GROWING PAINS PART OF 1880's-
"SB 21 1934
.
Grave Robbing Brings
Medical School Closure
By Frank Partsch
Senior Staff Writer
The years 1882-91 brought the University a greater en
rollment, an expanded faculty and a surge of physical
growth, but each of these advances carried with it a num
ber of serious sometimes unusual difficulties.
The revived religious issue, coupled with the suggested
innovation of newer educational concepts, led to the devel
opment of a number of disagreeing factions within the
faculty which culminated in several resignations.
The controversy was stimulated by the arrival of sev
eral Harvard and Yale-educated professors "whose liber
al standards did not correspond to the mores of a staid
religious community," according to Dr. Robert Manley,
assistant professor of history.
These men objected to the. idea of compulsory chapel
and Sunday church attendance and, what was more cru
cial, the narrow classical education offered by the Uni
versity. As a result of the disruption of University affairs
caused by the faculty's bickering, a hearing of the Board
of Regents was held.
Shortly afterward three of the professors resigned.
But the old guard of the University, perhaps learning
. something from these eastern influences, eventually agreed
to modernize the curriculum, and by the late 1880's, more
emphasis was given to modern languages and science.
The University at this time was composed of three
colleges, the College of Literature, Science and Art, the In
dustrial College, and the College of Medicine, all located
in Lincoln. In addition, the Latin School served as a col
lege preparatory school for students without enough prep
aration for admission to one of the colleges.
The number of colleges was reduced in 1887 with the
death of the College of Medicine under severe criticism
from the people of Lincoln, who suspected the medical stu
dents and faculty of robbing graves in Wyuka Cemetery
to obtain material for anatomical research.
Manley points out that this is a typical reaction of peo
ple during this period. Fear, superstition and the belief
that man should not disturb the dead resulted in a general
opposition to dissection of the human body.
The grave robbing rumors were not lessened by the
actions of a mischievous group of students, who draped a
large sign across the front of the University Hall reading
"Cash for Stiffs."
Further problems encountered by the college of Medi
cine centered around three opposing philosophies of medi
treatment and diagnosis.
Each of the three doctrines demanded representation
on the faculty, causing more discord.
The matter was brought to a climax with the arrest
of three faculty members for robbing a grave. The college
was closed immediately and not reopened until 1902, in
Omaha.
Continued student opposition to the required military
drill together with the fact that few of the self-supporting
students could afford uniforms made the military depart
ment a source of friction until General John Pershing's ar
rival in 1891 created espirit de corps among the "Univer
sity Cadets."
The extracurricular life of a student of the 80's' cen
tered around the literary societies: Paladian, (1871); Ad
elphian, (1873); Union (1876); and Delian (1889).
Nearly every student was a member of one of these
groups. Competition for new members was fierce, accord
ing to Louise Pound, writing in THE UNIVERSITY OF
NEBRASKA 1869-1919.
"It became the custom to buttonhole new students,
almost as soon as they entered the institution, and to ask
them to join one or the other literary society."
The societies held weekly meetings, which Manley
calls "social functions as well as literary programs."
The program included essays, recitations and musical
numbers, and usually ended with a debate. Refreshments
were served, including doughnuts, apples, popcorn and,
rarely, ice cream.
"In the 80's and 90's," says Miss Pound, "the height of
elegance was thought to be attained when the more prodi
gal members went to a local restaurant after the program
for oysters."
Manley says that the literary societies played an im
portant part in the development of the individual. Many
of the students had been born and raised on pioneer home
steads, and had no training in the social graces.
At the society meetings these students were given an
opportunity to meet and converse with their fellow stu
dents, both male and female. "Because nearly all of the
students worked their way through the University, the
feeling of equality was very strong," says Manley.
Sometime in advance of a gathering, a slate bearing
the names of the female members was presented by the
official slate bearer to all male members, who scratched
their mark beside the girl of their choice meaning that
every girl had an escort to and from the meeting.
In leap years the process was reversed and the wom
en had their turn at "scratching the slate."
The first student newspaper was the HESPERIAN
STUDENT, founded in 1871-2. Manley notes with interest
that a favorite subject of editorial writers is lack of school
spirit. He says the literary societies did a great deal in
generating student pride.
The first fraternities to arrive on campus were Phi
Delta Theta and Sigma Chi in 1883. By 1888 Howard) Cald
well, in his book, "EDUCATION OF NEBRASKA, lists
four other "Greek letter houses" and added that "these
houses furnish the nearest approach that has yet been
made to dormitory living."
Kappa Kappa Gamma colonized at the University In
1884, at the invitation of the Sigma Chis, making It the
first sorority. Other houses organized during this period
were Kappa Alpha Theta (1887), Delta Gamma (1887) and
Beta Theta Pi (1888.)
