VOL. I. NO. 42
CORVALLIS, BENTON CCUNTY, OREGON, SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1909
PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE OREGON AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,
REMINISCENT AND HISTORICAL
REMARKABLE GROWTH OF THIS GREAT INSTITUTION
Since the Establishment of the College in 1865 its Progress has Been Steady,
the Faculty of Two Increasing to Seventy and the Registered Students
From a Score to Over Thirteen Hundred, Making it Leading Industrial
School in Northwest Noted Educators Who Guarded Interests.
By the courtesy of the management
of the '10 Orange, and with the con
sent of President Kerr, the Gazette is
enabled to present to its' readers the
following exceedingly interesting remi
niscent and historical article' which
Professor John B. Horner prepared on
OAC for the Junior Annual:
When Corvallis was but a village, the
frame building later called Corvallis
College was projected as a private un
dertaking. For several years the edifice
noble for that early time served as
a public school building and meeting
house. All grades from the primary to
the Academic Department were accom
modated. It was the public school of
be seen by the following paragraph
taken from an act passed by the Legis
lature, October 27, 1868:
"Whereas, it appears that unless an
Agricultural College is provided by law
at this session of the Legislature, the
grant by Congress will be lost; there
fore, this act shall take effect from the
date of its passage."
Willamette University and Corvallis
College had both been prominently men
tioned in connection with the land grant
patronage for an agricultural college;
and it was generally believed by Father
unless they had near relatives who
could receive them and were willing to
assume the entire responsibility of their
government.
Young men might rent rooms and
board themselves, but there was no
such provision for the young ladies.
L The public duties of each school day
were opened with appropriate religious
exercises. Attendance upon these ex
ercises and also services at some place
of worship on the Sabbath, was required
of all pupils. All pupils over fourteen
years of age were required to sign six
college laws, two of which will be in
teresting. Law III prohibited students
from playing at cards or billiards. Law
V, which drew a very clear civil engi
neer's line between co-education . and
coo-education, is given verbatim:
"Young ladies boarding in the. village
or vicinity who are under the care of
the faculty will not be permitted to. re
ceive the visits of young gentlemen,
without the written consent of their
parents, under such restrictions as the
faculty may reguire.
The Agricultural course of two years
was one of the best in the nation at
that time; yet it reminds one of a course
in pharmacy with no pharmacy in it,
or a course in medicine which is thor
oughly innocent of materia medica. It
was a good, strong course in- science
and mathematics, and it made good,
uselul, scholarly men and women com
petent to stand before kings. It ser-
leg. i He . formulated a very practical
course and undertook experimentation.
One jbf the permanent evidences of his
work is the present conduit which drains
the :ampus. This is one of the first
bits j of experimentation in drainage
donejin a scientific way in Oregon.
During President Arnold's incum
bency the growth of Oregon brought on
certain changes which led many to be
lieve that the Agricultural Collee-e
should be a state school. Senator Thos.
Cauthorn introduced a bill in the Legis
tature to this effect, and the bill be
came law within twenty-four "hours
after! its introduction. So great was
the influence of Senator Cauthorn who
Waller and other friends of the univers
ity that the Agricultural College would t ved its purpose well in its day; and the
Ex-Senator Thomas Cauthorn
be located at Salem. But C. B. Bel
linger, who represented Benton County
mathematics and science like so many
letters of the alphabet, have since spell-
'..'Ml'
i
Corvallis College, Where Scientific Agriculture was first taught in Oregon
the place, yet it was dependent in a
large measure upon subscription for
support. Therefore, while the school
served a public purpose, it was in its
inception and maintenance a private in
stitution. Furthermore, it was domi
nated by promoters who were ambitious
that it might aspire to become a paro
chial institution of high grade. To this
end the property was sold as early as
1865 to Rev. O. Fischer, agent of the
conference, as a college for the South
ern Methodist Church, Forthwith Rev.
W. A. Finley, A. M. , was chosen presi
dent, with Professor Armstrong as
assistant. The two composed the fac
ulty. This was the beginning,
in the Legislature at that time, inserted
"Corvallis'i instead of "Salem" .in the
bill, and the Agricultural College 'was
located at Corvallis. Thus at the last
moment the bill became an act, and the
act was law. Justjiow it happened has
been a marvel to many, a political
dreamer since that Legislature. Joaquin
"Miller, who was writing poetry on the
Long Tom in those days, tried to x
press it in the couplet:
"The teter-board of life goes up;
The teter-board of life goes down. "
An array of thirty-one trustees and
fifteen officers of the board dominated
the institution in 1869-1870, while there
were only two professors and twenty-
The popularity of the new college was ! eight students in the college department.
at once established, and a widely distri-
ri'.
