USA > Kansas > Kansas; a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence, Volume II > Part 100
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Universalist churches were established in Kansas in the late '6os and early '70s. The state census of 1875 gives 16 church organizations with a membership of 381. In 1890 there were six church buildings and all the organizations had a membership of 411, while in 1906 Kansas had 12 organizations, with a total membership of 937.
University Extension began in England about the year 1880 and in the United States six or seven years thereafter. Its purpose is to carry instruction to the people who on account of circumstances are denied the privileges of attending a university. While it assumes to give the same instruction to non-resident as to resident students, it can never be inade the same in character or quality. For a number of years the pro- fessors of the University of Kansas and of other educational institutions of the state had been accustomed to give lectures to the public on sci- entific subjects, but it was not until 1891 that the work was organized at the University of Kansas. It was placed in the hands of a committee of which Prof. F. W. Blackmar was chairman. An aggressive campaign was inaugurated to organize extension societies in the towns of Kansas and to give systematic courses of lectures and instruction. These lectures were on education, literature, science, political economy, history and art.
In the year 1890-91 over one hundred such lectures were given by the chancellor and instructors of the university to forward the cause of edu- cation. In 1891-92 this number was augmented. It was only necessary to systematize the work and supplement it with collateral readings to complete the extension idea. Prof. Lucian I. Blake of the University of Kansas was engaged to deliver a course of ten lectures on electricity and magnetism at Topeka. Soon after this, a local association was or- ganized in Kansas City and Prof. F. W. Blackmar was chosen to give a course of lectures on economic problems. In other towns courses were given by Prof. C. D. Dunlap in English literature of the 19th century ; by Prof. H. S. Carruth in German literature; by Prof. E. H. S. Bailey in "The Chemistry of Every-day Life;" by Prof. E. Miller in astronomy. and by Prof. Williston in geology.
The work was not fully organized until 1909 when the university ex- tension division was organized as a separate division of the university, with Prof. Richard R. Price as director. The extension division is now in four departments-the lecture-study department, the correspondence-
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study department, the department of general information and welfare, the department of debating and public discussion. The extension lecture system is directed by the lecture study department. All non-residents' work of the university is conducted through the university extension division, under one of its four departments. There are two classes of people to whom the lecture courses appeal. The first is composed of people who have neither time nor inclination to pursue a systematic course of study, but who wish to attend the lectures to receive inspira- tion for profitable reading and some knowledge of the latest advances in certain branches of study; the second class of people to obtain profit from the extension work is composed of persons of studious inclination who not only listen to the lectures but also do collateral reading and take the final examination for university credit. This second class in- cludes students preparing for college and professional schools, college students who are unable to pursue continuous resident study, grammar and high school teachers who cannot avail themselves of resident in- struction, professional and business men who wish to supplement their training, men too old to go to school, but find a need for more knowledge in their own professions, and club women who wish to pursue a sys- tematic line of study.
In 1911 some 85 or 90 university courses were offered through cor- respondence. It is possible through this means to obtain credit for as. much as ten semester hours of college work each year. In 1911 there were 184 students enrolled in the correspondence study department. The many people who desire and need intellectual stimulus, but cannot go to the university, are glad the university can come to them.
University of Kansas .- The University of Kansas formally opened its doors to students in Sept., 1866, but the history of the institution com- menced in 1855, when the first legislature made provision for a Kansas University, the buildings of which were to be erected when Congress or some kind friend would give money for their construction.
In 1856 Amos A. Lawrence of Boston, in whose honor the town of Lawrence was named, made plans for a college on the north end of Mount Oread, the hill west of the town, and gave notes and stocks amounting to $12,696.14 for the foundation of his proposed "Free State College." This money was to be held in trust, Charles Robinson and S. C. Pomeroy having been appointed trustees, and the income there- from was "to be used for the advancement of religious and intellectual education of the young in Kansas Territory." An imperfect deed to the property, which is that part of the campus where North College now stands, caused a cessation in the plans of Mr. Lawrence.
