter. Our confidence in Howard University men and women warrant us in the belief and assumption that, now facing an anniversary which will be notable in the history of the University, each one will rise in his and her might of accomplishment and sound along the line. Howard shall have the Alumni Gymnasium, and I will help to build it.’ ” The idea of the Alumni gymnasium just mentioned in Mr. Shelby Davidson's letter, dates back at least to the year 1908. At a meeting of the Alumni Association of that year, there was an effort put forth to decide? upon some definite aim for the general association in order to keep 1 1 9 2 4 BISON