CHAPTER XXXVI

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

The State University was organized under the provisions of a bill passed by the Territorial Legislature February 16, 1883. By this law it was to be a coeducational institution styled the State University of North Dakota, made up of a combined college of arts and letters and a normal college. It is of some interest to note in this name the first official use of the words North Dakota, the sister institution in what was later South Dakota being called the University of Dakota. On the same date an act was approved providing for the issuance of territorial bonds to the amount of $30,000 to provide for the construction of the present main building of the university. By the same act the bond issue was made contingent on the gift to the territory of a site of not less than ten acres and a well equipped observatory costing not less than ten thousand dollars.

In pursuance of the act of organization, Governor Ordway apppointed the first board of trustees as follows: Dr. W. T. Collins, Grand Forks; Dr. R. M. Evans, Minto; E. A. Healy, Drayton; Dr. C. E. Teel and James Twamley, Grand Forks. At a meeting held on May 16, 1883, the board formally accepted as a site for the new institution a tract of land twenty acres in extent situated about a mile west of Grand Forks. This offer was made by William Budge, Michael Ohmer and John McKelvey, who also gave bonds for the payment of $10,000 to erect and equip an observatory, thus fulfilling the legal requirement for the issue of the bonds. Three other very excellent sites were offered by citizens of Grand Forks, one located on the present site of Riverside Park, the others in the same vicinity but farther to the north, all on the Red River. These offers, however, do not seem to have been accompanied by any provision for the $10,000 to build and equip an observatory as required by law. The corner-stone of the first structure on the present university grounds, Main Building, was laid October 2, 1883. Grand Master O. S. Gifford, of the Dakota Grand Lodge of Free Masons, presided at the ceremonies; Governor Ordway made a brief address in which he warmly congratulated the citizens of the territory that thus early in their history they were preparing to educate their sons and daughters on their own soil; while the principal address was given by Dr. D. L. Kiehle, superintendent of public instruction of Minnesota.

Equipment and maintenance for the first two years of the new institution were provided by an act approved March 7, 1883. By this act $1,000 was appropriated for apparatus; $600 for fuel, light, and janitor service; $1,000 for incidental expenses, and $400 for improvement of grounds. An annual appropriation not to exceed $5,000 was also made for the salaries of the president and

other members of the instructional force. This may serve in some sort as a measure of the progress of the institution during later years.

In the Federal enabling act of February 22, 1889, admitting North Dakota as a state, section 14 sets aside 72 sections, or 46,080 acres, in the new state for university purposes. The fund created by the sale of these lands was to constitute a permanent university fund, the interest alone being available for use. In section 17 of the same act an additional grant of 40,000 acres was granted to the School of Mines. By a provision in the state constitution, section 215, article 19, the location of the School of Mines was fixed at Grand Forks, and since its establishment, in 1880, it has been an inseparable part of the State University.

On September 3, 1884, the trustees met to make arrangements for the opening of the university the following week. There was only one building on the campus and that not fully completed. Living rooms for the faculty, dormitories for the students, a boarding department, class room, a library and museum must all be found in the single building. It was close quarters for so large a family, and not a little friction developed in the course of adjustment to the new conditions. The faculty that met the students on the opening day of the first year, September 8, 1884, consisted of Dr. Wm. M. Blackburn, president and professor of metaphysics; Henry Montgomery, vice president and professor of natural sciences; Webster Merrifield, assistant professor of Greek and Latin, and Mrs. E. H. Scott, preceptress and instructor in mathematics and English. After President Blackburn's single year of service, Professor Montgomery was chosen as acting president, which place he filled for two years. In 1887 Dr. Homer B. Sprague was chosen president, his term extending to March 31, 1891, when he resigned. Webster Merrifield, now professor of Greek and Latin, was chosen acting president for the remainder of the year.

During the first seven years the student attendance had grown from 79 to 151. Three graduating classes, the first in 1889, numbering a total of twenty, had received degrees. The catalogue announcement of 1891 shows that the faculty had been increased by the addition of five professors, H. B. Woodworth, John Macnie, Ludovic Estes, E. J. Babcock and Leon S. Roudiez. William Patten was also a new man, taking the place of Henry Montgomery, resigned. Five additional instructors and a laboratory assistant brought the instructional force to the number of thirteen, a very considerable increase since 1884, both in numbers and in departments represented. By legislative act, approved March 31, 1890, there was formally added to the State University the School of Mines and a military department. Provision for instruction in the latter had been made by the trustees after the first year, but in 1891 Lieut. Leon S. Roudiez, Fifteenth United States Infantry, was regularly detailed for the service. The total appropriation provided for by the act of February 27, 1891, for the biennial period, was $60,700, of which $41,800 was devoted to the payment of salaries. Scandinavian was required to be taught by an act approved March 6, 1891, and G. T. Rygh was appointed by the board of trustees as instructor in these languages.

