PAG€ SIX
,Penn State in Review
The Dark Years, 1864-1882
A FTER ioe first five years of existence the Agricultural College of
Penniyhania found itiielf more than $50,000 in debt, with its
'brilliant president dead at 36, and without a graduating class in 1861
because of the Civil. War.
In the next 17 years the college
had five presidents and two interim
acting presidents. Under them the
tollege, Nke a gallant ship, outrode
a bong depression, hostile currents
of public opinion, and challenging
shots of state officials and legisla
hiss. It veered and shifted and
seemed to be sinking, but It never
went completely wider, and by 1882
it was off the rocks and started on
a true course.
The first of the presidents in this
period was William H. Allen. He de
fended the college's land-grant.
fund from the demands of rival
colleges, and he exchanged the col
lege% debts for a 7% mortgage. But
after two years he grew discouraged
and resigned, later achieving suc
cess es president of Girard College.
Served Two Years
Professor John Fraser succeeded
Allen and also served two years. In
the Civil War he had risen to the
rank of brigadier general, and, be
lieving in the military virtues, he
substituted daily military drill in
the college for the three hours of
previously required farm labor. He
enlarged and improved the faculty,
but when he raised student fees to
$2llO a year, the enrollment dropped
front 114 to 30. A man of intelli
gence and high ambitions, he saw
his plans for expansion wrecked by
lack of students and funds, and in
1868 be resigned.
The College's trustees then seri
ously considered admitting defeat
and turning the institution over to
the state. In despair, they asked
advice of Dr. Thomas H. Burrowes,
a well-known figure in educational
and political circles, who had twice
been head of the state's public
school system. He advised more
practical agricultural courses and
lower fees, though when the trus
tees elected him to the presidency,
be asked $lOOO more salary plus
feed for two horses and two cows.
Believing in practical education,
he restored the plan of compulsory
farm labor by all students for at
least their first two years. Well
known throughout the state, he
helped rebuild public confidence in
'Nis college. Unfortunately he died
In int after exposure on a hiking
trip with students in the snow• ,
covered mountains.
New President
The collegiate ship veered again
when the Rev. Dr. James Calder
succeeded in the presidency, for Dr.
Calder had little use for practical
agriculture. He shifted the curri
culum to Greek, Latin and philoso
phy in competition with private
sectarian colleges of the state. Only
ono agriculture professor survived
his plan, and student farm labor
was gradually reduced to zero.
In January 1874 he succeeded in
having the Agricultural College of
Pennsylvania change ifs name to
Education Honoraries Hear
Mrs. Margaretta S. Austin, stall
associate for International Educa
tion Reconstruction, Washington,
D.C., addressed a joint meeting of
Phi Delta Kappa and Pi Lambda
Theta, men's and women's educa
tional honorary societies, in the
banquet room of the Nittany Lion
Inn Tuesday night.
In conjunction with her topic,
"Educational Reconstruction:
Challenge, Tool and Weapon,•'
Mrs. Austin also presented a film
titled "Hungry Minds."
Mrs. Austin, a graduate of Stan
ford University in California, has
lived in Russia and in England and
has done writing and lecturing in
both these•countries.
During the war she served as a
?onsultant on the training and
utilization of women for the War
Department. Later she was na
tional executive director of Fed
oral Union, Inc., a world gover 0-
ment organization.
Marion R. Trabue, dean of the
School& of Education, presided at
MURPHY'S NOW
NAVE IT
KIWI SHOE POLISH
(Secosul of a Series)
By W. L. WERNER
the Pennsylvania State College. The
following year the college's board
of trustees, which had formerly
consisted of state officials and rep
resentatives of agricultural societies,
was enlarged to include alumni and
representatives of manufacturing
and mining associations.
A more sensational change was
the arrival of the first co-eds—two
of them—in the fan of 1871. New
courses were hastily added for
them: French, German, music, sew
ing, interior decorating, etc. Two
women teachers were employed, and
the number of co-eds grew rapidly
from two in 1811 to 49 in 1879.
All these shifts from farm labor
to Greek, from science to music,
and from an all-male student body
to one with 25% girls, brought in
creasing grumbling against Pres
ident Calder. The Pennsylvania
Agricultural Society which had
fathered the original school, at
tacked this change in its off
spring. The Grange and other farm
organizations complained. The city
newspapers took up the cry. The
legislature sent a corhmittee to in
vestigate in 1879, and after its ad
verse report, Presdient Calder re
signed in 1880.
His successor, Joseph Shortlidge,
lasted only nine months. Formerly
a successful principal of an acade
my, he tried school-boy disciplines
in the college, and roused resent
ment on all sides. In 1881 the reign
the banquet. Co-chairmen for the
occasion were Miss Margaret
Raabe, assistant professor of
speech education, and Charles W.
