Southern Illinois University - Obelisk Yearbook (Carbondale, IL)

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residential P0 W050 Al view of SI U leadmkw past zmdpresml Story by Mary Hogan Think back to the days when horse- drawn carriages tilled the cobblestone streets of the bustling cities in Amer- ica. It was a time when gun-slinging cowboys and hostile Indians dom- inated the still ttwildti west, and con- flicts between Indians and white men were fierce and frequent. Think about the days when it took months to travel a few hundred miles-when people traveling in cov- ered wagons left the urbanized, cul- tured lifestyle of the East and ventured out to tame and farm the open plains of the new frontier. It was during these times that what is now known as Southern Illinois University was being built. In 1869, just four years after the Civil War ended, a charter was signed to build a college in the southern Illi- nois region. After much furor and dispute, Carbondale was finally cho- sen for the site of this new endeavor. The elequently designed, one-build- ing school was not completed until 1874, when it first opened its doors under the name of Southern Illinois Normal University. Robert Allyn was appointed the first leader of SINU. He held the position from 1874 to 1892. Allyn preferred the title of principal rather than the more commonly used presidential title. hm Many faculty members and others affiliated with the University felt that this choice symbolized his attitude to exercise authority and control over others. Allyn's authority and efficent leadership proved to be a powerful asset that held the fledgling institu- h Just four years after the Civil War ended, a charter was signed to build a college in south- ern Illinois. h u'on together during times of hardship. His leadership qualities were tested one windy November day in 18 83, when the three-story building known as Normal burned to the ground. Despite heroic efforts of the faculty and students to save the building, only the library portion, many of the valu- able records and much of the luxurious furniture Principal Allyn indulged in buying were spared. Townspeople offered store rooms, ofiices and churches to accommodate the homeless school until a temporary wooden structure could be built. This prompt action by looal residents stalled attempts of rival communities that were trying to have the location of SINU changed. It wasn't until February, 1877, that a less beautiful, but more flmctional building was completed and dedicated. Ironically, this building-flrst known as ttMain and then later as Old Maintt-was to suffer a fiery fate many decades later in 1969. During Allynts incumbency a ttmodel school, created to prepare the ill-educated people Of rural Southern Illinois for college-level courses, was built. Also during his reign the organ- izational structure was designed and goals were established that were to continue for many years. These guide- lines helped to establish SINU as a teacher's college-its primary pur- pose-worthy of recognition. When Allyn retired after his 18-year reign, John Hull, a native of Salem, Illinois, was appointed Regent. HulPs one-year tenure as Regent 0892-18931 was too brief to accomp- lish much of significance. By follow- ing Allyn's goal of effectively training teachers, Hull did not change the broadly democratic structure of the university in any way. Hull was known to the faculty, continued

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students and community as a stern, unsympathetic man who always had to have his own way. Many said that although Hull was unsurpassed in the art of arousing thought, he lacked the qualities of leadership that were es- sential to the upward movement of the young teacherls college. When John Peter Altgeld was elected governor of Illinois in 1893, Hull found it impossible to continue working at SINU. He refused to change his political beliefs to suit the new administration and abruptly, al- though not unexpectedly, accepted a position at River Falls, Wisconsin. Regent Harvey William Everest was chosen to replace Hull and served as regent from 1893 to 1897. During his four-year term, the col- lege prospered. Due to an increasing enrollment, a science building tnamed for Governor Altgeldl was built with state funds to provide more space for students. Everest was known as a deep thinker and a powerful orator. He always talked about the good aspects of SINU and tried, at every possible instance, to promote the school to as many people as possible. But Everest was unfortunately rumoured to have been given poor advice that helped bring about his demise. Historians note that Everest was given an in- correct report about the faculty- that they were rebellious and needed strict authoritative guidance-which caused an ever-widening rift in the school. Many also said that Everest lacked the ability to see the value of new, progressive ideas, and thus kept closely to the structure previously established by Allyn. Although Everest appeared cold and intellectually aloof to the students of SINU, many who knew him on a personal level realized that he was actually a very warm person. When he resigned because of declining health, he left many admirers. One of the original founding fa- thers of the university was selected as the next leader of SINU. Daniel Baldwin Parkinson, one of the original eight faculty members, took over as president in 1897 and served until 1913. During his 16-year presidency, SINU entered upon an expansive era of growth. Wheeler Li- brary, the Allyn building and An- thony Hall, a womenls dormitory 12 named for womenls rights crusader Susan B. Anthony, were built. Because of Parkinsonts nfounding father status, he seemed to know and use what worked in the previous administrations, but could also look objectively at new changes occurring within the system. Parkinson was known as a man who neither clung to the past nor grasped too quickly at changes. He is said to have been endowed with the power of patience, which proved to be an asset to the university as well as himself. Henry William Shryock succeeded Parkinson as president in 1913. Al- h Shryockis plans called for many improvements at SINU. These included revision of the curriculum and a larger, more highly rated faculty. h though Shryock had very deiinite ideas to advance the schools status, he did not rush into office and make drastic changes that could have upset the tranquility of the college. Shryockis plans called for many im- provements at SINU which included a revision of the outmoded school cur- riculum, better scholastic rating of the faculty members as measured by earned degrees, a larger faculty and staff, recognized status for collegiate athletics, maximized utilization of the resources available and enlarged, ef- fective service to the area. President Shryock placed a great deal of em- phasis on service to the southern Illi- nois region. Although World War I had an effect on the schooPs enrollment during Shryock's administration, it did not hinder the expansion of the campus. An auditorium-later named for Shry- ock-was opened in 1918. Also during his term as president, a new gymna- sium tnow known as Daviesl and a science building tnow Parkinson Lab- oratoryl were built. Shryock died at his desk on April 13, 1935. He had given 41 years Of his life serving SINU as an English teacher for 19 years and as president for the last 22 years. Shryock has been credited for his dedication and success in making SINU one of the best teacheris colleges in the country in the early 19th century. The sixth president of the college was Roscoe Pulliam. He was the first alumnus of SINU ever to be chosen as president. Pulliam was known as a daring leader whose tireless drive proved to be an effective weapon in changing the teachers college into a true uni- versity. Despite an extremely reduced enrollment tdown from 2180 to 850 during World War ID, Pulliam suc- ceeded in making SINU into SIU-a fully accredited university-in 1943. During his nine-year incumbency, Pulliam made some decidedly radical changes in terms of the authority structure of the university. He formed committees that were given the power to make important decisions, created a representative student council that was free from faculty domination and introduced an effective plan of pre- registration advisement. President Roscoe Pulliam died on March 27, 1944, during the height of his career at SIU. His death occurred at a time when the emerging univer- sity most needed courageous leader- ship. It took a search committee one year to select the next president because they realized that whomever they chose would have a major influence in shaping the destiny of the univer- sity. After a year of deliberation, they finally chose Chester Federick Lay, an accounting professor from the University of Texas. Lay was the first president to stress the importance of systematic scholarly research as a major goal of the school and initiated a policy of recruiting people qualified to research. Lay greatly influenced the true establish- ment of a university in more than just name. Instead of building on the policies already in existence, Lay disposed of all old procedures and tried to estab-