Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin - Chapter 18: Educational, 1912 (part 2 of 2)

The need of room for a biological laboratory and of a better building for the women students pressed upon the faculty heavily in these years from 1880 to 1887; and in April, 1887, steps were taken towards erecting a cottage for young women and towards reconstructing Middle College, hitherto used as a dormi¬ tory for the lady students, so as to provide for biological laboratories, for the art rooms, and for dormitory rooms for college men. On June 28, 1887, the plans of the present Bartlett Cottage were adopted, and the building committee was authorized to proceed with its erection as soon as money sufficient to enclose it should be subscribed. The committee was able to begin the building by the 1st of August and the roof was on before winter. In the following spring and sum¬ mer it was completed, so as to be ready for occupancy by the fall term of the school year. The treasurer had been authorized in April to borrow the money needed for the completion of the work, and the board were not without appre¬ hension that the college would be left heavily in debt when the cottage should be finished and furnished, and the changes should be made in Middle College and the laboratories equipped. But in God's good providence a friend came to the need. Mrs. Lucy Bartlett, of Oshkosh, already a large subscriber to the build¬ ing fund, and the benefactor who had founded the Bartlett scholarship, offered to the board $6,000 more to pay last bills on the new cottage. In consideration of the payment of this pledge, it was stipulated that the new building, at pres¬ ent the finest one on the college campus, should forever bear the name of Bart¬ lett Cottage, in honor of her husband, Sumner Bartlett, deceased, and of the family of which he was the honored head. The new laboratories with their equipment and the art rooms were ready for use in September of this year, 1888.

The Dawes Cottage was secured to the college and opened for occupancy in the autumn of 1887. It was the gift of William Dawes, of Milwaukee. Since its opening for students it has been enlarged and refitted and now has rooms for fourteen women students, besides the parlor, dining room, kitchen, etc. It is managed according to a favorite plan suggested by Mr. Dawes, and for which he made this provision, as a Christian family, the young lady students by turns in order, performing all the domestic service. On this plan the cost for board is about one dollar a week.

In May, 1888, the grounds for athletic sports were purchased, about eight¬ een acres in extent. The movement to secure these grounds was initiated by an alumnus, John G. Ingalls. In view of this fact, the board at its annual meeting in June, 1889, passed the following resolution: "That the grounds purchased for athletic sports be called Ingalls Park in honor of John G. Ingalls, who in¬ itiated the move to secure the grounds and who contributed liberally and worked earnestly for the funds needed to pay for them and improve them."

The title of these grounds is in the college, but they are controlled by a board consisting of the treasurer of the college, the secretary of the faculty and the president of the athletic association, all ex-officio. A grand stand has been built upon them and other excellent improvements have been made, so that they are now regarded as equal to any in the state for their purposes. The ath¬ letic association is strong and has already made a splendid record.

At the meeting of the board in July, 1890, a movement was made to secure $10,000 to extinguish debts that had occurred on current account. The lowering of rates of interest and the inability to make prompt interest collections on por¬ tions of the investments had brought a temporary distress. The $10,000 was pledged within a year, greatly to the relief of the college.

The mention of these improvements secured in the fifteen years previous to 1891, indicates that the college was making a steady advance, as it was. That it accomplished all that seemed possible and desirable cannot, however, be main¬ tained. In the last half of the period its work was much obstructed by doc¬ trinal and other controversies. To assume that these controversies had no in¬ fluence to limit the growth of the college would be untrue; to discuss them at length would be entirely out of place in this sketch ; but to ignore them wholly would be affectation. The judgment of the board in regard to the gravity of the case, as well as in respect to the place of religion in connection with the building and conduct of the college, can be sufficiently gathered from an extract from the minutes of the meeting of January 21, 1889. The following minute was adopted unanimously :

"The Board of Trustees of Ripon College, having given careful and extended consideration to the subject of the religious needs of our work, record their agreement and purposes as follows:

1. "While the College has not been and is not intended to be in any sense sectarian, it was the thought of the founders and, it is the purpose of the pres¬ ent Board, that it be distinctively and permanently Christian.

