Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Women should learn to sew declared President Anderson. From that time on domestic art has been offered to all Kansas State girls. These early seamstresses had to treadle their own. town of Manhattan, fearful that the college would be combined with the university at Lawrence, contributed a generous sum of money and the present 155-acre campus was purciiased. The following year a pre- tentious barn was planned and one wing erected. Then came an about face and real progress. The change began with a legislative investigation of the college and ended in the appointment of an executive. Anderson Made President John A. Anderson, the new president, took the chair in 1873 and occupied it for only six years, but in that short time he completely reorganized the college, swinging it out of the backwater of classical education into the current of usefulness to the information- hungry people of the expanding state. He abolished the literary course, made 50 minutes of constructive physical labor mandatory for all able- bodied students, installed telegraph between buildings, and offered courses in telegraphy to both men and women. lie changed the barn on the present campus Food, well-cooked and served, opens the door of any man ' s heart. And State ' s co-eds have cheered many jaded palates. The floor-li ' ngth skirts were no hindrance to deft fingers. inlo a classroom and office building and added three new buildings for mechanics, horticulture and chemistry respectively. He also drew the plans for the building which was to become his own monument and the best known symbol of the college he recreated, Anderson Hall. He established the Industrialist in 1875, giving it a dynamic editorial policy and state-wide circulation. Anderson left Kansas State College in 1879 to become a member of Congress, but he had charted a course, established precedents which have guided the institution in all subsequent constructive development. George T. Fairchild, his successor, came to the the helm of Kansas State from Michigan State Agri- Baseball stars of 1897 wore KAC on their jerseys. When thes diamond dusters were playing ball, the school was generally knowi as the Kansas Agricultural College. Wildcat gridsters of ' 90 practiced in the city park. To these early players riiiiipiiiciit was something to wish for. Punishment was severe and cluers meager. They played for the love of the game.

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The original site of the campus is marked by a monument against which leans Harold Nelson, who dug through libraries, dusty attics and private collections to assemble this photo-history. Preserved in stone is the memory of Kansas State ' s humble beginning. This lettered arch which once crowned the front f f Bluemont College Building was rescued from the oblivion of a farmer ' s barn to span the southern wall of the Library Art gallery. emphasis on literature, morals and elliics instead of much-needed practical and technical training. The only attempt at physical addition was the purchase of a boarding hall. Built originally by private parties, the hall was later purchased by the college for $10,000. It housed men students in one part and women in the other. A widely circulated story of a certain strait-laced faculty member who is said to have suggested a board fence be built down the center of the walk leading from the hall to prevent the oppo- site sexes from associating with each other unduly. Early Social Life Kansas State ' s earliest social organization was the Bluemont Literary Society, designed to combine pleasure with forensic training. In 1868 the society split to form the Alpha Beta and Webster Societies. A field of corn, or rather an attempt by one of the professors to grow corn in the rocky clay soil led to the change to the present campus in 1871. The ex- periment convinced the faculty and the Board of Regents that any attempt to fulfill the agricultural provision of the Morrill Act would be futile until the college obtained some more productive land. The Friends and fishing lillcd many Imppv liours lor curly Kan- Staters. The Blue River and Wildcat creek were favorite ham for study-wearied students before the days of shows and varsilic Literary societies sponsored most of the early si liclore Ihc advent of other social organizations. Pi ildcal rated high with the society members. long the

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Senior numerals perched ubovc the sinokusUilv n . ,ill . feud in which the juniors came out second best. Iron rods fully forged, provide the almost invisible perch. Chapel in Anderson Hall nas part of the dail program for many classes of Kansas Staters. Recreation center and art department rooms now fill the place where stage sets used to be. cultural Collcfif, I lie nation ' s pioneer agricultural school. Fairdiild continued the Anderson precedent and the college grew like a healthy youngster. Physical and educational growth stimulated the development of an even more potent force - sclioul spirit. As the students increased from a total of 207 in 1879 to 734 in 1897. class groups and other organiza- tions increased in size and influence. Two more literary societies were formed, the Hamilton and I lie Ionian, in 1884 and 1887 respectively. TheY.M.C . and (he Y. W. C.A. became permanent organizations in 188. ' ). Competition between classes became keen and conihals frequent and sometimes bloody. ' Ihi ' cliicf delight of the underclassmen was lo huniiliale I heir more ad- vanced rivals, before, during or after I he lal lei ' s closely guarded meetings. Organize Athletic Association . tldelics received their first real support in 1897 with the organization of the Athletic Association, Haseball. football, and later basketball began to take their place in student life. The first student newspaper, the Students Herald, began publication January 8, 1896, to answer the increasing demand for student expression on the campus. Two years later a student song contest gave Ihr .ujlege ilie lnia Malrr. II. V. Jones was the aulhor of h,,lh words and nuisic. Political tides swept the campus in 1897 with the sudden vav(! of Populism. It dominated tlie whole slate |)(ilitical pict ure and swept President Fairchild and scNcrai of his conscrvalive faculty co-workers from I lie campus. I ' airchild was replaced by Thomas K. Will, head ,.f Ihe (Irparlnieiil of |»,liliVal .■e.moniy. Lovers ' lane framed many a romantic moment as couples lingered down its shady aisle. Now denude of sheltering trees and shrub- bery, it lacks its former charm of quiet seclusion. nmm Rainbow dances weaved fantastic patterns in front of ivy-covered walls. Literary societies presented many forms of entertainment before the davs of commercialized recreation.