University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

Page 15 text:

Taft Laboratory 1895 Watson House 1942 by Mr. Charles O. Flagg, held its first meet- ing in an old corn crib which was located near Watson House. The first building construction did not take place, however, until 1890, when Taft Laboratory was com- pleted. The first public acknowledgment that a college was in the making was made by fifty people who attended the laying of the cornerstone for this building. The same year money was appropriated to provide proper housing for the school, and College Hall and South Hall were erected. All was finally in readiness for the first class to enter the institution in September 1890. Thirty- three stalwart students gained admission by meeting the requirements which “embraced the ordinary English branches, arithmetic through square and cube root, geography, reading, spelling, and elementary knowledge of United States history”. The members of the first class paid three dollars a week for their board, and room rent was five dollars per annum respectively. With the year 1892, we arrive at a mile- stone in the history of the institution. It was at dawn one day that year when, with the help of several undergraduates, “Old Ben Butler” roared his last mighty roar to boom forth the news that Rhode Island had pro- gressed from a school to a college with a schedule for two four-year courses, one in agriculture and one in mechanics. There were eleven departments of instruction, and 136 courses of instruction offered within two years after the founding of the college. 11

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LT HOUGH this year commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the found- ing of Rhode Island State College, the history of the organization of the institution dates back almost eighty years. On that day in 1863 when the General Assembly of this State passed resolutions authorizing its Governor to accept and receive the land script which was its due according to the Agricultural Land Grant Act signed by President Lincoln in 1862, the real foun- dation was laid, upon which the college was developed. Thirty years of experiment, organization, and planning for the future development of the school intervened before the Agricultural College attained the growth and necessary requirements to eam the name of the Rhode Island State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. During the first tedious years, the land script of 120,000 acres was tranferred to Brown University, which was forced to sell the land on account of lack of funds to meet the taxes on the property which, by the way, was located in Kansas. A fund of $50,000 was derived from the sale, and in 1888, a bill was passed establishing from this original land grant fund income, a State Agricultural School on an independent basis. Development of the Agricultural School was slow but steady. Five different land sites were inspected before it was finally voted to buy the “Oliver Watson” farm in Kingston. In 1888, the first Board of Managers, headed Pres. John H. Washburn 1892-1902 18 9 2 19 0 2 Watson House 1892 10

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OUTHFUL Rhode Island State College grew enormously in its first decade under the new status. At the end of two years the faculty was doubled. In 1894, the first drill was held for cadets. Soon, in response to the need for winter drilling quarters, additional classrooms, and a library, an appropriation was deemed necessary. The next year was a critical and progressive one, historically, for although College Hall, the only men’s dormitory at the time, was destroyed by fire, the first provision for boarding women students was arranged by the remodelling of Watson House. Many other noteworthy incidents occurred in these ten years during which the college was served wisely and well by its first presi- dent, Mr. John H. Washburn. In 1897, Volume I of the Grist was published, and Lippitt Hall was built. It was in this year that the organization of the poultry course took place, the first of its kind in American agricultural colleges. In 1898, a preparatory school was established under the direction of Marshall H. Tyler, for young people who were unable to attend college because they did not have access to a high school course or other proper means of preparation. In 1902, Dr. Washburn resigned his office as President of the college. In several months he was replaced by Mr. Kenyon L. Butterfield, who directed the affairs of Rhode Island for over three years. In 1904, the first Student Council was organized and member- ship in Phi Beta Kappa was restricted to “those who have not received less than four A’s in any one term record.” In 1906, at the Pres. Kenyon L. Butterfield 1902-1906 I 11 0 2 19 12 Davis Hall Afire 1895 12