Sesquicentennial celebration

The origins of Iowa State University can be traced to the formation of the State Agriculture Society at Fairfield, IA in 1853. This group petitioned the Iowa General Assembly that next year for $1000 annually to fund agricultural research and to disseminate agricultural information throughout the state.

With the aid of State Legislator, Benjamin Gue, a bill proposing an allocation of $20,000 earmarked for land and improvements for an agricultural college was introduced to the General Assembly in 1858. The bill had wide support and quickly passed the House and the Senate. On March 22, 1858, Governor Lowe signed into law the bill authorizing the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm.

Under the leadership of Suel Foster, the Board of Trustees of the new institution set about looking for a site for the proposed college. Only six of the ninety-nine counties in Iowa made bids for the college. From these bids, a site in Story County was chosen on June 21, 1859. The Trustees paid $5379.12 for 648 acres of land in Story County. In return, the College and Model Farm received over $21,000 in local aid, including $10,000 in Story County bonds, $5400.00 in personal donations, and 980 acres of land in Boone and Story Counties.

Little improvement was made on the land in the next three years. In 1862, Justin Smith Morrill (U.S. Senator, Vermont) sponsored an Act of Congress which would provide each state with a grant of public lands. The money raised from the sale of these lands were to be used "to teach such branches of learning as are related to agricultural and mechanic arts." On September 11, 1862, Iowa became the first state to accept the provisions of the Morrill Act. A considerable debate followed the acceptance of the grant over which institution, the State University of Iowa in Iowa City or the proposed agricultural college, should receive the funds. Finally, in March 1864, the Morrill Grant monies were designated to the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm.

In 1864, the Farm House was the only structure on the college campus. The first occupant of the Farm House was W.H. Fitzpatrick, a tenant farmer. His yearly rent of $200.00 was paid in part by his labor in breaking the land and building fences. Plans for the main college building to be known as Main Hall were authorized that same year.

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The Welch Years, 1868-1884

The task of recruiting a president for the new institution fell to the Board of Trustees. From a large pool of recommendations, Adonijah Strong Welch was chosen as the College's first president. Welch had been the President of the Michigan Normal School and a Senator from Florida before accepting the position as President of the Iowa Agricultural College. In the late summer of 1868, Welch brought his family to Ames.

A preparatory class was in residence at the College from October 1868 to February 1869. It was not until March 17, 1869 that the college was dedicated and President Welch was inaugurated. Two days of exams followed the ceremonies with 173 students accepted at the college. 80 of these were placed in the college prep class and 93 were designated the first freshman class. Of the 173 students accepted, 136 were men and 37 were women. This makes ISU the first Land- Grant institution to be co-educational from its inception.

In the beginning, eleven classes were taught in two curricula -- Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (the latter is now referred to as Engineering). The more general Ladies' Course was not offered until 1871. In addition to his other duties, President Welch taught several classes, including Landscape Gardening.

Welch's wife, Mary was one of the first women on the faculty, teaching Elocution and English. She established what is thought to be one of the first Domestic Science (now Family and Consumer Science) program in the United States. She visited cooking schools in New York and London to prepare for this endeavor. Her first lecture gives us some insight into what she saw as the purpose of teaching domestic science. It begins "I come to you young ladies not for the purpose of offering formal scientific lectures, but to offer you if I am able ..... some instruction in the art of housekeeping or house governing. If, from the store of my experience, you can gather that will aid you in your future duties as a truly domestic and useful woman, I shall be fully repaid for any trouble I may take."

During the Welch period, there were other "firsts" accomplished by the Iowa Agricultural College. The School of Veterinary Science was established in 1879, making it the first state-sponsored veterinary school in the country. Classes in Veterinary Science were offered as early as 1872. In fact, the first senior class in Agriculture graduated in 1872 and these Veterinary Science classes were among their completed curricula.

