San Francisco State University - Franciscan Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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I ATHLETIC EXPANSION QUT ' GY! , Y J. ...Lge i 1 A .- ROBERTS STADIUM View of field, bleachers, and light poles on 15th street side. Late in 193 5 , signatures were attached to a docuf ment that was the climax of a heartbreaking five' year struggle to obtain an athletic plant for the college. When Dr. Roberts and heirs to the Judson estate signed a lease, with option to buy at the end of five years, old Recreation Park became the athf letic home of the Gaters. It had formerly been the home of the San Francisco Seals baseball team. From the first, the park was beset by financial difliculty. The grounds were a veritable trash dump. Huge cement pillars embedded in the ground as bases for the former stadium had to be removed before actual work could be done on grading the field. A blow fell when it was learned that W. P. A. aid could not be used to Hnance work, because the plot was still unowned by State. The fighting spirit of Dean David J. Cox and resourcefulness of Leo C. Nee came to the rescue. In a flying trip to Sacramento, Mr. Nee obtained funds for preliminary work, and Dave Cox aroused the male portion of the student body into volunteer' ing for labor on the new field. Volunteers were reluctant at first, but when they caught the spirit, numbers increased. Fighting Dave's grim resolution to do the whole thing himself f By the Gods j if necessary, accomplished great results. Much credit SAN FRANCISCO STATE COLLEGE fPage Twentyfsixj

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N this initial book, we bring you growth of the year both in faculty and facilities, then gaze ahead to visualize the future of our college. Each book traces chronologically the growth of State in an attempt to illustrate its progress ....

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TEN YEARS AGO . . . Deeply obligated to the State Board of Educaf tion is our college for the splendid leaders it has given us. First of these men to be called to the presidency of the then San Francisco State Normal was Dr. Frederic Burk. During his term of ofhce, from 1899 to 1925, Dr. Burk planned for an administration building and a separate building for the training school and gymnasium. When he died, plans for a new campus were under way. His educational achievement, started in our college, is now world' famous as the VV'innetka system of instruction. Archibald Anderson succeeded Dr. Burk, irst as acting president, and then as president. His brief term of office, only two years, was enough to see the groundfbreaking exercises for the science build' ing that now bears his name and completion of the gymnasium. The training school was progressing rapidly, and like his predecessor, Anderson foresaw a great college in a great metropolis. In June of 1927, death claimed him, and for three months, Dean Mary A. Ward served as acting president. Then, on the first day of September, 1927, Dr. Alexander Crippen Roberts came to be our presif dent. Graduate of Wisconsin and Washington Uni' versities, Dr. Roberts typiies the pioneer spirit of the West in his progressiveness. He helped dedicate Anderson Hall of Science and Frederic Burk Training School. With this accomplished, Dr. Roberts secured for this college additional credentials and curricula. Then, after five years of effort, Recreation Park was obtained as an athletic plant. To crown his achievements, the Student Body in 1936 named their new athletic field Roberts Sta' dium, after our president. Dreams of State as a metropolitan college in the heart of our great city are rapidly nearing realizaf tion. When our needs are met, let us try to lift the veil of the past and remember those whose leader' ship has made State the growing college of today. Today we salute, not only the tenth anniversary of Dr. Roberts' appointment, but also the vision and genius of his two predecessors, Presidents Frederic Burk and Archibald Anderson. fBy Elsa Magnusl FREDERIC BURK iARCHIBALD ANDERSON ALEXANDER ROBERTS First president of State, from Succeeded Dr.Burk and served In his tenth year as president 1899 to 1925. f'f0m 1925 Until his death in of the college. THE1937FRANC1SCAN O fPage Twerntyqivel