Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 18, Number 35, DeMotte, Jasper County, 30 July 1948 — VALPARAISO 'U’ STARTS BUILDING [ARTICLE]

VALPARAISO 'U’ STARTS BUILDING

Valparaiso, Ind., July 30. The cornerstone was laid this afternoon by President O. P. Kretzmann, of Valparaiso university, for the first four-year school of engineering among the nation's Lutheran universities. The ceremonies took place before students, faculty, members of the board of trustees and guests on the new East campus of the university at the site of the engineering laboratory now under construction. A marker on the site of the rapidly rising structure proclaims

the building project to be “planned by the students and built by students.” The building is being constructed by a crew of student volunteers who have gained the consent of the local building unions for the use of non-union labor. Initial purpose for the project came when the engineering students approached the university with the request that a fouryear program be inaugurated. When told that the major obstacle was the cost of a laboratory building, students of the Valparaiso university engineering society volunteered to undertake the job. Trade Unions Help In rapid succession student committees obtained the consent of building trades unions of northern Indiana, Ignatius Wood, president, to waive their rights and allow use of non-union student labor. Blueprints were drawn up under facaulty supervision for the structure. Other committees found large corporations, small business and private individuals to match the spirit of the unions by contributing materials. In one month construction was under way. Today the walls nave risen higher than window-top level. At the present pace. Dr. Kretzmann reports, it is expected that the building will be under roof by fall. The complete four-year program will replace the present three-year plan by 1950, he stated. Speaker’ at the cornerstone laying ceremonies for the Valparaiso university engineering laboratories today was Alfred T. Wilson, vice-president of the National bank of Detroit and member of the national advisory board of Valparaiso university. As national president of the Lutheran laymen’s league Wilson is also intimately connected with the fund raising effort for the $500,000 L. L. L. memorial classroom building bn the new Valparaiso campus.