Military instruction was another part of the curricula and was required of all male students from the opening of the College until 1962. In the late 1870's, military instruction became available to the women students at the suggestion of IAC student Carrie Lane. In 1878, the G Company was established. The idea was so popular that in 1891 the L Company was formed. The troop performed at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The Women's Militia disbanded in 1897. But the woman who started it all, Carrie Lane, became better known as Carrie Chapman Catt, one of the pioneers of the Women's Suffrage Movement and the founder of the League of Women Voters.

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Early ISU Student Life, 1869-1890s

Student life at Iowa State today has come a long way from the Iowa Agricultural College student experience of 1869. During that first year at IAC, room rent and tuition were free to all in-state students. Board cost $2.75 a week although it was soon raised to $3.00. Room rent was imposed in 1876, costing students $3-4.00 per semester depending on the condition of the room. Originally the academic year ran from March through November. Most students relied on teaching positions during the interim period to meet their college expenses.

A typical day for a student in 1869 can be seen through an excerpt from President Welch's Annual Report to the Board of Trustees for 1869:

"The students rose promptly at a signal from the bell at half past five, and put their rooms in order. They then engaged in study until a quarter to seven, the hour for breakfast. At a quarter before eight the officers and pupils assembled in chapel and the daily session of recitations and lectures was opened with devotional exercises. The session occupied five hours and closed at a quarter to one. It was divided into proportions of fifty minutes each for recitations, with short intervals between them for the movement of classes. The exercises of the session were so arranged that every student in either department spent three hours receiving instruction and had two hours of uninterrupted study in his room. At a quarter to one, the Captains of the Working Squads, thirteen in number, met in the President's Office and received special orders as to work laid out for the afternoon. That no mistakes be made respecting these orders, they were reduced to writing and read by the officer at the dinner table. The dinner bell struck at one o'clock. At a quarter to two the work bell called all students to their allotted labors. The young women repaired in regular order to the laundry, the bakery, or the dining room to do work assigned by the matron, while the young men gathered in squads on the terrace, received the proper tools from their captains and went to their work cheerfully and promptly, whether it was on the drain, on the ornamental grounds, in the field, the garden or the orchard.

Generally at a quarter to five, but sometimes a half hour earlier the amusements began. These consisted of vigorous games of baseball by various clubs, of milder games of croquet by boys and girls together, and of other plays that are morally and physically healthful. Tea terminated these sports usually at a quarter past six; At seven each pupil obeyed the signal bell for study hours, by retiring to his or her room, studying quietly until ten (if needful), when the retiring bell sounded, the books were closed, the lights extinguished and the days work was done."

State law required two to three hours per day, five days a week of manual labor of each student -- male or female. The students were paid $0.03-0.10 per hour. Much of the early campus was constructed and landscaped by student labor. The labor law was abolished in 1884 amid cries of favoritism and abuses of the system.

During the early years, the students were expected to obey the twenty-eight rules of the college. To note a few, "No student may take books from the library; Loud talking, whistling, scuffling, gathering in the halls or staircases, and boisterous and noisy conduct is at all times forbidden; Five minutes from the ringing of the bells for meals will be allowed for assembling in the dining room after which the doors will be closed." A student who arrived late did not eat. Students were also required to wear slippers in the dining room and were fined $.10 if they did not eat everything on their plate.

Dates were strictly forbidden at this time, but with the approval of the President and the Preceptress, a couple could attend a College function together or take a picnic to the North Woods.

Literary societies flourished on campus from the opening of the College. The Philomathean was organized for both men and women during the pre-College term. During the next twenty years, six other literary societies were founded on campus. These societies provided training in public speaking and parliamentary procedure, exposure to literary and scientific classics, and a much needed social outlet. You see, the curfew on Friday evenings was 10 pm. However, if one belonged to a literary society, curfew was extended to 10:30 pm.

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Main Hall and Student Living, 1870s-1890s

The front entrance of Main Hall was considered the girl's entrance. The boys were relegated to using the side and back doors except during specified hours on Saturday. Early student rooms were furnished with two straight backed chairs, a study table, a wardrobe, a washbowl and pitcher and a wastebasket.

