Muskingum University - Muscoljuan Yearbook (New Concord, OH)

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-ci 1837--A Momentous Year-1917 This is true of either of the above. In 1837 Muskingum College was chartered by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio. March 19th, 1917, the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the College was celebrated. Along this stretch of eighty years, ten thousand students walked through Old Muskingum's halls, and going forth, have much enriched the world. The men of 1837 have built themselves, through these eighty years, into the lives of these ten thousand leaders, and throughthem into the lives of numberless thousands whom they will never see nor know until all things are revealed. It is for this reason that 1837 may be noted as A Momentous Year. But of the eighty years, the school year 1916-1917 is the most momentous. This year marked the largest enrollment of the eighty, and the largest Freshman class. Since each student is a potential leader of men and carries in himself the possibilities of world service,'the number, the caliber, and the character of the student body has served to make this vear momentous. HALF A MILLION FOR MUSKINGUM The outstanding feature of the year, however, has to do with money, and the out- look for the College having such buildings, equipment and endowment as will enable her to do a much greater work in the next eighty years than it has been possible for her to do in the past. November twenty-ninth 1916 will ever stand out as one of the great days of the year, since it was on that day, in the presence, not only of the faculty and students, but in the presence of many friends of the College, President J. Knox Montgomery, after a brief review of his twelve years of service as Presidnt of the College, announced gifts to the amount of 5B7250,000 on condition that the College raise a like amount, mak- ing a half million for the College, one half of this amount to be invested in buildings and one half in endowment. This announcement was received with great enthusiasm, every heart being filled with gratitude for this response to years of hard work and bc- LAUNCHING THE CAMPAIGN The College Board met January 2nd, 1917, carefully considered the situation and pledged themselves for 350.000 of the S250,000. That evening a public meeting was held, addressed by Dr. W. B. Smiley, of Oneonta, N. Y., Moderator of the General Assembly, and by Secretary Ralph D. Kyle of the Board of Education, Chicago, Illinois. These men, with others who spoke briefly, gave their heartiest approval of the work and pro- gress of Muskingum College, and commended to the Church the Institution as worthy of financial support in this hour of opportunity. Aside from some publicity work through the papers, the actual campaign for the first hundred thousand did not begin until Monday, February 26th. From then until February 19th, which was observed as Founders' Day, eight thousand bulletins were sent out and about four thousand letters, all of which bore splendid fruit. THE STUDENTS IN THE CAMPAIGN On Thursday, March lst, at chapel, Dr. Montgomery presented to the students, the matter of having a special part in the campaign, telling of what students had done in other years in the way of helping swell the amounts that were being raised, and sug- gesting that they should undertake to raise at least s5,ooo. That night, led by Dick Bothwell, and after a conference with the President, some of the students got busy, organized five'student teams for the canvass, naming' them after popular automobiles. The teams at once went about the work with great enthusiasm, and by chapel Friday were able to announce contributions to the amount of S7,4Z!5. By Monday at chapel hour, when the campaign closed, the amount had exceeded their effort and totalled just about S11,000. Since that time it has grown until it now passes the 312,000 mark. It was a great achievement and won for the students not only the heartfelt thanks of the President, but words of golden praise from many quarters, since it was the most remarkable record made by any College of this size in a like effort. It is simply typical of the spirit and devotion of the Muskingum students, and is also a prophecy of their achievements in the years to come. ' RESULTS OF THF CAMPAIGN The first and immediate result of the campaign is the fact of being able to let the contract for the new administration building May 1st, By the kindness of the donors of the S250,000, as soon as the first hundred thousand was raised by the College they paid over one hundred thousand for the erection of this' much needed building. The building contains eighteen class rooms, with special office rooms for each' professor, six offices for the administration work, a large rest room for the girls, and four literary society halls. It will be complete in every particular and will afford ample facilities for the best class room work. CPage 281 lieving prayer. 1

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