University of Northern Iowa - Old Gold Yearbook (Cedar Falls, IA)

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Laboratory and Gymnasium Miss Emma Ridley (now Mrs. Colgrovc) and Miss Sarah Peters returned from a convention very enthusiastic regard- ing Bible study. A class was begun in Mr. Seerlcy's office and when his duties no longer allowed him to lead it, they willingly did so until the following year when Professor Loughridge took up the work. At this time. J888, when the faculty consisted of ten instructors, the title “President was adopted. This year also marks the beginning of musi- cal organizations. Miss Julia Curtis formed the Cecilian Club of sixteen ladies and the I. S. N. S. Glee Club was formed of fifteen young men, among whose names appear those of the four Fullerton boys. President Seerley and his family up to this time had rooms on second floor of South Hall and took their meals in the general dining room in North Hall. The President's Cottage being ready in J890 the family moved in. Fifty men at the beginning of this year petitioned for military drill, the petition was granted and the work given over to Professor Bartlett. The following year military drill was made a requirement of all able-bodied men for a maximum period of three years. This action necessitated more room for the regular school work, so the boarding department was closed. The old dining room became an armory, drill room and gymnasium; the old kitchen became a music hall, and the dormitories became recitation rooms. New movements seem to occur regularly each two

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mcnt program for June, 1878, shows a swing in a direction more natural to human nature. Men no longer vow to be bachelors; women no longer assure us they are content in spite of such avowals, but they pour forth their inmost con- victions through such topics as “Safety Lies in a Medium,” “Reason and Faith,” “Triumphs Through Adversity,” and “National Instincts.” The commencement program for June, 1879, with its laconic, all-inclusive subjects, “Truth,” “Science,” “Scales,” “Clouds” and “Keys” presents an orig- inality far removed both from the radicalism of '77 and the moderatism of '78. The winter term in 1878, as were the later terms,, was announced by large posters on which we may read these facts: A Large Faculty of Experienced Teachers. Boarding, room, heat, light—only $3.15 per week. Free tuition for teachers. Others admitted at $2.00 per month. One hundred and twenty-seven students enrolled in Fall Term. In the annual report at the close of the school year in 1881, Principal Gilchrist announces that the school has reached its capacity and that laboratories, assembly, recita- tion and dormitory rooms and a model school are the most pressing needs. When a bill passed the legislature and a second building was being planned the graduating class asked to be allowed to have “Class of 1882” on the corner- stone. So great was the joy of the board, however, that it reserved for itself this honor. The appropriation fell short of the needs, citizens of Cedar Falls came to the rescue, teachers and students subscribed for frescoing the chapel and finishing the society rooms on fourth floor and great was the rejoicing on all sides on that day of dedica- tion, June 8, 1883. The principal's children with those of the neighborhood made up the personnel of Miss Ella Miller's Model School, occupying rooms “11” and “13” on second floor. The announcement bulletins for the follow- ing term read: Well Equipped Model School. Two Great Imposing Structures. A great school enrolling between three and four hundred students. The first decade was drawing to a close. The number of graduates had varied from four the first year to its high- est number, thirty-seven, in 1882, and to nineteen in 1886. As early as 1879 notices had been sent to county superin- tendents announcing graduates as candidates for positions and up to 1886 of the 177 graduates, 166 had taught since graduation, and only three of the eleven failed to teach from inclination. In the ten years Mr. Gilchrist had “changed sentiment from indifference to interest and from hostility into willingness to give the school a fair trial.” The second administration began on July 29, 1886, when Mr. Homer H. Seerlcy assumed his duties as princi- pal. There were no ceremonies, no assurances, no promises, but “the infusion of new blood gave new vigor” and soon a spirit of harmony and of effective work prevailed. With a new leader, of course some changes were made. Graduation from the beginning had depended on success- fully passing an examination given by the board of exam- iners and records show that sometimes at least seven appearances of the Waverly or La Porte bands were needed at the commencement exercises to relieve the candidates for graduation from the strain of those hours. Thus gradua- tion made on recommendation of the faculty rather than examining board was a welcome innovation. Provision was also made whereby an examination for state certi- ficates was held annually at Cedar Falls for benefit of stu- dents completing courses. Authority in the management of their respective departments was transferred to the pro- fessors. New courses were planned, definite degrees were settled on and diplomas sent to all former graduates, and the courses were made to conform with laws of the state and to meet needs of such students as wished to continue their courses elsewhere. From this time until the present the progress had been both in organization and expansion. In 1887 the Y. M. C. A. was organized and soon afterward the Y. W. C. A.

