The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-20
The VETERANS UNIVERSITY.
PLANS or THE NATIONAL MEMO
mar AT MASON CITY, "a.
Capt. 4. l.. sertor. Jr.. Conceived the
Idea - sons Of Veterans Are Carrying 10
Out Frst building Going Up ata
Cost Of 800 900 -Money-RaisinE Plans

Cost Of o. 100 900 Money RaisinE Pians
MAsoS CRY. la Oct 10 The friends
Of the Memorial Uni scrsity. which Il being
established under the management OF the
Rational Order Of the Sons " Veterans.
believe that the success o. the project IL
now assured The idea 81 founding ID,
institution originated with Alexander Louhs
Sortor. Jr 81 this place He Ia The son %
a Union soldier and a member of the Sons
OF Veterans, and he himself served in tho
Spanish American Mar a. Captain Of Com
pany A Of the Fifty-second Iowa Infantry.
He Il IS years old.
Capt. Sor,or believed that the patriotic
people 81 the United States. particularly
tho membcn Of he Sons Of Veterans. the
survivors Of the Union Army and the or
ganiza'inns auxiliary to the Grand Army
Of Tho Republic. would approve the idea
OF establishing The university as a lasting
national memorial Of the veterans OF the
Union Nrmy For ten years he las been
making nlans and talking about his idea. The
sion!ooo stone building which l. now being
erected on the campus ~ the Memorial
University IN tho outskirts % this city In the
frst stop toward carving out his project
The responsibility FOR carving on, the
plan ~ building tho Memorial University
WAS formally assumed by 'he Sons Of
Veterans. and a COMMITTEES visited various
cities which desired 10 ie selected as tho
home % "a" institution This was in ths
summer - 1900 Buffalo and Albany,
y Y, Minneapolis and several other cities
made generous Offers 90 secure tho uni
versitv, but Mason city outbid them all,
agreeing 10 erect u building and give land
and provide water aud sewer connections,
80. tho expenditure amounting in AL TO
about s?uD.oOo This - more money than
was ever raised before In any town In Iowa
for any single puhic ou'crpr~o
IN-.o, jackson. Congressman Hull.
Commander DAVIS - tn" Grand Army
aud MANI other prominent men from all
parts 81 the stat" hrlIcd ~ secure rhs
locating 81 me university IN Iowa The
nineteenth annual cncampmcn' ~ the
Sons ~ Veterans NJ ~Syracu-". y Y, in
September. 1870. decided m favor ~ Mason
CITY and provided iLai the university
should be- managed hv a Bpard Of Regents
sole, ted from al paris 81 The ni'cd States.
This boaud now CONSISTS ~ ia" following
member \ |. Sortor. Jr. Mason city, Ia:
Georg" D. Cox, Hartford Conn William
I Church. Chicago. " T. Gov din. Rockford.
Mich " 4 Morris. Mason City. + W.
AleNaudcr, heading. Pa Fred = Bolton.
ibl-NNlNf AfNH '. - N d ~ ia = TO- 's
Mlrkley, Ma~,r city, u " J H"inke.
Mason ttN
tn. Executive Committee. which i in
immediate control oi all "a" AGAR 81 tho
university. consists Of Capt Sortor, Presi-
dent - the Roard - Regents. Chairman:
William 7 Church. N~iNa-ChairmRn. W. A.
Morris. who wa chosen from Sudth Dakota,
ScCrcterv and " ' Eciukc 90. Mason city.
Treasurer
Thr ~oruer-iouc of th" first structure,
the culleciat" huildli,g Wa laid juno -
las, This binding j. { stone. l. fire.
proof and - i5S feet long hv ~ feet wids
and three stories high above IN" -ub-ba-e-
men' u will CI~i when finished some
thing NOR. than $4,000 The money ~
IN hand 80 pay ioT th" luildiug, which IL
part II the gift OF the people 81 Mason city
Sewer connections. water mains and an
~clsCtriC street railway have ls1on run to
the university from the civ. which l. about
a mile distant The campus Includes 10
acres and the -ite 4, On Patriots Hill.
4 naval station wil! be maintained on
Clear iatr. which is ten milc~ from Mason
CITY, aud vii hc connected herewith bv
an electric railway The size Tor the naval
station j. also the gift 81 Mason city.
Several PURPOSES and ideas are COM
IN thu institution III" protector.
hope that - ~Issuiiar character will appeal
10 patriotic people generally ~ well A. To
members 81 m" military organizations
which are working for b. Tie plan j. Ia
furnish. first a thoroughly equipped high
grade university ana ~fFflGs hl tNtFldtl-
lny monument to the valor and patriotism
~ he men who ~avcd The mon A school
~ applied patriotism. or civic virtue, will
he established and special attention viii
H., given go the department Of history.
The par ,cular mission ~ the Memorial
University. said CAPT Sortor, ia 10 honor
the memory II IN" men and women Of war
time-. To pr.p'tuate ~" principles Tor
which the American soldier has contend-d
and 'o assist patriotic people In the work
a ,attstug "A grsafnF nnnrFFlNflpu of a FREQ
government aud raising the OF
citizenship
Professional schools in all lines will bs
organized and Will L. maintained AT the
highest stsudard
hlans for producing a large endowment
fund have been formed II ~ propose
to taisc sl.Go!VD Of tins fund nv getting
100. az sons 81 Veterans in the United States
,pn,y AZ wear each for ten years. Pledges
are heing circulated known a. Memorials
nav Pledge and Lincoln's Birthday Pledge.
This pledgc - A. follow-'
A, trihute 10 the memory OF Ia. soldiers
Of the Union Army and u" women OF var
Memorial University dollap
psr year Tor ten YEAR. organizing WITH May
n IN said contribution 10 be = part OF
m. general fund of Memorial University
Thousands Of thesr pledges have already
lseu signed and the revenue resulting
has begun 20 come IN. Tbs
funds from this source and from other
ANAL hut numerous gifts are now sufficient
10 construct the fist buildings, the CEN
trial heating plant, a..
Agents have been appointed In Iowa,
Minnesota, Connecticut and elsewhere 10
visit & A X posts, Womans Relief Corps.
Sons 81 Veterans oamp- and other similar
orsanizations 10 secure gifts and pledge.
The responses TO these appeals are all
very generous The agent Tor iova
n Can't. q X Hutchins % Dee MoinssI b
served in the Union Army and In the Span
ish. American War
on a certain day In q certain week al
the woman's Relief Corps OF Iowa VIZ
give an entertainment. tho total recetpts
~ which will L. given 20 the university:
II IL ext-cted that this will produce q good
many thousand dollars. There are nearly
.no nos,. ~ the Grand Army Of the Re-
pubGo In ihi. State. and apt. Hutohins
vii yisi, every one and from each VIII hs
.rec-ive a contribution.
one Of tho neI, building. TO b. erected.
rlap, for which have already been made,
I. The National Gvtl War Museum. Here
n IL planned 10 bring togetber the greatest
% civil War relics and historical
,bI.ct. 10 be found IN the United States.
Tie regents Gre nov conducting a Notn4