In 1858 the Presbyterian church of the United States of America, be- lieving that the funds of Mr. Lawrence could be secured to help it, took steps to establish a school on Mount Oread. The Kansas directors were Richard Cordley, Charles Robinson, John M. Coe, Charles E. Miner, G. W. Hutchison, James A. Faley and C. L. Edwards. In 1859 the legis- lature granted a charter to this institution under the name of "The Law-
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rence University," a board of 22 trustees was appointed, and in Jan., 1859, the city of Lawrence gave to these trustees a quit claim deed to the present North College campus, "on condition that said university is permanently located at Lawrence, Kan., Ter .; that a brick building not less than 36 feet in width and 60 feet in length and two stories high, be erected and completed within one year from date, and that a school be commenced within six months from this date, and that, failing to com- all right to said lot of ground, and it shall again become the property of ply with the above conditions. said Lawrence University shall forfeit the city of Lawrence."
In an effort to meet the conditions of the deed a preparatory school was opened in the basement of the Unitarian church. This was discon- tinued in three months because there were no pupils. However, the Presbyterians continued with their building until winter. The following year, 1860, was one of hard times, so their project was abandoned until more money could be raised. They spent $1,623.50.
The Congregationalists had appeared on the scene meantime, with the idea of building a "monumental college, commemorating the triumph of liberty over slavery in Kansas." Mr. Lawrence through his trustees agreed to give the college his fund if it was to be under Congregational jurisdiction. The breaking out of the war put an end to the plans of the Congregationalists temporarily, and when they later established their school it was in Topeka.
In 1861 the Episcopal church became interested in education in Law- rence. Under its auspices a new board of trustees took out incorpora- tion papers for "The Lawrence University of Kansas." The Presby- terians gave up their claims to the Episcopalians, who later surrendered theirs to the state.
Tracing the history of the University of Kansas as shown by the ter- ritorial and state laws, it is seen that the first constitution, adopted in 1855. contained the following provisions: "The general assembly may take measures for the establishment of a university with such branches as the public convenience may hereafter demand, for the promotion of literature, the arts, sciences, medical and agricultural instruction." The free-state legislature, which met at Topeka in 1857, enacted a law "For establishing a state university at Lawrence." In the Lecompton consti- tution, framed in 1857, is found "That 72 sections or two entire town- ships shall be designated by the president of the United States, which shall be reserved for the use of a seminary of learning, and appropriated by the legislature of said state solely to the use of said seminary."
The Leavenworth constitution of 1858 provided that, "as the means of the state will admit, educational institutions of a higher grade shall be established by the law, so as to form a complete system of public in- struction, embracing the primary, normal, preparatory collegiate and university departments."
The Wyandotte constitution of 1859 reads, "Provision shall be made by law for the establishment, at some eligible and central point, of a
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state university for the promotion of literature and the arts and sci- ences, including a normal and agricultural department. All funds aris- ing from the sale or rents of lands granted by the United States to the state for the support of a state university and all other grants, dona- tions and bequests, either by the state, or by individuals, for such purposes, shall remain a perpetual fund to be called the 'university fund,' the interest of which shall be appropriated to the support of a state university."
When Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861 the Wyandotte constitution was adopted as the Kansas constitution, and Congress set apart and reserved for the use and support of a state university 72 sections of land to be selected by the governor.
It was supposed by many that Lawrence would be chosen as the place for the university, especially after the capital was located at To- peka, but the advantages of having a college near by, appealed to other towns and when the time arrived for selecting a site, there were several contestants, chief among which were Lawrence, Emporia and Manhattan. Manhattan received the agricultural school and with- drew from the race. Between the remaining competitors there was a hard fight, Lawrence winning by one vote cast by the chairman of the legislature. To secure the university, the city of Lawrence had prom- ised to donate 40 acres of ground adjacent to the city, to be used as a campus, and an endowment of $15,000. It was made a provision of the bill that in case Lawrence did not fulfill these promises within six months the university would go to Emporia. By an exchange of real estate with Charles Robinson, Lawrence secured the 40 acres for a campus, and through the generosity of Amos Lawrence, who donated the sum intended for the "Free-State College," it collected the $15,000 just in time to keep the university from reverting to Emporia.
