Mississippi State University - Reveille Yearbook (Starkville, MS)

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CI d5rief 15 residences, Dining Hall, Experiment Station, barns, and implement sheds. During the next 15 years, the Hardy Era, the following buildings were added: Lee Hall, Hospital, Laundry, Power £ Dairy House, Chemical Laborat tile Building, Montgomery Hal to Main Dormitory, Woodwor K ' n Dairy House remodeled and ing, now known as Military S| ing. Dr. Fred T. Mitchell is the 1 dent, and the fourth alumnus president of his alma mater, dents of LSU, the University of Ar the University of Arizona, and MississT Southern , and Arkansas Polytechnic Col- lege, in addition to Mississippi State, at present are alumni of State, mother of college presidents. In all, 17 Maroon alumni have served as college presidents. The first president of this college, Gen- eral Stephen Dill Lee, having governed the campus for 14 years, was succeeded in 1899 by Ex-Governor John M. Stone, fter the letter ' s death in 1900, J. C. presided over the growth of the n during 12 eventful and some- y years. George H. Hightower owed : icirdy; then came W. H. Smith, te superintendent of educa- vid C. Hull of Meridian, an . B. M. Walker, an alumnus; [ an alumnus; Dr. George Duke , now president of the Univer- yoming; and Dr. Mitchell. I of these presidents made their con- tributions to the development of the col- lege, but the greatest expansion of the physical plant occurred under Lee, Hardy, Humphrey, and Mitchell. The buildings erected during Lee ' s and General View of Campus — 1898

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2), icimon d Aubilee . . . D I I D Mississippi State College has reached its 75th birthday this year and is celebrat- ing with a year-long Diamond Jubilee of Progress. This anniversary program is emphasizing the accomplishments of the past; the present broad program of edu- cation, research, and service; and the fu- ture opportunity to build a greater Mis- sissippi. On February 28, 1878, the Mississippi Legislature took advantage of the Morrill Land Grant Act and voted to establish a college to be known as the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, for white students. By this act the Federal Government donated conditionally to each state public land script equal to 30,000 acres for each Senator and Representative of that state in Congress. This trust was for the endowment, support, and maintenance of at least one college, where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific or clas- sical studies, and including military tac- tics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the me- chanic arts in such manner as the legis- latures of the states may prescribe, in or- der to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life. On December 13, 1878, the Board of Trustees, established by the Legislative Act of February 28, selected for the site of the college 860 acres adjoining Stark- ville. The Board of Trustees, on April 1, 1880, elected as president Stephen D. Lee, formerly a lieutenant-general of the Confederate Army. In October, 1880, ap- proximately 350 students enrolled — all for the same course of study! t t. .. - x Stephen Dill Lee Major I. D. Sessums, emeritus dean of men, who was born a few miles from the college in 1880, the year the college first opened its doors for students, who was graduated there in 1899, and who has been employed there almost continuously ever since, has been referred to as the perennial Mr. Mississippi State College. Recently he reviewed the expansion of the college in physical plant and equipment, and in staff and student enrollment. When Major arrived here in 1895, there were only three brick bui Idings on the campus: a dormitory, a chemical labora- tory, and the chapel building, which con- tained offices and classrooms, as well as an auditorium. There were, however, sev- eral frame buildings: the president ' s home, Horticultural Building, Mechanic Arts, President ' s and Secretary ' s offices, : Z$ M Is --i£:

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H I S T II H Y . . . Plan of grounds of the State Agricultural College — 1884 Hardy ' s administrations have already been noted. During Dr. Humphrey ' s term, 1934-45, the following buildings were added: Dairy Judging Pavilion, Abbatoir and Curing Plant, Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Building, Hull Hall, Magruder Hall, Extension Service Build- ing, Utilities Building, College Grill, Col- lege Book Store, Petroleum Testing Lab- oratory, West Stadium, and Swimming Pool. In addition, a number of faculty apartment houses and residences were constructed on the campus during Presi- dent Humphrey ' s term. During Dr. Mitchell ' s administration, which began in 1945, the college library has been moved into a new million dollar air-conditioned building. Other important buildings added since the war include Pat- terson Engineering Laboratories, Dairy In- dustries Building, Dairy Production Plant, Agricultural Engineering Building, Gym- nasium, Poultry Plant, enlargement of greenhouses, enlargement of Veterinary Science Building, Moore Hall, Briscoe Hall, Carpenter Hall, Walker Hall, Gar- ner Hall. The new Animal Husbandry Service Building, with an amphitheater with a