Washington University Saint Louis - Hatchet Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

Page 11 text:

The Good the World’s Fair Will do Washington University A S ONE of the graduates I have witnessed with pride and pleasure every successive rise in the fortunes of my alma mater since my student days; every step in her subsequent progress to her present high rank among the best endowed and best equipped of American universities; and without the slightest misgivings 1 now put on record my belief that a glorious renaissanc e for St. Louis and the entire west will spring from this great commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase, and that Washington University, so promi¬ nently identified with this historical event, will be one of the chief beneficiaries of the new life infused throughout the Mis¬ sissippi Valley. Influenced by such views, President Brookings of the Uni¬ versity more than two years ago assented to an arrangement of great mutual advantage to it and to the Exposition—an arrange¬ ment by which the latter obtained a short lease of the new University site and buildings at a great saving of time and money, while a substantial amount of World’s Fair money, that would otherwise have necessarily been absorbed in building temporary structures, aided and hastened the erection of the l niversity’s permanent buildings. The University’s munificent new endowment, and her mag¬ nificent new buildings and grounds so often pictured as a part of the Exposition plant are now known everywhere, and will be permanently photographed on the memories of many millions of World’s Fair visitors from all parts of the Union and from all parts of the world. What better advertisement could be planned for an educational institution newly equipped for a higher and larger field of usefulness ?

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Photo by J. C. Strauss.

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The great Olympian games and the long course of Inter national, inter-state and inter-scholastic events will be held in the physical culture building and the stadium which will hereafter be the university’s gymnasium and stadium. What a famous dedication for any University’s gymnasium and athletic depart¬ ment! The fame of these events and of the exceptionally fine permanent equipment used by them, will probably make Wash¬ ington University’s grounds the favorite central point tor the inter-collegiate contests of the future. Such a collection as this Exposition will be of the wonders of the world we live in, and of the best products ot human achievement, offers to all students the opportunity ot a life time to acquire improved ideals of attainable excellence, and to note the various individual and national peculiarities of genius. But while students from a distance must incur the expense of travel and hotel bills, and can devote only their vacation season to the enjoyment of this rare opportunity, the students ot Wash¬ ington University have it brought to their very doors, and for seven consecutive months can continue their studies of the various departments with the assistance and under the direction ot their professors and tutors. If the friends of Washington University are as alert as I think they are, they will have rare opportunities at the Exposi¬ tion’s close for enriching her museum from the completest col¬ lection ever made of art, science, industries, cra fts and earth ' s best products. The institution will also fall heir to many large Exposition expenditures for landscape work, water pipes, drainage and lighting facilities. The effect of the World’s Fair location in attracting to its vicinity transportation improvements and bringing real estate into greater demand, has greatly appreciated the value of the University site.