Stoddart, Jr., director of extension
in the School of Physical Educa
tion and Athletics.
Preceding the banquet the fol
lowing undergraduates were ini
tiated into Pi Lambda Theta: Hel
en Baker, Doris Brenner, Clare
Coleman, Sarah Anh Curry, Helen
Dickerson, Jane Fouracre, Doro
thy Fowler, Marjorie Gorham,
Ruth Graber, Joan Green, Ruth E.
Groninger, Lois Heyd, Mary Hodg
son, Mary Ann Kemper.
Barbara Knabb, Lois Metzler,
Alice Miller, Marjorie Musser,
Helen Noble, Sara Pepper, Jean
Go Formal
For The
"Ball of the Year"
See Our Tuxes
and Accessories
FOR
THE IFC BALL
Originally a Cracker Led It
YOUNG MEN'S SHOP
DAILY CL/14-N,LiIAIV, SiArt YLDINSYLVANLA
It was 85 years ago on
April 1, 1 863—t ha t the Penn
sylvania Legislature designat
ed Penn State the beneficiary
of the Morrill Act, and there
fore the Land Grant College of
the State. W. L. Werner, pro
fessor of American Literature,
herein charts the highlights of
those years in a condensation
of Dr. Wayland F. Dunaway's
illuminating book, "History of
The Pennsylvania State Col
lege," which was published a
year ago. this is the second in
a series of six articles.
of the five short-lived presidents
was over; the college had barely
survived its adolescence of shifting
and uncertainty. Prof. James W.
McKee, popular Greek teacher, was
called on for the fourth time to
serve as acting president.
Then in 1882 President George W.
Atherton appeared like a hero in a
drama, brining order out of chaos
and building up both student en
rollment and finances in his 24
years of service. Part of his magic
formula was stressed in his inaugu
ral address. In effect, he said, "Con
tinue agriculture and l i atin but de
velop engineering, too. We live in
a machine age. The time demands
engineers. Train farmers but train
engineers also, and give both the
culture they need for true success."
EARLY COEDS AT PENN STATE
lER Speaker
Posey, Norma Prutzman, Lois Res
ler, Mary Rice, Josephine Rotili,
Sylvia Schenfeld, Irene Segmiller,
Joanne Snyder, Margaret Stridin
ger, Louise Way.
Graduate students initiated were
Arlene Adams, Suzanne M. Adams,
Jean Foulkrod, Jeannette Gall,
Helen Guiser, Mary Miller, Mrs.
Helen Pierre, Fanetta Wareham
and Margaret Weymer.
AT PENN STATE
JERRY
LEICHTMAN
smokes
CHESTERFIELDS
Jerry says:
"I smoke Chesterfield ciga
rettes because they are milder.
cooler smoking and they al
ways satisfy."
A nation-wide survey shows
that Chesterfields are TOPS
with College Students from
coast-to-coast.
New Philosophy
(To be continued)
GRIN AND UM ll'
10!
• 54 , ;' 7:' . '
i'f - k
F N ,
"Of course, I'm boycotting Russian products now—this is
pre-cold war caviar!"
Law Fraternity Elects Holland, Kagan
Pi Lambda Sigma, professional
pre-legal fraternity, recently
elected Samuel Holland president
and Robert KaTgan vice-president.
Frances Welker was elected sec
retary-treasurer.
Eight members were initiated
into the honorary. They are Jane
Weigle, Charles Peet, Norman
Landsburg, Joan Hester, William
Betler, Gerald Mwrmorstein, Rose
mary Maloney and Patricia Gib
son.
Professor of Economics David
•-••• Students ---
Your
State Party
Candidates
All College Sr. Class , Jr. Class
PRESIDENT—
Bill Lawless Terry Ruhlman Bob Wine
VICE-PRESIDENT—
Don Little Bernie Miller Al Spinweber
SECRETARY-TREASURER—
Dick Schlegel Arlene Spencer Ginny Fetter
! REMEMBER !
The
STATE PARTY
Is The
CO-OP PARTY
"WE'VE GOT THE KNOW-HOW,
SO, HELP US WIN NOW"
MEET YOUR CANDIDATES TONIGHT
AT THE TUB
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1648
• 1114$ Mr NW lbw. dt.
McKinley was made an honorary
member.
Pi Lambda Sigma will honor
its new initiates at a banquet .alt
the Anchorage tomorrow. The
faculty of the political science de
partment will be guests of the
honorary. Dean of Men Arthur
Warnock will be the guest
speaker.
For the first time in years,
itchers and catchers are plenti
ful on the Penn State baseball
roster.
iv Uglify