Nebraska Wesleyan University - Plainsman Yearbook (Lincoln, NE)

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. ' VCriTY TWENTY-FIVE YEAKS AV.O : DEAN V. A. AI.ABASTEK. I ' Uill ' . I ' Ui lEliE AE HOl-I ' EU. DEAN J. C JENSEN, DEAN B. E. Mcl ' KOLD, DK. C. J. SIIIKK. 1855 Before there was an organized Methodist church in Nebraska, before there was a church building in the entire territory, METHODISTS began to work for a Christian college. A charter for the founding of a Methodist university at Omaha was granted to 13 Methodists at the very first meeting of the territorial legislature in 1855. Numerous attempts were made to found the Methodist university, and finally three institutions were merged to foundation the present school — one at Bartley, one at Central City, and one at York. 1887 The Corner Stone On the 22nd of September the Nebraska Conference adjourned prompt- ly at II a. m. The Burlington and Missouri carried four coach loads of Methodists from Lincoln to Havelock and still others came by carnage. By 12:30 p. m. about 1,000 people had gathered. Dr. W. G. Miller, president of the board of trustees opened the ceremony. The first address was delivered by Bishop Hurst and the second by Dr. Moore, Chancellor of Denver University. Bishop Hurst deposited the records within the stone and It was placed by C. B. Fox, general superintendent of the work, assisted by Frank Robinson, foreman of brick work. Nebraska Wesleyan university, conceived in poverty, nurtured in sacrifice by pioneer Methodism, was born. Unknown Student Historian Later some student writing in the Oro put it much more poetically; Even our University had to have a beginning. Not heralded by great blasts of trumpets, or coursing couriers, but gently as the opening bud shows the tiny streaks of white, but day by day unfolds new beauties, till the rose, with all of its colors harmoniously blended, is pronounced complete. 1888 Registration Day — The Day of the Hammers! One year and three days later the enrollment books were opened at 10 a. m. But before the business of registration began, came the Chan- cellor ' s welcoming address that all generations of Wesleyan students know. The other evening in prayer meeting Chancellor Schwartz remarked that the extraneous noise in the halls did not much concern him. That same thing was true of the first Chancellor, Dr. Creighton. On that long ago September morning when registration began, the building was not yet finished. Carpenters, masons, plasterers, roofers, and painters were every- where. During the very first Chancellor ' s Address to the Students there was the counternoise of hammers. Through his speech, in which, inci- dentally, the chancellor announced that there would be chapel each day, there beat the insistent rhythm of hammers, hammers at work. Asked if the noise did not disturb him, the oldest Chancellor made answer as did the newest. No, he said. And went on to explain that to him the hammers were music, hymns of praise to the Almighty Cod. HALF A CENTURY AGO TO YOU! To You, Students of Nebraska Wesleyan University! Herbert R. Esterbrook was first in line to be registered. Ot sophomores there were seven; of freshmen, five; but of preparatory students there were 40; and unclassified, 23; art, music, elocution, 42. To You, Madame Registrar! The above figures included 19 duplicate names, so that the report of Registrar Ellinwood showed a grand total of 96 students. To You, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds! When you try to keep up with the task of supervising 45 workers in the difficult task of caring for our equipment, think of the beginning. IIEKIUOIII ' FirsI Slllilr lI.Vi Mii.MP ESTEUI ' .KDOIC. II I.. Ki ' istor. (8)

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Nebraska Wcsleyan ' s years are piled one upon the other until they stand halt a hundred high. Pull down the years, then, that we may stack them up again. This eccentric review is historical, but it is not history, tor it makes no pretense to completeness or to accuracy. If you wish a conscientious study of our background, read Winship ' s A History of Ne- braska Wesleyan University . This is merely a photomontage of student life at Wesleyan with no apology for turning the adjective. Wesleyan, into a noun. Facts here recorded are recorded faithfully, yet there is no pretense of accuracy beyond the faulty documents upon which we draw: THE ORO. THE WESLEYAN, THE SUNFLOWER, THE COYOTE, THE PLAINSMAN, THE HANDBOOK, and the memories of Wesleyan men. Materials are quoted to bring together in one changing pattern the styles in composition effected by the changing generations of students. It we leave something out, supply it: tor this is only a student ' s catalogue of old junk and old treasure collected by student hands searching swiftly, (hough not carelessly, through (he stcred years c student lore. These are grand old years. In them are pictures as radiant as the face of the Christ in (he East Window when dawn breaks over the campus; episodes as funny as frat life during the week of informal fun ; scenes as shabby as the steps of Old Main, worn by Wesleyan feet and patched for the next generation by Wesleyan hands: scraps as poignant as the memory of candle light in (he chapel when Wesleyan girls sing carols at Christmas time. This Wesleyan is (he only college world in which we shall ever live; the only colleje world to whose story we shall inevitably add either glory or de- feat; pride or shame; ugliness or beauty; baseness or goodness. DR. I. I!. SCHRECKENG. ST, 1918-32 DR. E. G. CUTSHALL, 1932-37 DR. HARRY LEE UPPERMAN, 1938 • Wlii ' ii I ' lialK-i-llor IsMMc Sc-hn i-ken- ' :ist li ' fl the faculty ill l ' .«2 tlip Co.viite (it Hint .Vfiir suiil : Other rhaiiccUiii-s will oouie, hut to us who have followed hiui for the last two decades wc reilieiulicr only on© ■Than . The (Miancellor who came in 1 ' .I33, Dr. Elmer ;uy Cutshall. said: In taliiut ' up my woi-l at Wes- leyan 1 walk siflierly in tlie footsteps of six sri-eat and t; I men who as- sisted loval faculties :iiid sii|i|)orting lioards to iinile the years of her life span: ( Treiuhton, Crook. Huntington, llavidson, l ' ' uliner, and .Schrecken- ;. ' ast. Tliesc- men keep one humble and conlident. humlde as one feels ill drnnini; iieiir luonotaina aud cod- ndeDl :■■ our comes wltblD tbfir fbsdow. It}

