University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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THE STUDENT BODY FOOLS ITSELF M ' By Tom W. Phelps, ' 23 INNESOTA students fooled themsel -es. For years the chronic argument Aw, we can ' t do that, we ' re in a big city had put down one student enterprise after another. Students themselves were beginning to believe that the student body as a whole lacked pep and lojalty to their university. When the stadium-auditorium campaign was announced, students and faculty, even those most anxious for the success of the project, gasped at the quota set for the campus. Half a million dollars! To be sure other universities had done as much in proportion to their enrollments, but Minnesota was different. j K SK. One month later the newspapers IH HL W told the world that University of Minnesota students, faculty and non-faculty members of the institution had pledged — not $500,000 — but $665,000, the largest amount ever raised in a single campaign on a univer- sity campus, according to Lyman L. Pierce, campaign director. It was a simple enough the way the thing worked out. The average student, individually loyal and ready to work, had been thinking of himself a s difTerent from that great inert thing known as the student body. As the organization for the drive grew, he discovered that there were thousands of students just as in- dividually loyal and ready to work as he was. Bud Bohnen ' s slogan, No one fails the stadium was a true statement of fact. From the central committee to the last member of the 1500 no one refused to accept the job offered him. Even those most dubious of the outcome gave their whole hearted support. For three weeks the organization grew as Prexy and the two Pierces, Lyman and E. B. talked to groups in every college. And as the organization grew and the spirit of the thing took hold of the campus, the average student ' s idea of what he should give grew too. At the first big luncheon in the armory, 1054 student workers pledged $118,826, an average of $112.73. Having set themselves a high standard, they went out in the next three days to hang a 100 per cent banner on the whole Uni- versity. After the first day the only question was How far will the campus o ' er subscribe its quota? When 20,000 alumni returned for the Stadium Homecoming Saturday, the enormous billboard on Northrop Field told them that the campus had pledged $650,000. The clean-up drive and delayed pledges raised this total by $15,000. Minnesota students had fooled themselves. THE STADIUM Page 26

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MINNESOTA IS AWAKE 5vLa Pu ene. ' 92 There are giants in THESE Mater has been the princess in rescue. The college world has votion. Countless monuments e ' ery vhere. A new world has have found expression. Joy and breast. ACK of college spirit; lack of esprit de corps on the campus; absence of alumni loyalty. These were the charges against Minnesota. Unfavorable compari- sons were made with other colleges. Students came to doubt their own college spirit. Alumni were inert and indifferent. A college which makes no demand receives little allegiance. Alumni associations with hypo- thetical programs get nowhere. Life cannot be sustained on mere remi- niscence. That which is not ex- pressed dies. Loyalty demands that a price be paid for its e.xistence. And so we had come to believe that there was no Minnesota spirit. It was latent on the campus except under p ressure of pep meetings, when it was whipped into line. Alumni groups existed on paper only, days. Campus giants. Alumni giants. Alma distress. Hosts of giants have come to the seen a succession of feats of strength and de- of victory grace the domain of Alma Mater dawned on our campus. Loyalty and devotion satisfaction and pride have sprung up in e -ery In the Land of the Northern -Star a giant lay in lethargy. Now and then a bevy of elfs and imps prodded him into a spasm of life. Artificial stimulants were administered. There was an automatic sign of pep. He gave meaning- less yells, but not being able to stand defeat he relapsed, groaned, wept, and slept again. Suddenly the j ' oung giant stirred. He stretched himself. He burst his shackles. He rejoiced as a young man to run a race. The test had come. He saw in vision the realization of a charming dream. He ran, he shouted. Other sleeping giants awoke. Minnesota, Hail to Thee! The shackles are gone forever. A glorified LIniversity is calling to us. She beckons us on. Ne ' er was there such response. Minnesota fight is realized. Obstacles crumble before our ad ance. Ne -er was such a giant seen before. All other feats of daring and strength seem as naught. All other valiant and loyal deeds are put to shame. The Minnesota giant stands alone with sword in hand. His victory was without precedent. No more will he sleep. A succession of victories li THE STADIUM Page 25

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The Campus Drive THK turbulent days of last September and October, when the rami)us arose to its gigantic task in the Stadium Auditorium campaign, will afford their witnesses a fore ' er constant source of glowing and thrilling memories. An account of how complacent Minnesota accepted her challenge, how the pulsi ' ol campus interest quickened with a vitalizing throb, until the huge bulk ot the institution was swept with excitement, is indeed a wondertul story well worth setting down. For years Minnesota has Ijeen handicapped for want of an adequate athletic field and an auditorium in which the entire student body could be assembled. Their value to the L ni ersity has ne er been questioned, but the method of acquiring them has been the problem. On May 14th, 1921, after the inau- guration of President Coffman, 300 Gopher Alumni gathered to discuss the situation. A moving figure in the deliberations was Thomas F. Wallace, Law ' 95. The Legislature was of course out of the question. It could, as it was, scarcely bear the strain of providing adequate class-room facilities for the rapidly increasing enrollment. Twenty years could see no assist- ance from this source. The examples of other state institutions pointed to the logical solution. The mone ' could be raised by subscription. And here would be a splendid opportunity for the sons and daughters of Minnesota to do something on their own, to give a positive expression to their interest in the welfare of Alma Mater. So it was that the General Alumni Association announced its binding resolution pledging students, faculty, alumni, and former students to subscribe 2,000,000 dollars for the erection of an auditorium and a stadium of which Minnesota could justly be proud, the former to be built as a memorial to the late President Emeritus Northrop, and the latter in honor of the soldier dead of the University. Nothing could have been a more fitting dedication for these two buildings — the auditorium in which to perpetuate that quintessence of Minnesota spirit, to the enkindling of which Prexy Northrop so ardently devoted his life, — and the stadium, a place where physical manhood, the attribute of every soldier who lost his lite, could be de eloped and perfected. The tremendous appeal of this project had instantaneous elTect and the Greater University Corporation was formed at once. Thomas F. Wallace, ' 95, was elected president of this group, and under his leadership, the stage was pre- Thomas F. Wallace THE STAniUM Page 37