On Nov. 2, 1863, the university was permanently located, and in 1864 the legislature passed a law organizing it. The charter of the University of Michigan was used as a model for the University of Kansas. The government of the institution was vested in a board of regents, to consist of a president and 12 members to be appointed by the governor, with the state superintendent of public instruction and the secretary of state as ex-officio members. Six departments were named as composing the university, viz: "The department of science, literature and the arts; the department of law; theory and practice of elementary instruction ; the department of agriculture; and the normal department."
In 1873, by an act of legislature, the number of regents was reduced from 12 to 6, and these were empowered to elect a chancellor, who should be a member of the board with the power of a regent. This organization has never been changed. In Sept., 1865, work was com- menced on North College, which was finished in Sept., 1866, the re- gents having met in July of that year and elected the first faculty of three members, to-wit: Elial J. Rice, professor of belles lettres and
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mental and moral science; David H. Robinson, professor of languages, and Francis H. Snow, professor of mathematics and natural science. The first session of school opened at North College on Sept. 12, 1866, with 26 young women and 29 young men registered in the preparatory school during the first term. The second year showed a marked growth in numbers, 105 young people being registered when the regents made report on Dec. 5, 1867.
Although the University of Kansas is regarded as one of the first state universities to admit women upon the same equality with the young men, that was not the intention of those who drew up its char- ter, which names two branches, "a male and a female branch," the lat- ter to be taught exclusively by women, the buildings for that branch to be entirely separate from the buildings of the male branch, "and to establish and maintain said female branch the regents shall annually appropriate a sufficient amount to the funds of the university." This provision has, never been put in execution.
In the beginning of the university the course of study leading to an A. B. degree occupied seven years-three years in the preparatory school and four in the college. It was hoped to abandon the prepara- tory department in a very short time but twenty-five years passed be- fore it was accomplished.
The first class, of four members, graduated in 1873. The school dur- ing the first seven years had undergone many changes. Rev. R. W. Oliver, rector of the Protestant Episcopal church of Lawrence, who at the first meeting of the regents on March 21, 1865, had been elected chancellor and ex-officio president of the board of regents, resigned his position in the fall of 1867. On Dec. 4, 1867, Gen. John Fraser, presi- dent of the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, was elected chancel- lor of the university. He entered upon his official duties on June 17, I868. His term of service is marked by the erection of Fraser Hall, the first building on the present university campus. This hall was ready for occupancy in Dec., 1872, although it was not completed until later. The money for its construction was raised by bonds to the amount of $100,000 voted by the citizens of Lawrence and by appro- priations made by the legislature. Chancellor Fraser resigned on April 15, 1873. At that time 173 students were enrolled and II instructors employed.
In Nov., 1874, James Marvin, of Meadville, Pa., was elected chan- cellor and assumed his duties that winter. During his administra- tion the university developed as rapidly as conditions in the state would permit. In 1876 a normal department was established and it was main- tained several years with success. In 1877 and 1878 some 700 trees, now known as Marvin's grove, were set out on the campus. In Nov., 1878, the law school was opened, with James Wood Green in charge, and 13 students enrolled. Under Mr. Green's supervision the law school has grown. It'numbers 215 students and occupies a building erected
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for its exclusive use. Green hall, as it is called, was built in 1905 and named in honor of James W. Green.
