Purdue University - Debris Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

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Ill- liail ]il;ici-il I ' linlin- ii a hnn f.ninilalinii aiiil 1m her stink ' nls li.- will I ' vcr stand as nni.- wlm knew imi i1k- wunl lail. 1 )ui - in;; llii- fXtciulod illiu-ss il I ' rcsick-iU Smart. ic,-rrcsiilrnt W. !• . Sliinc liad adf |iiatcly tilled the pusitiiin as cliiet ' execu- tive and tliiTi ' sccnu-d to l)e mUliini; nmre litlini; than that he slintdd l)c chosen as President Smart ' s successor. 1 le was lor- nially elecle l July sixth. l ' ' ()(). and is still ser iii.i; in that capacity. The last live years have easily heen the j, ' reatest in the history of the Lniversity. The years of trials a n d hardships which had ffone hefoie were ste])- pinj.; stones to the fu- ture when I ' nrdite w o n I d stanil as a school alile to cope with the hest of its kind. Since I ' XX). the enrollment has nearly ijonliled itself and for the first time in the history of the lniversity. this year marks an attendance of over fifteen lunidre l stmlents. I ' or nearly ten years the I.eirislatnre had evidently for- (.jotten the existence of I ' nrdne. hut in l ' ' l)l it was re,ili ed that the I ' niversity had far ontj;rown its hnildinij ca])acity .ind in that vear there was ai)]iropriated S ' i ' lIK ' for the erection nf an .Atjricultnral I ' .iiildin ;. in uhieh the liilTrrent hranclus of the . j;ricnllnr;d ( ' i nrse nn ' j hl he hnui ht to; elluT. At tlu- St II M I r.rii.MiNi: same time I ' nrdne was made the trustee for a $10,000 annual fund for the i ' arnier ' s Institute. In l ' «)l. the erection of a Chapel and Auditorium was made possihle through the good will of Mrs. Eliza I ' owler. which she generously manifested by presenting the University with $70.(1)0. Later. Mr. James Powder added $5,000 to be used in the constructing of .-ui organ. P ' or some time the seating- capacity of the old Chapel had proved in- sufficient and there was not in anv of the build- i u g s a room large enough to accommo- date the wdiole student body. The erection of Eliza Fowder Hall not only fulfilled this long felt want but it g-ave to Purdue a hall of beauty which will ever stand as a monu- ment to its donor. The new Auditorium was first used for I ' o m - mencement I ' .xercises in I ' lO.i, and was dedicated May fomih. l ' l()4. In l ' Hl, the Legislature increased the annual ap]n )pria- tiou for maintenance from one-twentieth of a mill to one-tenth of a mill ou .-dl tax.ilile pvopert in the state. They also ap- ].riate l .Sr. IKH) I ' or .i central heating plant and $60,000 for ,-1 rinsics building. W ork on the lu ' ating plant was begtm im- mediately lifter the appropriation was received and it was com- IS

