University of Washington - Tyee Yearbook (Seattle, WA)

Page 10 text:

1861 oJ T986 The University of a Thousand Years” Founded In A Frontier Town Ask anyone familiar with the UW's history who the school's founding fathers were, and the an- swer most likely will be the Rev. Daniel Bagley and Arthur A. Den- ny. It was Bagley who convinced Denny that a university in Seattle would be more valuable than relo- cating the territorial capital there. Convinced. Denny donated eight acres overlooking Elliott Bay (with Charles Terry and Edward Lander donating two acres) and Bagley oversaw the school's construction. School opened November 4. 1861 with Asa Shinn Mercer hired THE FOUR COLUMNS that stand in the Sylvan Theater came from the original university building. Harlot Chinn photo courtesy Daily files as the school's first instructor. Pri - mary classes were included in the curriculum since Clarence Bagley was the only college-level student among the )7 students enrolled that first term. The Territorial University's early years were chronically unstable at best. Financial problems, partisan- ship within the legislature, lack of public support, and the indiffer- ence of the regents weakened the school. The university closed down twice, in 1865 and 1877, because of disputes and lack of funding. Rep- utable professors were reluctant to accept positions there and many students were scared off elsewhere. The school's slow progress its first 27 years was due to the area's lack of secondary schooling to prepare students for college. Sparse population and frontier conditions also hampered the school, but a period of growth in Seattle that began in the 1880s strengthened its development. The beginning of statehood in If the University of Washington could talk, imagine the stories it would tell. This special section couldn’t begin to tell them all, bur it does provide an overall view of the past, through pictures and the voices of alums. It’s a venerable history that reveals the UW as more than just a place to go to school. It's also a unique community. Edited and Compiled by Beatrix Pascual and Margue- rite Perner. Photos courtesy Special Collections UW Libraries ♦ THE TERRITORIAL UNIVERSITY »« built on the unit spot where downtown Senile'» Four Seasons Olympic Hotel is located today. There were six rooms on the ground floor and four on the »econd. UW 9)7 1889 turned the territorial universi- ty into a state institution, raising concerns of bringing the UW up to par with other universities. By the early 1890s. the 10-acrc site and its structures were inadequate for the growing school, especially in the middle of an expanding city. By 1895. the school moved to its pre- sent location overlooking 1.3ke Washington. The building on the new cam- pus housed labs, recitation rooms, a library, lecture and assembly halls, rooms for the president and faculty, and a society room. The building is today known as Denny Hall, named for the man who maintained an interest in the UW since its birth. — BP Those Were The Days When Everyone Knew Your Name The years on the campus before World War I were times the UW will never know again. There was an informality that united the stu- dents and fueled their enthusiasm to take pan in activities. The stu- dent population averaged that of a present small- to mid-sized high school (601 students in 1901 to 2.J00 in 1911) so there wasn't so much the mass anonymity there is today. The faculty and president took special interest in the students' concerns. Tv o dorms, one for women and one for men (Lewis and Clark Hails) were especially built in 1899 to create university spirit among the students through social associations, not just aca- demic. President Frank Picrrepont Graves and faculty members made the dormies feel welcome with regular visits (the president's house was just a walk away). When hiring new faculty, presi- dent Graves looked for married faculty with homes for entertaining the students. Many of the early faculty were bachelors so the few married faculty on campus got the burden of entertaining. Graves felt that students should learn the us- ages of the best society. Some of the faculty also dou- bled as patrons and patronesses at student dances or as coaches. Stu- dents and faculty joined the same clubs and sometimes squared off against each other in an occasional baseball game. There was a pioneering spirit within the family atmosphere — the beginning of dorms and Greek houses, the start of intercollegiate athletics, and the first bookstore. The senior meditation in the 1900 Tyee stated. He was glad that his class had gone through the dark ages and taken part in the renais- sance. — BP ARTHUR A. DENNY, one of the UW's fnundm£ father UW ffftiO Anniversary logo courtesy l 'W Office of Publications 125TH ANNIVERSARY

Page 9 text:

