People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1894 — Correspondence. [ARTICLE]

Correspondence.

Bloomington. BY G. E. M. During the past week four hundred and seventy-five students have registered at the University. This is an increase of seventy-five over the enrollment at the same time last year. On last Monday as the Monon's south bound train neared the college towns of Greencastle and Bloomington, it took on students by the score at every station and cross-road, and as old acquaintances were being renewed, o icasional yells from a knot of “the boys’’ from either college served to arouse considerable enthusiam.

New students are popular a nong the fraternities just at present. Prof. J. A. Woodburn, of the chair of American History and Politics, delivered the first lecire on the free course, Friday e-e Sept. 28. Lectures by the f .cuity and by a number of men o note from this and other' s ates, will be given on this c -urse at various dates through-’ o n the year.

Several changes have been n tde in the faculty since last r * *r. Some of the inst ructors are traveling, on leave of ab- > ce. and some haae secured ) 'sitions in other colleges. As considerable is being said h ue, as well as elsewhere, con•irning the removal of the University to Indianapolis, it may here be well to give a short

storical sketch of the University abridged from that given in the catalogue. The first institution for higher learning in Indiana, a private institution, was located in Gibson county in 1808 and in 1810 was given township section. This institution subsequently became known as the Vincennes University. It received no further aid from the state a»d in 1822, by an act of t ie General Assembly its lands were confiscated for the benefit of the new “State Seminary.” A somewhat complicated but interesting litigation subsequently grew out of these proceedings. which .resulted in the spates returning to the trustees of Vincennes University *65,000 a, the proceed 1 ; of its land endowment. The sale of public lands was allowed previous to 1820, but on Jan. 20, 1*20..0ur “Foundation Day,” the legislature in session ut'Corydon asiabiished a Stale Seminary at Bloomington. At that time the town contained about three hundred people and was considerably north of t he centre of population. On account of the proposed location of the Uniersity. Dr. David Maxwell came to Bloomington in 1819, and*as a

member of its first board of trustees, lie was full of zeal and energy in b ‘half of the University. In 1825 the new Seminary was formally opened with Prof. Bayard A. Hall as the ‘’faculty,’’ and ten young men as the student body. “As the warm weather approached, the ten young men c true to recitation without coats and as the thermometer arose they ea as without shoes. As thenumberof students increased the faculty increased to two, receiving at first a-salary of $250. Prof. Hall increased his income by preaching in the Presbyterian church of Bloomington. for which lie received 4150 “in trade," but at the end of three years the trustees forbade the preaching and increased tlie salary of both teachers to

4400. By an act of the State Assembly in 1828, Indiana Seminary was converted into Indiana College with Andrew Wylieas first president. 1830 a new college building was erected at a cost of about SII,OOO. It ivas not of educational architecture but resembled rather an old

fashioned New England factory. In 1838 the name Indiana College was changed to Indiana University. and about this time a law school was opened in connection with the University. In 1839 after the college was changed into a university, the faculty consisted of three, the president and two teachers, and the uumoer of students sixty-feur. In 1830 there were one hundred and fifty enrolled. This was the last year of president Wyle's presidency and during the last ten years of his service, he had seeu the University prospering and growing in favor with the state. From 1830 to 1883 there were eight presidents, when Prof. David Jordan took charge and made a radical change in its internal management. Its curreculum took on the form in which it now appears and which by a study of the catalogue is found to better meet the growing demands of the present standard of education. There were gloomy years for the University from 1830 to 1854. Some of its most hopeful friends expected to see it forced to close ts doors. The loss of the*Gs,000 surrendered to Vincennes University, and the loss by fire of th,e main building with its ibrary of 1200 volumes seriously threatened the institution, but with a donation of $ 10,000 by Monroe county citizens, and an appropriation by the state a new and substantial building was erected which although not tow used still stands on the old college campus. Since 1867 regular appropriations have been made which from the first appropriation of SBOOO. has from time to time been increased, until at present the regular income from the state treasury is $40,000. This together with the income from the Original and permanent endowment fund Vive.s*the University a total income of nearly SBO,OOO. This is increasing year by year. In 1883 another fire destroyed one of the main buildings containing' the museum, labra. tories and libraries. This wlivery ’ discouraging; bui the commissioners of Monroe count \ donated 150,000 and wit.li *2<t,oo- - insurance money, two sub stantial brick buildings were erected on the new campus east of Bloomington. In 18fi9 a. special appropriation was made by the state of $60,000 for a new library building, aid in 1893 $50,000 for another which is in process of construct >n. The two latter are of fine, white limestone and in poin' of hze and beauty of architectmv are e oral to any similar insi it.ut ’<m in tiewest. Spa-a; will not ;ii - nil o -going into detail on tin- oiiermi.! growth of the Un'i vrv>: : v. 1> If. to , quote from Harpers \V- the words of a Columbian pro-ess**»■ when asked what eoih-y<- Imi i the best course, he said, yon mean as to euniculun it is,

probably the Indiana University.” This curriculum was instituted by him ami during Dr. Jordan’s presidency. In lslll he was called to Lelund Stanford iJr, University as president, to bring into the new institution, a similar system of university course. Prof. John M. Coulter succeeded Dr. Jordan, and by his two years of untiring work the University continued to grow. At the end of two years he resigned to .accept ♦he idency of Lake Forest University. The present president., j Joseph Swain, was .elected to succeed Dr. Coulter and as he is in full sympathy with the j changes in the University in its ■ new age, everything about the institution is prospering.

Out of 128 entering students who tried examination in English Composition only 22 passed. Those who failed will be required to take English Composition without receiving university credit for it. The high schools all over the state

will be required to hearafter give more attention to the teaching of English Composition.