Building program continues growth
By CHIP ROUSE
The engineering building was one of the projects started after the turn of the century. Work was under way by 1907. The building itself was completed by the fall of 1908 and could have been put into use, but there was no means of heating it.
The old heating plant, taxed heavily by the erection of the gymnasium, was inadequate, and the new engineering building had to await the completion of an enlarged heating plant in the spring of 1909. In the meantime, two units of the engineering laboratory had been completed, and work on Haworth Hall started.
(Third in a series)
All buildings were in use by the opening of school in 1909, and were officially dedicated on Feb. 25, 1910. The Board of Regents named the new engineering building in honor of F. O. Marvin, dean of the engineering department.
Haworth Hall, built in 1909 for $50,000, was named after Professor Erasmus Haworth, who headed the department of geology from 1902-1920.
Med school in Lindley
In its early years, Haworth Hall housed the geology and mineral engineering departments.
When World War I began, the Medical School replaced the geology department which had moved to new Lindley Hall. When the Medical School moved to Kansas City, it took with it the cadavers for which Haworth was most noted. However, they have since been replaced.
Frank Strong Hall, known until 1938 as the Administration Building—or still more briefly as "Ad" was slow in taking its final form.
Ground originally was broken for the building, the largest on campus, in Dec., 1909, but it was not until Jan., 1924 that the finishing touches were applied.
During the early 1900's student enrollment increased so rapidly that despite the additions of the Chemistry Building, and Green, Marvin and Haworth Halls, space hardly could be found for new students.
In 1910, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $50,000 followed by $75,000 the next year.
The original appropriation of $125,000 for construction of the building was exhausted when in 1912, the east wing was completed.
Strong gets filled
Late in the fall of 1911, several departments started to move in. Psychology laboratories occupied the basement floor, philosophy and mathematics classes were held on the first floor, history classes moved in to the second, and the department of painting took over the third floor.
The legislature of 1911 provided additional funds for the enlargement of the building; however, these funds covered only the construction of the foundations of the rotunda. The foundations were in place by 1913, but here construction stopped for four years.
In the fall of 1917, funds again being available, work on the west wing was begun, and that section of Strong Hall was in usable condition by Christmas of 1918.
The central section was not completed for five more years, but finally during the Christmas vacation of 1923, the administrative offices were moved from Fraser, where they had been housed since 1872, to their new quarters in Strong Hall, and the work of 15 years was ended.
Construction mixup
What is now the back of the building was intended as a grand front entrance. The main entrance, which was to be on the north side of the structure, was changed to a wing 120 feet by $57\frac{1}{2}$ feet which leads onto a balcony. The entrance was then placed on the opposite side and designated to be done in bronze.
It was not until 1938 that the Administration Building was renamed after the University's former chancellor.
The Million Dollar Drive, a movement initiated by faculty, students, and alumni in the fall of 1920, had as its goal the raising of the fund indicated, and the construction of a memorial for the men of the University who had died during World War I, and for all others who had been in the service of their country.
It was decided that a stadium and a student union building be constructed as the memorials. The campaign for funds began on November 18 among the students and faculty, and within three days over $200,000 had been pledged.
Among the students alone, the average contribution was nearly $60. Sufficient funds from pledges were available by the spring of 1921 to warrant beginning of the first of the memorial structures —the stadium.
Stadium Day
Several sites for the new stadium had been discussed, but it was decided that it be erected on McCook Field.
Stadium Day was declared on May 10, 1921. The students were given a holiday, and faculty members and students dressed in working clothes helped with the destruction of McCook Field. In one hour and eighteen minutes, the stands had gone down and students were piling the lumber in an assembly yard east of the old field.
Chancellor E. H. Lindley, clad in overalls, plowed a straight furrow across McCook, breaking ground for the stadium.
Actual construction was begun in the fall, and by October 29, the first two sections were in use. By Thanksgiving, four more sections had been added. The official dedication of the new stadium took place the next year on Armistice day.
Senior activities to start Sept.15
Senior class activities next year will kick off with a new Country Club party on Sept. 15 at the National Guard Armory.
Senior Weekend has been scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 28, when KU plays ISU. It will mark the end of Senior Week, when the new class sweatshirts and hats are distributed at a coffee. That Saturday's activities will include a breakfast, the game and an evening party. All the parties
PLANS HAVE ALSO been laid for an additional Senior Weekend to feature a picnic, relays and a party.
so far scheduled will include the distribution of free beer.
The Class of '68 has added a special projects committee to integrate senior activities. Class officers plan to present the HOPE Award and senior gift early in the year to allow a longer time for class participation.
In 1963, additional seating and press facilities were added to the west side of Memorial Stadium totaling approximately $850,000. Expansion on the east side was completed in 1966 for approximately $625,000.
Two more sections were added to the stadium in 1925, and the horseshoe was added in 1927, giving the structure a capacity of 38,000.
Student Union begins
After a campaign for funds among men of the University for over a year, a house was rented and furnished at 1200 Tennessee St. and was officially opened on March 5, 1914, as the Men's Student Union. However, the Student Union was forced to close a short time later due to a lack of sufficient funds to pay the rent.
With the help of the Million Dollar Drive, a new site, the present one, was selected in 1924, and ground for the new structure was broken during Commencement of 1925.
Although the corner stone was laid on April 30, 1926, and the shell of the building was completed by that fall, the building was not opened until September, 1927.
The Memorial Union Building is a monument to the 129 men and women who gave their lives for their country in World War I.
The legislature of 1925 granted $250,000 for the construction of an auditorium at KU. After the grant was made, the site between Haworth Hall and Marvin Hall was selected.
The famed observatory used by the classes in astromony, which had occupied a portion of the selected site since its erection in 1919, was moved west of Marvin Hall in 1926, so that excavation for the proposed auditorium could begin.
Observatory moved
Deliberate efforts were made in the design of the building to provide for as many activities as possible. Student petitions were circulated in a counter effort to stop this move.
The construction of the auditorium, as planned, was carried out, but a grant of another $100,-000 was needed from the legislature of 1927 before its completion.
The dedication was observed on Oct. 14, 1927, and in 1939, by legislative enactment, the building was named Hoch Memorial Auditorium, in honor of Governor E. W. Hoch, one-time member of the State Board of Administration.
Hospital grows
In the early 1900's, hospital facilities at KU were almost nil. The first hospital was established in 1909, and it wasn't until 1928 that the first full-time physician was employed to direct the work of the student hospital and student health activities. Late in 1928, an epidemic developed on campus and the student dispensary, equipped to care for not more than 72 consultations a day, was forced to accept patients at an increasing rate. On December 11, 237 cases had been handled by the weared physicians.
In 1930, Mrs. J. B. Watkins, the donor of Watkins Hall, offered to build and equip a hospital for student use. The offer was accepted with great rejoicing.
Ground was broken west of Blake Hall for the building, in the spring of 1931, and on Dec. 28, 1931 the first of its patients was admitted for treatment.
The building, erected at a cost of $175,000 was formally dedicated at Commencement, 1932.
Daily Kansan 5
Wednesday, May 24, 1967
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