Illinois Wesleyan University - Wesleyana Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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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

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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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BREAKING SOD FOR THE NEW SCIENCE BUILDING 20