Illinois Wesleyan University - Wesleyana Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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to make Illinois Wesleyaiu Nmore thoroughly deserv- ing the name of university. Unconsciously, this action pointed vaguely to the present School of Nursing. The University was almost literally sold 'lon the blockn in front of the court house in 1881. Debts had piled high and skillful maneuvering was re- quired to satisfy the eastern creditors who had an- nounced their intention of foreclosure and public auction. Chaddock College, a degree-granting Methodist institution at Quincy, Illinois, was merged with Wes- leyan in 1878, as was Hedding College, of Abing- don, Illinois in 1928. This University adopted the graduates of both schools, receiving certain minor assets in return. Anyway, a historic triad in Meth- odist educational enterprise was finally accomplished. Chaddoclc School for Boys, at Quincy, is the de- nominational successor of Chaddock College. Hed- ding Hall flater Duration Hallj and the Hedding The Classic Revival facade of Memorial Gymnasium, . . erected Q1921Q through the generosity of the people of Bloomington and McLean County as a memorial to those students . . . who by their sacrince and service to humanity have brought honor to their alma mater. Kemp Hall, built by the Antoine DeMange family in 1906 for 3A80,000, had elevator, domed ballroom, and tile roof. Its porte-cochere tended to lend architectural balance. Wesleyan paid 340,000 in 1912 and made it a women's dormitory. A Navy V-5 unit lived there from 1942-1944, and dubbed it l'The U.S.S. Wasp. Subsequently it has housed women, the administration Q1952j, women, men, and now women again. Long the center of social life, it was here that Dean Beadles courted the lady who is now his wife, she lived in Room fi.

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Before Memorial Center was built, students boarded at their respective residence halls, the Hut, or in restaurant hangouts near the campus. The Drug CNierstheimer's Drug Storey was especially popular. Another, still extant, was what we know as The College Inn. Wfhat is now Murray's Hobbyland had a fountain too. Wforld Wfar II came and the few men on campus joined the girls fabovej in Kemp Hall for their meals. Then the navy moved into Kemp. The Theta Chi house became known as Cen- tral Hall, a common dining place at which Mother Bunton CSigma Chi housemotherb was hostess. The Teke house QWest Hallj became a girls' boarding houseg Phi Mu QSouth Hallj, a men's boarding house. an illustration of this really magnificent academic hall, costing around 8100,000. This and later pic- tures show the central tower ffrontj and four cor- ner towers. An interior feature was Amie Chapel, a large and beautiful room named for the mother of james Coler, of Champaign. The graduation exer- cises were held here in June, 1872, though classes did not occupy the building till the spring of 1875. The fall session of 1870-71 saw the admission of young women to Wesleyan's halls of learning. After many lengthy arguments hy members of the faculty and the board of trustees, a noble, but daring, eX- periment in the held of coeducation was authorized. In September twenty-two female students entered classes, one as a sophomore fKate Rossj, two as freshmen fDelia Henry and Rhoda Wfileyj, and nineteen others in the preparatory department. The IS next year forty-three were enrolled. and so the myth- ical Ann, along with Wesley, her boy friend, was on her academic way! The hrst woman graduate was Mrs. Hannah Shur, of the class of 1872. Thus, in spite of over twenty years for Illinois Wesleyaia to make up its mind, it became one of the early co- educational colleges of America, following the lead of Oberlin, in Ohio. The Law School was opened on April 6, 1874. It became well known for its contribution to the bar of Illinois and other states, but could not maintain a professional, full-time faculty under the rules of new standardizing agencies. It closed its doors in 1927, to the profound regret of a wide community of alumni and friends. Even a medical school was once planned, and ac- tually organized on a tentative basis in April, 1879-

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Bell remind us of the close connection of the sister college. The first Homecoming celebration of Illinois Wes- leyan was staged on November 10, 1917, with dec- orated residence halls and houses and a parade through the business district. As a climax, Bradley was defeated by Wfesleyan in a football game, 14-0. But the World War began to disrupt the program of the University with more and more men going into the service. Attention was quickly turned from plans for a second Homecoming in the fall of 1918 to the installation of a Students' Army Training Corps. Wesleyan was one of 500 colleges to secure such a military unit. The temporary barracks were built on the lot where Memorial Gymnasium now stands, and the cadets drilled on the grounds near by. Fortunately, the Armistice of November 11 put an end to campus participation in the war. An active attempt to move the University to Springfield was blocked in the spring of 1919. A successful local campaign for funds to keep Wes- leyan in Bloomington soon settled the question of removal to the state capital. Wfhether this was en- tirely a genuine danger, or in part a stratagem to enlist new support for the institution, as well as a builder of civic pride among the townsmen, may never be fully known. Although the liberal arts were favored and fea- tured in the original college, instruction in music was offered as early as 1862, under the direction of Professor Harvey C. De Motte. By 1877 a separate division of music had been established. As it de- veloped, most of the work was carried on in down- town studios till 1919, when the School of Music fby this time so-calledl was moved to the campus and fully organized as a regular part of the Univer- sity. The coming of Dean Arthur E. Westbrook meant a quick upsurge of interest in and support for this professional school, and during his time and after his departure no phase of university work was more successful than the music courses and ac- tivities connected with Presser Hall. The School of Music, of course, was the nucleus of the College of Fine Arts, created from 19-46 to 1950. This college has been one of the most am- bitious projects of recent years on this campus. Art, Dramatics and Speech, and Music now parallel the three divisions of Liberal Arts-Humanities, Nat- ural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The new Wes- leyan theatre, scheduled for 1961-62, will pick up and expand along many artistic lines the dramatic talents of a large segment of our student body, and the School of Art, which like the Dramatics program has had a rather migratory existence, when relocated and given new studios and galleries of its own will become more firmly entrenched in the educational and cultural pattern of the campus. Things went along slowly, with some progress XX'esleyan trounced Normal in two football games with scores of 10-0 and 6-0 in 1887. beginning a traditional rivalry. The camera caught the two teams in the midst of the 1958 brawl pictured below. Story of the melee was carried in metropolitan newspapers.