Montana State University Bozeman - Montanan Yearbook (Bozeman, MT)

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In June, 1893, a regular faculty was elected and work began in September in the old Academy building on W est Main street, where the new Catholic church is now being built. There were seven members of the first faculty. In the second year James Reid was chosen president and the faculty increased to thirteen. That year the Domestic Science course was cataloged as the '‘Ladies Course,” and several girls enrolled, altho’ the gentlemen professors did all the teaching. There was scarcely any laboratory room, so most of the work was theoretical. The year was divided into three terms: Fall, Winter and Spring, instead of the two semesters as now, and three final examinations were given each year. The school soon outgrew the limited quarters of the Academy building, so a vacant store building in the Ferris block, on Main st reet, was rented. This was the first home of the Domestic Science Department. Soon after the second floor in the building owned bv the Henderson Lumber company was used for class work in addition to every vacant room in the High School building. Still room was at a premium and any student or teacher who chanced to have a vacant period had to go home or stand outside. Often two or three recitations were going on at the same time in one room. During 1896 and 1897 many changes took place. The courses were all revised, the Engineering Department started, and in June, 1897, the first graduating class was given degrees and diplomas. There were four graduates, as follows: Florence Foster, B. S., sn

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f Our College The Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was founded February 16th, 1893, by an act of the State Legislature in accordance with the act of 1890 of the U. S. Congress giving to land grant colleges $15,000 for that year and $1,000 in addition each year until the amount reached $25,000. The year ended June 30th, so in ord.r to secure the $18,000 of that year work was commenced in March. The formal opening of the College took place in the fall of the same year. For three months of the first year there were onlv two teachers: Luther Foster, acting president, and H. G. Phelps, principal of the business department. The students numbered fourteen, all boys, and were divided equally between the business and agricultural courses. The classes were held in the vacant rooms of the High School building, now the Irving ward school. n,

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Domestic Science; Oliver Morgan, B. S. in Agriculture; Lucy Stafford, B. S. in Domestic Science; and William Shaw, B. S. in Applied Science. At this time the new buildings on the hill were also begun, the corner stone of the main building being laid October 21, 1896. 'Flic laying of the corner stone was in charge of the Masonic lodge and Judge E. C. Day acted as speaker for the occasion. With the new buildings there was sufficient room to accomodate all the students and a course in Electrical Engineering was begun. College work in the new buildings started March, 1898. Nearly all the present buildings were completed at this time. In 1899 the course in Biology was introduced, and in 1900 came Civil Engineering. In 1902 the courses were all changed, being put into groups under the head of general science, except the work in Agriculture and Engineering. In the fall of 1904 President Reid resigned and Prof. Hamilton, of the State University at Missoula, was chosen to fill the vacancy. Old College Building 13-