Celebrating the past 100 years,1908-2008

Alfred State College: The First 60 Years Dr Daniel Barwick Author's note: The bulk of the information contained in this historical overview was taken from Elaine B Hritz's fine volume The First Sixty Years - A History of the State University Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred Although there is extensive restatement of factual material, I have indicated direct quotes from that volume with parenthetical page references Dr Daniel Barwick, interim director of Institutional Advancement and Sponsored Programs, is an associate professor of philosophy at Alfred State College Born in Utica, he earned a BA from SUNY Geneseo, an MA from The University of Iowa, and a PhD from SUNY Buffalo, all in philosophy His professional interests include ethics in fund raising and critical thinking instruction methodologies His personal interests include hiking, camping, and shooting sports He lives in Dansville with his wife and two daughters 1908-1919 New York's Grand Experiment In May 1908, the newspaper The Bolivar Breeze opined that the recently approved state expenditures for the "school of agriculture and experimental farm at Alfred" were perhaps the "most important event of the year." (3) The optimism of the newspaper The Wellsville Democrat was apparent when it wrote, "When they get their agriculture experimental station working, pumpkins will be measured with a surveyor's chain while four potatoes wi II fi II a car there is nothing the Alfred people cannot accomplish." (3) The school was dedicated on June 8, 1910, with the handing over of the keys to the buildings to Judge Peter B Mclennan of the Board of Managers The legislative act of 1908 outlined the objectives of the new school as follows: To give practical instruction in agriculture and kindred subjects; to conduct for the improvement of such instruction, investigation, and experiment in agricultural methods in Western New York, and in means and methods for the care and improvement of livestock; to stimulate agricultural pursuits and to increase knowledge by which such industry may be successfully carried on (6) The school opened its doors on Oct 18, 1909, with four faculty and 46 students (10 women and 36 men) By 1911, the enrollment had increased to 122 students (30 women and 92 men) In keeping with its objectives, the school immediately began to focus on efforts to assist farmers of western New York In a photo of the freshman class of 1913, it is interesting to note that the class president that year was a woman, Cora Regwald (1912) The first Farmers' Institute was held at the school March 14, 1910 It provided 18 different speakers on various subjects, with over 1,500 people in attendance The Farmers' Institutes were held annually until 1914 Because the school was originally part of Alfred University, the title of first president belongs to then-Alfred University President Boothe C Davis, who managed to gather the financial and legislative support that brought this agricultural experiment to fruition Student life was, of course, quite different from today, without TVs, radios, computers, or even movies There were also no bars (alcohol was prohibited in Allegany County), and as Helen Cottrell noted, while the school brought changes to the village, the village brought its social norms to the school Male students were housed in the Stillman House dormitory and women at the "Ladies Hall," the Brick, although the majority of students lodged in private homes The chief form of social activity appears to have been eating; students formed eating clubs both to reduce expenses and to socialize The first fraternity, Gamma Theta Gamma, appeared in 1920 through the combination of two clubs, the Bachelor's Club and the Knights of the Aggies Commencement was in some ways quite different from today, because the requirements for graduation were different Besides successful completion of the student's course of study, a number of other activities are described by Helen Cottrell: For seniors, the ordeal of Commencement was often greater than the two years of hard work which led up to it Before even being called to the rostrum for his diploma, he would have survived the following program: The senior play, a musicale, class day exercises, the Senior Ball, the Alumni Banquet, and the Baccalaureate Sermon, to say nothing of various A 230-acre farm belonging to the Charles Stillman family was purchased for $14, 500 in 1909, and a dairy barn and milk house were built in 1909-10 On Dec 31, 1910, within two weeks of completion, a fire destroyed the main part of the large new dairy barn After rebuilding, it served the college as its main barn until Oct 2, 1960, when a fire, estimated to have caused $250,000 in damage, burned it to the ground It was located where the bus garage is now, across Route 244 from the Horticulture building ~ informal picnics with classmates before final parting (22) A s • • "' • ) On May 8, 1908, NYS Gov Charles Evans Hughes signed the Agricultural School Bill creating an agricultural school at Alfred University After the news of the passage was received in Alfred, a noisy, impromptu parade wound its way through the village streets _ (.?/(!I'- ip;;,., (~,:,: '!{ 'l r l.e11gth uf Srhnol Year- October 15-t\pril l.cngth of Cour,t•,- .i and yeari- Tui tion- no ne Fees-none ' i 1915 School Calendar OCTOBER, Firit Monti, Don't be too nice It is such an impediment to usdulnC"ss stuttC" rinc: is co speech, a port of spiritual indi1restion: a hesitation in your carburetcr By all means, be a 1rendeman, in manners and spirit, in so far as you know how, but be one from inside, out An11Mlenariu a11d Advic, ~~- ~ i • i I + i ! " " $) ~ " in Two Ycan, rt So1d for Cotuloy11,· m,d Pnrti(lt/or.r i '' 1.iYing- t·~pt·n:-c~- '4.oo to $5.00 per week Giil complete the Cc ncral Course 11 igh !°'d10ol t ;ra,111.itc ,ci I ·., ~ I j f ·~ @ t; tlilurgun tlirrrtnr !\lfrrb, Nrw fork 26 2i 28 29 30 31 Scnio~ elect dau officers White oaks :are now in the height of 1h rir autumnal he:auty Sabbath Day Football practice Columbus Day Frih elect dus officC"rs If you want to S