Wednesday, February 14, 1940
The DAILY NEBRASKAN
Monuments to the campus of yesterday'
were palaces of learning way back when
When cows still overran the
town, and not even the famous
fence was set up to keep educa
tion clean, three-storied, towering
University hall was built; the year
1870, the cost $146,700. She
was the nucleus of a city campus
destined to grow to an estimated
value of nearly $1,850,000.
Now old Septagenarian U hall,
with fallen arches and arthritis,
holding her head up to about
seven-eights of a story, is consid
ered worth $9,000. Remnant of her
finery is the double bulletin board
standing at the east door, made
from ornate gates to the campus.
The rest of the fence surrounds
Wyuka cemetery.
Pharmacy cost $69,525.
Pharmacy hall reared its head
In 1885, at the cost of $69,525, and
has weathered the years well
enough to remain, in the opinion
of the administration's superin
tendent of operations, worth
$13,210.
In 1887 the University went on
a building spree, constructed Grant
Memorial, Nebraska hall and the
first power plant. Grant Memor
ial's original cost was $64,750; her
present value is about $13,000.
They paid $41,000 for Nebraska
hall, and wish they could get $9,108
for her now.
Library built In 1891.
The University of Nebraska's
'spacious" library came along in
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1891, cost $126,950. The story is that year per student as $300, in nex, then a women's dorm, was
handed down in editorial offices contrast to the same investment constructed. The main home ec
that campaigns for a new library in 1874 of $1,100. hall came along in 1908, costing
began as far back as laii. isy . . to,iou. rxow us uvcinuwms
1924 pleas for a new libe took otner years cltea- walls are evaluated at something
on a' tone of righteous indignation. Also badly needed, chorused re- over $32,000.
The regents, in a little pamphlet gents and alumni association in Administration buit in 1905.
iahiPd "imnortant ." cried that the cooperation, were new women's Administration duiii
library facilities were in a critical dormitories, a new dentistry build- Downtown, the halls of leam-
state their 30 year old library ing and electrical engineering mg again clustered up after the
completely outgrown. It was "vir- building and a heating and power turn of the ceentury. Administra-
tually impossible for a student to plant. They had a dream, also, of hall cost the university $35,300 in
nnt n Btndvintr in that build- a museum of natural sciences, a ioqs. ia worth about $17,297 now.
Ing" they lectured alums. "Under school of fine arts and an audi- The next year both the Temple
present conditions it is impossible torium all in one. A gynasium an(j the Former Museum building
to encourage general reading on was ever then a perpetual prob- were set up to the tune $124,700
the part of the students." The lem, and they expressed me neea and $57,900.
w:u:- ...no nnnolrUrnit oiiffiipnt fnr n npw nbservatorv. I
r u, hn,.t nnp-third of the The old observatory was first These buildings which outlined
student built in ,1896, and is now worth, the horizon of the last gcnera-
The whole bulletin, published in not counting the new addition just tion of students, have increased
October of 1924, carried the same being built, about $300. Ag col- in sentimental value where they
hmo titw with thft state- letre also snrouted in 1896. with the have decreased in monetary value,
ment that "Nebraska's Educa- Poultry Husbandry hall, followed their growth stunted by rising
tional Welfare Requires the in 1899 by the Experiment Sta- building costs, and are expected
Speedy Relief of Crowded Condi- tion building. Agricultural hall to pass out of sight in the com-
tions at the University." It cited was built in 1904, in the same year ing decades, replaced by the cam-
the investment for buildings for that wiiat is now me nome ec an- pus oi me iuluic.
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Veteran graduate . . .