James Marvin resigned in 1883 and was succeeded by Joshua Allen Lippincott of Carlisle, Pa., whose administration lasted until 1889. Dur- ing his time the legislature made larger appropriations, which strength- ened the university by increasing its buildings and its courses of study. Regent W. C. Spangler was acting chancellor and F. H. Snow was pres- ident of the factulty during the years 1889-90, and in the spring of 1890 Mr. Snow was elected to the office of chancellor. At the close of the school year 1890 there were 508 students enrolled in all departments. 36 professors employed. and five buildings fully occupied.
About this time the university received two very substantial and accept- able gifts. Col. John J. McCook of New York city presented a sum of money for the encouragement of athletics among the students. With this money a tract of 12 acres ( six acres having been given by Mr. Rob- inson ) was secured, graded and fenced for an athletic ground and given the name of McCook field. Mr. Snow in his report of 1891-92 spoke highly of athletic recreations and recommended a well equipped gym- nasium and a competent professor of physical culture. The legislature did not feel the necessity of a gymnasium building until 1906, when the Robinson Auditorium-Gymnasium was erected.
In 1894 Spooner Library and the chancellor's residence were erected through the generosity of William E. Spooner of Boston, Mass., who bequeathed the university $91,618.03 through his nephew, Chancellor Snow.
The year 1891 witnessed the entire disappearance of the preparatory department and the reorganization of the college, with a school of arts, which had been the collegiate department, and schools of engineering. law, fine arts, and pharmacy. The steady growth of the university under the leadership of Chancellor Snow increased the demand for equipment. Blake Hall, devoted to the use of physics and electrical engineering students, was completed in 1895; shops were erected for engineering students through a gift of $21,000 tendered by George A. Fowler of Kansas City. Mo., and "The Fowler shops" were ready for use in 1800. The same year the school of medicine was established and the legislature was asked for two new buildings, a chemistry building and a natural history museum.
In the spring of 1898, when a call was made for volunteers to take part in the Spanish-American war, a hearty response was made by the students of the university. The faculty discouraged the lower classmen from going but the upper classmen were permitted to enlist without restraint and the board of regents granted to all volunteers from the junior and senior classes, "full credit for the work of the academic year interrupted by their military service."
Mr. Snow had served the university for 24 years as a member of the faculty and 10 years as chancellor when ill health caused a cessation of duty. Mr. Spangler returned to the university as acting chancellor and
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remained as its active leader for two years. Mr. Snow was unable to return to his administration work as had been hoped. In 1901 he sent his resignation to the board of regents, and in April, 1902, Dr. Frank Strong was elected as Dr. Snow's successor. He assumed his duties on Aug. 1. At that time there were 50 acres in the campus, II university buildings, 9 of which were used for purposes of instruction, and an enrollment of 1,294 students in the seven schools. The nine years of Mr. Strong's administration have been years of expansion. The healthy financial condition of the state made generous appropriations possible, and the interest of the Kansas people in the head of the public educa- tional system demanded a larger and more thorough course of study. The best high schools and academies have adjusted and improved their curriculums to meet the entrance requirements of the university. The university owns 20 buildings, 9 of which have been completed within the period from 1902-1911. These arc the natural history museum, Green hall, Eleanor Bell memorial hospital, Robinson auditorium-gymnasium, clinical laboratory, hospital, civil and mechanical engineering building, mining engineering building, power plant and laboratories, and one wing of the auditorium is nearing completion. The campus at Law- rence comprises 163.5 acres which was laid out by a landscape gardener in order that the best possible aesthetic and utilitarian results could be obtained from the land that was naturally suited for a college site. Pot- ter lake near the west side was constructed in 1910-11 for fire protection and ornamentation.
