Troy University - Palladium Yearbook (Troy, AL)

Page 17 text:

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

Page 16 text:

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

Page 18 text:

-4 A fl-'LHB PAI3I3ADIUM'191Z 0' Former Board Presidents C.X1'T, J. ll. GARDNER Q. john llunbibbin Gartlner was 21 native of l1eorgi11, born 1' in 1839. Crvming as Zl buy 111 .Xl2llJ1ll112l. lie livetl Il wliile in RlHIl1j.Q'Hll1Ql'j', but reinwvetl tim Truy before tl1e Civil Xvilf. lle wax a1ln1itte1l tu tl1e lllll' 11t the ave uf ninetee11. He C' - eretl the Luntealerate army in 1861 as Il l1euten11nt of ' cavalry. anml Fervetl witl1 ererlit tlirmiglipiit the great . te . .Xtter tlie war, lie resumetl bis pr11t'efsi1111 of l11w lllltl be- . eame Une uf tl1e leading lawyerx pf Sfmtlielixist .XllllX1l11ll. Cpun tlie UI'Q.I1l111ZJl1lHll nf tlie State Normal College, C11 1111111 iilll'1ll1U1' waw eleetecl tlle tirst l'1'esi1lent of its lrtbllll wt lrnxtees. lle wax an entliusiastie worker for its upbuilfling, anfl wax euntinnerl in the pwsitiun uf l'resi1,lent until liix lamentetl llL'Il.lll in 1895. HHN, 'IUIIN llRlfXX'lfR KNOX l 11r twelve yearw a membet' tif tlie ll4rIll'4l tif 'liruxteex ut' lliix lll81l1ll1lHll.1llltl fur tum' years ll'L'8lllL'll1 uf tlie l1w111'1l, Klr. linwx wleservex ltwnfrrable nientiwn in tltewe lllL'1llH1l'8. lle wax burn Klay l. 18511. 111111 reareml in llriintlirlge. .Xl1l. lle beeame ll rexitlent ul' 'lirrry in l8blI, lle liax always been prtvgrewive in malterx tif e1lnea1i11n 111111 an entliuxif axtie Julvtweate 111' 11ll lllilt tenilerl 111 prtnnfvte tlie piiblie welfare. Klr. linux liax been 111'Ul11'lL'1lll' 111' 'l'r11y'S urigiiial l11111lot111'e fur mute 1llIll1 Il qtiartei' +11 Il century. lle wax 11-r lwur years City Clerk 111111 'liI'k'il8lll'k'lA. HON. Ul.lVliR C. XYll.liY lt ix flilitienlt 111 ernwtl intti tlie limitetl space at coni- mantl 1111 IlllL'4lllIllL' sketeli of ll life an replete wl1iel1 inei- flentx 115 liax been tl111t pf Capt. XYiley. lle is il native of lruy, was etlneatecl i11 tlie bnme selnmls 111111 in llryant and Strztttunk Cullege at Xaxhville, Tenn. lle has l3L'L'1l ratlier mueli in pulitiex, tlirmugli rarely as 1111 wftiee seeker. He ' - 'ce Cpnnty Dem11er11tie lfxeeutive Cnmmittee. twp yearf, funr years ll member of tl1e State L1lJ1HllllllL't', anrl 11lternate rlelegate tu tlie llenitmeratic l'resi1lental Cnnveiititms i11 St. lainie in 1888 111111 Chicago frum 1887 tu 1892. tlireetpr of tlie l . K Xl, bank antl viee- presiflent anfl general nianager pf the Stanclarcl Cl1emie11l 1 V I - e serveml 218 ll member 111 the 'l'1-my Xtirmal lltlillqll for tweiity-fuiir yearf. being pre-itlent tlie l11tter lialf Ill. tlie time. After the cleatli ot l1l8 brntlier. Col, .X. .X XYiley, be was eleetefl to Iill nut liis nnexpirecl time in Cmigrew. 111111 prpvecl liimselt' ll model k'lJl1Ql'L'NSlllIl1l. Capt. XYiley is nnw tlie Prewitlent of tlie XYiley lfertilizer Cmrmpany. I2 111 1892, wae l'resitlent uf tlie .lxllllllllllll Klirllantl Railway