2. "By this it is intended, that instruction in the College shall recognize, and be coincident with, the principles of inspired truth, as revealed in the Christian Scriptures, and interpreted in the historical thought and expressed in the best life of the so-called orthodox churches; that this truth shall give to the entire work its fundamental aims; that the evangelical spirit which is the proper fruit of the embracing of the truth permeate the life of the College: and that the Bible shall be a text book never to be displaced or neglected.

3. "Assent to these propositions as fundamental implies a duty which is cardinal and imperative, to protect the College against error, to establish and maintain suitable religious instruction, and to see that appropriate means are em¬ ployed in various ways to bring the thought of the students into the light of a true Christian intelligence, and under the constraint of the Christian motives.

4. "In view of these facts and principles, and believing that the time in the history of the College has come for better provision for making these princi¬ ples effective in our practical work, it is resolved :

I. "So soon as the funds of the College will allow, to appoint a Professor of Biblical Theology, whose duty shall be in general to teach the Scriptures, and supervise the Biblical instruction of other teachers in all departments, and to as¬ sume the office of College Pastor and Preacher.

II. "Until such Professor shall be appointed, in addition to the means for religious instruction and work now employed, to direct that public Sunday serv¬ ices with preaching and suitable worship be instituted in the College Chapel, to be under the direction of the President and such professors as he may be able to call to his assistance.

III. "For the successful promotion of these services and the best interests of the students, and the encouragement of good order, that we recommend the formation of a church, to membership in which officers of the College, students and citizens of Ripon, be invited, and that attendance on the part of all students be required except when excused for proper reasons."

The funds of the college have not warranted the expense of the professor¬ ship contemplated ; and after extended deliberations and conferences, the for¬ mation of the new church, the time of which the board left with the executive committee, was infinitely postponed.

No quorum of the board was present at the time for the annual meeting in June, 1891, but President Merrell announced to the members present and to the public, that he intended to present his resignation of the office of president as soon as the board could meet to receive it. The board met in Milwaukee 011 the 2 1st of the next month, when the resignation was presented and accepted, the chair of mental and moral philosophy being still retained.

On September 30th of this year (1891) the Hon. Edward D. Holton of Mil¬ waukee, deeded to the college a valuable piece of real estate lying in the city of Milwaukee; the deed, however, being placed in the hands of a trustee to be handed over to the trustees of the college, if within one year $50,000 additional should be pledged to the endowment funds of the institution. This sum was se¬ cured, chiefly in pledges given in response to the solicitations of the new presi¬ dent, Dr. Rufus C. Flagg. When this realty is sold, it is expected that the total of the Holton endowment will amount to about $80,000.

On February 16, 1892, the board by a unanimous and hearty vote elected the Rev. Rufus C. Flagg, D. D., then pastor of the Congregational church at Wells River, Vermont, president, and he began work with the college at the opening of the spring term in that year. Dr. Flagg is a graduate of Middlebury College and of the Andover Theological Seminary, and is a man of scholarly attain¬ ments, breadth of judgment and conciliatory temper. He has been received with great heartiness by all members of the faculty and by the students and friends of the college, and his administration gives promise of great prosperity.

The administration of Edward Huntington Merrell began in 1876 and con¬ tinued until 1891. Dr. Merrell's connection with the college continued until his death in 1909. From 1891 until 1906 he was the professor of philosophy. In 1906 he was made professor emeritus, on the Carnegie foundation. Rufus Cush¬ man Flagg, D. D., was president from 1892 to 1900. His successor in 1901 was Richard Cecil Hughes, D. D., who served the college until 1909. In September, 1910, Silas Evans, D. D., Carroll College 1911, LL. D., Lawrence College 1912, a graduate of the college in the class of 1898, was elected president.

