The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-06-15
OLDEST COLLEGE
IN STATE OF IOWA
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY cnLE
nRArlNn eENrEhNlAL.
ESTABLISHED OCTOBER, rsas.
Flrs, class Comprised one Member
graduating IN 1859 - Early
struggles, ard Successes
Of Recent Years.

Mt Pleasant, Iowa, June 10.--Along
with annual commencement exercises
now In progress, Iowa Wesleyan Unit
yerslty, ot this place, Is celebrating
lts sexlennial. and incidentally en-.
phasizing the fact that II is the old.
est institution of higher education In
Iowa. AS early az 1912 an assocla.
ton OF citizens undertook the estab.
lishment of an institution OF higher
education at Mt. Pleasant, and the
land on which the college buildings
stand was formally conveyed March
IL, 1s43. The institution was char.
tered by the territorial legislature in
1914 under the name OF mt. Pleas.
ant Collegiate Institute" and the or
iginal building was erected the fol-
lowing year, but It does not appear
TO have been completed until the
spring Of 1916. A Mr.. Heustis was
principal of the school and kept a
day book which contains some inter.
esting entries and indicates the sac.
riHces made in that early day that
an institution Of higher learning
might be planted In what was then
an almost frontier settlement. In
this day book a Mr.. Brown Is cred
tied on October 30, 1916: by ono
days work by his son George Sand.
ing mason, 10 be paid one-half in
store and one.half in corn Mt 12k
% aftta -
united In himself both the legal and
ministerial professions, ia credited
with s5.25 "for hauling sand and
lime for the institute" The princi.
pal Of the school wrought with hig
own hands, as witness many entries,
two Of which are as follows: 1886,
January 20, by myself on institute,
glazing, sL00." January II, by my.
self all day and half the night,
$500"
The building shortly after It's com.
pletion was described in an elabor.
ate report TO the Iowa conference Of
the Methodist church az "a gubgtan.
tial brick edifice Of academic dimen.
giong, well built, and furnished with
desks for one hundred forty students
in the male and female departments,
rooms for library and apparatus and
Four resident rooms, forming very
comfortable residence for the pre8i.
dent Of the institution, or for such
other purposes as the trustees may
direct"
The efforts 10 have the institution
taken updeT the patronage OF the
Iowa conference were not guccessful
until 1850, when II was received and
adopted as their Conference Uni.
yerBity," and for It's support and
maintenance as such they pledged
their perpetual patronage"
The legislature Of the state at IT'S
session Of 1886 amended It's char.
ter, changing It's name 10 Iowa Wes'
ICyan University" and clearly deGn.
ing It's corporate powers Az a uni.
Versity. Hon. w. s. Mayne Of Coun.
Gil Bluffs was the first graduate OF
the institution under its new char.
ter being the sole member Of the
class of 1856.
The plant Of the institution now
consists Of gix splendid buildings.
When James Harian--the noblcSt Ro'
man Of them aII--came 10 the prvsL
dency in 1852 there was but one
building. II was representative Of
the institution, small and solid and
stanch. II is still in use, the pres
ent conservatory building. It's sixty
years tell lightly upon II; there is
no crack or creyice. II is built 10
stand and that is just the way Har.
Ian built.
Within the recent past tho weight
Of debt nearing 100000, was bur.
dening the college. This strain has
been relieved. The most Of this
debt has been paid, the remainder
ID amply and securely provided for.
At present a campaign for an emerg'
ency fund Of $4,000 Is nearing con.
sumation. This, with other regourc.
eg, will make ample provision for the
maintenance and reasonable expan.
sion OF the facilities OF the uriver.
sIty, while an adequate endowment Ia
being added TO that already In hand.
Wesleyan's friends are facing the IN.
tire full OF hope and determination,
expectant that the institution will
yet take the lead In the MeLhodlSm