University of Wisconsin Madison - Badger Yearbook (Madison, WI)

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Dailv Cardinal Office 1914. The early ' 20 ' s saw the introduction of Varsity Welcome on the upper campus. With impressive ceremony, the freshmen were made welcome to the University by the president and other officials. Tlie late Carl Russell Fish, resplendent in the red vest he always wore to welcomes, and bonfires, was for many years an integral part of the ceremonies. Fish, a noted historian and teacher, early endeared himself to Wisconsin students. When he first came to the campus he was mistaken for a freshman during the lake rush, and thrown into Mendota. Surging out of the water toward the now aware and aghast group of upperclassmen, he shook him- self and said. Well, my name is Fish, I should feel right at home. Dr. Birge, who took Van Hise ' s place, re- mained in the presidency until 1925. For the Uni- versity it was a slow- moving period, as Birge fully realized that his was only a temporary appointment. Perhaps he was overly reluctant to commit the school to long range poli- cies, as he saw that the University was being caught in the backwash of post-war socio-eco- nomic conditions. The only ultimate result of this could be a lessening of public support and a decline in the leadership which Wis- consin had enjoyed. In 192 President Birge reached his seventh year as president and 50th year of service. The decision of retirement could no longer be postponed and action was started to find a new president. Several men were asked and refused. On a trip to the East one of the regents, believed to be Zona Gale, pro- posed Glenn Frank, editor of the Century Magazine. Frank showed interest and was appointed to enter office September 1, 1925. For the first time in 25 years the president of the Uni- versity was entrusted to a man unfamiliar with the institution; for the second time in history, the regents selected a man for Edward . . Birgc. betwixt and between. president whose experience lay largely outside University life. In 1925 the University entered a bright period. Dr. Frank arrived in Madison. Prof. Harry Steenbock made the discovery of a way to irradiate foodstufifs artificially with vitamin D, which meant the end of rickets. Two men ' s dormitories, Tripp and Adams Halls, were in construction and the building of the Memorial Union commenced. The editor of the Wisconsin llumntis was moved to state, Wisconsin ' s golden age is here! Over the Hdl at noon — 1920 The prosperity of the twenties was reflected in the first five years of the Frank administration. He soon gained a national name which had its beginnings in the baccalaureate address on The Six Lamps of Liberal Learning delivered in June of 1926. By 1927 Frank ' s ideas on education began to take a verbal form. He requested a large budget from the legislature, declaring that I am willing to make a sporting proposition to the people of Wisconsin, and surprisingly enough he received it. The Frank household started to entertain distinguished guests, such as Baron Ago von Maltzan, the German ambassa- dor. By 1928 he had already commenced work on Thunder and Dawn. In December of that year he participated in the house- Varsitv Welcome — 1920. 26

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In November, 1918, Van Hise entered the hospital for a minor operation, infection developed, and he died vmexpectedly in the same month. At the regents ' meeting in December, Dean Edward A. Birge was named president. It was during Birge ' s administration and partly because of his activities that buildings began to be named for past Lincoln Tcrr.iCL- unckr construction — 1909. presidents. This was stimulated by Florence Bascom, who wrote indignantly and sadlv that at meeting of the ridicu- lously young alumni of the University of Pennsylvania she had been forced to recognize the fact that the name of John Bascom is quite unknown among them. She remarked that It is irony of fate that the name of Chadbourne, whose stay was so brief and whose influence was relatively so peripheral, should be known to every alumnus of the University. She asked whether some building was to Ik named for her father. During the next year a project went forth to name the central Dad Morgan — he had the money. Popular studi nt haniiout, Keele ' s Palace of Sweets. building tor John Bascom and on June 22, 1920, the building was formally dedicated Bascom Hall. Birge, too, had been instrumental in fixing the name of Paul Chadbourne upon Ladies ' Hall. He had proposed Chad- bourne ' s name not only because the dorm was built during his administration but because it amused him that the name of the ($r :m Bascom ' s dome burns, Sept. 10, 1916. president who most bitterly opposed co-education would be permanently fixed to the oldest women ' s residence hall on the campus. But the early ' 20 ' s under Birge wasn ' t a quiet period. The close cooperation which marked the relationship between the two ends of State Street during the Van Hise-LaFollette reign had begun to die. When LaFoUette opposed America ' s entry into World War I the internationalist-minded faculty condemned it. This completed the rupture between the capitol and the hill. 25

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fi!Jt ' S St. Pat ' s parade — 1 21. warminj; of Phi (lamnia Delta ' s ntw mansion, which then added its splendor to the Langdon Street gold coast, and by 1930 he asked for a revival of responsible student government. Now tht tables were turning and the remainder ot Frank ' s administration was under the light of conflict rather than the former atmosphere of prosperity. The depression had already liegun and the confidence of the University community was waning in his ability as a competent executive. University enrollment, which had been increasing since World War I, had dropped. The student Ixidy became more critical of the economic system which led 76 out of 91 fraternities into bank- ruptcy. But this was not all; conservatives were showing their disapproval of Frank ' s endorsement of Prof. Max Otto ' s atheistic philosophy courses and his failure to censor the Dully Caidinul when it printed an editorial which sneered at the idea that free sexual relations among the students were necessarily bad. Even then there was a commie scare, as shown when John B. Chappie claimed that Dr. Frank was a red. But more complaints were hurled at 157 Bascom; free love, football, liquor, fraternity hazing, Memorial Union, the dormitories, and other parts of college life were attacked. One of the major tempests which Frank had to face was the firing of football coach. Clarence Spears; athletic director, Walter Meanwell; and trainer, William Fallon (who, rumor had it, gave the team blackberry brandv between halves). Dr. Frank disgustingly called the whole group of events nagging criticism by a band of connivers and a few newspapers. How- ever, in 1937 he was charged with mismanagement of finances, weak execution of administrative affairs, fail- ure to devote sufficient time to the University, and lack of backing with those with whom he had to deal, and thus the regents dismissed him by a vote of eight to seven. His successor was chosen, Clarence A. Dyk- stra, a former city manager of Cincinnati. t cnn Frank. Wisconsin- Golden fic. Tile Flappers — l ' ' 2l) s. University had nevertheless made progress, at least so far as progress can be measured by national boards and rating sheets. Big Dyke was popular on campus. But this was not the important thing. Since he was already experienced at politics, he was able to mend University relations with the legislature. Sad as it may seem, he, too, ran into difficulties; these were not of a personal nature, for thev were bigger than he — the be- ginnings of World War II. President Dykstra was called to Washington to act as civilian chairman of the draft and then as a member of the national defense mediation Ixiard. In November of 1941 when he re- turned to the campus, he found both the faculty and student body depleted due to wartime conditions. During this period of stress the University accelerated its program, it instigated a Dykstra found facing him a confused mess. All the con- flicts of Frank ' s administration had obscured the fact that the Glenn Frank ouster. 27