University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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The Decennial The ,Founding of the AUniversity ,G ' -' ' ' N 1855 Stephen Arnold Douglas founded the first university established , in Chicago. For a campus he gave ten acres of land, bounded by ., Q College Place, University Place, Cottage Grove Avenue and Rhodes X Avenueg and here in 1857 the University of Chicago opened its doors. 'T i ' Rev. John C. Burroughs was the first president. The financial history 'N of the institution, always troubled, came to an end in 1886 when the property was seized by an insurance company under foreclosure proceed- ings. Ata meeting of Baptist ministers in Chicago Dr.George W. Northrup,President of the Baptist Union Theological Seminary,declared in favor of abandoning the old university and establishing a new one: and Dr. T. IV. Goodspeed spoke for a new charter, a new board of trustees, and a site south of the city limits. For two years there was much conferring and consulting, then in the fall of 1888 Mr. John D. Rockefeller advised with Dr. William R. Harper of Yale concerning Chicago as a possible place for a college, and told Dr. Harper and Dr. Goodspeed that he was willing to give several hundred thousand dollars for an institution in Chicago. In December, 1888, Dr. Harper for Mr. Rockefeller and Rev. Fred. T. Gates, Secretary of the American Baptist Education Society, in behalf of interested Chicagoans, laid the matter before the Board of the Society, and this society unanimously voted for the establishment of a thoroughly equipped institution in Chicago. In May, 1889, the Board passed resolutions which formed the basis for the organization of the University. Immediately the Secretary, Mr. Gates, read a pledge from Mr. Rocke- feller for E6ooo,ooo, provided that 2,100,000 be subscribed before June 1, ISQO, for buildings and groundsg S4o2,o83 were raised. Mr. Marshall Field gave the north half of the three blocks lying between Fifty-sixth and Fifty-ninth Streets, Ellis and Greenwood Avenues, the south half was bought by the Board from Mr. Field. Mr john D. Rockefeller, Mr. E. Nelson Blake, Mr. Marshall Field, Mr. Fred, T. Gates, Mr. Francis E. Hinckley, and Dr. Thomas W. Goodspeed secured, under date of September Io, 1890, a charter for The University of Chicagof' In order to avoid com- plications, the Board of Trustees of the institution founded by Douglas authorized the new college to use the title, The University of Chicago, and formally changed the name of the first university to The Old University of Chicagof' at the same time these trustees directed that the books and records of the the Old University be turned over to the new, thus facilitating the relations of the alumni of the two colleges and securing preser- vation of the records of degrees conferred. At the meeting September 18, the new Board of Trustees received a pledge for one million dollars from Mr. Rockefeller-a gift which assured a graduate school, a divinity school, and an academy, to supplement the colleges already planned. On this day, too, the trustees enthusiastically elected Professor William Rainey Harper of Yale to the presidency. By April 1, 1891, Dr. Harper had accepted lhep roffered position, and the Baptist Sem- inary at Morgan Park was united with the university as its divinity school. The growth of the institution was assured, a committee was authorized to buy more ground for a campus, after competition, Mr. Henry Ives Cobb was selected as architect, and three build- ings were ordered to be built. 9

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Professor Frank Frost Abbott of Yale received the nrst appointment to a position on a facultyg he was made University Examiner and Associate Professor of Latin, july 1, ISQI. The following months were filled with events, the Ogden estate gave something more than half a million for a Graduate School of Science, in Berlin President Harper secured the large Calvary Libraryf' the faculties were organizedg ground for the Hrst building was broken November 26, ISQXQ Mr. Sidney Kent donated a building to be devoted to chemistry: Mr. Rockefeller pledged a second million dollars, within ninety days after Mr. Fields' donation of 3IO0,000, one million dollars were pledged by Chicago- ans. Mr. George C. 'Walker presented a museum, Mr. Silas B. Cobb gave a recitation building: Mr. Ryerson subscribed for a laboratory, Mrs. Elizabeth Kelly, Mrs. Nancy Foster, Mrs. Beecher, Mrs. Snell, each gave a dormitoryg and on the eighty-ninth day the eifort to raise the million dollars was dramatically concluded in the meeting of the Board of Trustees when a gift was announced from the vice-president of the Board. On October 1, 1892, the l'niversity opened its doors to students. U The Decennial Celebration -3-iexffgigjj -24351 ECAVSE the University of Chicago began its academic existence in 1891 with the appointment of the first officers of instruction, in june IQOI, the university celebrated the completion of the first ten years of its life. For this celebration, nve days, June 14, 15, 16, 17, IS, were set C apart, and all tive days were Hlled, except for a few minutes avail- able before breakfast, with suitable exercises, in the arrangement of which, as Professor Vincent asserts, the committee was guided by the principle: When in doubt, lay a corner stone. The exercises were for the most part held in the open air, chiedy in a tent pitched in the hollow north of Haskell and in a huge tent in the center of the campus. Because of the outdoor nature of the ceremonies the success of the celebration was largely aided by the delightful weather which prevailed during the five days, the only rain that fell disturbed for a very few minutes the candi- dates for degrees who were sitting under the hole at the center pole of the convocation tent. Junior College Day began with the Inter-fraternity and Inter-house Athletic meets on Marshall Field. Phi Delta Theta won the former and Washington House the latter. At 12:30 the members of the junior College gathered about the steps of Walker to see planted the ivy brought from the Poet's Walk at Oxford. Mr. Thomas J. Hair, the chair- man of thel day presided. Miss Kate Wilson recited the Ivy Poem: Miss Edna Robin- son delivered the spade to Mr. Clifford W. Gaylord, and Mr. Claude C. Nuckols concluded the ivy exercises with the Ivy Oration. At 2 o'clock in Rosalie Hall, the Dramatic Club, under the direction of Mr. Stanley Davies, presented L' A Night Off, with much credit to themselves and to the University. The base-ball team, at 4 o'clock, added to the Decennial joys by defeating Vfisconsin on Marshall Field. In the evening the perform- ance of As You Like lt, was given in the tent in the Graduate Quadrangle and at 9 o'clock the junior Promenade was held at the Chicago Beach Hotel. Mr. Platt M. Conrad was the chairman Of the Promenade. Saturday morning about 7 o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller arriving at the presi- dent's house were greeted Cunofliciallyj by a double line of girls from the halls who sang, cheered, yelled, and waved their handkerchiefs. At 9:50 the Chicago branch of the IO -