Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-15
Doane College to Celebrate Golden Anniversary
Campus Reunion and Speak.
ing Program to Mark
the Fiftieth
Year.


Doane college OF Crete, Neb., will
celebrate It's golden anniversary June
~ with . campus reunion oi gfsdu.
a'es and students and programs OF
music and speaking.
II was way back in 1854 that q
colony ot Bapiisis from Quincy. Ill.
ecanped at Fontenelie. northeast OF
Fremont. and founded there an ins,i.
tuition known as Nebraska Uniyer-
siiy.' The colony asked congress for
a grant OF 10000 acres OF land and
Was refused. Other discouragements
following. IL transferred lis eduea.
tional institution 10 the Congrega-
tional association IN 1853.
The genssal association organized
by them in 1857 had resolved 10
found an institution oi higher ednea-
ton, bu, the dark days OF Indian
seares, war, prvaiion and financial
strlngency compelled the association
10 convey all the property, right and
title we possess in Nebraska uniyer-
sity TO the citizens OF Fonienellc as
per original contract. or 10 such
other persons as the trustees may de-
eide upon"
Hsmpered by Privation.
In 1871 the general association
recommended the establishment OF
several academies. Milford and Crete
being both mentioned as having Of
tered sites. Weeping Water was
aDplso considered as a location for the
college IN he established
In Omaha in June. 1872. at the
First Congregational church. the gen.
eral association heard the report OF
the committee on education. Forty,
two Congregational churches were
now III Nebraska. Crete, beautifully
situated on the Blue river, was
chosen as the site. and Doane college
came into legal existence July ii,
1872.
The buildings so far have been To-
Gated in cluster on the northwest
corner of the campus and adjoining
the town.
The story of the acquisition OF this
land and the moving OF the college |
classes from the old academy build
ing in the town, would make All inter-
csting ono by itself.
Railroad Gave Land.
Briefly, the Burlington and Mis-
souri, River Railroad company.
through the good Offices Of Mr..
Thomas Doane, made an offer OF 6OO
acres OF land, on condition the co..
lege should possess property to the
amount OF $4,000, and that it should
secure the official recognition OF the
Society for the Promotion OF Collie
giate and Theological Education. By
the personal pledges of Colonel
Doanc and by the work OF the Rev.
ID. B. Perry among eastern friends
and by canvass in Nebraska, the col
lege came into possession OF the re-
town, Mass, who was devoted
friend to the college and its most
generous benefactor. Colonel Doane
achieved fame in 1868 as the chief
engineer OF the Hoosac tunnel. In
1869 he became chief engineer and
of the Burlington and
Missouri in Nebraska. He surveyed
eile branch line from Crete to Be-
quired $4,000, the recognition OF the
educational society and the deed OF
600 acres OF land was given Janu-
ary l, 1874. On June "a, so town
lots in Crete were given by the East
ern Land association.
Col. Thomas Doane, for whom the
college serves as memorial by ITS
name, was civil engineer Of Charles I
atrice and the road was in use in ~
DAYS. He named the towns on the
line from Plattsmouth to Kearney.
many of them New England names.
He was large giver to the young
college and great part Of his estate
became a permanent college endow-
ment. His children attended Doane
and three grandchildren graduated
One grandson is trus-
tee.
Has Big Observatory
Boswell observatory was named
for Charles Boswell Of West Hart
ford, Conn, a large benefactor of the
college. This observatory was PLAN
ned and built by Prof. 6. D. Swezey
in 1883 as the home Of fine tele-
scope with an eight-inch objective. .
making the tube about ten feet long,
which enables the observer to see
an object Magnihed from 100 to 600
diameters. The observatory is also
equipped with a large transit instru-
mcnt OF two and one-half inch aper-
ture for taking the time, calculating
the latitude of the place, and other
sumiar problems dear to the heart of .
the student astronomer. This tran
sit instrument was one Of pair of
transits with which Thomas Doane. I
the civil engineer. surveyed out and
directed the digging of the Hoosac
yM,nel, at that time one of the most {
OF engineering triumphs. !
The tunnel was constructed from /
each end simultaneously, and the !,
lines came together with a miss OF r
only l-8 inch.
Perry Was First Head.
No mention of Doane college
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