From the beginning the college has been under the control of a board of trus¬ tees, who have uniformly conducted its affairs wisely, economically and with fore¬ sight. From 1855 to 1864 the board was served by four different secretaries : J. W. Walcott, Hiram Freeman, C. C. Bayley and J. C. Catlin. In 1864 Storrs Hall, M. D., was made secretary and served faithfully and efficiently until 1899. At that date Samuel M. Pedrick was elected to the office, which he still holds.

The board has been equally fortunate in its treasurers. Jehdeiah Bowen was twice treasurer, between the years 1851 and 1861, and again from 1865 to 1882. The treasurer from 1861-65 was Charles F. Hammond. A. P. Harwood was elected in 1882 and served till 1883. J. A. Chamberlain served from 1883 to 1884, when Mr. Harwood was again elected in 1884 and served until 1886. In that year Scribner was made treasurer and held the office until 1899, when S. M. Ped¬ rick was elected. Mr. Pedrick was followed in 1905 by George L. Field, presi¬ dent of the First National Bank of Ripon. From 1876 to 1886 George C. Duffie, as assistant treasurer, had the care of the books, and the responsibilities of treasurer fell largely upon him. From 1905 to 1907 Frederick Spratt as assistant treasurer gave constant attention to the accounts and to the financial affairs of the college. Albert G. Farr, vice president of the Harris Trust & Savings Bank, of Chicago, was elected treasurer in 1907 and continued in that office until June, 1910, when the present treasurer, William R. Dawes, of Chicago, cashier of The Central Trust Company of Illinois, was elected.

The College In The War

Any complete list of students who entered the service at the breaking out of the Civil war we now lack the data to make. That Ripon, and especially the col¬ lege, was a marked center of patriotic fervor is well known. In the old Con¬ gregational church on the brow of College Hill, the first local organization was formed in that splendid party which was named republican and which elected Lincoln. The enlistment of teachers and students caused the suspension of school work for the year 1861-62. In "Wisconsin: 1836 compared with 1866," by the Rev. S. A. Dwinell, we find the following statement : "Ripon College includes in its army roll only those who were members of the institution about the time of their enlistment. Of teachers and students, sixty-seven were in the Union army, of whom twenty-one were commissioned officers, and eleven lost their lives/'

Special Funds The Rufus Dodge Fund

The late Rufus Dodge, of Beaver Dam, left the college a legacy of $9,000 as a permanent fund to aid young ladies of limited means in getting their education. The interest of this fund is annually distributed for this purpose among such students, according to their need.

The James Fund

This is a fund of $1,500, given by Mrs. John W. James, of Boston, the income from which is distributed annually in prizes for the encouragement of excellence in English composition.

The Lewis Prize

This prize was established by Hon. J. T. Lewis, of Columbus. The annual in¬ come of a fund of $200 has been presented to that student in the college who in the opinion of the faculty has made the greatest mental improvements during the preceding year.

The Knowles Endowment Fund

This consists of $20,000, the income to be used towards payment of the presi¬ dent's salary. It is named for Mrs. Helen C. Knowles, of Worcester, Massachu¬ setts, who gave $10,000 towards it.

The Sumner Bartlett Fund

This is a fund of $1,000, founded by Mrs. Lucy Bartlett, of Oshkosh, the income from which is to pay the tuition of one student at a time, who is a candi¬ date for the gospel ministry, or for missionary service.

The New Endowment

The newspapers of recent date (1912) have given wide publicity to generous gifts which have come to Ripon College. President Evans' announcement was as follows : Pledges have been secured amounting to $100,000, on condition that $250,000 in all be raised for new endowment. In addition to this, gifts amount¬ ing to $45,000 have been secured, to be used for the needs of the college during the next three years. Within that time it is expected that the new endowment will be secured.

Of the $100,000 pledged to the endowment fund $75,000 comes from friends whose names are familiar to all those who are acquainted with the college. The remaining $25,000 comes from Andrew Carnegie, and was secured through the help of Judge Blanchard of New York city and Mr. Starr of Eau Claire.

Of the $45,000 secured for the development of the college in the next three years the people of this city have pledged $7,500 and this was secured in a few days. It is a standing attestation of the high esteem which the people of this city have for the college.

