Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-09-12

College Hall. Erected In 1857, the Fir
the second term opened May %. Mr..
Poor having resigned. the Rev. Nathan
g Cornell. q teacher under Mr.. Poor.
was placed in charge The first full
academic year opened September II.
1857. with Rev. Lucius H. Bugbee,A A. NJ,
as principal. During the previous two
terms nothing but common school work
had been done. but now classes IN
Latin. Greek End other preparatory
studies were formed. The first COM
mencement was held in July Is, 1858.
Al the meeting Of the board OF trus-
tees held on the same day. the tncor-
poration changed its form to that OF
Upper Iowa University. which change
was legalized by the legislature OF
Iowa, February II. 1862. The Kew. l.
n Busbee was elected president dur
ING the next summer, and July 81. 1857.
was formally inaugurated president OF
I1pper iowa university. President Bug
bee was man Of rare qualities: an in
snirer Of youth; az loving and ten
der % mother; q disciplinarian OF
the strictest order. he yet controlled
without seeming to govern, his mere
sueRestion being sought and implicitly
obeyed. April II. 1860. he resigned.
and the Rev. William Brush. A. NJ, D.
D.. was placed In charge. and in July
following was elected president. which
position he held till June. 1869.
President Brush was man OF great
natural ability and force Of character.
with immense reserve power In tines
OF emergency: and emergencies were
not infrequent. Nearly an entire COM
pany was enlisted from among the stu
dents in 1861. and large contributions
Of volunteers were made at various
times later during the war; and during
nearly the entire period he assumed
all the financial responsibility of the
school. In 1866 an effort was made
to secure an endowment. and about
$4,000 was obtained in subscription
notes; but the shrinking Of values and
the great emigration westward. both
following the close of the war. render
ed large portion Of them value
less.
The Rev. Charles N. Showers, A. NJ.
succeeded Mr.. Brush as president, re-
manning one year. Byron w. McLain.
A. M. who had taught natural science
very successfully for two years proceed
Ing. was made acting president the
two years next following In 1872. the
Rev. Roderick Norton. A. M, then pas
tor at Fayette. was elected president.
he performing the duties Of both posi-
tons. The frequent changes Of adn in.
lstration we're not conducive to growth.
President Norton resigned shortly aft
er the opening of the fall term OF 1873.
and the Rev. John W. Bissell. A. NJ,
then teaching science was made act
ing president. and in June. 1874, was
made president.
The outlook was not assuring. but
With patient faith and increasing labor
he began to build. Slowly, but surely.
confidence came back. The first ten
years was decade of internal growth.
Then came decade Of expansion:
three buildings were erected: the at
tendance of students doubled: grad
uating classes increased seven fold;
able instructors with permanency OF
tenure characterized the faculty: there
was substantial increase in the en-
dowment, and an absolute freedom
from debt. South hall was erected in
1884: North hall, now known as Sci
ence hall, followed in 1887. and the
new chapel in 1890. The Christian as
ISOLATION collected the funds and built
the gymnasium in 1892.
After 20 years Of successful admin
istration. :. Bissell yielded the reins