The "Greek letter houses" were immediately con
demned by the powerful literary societies as being undem
ocratic. The Hesperian was especially harsh in its criti
cism of the Greeks and a spirited contest ensued for con
trol of the paper. In 1887, Laura Mills, a Kappa Kappa
Gamma, became the first Greek associate editor of the
paper.
Class pride came with the adoption of a game called
"canebreak," in which the members of the freshman and
sophomore classes battled with no holds barred for 15 min
utes for the possession of a cane. If the freshmen were
victorious, they had the privilege of carrying canes
throughout the year. The game sometimes assumed riot
proportions, and it was not unusual for several participants
to be knocked unconscious during the festivities.
The people of Lincoln, as expressed through the local
newspapers, were shocked when the young ladies appeared
Continued on Page 3
'
NEVER AN ELGIN FACTORY The first Nebraska Hall was not first an Elgin fac
tory as was the present Nebraska Hail. It was built in 1888 on a plot of ground that is
now faculty parking across from Avery lab. It was razed four years ago. The building
housed the Industrial college which included, physics, chemistry," zoology, and agriculture.
Vol. 77, No. 62
New Program Established
Iinll'eiresf Ion
By Mike Keedy
Junior Staff Writer
A Latin American program
is being established by the
College of Arts and Sciences,
Dean Walter Militzer revealed
yesterday.
A growing interest in this
field, coupled with the contri
butions of Latin America,"
said Dr. Roberto Esquenazi-
Officials,
Students
Conflict
Chicago (CPS) A long-
simmering conflict over al
leged discriminatory admis
sions policies at Northwestern
University has erupted into
a full-scale war.
Combatants are the Dally
Northwestern, the student Hu
man Relations Committee
(HRC), and Northwestern Di
rector of Admissions C. Wil
liam Reiley.
The Northwestern Student
Senate last Thursday, by a
vote of 19-4, passed a resolu
tion which censured Relley's
actions towards students in
volved in the controversy.
The Senate resolution stated
that Relley's action were "to
tally unbecoming an admis
sions officer of a great uni
versity . .. a man committing
such alleged behavior has no
place in such a postlon."
Charges of religious dis
crimination in Northwestern
admissions policies were
made public in the Jan. 30
issue of the Daily Northwest
ern. In the story, members
of the HRC said figures in
dicate that percentages of
students of several religious
groups attending the school
have not changed for seven
years.
Reiley denied the HRC ac
cusations. He stated that
Northwestern has not asked
questions about religion on its
applications since 1956. He
told the Daily Northwestern
that the university has no rec
ords of an applicant's religion.
Said Reily. "You can come
over to the office and check
our records."
On Feb. 12, Daily News
Editor Al From phoned the
admissions office for permis
sion to see the records. Reiley
is said to have threatened
From with the withdrawal of
of scholarship aid.
Members of the HRC took
action Feb. 12. They filed a
complaint with Vice-Presi
dent and Dean of Faculties
Payson Wild based on the
treatment they received in
Reily's office. Wild said he
was "extremely sorry" and
was investigating the incident.
'
Joiiruvafini
Mayo, associate professor of
romance languages, "has
helped precipitate this innova
tion." ,.,,..,.,..., ,..
Dr. Gene Hardy, assistant
professor of English, stressed
that the program would not
involve any new courses at
present.
"Instead", he said, "it will
coordinate Latin American
courses in several depart
ments.. These include Latin
American history, politics, an
thropology, geography, litera
ture and art."
"The departments involved,
each of which has jurisdiction
over its specific field, will in
effect coordinate in forming
an inter-disciplinary minor,"
indicated Bernard Rosen, as
sociate professor of sociology.
Professor Norman Stewart,
secretary of the committee
which is helping to head the
program, said, "We don't
want relations with Latin
America to develop out of ig
norance." He noted further that many
issues are decided in the
American public's mind out of
rumor and word-of-mouth mis
conceptions.
Other members of the co
ordinating committee are Alex
Edelmann, David Kelley,
Michael Meyer, and Bernard
Rosen.
Departments of anthropolo
gy, art, geography, history,
journalism, political science
and romance languages are
cooperating to initiate the con
ceived program.
Esquenazi indicated that a
student participating will ma
jor in a specific field as usual,
drawing a strong minor from
NU Senior Coeds
Apply For Queen
Applications for May Queen
are available in 207 Admin
istration and must be re
turned to that office before
5 p.m. today, according to
Judy Luhe, of Mortar Boards.
Applicants for May Queen
must be senior women reg
istered for 12 or more hours
and must have a 5.0 average
or better.