Main Hall, which stood where Beardshear Hall stands today, served not only as a residence for students and faculty, but also housed the first classrooms and laboratories. The north wing of the building was destroyed by fire on December 8, 1900. The rest of the building continued in use until August of 1902 when the south wing of the building caught fire and burned to the ground.

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Presidents Seaman Knapp and Leigh S. Hunt, 1884-1886

Agriculture professor Seaman Knapp followed Adonijah Welch as the College President in 1884. Knapp is best known for drafting the Experiment Station Bill. His work in this field led him to be known as the "Father of Extension Service." Knapp left the College in 1885 to established a successful rice plantation on Louisiana.

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Beardshear's Administration, 1891-1902

William Miller Beardshear became Iowa State's fifth President in 1891. Beardshear was well liked by both the students and faculty. He was noted for knowing every student's name and encouraged the students to have fun within bounds. However, Beardshear was a tough but fair disciplinarian.

Among Beardshear's accomplishments as president was the organization of the College along divisional lines. He was also president in 1898 when the name of the College was changed from Iowa Agricultural College to the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. During Beardshear's Administration, George Washington Carver, the first African-American student to attend ISC, received his Bachelor of Agriculture degree in 1894 and his Masters in 1895. He worked as the Assistant Botanist at the Experiment Station until 1897 when Booker T. Washington asked him to join the staff of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

President Beardshear died suddenly of a heart attack in August 1902. But the foundation of Iowa State's reorganization from Iowa Argricultural College to Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, with its new divisional lines, has endured to this day. In addition to this milestone, several of the campus' most beloved buildings were erected during Beardshear's presidency.

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Some Classic Iowa State Buildings and Structures, 1890-1897

Agricultural Hall was built in 1892. It was renamed Botany Hall in 1928 when that department moved into it. It has also housed the Seed Laboratory and the Department of Psychology. Now known as Catt Hall, the building houses the College of Liberal Arts; the African-American and Women's Studies Program; and the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics.

Morrill Hall was built in 1890 and named for Justin Morrill author of the Morrill Land Grant Act. The original uses of the building are carved in stones on the front of the building. Morrill Hall also housed the Library which had been in Main Hall until 1891. The library remained in Morrill until 1913 when it was moved to the Central Building, Beardshear Hall. The library moved to its own building in 1925. The Chapel was also located in Morrill. Daily services were required for all students until WWI.

The Hub, now a vending machine haven, was originally a train station. The Dinkey, a tiny four wheel steam engine, ran between the College and downtown Ames between 1891 and 1907. An Electric trolley took over the route in 1907 and ran until 1929.

The Water Tower was constructed by student labor in 1897. The structure was necessary to have an adequate supply of water on campus. In 1895, classes were suspended two weeks early because of a lack of water. This structure was designed by Anson Marston, the first Dean of the College of Engineering.

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The 'Perennial Iowa Stater,' Edgar Stanton, 1872-1919

Edgar Stanton was the top scholar in the first graduating class in 1872. He remained on campus after graduation serving as head of the Mathematics Department, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Acting Dean of Students, Dean of the Junior College and four terms as Acting President of Iowa State through 1919. In February 1877, he married Margaret MacDonald, who had taught French and Rhetoric at IAC. She was dearly loved by the campus community and when she died in 1895, the entire campus mourned her death. The newly completed Ladies' Hall was renamed in her memory. Margaret Hall was the first women's dormitory on campus. It contained dorm rooms, classrooms and laboratories for the Ladies' Course, a gymnasium , a pool and the College dining room. Gentlemen were allowed in the dining hall only during meal times and were allowed in the parlor during limited hours. One of the early regulations of Margaret Hall states, "Gentlemen callers can be received Tuesdays and Thursdays from five to six pm., and on Saturday from three to six p.m." Violation of this rule resulted in strict disciplinary action or expulsion. Margaret Hall was destroyed by fire on April 9, 1938.