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crinary Science was added to the regular courses in Agricul- ture and Horticulture. These latter harl been further strength- ened the previous year. For, with the passage of the Hatch Act, the Experiment Station in connection with the Univer- sity, was to receive $15,000 per annum for the furtherin esti- gation along the lines of Agricultural Sciences, and for the distribution of the results among the people of the United States. In 1889, the School of Electrical Engineering, which was an outgrowth of the study of Physical Science, received an ap]3ropriation of nearly $20,000 for the erection of the Electri- cal Building. The second IMorrell Act was passed in 1890, anrl from this source the University received an additional annual income of $2.T,000 which was to be applied onlv to instruction in Agri- culture, the Mechanic Arts, the English Language and various branches of Mathematical, Physical, Xatural and pA-onomic Science, with special reference to their application in the in- dustries of life and to the faculties for such instruction. At this time there were 463 students enrolled in the I ' ni- versity. Of these, 348 were enrolled in the College and 11, were in the Preparatory Department. The School had main- tained a steady growth since its founding and its standard was continually being raised. It was no longer a local school but was being recognized in the other states as well as in all parts of Indiana. Prior to 1893 the shops of the Mechanical Laboratory had been built. In that year the old shops were fitted up and turneil over to the School of Science, thus leaving the School of F ' har- macy in full charge of its building. During this same vear one of the long felt wants of Purdue was supplied. . mos Lleavi- lon gave to the L ' niversit} ' $33,000 and to this the Legislature added $.t,000, thus making possible the erection of the Mechan- ical iiuilding. This building was iledicated with great cere- mony on the nineteenth of January, 1894. .Vs the night of the nineteenth had closed down upon this great structure alive with activity, so, the morning of the twenty-fciurth wakened to see a mass of scorched and broken walls and a heap of smouldering ashes. Two hours told the tale from beginning to end : the starting of the fire, its destructive progress, the heroic work of students, faculty and friends ; and the end when only the west wing, a little pile of e(iuipment, and a heap of useless rub- bish remained in the place where had stood The Pride of Indiana. The destroyed building had been to all lovers of Purdue, a monument to the untiring energv of I ' rofessor Smart. If that were true, s( i nuich was it true of the new building which rose as nearly as possible an exact counterpart of the first. Where n:ost men would have despaired President Smart saw the demand for greater energy and he went at the task anew with a courage which was undaunted. . s a reward for his labor, on December fourth, 189.3, the restored building was opened. . s the institution advanced, the enrollment of students in the preparatory department had been gradually diminishing. The University had reached a point where it was no longer fed by this department and it was thought best to do awa}- with it. Consequently, in the spring of ' 94 it was abolished. In the fall of ' 95 a pre-Medical course, courses in . rchi- tectural Engineering, Sanitary Science, and Industrial Chem- istrv were added to those already in operation. In the death of President Smart, which occurred in Febru- arv. l ' 00, Purdue lost a great benefactor, one whose ever ■ effort had been bent toward the bettenuent of the Universitv. 17

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pleted in January, 1904. This is the first year in wliicli we reap the benefits of the increased income, and the advantages oft ' ered by the Physics Building are being realized at this time. In order that an idea may be gained as to tlie anidunt of money necessary to keep an institution the size of Purdue in good standing, even with the strictest economy, this estimate of I.HU income is given. Interest on Endowment Fund $ 17,000 Proceeds of Educational ' I ' a.x ( estimated ) . . 140,000 From United States ( Morrell Fund) 25,000 From Miscellaneous Sources, Tuition, Etc. . 52,000 Total $234,000 It is impossible for an}- body of people tliat has never ex- ))erienced a like disaster to understand what the students of Purdue underw-ent during the calaniit - of 1903. On October the thirty-first, students and friends from Lafavette prepared to witness the annual game of foot4)all between Purdue and Indiana University, The special train, carrying the team and a thousand loyal supporters, was wrecked on the outskirts of Indianapolis. The first coach. carr ing the team, was com- pletely demolished. Seventeen of its occupants lust their li es and not one escaped serious in- , jury. All felt that words were not sufiicient to express our feelings. Inorderthat we might give substantial evidence of tlie high respect in which we held those brave boys who gave up their lives on that never-to-be- forg-ottcn day, the lemorial Gynmasium Fund was begun. Great hopes are centered in tliis building. It will l)e designed to minister to the piivsical and social needs of the University and it is certain that it will serve to draw .Mumni and students more closelv together, for in this effort we have all jdined hands and attempted to erect a suitaljle monument to our dead. The hour glass of our student da s is running low. and the future is 1)efiirc us. As we leave at this, Purdue ' s Thir- tieth Commencement time what mav we not predict for her? Looking backward, her path has been rough and strewn with difficulties. Ahead, we see nothing but .glory and success awaiting her. She has made a prominent place for herself in the world of technical engineering. Ma}- she ever keep to this ascending path, and ma ' her wa ' ever become more smooth. Mech. nic.- l Building 19