- - ' & - '"
A, -f j r
h ' ' ' V- -
Rev. W. A. Finley, A. M.j
President 1865-1871
buted patronage was drawn from Ore
gon, California, Washington and Idaho.
In the fall term of 1867, Rev. Joseph
Emery, A. M., was elected professor of
mathematics to succeed Professor Arm
strong. Because of the want of prep
aratory schools throughout the West,
but few students could be admitted to
the college department; hence the de
mand for a preparatory school to serve
as an academy in connection with the
' institution. Accordingly in 1868 W. W.
Moreland was elected principal of the
preparatory department. '
This was six years after Abraham
Lincoln had approved the act of Con
gress providing for agricultural and me
chanical schools in the various states.
v and the time had well-nigh expired in
which the states might accept the pro-
wioirmVvf tha. law ' -That the. nennle of
Oregon were alive to the situation may
The college students were classified
follows: Pour seniors, ten juniors and
fourteen freshmen. Existing conditions
did not justify the luxury of a sopho
more class that year. The Preparatory
Department, which consisted of 101 stu- '
dents, was taught by J. D.' McFarland
and W. E. Privett Mrs. S. E. Finley
was in charge of the primary pupils,
forty in number, and Jacob Brenner
was the director of music. Bachelor of
Science, Bachelor of Arts and Master
of Arts were the regular degrees con
ferred by the college.
Co-education was fully recognized.
Young ladies were admitted to all the
college classes, and were entitled to the
same honors and diplomas as young men.
Tuition varied from ten to fifteen dol
lars per term, and special concessions
were made to clergymen.
That the management of the school
sustained the relation of pater familias
to the students may be inferred from
the fact that the parent or each minor
in the male department was expected
to name some member of the f Bculty as
guardian of his son while attending col
lege, with whom funds might be depos
ited, and to whom the students should
be accountable for their proper' use.
The funds for the young ladies were de
posited with "the keeper of the board
ing house." . It was stated in the cata
logue that "most of our difficulties arise
from the improper use. of money inju
diciously entrusted to pupils." Then
followed the injunction, "All persons
are forbidden to trust a minor without
the consent of his or her guardian. -
The pupil was not allowed to ' board
at a place not approved by the faculty,
nor to change from one boarding house
to another without permission:
Young ladies were required to board
at the Young Ladies' Boarding House
ed. out in full the courses introduced
later in agriculture, agronomy, agrostol
ogy, horticulture, forestry, olericulture
and what not. Elsewhere is given the
f ac simile of this course, which is im
portant chiefly because it was the first
formal announcement of scientific m-'
struction in agriculture in Oregon.
Pres. Finley continued in office till 1871.
Prof. Joseph Emery having declined
the office, Benjamin L. Arnold, A, M.,
Ph. D., was selected President. Dr.
Arnold was a philosopher who could
easily have gained first rank an any posi
tion of school work. His diligence in
preparation, his ability -to impart, his
high conceptions .of human possibilities
made Pres. Arnold eminent among
teachers as an inspiration to his stu-
was also Secretary of Regents, that at
a subsequent session of the Legislature
he was gran ted -the extraordinary privi
lege as a private citizen of speaking on
the Senate floor upon the appropriation
whici made Cauthorn Hall possible.
Suddenly stricken, he was taken . from
the Senate chamber at Salem by a spec
ial train to his death chamber near Cor
vallis. Of this event M. L. Pipes has
written: -
"That a fitting close to his public ca
reer,;, when he stood upon the benate
floor by invitation, a Senator no more,
only a private citizen.- He stood with
the shadow of death upon his face and j
spoke on the very scenes of his past j
struggles one more word in behalf of j
the ' college And then, wounded unto
death," he took his armor off. '
Ja'the bill establishing--the -Oregon
Agricultural College as a state "school,
he location of the college was left to
the community that would donate a
suitable admins tration building for 'that
purpose. Corvallis rose grandly to the
occasion. Subscription lists headed by
Judge John Burnett, Bushrod Wilson,
Punderson Avery, M. S. Woodcock,
Colonel Hoag, Thos. Cauthorn and
others ' contributing 500 - and like
amounts, swelled the fund to $20,000,
with which the Administration Building
was erected the best school building
in Oregon until that time for the money.
The sacrifice required for the Admini
stration Building was so heavy at the
time that it came like heart's blood
from the makers of the college.
the building threatened, the donors and
their decendants would rise up with one
voice of prayer, as did one in olden days
when he came to the woodsman implor
ing him to spare the old oak.