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Xr.r.ltASKA WKSLKYAN ' S FIKST IIASK imi A 1,1, ■| ' IO. M. n i; c; A . I , E T l. lv.i-«. StMinlhi ; : s. K. I LAIIK, ri)r v:iiil ; FKA.NK V. WTLK. Icrwiird. Miil- 1-1. w: , I,Ki:i:i) ritACo. nn:,!-,!: u. ]•:. SMI ' I ' II. i-iip- t:llil. Kl-cilil low: !■• ( )l.s ' l ' l )N. -uMliI ; I!. .1. .• L. TEK. ci ' lilcr; E. I ' , STlOI ' IMONSll.N. iiijii;m.r Tliere was onlv one rhree-fourths-finished building lutting from the virgin prairie, a gaunr, proud, defiant silhouette against the autumn sky. For sur- rounding landscape there were 100 haystacks supplemented by three houses. To You. Mr, Business Manager and Treasurer! From student sources the University income was; Tuition. $10.00 per term. Incidental fee. $4.00. payable in advance. (Note: The Board of Trustees wanted to make the living expenses in University Place, called simply The Place , equivalent to nothing because the tuition was so high. To You, Members of the Faculty! The members of the first faculty seem to have had as much work to do as the present staff. Reverend C. F. Creighton. Chancellor, taught Christian Ethics and Metaphysics. Prof. A. R. Wightman. A. M.. instructed in Latin. He had previously been acting president of York College and before that time had taught in Good Union college, New York. Rev. W. T. Cline. with 12 years of experience in high school and college, taught history and English. Prof. I. L. Lowe. Ph. D.. formerly president of New Orleans university, taught modern languages. His wife, Mrs. Ella Lowe, had also been a member of the faculty at New Orleans, and was now made principal of the art department at Wesleyan. Prof. H. G. Sedgwick, M. S., from Ithaca, N. Y., had been an instructor at Griswold college, Davenport, la., and now with one of the ' finest scientific outfits in the United States ' was made professor of technology and microscopy at Wesleyan. Prof. C. M. Ellinwood, with the degree Ph. M. from Northwestern university and four years ' experience as instructor at the same institution taught physics and chemistry. Miss Helen Almena Parker, also from Northwestern university, was in charge of the elocution department. At the time of the publication of the prospectus there were no professors selected to teach Greek, natu- ral history, and mathematics. A director of the department of music was also yet to be secured. The faculty met and elected officers to assist in the organization of their work. Prof. ' Wightman was made dean of the college of liberal arts; Professor Ellinwood, registrar and treasurer. Professor Lcwe, secretary; and Professor Cline, librarian. To You, President of the Board of Trustees! There were 21 members of the first board of trustees which served Nebraska Wesleyan university. And St. Paul ' s church was the first meeting place for Wesleyan friends; they gathered there on the evening of the day on which the corner stone was laid to finish the day ' s rejoicing. The names of those men who were Wesleyan ' s first trustees are sealed within the corner stone. They are: John B. Maxfield C. F. Creighton David Marquette F. W. Small N. R. Persinger C. A. Atkinson. Secretary A. J. Anderson Thomas B, Lemon J. W. Phelps Allen Bartley Alfred Hodgetts P, C. Johnson L. H. Rogers George W. Martin F. L. Mayhew W, C. Wilson J. ]. Imhoff. Treasurer L. Stevens, Vice-President C. C. White T. C. Webster W. C. Miller, President To You, Chancellor! The first Chancellor had to ad ni lister a faculty of eight, himself, a student body of 96, a little school with a soul . -eluding