The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-26
DR.. SMITH TELLS
OF HIS BOYHOOD
DAYS AT U..OF A.
Tells of Burning of University
by Federal Troops-Re-
calls Introduction of
Football

In a reminiscent mood, DR.. Eugene
j Allen Smith, professor emeritus of
geology at the University of Ala
luncheon of university alumni at
the Tutwiler hotel yesterday some
fascinating facts regarding things as
they were at the state university
half century ago.
my college career at the univer-
sity was interrupted by the war be-
tween the states," said DIR. Smith.
Like some of the boys In the recent
World war. l did not receive my di-
ploma at a regular commencement,
but it was sent me while was away
with the army. That was In 1862.
Following the war i spent three
years in Europe and after coming
back to this country, became assist
ant of the geological survey at the
University of Mississippi.
IT returned to the University of
Alabama in 1871, when the new
regime, which succeeded the scally-
wags and carpetbaggers, went into
office. The situation under the car
petbaggers was one of demoraliza-
tion. There were never at any time
any negroes at the university, but the
conditions under which the white
students labored were we'll nigh in
tolerable. At one time. dring the "re-
construction" regime, the total en-
rollment at the university was 55.
During the war, the enrolment
had been kept around 200 or 900, but
that was largely to be accounted for
by the fact that the university had
become little more than high
school. Boys of Is and 16 were free
ly admitted. In 1871, when I came
back to the university. the enroll
ment was between 150 and zoo, and
IL was not until several years after
that time that the 800 mark was
again reached.
The university that greeted me Tn
my return was nothing like the one
had left 10 years before. There
was not the grandeur of the old
Rotunda. the pride of the University
in the days before tho war. 1t had
fallen prey to the torch of the north
ern soldiers. who laid waste to prac-
ticaily everything at the university,
leaving only the small round house
build during the war az post for
the officer of the day-the Gorgas
home, the observatory, and one or
two professors homes as links with
former days. jefferson, Franklin
and Washington halls had suffered q
common fate with the Rotunda.
woods Hall had been built In
1865, and It served the purpose of
1ormitery, classroom building. kitch-
on and mess hall, and administra-
tive offices. 1t was the university
mo other buildings were erected
until 1885. when Manly, Clerk and
Garland Halls were built These
buildings were made possible largely
Hfough tho work CT General Nor
gan. who secured lands from the
asa sral government which the univer-
elss had not previously been able to
% lin.
;ince that time tho university has
con .inued to grow, until now there
HHs as many members of the faculty
As there were students when en-
tstad, back In the sixties.
we'll remember the introduction
81 ootbaIl at the university. That
as not so long ago. DR.. Little. who
nov lives at Livingston. was the first
zach, and the first Alabama team
went on the gridiron some time in the
carly nineties. The first games that
were played were with normal schools
IN the state.
y idge VandeGraaff. who recently
died in Tuscaloosa, was the first to
dsnlonstrate the curved ball at the
AMI Farsity. He had been at Yale fol-
lot ng his graduation from the uni
versity, and brought the curved ball
back with him. Prior to that time
much discussion had been engaged in
among students, and also among
members OF the faculty as to whether
a baseball could be curved or not.
Hugh Morrow was the greatest
pitcher the university ever produced.