Mississippi State University - Reveille Yearbook (Starkville, MS)

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Testing the NEW copy machine. heritage . . . In the early years the mechanical in the college name remained almost entirely nominal, probably because of the lack of funds to provide engineering lab- oratories. Finally in 1891, the trustees diverted $2,250 from the legislative appropriation to set up a mechani- cal department, and a superintendent of that depart- ment was employed in June of that year. In 1895 the first engineering degrees were awarded. Fifteen of the thirty-seven graduates were trained in mechanical arts. » !♦ ; ft.-.. i ' ' ? m m « r% f i Lee, who remained president for nearly two decades, was not a general for nothing. He literally fought the college ' s way through the critical years of the eighties and nineties. Often under attack, he generally suc- ceeded in disarming his critics by threatening to run for governor. During the years 1887 to 1889 he allowed his name to be mentioned as a candidate for governor, and early in 1889 he even announced his candidacy. But he warned that he was too busy at the college to do any politicking. Already he had had tempting offers from The Engineering class at turn of century.

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about his task of renewing Southern agriculture. One of the unique features of Lee ' s program was a system of compulsory student labor whereby the principles of Science as taught in the curriculum, should be practi- cally applied in field and workshop. In payment for not less than three hours labor per day students would receive free tuition and board, and for additional labor enough money to pay for their clothing. This sounded fine, but there were many problems, chiefly related to the fact that the college regularly paid more for student labor than such labor could then be hired for, and after several decades the program would even- tually be abolished under President Hightower. Labor in the vineyard of learning was something else. The first program of studies, while supposedly empha- sizing the production of farmers, was full of arts and sciences courses. Unfortunately, a number of the first entrants had to be placed in a preparatory department, thanks to their poor preparation. This would eventually be phased out in the early 1900 ' s. Ironically enough, the first graduates tended to flock into professions other than farming. As a result, the col- lege came under a severe attack for producing not farmers but bookfarmers at best. More often the graduates went into professions such as law and medi- cine. Some of the critics were doubtless silenced by the passage of the Hatch Act in March, 1887, which pro- vided for agricultural experiment stations; and before the end of that year Lee had hired a director for the Mississippi unit. Meanwhile, agricultural extension work took the form of farmers ' institutes held in the boondocks. 4» , ' - Agricultural classes around 1890.

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Tennessee and Georgia, and would in 1890 receive one from Clemson; so he had the clout he needed. The result was a salary increase which resulted in a decision to stay put. The political bug began to buzz again in 1895, when the legislature was threatening a cut in appropriations. Once again Lee decided to stay put, and the politicians began to breathe more easily. He did finally decide to resign in 1899, whereupon he was promptly placed on the Board of Trustees, where he could keep a watchful eye on things. The alumni of the first two decades of the institu- tion ' s existence had something more to remember than their professional training in agriculture or engineering. They remembered dates with the local girls of the area and after the W came into existence in 1884 under the outlandish name of the Industrial Institute and Col- lege, they began to make frequent visits to Columbus. There were frequent problems having to do with drink- ing and gambling, thanks, in part, to the generated boredom of students who went home not every week- end but at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and maybe Easter. Of course, drinking and gambling sent some home on other than feast days. Theoretically, liquor could be obtained only by prescription at the druggists. There was, however, a quaint but surely a dead letter legis- lative decree in 1880 that any professor of the Agricul- tural and Mechanical College may, when occasion requires, give such liquors to any student ... to be used medicinally. Another item under the official ban Lee Guard was one of the groups who later became a Greek fraternity