The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-29


 take up his favorite pursuit of farming In Eutaw. Professor Stickney Is grad uate of the University of Alabama and during his college days was star ath- lete. For while he was editor of the Tuscaloosa News. Dr. ". F. Snow. hold ing masters degree from Harvard and the degree of doctor of philosophy from Columbia, was fortunately secured in his place. At the first of this year Bernie Jcnes, a brilliant graduate of the uni- versity and since that time a successful lawyer. was called back owing to the increase in the enrolment of the law school as assistant to Dean Farrah and Dr. Dickenson in the law department
 The figures for the first session of the University of Alabama in 1881 furnish a striking contrast to the present figures. The Rev. Ava Wood was the first pres-
 dent of the institution. He had three assistant teachers and a mere handful of students At present there is an enroll- ment of about HOO students and a faculty of about 100 teachers. This does not in- clude the summer school, which has in itself an enrolment of. 1000 and a num- Der of teachers.
 It is an interesting feature that the university lndes join with the lands of Bryce hospital In fact, the university buildings and those of the state insane asylum are in sight of each other. It is said that unchaperoned visitors are sometimes momentarily at loss to know which of these two great institutions is the university and which is the hospital. Both the university and the asylum own large bodies of mineral lands along the operates a coal mine right back of it's main buildings, which furnishes large portion of the coal used by the institu- tion.
 Of historical interest to the university are the old observatory and the little round house on the campus which were the only buildings not burned by General Croxton and his army of federal raiders during the civil war. On the campus is a stone erected by the United Daughters of the Confectionery commemorating the brave but unsuccessful efforts of the uni- versity cadets to save the buildings from the Union men in 1865. Both buildings have outlived their usefulness. but they will be preserved as relics of the ante bellum university that was destroyed. In the main library of the university are a number of desks which once graced the legislative halls. of the old state capital while it was situated at Tuscaloosa These desks are made of the best ma terial and are still in good condition. The pride of the university for beauty, structure and content is Smith han' named in honor of Dr. Eugene Allen Smith. state geologist, who has done so much for the university an. state. Smith hall contains the offices of the state geo. logical survey, the museum Of natural history. the biological, mineralogical ana the geological departments Of the state uniyersity. The museum which Is said to be the largest and most important or any in the south, contains the collections or the state geological survey and many prl' vate gifts from citizens ike Dr, Smitn and T. H. Aldrich.
 pr. Smith, who Is revered by all the studnnts has grown up with the univer- .Itv Only T. c, McCorvey, professor or historv. can approach him in the tipne 1 that he has been connected With the uni vorsity He was born in Autausa county, ] near Prattville, in is4l, ana hence is McT.orvcv. he graduated at the university. Dr Smith became state geologist since ls7s. and is still actively engaged In his duties in that capacity. Dr. Smith mar ried the daughter of Langdon Q. Gar land. former president of tho univorsity. The man who is responsible in large measure for the recent grown or tns vi ivarsity and who knows more apou' ,a nn rs,' university than any living man. IS pr 1 Georeo H, Denny, the present president, flr Denny became head of tho university Januarv i. lbi2, and since that tune he has iabored has iabored indefatisaniy TOT a greater institution. Dr. Denny knows avery student that is in the university snod he knows everything that is going on around it. His remarkable ability 70 re. ,nstsber names and faces has often peen a-sa .,satsd an. A freshman does not re-
 main in the college over three days until his name and home town are @ known | a.n. ?, fine genial president. pr. Denny keeps S,,,,sslf so well informed with the detail nf the administration that hs often sur prises his associates.
 Dr. Denny was born in Hanover county, v;rs;nia. in 1870. where so many promi'i neat men have sprung up in the nation g history, His father was clergyman of | the Presbyterian faith, Dr. Denny grad mated frea Hamton Sidney College and later received the highest degree from tne University of Virginia. He was connected with Washington and Lee University from l 1889 uatii 1911 in the separate capacities of professor of Latin. acting president and finally as president At present Dr. Denny | is trustee of the Carnegie Foundation l A n{ xnt.