GENERAL STATEMENT

In 1923 the central section of Frank Strong Hall was completed
and opened for use, providing relief for the overcrowded condition that
had developed with the upswing of college attendance after the War.

Since then the enrollment has increased and is now at its peak (25 per
cent or 900 students above 1923), with the result that class, office,

and laboratory facilities are again greatly overcrowded, proportionately
far more so than in 1923. It is true that in the meantime buildings have
been added either by gift or state appropriation, but these were replace-
ments or non-classroom buildings and added nothing to the teaching cap-
acity of the University plant.

The pressure of student enrollment for additional space has already
become acute in the library, in the medical sciences, in chemistry, in
pharmacy, in chemical engineering, and in petroleum engineering; and is
approaching an emergency in several other departments, such as education,
journalism, business, art, music, public school music, and physical edu-
cation and intramural play. All available space has been utilized. Of-
fices have been divided, temporary rooms have been constructed in dark,
unventilated basement corners, and even sub-basement quarters have been
excavated. Work of some departments is widely scattered (that of Business,
in five different buildings), making effective teaching, administration
and student sounseling very difficult.

There is no indication that the student demand for higher education
will decline. Rather, the probabilities are that it will expand still
further in the decade ahead. For ten years the University has had a gen-
eral building holiday; for fifteen years it has not had an expansion of
classroom facilities. This lag should be caught up as fast as the state
can make provision. Otherwise Kansas cannot hope to offer its youth the
adequate, modern educational facilities tmt other states are providing
for their young people.

10-YEAR BUILDING PROGRAM

In recognition of these needs a ten-year building program is out-
lined below with the sincere hope of its realization at the earliest
possible date consistent with the ability of. the State to provide. The
first four items, while listed in order of their importance if necessity
requires that, are urgently needed at this time. The other items are
listed in alphabetical order, not in order of their importance. Details
of each item may be found on the sheets following this list.

1. Laboratory building for medical sciences and plarmacy.

2. Extension to library stack.

3. Building for industrial research, including teaching of chemi-
cal and petroleum engineering, and geology.

4. Completion of Dyche Museum. |

 

Business School building

Education and training school building
Engineering shops

Fine Arts building

Gymnasium

Journalism building