The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-22
Mrs. g. F. Swift Presents Dakota
Wesleyan With $4,000 for En-
dowment of University Chair.

President Thomas Nicholson, OF
the Dakota Wesleyan University, has
returned from Chicago, where he
transacted considerable business for
the University. Amung other
things he announces the gift OF S5, 600.
from Mis-. G.. u. Swift of Chicago,
which is a donati en- tot endowment
fund OF the University. The money
is tn he applied to the endowment
OF tie chair for which the women
of the state arc raising $25, 600.
Mrs Swif. has been Interested in
the college Tor some time. and has in
the past given smaller sums This is
the largest single donation yet made
to the institution, and gives cores
bonding courage and hope to its sup
porters.
The president also announced at
the concert given by the faculty. of
the School OF Music in the city ball
Tuesday evening, that OF the S25, 600
needed at the beginning OF the year
to completely provide for the cost Of
construction OF Memorial Hall the
heating and lighting plants, the
sewerage system, ct cetera, only
about $1,000 remained to be secuted.
1t is expected to get this before the
next commencement. These amounts
raised the total gifts to the Univer-
sity i'm the past two years to ONE
thing owe S40,O 600. This is exclusive
of the large additions made to the
library OF tho college, which has been
nearly doubled; rec%onstructions i'm
the main college hall, which have
Mnde it,, So far as efficiency is con-
cerned, almost a new b~uilLing; and
almost completely equipment
for the Commercial Department and
the doubling of the equipment Of the
department of Music. Perhaps the
largest Improvement has been in the
science department which has been
practically made over new. All these
additions and Others inside and out
side Of the buildings ale in addition
to the above amount.
Last year the attendance at the
University increased "a per cent
vel the preceding year, the total
for tue year being 463. The fall term
Of this year. shows an in rease OF
just about n hundred over that of
the fail term Of last year, and the
winter will show still larger in
crease The faculty has been greatly
strengthened by changes and 10y The.
addition of several new members.
1t is now col cedtd to be one of the
strongest in the west. Still other
additions are contemplated in the
near future. The University has
recently opened a down town studio
OF the department of music for the
accommodation of an increasing pa
tronage in the city Of Mitchell itself
on the u hand, and on the other
hand because Of the fact that the
buildings are o~vercrowded and this
was thought to be the easiest way
to provide more room for the pres
ent.
a very large edition of the cata-
logue was issued last June, but the
supply was exhausted before October
first. A new and enlarged edition
has been issued this week it is not.
however, a reprint OF the former
catalogue. 1t is Indicative of the
rapid expansion Of this splendid in
stitution, and is n Of the finest
college catalogues ever issued in this
state. The most noteworthy en-
larQements are in Lhe school of edu
cation and in the school of commerce:
in both Of these departments the
courses have been made over new.
Under the efficient management of
Or. Samuel Weir, the new dean, the
courses IN the school of education
have been mole than doubled, and
opportunities for teachers are offered
which cannot be found anywhere else
in South Dakota. More advanced
work than eve before has been I'M
dertaken i'm addition to provision for
increased ~thorouvhness in the former
courses. New courses fully meeting
the requirements of the enactmcnts
of the last legislature have been i'm
serted. All teachers in the state will
do we'll 10 secure a copy Of this cata-
log, e and thus inform themselves
about the opportunities offered in our
state.
The scnool Of Commerce, so far as
we know, is the most complete, GER
tainly in this state. il not i'm the
northwest, i'm addition to the regular
commercial course the University is
instituting new courses Of three and
four years duration, and. further, is
putting courses Of college grade IN
49,