University of Oklahoma - Sooner Yearbook (Norman, OK)

Page 11 text:

dit- - • ' • % i A. ;HA T EVA S II I RING ihosf cvonlful days of tarly slalfliood when ihr UnivcrMty wa. Mid.lrn1y rxpandins from a trrritorial school into a Slatr InivrHly. Oklahoma wa. fortunate to have a planner and dreamer a- the 8ceond prc idenl. It was a slrennous striipple to pet money enoiiph to run llw in.|Mul,..n ..u.l .1 ' he .ame time to plan many years ahead, hut Dr. Kvans, xilh his di.tinclly English persistenee. earried on in h,. effort- to huihl a str.etly educational institution rath, r ih.n, to make it a part of the political machine. Dr. Kvans faced innun.eral.le .liffirulties during the years from 19(l7 to I ' Mll and had to overcome faculty turmo.l caused by political influence hut during this critical three years he continued his plan, for the future and fouphl to make provision for the immediate evpan-ion. lie left as enduring visible achievements, the separate ollepes .ith their dean- and the pre-cnl Adniiui-lration Buildinp.

Page 10 text:

f, + + + llxWID It05i;5$ BIIYII + + + I HK iiidrfuti alile spirit i f llic liarily wostrni pioni ' i-r bfojino a pari of llii- I ' ui- vrrsit) ill il» very lieginnill !ii the srleclioii iif llic flr l president. l-Jnin Dr. Boyd ' s arrival in Norman in 1802. from . rkansas City. Kansas, the site of lliis University was a forty acre tract of l)arren pasture land and work was liepun at onie lo lay the fiiundalion for a jireat eiluijlional inslitiilion. Oxen were useil in the exca atinri w..ik ..ii the fjr-t .idiiiini-lr.ition l.nildini;, trees were set out, and extensive efforts were made to learh the early territorial settlers the jlue of an edufJtion and of a good stale university. The redoiditahle efforl- of llu- ■ ' Ftoiinler were erowned with -.uiri -- and during those doulitful early ilays, his ability and foresight predoniinateil and hi first fai ulties were the best possible for the time, due to his remarkable understanding of men. l ' ople ailhered to the relentless teachin); of the scholar, who spoke always uf education for all.

Page 12 text:

STKATTOX I). IIIIOOK • ' FFAIRS at the University of Oklahoma were at an unsteady and critical point in the cpriM ' : of l ' M2 ami llic inMitution ' s dire need of a stabilizing influence was satisfied witli the cominj; of Dr. Brooks as the third president. The first move of the n prisident was lo lake the I niversily out of polilio for the first time and he, at onre, cstahlished himself as the president, both in name and in fact, to the extent that the lio.ird of Repents did not interfere witll internal I ' niversity affairs hut merely passed upon his reeonunendatious. It was durinp this perioil from 1912 to 192. ' 5 that the I ' niversity s enrollment prew from a hare 600 to over 6.000 students and eiphi of ilo- pr, „„i l.uildinps were added lo the campus. Dr. Brooks established a system of f.u-ultN tenure in position, with a repular s.ilary increase, and his slabiliyinp influence created the present systems of Military Science, . lhlctics. Eligibility rules. Faculty sabbatical leave, and the Administrative Council.