Ottawa University - Ottawan Yearbook (Ottawa, KS)

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g -X4-.Vi - F. L. a-. . FV Qi- -a -.,,, ,Jn ,,',- .Y-.- Y , . ..,, gg, -V ,. .. . I V, .,- .. g,..,.,.,-. f---f- fhftorzkzzl N the history of any institution there are always some events standing out vividly which are turning points in that history. The past year has seen three important happenings which will stand out in the memory of students and alumnae. They are the death of Ottawa's Grand Old Man -Dr.NVard-the reconstruction of Old Science Hall and the resignation of Dr. S. E. Price, and in those things connected with these events we believe former students and alumni will be most interested. DR. MILAN L. WARD Dr. Milan L. VVard was intimately connected with O. U. for forty years. In 1869, Dr. lfVard came to take complete charge of the institution. In the next two years he was successf ul in carrying the school through a critical period, at the end of which time he took a position on the faculty of the State Agricultural College at Manhattan, which position he held for ten years. At the end of this time Dr. VVard was again called to serve Ottawa University. It was at this time, declared Dr. Ward, that I decided to cast my lot with O. U. and spend my life in building it up. He guided the college through another crisis and following that was connected with the school in several different capacities. For six years he was president, for eighteen years professor of mathematics, and for several years he served as Financial field worker. During the time Dr. VVard was connected with O. U. many changes and ad- vances were made. When he came, there was no land south of seventh street that had been improved. The University owned this land and much of the un- improved land surrounding the city. There were practically no trees on the campus, except for a row of hedge which grew along ninth street. Old Science Hall was the only building on the campus at the time. Dr. Vtlard surveyed and plotted practically all of the University lands, part of which was sold for farms, part as lots, and there still remain thirty-three acres in the campus. The present beauty of these thirty-three acres is largely due to the efforts of Dr. Xvard. It was he who planted most of the trees which now shade the north part of the campus. It was he who had the weeds and nursery stock removed. In fact there are many things we could enumerate which he did to bring the University grounds to their present condition. My greatest desire and wish has been to see both the University and its students attain the most possible success and be of the greatest service to hu- manity. This is Dr. VVard's own statement of his aim in life. Wliat a noble purpose! Is it any wonder that he is called Ottawa's Grand Old Man? As evidence of the success of his life, we point to the success of Ottawa University, and to the service that it is rendering to humanity. But his greatest success came not in the building of a college for service, but in the building of christian character and personality into the lives of hundreds of students who are living monuments to the successful life of Ottawa's Grand Old Man. The last work which Dr. VVard accomplished for O. U. was to aid in the re- construction of Old Science Hall. He was the first to make a contribution to- wards the work. ' On August 4, 1923, Dr. M. L. Ward died. But he is not goneg he still lives in the lives of those with whom he came in contact and in the life of Ottawa Uni- versity. Page 21 fa ll .-, in 'l H . X l V. .-.7 ,L rl will I l i ill l' la nl v ,A :ref Slit ls W ll. i0 l 1 l 1 ll fel ,Tax i'T-v .Mi ,.,., If li P5 if ii af ,rw I 'l ' 1 ll! gy, ll ll ll i 'fi gl l vi 1 ll ul ll 1 l ll X, J! -vi . 'v ll 1 Il . 1 ,,.- i .-1 l 5 1 I 1 . . ,ff li fff Jil ii I. l il IM K l . A

Page 28 text:

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'ji-LAX' w 1 V v X, it -'J fffrrss. x k lf? l , I ,xx ,S K.. ny,,i',ij.X,.- JJQZK .s,Q-F. 'i-g,:E,a2?'Q':'ffje.., v..,,, T3'2f5i1f'gil' X, 5:49--if 'Q-255 ' 1 1 1' 5 ' il , Egg TAUY JONES HALL I , X T was in 1869 that the first building on the campus was completed. In March fl l 63 1 of that year school opened with ten or twelve pupils. By Christmas there 5 Q Q I wp were forty or fifty enrolled. This school was not of the present college standing, f 15 but was more like a high school. However, there were several students who l studied Greek. The equipment was small-a few old benches and a pianog but ,QQ in spite of this fact school was successfully carried on, the enrollment steadily Wie p increased, and thus began what is now Ottawa University. ., This building remained the only one on the campus until the north wing ii N Q of the present administration building was completed in 1893. Upon completion fl of this building the main class work was moved to it and the other one was l made into a science hall. For 29 years, from 1892 until 1921, it housed the l, i science departments ' Q1 and during all this time it was known m p as Old Science Hall. ' .l Thus we see that for Q5 ,P 52 years the old 1 building has been p serving the students A of Ottawa Univer- Q sity. Hundreds of fig, students have come ni to Ottawa during i ,rw this time and many are the incidents and H associations that are connected with Old Science Hall. These 1 incidents along with p ,ix the historical facts 1 Q13 ' v b are what make this f building so valuable in the eyes of the Alumni. These were the outstanding y reasons why the Alumni took upon themselves the reconstruction of the old 1 T buildingg but let us give these reasons in the words of some of the Alumni. ,Q li Past associations give to that building a value peculiarly its own. U Those of us who recited and societyed there and painted the dome are QP A heartily in favor of its reconstruction. 'lf 1 Remake the building for the sake of the memories of the past, for that old H5 i' liiuilding means more of O. U. than all of the new good buildings that now deck ,V If 1 t ie cam us can ever mean to us. 1 PrI3:serve it soythat it will remain a monument to the early struggles of our T great Alma lVlater.' N 1 gi Undoubtedly it was such feelings as these that prompted the W'ard chapter X, to start the movement for the reconstruction of the old building. It was in the EY ,HL fall of 1922 that this chapter appointed a committee to examine the building 3 M and report a plan for its preservation. BrieHy, this was the plan whichthey Q3 proposed: The foundation and walls would have to be strengthened, and 1 r ,I straightened, many beams would have to be replaced, new flooring would have 3 if to be put in, and a new roof put on. Since the building was to be preserved it y just as well be made a useful one. For a long time there had been a desire to 1 W1 have the Conservatory of Music on the campus, so the committee, with the aid lil of Professor Paul R. Utt, drew up plans for making the building into a modern ,. 2654, 1 conservatory. X ii Page 22