St Marys College - Dial Yearbook (St Marys, KS)

Page 186 text:

One Hundred Eighty-Two RIV. JOHN f.OICLS.SJ. Utt-W !EV.«n‘CABL5.J. IMl-8 [vmWQUOMttSJ. tafiwec itsnjuifRrKSJ. ami tnABMtaamsww PRESIDENTS OF ST. MARY’S COLLEGE, 1862 to 1907 (Rev. Daniel McErlane, S. J., President, 1884 to 1886)

Page 185 text:

 HISTORICAL Rev. Jas. J. Conway, S. J. First White Student to Matriculate at St. Mary’s On the 29th of December, 1880, what was then known as the new church was gutted by fire. It was situated directly across the tracks from the present Junior building and was scarcely five years old. The corner stone was laid August 2, 1875, and it had been dedicated February 14, 1876. Thus in three short hours the work of five years was undone. It might be well to note that this was not the old Indian building which had served as the humble Pro-cathedral of Bishop Miege, but a stone structure built by Father Kuppens, S. J. During the same year a native stone structure 80x60 ft., known as the Van der Eerden building, was erected. This building has since been razed, giving way to the present refectory building during Father Cogley's incumbency. It contained class rooms, refectory, a dormitory and the college chapel. DEGREES CONFERRED ON FIRST GRADUATING CLASS The following year, 1881-82, was a year of marked progress at St. Mary’s. On July 21st the corner stone of the present parish church in town was laid and services were first held in the basement Dec. 25. The structure was dedicated April 2, 1882. A house for the Sisters of Charity, who were teaching in the parochial school, was purchased. 'Phe crowning achievement of the college that year was, however. the conferring of degrees upon Horace II. Hagan. John B. Cunningham and Richard Dunne. These men composed the first graduating class of the college. This year commercial certificates were conferred on James E. Coffey, Thomas J. Ryan, Augustus Villars and Nicholas Ncusius. The year of 1882-83 found 252 boarders at the college. On Sept. 7 the Junior Sodality began its separate existence and its memljers procured a beautiful statue of their patron, St. Aloysius. Fr. P. J. Wagner, S. J., and Mr. Michaels, S. J., both in turn assumed charge for a few months, ill health forcing both to resign. It was finally placed in charge of Mr: Francis J. Finn, S. J., later famous for his stories of St. Maurcs (St. Mary’s). During this year the present class room building was under way and was completed by December. 1883. It was built of native stone 75x47y£ ft. and rose to an altitude of 50 ft. The total outlay was $16,000.00, a steam heating plant costing $6,000.00 was also installed. In February of the following year the structure between the Faculty and the Van der Eerden building was begun and in September of the same year (1884) it was completed. It was known as “The Flats” and housed on its upper and second floors the philosophers' rooms and below them the kitchen and scullery. Originally the upper floor contained the small boys’ dormitory. ESTABLISHMENT OF MEDALS In 1884-85 and the year following, 1886, a gold medal for the best oration delivered by “PAT WOODS,” a member of the Philalethic “Wan Hundred Years Today—A Century Old JZ DIAL ANNUAL One Hundred Eighty-One

Page 187 text:

HISTORICAL society was donated by Horace H. Hagan. After a brief interval during which no prize was offered, Dr. George J. Miller, the college physician, established the medal, in 1891, and since then this annual contest has been a notable oratorical event. In 1923, the present year, the medal was given by Mr. T. J. Ryan and his sons, all of St. Mary’s, Kansas. Since 1891 a purse of $100 has been offered by Mr. David F. Brem-ner, Sr., of Chicago, for excellence in English essay writing. PHILALETIC SOCIETY, 1884-1885 This purse is open to the competition of the students of the Jesuit colleges of the Missouri Province. In 1892 a similar competition in Latin was established by the Very Rev. Father Provincial of the Province. In 1900 Mr. Simon J. Harbaugh, an alumnus of the college, established the annual prize known as the Washington medal for the l est constructed and delivered debate speech on some subject connected with American citizen- ' ! ship. This medal now ranks with the oratorical medal. During the year 1884-85 various constructive improvements were made; sidewalks were laid near the buildings, the reservoir on the hill was constructed and pipes were laid to conduct the water to the buildings, two windmills were erected to supply the reservoir. On June 24, 1885, degrees were conferred on the second group of classical graduates, John J. Conroy and R. F. Gilkcrson. A field containing a stone quarry was purchased, an outdoor gymnasium constructed, a steam laundry and an ice house were added to the equipment. The old log church, the survival of the Indian days, and the early Pro-cathedral was razed during this year and a huge quartzeite boulder, of glacial origin, was rolled in place to mark the spot where it once stood. In 1886-8 the three-scory building which today contains the senior reading rooms, the chemistry laboratories, and the commercial class rooms was erected and a part of the basement of the old cottage 40x60 ft. was converted into a natatorium. The following year a single story structure was erected, which served as the senior gymnasium until 1910, a movable stage could l e fitted up in it, and for some time plays, entertainments, and even the closing exercises took place under its roof. OLD INDIAN SHRINE ERECTED BY FATHER DIELS nj sc3[DlAL ANNUAL One Hundred Eighty-Three