Middle Tennessee State University - Midlander Yearbook (Murfreesboro, TN)

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il 1 mme? ei lung way This addition lrighll will make travel between new and old science buildings easy and dry.

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You've come a long way, baby! Things sure have changed here since I was a student back in 1911. That was when the Tennessee General Assembly established four normal schools or junior colleges, includ- ing one in Murfreesboro, primarily for teachers. On opening day, September 10, 1911, the campus here consisted of only four buildings - a classroom and library building fOld Mainl, a dining room fDrawing Buildingl, a women's residence hall fRutIedgel and the president's home. Rutherford County and the city of Murfreesboro paid the construction costs for the new institution. Robert L. jones, a 250-pound, 6-foot-8 man, served as the first president and the school went into operation with 19 faculty members. I. S. Holmes was the first of a total of 125 students who registered for the initial term. We did have a few registration problems then. However, we didn't have to worry about career plans and citing a specific major, to be eligible for the college, we were required-to sign a pledge to teach after graduation. I remember my first day at Rutledge Hall. In some ways, dorm life was just like home. We even had outside shacks for bathrooms. Luxuries were scarce then. Campus women took an upper hand early. Men had to live off campus, but the school provided a home for us. Some peo- ple commuted, though, and left their horses tied at the hitch barn. I'm sure you couldn't believe some rules that were established for our protection. When we went uptown, at least 10 cou- ples had to make the journey together. Our group looked like an Army convoy. +1-eggs If a boyfriend came to visit, the dorm 1, .ae mother would chaperone. She would read or crochet in the corner - glancing up once in a while to make sure that every- thing was ship-shape. Smoking was prohibited on campus then. I remember one student was almost expelled because he was caught smoking a cigarette. At mealtime, a blessing was said. But the Doxology was sung before anyone ate a bite. One night, a male student tossed a piece of bread across the table. Immediately, he was placed on probation. President jones' son Horace was the only person with a car. If we wanted to go somewhere, we either walked or rode horses. Although the watchwords were study and performance in the classroom, athletics began with an informal football team in 1912. During the next year, a faculty member coached the team. Cames were played with area secondary schools. Basketball was coached by Alf Miles. In 1913, the team competed in three games. In one win, the team defeated Dixie College, which later evolved into Tennessee Tech. you've come along way 3

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The war years brought financial difficulties, but the school kept alive by training sol- diers in classes, drills and foreign languages. With their songs and drills, there was hardly ever a dull moment. By 1925, a men's dormitory, Iones I-lall, was constructed. Now, it was only a short walk from Iones to Rutledge. During the same year, the legislature changed the school to a four-year institution - Middle Tennessee State Teacher's College. When the Depression hit the country, attempts were made to close the institution. The curriculum was cut, and months passed before teachers salaries were paid. At this time, the name was changed again to State Teacher's College - Murfrees- boro. World War II caused the enrollment to sag to an all-time low. While the fighting con- tinued. the school underwent still another name change when it became Middle Ten- nessee State College in 1943. Because the men coming back from the battlefield needed new programs, the curric- ulum was enlarged after the war to include pre-professional courses in law and medi- cine. The post-war period was a time of growth for the campus. Construction was slow at first, but soon began to expand with the addition of courses. In 1951, the graduate school was established. A year later, the curriculum was expanded and the bachelor of arts degree was introduced. We finally reached university status in 1965, and our name was changed to Middle Tennessee State University. Today, the campus has 506 acres and a total of 63 buildings. More students are enrolling each year, and the programs are expanding rapidly. Yes, things sure have changed . . . Looking across campus from the UC at night lleftl makes one wonder what the future will hold for MTSU. YOU X P I UIUC d ltlflg H'