Millikin University - Millidek Yearbook (Decatur, IL)

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.J ' n-- sg A Brief Historical Sketch of the University and of the Decatur College and Industrial School On May 13, 1900, Mr. James Millikin, an honored f-itizf-n and success ful business man of Decatur, made a formal proposition ro In-, XY. J, Darby, secretary of the Educational Society of the 1'unilif-i-linifl l'l'o'4FlJYtQ- rian Church, and Rev. A. W. Hawkins. pastor of the t'llllll'H'l'l51ll'l l'rcsl-jv- terian church at Decatur, to found an institution uf le-rwiiiiifr in lr:--ratur under the auspices of that denomination. A ff-xv days aft'-r. thc proposi- tion took definite form, in Substance as follows: Mr. Millikin offr rfal to donate Oakland Park as a Site for the new f-villain? 1,1111 inf- mn, ..f 11-.-ft hundred thousand dollars in cash, provided the synodg of llltllmlifl. lllirm-is and Iowa of the Cumberland Presbyterian chin-ch would raisf- or-b lnn.'lr-'fl thousand dollars and the city of Dec-:itnr a similar :lnionnr for ns sup- port. A few weeks afterward he expressed his flctr-rininzni-in to -1-ntrilmte a still larger sum for its inaintenance which adfl.-fl gr.-.lily in thi- -'liil'.ll- sia-sim which his original proposition had zilrl-:nly :ironw-fl. A College Commission was appointed at tht- Hrtoli--r lll'f'lll:l1F of th-- synods named for the purpose of raising: the :inionnt l 'Illlll 1l from the church. It organized at Decatur, tictohcr 23. livfifl. A roininiixw- --f ci:- izens was appointed to solicit the city's quota which lll'llll 'lll'ltf'lj' origqnzizcll and proceeded with its work. On .l:nin:iry 1. 1901. Mr. Nlillikin uns 1--tififd that his conditions had bc-en mct. The Commission and a Vitizcns' t'onnnittcf-, aft--r sw-wliiiu nun-'h tins-- in negotiating with thc Board of 'Frnsii-rs of Lint-nln l'nix.-rsixy snr. i- f .erence to a union of thc two institutions. :igri -1-l l upon 1'-il.-in .nn--it-liiwr -. to the charter of thc llnivf-frsity. which provifl-wl that i1 sh-inlll -lennzc tw name to Lincoln Collcgre and along: with thc proposfwl lh mitnr -illvszo an-l Industrial School con1stitntc'l'ln- .lainrs Millikin l'nn.-1-sity .ls 1 .-- '- ig -' --1-1 Ccssor of Lincoln Uliivcrsityg that tho ltoiird of 'l'ins1----s -if 1h-- l'i ww-my should be nppoirrtoql lay tln- tlirw- synoels nnine--l. 1-r.i-iiirtllx ir tl- 1-.wo TTl!llll'lQl' as the trustees of Lincoln l'niN'vl'sity' had li i--' n .vi-iioint-2-l. ai -l tt it each collogc should lu- ll'UYl'l'llt'tl Ivy .1 lt -f-. il l-on--l --1' in lr ng- is 1:-1--' ' '- 1 ' the said Board of 'l'rnstc-cs. in ronjnnr-lion with the l'1f'si-l-111 --f it .X I -i versity. 'Vlicy also dcfincd tin- rights :intl prixilvi:-s of --,nah ...Thru i' l SD9f'lfiC:llly sol. fortll lllv tllllll'H of 1':l1'l1 lililllal qinil --f tin- l'iosi-l- it --' -' University. The :nncndvd chart--r xu-nt into opvrzition on il-- .l4ll'l'll .-ww Nrii' I-i 11'-ol The lncinhcrs of thc first lloard of 'l'lll?'l f--- s urn- as ff-ll--xi-. XY J lvzl-x lf:

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James Millikin and President Taylor escort President Roosevelt between lines of School children. Dedication of James Millikin University, Decatur, Ill., June 4th, 1903. 14

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Indiana, president, XV. C. Outteln, Illinois, vice presidentg H. E. Starkey, Illinois. secretary: S. E. Walker, Illinois, treasurerg A. C. Boyd, J. T. Foster, IC. G. King, A. NV. Hawkins, W. T. M-Offett, F. E. Bell, R. M. Tinnon, W. S. Phillips, and A. H. Mills, all of Illinoisg J. E. Williamson, Indiana, and R. L. Vannice, Iowa. The new board of managers for the Decatur College and Industrial Schoolforganized on June 14, 1901. The membership was as follows: I. R. Mills. president, A. R. Scott, vice presidentg S. EL Walker, secretaryg O. B. Corin, treasurer, T. T. Roberts, W. J. Wayne, A. R. Mlontgomery, Peter Loeb, T. A. Powers, J. K. McDavid, C. S. Needham and A. R. Taylor, ex-officio. On May 1, 1901, an informal tender of the presidency of the University was made to President A. R. Taylor of the Kansas State Normal School. The formal tender was made June 11. With much hesitation he accepted the position and entered upon the discharge of its duties, July 1. In company with Mr. Millikin and Mr. Loeb, chairman of the building com- mittee of the local board, he visited a number of the leading a.nd best equipped institutions of learning in this country for the ptirpose of study- ing planls, buildings, and equipments. These gentlemen also conferred with several architects and on the recommendation of the full committee on architects, the board selected Messrs. Patton and Miller of Chicago, Sept. 28,1901,as architects for the construction of the buildings needed. On October 16, the board definitely located the college in Oakland Park and decided to purchase two tracts of land on the west and north respec- tively, making a campus of about 35 acres. - After a careful study of the topography of the site, together with a number of styles of architecture, the Elizabethan was selected as the most appropriate for the college buildings. The general contract for the erection of the three main buildings was let to H. B. Walter of Danville, Ill., on February 10, 1902, for 8107,160, the board furnishing the brick for the same. Other contracts were let as fol- lows: The stone, John Pasold, Decatur, 86,883. Painting, J. G. McCarthy, Chicago, 82,574 'Cement floors, etc., Fisher 85 Thimens, Decatur, 82,430. Heating and plumbing, Decatur Plumbing and Heating Co., 919,924 Electric wiring, etc., Decatur Supply and Fixture Co., 81,448 Hardware, Morehouse 8: Wells Co., Decatur, S1,184. The brick, Decatur Brick Co., 3S16,559.43. On September 29th, the general contract for the erection of the power house and machinery hall was let to B. S. Brooks, Decatur, for 2B21,626.50, the bo-ard furnishing the brsi-ck: the contract for the heating system includ- ing setting of boilers, engines, etc., to the Decatur Plumbing 8: Heating Co., for 34,388 The brick, account Decatur Brick Co., cost 33,999.20 The total cost of the four buildings including the equipment of the power house was about SB216,000. Considering their size and character, experienced co-ntractorls and builders express' great surprise at their low cost, while every one is delighted with their beauty and convenience. The cost of the equipment including furniture, apparatus, machinery, etc., was about 3330.000 which has sin-ce been increased by about S15,000. I6