Troy University - Palladium Yearbook (Troy, AL)

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4 A 'PHI-3 PALIJADIUM-1912 ff made possible the enlargement and enrichment of the course and the employment of a teaching force fairly adequate to the demands of the situation. However, the most gratifying thing to those who have directed the destinies and done the work of the institution is the consciousness that their labor has won recognition, and that the school's status has been fixed as a positive and powerful factor for good in Alabama. As an index to the School's development, a few facts may be cited: The first faculty consisted of only six members, the present one has twenty. The first year's enrollment was 128, eighty of whom were in the normal classes. Of this eighty, only forty-six were non-residents, and only nine counties were represented. Last year's enrollment was three hundred and thirty-two, and two hundred and ninety- five were normal students. Forty-one counties and five States were represented. There were two hundred and fifty-eight non-residents. The first building, equipment and grounds cost approximately Sl I,OO0.00. The present plant is valued at 5oo,ooo.oo. In this connection it is proper to refer to the prospects of the School. A removal of the site is in contemplation, a tract of eighty acres lying just north of the city limits having been recently acquired by the Board at a cost of 138,382.90 A quadrangle of thirty acres has been laid out upon which the erection of eighteen buildings has been planned. Klr. Chas. XV. Leavitt, Jr., of New York, a noted landscape artist, who has been selected by the Board to lay out the grounds, pronounces the location ideal. It is quite elevated, commanding a prospect of many miles in almost every direction, and when the projected improvements have been completed, no school in Alabama will possess a more picturesque and inviting location. In order to afford a clearer idea of what the greater Normal School is to be, a photographic reproduction of the ground plan has been engraved for the Palladium. The grounds run north from Orion Road, rising a long declivity, the summit of which is crowned with the Academic Building and Fore Court. Keeping the dimensions and topography of the ground in mind, this plan will enable our distant friends to have a fairly correct idea of the completeness and handsome proportions of the proposed new home of the school. The School was formally opened for the first time in September, 1887. The building being incomplete, the students were housed in the old City School building and some adjacent residences. This old building occupied in part the present site of the Carnegie Library, and was torn away in 1907 and converted into the present Normal Training and Fine Arts building. The Adjunct Department, the College Publication, and the history of the Literary Societies will be found later written up in full. Hox. SIDN EY RICLEOD A native of Bullock County, Alabama, born in 1847. He came with his father's family to Orion in Pike County in 1856. He still resides there. llflr. NIcLeod was for two years a student in the University of Alabama. He was a member of the State Legislature in 1886-'87, during which session he introduced the bill for the establish- ment of a State Normal College at Troy and successfully engineered its passage. For the past twelve years he has held the position of Tax Commissioner of Pike County. He has always been a farmer. IO

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-1 'PHE IQAUJADIUM-1912 ff Historical Sketch NTICRIQST always attaches to the genesis of things, especially things of im- portance. It is related that the origin of the State Normal School at Troy was the outcome of a conversation between the late Frank lialtzell, at that Illllk' a Troy editor, and Cyrus D. Hogue, then Secretary of State of Alabama. Haltfell was commenting up the action of the legislature in establishing Normal schools in North, Fast and VVest Alabama, wl1ile the southern section had received no recogni- tion along this li11e. Hogue agreed that this was not right and pledged his influence, as far as it might go, toward seeing that the unjust discrimination should be remedied. From this began tl1e agitation which resulted a year or two later in the establishment of this institution. Briefly told the history is this: The act creating the school was introduced in the House of Representa- tives by Hon. Sidney Klclseod, of Orion, November 15, 1880, and passed upon its final reading February 18, 1887. It was Sent to the Senate without engross- 1116111 and passed that body on the 23d of February. The vote i11 favor of the bill was something more than two-thirds of the legislature. An interesting fact in this connection is that the bill was signed by Thomas Ci. jones, Speaker of the House, and Wvilliam Sam- ford, President of the Senate, both of whom afterwards became governors of tl1e State. Governor Thomas Seay approved the bill February 2oth, 1887. The State's original part in the establishment of the school was modest enough. It was to furnish S3,ooo a year toward maintenance. The building and equipment was undertake11 by the citv of Troy, and approximately 14-11 1,ooo was ex- pended in this way the first year. The site chosen consisted of some five acres of land formerly the homestead of the late VV. Xl. Klurphree. It is commandingly located, facing College Avenue, but the later build- ing of two railroads immediately in front of it, and several industries in the neighbor- hood have derogated from its eligibility. The first decade of the school's life was a veritable struggle for existence. Deeply rooted and thoroughly cultivated prejudice had to be constantly combatted, and every two years witnessed a renewal of the fight before the legislature for the meagre ap- propriation. liut pluck and endurance eventually won. Prejudice and opposition abated as the good work of the school came more and more into evidence. ln ISGS, the appropriation was increased fron1 S3,ooo to :F5,ooo. ln iooo, it became 3i7,3oog in IOOLZ, S1o,ooog in 19o7, ffiI5,0001 and finally in IQI 1, it was raised to lr20,000. These increases not only wiped out the arrearage in the teachers' slender salaries, but 9

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fo ' 'PHE PALIJADIUM-1912 ff rganization Board HE first board of trustees, or directors, as they were then styled, consisted of John D. Gardner, John B. Knox, O. C. Wliley, Frank Baltzell, and James Folmar, of Pike, YVebb Foster, of Henry, Joseph A. Adams, of Dale, B. R. Bricken, of Crenshaw, and Jefferson Ham, of Coffee. Captain Gardner was chosen president of the Board, a position he continued to fill with ability until his death in 1895. He was succeeded by Hon. John B. Knox, who served creditably for four years, at which time Hon. O. C. lViley was elected and filled the position faith- fully and well for twelve years, retiring in IQI I. Llnder the law enacted by the last legislature, a general board for all the Normal Schools was appointed, of which the Governor is president. The school has been peculiarly fortunate in the personnel of its boards, they having been composed almost without exception of able and progressive men, especially inter- ested in the promotion of education in the State. Among them were several, now passed to their reward, who we feel should be mentioned. There were Judge sl. lf. Cobb, of Tuskegee, Klajor Edward KI. Robinson, of Klobile, Klajor D. S. Bethune, of Union Springs, who rarely, if ever, missed a meeting of the board and to whose wisdom and foresight much of the prosperity of the School is due. XVe cannot forego mentioning also the veteran Captain Chas. P. Rogers, of Lowndes, who still survives. He rendered our institution twelve years of most faithful and efficient service. The secretaries of the board of trustees have been, in the order named, Honorables Charles Henderson, VValter C. Black, L. H. Bowles, and H. sl. XVillingham. The organization of the present Board is as follows: Governor lfmmett O'Neal, rx-offirio President, llontgomery, Ala.: Superintendent Henry sl. VVillingham, wx- offirio Secretary, Klontgomery, Ala.: Hon. XV. T. Seehan, Klontgomery: Hon. Robert B. Evins, Greensboro: Hon. VV. YV. Lavender, Centreville: Hon. Charles S. HIC- Dowell, Eufaula: Hon. John D. Klchleel, llontgomery: Hon. John B. VVeakley, Birmingham. II