Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
THE UNIVERSITY OF YEBRAsKA.

This week will witness the completion OF
the twenty-nfth year Of the existence OF
the State university OF Nebraska. The sig
nlncant event is very properly to be COM
memorated by appropriate ceremonies on
Thursday and Friday Of this week, and is an
occasion well calculated to call the attention
of the people Of Nebraska TO the work which
this great educational institution is perform
ing. IL must be remembered that the uni
versity is part and parcel OF the public school
system Of the state. supported wholly by
public funds. It might perhaps trace its or
igin back to the policy enunciated in the
famous ordinance OF 1889, providing for the
encouragement Of schools in the northwest
territory--a policy consistently adhered to by
congress, and one to which must be ascribch
the grant made In the enabling act of 1854
OF seventy-two sections of land for the use
and support of a state university, to be APP
propriated and applied for that purpose and
for no other purpose. It was in pursuance Of
this grant that the legislature in 1869 passed
an act establishing a state university and
providing for its maintenance and govern
ment.
From practically nothing this institution
has grown in the short period of twenty-five
years beyond the most sanguine expectations
of It's founders. 1t has attracted students
from all portions of the state as we'll as
from surrounding states, until at present
its capacity for accommodating those who
apply for the privilege of the advantages
which 1t offers is tested to the utmost. At
infrequent intervals reluctantly made APP
pronriationg hava nnabIed II To add TO its
equipment in buildings and apparatus, but
not fast enough to keep up with the de-
mands made upon it's resources. From a
bare handful of instructors the teaching
corps has increased in correspondence with
the increase of students until 1t constitutes
a small regiment in itself. One by one ad-
dltional subjects have been added to it's
curriculum, until 1t now offers to those
who desire a liberal education an oppor-
tunity to make a good beginning in any one
of the great fields of literature, science and
art.
II is not fair to compare the State uni
versity with any Of the munifcently endowed
institutions Of the east, although in such a
comparison it would not fail to hold it's own
taking all circumstances into consideration.
By the side of the other state universities
that of Nebraska occupies a high place.
Twenty-Five years are but as a day in the
life of these centers of higher education.
The University of Nebraska has only begun
its career; it has yet many years to grow
before it will lay claim to having attained
its majority. The state officials, the legis-
lators, the men and women active in educa-
tional work, the graduates who have passed
out from it's direct influence, the present
students absorbing knowledge within it's
walls, the citizens Of Nebraska, always in
terested in the welfare and advancement
of their educational interests, all who gather
at Lincoln to participate in the coming
celebration, may regard with satisfaction
the progress that twenty-five years has
wrought in the University of Nebraska.