University of Central Missouri - Rhetor Yearbook (Warrensburg, MO)

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ilaisturp uf Qientral Missouri State Mathers Qllullege CENTRAL Missouri State Teachers College, formerly known as The Second District Normal School, has grown from a very small - VW beginning to the largest teachers college in Missouri, and to a high ' ' J rank among the teachers colleges of the United States. The history of the school, now covering hfty years, has not always been a story of progress. There are chapters of struggle and deep despair as well as chapters of rapid progress. The history of the school begins on December 26, 1870, when the first Board of Regents accepted the offer of an 5H585,000 bonus made by Sedalia and Pettis County, and located the school in Sedalia. On April 26, 1871 the Board of. Regents rescinded its act' t l ' ' s ion ocating the school in Sedalia, because Sedalia failed to comply fully with the terms of the contract. Warrensburg and johnson County then made a proposition which the Board of Regents accepted. The contract provided that the city and county should donate a site for the building incl d' , u ing twenty acres of land situated immediately south of the business center of Warrensburgg and that the city should erect a building on this site, such building to cost 3200 000 and to be com l t d in eighteen month M , p e e s. r. M. Foster, a citizen of Warrensburg, gave the twenty acres of land., On April 27, 1871, the Normal School was located at Vlfarrensburg. Thi t r een days after the location of the school at Warrensburg, the first session, an institute for teachers, began in the Foster building, now one of the city ward schools, with an enrollment of thirty. The faculty consisted of three members: George P Beard 'd . , presi ent and instructor in didactics, F. A. Angell, professor of natural science and elocution, and Miss Lucy J. Maltby, instructor in mathematics. ' Work W e on the present campus, in June, 1872, the first story was ready for occupancy and at that time the insti- tution was moved into the new building. Work on the building continued slowly and it was not completed until 1881, when the Legislature made an appropriation to finish it Th . e unfinished condition of the building, combined with otherdifficulties, retarded the early progress of the sch l. oo Dr. Beard's term of service was one year, and in 1871 b . james Johonnot ecame president. In the fall of 1872, school opened with an enrollment of twenty-two. The enrollment increased steadily and in 1875 numbered four hundred. The first graduatin cl ' 1 g ass in 875 was composed of eight members. During Mr Johonnot's 'd . presi ency, new methods in the teaching of science were introduced, notable among which were th 'd e 1 eas of laboratory work and open held work. A e raining School Depart- ment was organized and has since been uniformly maintained. During the years 1885 and 1886 appropriations were secured from the Legislature through the efforts of George L. Osborne, president of the Normal as immediately begun on a building situat d t the beginning of the scholastic year in 1881 th T ' ' Page 1 7 .K ' 5

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School from 1875 to 1898, for an additional wing which was erected adjacent to the south side of the main building, and for a science hall which was attached to the west end of the main building. George H. Howe, who had been in the mathematics department of the institution for twelve years, became president in 1898. He was succeeded in 1901 by Dr. Edwin Boone Craighead. Dr. Craighead raised the standards of the school, increased the curriculum, and introduced the elective ,system. He was also instrumental in obtaining in 1903 the 850,000 appropriation for the erection of Dockery Gymnasium. At the same time an additional appropria- tion was made for the erection of a new power plant, the second floor of which was to be used by the Manual Training Department. James E. Ament, who became president upon the resignation of Dr. Craig- head in 1904, introduced the management of the school by committees, a plan which has been used continuously to the present time. In 1907 the General Assembly made an appropriation for the Training School building. The steady progress of the school- was interrupted March 6, 1915, by a tragedy. Fire of unknown origin destroyed all the buildings except the gym- nasium and power plant. Though the school was in the midst of a great dis- aster, students rallied to the call of the president, Dr. Hawkins, and the faculty, and school was resumed Monday, March 8, being held in several public buildings and residences of Warrensburg. The regular schedule was resumed with but slight deviations. The State Legislature was in active session at the time of the fire. Dr. Hawkins appealed to the Governor who made a special appeal to the Legis- lature. In response, 8250000 were appropriated for immediate building pur- poses. Plans were accepted by the Board of Regents for a complete new plant made up of separate ire-proof buildings. The modern buildings which the school now occupies are the results of the plans. With the completion of entirely new buildings the institution assumed a new name. ln 1919 the General Assembly passed a bill changing the name from Second District Normal School to Central Missouri State Teachers Col- lege. 1 The college has progressed rapidly since the fire, with Dr. E. L. Hendricks as president. . Dr.Hendricks goes down in the history of the school as the recon- struction president, for it has been during his administration that the school has been materially restored, improved-and enlarged. The institution that started its career with three faculty members and thirty students has grown during the past fifty years to a faculty consisting of fifty members and a student body numbering fourteen hundred and eighty-seven during the year 1920. The graduating class has increased from eight in 1875 to three hundred in 1920. With modern buildings, enlarged appropriations, and improved methodsiof teaching, Central Missouri State Teachers College has climbed and .s rapidly climbing in the ranks of teachers colleges in the United States. p Page 1 8 J fi TC gre VV. Dim tio vel ani rec the gre but nui lan T11 his of Clit the is z YVC of l Col tioi are oft the aca hop the Pug