Utah State University - Buzzer Yearbook (Logan, UT)

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This appropriation was supplemented by tiie $15,000 from the Government plus some back funds not drawn. These resources enabled the founding of five industrial courses aside from the English and the Preparatory Departments. W e had to deal only with the first two years of each course. Citizens were freely shown through the shops and Domestic Science rooms, and over the farm, and the purposes of each and of the whole were explained to them, so that the public become familiar with the work and aims of the institution. The appropriation of 1892 was secured by effort. The unexpected growth and magnitude of the college and the field of its work had aroused opposition among a few educators, and with others the appropriation seemed out of proportion to the wealth of the State. The purpose of merging the University and the College was being fostered in certain quarters. This had to be met. The idea survived to embarrass the appropriations of 1894 and later to plague the College. as I am told. The precious dollars received were carefully expended. 'Fite first President’s duties were manifold. lie was building agent for all new construction work and had the organizing work in general. He also had the laying out of the hundreds of plat trials, and research work in animal nutrition to look after. The data for the monthly experiment station bulletins was handled and written tip in the main by him. 'The first faculty was made up of specialists drawn from all sections of the country and was quite cosmopolitan. It was a faculty ol great industry, of efficiency, and of cordial relations. It is scattered as widely as its origin, yet each living. The entrance examinations reached down to the level of the common schools for the Preparatory Department and were low for the College. In a democratic way it extended a helping hand, justified in the condition of the public schools of that day. serving as it was believed, the State better by such a policy than by one of exclusiveness. Partisan and sectarian bias were unknown factors in the college life. 1 beg the further space to pay a just tribute to three parties. The College was blessed by an able conscientious and broad-minded board of trustees maintaining internal harmony in its membership. It was considerate of the College management. The State is under obligations to it. The public gave the management its confidence and support, most essential aids and won my high and abiding esteem. Put memory dwells fondest on the frank, kindly loyal young men and women, (shall I offend bv saying especially the latter), of the 11

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PRES. SANBORN It became the policy of the management to enter the entire unoccupied field of industrial education of l.'tah, this field, of course, embracing domestic science and arts, commerce and mechanic arts. The modest $48,000 required to breathe into this frame work the breath of life was so far beyond public expectation that it was tegarded as a great extravagance for a poor territory with a University on its hands. It was an able legislature and when, member by member. the purposes of the College and its relations to the future of the State, had been explained the appropriation was. as memory has it, unanimously passed. to

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student body, not one oi w h o m ever maliciously gave me trouble. They joined zealously in the e ff o r t to increase the rapidly growing number that enrolled as students. Very cordially yours, J. W. SAX’BORN. We were unable to secure a history of the school during the two years that President Paul was at the head of the institution. Let it suffice to say that the College pursued the same general policy as during the administration of its first President and grew steadily in popularity, gradually making its purpose clear to the taxpayers of the State. President Tanner wrote as follows: PRES. J. H. PAUL The Agricultural College in its growth represents those changes which have come over the industrial life of Utah within the past two decades. The young men of that institution today can hardly realize the attitude which the people at large had toward the College, and the attitude they maintained for some years after it was founded, on questions of education. The College has responded to the growing needs of the people, and in turn has. perhaps, been the most potent factor in awakening the people of the State to the growing importance of an agricultural and an industrial training. The early history of the College represents a sort of missionary work which the presidents of the institution felt it incumbent upon them to undertake. It is only within the last few years that the people have come to appreciate the real functions of such an institution. An agricultural and industrial education was thought by most people to be impractical. There was a strong undercurrent of thought that education was something separate and apart from the industrial life of the people. An educated man in overalls was something inconceivable. When I entered the institution as its third President. I made the acquaintance of its students, learned something of their ideals from the course of studies which they selected. I discovered that the 12