Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-09
WI Y First Step OF kind Ever
Taken In United States;
Plan Fostered By Dr.. E. P.
Robertson and President
/ Webster Merrifield.

Today marks the seventeenth an
~niversary of the aftiliation of Wes-
ley College Of North Dakota with the
state university. 1t SO happens hat
the day of the week is the same this
year IS it was in the veal of the aftili-
alton in 1905.
The utilization of these two institu-
tiOns was the first step OF its kind
ever taken in the United States and
has been the basis and precedent for
all subsequent steps of this nature
taken throughout the country. To DR..
2. Y. Robertson. president of the Red
River Valley University at the time
OF the change, n now president OF
Wesley College. goes much of the
credit for inauguration of this plan.
Assisting him, and extending an invi-
tation for utilization. was President
Webster Mortified. for twenty-five
years associated with the university.
Robertson Made President.
In the fall OF 1899 DR.. Robertson
was elected president of the Red Riv-
.er Valley University at Wahpeton. In
the same year he made arrangements
to confer with President Merrifield
regarding the advisability of connect
ing the work of the two schools. and
In the spring of 1900 President Merri-
"a lV1u IN an duufCSS UclOIe Lie -IuCL1Ao-
dist annual conference urged the
Methodists of the state Ito remove
their UNCONVENTIONAL college from it's
location at 'Wahpeton to a new loca-
ton adjoining the university campus
with a view to such a degree of affili-,
alton or association with the state
university as would make it possible
for the Methodist institution to make
use, to the fullest extent which might
seem desirable. of the facilities at
forded by the university for purely
academic work, while retaining in
its own hands the instruction of its
pupils in those subjects that lie with
in the general field of religious edu-
cation @ .w+
In 1906 with the establishment OF
the State Science School at Wahpeton
the matter was again brought up for
consideration, it being deemed ad-
yisable to. move the location of the
school SO as not to conflict with the
work Of the new institution. A meet
ing of the board of trustees of the
UNCONVENTIONAL university was held
January 10 in Fargo for the purpose
of considering plans. Among the
plans, considered was that of accept
ance of the invitation of the state uni
yersity for utilization with it.
. Grand FORKS Concerned.
Because of the interest of the mat
ter to the city of Grand Forks. a
committee from the Commercial club
Of Grand Forks composed of E. j.
Lander. r. B. Griffith. and Sidney
Clark, attended this meeting to urge
the moving Of the school to this To-
cality. The consideration was finally
left to- be brought up before an ad-
visory meeting of representatives of
the Methodist laymen of the state. At
this second meeting it was decided to.
move the school. the matter of loca-
tion to be left to the board of trus-
tees. On May seventeenth of that
year a resolution was passed to ac-
cept the invitation of the university.
Official decision was made by the
annual state conference held in Far
go IN October that year. Following
the official vote the board of trustees
met and voted to. change the articles