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years and development of old ones on alternate years. In 1892 forty men declared themselves an athletic association and others wanted to start a band. Old instruments were borrowed, two new ones were purchased and the first ap- pearance was made on Memorial Day when the Iowa State Normal Band headed the cadet corps in the procession to the cemetery. In 1893 the Normal became a member of the State Oratorical Association and with such members as Ida Fescnbeck, Forest Ensign, H. E. Blackmar and Percival Hunt in the local organization she held her place for three years. In 1894 football was inaugurated and a special pri- mary course begun. In 1895 the Euterpcan and Choral societies, the orchestra and mandolin club were organized. In 1896 Professor Loughridge was permitted to hold a sum- mer term for Latin teachers. The following year all departments were allowed to hold a summer session, but the board did not assume this term as a part of the regular work until 1899. Though the Administration Building had been com- pleted in January, 1896, and facilities greatly increased in every way, by 1897 the school seems again to have grown to its full capacity. Travel through the bridge —which connected North Hall and South Hall — at chapel hour had to be rigidly systematized in order to avoid crushes in the halls and the crowded condition of the chapel raised the Seniors to an elevated position on the rostrum. This year is marked by changes in many ways. The model school of the early days had not been a success even for observation purposes, so had been abandoned and the schoolroom furnished for library Durooses until the comple- tion of the Administration Building in 1896. Later the Training School was organized and in 1897 Mr. Bender came to take charge of it. The one-year special primary course was now dropped and a two-year course provided. The young men formed a debating league. Mr. Carpenter, of Illinois, a landscape gardener, surveyed and platted the campus. The library was improved by the erection of the steel racks and the purchase of new desks for the librarians. A fir flag pole was purchased in Washington, erected on the campus and from that time our flag has waved over the school. It was in 1897, too, that Mr. Gilchrist, the first principal, died at his home in Laurens, Iowa. The catalog of 1900 shows an increase of the faculty to forty-two in number and the first appearance of the names Miss Simmons, Mr. Knoepflcr, Mr. Gist and Mr. Geiser. The Auditorium Building was now completed, thus making provision for fifty class rooms in all and six society halls. This condition allowed extension in some departments and the addition of new ones; now German was put in under the direction of Mr. Knoepflcr, and Physi- cal Training under the direction of Mr. Affleck. This was followed by the new departments of Training in Industrial Arts and Kindergarten in 1904 and Home Economics or Domestic Science in 1906. The agitation over the state for other Normal Schools had never ceased. In 1902 measures to this end were again tried and the struggle between com- petitive cities probably prevented the passage of such a bill. The Twenty-sixth General Assembly instead passed a bill providing for the levy of one-tenth of a mill tax for a certain period to raise revenue to be employed in the erection and equipment of additional buildings for this school. In accordance with this the Gymnasium was erected in 1904, later the Science Laboratory and with the renewal of the tax provision was made for the new Library which is the most beautiful, as well as the most expensive building on the campus. Just now the legislature has accepted the plans for the Training School Building and very soon sod will be broken west of the Library and the work on it begun. It will not be an ordinary high school building, but will be especially adapted in every way to its peculiar needs as a practice school of a great institution. The appropriation of between one hundred twenty-five and one hundred fifty thousand dollars places it second only to the Library in cost. This school has celebrated many special days, but no other has had so much meaning to hundreds of Normal students as did the celebration of the Bartlett anniversary day. All were glad to do honor to this grand oTd man who