Illinois Wesleyan University - Wesleyana Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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,s5QD,Q THE WESLEYANA 1911 At the expiration of the three years' contract the trustees assumed the financial re- sponsibility of the college, but at the suggestion of the Munsell brothers, adopted the rule which was maintained until 1866 and -f measurably enforced u11til 1873, that the - 1 .. . professors must accept pro rata the in- i come fo'r the year in full satisfaction of their claims. To this rule, Dr. Mun- sell says the University owes its life. In 1860, the faculty numbered tive and the students over ninety. From 1860-'65 its growth was slow. During this period, however, it freed itself from , debt, and in 1866 a large sum was raised as a11 endowment. This was the centennial year of Methodism i11 Amer- ica, a11d this institution received a por- tion of the centennial gifts. Its appara- tus, museum, and library were all re- membered. Ill 1868, a larger building was needed to accommodate the in- creased number of students, and sub- scriptions amounting to 840,000 were taken to erect the present main hall. The corner- stone was laid in 1870 and the building was dedicated in -Iune, 1871, having cost SIO0,000. In 1870, ladies were admitted, and twenty-tive at once enrolled. This action was taken by the board upon the recommendation of tl1e faculty, admitting them to all rights and privileges accorded to gentlemen. President lXlunsell's career at Illi- nois Wesleyan was a most honorable one. A study of the catalogues of the institution shows the remarkable in- crease i11 attendance, the valuable addi- tions to the museum, the splendid courses which compared very favorably with the best colleges i11 the VVest. The history of the IXIuseum is in- teresting as well as varied. Tl1e first catalogue for the years 1851 and 1852. states that there are on the shelves of the cabinet about 1,700 specimens. This presumably refers to scientific speci- mens. From this nucleus has grown a collection that now fills to oyerHowing the two large rooms devoted to that purpose. I11 1863, large and very valuable additions were made to the Museum of Natural History by a contribution from the State Cabinet of Geology, at Springfield. At this time, the organization of the School of Law had been contemplated. Lectures on this subject had been delivered before the University for one or two years during this administration, Ollf of which lectures ' came the organization of the Law School - in 1874. during the administration of Bishop Fallows. At this same time the courses were extended, the faculty was increased, the non-resident and post- graduate college was established. In August, 1375, Rev. William H. H. Adams, D.D., was elected president, un- der whom the work was prosecuted with vigor and skill until 1887. His adminis- tration began under grarest discourage- ments. The panic of 1873 had depreci- ated values, prostrated business, and in- directly added to the indebtedness of the institution for its main building, but . with zeal and energy rarely surpassed, he devoted himself to the task of saving the institutioii from its financial embarrassments. In 1880-'81, additions were made to the 111useum of a collection of plants from the Wheeler and from the Powell Geological Survey. In 1886, specimens were received from the United States National Museum. I . sw. f, 18

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sfewasana THE WESLEHYANA 1911 frzfaefmfsai istory o In 1850, a number of the leading citizens of Bloomington agitated the founding of a University to be under the control of the Methodist Church, although open to students from all religious denominations upon equal terms. In the winter of 1850-,5I, a prepara- tory school was opened in the basement of the Methodist Church with Rev. Reuben An- drus as principal. In July following, a second professor was secured, and one year thereafter Rev. John Dempster, DD., was elected presi- dent of the University, and although his name remained as such for two years, he never performed any of the duties of the office. At the session of the legislature, held in January and February, 18153, the University received a special charter, which vested the ownership and control of the institution in the Illinois Annual Conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church-its hrst organization being under the gen- eral incorporation statute. One graduate composed the class of 1853. At the animal meeting of the trustees, held in July of that same year, the University granted its first degree-that of A.B. to James H. Barger. Soon after the organization of the first board of trus- tees, the question of a site for the building began to be discussed, and, after a number of proposals had been made, a ten-acre lot, lying north of Chestnut street and east of the Chicago and Alton railroad was chosen, and a deed received for the same from James Allin, one of the PYCS- MUUSGH- founders, Later, but not until a contract had been let for a building and the materials for the same had been collected on the ground, the location proved so unsatisfactory that proposals were invited for another site, and, on the 24th day of June, 1854, the present site was selected, the building material collected on the Al- lin lot was removed to the present site, and the