: : : yi f
Conservative *
THE GENESIS OF THE NEBRASKA
STATE UNIVERSITY.
A generation ago , as generations
are counted , or to bo more definite , on
the evening of September G , 1871 , in
the chapel of the newly erected State
University building at Lincoln , J.
Sterling Morton , who made the "Uni
versity Address , ' ' in the course of its
delivery said : "As in ancient Rome
the gates of Janus wore thrown open
to indicate existing war , so today we
open wide the doors of the University
of the State of Nebraska as a token of
perpetual systematized war against
ignorance and bigotry , and intoler
ance and vice in every form among
the people of the state , and the youth
who in a few fleeting years will be
come its legislators , its judges and its
governors. ' '
A lluding to the benefits of free edu
cation in the higher walks of learn
ing which the university provided ,
lie said : "If these precious advant
ages be improved , thirty years from
today the alumni of this institution
will have made their impress for the
good , the true , and the ennobling up
on every school district of every coun
ty , and the ripened fruits of this system
of education will cluster richly in the
legislative , executive and judicial de
partments of the commonwealth. ' '
The occasion was the conclusion of
the inaugural ceremonies of the open
ing of the University. Seated upon
the flower-bedecked rostrum were the
governor and other state dignitaries ,
the state board of regents , the newly
inducted chancellor , and the members
of the faculty , while the auditorium
was crowded with prominent men and
women who had gathered to witness
the launching of a great public insti
tution of learning , established in per
petuity by the people , for the sons
and daughters of the people. The
effect of the earnest and prophetic
language of the orator was reflected
\ipon the countenances of his auditors ,
who realized the nobility of the
event , its far-reaching influence upon
the futures of those who should come
after them.
The following morning the depart
ment designated as the "College of
Ancient and Modern Languages ,
Mathematics and Natural Sciences , ' '
was opened and the University began
its career by religous services in the
chapel , after which came the examin
ation , classification , and enrollment
of pupils.
The task of organizing and putting
the machinery into practical oper
ation , fell upon the shoulders of five
members of the faculty who up to
that time had been chosen by the
board of regents. Of these Dr. A. R.
Benton , the chancellor and professor
ser of moral and intellectual scien
ces , was especially well qualified forT
.
T .1' \ ' * t4 ; * M ftf-MSlr : j * l W '
the position to which he had been
elected. It was my good fortune to
see much of him both in and out of the
class room , besides ho seemed to take
a particular interest in a trio of Otoe
county students , ( of whom more here
after , ) often inviting them to tea of
an evening at his pleasant home near
the school , which his geniality bright
ened , as his scholarship adorned the
halls of learning.
As evidence of how ho was regarded
by his associates , hero is an extract
from a Charter Day address delivered
by Professor Aughey years after the
doctor had severed his connection
with the University : "His scholar
ship was accurate and broad. Famil
iar with the classics , the amenities
of literature occupied much of his at
tention. * * * * So broad was
he in scholarship that ho was at home
in every department of college work.
He made every object luminous by the
clearness of his analysis. Neat in
person , pure in thought , clear in in
tellect , studious in life , courteous tea
a remarkable degree , the charm of
the social circle , he was a model
Christian scholar and gentleman. "
Associated with Chancellor Benton
were Professors Manly , ancient lan
guages ; Dake , rhetoric and English
literature ; Aughey , chemistry and na-
tiiral sciences while Professor
Church was principal of the Latin
school. Of these , personal impressions
are most vivid of Professors Dake and
Aughey. The former was quiet and
refined in manner , student , poet , ideal
ist , yet practical in the administra
tion of the affairs of the class room.
His love of the English classics was
as intense as his knowledge of them
was profound. A small volume of
poems of which he was the author ,
gave unmistakable evidence of true
poetic genius. Had he lived he would
have developed into one of our sweet
est minor poets. His death in 1875 was
a loss to the scholastic and literary
circles of the west.
Of Prof. Aughey little need be said.
All old residents of Nebraska , to
gether witli those who have been in
terested in the growth and progress
of the University , are acquainted
with the valuable services ho ren
dered it from its beginning on through
the many years of his connection with
it ; loved and admired by the students
of those early days , ho soon became
known to the people of the west as a
lecturer and writer. His work on
the' ' Physical Geography and Geology
of Nebraska' ' is a standard authority
on the subjects treated , being a
thorough scientific description of the
mineral and allodial resources of the
state. Both Professors 'Manly and
Church were also popular with the
students. The former was a thorough
ly competent teacher , as was also the
latter , who , being principal of the
preparatory school , came in closer per
sonal contact with the majority of
the pupils than any of the other mein-
bers of the faoultj7 , a comparatively
young man at that time , my impres
sion is that the boys were ijust a bit
afraid of him , although with youth-
fill intuition they at once recognized
his ability as a teacher. * In 1875 he
was promoted to the chair of ancient
languages , taking , I believe , the
place vacated by Professor Manly ,
who was compelled to retire on ac
count of ill health. On this little
band of educators then fell the en
tire burden of the initial work of
the University. That their task was
well done is proven by the success
that the institution has attained , much
of which is owing to the laborious
efforts of its first faculty. So long as
the University shall stand a blessing
to the people so long should their
able and earnest devotion to its inter
ests during this formative period be
gratefully remembered by the inhabit
ants of the state and the students
who have profited by their labors.
The main University building was
erected by the state at a cost of $152-
000.00 , the work having been done by
contract. All of the lumber and
other material , except the brick , stone
and mortar used in its construction ,
was shipped by rail from Chicago to
East. Nebraska City , and hauled from
there by teams a distance of sixty-
five miles. The corner stone was laid
with Masonic ceremonies September
27 , 18G9two years after the admission
of Nebraska as a state , and the build
ing was practically completed with
in a year. On January (5 ( , 1871 , upon
invitation of the contractors , the
board of regents visited and inspected
the building and officially declared
that it "appeared to be well con
structed and substantial. ' ' Prior to
this it had also been examined by a
number of building experts who re
ported favorably as to the manner of
its construction and the excellence of
the material used , yet , notwithstand
ing these inspections and reports and
its acceptance by the state , induced
by them , scarcely two years elapsed
before the roof had become so leaky
as to require extensive repairs , and
the foundation so insecure as to neces
sitate the expenditure of upwards of
$8,000.00 in order to prevent the walls
from tumbling down upon the heads
of faculty and students. The greater
portion of the work was performed
by John McFarland , a pioneer build
er and stone mason , who will be re
membered by old residents of Ne
braska City , as "Uncle" John Mc-
Farland. Subsequently in 1877 , the
north wing of the building having
been abandoned ' ' on account of im
perfect material and faulty workman
ship , ' ' the public spirited citizens of
Lincoln raised by subscription $6,000 ,
which was expended in repairing and
strengthening the foundation. The
manner in which this building was
constructed is but a sample of other
public contract work done in the
early days of Nebraska's statehood ,
and had the intellectual sub-structure
of the halls of learning been construct
ed of like unfit material and laid with
equally faulty workmanship , the dam
age could not have been so easily norse
so cheaply remedied , neither would
the University have attained the
greatness of today.
To the youth whoso ideas of a great
public college had been formed from
descriptions of Cambridge or Oxford ,
or who had dreamed of "ancient Ath-
en's classic shades , " and especially
to one who had lived in the shadow
of Princeton's venerable wallsstrolled