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The Stantons and the Construction of the Campanile, 1897

As a private memorial to Margaret, Edgar Stanton wanted to place four chimes in the tower of Margaret Hall until it was pointed out to him that the weight of the bells would topple it. Instead he decided to donate ten bells purchased from John Taylor and Co. of England to the College. These bells were the first scientifically tuned chimes in the world. The Legislature provided the money for the construction of a bell tower and the Seth Thomas clock which is still in the Campanile. Stanton's engraved bells were installed by student labor in October 1897. With funds from the Edgar Stanton Estate, twenty-six bells were added in 1929. This addition converted the ten bell chimes to a 36 bell carillon. An additional 13 bells and a new keyboard were added in 1956 and the fiftieth bell was installed in 1967.

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Beardshear's Passing and the Tenure of President Storms, 1902-1910

In 1915 La Verne Noyes donated $10,000 to the College to be used for beautification of the campus. As a result of this gift, Lake LaVerne was constructed. The swans, Lancelot and Elaine have lived on the lake since 1935, when the first pair of swans were donated to the College by the Veishea Central Committee.

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A Brief View of Athletic Beginnings at ISU

Athletics were also an important part of the College during the early years. The original "Cyclone" football team first played during 1895. This team earned the nickname "Cyclones" when they soundly defeated Northwestern University 36 - 0. The Chicago Tribune the next day headlined the story about the game with "STRUCK BY A CYCLONE -- It Comes From Iowa and Devastates Evanston Town." Since then the name Cyclones has been associated with Iowa State. The uniforms which the team wore are quite different than the ones players wear today. The IAC on the vest stood for Iowa Agricultural College -- the name of the College did not change until the next year. Early varsity sweaters were red with a gold "A" -- A for Ames. It wasn't until 1929 that the "A" was changed to the I on the football uniforms.

Cy was born in 1954 and made his first appearance at Homecoming. Mrs. Ed Ohlsen, the wife of a faculty member, won the "Name the Bird" contest by being the first of many contestants to suggest the name Cy. The original school colors were gold, black and silver : Gold -- representing agriculture's golden harvest, Silver -- representing engineering, and Black -- representing the veterinary department. (The joke at the time was that the veterinarians "killed but never cured."). Cardinal and gold were adopted in 1899 by the Athletic Council as "it was impossible to use (the former) colors in the dyeing of a sweater."

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President Pearson and the World War I Era, 1910-1926

After President Storms resignation, Raymond Pearson was selected as president of ISC. Pearson was nationally known and respected for his work in the area of dairy industry. In fact, he was called to Washington to serve during WWI as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture in charge of the war food production campaign. During WWI, ISC was home to 1200 men enrolled in the Student Army Training Corps. These men, housed in barracks built underneath the football bleachers, combined military training with technical education. A Spanish influenza epidemic hit campus at the same time these men arrived. At one time nearly 1250 cases were reported campuswide. State Gym was one of the several campus buildings which were set up as infirmaries. The College was quarantined for three months with passes required for travel to downtown Ames.

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VEISHEA and its Predecessor Carnivals and Celebrations, 1910-1922

Iowa State was the location of many special events and celebrations during this period also. "Excursion Days" were a popular event at the turn of the century. The railroads would offer special rates for the people of the state to come to the Iowa State Campus to observe the developments and experiments which were taking place here.