As the enrollment has increased the course of study has been made broader and deeper in every way, new departments have organized and new avenues of knowledge developed. Among the new departments are those of education, university extension, home economics, and indus- trial research. The school of education was established in 1909; pre- viously it had been a coordinate department under the college of liberal arts and sciences. The purpose of the school of education is to furnish prospective teachers, principals, superintendents, and all other persons interested in the professional aspect of education, adequate opportuni- ties for specialization in the various phases of educational work. The policy of the university is to assemble and correlate most effectively the forces which contribute to the preparation of educational leaders. The university extension division was established for the benefit of those who are not situated so as to receive education through the formal sys- tem. The department of home economics was opened in Sept., 1910, and offers courses in foods, home administration, etc. The department of industrial research concerns itself with finding the best and most eco- nomic way of producing articles of commerce. One fellowship em- braces the investigation of the properties and uses of oil, another has to do with the enameling of iron and steel, another with the baking of bread. These fellowships are maintained financially by manufacturers of special articles who desire the best methods.
The university publications number 10. They are The University of
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Kansas Science Bulletin; University of Kansas Studies Humanistic series; the Bulletin of the Engineering Experiments Station; the Uni- versity-Geological Survey reports; the University Entomological Bul- letin; The University News Bulletin; The Graduate Magazine; The Kansan, published tri-weekly by the students; The Jayhawker, and the Kansas Lawyer, also published by students. The library, which in 1866 was merely a hope, in 1911 had 75,000 volumes and 40,000 pamphlets. The corps of instructors numbers 146. In 1902 the first session of sum- mer school was held. The first year the session was of six weeks' dura- tion but in 1909 it was lengthened to nine weeks.
The act of the legislature establishing the university contemplated the founding of a medical school, but made no provision for carrying out the plan. In 1880 a preparatory medical course under the administra- tion of the college of liberal arts and sciences was started, but it was not until 1899 that a school of medicine was definitely organized, when the first two years of a medical course was offered students. Through the courtesy of Simeon B. Bell, who, in memory of his wife, Eleanor Taylor Bell, gave the university money and land at Rosedale under the condi- tions that the hospital of the university medical school should be built there, an opportunity was offered to complete the organization of the school.
The scientific department covering the first two years of the course was established at Lawrence under Dean M. T. Sudler and the clinical department at Rosedale under the direction of Dean G. H. Hocksey. The clinical department was reorganized in the fall of 1905 by the merger of the Kansas City Medical College, founded in 1897, Medico- Chirurgical College founded in 1896, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons founded in 1894. The hospital building was erected and the department was opened in 1906. The training school for nurses in con- nection with the hospital was established in July of the same year.
In 1910 a controversy arose as to the reestablishment and reorganiza- tion of the medical school. It ended, however, by keeping the location at Rosedale and a reorganization of the school with Dr. W. J. Crumbine, secretary of the state board of health, as dean of the school and Mervin T. Sudler, assistant dean and professor of surgery. A new hospital was built in the summer of 1911. The enrollment in all departments in 191I numbered about 2,400 students.
Chancellors of the University: R. W. Oliver, 1865-67; John Fraser, 1867-74; James Marvin, 1874-83; J. A. Lippincott, 1883-89; C. W. Spangler, (Act. Chan.), 1889-90; F. H. Snow, 1890-1901 ; C. W. Spangler, (Act. Chan.), 1901-02; Frank Strong, 1902 -.
Upland, a hamlet in Dickinson county, is located in Fragrant Hill township, 20 miles northeast of Abilene, the county seat, 9 miles north of Chapman, the postoffice from which it receives mail, and 5 miles from Alida, the nearest shipping point. The population in 1910 was 50.
Upola, a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Elk county, is located in Oak Valley township, 15 miles east of Howard, the
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county seat, and about 4 miles from Longton, whence it receives mail daily by rural route. The population, according to the census report of 1910, was 24.
Urbana, a village of Neosho county, is located in Chetopa township on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas R. R., 10 miles west of Erie, the county seat. It has express and telegraph offices and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 85. The town was founded by Dr. Peters, and replatted in 1870 by some parties who believed it had a great future. This little town is credited with more volunteers in the Spanish-American war than any other town of its size in the county.
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