On June 16, 1887, a severe wind storm entirely demolished the west wing of the main building above the basement, blew down the chimneys, and destroyed the cupola. Professor Montgomery's collections in the museum were almost a total loss. Fortunately, vacation had begun the day before, and only the janitor's family were in the building. At a public meeting, held in Grand Forks the next

day to make provision for those in immediate need of aid, resolutions were read voicing a very general sentiment in favor of removing the institution to a site nearer the city. The board of trustees, in view of this feeling and on account of the unexpected burden of expense for repairs thus placed upon them, sent the president of their board, W. N. Roach, to Bismarck to consult Gov. Louis K. Church as to the best manner of dealing with the matter. At a meeting held on June 28th, President Roach reported that the governor did not feel justified in authorizing the removal of the university without legislative sanction, as it would establish a dangerous precedent, but that he would do all in his power to assist in making repairs and would recommend to the next Legislature a special appropriation for that purpose. Upon hearing this report, the board decided to retain the site already selected and to repair Main Building. To meet these expenses a loan was authorized from the local banks not to exceed $10,000. The repairs made considerably altered the original plan, the cupola being omitted and the appearance of both east and west gables much changed.

A dormitory for the young women was also authorized by the regents at this meeting, the funds for which had been provided by an issue of territorial bonds. to the amount of $20,000 voted at the session of 1887. This building was first known as "Ladies' Hall," but by vote of the trustees, October 26, 1889, it was changed to "Davis Hall," in memory of a much-loved preceptress, Mrs. Hannah E. Davis, who died at the university, March 24, 1898.

The administration of President Webster Merrifield covers eighteen years, 1891-1909, a period of substantial growth in all lines of university activity. The establishment of a conservatory of music in 1891 brought the student enrollment for 1891-1892 up to 341, and though this increase was not maintained in later years and the conservatory was changed to a department of music, it served to widen the general interest in university work and to attract a new group of patrons from all parts of the state.

The administration, however, was put to a severe test in 1895, when Gov. Roger Allin vetoed the educational appropriations of the current legislative session. The normal schools at Valley City and Mayville had their appropriations of $24,000 and $24,860 reduced, respectively, to $4,600 and $7,760. The Agricultural College received $11,250 out of $19,000. The university appropriation was reduced from $63,000 to $15.980, or merely enough to complete the current college year. Before the veto had been announced a call for a mass meeting in Grand Forks to consider what could be done in the matter was circulated by the university students. The meeting was held on March 19, 1895. The opinion was expressed by several speakers that the citizens of Grand Forks could best show their good will by subscribing to a fund to support the university through the next two years. A committee was appointed to draft a memorial to be presented to Governor Allin. After the veto had been officially announced, a second mass meeting was assembled, April 9th, in pursuance of a call issued by Mayor W. J. Anderson, and a maintenance committee was chosen to solicit funds. This committee, consisting of W. J. Anderson, chairman; M. F. Murphy, secretary; S. S. Titus, treasurer; Sidney Clark, R. B. Griffith, Orange Wright, F. R. Fulton, and S. W. McLaughlin, appointed sub-committees in the counties throughout the state and issued an address which set forth the reasons for asking aid. A few quotations from this address will show the nature of their appeal:

"Shall the University of North Dakota be closed? This is the question which confronts the people of the state. The closing of the university would be a calamity in many ways. It would advertise to the world that North Dakota is either unwilling or unable to maintain for her sons and daughters an institution of higher learning. We believe that the people are both willing and able, and that they will rally to the support of their university. This state is not poor. She has come through the critical depression of the past few years as only few states have without either crop failures or business disasters. Her debt limit is extremely low. The necessary money could easily be raised by taxation, but for the low tax rate as fixed by the constitution. She encourages immigration to her fertile fields, but she will certainly neutralize all her efforts in that direction by proclaiming herself unable or unwilling to maintain her university which she inherited from territorial days. She has ever been foremost in education. Will she now take her place farthest in the rear? The announcement that North Dakota closes her university will mean irreparable injury to our state in business, population, education and honor. . . . During the last twelve years this state has expended large sums of money and the best energy of many men, and as a result has gathered a learned corps of professors, an intelligent clientage of students, a university reputation and educational momentum such as is an honor to a great state. Close the doors for two years and if they ever open again you cannot regather in ten years your scattered forces."

