Western Michigan University - Brown and Gold Yearbook (Kalamazoo, MI)

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' ' »£ f - ' ' ..a C T iis uias tAe campus. the students and visitors. It should be remembered that there were no dormitories, all students lived in rooming houses at the foot of the hill, and thus, had to climb it daily. The Normal Railroad was used for years and was famous until after World War II, when it was discontinued. The next building that was needed was a train ' ing school. The city schools were used from the beginning, but this arrangement was due to expire by 1909. Therefore, Waldo got $60,000 from the state to build the training school, which was opened in 1909. After this, nothing was built until 1913 when funds of $7 ' 5 ' ,000, for a science building and $10,000, for its equipment were appropriated. A central heating plant was needed, and $40,000 was marked for its construction. Both buildings were completed in the spring of 1915. That year the legislature voted $480,000 for permanent improve ' ments at Western, but the war interfered, and the ambitious program was not carried out. During the war, the U.S. government built barracks to house the Student Army Training Corps, but the end of the war, in 1918, came before the barracks were used. It was converted into classrooms, and irony named the building Temporary but neces ' sity forced it to be used until torn down in 1953. The fall of 1921 saw the opening of the Manual Trades building, and that year the legislature ap ' propriated another $480,000 for a library and a men ' s gym. The library was finished in 1925 ' and dedicated in June. The men ' s gym had been started after the library, but was finished at the same time, and dedicated with the h ' brary. As the number of buildings grew, so did the size of the campus. Starting with twenty acres, land was acquired in several directions so that eventually the campus included fiftyseven acres before Wab do retired. No further building or acquisition of land took place for some time after 1925. The college con- tinued to grow in other ways, as will be told later, but it was not until the retirement of president Waldo in 1936, and the appointment of Paul V. Sangren to that position, that the building prO ' gram started again. The depression had caused a drop in enrollment and the money available from the state was curtailed. Indeed, the college was almost closed by the state, but this short sighted economy move was blocked. In December of 1936, the State Board approved the construction of a football field and stadium, which was estimated to cost $196,000. Of this sum, the Federal government provided $162,000 and the college sold some land to the State High ' way Department for $36,000. A baseball field and grandstands were added. This completed the ath ' letic plant in 1939. Very few colleges the size of Western, either at that time or the present, have outdoor athletic faciHties of this size. Western still had no dormitories, so it was de ' cided to build a combination Union building and girls ' dormitory, wthich Vv as finished by the fall of 1938 and named Walwood Hall. A men ' s dormi ' tory, Vandercook Hall, was also built plus a stu ' dent health and personnel building. Both of these were partly built with Federal money as P.W.A. projects. Another women ' s dormitory was plan ' ned and built by the end of 1940 — Spindler Hall. During 1940, two more buildings were started. A gift of $60,000 from the Upjohn Unemploy ' ment Trust was used to construct the Mechanical Trades Building. The Theater was completed in 1942, and the old mill (which stood by the side of the temporary building) was torn down. The mill had been used as a theater for some time. Early in 1944, the college was given $50,000 by Mrs. Anna C. Kanley, widow of a Kalamazoo business man, for the purchase of land lying west of the railroad tracks. President Sangren took 12

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The old Playhouse — home of the Western Players in 1921. The Temporary building lasted from 1918 to 1953. fall term, but they formed an athletic association early in October. Only six students had ever play- ed football, but they were enthusiastic about get ' ting up a game with the High School. Waldo had a strong interest in athletics and he backed the group, promising them a paid football coach as soon as funds were available. No schedules were entered into, but occasional football, basketball and baseball games were played and some track events held. The students organized two literary groups, one for men and one for women. These were the fore- runners of the social fraternities and sororities that came years later. The Rural Sociology Seminar was founded, and under another name is the oldest student group in the college today. A Young Womens Christian Association was also begun at this time. At the end of the term, plans were made for the commencement week, which began on Sunday with a baccalaureate sermon. Class day exercises and a school picnic were held Tuesday. The fac- ulty held a reception for the seniors on Wednes- day evening. On Thursday morning in the city ' s new public school on Vine Street, life certificates were given to four women and four others re- ceived three year rural certificates. The first grad- uating class then left Western State Normal School. From these beginnings. Western grew. The building on top of Prospect Hill was under con- struction beginning in the summer of 1904. It was finished by the fall of 1905. The administrative offices moved in on September 1, and Western had its own home. The same year the state, con- XlVO Material Growth stantly prodded by Waldo, appropriated $60,000 for a gym and $12,000 for additional class rooms. These additions were built onto the main building, and all three were joined together. They were first opened for use in the spring of 1908. At this time a railroad was built up Prospect Hill to serve The Library, finished in 1925 and Walwood Union, 1938.

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Waldo Stadium, built in 1936. this opportunity to secure the needed room for expansion that the postwar growth of the college would bring about. Accordingly, he asked the legislature for additional money, and received $75,000, which with the $50,000 given by Mrs. Kanley, went to buy all of the land in the triangle formed by the railroad. West Michigan avenue, and VandeGiessen road. Later, the Gateway Golf course was bought from the city of Kalama2;oo, thus extending the campus beyond VandeGiessen road. There was then enough land for the future growth of Western. The college bought about 40 acres on the other side of West Michigan ave ' nue, across from the Administration building, during 1953 ' 54, and this will provide room for even further expansion. The total acreage of the campus is now about 300 acres. The building program at Western started again after the war, and the Maintenance building was the first to be completed in 1947. Two faculty apartment houses were built on West Michigan avenue in 1948. The training school and the ad ' ministration building were connected by con ' struction of offices for the training school in 1948. Also, in 1948, Arcadia Club House was remodeled and enlarged into a cafeteria. More dormitories were needed, as there was room for only about 200 men and 300 women. Facilities for 1000 more students were planned. The first two units to be finished were Ernest Burnham and Smith Burnham Halls, in 1948 ' 49 and 1949 ' 50. The two units of the women ' s dorm, Draper Hall and Siedschlag Hall, were finished in February and September of 1950. A bequest from the estate of William Kanley helped build a chapel, construction of which start- ed in 1949 and which was finished in 1951. Ad ' ditional classroom space being needed, McCracken Hall was completed in the summer of 1949, and Maybee Hall was finished in September. McCrack en Hall provides outstanding facilities for science and the arts. Maybee Hall is one of the best music buildings belonging to any college of Western ' s si2;e in the country. The new administration building was completed in the summer of 1952, providing room for all of the administrative offices and twentyfour class- rooms, as well as a campus store, a branch library and a college post office. After the war, a number of veteran ' s housing units and numerous trailers were placed at the col- lege by the government. The trailers were taken away over a period of time, with the last being removed in 1953. At that time, construction of a new women ' s dormitory and of apartments for married students caused the removal of a number of the hutments. The apartment buildings have been finished and occupied since the spring semes ' ter of 1954. The land on which the trailers were parked is being cleared in readiness for construe ' tion of the new physical education buildings and fieldhouse. IJ