present preparatory building was erected. Financial support had been sparingly given during these years, and the institution be- came involved in debt. In 1855, the faculty, as a result, resigned. However, in August, 1855. Rev. C. W. Sears was elected president, and under his management the school was opened October 1, 1855. and was continued until July, 1856, when President Sears resigned and the trustees decided to suspend the school until a sufficient sum could be raised to pay the indebtedness which it had already incurred. Thus, school was discontinued and the build- ing which had been so far advanced as in part to be occupied, was sold I under a mechanicls lien. In 1857, under a new charter and a new Board of Trustees, the building was redeemed and completed and the school re-opened. At the meeting of this board in July, Rev. Oliver S. Mun- sell, A.lXl., was elected president of the University. lle accepted the position. and, unasked, contracted with the board to conduct the school for three years at his own expense, provided full finan- cial control and the selection of teach- ers should be vested in him, a respon- sibility afterward shared by his brother, E. B. Munsell. All., who that year became a member of the faculty. At this time also the Rev. Charles W. Munsell, of the Illinois Conference. a brother of the president-elect, was elected Hnancial agent for the University. Although the school had been suspended for one year, and the building was unfinished and a heavy debt had been incurred, the Munsell brothers, by untiring Zeal and energy, inspired such confidence among the people of the patronizing territory that success was soon assured. They advanced money for completion of the buildings. finished and furnished it and opened the school in the following September. Its professors numbered three and its students seventeen. 17

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5 THE WESLEYANA 1911 5839536259 At tl1e annual meeting of the board of trustees in June, 1888, Rev. YVillian1 ll. Wfilder, A.M., D.D., was elected president and served u11til 1897. During his administration the ground, which is now used for an athletic park and is known as Wilcler Field, was secured. The Shellabarger and H. S. Swayne cl1en1ieal laboratories were added to the science department. The former, do- nated by David S. Shellabarger, of De- catur, and a few other friends of the University, has greatly increased tl1e facilities for advanced chemistry work. lt is furnished with all modern con- veniences and is supplied with a f11ll li11e of apparatus for accurate Illlll ad- VZIIICCCI work. The latter was a personal gift to D 11itio11 of her husband's friendship for h11n. 115.4 NVilder Field. r, Graham from Mrs. Swayne in recog- The year 1893 was momentous in the history of the Museum :uid E1'l2l1'liS an epseh in - ' C- 1-X.anc its growth. In that year it became tl1e recipient Rebecca S. Lichtenthaler collections of shells, sc: .., ..s.., ..f-.Yc- ,...,. H thiough bequest o tie iitorgc 1 algae and ferns,-a collectio11 that has no equal in this section of the C0lll1t1'y. In the spring of 1898, Dr. Edgar M. Smith, A.lX'l., D.D., was elected preside11t. At this period WCSlCj'Hll was passing through trying times, caused by tl1e ac- tion against small colleges and by her OVVII financial condition. She held out remarkably well at first against these re- actions. Soon, however. tl1e attendance began to fall off, To 510111 the ti111e. therefore, Dr. Smith entered tl1e held on a campaign for tl1e securing of IICXV stu- de11ts and endowments. At the meeting of the trustees In IOO4, Dr. Smith resigned tl1e presidencyg and on January 6, IQO5, Dr. Francis G. liarnes was elected to succeed l1in1. He took charge on July 1, 1905. His splen- did organizing ability was shown in the formation of tl1e WO111Hl17S University Guild, in the organization of the Departments of Domestic Science, Commerce and Art, and in the bringing of tl1e several schools of tl1e University into closer union. He secured a promise of 330,000 for a science building from Andrew Carnegie, flllfl engaged in an active campaign for raising tl1e 360,000 endowme11t which summer of strenuous work, the amount had practically been raised. ln June, 1908, Dr. Theodore Kemp was unaniniously elected to the presi- dency, and he assumed tl1e duties of the office on July hrst. To him fell the task of finishing tl1e work Dr. Barnes had set so far on its way, and it was finally announced that the required amount had been deposited, and thereupon Mr, Car- negie's promise became a reality. The sod for the Carnegie Science Building was broken March 14. Following closely on the heels of that joyous spectacle, came the promise of a library from a noble benefactress of Wesleyan, to be erected 011 the campus in a couple of was conditional to Mr. C'arneg1c's gift. After a WMU Lichtenthaler Museum. years. Another 1TlOVCH1CIlt for the Greater VVesleya11, of which we hear so much and of which we never tire of hearing more, is the one stirring among the alumni of the Law School to erect a building for its exclusive 11se. President Kemp's work lies before him. His mission is to rally the Metho- dists to the support of old VVesleyang and from his wonderful achievements in the short time of his administration so far, we safely predict his to be a wonderfully fruitful period in VVesleyan's history. 19