Indiana State University - Sycamore Yearbook (Terre Haute, IN)

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-V.. The second Normal Building. Old Main , opened for classes in the fall of 1888. After the extinguishing ofthe fire, all that was left was smoking, broken walls of the building, six-hundred earnest students, about thirty faculty members, and the intangible real spirit of the Indiana State Normal School . After the fire, President Parsons and Vice- President Howard Sandison announced that classes would resume at 8:50 a.m. the following morning, Through the courtesy of the churches and private citi- zens of Terre Haute, temporary classrooms were made available. The Centenary Methodist Church was the main center until the second floor of the city high school was sufficiently equipped and conditioned to serve as quarters until the end of the school year. Steps were immediately taken to erect another building on the old foundation. As a result of a petition signed by more than twelve hundred citizens, the City council appropriated 325,000 for the school on April 17. This was clone by a unanimous vote. while there was only one dissenting vote on july 5 when an addi- tional 325,000 was appropriated. At the next session of the state legislature a total of 3100,000 was ap- propriatedg 360,000 for the restoration of the main building, 313,000 for the boiler house, 315,000 for the library and 312,000 for the science equipment, fur- niture, and incidentals. This money was used to com- plete the new building, referred to as Old Main , which opened its unfinished doors for the fall term of 1888. Eleven ll , l MII! ,..-as aqua- N do -'vs - fs 5 ' 'il , III' ' .Nl ' N , te Q . A -ti. ,,.!!. , H3 gf, ill. , . .1 V , J , Q I M- i g zu . ,, , i as .,..,'- . x ,few N' L - .. - V ' fr. X' '-ai o: f. Q N 'e-' 1.-T . .- J ' ' 5 A . V rs 1 ' A-.41 . ,. A .,, , t , it - -0 :af ,faj.,Wfm0?t1e, 1 r' f- . '- ' , ,....Qi-Q.,-A . .. Qi , -Z -'73 . ' '1Z'a,g1 ,,.'.'-, 'I .- .Ti-13? 'sfo ' Students were packed and ready to leave Terre Ha-ute from Union Station when President Parsons and Vice-President Sandison .in- nnunced that classes would resume at 8,50 A M the following day. After the second floor of the City High School building was equipped, classes were moved there from Centenary Church, .xi

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Fire demolished Normal building he second semester of the 1888 school year at Indiana State Normal School began as the most successful in the institutions brief history. Then disaster struck. On the morning of April 9, 1888, the eighteen year old Normal building was destroyed by fire. The building not only contained the schools classrooms but also the library and physics laboratories. The only equipment saved from the calamity was three pieces of physics apparatus, thirteen microscopes. a handful of library books, and a record of Board meeting minutes from 1866 which Miss Helen Gilbert, President Par- sons' secretary. had carried out. m. .j ,N t l' it s ' ' K Q Kel? 1 X ,ff-7 .rf 8 1 e essee at 1' ,wi r A , . ' ll 51? is S 3 s L N 'H--lirsiirt-Es r W t af 5.1-9 sf .. '-vs2 xl ' 0 7 ST'-1 xl' in U . 1 - ,- . UQ i 1 1 - ' , 8- ,V -mc'-s ...A-se-I s T -gnu l s- 'ss' V- ' - TT . rw: ., 'ra ...TNQ ,M , - r . -Y '-n-.K - - . V ik '31 I -4- , v 'A lt P --- , s. use - ff Centenary Methodist Church housed classes until classrooms could be found elsewhere Ten Apparently the fire started in the attic due to a defective flue. The first classes of the morning had just begun at 8:50 when the fire was reported. There were approximately sixrhundred people in the building when the police and firemen arrived at President Par- sons' office. I-le immediately went to each classroom and ordered the classes dismissed. The building was completely evacuated except for one class whose pro- fessor was doubtful of the fire warnings since he had not seen the flames. After a lengthy discussion with a policeman, the professor dismissed his class. .A 1 Terre Haute appropriated money and the Normal Building was immediately razed and a new building was erected on the same foundation, the all l , I' .A T ' Q 4.4 . Q , - y ll Y 1.4 l i 'L i ill 3 8' . , f ii in 'A 1 Y e so a 8 ,x7'g 's'.: f ssl H P s ui. QT ' . r 1 - Q, il ' ' . T i l is s ,fi an ff a --sa' L n' 1 r T 1 H, T w i af f e ' - .1 - vig ,.- . +ve' r em? r +2 ' s

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'Nineties brought sports to Normal 'if' njune of 1897 the Attorney General of Indiana stated that the Normal School had the legal right to pro- P vide courses in physical education. Departments of Physical Education for both men and women were set up during that year. The established Student Athletic Association pre- sented a petition to the Board requesting that a suit- able field or grounds for athletic games and practice be provided. The problem of meeting this request was not an easy one. In fact, it was to wait forty-eight years for an adequate solution. The Board asked President Parsons to confer with the officers of the Athletic Association. and after a few years Parsons Field was added to the facilities of the Normal School. The sec- ond field, located on South 17th Street, was purchased in 1909 following sale of the first field. The first outdoor sport to be taken up by the Normal School students was baseball. From year to year baseball teams were hastily organized after the opening of the spring quarter. Since traveling expenses made inter-collegiate contests impossible, a strong rivalry arose between the Normal School and Rose Polytechnic Institute. The schedule generally consisted of two games per year. Twelve Baseball was the first outdoor sport to be played by Normal students. -sl'.f.i21' Parsons Field was the scene of many baseball and football contests.