The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-10-23
LAST MEETING
IN OLD CHAPEL
FAREWELL Is SAID o HISTORIC
OLD ROOM AT EsDAY's
coNvocA-s IN
APPROPRIATE ElECEs ARE HELD
Several "Otd-Timers' sive Reminis-
cences Of the Ear = Days-Prof.
Kerr Reads Inter 2 ing Paper

Kerr Reads Inter 2 ing Paper
At the regular convocation al the
State College Tuesday morning fare
we'll was said to the old chapel, which
has served the institution as a meet
ing place for the past twenty+six years,
and next Tuesdays chapel exercises
will be held in the fine auditorium in
the new administration building.
The farewell meeting was observed
by the carrying out of an interesting
program, the talks Of which were re-
miniscent of the early days of the
school. Prof. Kerr read a very inter
esting paper that was replete with his
tory and happenings of past years.
Prof. Harding spoke of the memorial
exercises and funerals that have been
held in the historic old room, of which
there have been three of the former
and two of the latter. He spoke par
ticularly of the memorial exercises
for Jonas Lien, a graduate of the insti-
tuition, who fell while fighting with the
First South Dakota regiment in the
Philippines. Prof. Solberg told of the
many changes that had been made in
the interior of the big room, and relat-
ed some incidents of the first days of
the chapel. Prof. Shepard talked en-
tertainingly of the early years, and by
comparison showed the splendid
growth of the institution. Editor l. d.
Aldrich of Big Stone, a graduate of 81,
related some interesting and anus
ing stories of the chapel meetings of
those days, mentioning some of the
notables, including Susan B. Anthony
and DR.. Anna Shaw, who have spoken
from it's platform. Through the cour-
tesy of Prof. Kerr We are enabled to
print his paper, which we believe will
be of interest:
In attempting to relate a few remin-
iscences connected with this old
chapel, before moving into a new and
more c~ommodious auditorium, it is
not necessary to go into a detailed &C.
count of the history of this institution,
how it had it's inception in 1881, and
was located in Brookings on condition
that the town would donate to the
state eighty acres of land within the
city limits, and how this parcel of
land, of which the. campus is a part,
was purchased for less than $500 in
1882, and what is known as the Central
Building vas commenced in 1883 and
finished in the fall of 1885, after ex-
hausting the first appropriation of
$3.50 900 and the citizens going down in
their pockets for money enough to
complete it, all this is another story as
Kipling would say. 1t is understood
that these "reminiscences have to do
with chapels and chapel incidents.
In the first place this is the third
room that has been used for chapel
exercises since the college vas Or
ganized. The first one was what Is
now Secretary Larson's office. AS
stated before Old Central was started
in 1883, but when the building was en-
closed in 1884 the funds were exhaust
ed and not a oom was finished ready
for the opening Of the school year,
which was advertised for September
oath. A president was engaged at a
salary Of $4,000 per year but his salary
would not be forthcoming until actual
services began as the head of the
school. He agreed to advance $500 of
his salary to finish up a few rooms so
as to have the building ready for the
day set for the opening of school. The
offer was accepted and work was rush
ed. Three rooms were finished and
furnished, namely, what is now the
presidents office, the registrars office
and the secretary's office. This latter
room was seated with ordinary school
desks facing the east, a small rostrum
on the east side, just at the left Of the
door as you entered from the corridor.
1t was used for chapel, assembly, and
study room during the school year OF
1885. The remainder OF the build
ing, except the three room mentioned
was bare as a barn, the rendezvous of
bats, swallows and the bowling winds.
Old Central was the only building then
on College Hill. The nearest resi-
dences were the Randi Peter
son ,(now Prof. Shepard's) build
ing on the south and Mr.. Ander-
some (now M. G.. Carlisle's) on
the west. There a a diagonal path