University of North Dakota - Dacotah Yearbook (Grand Forks, ND)

Page 18 text:

Spragne resigned in March. 1891, andwas succeeded in the presidency by Professor W'ebster Merriheld, 1n the summer of 1887 a ladiest dormatory, now known as Davis 112111. was erected. L711 tn this time all nem-resident students had been aceonnnodated with board and lodging in the Main Building. In 1893 the building now known as the Cottage was erected for the accommodation of the male pre- paratory students, the young men of college grade being still lodged 011 the top Hour of the Main Building. T11 1895, Gov. Roger Allen vetoed the Lini- Versity appropriation and it looked for a time as if the institution would have m eloge its doors for at least two years. However, a movement was $0011 started, headed by Hon. XVm. Jmdge of Grand Forks, to raise a fund by popu- lar subscription for the maintenance of the University until the meeting of the, next Legislature. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Budge and the generosity of the people of Grand Forks and 0f the state generally. the doors of the Univer- 9ity were kept open until the succeeding Legislature made an appropriation for its maintenance. The governofs veto, so far from killing the institution. as was at Erst feared. really brought to it the support and confldenee of the state as perhaps nothing else could have done. The University maintained a slow but steady growth, in spite of the crea- tion of several other state institutions of higher education and of two denom- inational colleges, until the passage of what is known as the twortifths mill law in 1899. Under the Operation of that law the income of the University has been far more liberal than it had been hitherto, and with increased means and 21 consequent rapid increase of the teaching force, buildings and equip- ment, the institution has enjoyed a very rapid growth. In 1890, Budge Hall and the present power house were erected and sixty acres of land adjoilr ing the University campus on the west, which had been donated to the state for the purpose of a state fair, were by act of'the Legislature turned over 10 the University, thus giving the institution a total campus area of eighty acres. Science Hall was erected in 1901 and the Mechanic Arts build- :11 llil 2:31:15 mm ::,,::11111Ii:s .55; i!:! 1 11' u: 3! UN I: E! 111111

Page 17 text:

now principal of the Grand Forks High School, succeeded Mrs. Mott as pre- ceptress. The enrollment the second year fell to forty-eight, rising the third year to seventy-flve. By way of comparison with the present standards it may be interesting to note that, at the end of the third year, the preparatory department consisted of two Classes, junlor and senior. The work of the jun- ior ClaSS included Advanced Arithmetic, Algebra through fractions, Outlines Science Hall of U. S. History, Grammar and English Composition. The work of the senior year included three books of Plane Geometry, Algebra t0 Quadratics, two books of Caesaras Gallic War, and the hrst two Catilinian orations, together With a modicum of work in Physiology, Physical Geography, and General History. During the freshman year, Algebra was continued and Plane and Solid Geometry was completed. Latin was continued through three books of Virgil's Aeneid and selections from Livy. English was studied for two hours a week. Hart's Rhetoric being the basis of instruction, accompanied by the criucal reading of ttThe Lady of the LakeU and Chaucer's ttProlOgueU The French Grammar and Reader were studied for three hours a week. Ger- man was not begun until the sophomore year, nor Greek until the junior year, Of the seventy-hve students in attendance the third year, seven were Classihed as sophomores. eighteen as freshmen, eighteen as senior prepara- tory students, seventeen as junior preparatory, five as second-year normals and ten as Erst-year normals. In 1887, C01. Homer B. Sprague. Ph. D., a graduate of Yale and a former professor in Cornell University, was elected president and entered upon his duties with the opening of the fall term. During the Erst year of C014 Spraguek administration the attendance rose to ninety-eight, and the second year to one hundred ninety-nine. After nearly four years of service as president, C01. 13

Page 19 text:

V ing and the President's House in 1903. J11 1899 the Law School was estal , lished with temporary quarters in Grand Forks: and with H011 G. C. H. Cor- liss, recently Chief Justice of the State, as Dean. In IQOI the Colleges of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering were established, and the College of iXiining Engineering tthe State School of Minesa, provided for by the Cow stitution 0f the State, was first opened. At present the Faculty numbers eleven full professors, seven assistant professors, and eighteen instructors and lecturers, a total of thirty-six mem- bers of the teaching staff as against four in 1884. During the same time the student enrollment has increased from seventymine to almost an even hve hundred. The graduates number about two hundred fifty. The one man whose life has been more Chisely identified with the growth of the University than that of any other man, is Mr. William Budge. Vx'hen the existence of the University was threatened by the Governorts veto in 1895, Mr. hulge came to the rescue and raised sufficient funds by popular sub- eeription to tide the institution over until the state again assumed its support in 1997. In recognition of his great services to the University, a bill was passed by the last Iriegislature, and signed by the Governor, making Mr. Budge a life member of the hard of Trustees-wan hunor unparalleled in this country exceptiin the ease of John S Pillsbury, Whom the State, of Minnesota made, a life member of the University Board of that state. The University has thus far organized twelve distinct departments and offers more than one hundred fifty courses Of instruction. There are at pres- ent eight buildings on the Liniversity campus. The entire plant of the Uni- versity is valued at more than $325,000. The University has received from the Federal tkwernment 126,080 acres of land, of Which 19,763 acres have been sold at a net return of about $325,000. and 96,317 acres remain unsold. The entire net income of the Univermty for the present year is not far from $80: 000. It is estimated that the University lands will eventually yield not less than J52000,.000. Illllltllllllillliii H ! nu ' .uunn I Iii