Edna Bullock reminisces
oh 'University of the past7
. . . old buildings, profs
Slipping thru the gateless open- wr,om one of the women's halls on
ing in the board fence and stand- the campus is named. Miss Smith
ing on five year old toes so that taught English as well as being
she could peek into the windows registrar. It is said of her that
at the "skeletums" were the first sjie never spared herself or one
memories that Edna B. Bullock re- 0f her students. On one occasion
lated in reminiscing on her expe- jiS3 smith attended a Palladian
riences at the University of Ne- society meeting at which Miss
braska. - Bullock was present. The next day
In the old U hall, which was the Miss smith stopped her in the hall
only building of the university at and sai(j. .j saw you sitting on the
that time, Miss Bullock viewed the edge of a table on Friday night
"skeletums" which were the be- Never let me see you doing that
ginnings of the museum which was agajn!-. if Mias Ellen Smith could
founded by Professor Samuel onlv visit tne student Union todav!
Aughey, professor of science in the Misg smith, however, gave a
first university faculty. ereat deai of time to students and
Enrolls in University. was always Interested in univer-
When Miss Bullock enrolled in sity affairs. She held an annual
the university in 1883, there was maple sugar party for the seniors
one building, eleven professors, and sponsored many other social
and four instructors. The univer- functions. A large collection of
sity was divided into three colleges, her souvenirs, programs, photos,
the general arts, the industrial publications, and letters were pre-
arts and the Latin school. The sented to the Nebraska State His
Latin school was the largest with torical Society at her death. Miss
an enrollment of 186. The teach- Bullock declares, T have known
ers offered 130 courses to 281 stu- no superior to Ellen Smith who
dents and there were 52 students was a more perfect example of an
in the medical college at this time
but this college lasted only four
years.
Long, rickety benches.
The classrooms were equipped
with long, rickety benches whose
slippery seats had a tendency to
slant towards the floor. The rooms
were heated by individual hard
coal, baseburners in every room,
which were cared for by a student
janitor who had a room in the
basement. The teacher's equipment
was little better than the students.
Lincoln still was without water and
sewer systems. It was in 1885 that
the first steam heating plant was
installed in the north wing of the
basement and a full-time engineer
and janitor were employed.
Due to the dismissal of the chan
cellor and several professors in
1882-83, the fall term opened in
1883 with Professor H. E. Hitch
cock as acting chancellor. At that
time all registration cards were
signed by the chancellor. Imagine
the students of the university of
A
Sunday Journal and Star
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' Lincoln Journal.
ELLEN SMITH.
She was registrar.
honest, conscientious 'and cour
ageous person."
Excellent staff.
In spite of the many
incon-
THESE PICTURES
Like an old mall-town grand
stand, the forerunner to our pres
ent stadium looms In the- upper
right-hand corner. The new con
crete structure replaced it In. 1923.
The etching In the middle of the
page is we thought you knew
University hall in the old days.
All but the first story has long
since been condemned and lopped
off.
Above is the Mechanical En
gineering building in its prime. It
stands over between Brace lab and
the stadium, and houses the me
chanical engineers' locomoiives.
Dubbed Victorian-Gothic by
graduate students, Grant Memor
ial hall, at right, was first the
University assembly hall. It now
houses the women's gymnasium.
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today filing into the chancellor's veniences of the 1880's, the stu-
office and discussing their regis- jentg 0f the University of Nebras-
tration with him! ka were very fortunate in that
Registrar Ellen Smith they had an excellent staff and
Principal of the Latin school at 1,01116 very learned scholars in
this time was Ellen Smith for their classes. The students knew
their professors more Intimately
than we do today and therefore
they received a richer and broader
education. Students sat with the
professors in their parlors and had
tea with them afternoons. Many
of the students roomed in the
homes of their instructors and
many walked to school with them.
In speaking of the faculty of
that time she exclaimed, "We ad
mired and respected these teach
ers, we talked with them, and
about them. We discussed their
sayings and regarded most of their
words as pearls of wisdom. They
constitute some of the most en
during and splendid memories of
our lives."
When Miss Bullock received her
diploma in 1889, it was handed to
her by Professor Bessey who was
the acting chancellor. In des'ib
ing this instructor, Miss Bullock
went on to say, "The genial pres
ence of Professor Bessoy was felt
all over the campus. His devotion
to his broad scientific field wuh no
more notable than his human,
democratic interest in folks -just
folks."
hunrtay Journal anil mar.
