University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

Page 29 text:

,xx ff 1 L , i 4 r 5 5 ? ? 3 3 1 3: i w 'I :1 Z P w L

Page 28 text:

m,Mfw'fmM' , M 4 aw, 5 2+,gw 'mw 'SFQMX vt J'-YQ 3132, 4-wa., wr' mm - - A ,W f .f ggw x ' X :ffm--ffgflm, ff W

Page 30 text:

Page 26 6a Quant! of 'amz' ,ar ' qw An early view of North College, which was completed in 1866. Back in the days when an lndian tepce sat at the far end of lylassachusctts street the first group of city fathers met to determine what name they should give their vigorous new settlement on the south bank of the Kansas River. Since the first citizens were true lWassaehusetts Yankees, the names New Boston and Fremont were heavy favorites, however, since Amos A. Lawrence said that he would give generously tof ward founding a university if the town were named for him, the education-minded New Englanders quickly took advantage of the opportunity. The town was named for Lawrence and he fulfilled his promise with a ten thousand dollar check. The endorsement carried the stipulation, however, that only a 'lfree state collegei' should be established and that it should be dedicated to perpetuate the memory of those who so bravely struggled to prevent Kansas from becoming a slave statcfi The first foundations were laid in 1859 by the Presbyterians of the city. Their finances were not sufficient and the Baptists, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians took their turns at raising money, but none were successful enough to complete the building, and the citizens of Lawrence began to look elsewhere for aid in financing their Ufree state collegefl In 1863 the legislature of Kansas located the state university at Lawrence. Blocked by a slow-moving state government and the famous Quantrillis Raid of 1863, the people of Lawrence did not see their dream fulfilled until North College was completed in 1866, and the first students began to arrive. This group of transplanted New Englanders indeed felt proud, for none of the twenty thousand dollars invested in the first building was furnished by the state. The first class at the University contained only forty students, none of which was enrolled in a co! legiate department. No high schools were organized at the time, and the Universitys eastern faculty found itself in a college building, teaching preparatory students. A professor in this struggling frontier school had to be very patient, for, on many occasions, eco- nomic neccssities, such as harvesting the crops and fighting off the Red Legs from Missouri, took prece- dence over scholastic matters. Professors David fl. Robinson and Frank H. Snow, members of the Hfrec state colleges, first faculty, labored loyally through its hazardous cradle-days help- ing to establish the university on a broad and strong foundation. Such men as these contributed to the out- standing quality of the faculty and from the first the new university was recognized as a dominant academic institution. Exemplifying this statement is the fact 'M ,Q syiu, law-4' ,. .. ,- uf' 1+ if