The faculty and thirteen Regents
had also installed three industrial courses
Agriculture, Mechanical Engineer
ing and Household Econmony, eliminat
ing the old literary courses as rapidly
as possible. A farm was purchased for
the purpose of experimentation. The
first Machanical Building, Cauthorn
Hall, Alpha Hall, Chemistry Building
the octagon barn were erected. The
college had about half as many students
as the State Normal at Monmouth, or
the State University at Eugene. Start
ing the college anew was like reorgan
izing America under the second consti
tution. Everything had to be done over
again by the slow process of evolution.
At this critical moment the clock struck
low twelve, Jan. 30, 1892, and a mess
enger came from a home where there
was crepe on the door and announc
ed to Oregon that after an incumbency
of twenty years as 'president, Doctor
Arnold was no more.
Doctor John M. Bloss, former State
School Superintendent of Indiana, be
came president. During his adminis
tration the attendance reached 397 stu
dents, representing twenty-eight of -the
thirty-two counties of Oregon. The
students were classified as follows :
"Post-graduate, 14; fourth year (me
chanical), 9; third year, 54; second year,
63; first year, 175; preparatory, 80;
special students, 2. ' ' These were taught
intercollegiate oratorical contest held in
Oregon, the medal being won by the
representative of the State University.
The preparatory students were allotted
to the Athenian and Madisonian Literary
Societies.
About this time college yells and
games came floating on the wings of
student life. Yell meetings were an
nounced in chapel, land soon "Zip Boom
Bee" filled the air. I always enjoyed
that simple yell of six words for its
frightful meaning. But the words must
be read out of their order that the yell
may be fully appreciated. "OA-OA-.
OAC" is meaningful; "Bee" stands for
business; "Boom," a good deal of noise
about it; and "Zip," let it come quick,
- -1 1
43- ' ' '"L
i
j
I . ' -1
Hon. H. B. Miller
President 1896-1897
John M. Bloss, A. M., M. D.,
President 1892-1896
by twenty-two professors and instruct
ors. The graduating class of fifty this
year was without precedent for num
bers. President Bloss divided the college
students into two literary societies,
called the Ciceronians and Websterians.
Each society was subdivided into three
chapters. The six chapters were placed
under the supervision of as many pro
fessors who joined the students in the j enthusiasm has since
culture of a fine literary spirit. Miss
Mildred Linville (Patterson) won the
This ! interstate collegiate medal for oratory
condition, with subsequent assocations, j at Seattle, and Austin T. Buxton, now
sentiment and history connected, v with Master- of the State Grange, was a close
the old edifice, has been such that were ' contestant for first place in the first
like a streak of belated lightning. And
that's the way the boys played football.
But old farmers who stood about as on
lookers for "the first time did not know
what to make of a game which consist
ed of a little counting, a rush, and a
tumbling pyramid of human flesh. How
ever, they. were surprised and they us
ually laughed when the living pyramid
arose to its feet with no necks nor limbs .
broken. It was not uncommon for them
to remark that the exercise was a little
more active ana aangerous tnan me
boys were accustomed to while hoe
ing potatoes at home.
To compromise the situation with the
farmers, the boys christened their mas
cot as "Pap Hayseed," and the conduct
of the mascot on the field as well as in
class was such that he gave" the word
"hayseed" a respectability in Oregon
which no other state enjoys. This re
minds one that at the first game of
football a lady with a Madonna face .
was heard to say: "My son, who starts
to college soon, must not join m that
desperate foolishness." Her son came
the next year and joined the football
squad, and his mother also came 300
miles and yelled "Zip Boom Bee" loud
er than a college band, while her son
helped win in his first intercollegiate
game. What that mother did in her
been repeated so
often by other mothers that it is his-'
tory.
Much work fruitful of results was
carried on in the little experiment sta-
(Continued on page two)
- v i I r,
D., 11 ,
I AGENTS
QUEEN QUALITY SHOES
New Oxford Styles ,
ST
AGENTS I
ANDARD PATTERNS
June Styles Here
L. Arnold, A. M., Ph.
President 1871-1892
dents. His marked personality differ
ed from that of every other man.
There was something in his counten
ance that baffled the artist, and the
kindly light of his eye was too rich for
the painter to commit to canvas. Dr.
Arnold's students everywhere speak
with pride of the moments he mingled
with them.
About this time Prof. B.J. Hawthorn
was elected to the chair of language.
On the 17th of April, 1871, the Board
of Trustees purchased from Geo. Rob
erts and Elizabeth Jane Roberts 34.85
acres of land for a college farraf which
has since been transformed into the
campus. Prof. Hawthorne also took
charge of the Department of Agricul
ture, agriculture as a study being add-:
ed at this time to the department.
Hence Professor Hawthorne was the
first teacher of Agriculture in the col-
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