University of Nevada - Artemisia Yearbook (Reno, NV)

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Bistory of tbe University of Revada BY ROBERT LEWERS I J-5N 1810, amidst the green mountains of Vermont, a man was .• ' .•t born whose destiny it was to make possible the founding X ' 3 of the universities of agriculture and mechanic arts now ■ ■■ I ' I 3 scattered far and wide throughout our great country, and ' I ' 3 his name — Justin Smith Morrill — will be long revered bv those who know him and his work. Senator Morrill was the author of the Act of Congress of Jvily 2, 1862, which provided for the donation to each State of thirty thousand acres of land for each representative in the national body of lawmakers. By virtue of this Nevada received ninety thousand acres of land, and the money arising from the sale of this land is placed in an irreducible fund known as the University Fund — Ninety Thousand Acre Grant, which now amounts to about $93,000. The principal is invested in United States and Nevada State bonds, and the interest derived from this investment is to be used for the support of the University and is available for instruction only. By the Act of July 4, 1866, Nevada was granted a tract of land equal to seventy-two entire sections for the establishment and main- tenance of a university. The money arising from the sale of these lands is placed in an irreducible fund known as the State Univer- sity Fund, and amounts at present to about $36,000, invested principally in Nevada State 4 per cent bonds. The income arising from both of the investments amounts to $6,500 yearly, the exce. ' s above the 4 per cent being derived from interest on deferred land payments. Probably 80 per cent of all the land has been .sold. As a further evidence of the great value of Senator Morrill ' s services to the universities we have but to chronicle the fact that he was the author of the Act of Congress of August 30, 1890, appro- priating the sum of $15,000 for the year ending July, 1890, for the more complete endowment of each agricultural and mechanical college, said sum to be increased at the rate of $1,000 a year until it reached the maximum of $25,000 per year. The income from this source is limited solely to purposes of instruction. In the Constitutional Convention of 1864 a very considerable portion of the time was de- mi.mm, i.ru.i.i.v., voted to the discussion of educational matters, and especial interest was taken in the establishment of a School of Mines and Mechanical 20

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faculty— Continued ■% % FRED M. LINSCOTT. Iiistniotoi- in Militnry Seieuce and Tactics Was horn in Des Moines Iowa, Auffiist 7, 1872. He received his early education in the Cedar- ville, California, public school In 1891 he ectered the Nevada State Business CoUefre. In 1892 he en- tered the State University, grad- uating from the School of Agricul- ture in 189ti. In Septeml)er, 1897. he entered the School of Miues, receiving his degree in 1898. In May, 1898, he was commissioned as Captain of the First Nevada Vol- unteer Cavalry and November 6, 1898, was called to the Philippines, where he served for a year with great honor to himself and State. Upon his return to Nevada he was appointed to his present position in the Nevada State University. I I 19

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MORRILL HALL l)i$tory of the University of nevada- continued Arts. The constitutional lawmakers laid a solid foundation for a complete public school system. Nevada, by Act of March 19, 1865, created a Board of Regents consisting of Governor H. G. Blasdel, Secretary of State C. N. Noteware and State Superintendent A. F. White, and the first meeting of the Board was held on November 16, 1865. The Act pro- vided for the location of the University in Washoe county, but did not appro- priate anything for the erection of buildings or the puchaae of a site. None of the income arising from the ninety thousand acre grant was available for these purposes, and the Board therefore called upon the citizens of the western counties to donate enough money for this work. It is recorded that the com- mittee on donations held a meeting in Washoe City late that year, but in the end nothing was done However, if the writer mistakes not, Hon. Theodore Winters at that time offered to donate a liberal amount of land for a University site. Cbc University at eiko In 1874, the Legislature having made provision therefor, a Board of Regents consisting of Hon. P. H. Clayton, Hon. Jerry Schooling and Hon. S. H. Day had the honor of making the fir -t real start toward founding the school intended by the fundamental act by opening a preparatory school at Elko and employing Hon. David R. Sessions, a graduate of Princeton and a very worthy gentleman, as principal of the school. It is a matter of record that the Board authorized the preparation of a course of study for this school, but the register is mi,ssing and we are in the dark as to what it was. It 1875, under the Regency of the HonorableS C. C. Stevenson, W. C. Dovey and Alfred Helm the University was still further improved by the addition of a dormitory building. In 1879 the names of Hon. T. N. Stone, Hon. J. S. Mayhugh and Hon. W. W. Bishop appear as members of the 21 ■ !- -- ' -. »!Mfe-v. ■i-l. If: t : .am STEWART HALL