The Glenwood post., 1907-12-21
HISTORY AND GROWTH OF THE
STATE SCHOOL OF MINES
AT GOLDEN.
ITS VALUABLE WORK
ESTABLISHED BY THE WISDOM
AND FORESIGHT OF COLO
RADIO PIONEERS.


its origin in the needs of practical
mines. writes President Victor C. Aid
erson in a sketch contributed to Min
Ing Science. AS cary as 1864 (only
Few years after the discovery of gold
In Colorado) the miners of Gilpin
county set aside portion Of the re-
celpts coming from the sale and re-
ccrding Of mining claims towards the
support OF a school of mines. Very
little is known Of the school in those
days; it may have been a school of in
Etruction OF it may have been a public
assay ONCE. However, the seed was
sown and a harvest resulted. When in
1868 Bishop Randall, of the protestant
Episcopal church, inaugurated his uni
versity at Golden, School of Mines
was an integral part Of the institution
This continued in successful operation
until, in 1874, it was transferred TO
the territory. and the territorial legis-
lature appropriated $4,000 for Its sup.
port. Hon. C. c. Welch introduced the
bill organizing the school.
With the year 1874, then, began the
School of Mines as we now know Il.
The first board of trustees contained
men who have since become well
known in the history of Colorado
Hon. w. A. Loveland, Senator Nathan
lei P. Hill, Capt E. l.. Berthoud, Alp
heus Wright, C. c. Davis, W. W. Ware
and Capt. James T. Smith, who has
held the Office of secretary of the
board continuously since that time
and has signed every diploma the
school has ever issued. The school
remained under the jurisdiction of the
territory until the state of Colorado
was admitted in 1876. when the new
state government took it over and it
became the Colorado School of Mines.
The year 1879 was a critical one in the
history OF the school. for in that year
the flfth-of-a-mill tax for the regular
support Of the school was established,
the first building was erected and the
agitation to remove the school 10
Boulder was begun. The mill tax has,
since that time, been in continuous
and successful operation; the build
ings and grounds have increased in
value from the original appropriation
of $500 In 1879 to $500 in 1907,
but the removal of the school has
never gone beyond the point of acade
mic discussion.
In 1882 the attendance had grown to
such an extent that more room was
needed and a second building was
erected at a cost OF $14,500. This was
followed by a third in 1890. These
three are now connected, and is one
building are devoted almost exclusive
ly to the department of chemistry. A
third building, called the Hall of En-
glneering, erected in 1894, and origin.
ally devoted to various uses, Is now oc.
cGpied wholly by the department OF
physics. Building Jagged for some
years till in 1902 the assay laboratory
was completed. This is now regarded
as the best arranged and equipped la-
boratory of any School of Mines in this
country, or the world. 1t accommodates
90 students at one time and is so ar.
ranged that each man works as indie
pendently as if his furnace We're the
only one in the laboratory. In 1905
the heating, lighting and power plant
was donated $25.OOO by Mr.. Winfield
Scott Stratton, and completed for the
special use OF the departments of min
ing and metallurgy. This building
represents the latest engineer
ing ideas of power plant
for an engineering school, uniting, as
II does under one roof, the regular
power plant and the. laboratories OF
the school naturally associated with it,
In 1906 Simon Guggenheim hall, the
gift of Senator Simon Guggenheim
was completed and formally dedicated.
1t contains the administration Offices,
the library, the department of geology
and mineralogy, lecture rooms fol
mathematics, and the auditorium.
There is now under construction new
gymnasium and club house, which
q in Dy,l,t
gymnasium but Offices for the athletic
manager. large club room, lockers,
shower baths, bowling alleys and
swimming pool. During the past sum.
meI an important innovation was made
by the equipment of an actual mine on
the side of Mt. Zion, one-half mile
west OF the school. Here a tunnel
house has been erected, forges, drills
and all necessary tools supplied, and
the work OF driving tunnel inio the
mountain actually begun electricity
and air are supplied from the power
plant of the school. 1t is believed
that the school in the United States
to have mine of its own for the prac-
tioal Instruction of its students in
actual mining operation.
A study of the successive catalogues
OF the school shows exceedingly inter
esting lines of development. In the
early days. the School of Mines Offer
ed the only instruction in applied
science in this part of the country. The
school was small and Individual in.
structors followed their personal
whins. Prof. Arthur Lakes, for ex
ample. taught painting to a class of
young ladies. Students were admit. |
tod to take such special courses as
they desired. At one time electrical |
engineering was included in the cur. |
riculum. All this variation was prob |
asay wise at the time, but one persist. |
cat force Is evident throughout the en-.
tire history of the school-the uso of |
the mines, mills and smelters of the |
sstote as the outside, to-be-visited la.
Of the school As a result.
la& coaaannonco Tho aoho.I -