Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
AFTER TWENTY FIVE YEARS
Ideas of Early Nebraskans Immortalized il
a Great State Institution.
GROWTH OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY
It's Erection the Result of n Steadily Press
ing Sentiment-How 1t Was Estab-
lished and What it Has
Accomplished.

Twenty-Five years Is a comparatively short
period for the development of a great insti-
tuition Of learning, The universities of the
old world have passed through the centuries
from medieval times to the present, and
with them the history of twenty-five years
would be but an incident. Even in newer
America we have colleges that add one and
two together in computing the centuries of
their existence. But the limitations of time
are comparative only and for this reason the
University of Nebraska, which will celebrate
its quarter centenary at Lincoln during
the coming week, may consider itself one of
the older institutions Of learning in the west.
On perusal of the legislative journals of
territorial Nebraska one is irresistibly led
to conclude that the men who cam
to build the new commonwealth cam
solely for the purpose of advancing
the cause of education. The territorial
legislature was asked to charter universe
ties at every county seat, colleges at
every hamlet and academies at every cross
roads. The designated titles of some of
these embryo institutions was in many in
stances longer than their curriculum. Glanc-
ing over the pages of the legislative annals,
one finds that in the earlier days the ambi-
tiOn VI III tIlltTpTlSluB SeIlieTS lnIelleu
them to establish a score or more of insti-
t%utions, among which may be enumerated
the Nebraska university at Fontenelle, Simp-
son university at Omaha City, the Nebraska
City Collegiate and Preparatory institute,
Nemaha university at Archer, Washington
college at Cunning City, and the Western
university at Cassville, Then came the Uni
verslty of Saratoga, Dakota Collegiate insti-
t,tta nnna1I TpIIanfntA t,gHEt,In nr,,h - Nh
ical university and the University of st.
John. There were colleges for Wyoming. De
Witt, Falls City, Salem, Rock Bluffs,
Brownville, and the town that failed to es-
tablish a college-on paper-was sadly be-
hind the times.
The secret of the territorial thirst for
higher education is probably to be found in
the ambition of the projectors OF the seats of
learning to acquire as many acres of the
public domain as possible. Land was as
valuable In those days as the wildcat bank
currency upon which the prices were based
was plentiful.
But in spite OF the mercenary objects OF
so many projectors of territorial colleges,
there was a strong demand for a state uni
Versity and Its final establishment was the
direct result Of the influence which had
steadily and uncompromisingly directed the
sentiment in favor OF a state institution
conducted for the benefit Of the people OF
the state.
piHih VI n ShbAl lNSllIOlloN'
The charter OF the Nebraska State uni
versity dates from February 10, 1869. the
legislature passing the bill providing for
the university upon that date. The sum OF
500, 900 was appropriated for a university
building, Plans prepared by M. j. Bird
OF Logansport, Ind, were accepted and on
August IS of the same year the
contract for the erection Of the building
was let TO Silver & Son for $l2s, 4S0. The
corner stone was laid under Masonic
auspices on September 20 following, the oc-
casion being celebrated by all prominent
citizens of the state, Even Omaha. still
rambling over the defeat OF her aspirations