OPENING 1 25th Anniversary 8 O tudent Life O 16 ports O 86 cademics V 158 lasses 194 rganizations u 316 iving Groups T ndex Advertising 428 1 560

Page 11 text:

Words To Live By What’s the score? — What’s going on? 'He doesn't know the score. — He doesn't know what's go. ing on. Ncysa E Hkkok, '44, '63 lounge li ards — derogatory term for men snake, pin-snatchcr — deroga- tory terms for women Old Joe Bedcovers — the huge canvas covering the foot- ball field when it wasn't game- time. Eileen Gormley Mansfield, '33 swell — great. Oh. that's swell. barb, barbarian — anyone not in the Greek system scuts — freshmen Margaret Mansfield Van Gilder, '22 bum steer — misleading tip flophouse — cheap rooming house hot — lively. A hot time at the party. T.Y. Toribara, ‘38, ‘39 aquatics — the sport of crew Tyee '30 racquctccrs — tennis players Tyee 30 thin clads — trackstcrs Tyee '40 far out, right on, groovey — swell scamming — checking out the opposite sex hunk — well-built male mass — a lot. I've got mass homework. get down — to party, dance, or dress up yuppies — young urban profes- sionals DINKS — double income, no kids — B.P. Days Gone Past Traditions convey the student spirit upon which college life de- pends. Around campus can be seen numerous buildings and statues commemorating a person or tradi- tion. One of the original traditions was Campus Day. It was an all- university occasion where student work parties improved paths and trails, built benches and put gar- dens into shape. In 1889 the Senior class adopted a spade. Each year the spade was passed down with each Senior class engraving their numbers on it. This spade was also used for the plant- ing of ivy around Denny hall by the Senior class upon graduation. Dances were very popular and each class sponsored at least one. These included the Varsity Ball, Junior Prom, Sophomore Glee, and the Freshman Frolic. There were also class traditions. These included Freshmen wearing a green beanie with a large pearl button on it. If a Freshman was caught without his beanie he was usually subjected to a dunking in Frosh Pond. The Sophomores sponsored a 30-day beard-growing contest. The Junior class sponsored Junior Day. Before graduation, the Seniors had a Senior Farewell in which the class walked to each building and bid farewell to it. Greeks Of Old Being a member of a fraternity or sorority in the early 1900s was in. By 1904, 160 of 700 students were Greeks, and in 1917, one out of every three students. By the 1930s there were 43 fraternities and 26 sororities both local and nation- al. In 1908 both pledges and initiat- ed members could attend only so- cial functions sponsored by their own house or the university. Fra- ternities and sororities were limited to 3 social functions per year at which guests of the opposite sex Card stunts were popular at sporting events until the '60's. At the blow of a whistle people would move their cards to form designs like a W or a Husky. The University of Washington has had many traditions that have come and gone but the most cn- DURING THE EARLY 1 30CH «u- «Jcnts participating tn Campus Day work together to improve the campus scenery UW 09» 4 CAUGHT without his beanie, an unsu- specting freshman takes a swim in Frosh Pond during is Homecoming. It began in the early 1900s and continues to- day. Alumni and former professors return to their old Alma Mater to be honored and relive their days at the University of a Thousand Years. — MP could be entertained. There was the traditional rivalry between the Greeks and Indepen- dents which still exists today, though it is not as strong. In the early 1940s an incident occurred which gave the Indepen- dents some strength. A group of Engineering students banded to- gether and nominated a candidate for Student Body President against the Greeks that were running. It was done as a joke but the Inde- pendent mounted a rousing cam- paign and he was elected. Bruce Cole, '43 Popular activities included sere- nading and exchange dinners. It was expected that the men would be courteous to the sorority house mother and to refrain from singing lewd songs. Eugene A. Wright. '37 One of the most memorable dances ever held was the Parking Lot Dance sponsored in 1962 by Zcta Beta Tau fraternity; more than 4,000 students attended. Tyee '62 Greek life does have its ups and downs but the majority of the members enjoyed it. I belonged to a fraternity and enjoyed it very much. I wouldn't trade my exper- ience for anything. Trevor Evans, ‘34— MP I25TH ANNIVERSARY