The board of trustees met the maintenance committee in joint conference on May 7, 1895, and voted to accept the funds raised and to give a formal receipt signed by the president of the board. The total sum raised from private subscriptions was $25,622.24. The donors of the larger part of this sum received certificates from the board of trustees entitling the holders to repayment when legislative appropriation should be made for the purpose. This appropriation has not yet been made. About two-thirds of the sum raised came from two sources: first, the members of the faculty generously gave up 25 per cent of their salaries, a total of $8,250; secondly, the citizens of Grand Forks subscribed $9,130. Most of the remainder was contributed from the counties of Grand Forks, Walsh, Pembina, Burleigh, Nelson, Ramsey, Cavalier, Pierce, Ransom, Cass and Steele, in sums varying in the order of the counties named. From outside the state the sum of $1,287.50 was subscribed. On May 4, 1897, the board of trustees formally received and adopted the report of the maintenance committee covering the expenditure of most of the fund raised, with only a smal balance remaining.

This episode in the history of the university was not altogether an unfortunate one, since it served to bind its immediate constituency closer together by mutual sacrifice for the general welfare. This feeling of solidarity was still further strengthened by the refusal of President Merrifield to accept the offer of the presidency of the University of Montana in the spring of 1895. During these two years the faculty and students of the university and the citizens of the state drew closer together than ever before in their mutual effort to maintain this important state institution unimpaired through the most serious crisis in its history. The need of a permanent source of revenue having thus been shown, the friends of the university devised a plan of a mill tax which was enacted into law at a later session of the Legislature. By an act approved April 28, 1899,

a fixed revenue for the State University was provided by a two-fifths mill tax. This fraction has been changed by later enactments, but it still serves its original purpose.

By legislative act approved February 26, 1895, the State University was given the duty of making a geological and natural history survey of the state. The professor of geology was named as ex-officio state geologist. Prof. E. J. Babcock had joined the faculty in 1889 as instructor in chemistry and English, and the year following was made professor of chemistry and geology, and became, therefore, in 1895, the state geologist. This position he held until 1901, when the department of geology was separated from the School of Mines. This has resulted in the appearance of some excellent reports, five in number, dealing with the general geological features of the state. Some of the volumes contain special reports on the valuable natural resources of the state, such as lignite coal, clay, cement and gas, the utilization of which will usher in the manufacturing era in the industrial development of our state.

The library of the university during the college year of 1884-5 contained 742 volumes, most of which were a donation from President Blackburn. During the first year of President Sprague's administration it was made a depository for government publications, and increased to 2,000 volumes. For the first few years the secretary of the board of trustees seems to have acted as librarian ex-officio, but in the catalogue of 1888-89, Professor Merrifield, of the department of Greek and Latin, is named as the first librarian. The office of librarian passed later to other members of the faculty, with graduate students as assistants, until, in the year 1901-2, Cora E. Dill held the position as first regular librarian. At this time the library was located in three large rooms on the second floor of Main Building and contained 8,000 volumes. Marion E. Twiss held the position as librarian for the next two years, and was succeeded by George F. Strong. During his term of service a cataloguer was added to the library force and the preparation of the first regular card catalogue was begun in 1907. In 1908 Mr. Strong resigned and Charles H. Compton was chosen as his successor. The library had grown very rapidly in all departments during the four years of Mr. Strong's service, numbering, in 1908, about twenty-five thousand bound volumes and five thousand pamphlets. For the past four years Clarence W. Summer has been librarian. The present library numbers some fifty-nine thousand volumes. The completion of the Carnegie Library, which was occupied in the fall of 1908, gave the university more space for growth and specialization along lines of development much needed by both faculty and students. Among the special collections in the library may be mentioned the Judge Cochrane collection of 2,000 volumes, donated in 1904 by Mrs. Cochrane; the Hill Railway Transportation collection, donated by James J. Hill; and the Scandinavian collection of nearly three thousand volumes, partly donated by the Scandinavian citizens of the state and partly purchased by a special appropriation provided by the board of trustees.

The erection of new buildings and the perfecting of the general university equipment make the administration of President Merrifield a notable one. The present Macnie Hall, the east portion of which was built in 1883, provided a much needed dormitory for the young men. It was erected on an old foundation laid in 1884 for an astronomical observatory. The expense of the founda