University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-11-05
A LITTLE TALK BY DR.. JESSE
Former President Recalls His First Teaching
Experiences and Early Days at
g the University

Il came from Tulane University at
J New Orleans to the University of Mis-
souri, as it's president.
There were about $50 students in
the University when first came here.
The old Academic Hall, Switzler Hall,
then used by the College of Agricul-
ture; Benton Hall and the President S
house were all the buildings on the
campus. Attendance at prayers was
compulsory. Prayers were held in
the chapel early in the mornings, and
the compulsory religious service was
very distasteful to the students.
when | first came. the president
) had no secretary. no stenographer no
Office hours and no outer office for
visitors to wait in. AS result my
time was at everybody's disposal but
my own. People came to see me on
business at my home and for personal
chat at my Office 1t was no unusual
thing for man to come in at my
luncheon hour. saying he wanted to
talk to me then. as that was the only
time he was sure of finding me at
hours. and tried to insist upon their
observance in order to get anything
at all done.
Then came the fire which de-
stroyed Academic Hall. It was early
in the evening when there came a
great banging at the front door and
rushed out and found that the fire
which had started above the audito-
rum had progressed too far to be put
out. Almost everybody in Columbia
came to see the fire. Our house was
so close that it was thought to be
blazing from the blowing pieces OF
fame. Everything in it was taken
out and stacked in the snow which
was all over the ground.
Mrs. Jesse had just made the re-
mark at supper that night that she
, was so glad we had at last gotten all
settled and all our household goods
in order after coming to our new
home. Our household things had been
delayed in shipping here, and we
were just getting nicely settled. Then
that very night, they were all taken
out and dumped in the snow to keen
them from what seemed like a GER
tainty of burning up.
: After everything that could be re-
, moved had been taken out of the Uni
versity building. the cadets kept
guard over the still burning ruins and
over the heaps of articles which had
been saved. | was thinking about
:. what could be done to keep the Uni
versity from being deserted by the
students who would think they now
had no college home. We had fac
ulty meeting after midnight. and be-
gan to plan how we could arrange for
all classes to meet as usual No one
slept that night. The next morning
. Sunday. mass meeting was held at
the opera house. when the citizens OF
Columbia united to offer help of every
: kind possible. The students were
asked to stand by the University. And
they did, nobly Tuesday morning
, NIonday was the holiday them every
, class met as usual. though some of
. them were housed in unusual class
, rooms. Every available place in
, town was made to serve. Lodge
: rooms, lecture rooms in the churches,
vacant rooms above stores. anything
, would do to keep the University work
, from being disorganized even tempo
rarily Some of the Offices of the fac
ulty members and officials were above
: grocery stores on Broadway. We
gave the two first-foor rooms in our
, home for the girls to use as parlors
| where they might study while waiting
between classes.
| 81 shall always think that those
, students who remained by the Uni
versity that winter deserve a great
: deal of credit. II was a very cold and
: hard winter, and their classes were
: necessarily scattered almost all ovel
: town. so that they were exposed tc
2 the severe weather constantly. But
they made it point of honor not tC
G take advantage of the confused state
: of affairs and did their work as well
t as was possible. | shall always be
r grateful to the students of that veal
. especially.
"YeS am very glad that I came