The announcement caused great enthusiasm among the friends of Ripon Col¬ lege and all who appreciate the problems and opportunities of such colleges as Ripon. The money, however, is a means to an end and not the end in itself. This fact was carefully emphasized by President Evans in the address in which he announced the gifts.

School Fund Income

Dear Sir - I have this day certified to the Secretary of State the apportion¬ ment of the School Fund Income received prior to the first day of December. This apportionment includes, in addition to the sums received from other sources, an amount equal to seven-tenths of one mill for each dollar of the assessed valua¬ tion of the taxable property of this state, two hundred thousand dollars of which are derived annually from the license fees paid by corporations doing business in this state. The amounts apportioned to the several towns, incorporated vil¬ lages and cities of your County are as follows, and calculated on the basis of $2,683 f°r each person of school age residing in districts which maintained a school as required by law. The number of persons of school age reported as residing in each city of the fourth class and in each town and village in your county for the year ending June 30, 1911, is given as required by Chap. 164, Laws of 1909.

Fond Du Lac Public Library

The Fond du Lac Public Library Association was organized under the new free library law, December 8, 1876. It was the second city to take advantage of the law, the city of Madison being first. From the date given to the present time, the public library has been very popular and its progress from a small beginning has been very satisfactory.

It became evident to the people most interested a decade ago that the library was increasing so rapidly in the number of its books that the limited space of rented quarters was entirely inadequate. The library board was puzzled to know what to do or where to go to better the conditions, and could scarcely hope that the city would erect a suitable building for the library. The difficulty came under the notice of the Woman's Club, whose members were liberal patrons of the library and at once the society took under consideration the question of rais¬ ing funds to erect a suitable library building. Little time was lost in devising ways and means and the women at once went valiantly to work to secure money for the desired end. The first enterprise conducted by them was a bazaar held in Armory E, where shredded wheat biscuits were sold at five cents apiece. The receipts of this undertaking were $39 - an encouraging nucleus for a larger amount. A department was created in the club known as the library department and a committee was appointed, which was known as the library committee, with a chairman, who was ex-officio a member of the executive committee. This library committee's sole duty consisted in managing all entertainments and other devices for securing a library building fund. Musicales, suppers, entertainments and lecture courses under the auspices of the club soon brought to the fund several hundred dollars. Then the most important step of all was taken. Through correspondence with the secretary of Andrew Carnegie, a donation of $30,000 for a library building was secured from the great iron master, conditional on the city council obligating itself to provide a fund equal to ten per cent of the donation yearly for the maintenance of the library. The city council promptly passed an ordinance consonant with the wishes of Mr. Carnegie, a copy of which was forwarded to him by the city clerk, and then the beginning was consummated.

Provision, so it was thought, was amply made for a library building, but the association not owning a site, which was very necessary, the women of the club -extended their efforts and by their solicitations soon secured through subscrip¬ tions, $6,000 for the payment of the beautiful lot upon which the Carnegie library building now stands, which is upon the southeast corner of Portland and Divi¬ sion streets, and occupies a space 160 x 160 feet.

ing. The council adopted the committee's report unanimously and the main feature of the enterprise - the money to pay - reached a happy conclusion. On the after¬ noon of June 27, 1903, the cornerstone of the Carnegie Free Public Library of Fond du Lac was laid, Frank B. Hoskins, president of the board, officiating. The opening address was delivered by L. A. Bishop, chief executive of the city, before a happy, interested and delighted populace, made up of members of the library board, common council, members of the Woman's club, other societies and citizens of Fond du Lac. Others who made addresses on that occasion were Rev. Father M. J. Taugher, Rev. W. D. Cornell, Mrs. Waldo Sweet, president of the Woman's Club, and F. B. Hoskins, president of the library board.

has a frontage of 120 feet on the street. It is two stories in height, excluding the basement. The lower storv is used for library purposes and has a capacity of over 30,000 books. There is a general reference room, a reading room, chil¬ drens room and the librarians room. The second door contains a magnificent auditorium, with a seating capacity of 500, a public museum and two club rooms. These can be thrown into the auditorium, making them practically one large