Ten finalists will be chosen
at a May Queen Primary on
March 4 to compete for the
title in the March 10 all
women's election. Junior
and senior women will vote
for two candidates, one of
which will be Queen and one
lady in waiting. The Queen
and her court will be present
ed on Ivy Day.
i;.iw"
The Daily Nebraskan
Latoui
courses in at least three of
the departments involved.
"In addition to the required
courses taken at the Univer
sity' he continued, "students
chosen by the committee will
spend a full year of study in
Mexico City, at El Colegio de
Mexico."
The committee indicated
that the students will make
the trek on a full scholarship
basis, with all expenses paid
including a round-trip ticket.
"The students' tuition and
insurance will also be cov
ered," indicated Esquenazi,
"as well as a $1200 sum for
the ten-month trip."
Alex Edelmann, associate
professor of political science,
urope
"Europeans came too late,
stayed too short a time, and
left too soon for the tech
niques of government to be
firm in Africa," said Colin
Jackson, British Broadcast
ing Company analyst, in a
speech sponsored last night
by the political science de
partment of the University.
Speaking on "Trends and
Problems in Africa," Jackson
said that, while in India the
British government had been
there for 250 years before it
became a nation the Euro
peans had, for the most part,
only been in Africa since the
end of the last century. Thus
the Africans could not be fully
educated to the responsibili
ty of government. '
"What Americans and Brit
ons should do," said Jackson,
is to encourage the African
people to change as they
want."
"The visits of Chou-en-Lai
to Ghana and of Khrushchev
to parts of Africa have
Drought up the question of a
Communist take-o v e r in
Africa."
"Actually, I believe that
communism is one of the
smallest threats in Africa,"
Jackson said, "because in
Africa there is plenty of land
and little chance of malnutri
tion which could provide a
basis for communism."
Two other reasons given for
Jackson's belief that Commu
nism will not take over Afri
ca are the tribal influence
which is very strong in Africa
and "the wonderful sense of
humor of the Alrican peo
ple; they don't take them
selves too seriously."
Speaking on specific coun
c
HKetfmtmtum
IN SHADOW OF PROGRESS Who would have
dreamed when Grant Memorial was built for $29,000 in
1888 the then-outstanding building would stand only 20
yards from a ZV2 million dollar gallery some 70 yean
later?
ED
cited the fact that although
his department appeared to
have more weakness than
Ex-Grid Star Naviaux
Joins Boston Coaches
Former university of Ne
braska football star, Larry
Naviaux, has been named to
the coaching staff at Boston
University.
The native Nebraskan will
take up duties as offensive
backfield coach this spring.
Naviaux played halfback
for Nebraska and aided with
the freshmen after gradua
tion. The past three seasons
he has been on the backfield
staff at Southwestern Louisi
ana University.
Analyst On
Out Too
tries, Jackson said that there
is no reason for Ghana to
be in the mess it is now.
"Nkruma has betrayed him
self and Africa," remarked
Jackson, "and the world aks
if this police state is the re
sult of giving Africans their
independence."
Nigeria is an encouraging
story," said Jackson. "This
country of 40 million people
is to Americans and British
in Africa as India is to them
in Asia." He said his Nigerian
friends strike him as being
"comfortable," that is, peo
ple who are from a large
country with many resources.
"Their Prime Minister, Abu
bakar Balewa, is one of the
most distinquished men of the
Commonwealth."
Jackson thinks that Uganda,
Tanganyika, and Kenya should
join in an East African con
federation of some sort so
that they would not have to
call in the British to help
them out during army revolu
tions. In talking about the Union
of South Africa and its posi
tion of apartheid, Jackson
struck a less encouraging
note.
"It is almost impossible to
be optimistic about South
Africa," said Jackson, "be
cause the white Africans be
lieve they can establish a sep
arate administration which
assures white supremacy.
Johannesburg is a city of fear,
with locked doors and barred
windows. I don't see how the
Mau-Mau terror a thousand
times over is to be avoided
in South Africa."
In a final analysis Jackson
quoted Dr. Albert Schweitzer
. ... v - - m y-T
Friday, February 21, 1964
DYDOirn
many of the others participa
ting, new courses may be in
stigated within the near
future.
"Even though at present
there is no program for a ma
jor course of study, even now
we offer as many courses in
the realm of a minor as sev
eral other schools do for ma
jor programs," Esquenazi
said.
"The indicated desire on the
students' part to have their
horizons broadened is hearten
ing," he concluded.
Applications for the new
program must be submitted
by March 15. The program
will get into full swing this
June.
nco;
0013
as saying "I don't foreget that
a piano has black and whit
keys and if you want musia
you must play them to
gether." Jackson said that
this appied in Africa where
white and black must work
together for progress.
r
COLIN JACKSON
r
