University of Washington - Tyee Yearbook (Seattle, WA)

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LIBERAL ARTS

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1 4 1 DC i(£utt College of Liberal Arts I T used to be said that the Log Cabin College ' Avas the college that won. The Universit.v of Washington might A •ell be called the Log Rolling College ' tliat won. For many years in territorial days the University was simply kept as a trading proposition in the legislature. If yon will give lis what we want we will give you the University at IMiikilteo — oi- any other place you say. Tiie trade would be made and all would be happy until the next meeting of the legis- lature ; for it never was expected that any- one would take such matters too seriously and begin actually to build the University. But the traders slipped up in their game when the institution was located at Seattle and Rev. Daniel Baglcy was appointed chief commissioner. For he assumed that the location and appointiveness were just what they pretended: and that the young Territory, the majority of whose inhabitants were still aboriginal Indians, was loudly calling for an institution of higher learning. Therefore Mr. Bagley obtained the site, the ten acres between Third and Sixth streets and Seneca and Union, had it cleared off and the building ]iut up, and the University in operation before the next meeting of the legislature. The building of the University at this place was strongly objected to because it was so far out in the woods. The first term of school opened October 20, 1862. in the south room of the lower story with Asa Mercer as president and college faculty. Fifteen presidents have since held the otSce, their length of service being anywhere from six montlis to ten years. But tlie years spent in the first uni- versity building were years of hardships, and tell a story that even today con- tinues. Finances fair and sufficient from the legislature have ever been a minus ([uantity and the University has struggled upward to a scholastic stand- ing recognized throughout the country in spite of its embarrassing fiuancial conditions. ; For several years the LTniversity opened irregularly, and continued in- definite lengths. College then depended upon the one who would take the charge of teaching a mixture of races and ages of people wlut could pay DC DD T irtn 1 1 1 1