University of Wisconsin Stout - Tower Yearbook (Menomonie, WI)

Page 12 text:

James Huff Stout, heir to his father ' s lumber empire, had no intention of living the hfe of the idle rich. He not only saw a need for a future industrial society, but also a need for a different type of educa- tion. So in 1891 a two-story frame building became the Stout Manual Training School. The school was so successful that Stout decided to build a larger building. In 1893 it was completed, an impressive three-sto- ry wooden structure with a clock tower ris- ing 125 feet. Fours years later Stout ' s school burned to ashes, and as the people of Menomonie had grown dependent on the school, immediate plans were made for a better building. The new three-story structure of steel and brick is known today as Bowman Hall. The addition of many schools of instruc- tion fulfilled Stout ' s increasing educational needs. In 1908 the Stout Institute was cre- ated and offered a two year diploma program.

Page 14 text:

Senator James Stout died in 1910, leaving the Stout Institute to the state of Wisconsin. Lorenzo D. Harv- ey became president in the same year. Soon after, Ray Hall, Harvey Hall, and a heating plant were built. Harvey not only wanted expansion of buildings but also the expansion of learning. He was at the forefront of the movement to convert the insti- tute to a four year college. However, World War I hindered the develop- ment of the program. Not long after the war President Harvey passed away. Dean Clyde Bowman acted as president for a year before a successor was found. t V 12