In October, 1904, the library was dedicated under very auspicious circum¬ stances. The ceremony of presenting the building to the city was gracefully carried through by the president of the library board, F. 13. Hoskins, formally delivering the structure to Mayor John Hughes. Among other things in Presi¬ dent Hoskins' most excellent address he said : "I recognize the fact that we have started late and will therefore abridge my remarks. Mr. Carnegie's offer of $30,000 was the conception of the building of these walls. The evening after the telegram from him was received, the council met in special session and adopted an ordinance which complied with the conditions named in his bequest. Jdie women started to collect funds and in a short time they had the deed and abstract for the lot upon which this building now stands, and it was presented to the city. The structure has cost $43,000, exclusive of the lot. Van Ryn & deGellecke, of Milwaukee, dre.w up the plans, and George Jorgenson, of Fond du 1 .ac, received the contract. The members of the board when the offer was accepted were: John Heath, Major E. R. Herren, C. A. Galloway, William Weber, T. F. Mayham, O. H. Ecke, Raphael Katz and William Wilson. The board which dedicates the structure includes Mrs. L. A. Bishop, Miss Elizabeth Waters, O. H. Ecke, J. W. Watson, L. A. Williams, C. A. Galloway, Major E. R. Herren, John Heath, William Wilson and F. B. Hoskins."

Others who addressed the assemblage on this .occasion were Mrs. L. A. Wil¬ liams, on behalf of the Woman's Club; Reuben G. Thwaits, secretary of the State Historical Society and superintendent of the State Historical Library ; and Judge N. C. Gifffn.

Since the opening of the new library building, many valuable donations of books, pictures and articles of historic interest have been made. In the assembly room on the second floor, are three fine oil paintings of presidents of the United States : Lincoln, McKinley and Roosevelt. The book stacks are increasing and now they hold 28,679 volumes, classified from a child's book to a tome for the erudite. During the year ending July, 1912, the borrowers numbered 57,413, and at any hour of the library day, the rooms of the institution were tenanted by the booklover. The officials for 1912 were: President, John Heath; vice presi¬ dent, G. T. McDougall ; secretary, William Wilson ; librarian, Emma E. Rose.

The Fond du Lac Woman's Club was organized February 28, 1896, by a small band of women whose object was self-improvement. Today the club not only stands for the object of its foundation but is striving to better the condition of others. It is interested in educational, civic, social and philanthropic subjects, the work being carried on through six departments, namely : art, civic improve¬ ment, home and education, literature, music and philanthropy, and through spe-

Y. M. C. A. Building Fond Du Lac

The first officials were President, Mrs. Frank Sweet; first vice president, Mrs. F. M. Givens; second vice president, Airs. Henry Boyle; third vice president, Airs. J. C. Fuhrman ; corresponding secretary, Airs. L. A. Williams ; recording secretary, Airs. Will Mihills ; treasurer, Aliss Larrabee.

The club was incorporated September 3, 1904. The present officers are: President, Airs. C. L. Handt; first vice president, Airs. D. F. Blewett; second vice president, Airs. G. H. Stanchfield; secretary, Airs. G. F. Scheib; correspond¬ ing secretary, Airs. G. J. Bean; treasurer, Airs. E. L. Alaloney.

After several conferences between H. J. Yapp, W. T. Alitchell, C. E. Lewis, O. K. Ecke, W. W. Hughes and J. C. AIcKesson - it was decided by them to give out notice of a public meeting to be held for the purpose of considering the advisability of organizing the Young Alen's Christian Association of Fond du Lac. In response to the public call some seventy-five men gathered in the audi¬ torium of the new public library building on the evening of November 11, 1904. W. T. Alitchell presided. State Secretary F. E. Anderson, of Alilwaukee, ex¬ plained the scope and methods of Y. AI. C. A. work. The meeting voted unani¬ mously to organize at once and a constitution, previously prepared, was adopted. The first board of directors consisted of C. E. Lewis, H. J. Yapp, W. T. Alitchell, O. H. Ecke, C. A. Galloway, J. C. AIcKesson, G. F. Finger, Dr. C. A. Beebe, Fred Moore, William Chegwin, J. F. Wegner and D. E. Johnson.

