Willamette University - Wallulah Yearbook (Salem, OR)

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DI'V of W illamette luiversityfrm 11he11 Jason Lee l1is11ephe11D111 l.pitcl1ed their tents 0n llocated about ten in 1,1,1 re tl1e1' would build an hi eucatioualill 11- Indian cliil nents. an ship Lausanne El . 1i 1l 0f lletl10d1sl 1 were the- 11'l1 ito childre ousidered. c the early settlers 111111 i51- iles below 7 white children, which they and later into a college. Oregon Institute. resolved should grow into an academy It was decided toiname the school the Their next step was to find a location for the school. Meanwhile the site of the Indian school had pioved to be low and' unhealthy So Lee had procured a section of land, located in what is 110w the center of salem, and had built a $10, 000 frame structure later known as the Institute Building, near 11 here the Universit1 Gymnasium now stands, and had moved the Indian school to this new location. But the school did not prosper; disease had gained a foothold among the Indians and many died, while many of the others became superstitious arid went back to their savage homes. On account of these circumstances, it was decided to sell the property 10 the trustees of the newly- -0rganized iiOregon Institute. ,, This was done and the school was immediately opened for 11 hite children. Thus ten years after Jason Lee had fiist set foot in the Willamette Valley, XVillamette University 11 as in actual operation. The beginning was small, but the school grew rapidly. At first Mrs. Chloe Clark Willson, who will be' mentionedrlater, was the sole teacher; but soon primary and academic departments were organized and the teaching force was increased. Finally in 1853, by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the territory of Oregon, Willamette Uni- versity was formally chartered with the Oregon Institute as a pre- paratory school. In 1859, the year that Oregon was admitted to the U11i011,the first class. eemposed of Miss Emily York, was graduated from the College of Liberal Arts. 1 The next chapter is a story of hardships and 0f self-denial The pioneer community of Salem was not wealthyand money was very scarce. Often the teachers served without pay, and even gave dona- But the dark days brought out the heroes, such men as iiFatherT Waller, Par- rish, Leslie, Hines and others. the school was only kept running with difficulty, that our present Chapel Building was constructed. Probably to A. F. Waller more than to arm other man, is the credit due for the success of this under- taking, soiwhat name could be more appropriate for this sacred old building than Waller Hall! The building was started in 1864, and three years later the student body marched with great rejoicing from the old Institute Building into the new HWaller Hallfi For nearly fifty years it has stood, a monument to the early pioneers. But there is another side to Willametteis early history, a black page, stained by the story of false friends and 0f misplaced confidence. tions to the school from their own very limited resources. It was during these hard times, when

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- . w.H- .t x' ,, SKNSngi :mexxa a ., ..... , , . .. I- ., ex rxk'o.3:t t 2.. a , a WT- F'ugf evmw :IN'W k V; Vs. xk t . 1:111 4 mt. ' - x: r t, t a it: 9w '1'.P. r, s:; 4 wxs: ex 41' A... :74? IX t e IQvUnU-yfx. - . . '3- e .19, i;'j:s35i1$ 3vq WHV N3 s a. 7 X x d: s a a f L '-a ,l h V 7, h v , I M, 'e sws- THE INDIAN MISSION SCHOOL : 7A 6limpse at the JJast A a V 5 2:: HE romantic story of Willamette University from its begin- ning in 1834, when Jason Lee, his nephew Daniel Lee, and Cyrus Shepard, pitched their tents on what is still called Mission Bottom, located about ten miles below Salem, and decided that'there they would build an Indian mission school, is unparalleled in the history of educational institutions. All are familiar with the succeeding events, how they built a log cabin, how they gathered in the Indian children, how Lee went back to New York for'reinforcements, how in 1839 nineteen families came around Cape Horn in the ship Lausanne, and how on board the boat, in celebrating the centennial of Methodism, a collection of $650 was taken to start a school for white children. These were the first steps, and show how important the early settlers considered the subject of education. was originally called, it was definitely decided to start a school for In 1842 at a meeting in Jason Leets home in' Chemeketa, as Salemn

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