Knox College - Gale Yearbook (Galesburg, IL)

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THE GALE NINETEEN-TEN As the closing day of the campaign drew near the interest became intense. On the morning of the 15th of February 535,000 remained yet to be raised. Some Dart could be counted upon from large givers who had given assurance of their intention to subscribe, but who had not yet actually done so. But the rest must come from Galesburg. All day pledges, large and small, were secured. 1-lour by hour the amount still required grew smaller. llut when the last grand rally brought the friends of the college to Central Church in the evening there was still 37,542 to be raised. The scenes and events of that evening are historic. They will not be for- gotten by any who were there. Songs, cheers, speeches and pledges mingled in strange but stimulating confusion. The Class Scholarships were completed. Other scholarships were founded. Big gifts and little followed each other. The night wore on, but the day was won. For at eleven o'clock President McClelland announced that the s250,ooo had at last been fully pledged. Then, while the big bell in the church tower sent the news ringing over the city, the Galesburg Musi- cal Union sang the Hallelujah Chorus and the New Era for Old Knox had begun. K N 0 X conuzcr: 15 E N D O W M E N T

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K N O X COLLEGE 14 E N D O W M E N T THE GALE NINETEEN-TEN THE GALESBURG CAMPAIGN By Rev. J. PERCIVAL I'IUGE'1' most inspiring and enheartening part of the Endowment Campaign was that which had as its object the enlisting of the support of the citizens of Galesburg. This was most successfully accomplishedg so successfully that the whole city was stirred, genuine interest and enthusiasm aroused, many contribu- tions received, and the college entrenched more firmly than ever in the confidence and affection of the people. From the first it was certain that there would be large gifts from the mem- bers of the Board of Trustees residing in Galesburg. But it was doubly important that the general public should be enlisted. In the first place, it was certain that without liberal contribution by the city of Galesburg the total amount would not be raised. This was due, in part, to the fact that all contributions from every available source were imperatively needed if the whole amount were to be raised within the time limit, equally due to the further fact that it was known that many large gifts from non-residents would not be forthcoming if it should seem that the people of the home city were not deeply and genuinely interested in the cola lege and its future. In the second place, the financial campaign, important as it was, could not then be considered the largest issueg nor can its success be counted as the greatest gain. The real issue was that of the continued loyalty of this community to its historic college, and the greatest gain the manifestation in such unmistakable terms of an undiminished regard and an ever increasing determination to sustain and support the college as it faces the larger problems of its constantly expanding field and ever enlarging opportunity. For the most exacting could not ask greater manifestation of loyalty or more substantial support than that which was given. At a dinner tendered to the busi- ness men of the city by Mr. Geo. A. Lawrence the local campaign was launched. A business men's committee was appointed consisting of sixteen members. This committee innnediately organized and pushed the local canvass until the day of final success, receiving constant advice and co-operation from President Mc- Clelland, and assisted very greatly by the systematic plans and accurate records provided and kept by Prof. Griffith and Kellogg McClelland. It is impossible within the limits of this article to do justice to the large part contributed by these gentlemen to the success of the work of the committee. The work of this committee was ably seconded and forwarded by a larg: munber of volunteer workers. The loyalty to and love for the college on the part of the people of the city was so constantly and so warmly manifested that solicitation in most cases met with a most ready and willing response. In all, one thousand one hundred and eighty-two contributions were made by residents of Galesburg, ranging in amount from 350.10 to S25,000, and aggregat- ing 588,024.81

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K N O X COLLEGE 16 E N D O W M E N T THE GALE NINETEEN-TEN THE GEGRGE DAVIS SCIENCE HALL By DR. H.. V. NEAL LL alumni and friends of Knox College will rejoice in the official announce ment that ground will be broken during Commencement Week for a new Science Hall, costing 350,000 It has been only three years since the movement was begun, which has resulted in this most welcome announcement. In 1900, Mr. Carnegie made the conditional offer to the trustees of 350,000 for a Science building in case the trustees raised EI550,000 for its maintenance. This offer has since been changed as a result of the campaign for aquarter of a million for en- dowment to 350,000 for endowment, and the science building will be known as the George Davis Science llall, in honor of a former treasurer of the college through the gift of 325,000 by Mr. Thomas J. Mclinight of Galesburg. During the past decade and a half since the Science courses in Knox College were placed on a laboratory basis, the scientilic departments have been compelled to occupy quarters quite unsuited to their needs. Moreover, the growth in size of the college classes and of interest in advanced courses in science has made the need not only of more adequate facilities and equipment but also of larger quart- ers, an imperative one. The new Science I-Iall will therefore mean much to the college, much more than a new and stately building to adorn the beautiful Knox campus. It will mean accommodations for a larger number of students in the lab- oratory courses and provision for the storage of apparatus and equipment-in fact modern conveniences instead of the crowded and inconvenient rooms now used. Moreover, it will mean much in improving the content of courses in science, more especially in those advanced courses where the conditions required for experimen- tation could not be met in the old laboratories. In place of crowded, ill-lighted, ill- ventilated and poorly heated rooms, the new building will be carefully built with these needs in view. Furthermore, the modern lecture rooms, well ventilated and equipped with projection apparatus, will mean much not only to, the college but to the city of Galesburg in supplying places for public lectures, and Knox College will be able to perform more completely its function as an educational factor in the community. Space does not permit a detailed statement of the de- tails of the plans of the building. Suffice it to say here that in the new George Davis Science I-Iall Knox College will have equipment for college courses in science second to none in the educational institutions in the middle west.