University of Oregon - Oregana Yearbook (Eugene, OR)

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il THE rue Account of a uccexflf Jufiiziba., g b HE University of Oregon has been marked by continual bat- Avh V tles for its expansion and for its very life and has always emerged forth the victor. A short review of the establishment of this successful institution is herein enscribed on . ' lis p - r aft Qhtza these pages. The act of Congress of February 14, 1859, admitting Oregon into the union provided for a state university by the grant of seventy- two sections of land for that purpose. During the twelve years between the act of Congress and the first move toward organizing the university, Corvallis began its career, at first under Methodist auspices and later as the State Agriculture College. Wlmen the legislature convened in the fall of 1872, bills for the location were brought forward by Corvallis, Monmouth, Albany, Salem, Forest Grove and Eugene. The success of Eugene's bill was due to several causes, most prominent of which was the absence of sectarian influences in the movement. Further, the people of southern Oregon supported the bill because the town was more accessible to them than were any of the other locations proposed. Finally, the activity of several citizens of Eugene aided in bringing the bill to success. At the general meeting, August 26, 1872, the citizens of Eugene determined to form an organization to be known as the Union Uni- versity Association, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars and appointed a com- mittee to draft articles of incorporation. 1 1 1 1 I-IEN the legislature convened the representatives of the Association in- troduced the bill referred to, designating Eugene as the location for the State Univer- sity, which passed the legislature with a large majority October 19, 1872. It provided for a board of directors, numbering nine, six of whom were to be appointed by the gov- ernor, subject to the approval of the senate, the other three to be elected by the stock holders of the Union University Association. Each county was entitled to gratuitous in- struction for one pupil, and one pupil to every member and joint member of the leg- islature to which such county was entitled.

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COPYRIGIJT Copyright, 1935, by Virginia Wenrz, editor, and Thomas Tongue, business manager . . . Printed at the Valley Printing Co. in Eugene . . . Pho- tography by Kennell-Ellis studio of Eugene . . , Engraved by the Hicks-Chatren Engraving Co. of Penland under zhe supervision of Raymond E. Alexander.

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rf ,- , 4.03 THE OREGANA E3 NINETEEN HUNDRED THIRTY' THREE The support of the University was pro- vided for by the interest arising from the sale of the seventy-two sections of land don- ated by congress in the act entitled, An act for the admission of the state of Oregon into the union. No part of the interest could be spent in purchasing a site or in erecting a building, and all interest remaining over and above a yearscurrent expenses should revert to the fund and become a part of the prin- cipal. The bill further stated that the Union University Association should purchase a site and construct a building for the University, turning over to the state by january, 1874, property worth not less than fifty thousand dollars, which property was to be inspected and accepted by the Board of Land Commis- sioners of the state. The location of the University decided and secured, its creation was vigorously under- taken. Committees by the directors were ap- pointed to solicit subscriptions and to receive propositions for suitable grounds for the building. Each side of the town was anxious for the situation, and to concillitate all fac- tions the directors contracted for nve acres of ground lying east of Oak and south of twelfth streets. As considerable dissatisfaction was still felt, the matter was referred to the Board of Land Commissioners who selected a piece of rising ground lying half a mile east of the town. Accordingly on the nineteenth of April 1875, the purchase of eighteen acres of land was selected. 1 1 1 1 V 'W HE directors of the Union University - . Association had been depending upon the Lane County court to vote them an appropriation of thirty thousand dollars as authorized by the legislature, but the object- ions raised against the added taxation were so numerous and insistent that some of the directors decided the wisest course would be for the court to rescind the resolution. In the first place, if the court enjoined, and if the case were appealed, delay might make it impossible to fulfill the conditions of the bill within the specified time. Besides, the people were depending too much upon the county's apportionment and were subscribing little. At the suggestion of the directors, therefore, the court rescinded its previous action and the entire fifty thousand dollars had to be raised by subscriptions. The task was diihcult, but sufficient funds were obtained to raise the brick walls of the building and to roof them before the rains began. A deed was made out transferring this property to the state by january 1, 1874. 1 1 1 1 NLY the exterior of the building had been completed, and much of this was yet unpaid. An effort was made in the legis- ture in the fall of 1874 to obtain ten thou- sand dollars from the interest accumulated on the Uiversity fund in order to carry on the work, but the bill was lost. A motion was carried, however, to amend the original stat- ute of 1872, extending the time before which the property should be turned over to the state until January 1, 1877. The Work of collecting the requisite funds went on with increasing difhculty. The citi- zens of Eugene had generously contributed, but the people of the county had done little. In the fall of 1875 a county convention was called to discuss means of raising the sixteen thousand dollars that were still needed. From the sixteen precincts of the county, eleven were represented, solicitors for each precinct were appointed, and as a result six thousand dollars were turned into the treas- ury.