University of Nebraska Lincoln - Cornhusker Yearbook (Lincoln, NE)

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R . .i,i..23g?l.i U 5 .515 Qdsgfsfvtf.-- 7 Ei? W I l l F ll o 0 R A Brief Survey of Fifty-five Years 4, . , 7- ROM one insecure -building to ll l V, tt two campuses 3 from twenty , 5.,7 V. - students to something more , I , . t 'T than eight thousand-that is the 11 if 1 Q ' ,::, '. t, growth of our Alma Mater since her f Q! ' f.V:- . ,.. At f AIA' , first year. 1871. , lt X t , UGO We to the 1-and of .golden 1 7'1 1 opportunity was the slogan of fifty 1 if ' years ago, and the pioneers, rich in ,N l , fl- faith and determination came to l 'l . . . '. t . lf F -vii .1i-t fhls Uncultlvafedt unlflhablfed land, 2 a desolate Pfam- Out of if, they fi ' Fifteen years after Nebraska's l l recognition as a territory, and two I oo an 0 e ni e a es, e l, U Hall-Fifty years ago, suwoundpd by 'maiden prairie. x bill fOI' the 6Sl2abliSl'1IIl6I1lZ of the Uni- versity of Nebraska was introduced 1 ' into the Senate by E. E. Cunningham of Richardson county. The object, it was set forth, should be to afford the inhabitants of the state the means of acquiring thorough knowledge in the branches of literature, science, and the arts. Four days after it was introduced, the bill had passed through the two houses, had received the governor's signature, and was a law. l 5 Six colleges were established in the new institution: the College of Ancient and Modern Literature, ' Mathematics, and Natural Scienceg the College of Agricultureg the College of Medicineg the College x' of Practical Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Mechanicsg and the Col- . lege of Fine Arts. All these divisions were to be governed by a Board , , f of Regents, composed of three persons from each judicial district, ap- ix ' pointed in joint session of the legislature, and to meet with the gover- 1 7 nor, the superintendent of public instruction, and the chancellor of the ' University, as a member ex-officio. Q. Y This board, according to the late Albert. Watkins, was organized at a meeting held June 3, 1869, when August F. Harvey was elected secre- ' tary, and John L. McConnell treasurer. Plans and specifications were F. approved for the first building. The cornerstone for the building was I2 laid on the day following the second meeting, September 22, 1869. f W Twenty students were enrolled when the College of Ancient and Modern Literature, Mathematics, and Natural Science opened its doors on September 7, 1871. Twelve of these students were irregulars, or special stu- Judge Dates constituted the fmt t graduating class of the Univer- sity. W. H. Snell, '73-Who with dentsg one was a juniorg two sopho- lnores, and five freshmen. The Latin, . 1 or 'fprep school, however, had an enrollment of 110, a commentary ' perhaps on the stage of education at that time, and the need for an institution under the name and style of the University of Nebraska. Moral Science was taught by the first chancellor, A. R. Bentong Prof. , A. H. Manley was pedagogue in ancient languages, and O. C. Dake was professor of English literature. S. Aughey taught physics and natural X science, and E. G. Church, principal of the Latin school, was instructor , , in mathematics and modern languages. f Ni J. Stuart Dales, who has been secretary of the Board of Regents 1 since 18753 and E. H. Snell, now an attorney in Tacoma, Washington, were the first graduates of the young institution, receiving their de- . grees in 1872, the second year of the life of the University. Frank l Hurd, Uriah Malich, and M. Stevens were graduated the next year, and ,i 5 Judge J. S. Dales, '73-One of the I , , , . t V first graduates who has been seem- on the day of their graduation, with their two predecessors, organized tt 7, of the Board of Regents Wwe the Alumni Association of the University of Nebraska-a large name V' l . Page 10 I rf ij Wim -M-f--f - e---it kj 'iff' 1.74 'Q gl 'i X 'X 1 - N E B W A 5 'K f - 'ti

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iw X ,, ,w ll 'l I fl ll f I '. - t The Chancellor's Page lif Ji it l . ' 3 l xi Z' ' ' x Juju! ,... ....... ... .. .W.,,, -,.., ,.,. .M . .f ---V ..-..W.i - 3' l it fi ll 1 6: Ml il .1 l ' lfikil xi f' i 'li gr Ki 51 lf? l .f-s if W ,5 , lm , ,I I i. ,J -...V Vik w ' J' 3 at Vp ,,-'l li, l X' rl 4: lu . l it If 1 CHANCELLOR AVERY As a Graduate of the I fi. 1 University of N ebraslca in 1892 !1I ii ll is f T is appropriate that the edition of the Corrthusker to be published soon after the I . fifty-fifth birthday anniversary of the University should give special attention to , All , 5 the history of the institution. After passing the fifth milestone of the second half i .li l century We are at that stage of our journey Where We have back of us a relatively long l and creditable record of progress, and yet We are not so far from the starting point that i . ua .M4 c all of the original company have dropped by the Wayside. l' J One associated With any large group may take a just pride in its collective achieve- i Qi ments, Whether his own contributions be great or small. The one Whose name is greatest jg in the annals of missionary enterprises could say With satisfaction that he was a lg, .A may citizen of no mean city. In a similar spirit all of those who have contributed in any Way I Q to the present strength and standing of the University are justly entitled to the same ' . feeling of satisfaction. I . F.. 1 . jp- . Q I 1 I When I first knew the University intimately about thirty-four years ago there Was . no such showing of educational strength as the present affords. The modern traditions . I I il 5 of the institution were just in the process of formation. Students of that time Were not I l 5 heirs to so rich a heritage as those of today. In collecting and ,A preserving the records of the University as a whole, and espec- Z L E rg , ially those relating to student life, the 1924 Corrzhusker is ' 4 V, If rendering a real service to the students of the present time I 4 E V , and to those who aresto follow. I , Page 9 Q , , i U