The first meetings of the board of directors were held in the law offices of AIcKesson & Hughes. The initial step toward securing a Y. M. C. A. building was taken when the state convention of the Wisconsin Y. M. C. A. was invited to meet in Fond du Lac, which it did Alarch 7-10, 1905. A building committee was appointed, consisting of O. H. Ecke, chairman ; C. A. White, Edward Moore, Dr. C. A. Beebe, W. W. Collins and J. C. McKesson. The secretary was in¬ structed to incorporate the association and on Alarch 17, 1905, the necessary papers were issued to the association by the secretary of state.

On June 14, 1905, O. IT. Ecke was elected president of the association; H. J. Yapp, vice president; J. C. AIcKesson, recording secretary; and E. AI. Aloore, treasurer. That year, during the spring, the first series of Sunday afternoon meetings were held in the People's Christian Association Hall, and in August the first officer employed was E. R. Champion, who was engaged as general secretary. In the following October a committee was appointed to arrange a lyceum course.

In raising the money to erect the building several business men and others connected with the association formed into teams and made daily solicitations, gathering together at lunch time and making reports until the canvass was com¬ pleted. During the month of June, 1906, an active campaign for the building was conducted but previous to this, on Alarch 28. the site upon which the build¬ ing now stands, at No. 16 East First street, was purchased, and in April follow- ing, C. E. Cleveland, Edward Madden, P. B. Haber, S. D. Wyatt, W. F. Mitchell and C. A. Lichty were appointed as members of the building committee. A few days later M. O. Pillsbury was engaged as architect. In September following, S. D. Wyatt was chosen as superintendent of construction. O. H. Ecke was continued as president and was his own successor in 1907. September 26, 1907, C. G. Goodsell was engaged as general secretary.

The new building, with its modest, though beautiful front, was first occupied during the month of March, 1908. Its interior arrangement is in conformity to the needs and desires of members of the association and displays the conveniences and equipments to be found in similar modern buildings of like character in larger cities. In the fall of 1912, a large swimming pool was constructed, which added materially to the demands and pleasure of the members.

In the election of 1908 W. T. Mitchell was selected as president; H. J. Yapp, vice president; C. A. Cheney, recording secretary; M. T. Simmons, treasurer. In 1909, Dr. C. A. Cheney was elected president; H. J. Yapp, vice president; N. A. McDonald, recording secretary; M. T. Simmons, treasurer. All these officers were retained in their positions until 1912, when the official list was increased by the addition of J. W. Adams, general secretary ; E. E. King, assistant secretary; and R. L. Stauffer, physical director.

Ladies Auxiliary

In the fall of 1905 the ladies auxiliary of the Y. M. C. A. was organized, and Mrs. P. B. Haber elected president; Mrs. G. W. Watson, vice president; Mrs. O. H. Ecke, secretary; Mrs. C. A. Beck, treasurer. In the succeeding years the following have held office in this branch of the association: 1906-07 - President, Mrs. Waldo Sweet; vice president, Mrs. M. B. Helmer; secretary, Mrs. W. M. McIntyre; treasurer, H. O. Lewis.

1910- 11 - President, Mrs. A. J. McCreery; vice president, Mrs. L. B. Van Blarcom ; first assistant vice president, Mrs. A. A. Jones; second assistant vice president, Mrs. E. E. Smith ; secretary, Mrs. F. C. Rogers ; treasurer, Miss Eliza Keys ; assistant treasurer, Mrs. C. G. Goodsell.

It should be here stated that some time prior to the Civil war, a Young Men's Christian Association was in evidence in Fond du Lac and remained in opera¬ tion for a number of years. For want of sustenance it finally went out of exist¬ ence.