Each division on campus held their own celebration each spring. In 1910, the Engineers began their celebration of St. Patrick's Day in honor of the patron saint of Engineering. 1912 brought the annual Ag Carnival, a gala held each year sponsored by the Agriculture students. After many years of helping out the Ags, the Home Economics students began HEC Days in 1919. May Day, a presentation of the Women's Athletic Association began in 1907 to honor the Senior women. VEISHEA, the nation's first and largest all- student run festival began in 1922, when administrators decided that students were missing too many classes attending all of the different festivals on campus. So, they combined them all into on celebration and held a contest for its name. The winning entry, submitted by Frank Paine a professor of electrical engineering, was VEISHEA - -- the letters which stood for the first letters of the Divisions of the College at that time:

V -- Veterinary Medicine
E -- Engineering
IS -- Industrial Science (now Liberal Arts and Sciences)
HE -- Home Economics
A -- Agriculture

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President Hughes and the Great Depression Years, 1927-1937

Raymond M. Hughes replaced Raymond Pearson in 1927. Hughes had the unwelcome task of leading the College as it suffered the effects of the Depression, including a thirty seven percent budget cut in 1933. On a brighter note, the Statistical Laboratory - the first of its kind in the nation - was established during his tenure. President Hughes was forced to resign in 1937 because of ill health.

During Hughes' period, one of Iowa State's most famous alums became prominent in the national political arena. Henry A. Wallace was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for the Roosevelt administration. He also served as the Vice President under FDR from 1941-45 and in 1948 was a Presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket.

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Atanasoff's Digital Computer, the Manhattan Project and World War II, 1937-1940s

Charles Edwin Friley was named president to replace Hughes in 1937. Friley's seventeen-year administration saw many interesting changes and developments. 1939 saw the development of the first electronic digital computer. Physics professor, John Vincent Atanasoff with the assistance of his graduate assistant, Clifford Berry, built the prototype known as the ABC computer in the basement of Physics Hall. It was not until a lengthy court battle in 1973 however, that the ABC was officially recognized as the first electronic digital computer over the claims of Drs. John Mauchley and J. Prosper Eckert, the developers of the ENIAC.

Iowa State was the site of essential war work during WWII. Under the direction of Chemistry professor Frank H. Spedding, a small group of scientists became involved with the Manhattan Project -- the project to develop the atomic bomb. The Ames portion of the project resulted in an easy and inexpensive procedure to produce high quality uranium. Between 1942 and 1945, almost two million pounds of uranium was processed on campus.

The campus was also home to several Army and Navy Training schools. Servicemen were housed in the newly finished Friley Hall and several of the women's dorms. The housing of the servicemen on campus brought a housing shortage for the female students. Many of the displaced female students were housed in the vacant fraternity houses.

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The Hilton Years: Postwar Expansion, WOI-TV and the Iowa State Center, 1950s-1965

The conclusion of the war brought great expansion of the College. Enrollment doubled and Pammel Court was constructed as a temporary solution to the married student housing problem. At the end of Friley's presidency, ISC established WOI-TV -- the first educationally owned and operated commercial television station, beginning operations in 1950. The station enjoyed 44 years as an ISU operation, ending with its sale to Capital Cities Communications in 1994 after years of heated debate on campus. WOI-TV led the way nationally in educational television through the broadcast of ISC/ISU telecourses, and with its early experiments in Kinescope recording techniques, WOI distributed its locally produced programs to other stations around the country. Friley was forced to retire in 1953 and was succeeded by James Harold Hilton who wasIowa State's tenth president. Hilton was an Iowa State grad (Class of 1923) making him the first and only alum to serve as president. During his tenure the State Board of Education became the State Board of Regents. The Centennial of the College was also celebrated during his tenure. As a part of the celebration, the institution was awarded University status. Hilton was also instrumental in the construction of a cultural center for Iowa State. Shortly after his retirement in 1965, the twenty million dollar Iowa State Center became a reality.

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President Parks

W. Robert Parks served as the President of Iowa State from 1965-1986. Under his administration enrollment reached a new high, three Colleges -- Education, Design, and Business -- were established. The South Campus area was further developed with the construction of Cyclone Stadium and the Veterinary Medicine complex. A major addition to the ISU Library complex was erected and opened to researchers in 1984 and was dedicated in honor of and named for the recently retired president and his wife -- the William Robert Parks and Ellen Sorge Parks Library.

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