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.Qt W 9 1 I I 1 I f 1 i t af M1 5 ' v t ,t l V 1 i f t for an organization of five, but justined by the growth in . ', faf later years of the membership roll. Q 'N The new state constitution of 1875 made the office of it lg regent an elective one, and gave these officers authority ll. over the organization of the institution. The College of T ' Agriculture was united with the College of Practical Science, 4 , forming the Industrial College. It was in the office of dean I of that college that distinguished service was rendered by ' Fr Dr. Charles E. Bessey. H ' W Complaints were, however, coming to the board as to 3 the University building. Although it had cost 328,000 It T more than the original S100,000 appropriation for it, it had I ' lf never been satisfactory. It was found now that it was not impervious to rain, and that didn-culty was found in heat- EYA ing. The building was really unsafe, since- the foundation .W had begun to crumble away. The regents were in favor of DT- Chmes Bessey-Neb,.a8,wfs h0m,,.ed bot- 3 gr razing it and building a new 'University hall, but the citi- present Chan- X 5 gy, , , , chica O ., , , pus m the days M V zens of Lincoln, having been informed by two g gone by, QAQ architects that the building was unsafe because of the . crumbling of the foundation stone brought from Robbers' Cave, met the expense of a new founda- ,- 3 tion. The roof was repaired, and in 1883, a slate one replaced the old shingles. Hard coal burners 1 tl l' were installed in the building, and a great improvement was felt, in spite of the fact that the fuel 1 Q had to be carried from one room to another. It was during this epoch, when student janitors found -9 53 the banisters a quick and convenient means of going from . second floor to first, that the cleats were fastened on the banis- 'i ters, after a particularly zealous student had miscalculated the l 3, 3 force, and slid, coal tscuttle and all, into the class room where l 'f gi the students were studying the intricacies of Euclid. ,I 1 Student pranks and student activities were all a part of I the college course then as now. A development, however, I 1 was as necessary in that phase of the college and university J 1 ES as in the scholastic side. At first the chancellor, the deans, and the heads of departments often were a part of the in- F! structional staff. Public examination was required for all X, 1 classes, and attendance at daily prayer was compulsory for 'I EI students, and recommended as 'Avery desirable for the faculty. l . xl V A student was also required to attend some place of divine ll Q The Campus Ben-which once signaled . worship every Sunday under the direction of parent or guard- I the hpm- of Daily Prayer and rolled the ian. These rules, archaic as they may -seem, were in force, X, 1 H Q'f,'f,Qf1:l'f,'ZS'fl'Lgel S' Its MWMfte SfW1ff until 1882, when the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. assumed ' 3 5, ' ' the responsibility for the religious education of the students. .,iix,, The Hesperian Student, the first campus publication, was provided for in 1874, when the Board I of Regents appropriated S100 for its use. Members of the Palladian Literary Society had started the - 1 Hesperian a few years before. Its growth gave rise to other activities, chief among which was politics, X since its editors were elected by popular vote. ' ' ' ' 1 Q The Adelphian Society room was fitted up in 1873 by an appropriation of theregents. Social life of ., 'f J the students centered around the literary socie- 4 ' ' ties, their weekly Friday evening meetings were f A rivaled only by the infrequent shows at the , gg f ol-d Centennial theatre. Palladian had been X1 founded in 1871, but restricted its membership I fl to men, removing this ruling only after a group , of students had withdrawn in '73, and formed ' the rival Adelphian, which admitted women and ! X. .1 even preparatory students. This organization It lr ' later became the University Union. Q WJ Financial considerations were indeed import- ! ant in those pioneer days, both of the Univer- 1 sity and of the people of the state. The regents V X required that each Student have at least three University Union Hall-Typical of the center of social life of - classes daily, and Slllelld Sl1Ch Othel' GX6I'CiS6S HS the early C0'r'n.h'u.skers. In the days when Old Gold was the lla the faculty Should direct. A definite tinle was gbilggglslca Calor and the Scarlet and the Cream had not been 2 L , Page 11 F .. A I b , A R m.-.n...- . ..,, .- if - -i we es. fifj, 'gg 1 ,J 77 -1 7 E it l E u t 4 1 .4 W f jx 1 J A l Wg