Â鶹ԼÅÄ

ÌýA Highlight of Events of Note

• 1911ÌýFebruary 11. U.S. President William Howard Taft speaks in the Assembly Hall, now Albert Taylor Theatre. His audience included 100 Civil War veterans.
• 1912ÌýThe new Gymnasium opens in the spring. The Conservatory of Music opens in the fall
• 1913ÌýJuly 1. Dr. George E. Fellows becomes Â鶹ԼÅÄ's second president.
• 1914ÌýAccreditation is granted to the Decatur College and Industrial School by the North Central Association.
• 1915ÌýThe state high school basketball tournament is held in the New Gymnasium. First homecoming celebration is held in the fall.
• 1917ÌýTwo drill companies are formed on the campus.
• 1918ÌýThe Student Army Train Corps (SATC) is officially established and then dissolved a month later when World War I ends.
• 1919ÌýThe One Million-Dollar Endowment campaign is launched.
• 1920ÌýDr. Louis Holden Becomes Â鶹ԼÅÄ's third president. Tuition increases to $150 per year.

President Taft Visits Â鶹ԼÅÄ
President William Howard Taft spoke at Â鶹ԼÅÄ University on Feb. 11, 1911. He was enroute to Springfield to speak at the annual banquet of the Lincoln Memorial Club.

Dr. George Fellows, Â鶹ԼÅÄ's second president
Photograph of President Fellows and his Inauguration program. George Emory Fellows was inaugurated as the second president of Â鶹ԼÅÄ University on Dec. 9, 1913. He served from 1913-1915.

The Fellows Administration marked the only attempt to establish a school of agriculture on Â鶹ԼÅÄ's campus. The six-week course elicited little response and, due to high costs, was cut.

Student Army Training Corps (SATC)
In response to the first world war, a Student army training corps was established on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ campus. Six green barracks, complete with mess hall, were constructed for the S.A.T.C. station at a cost of $30,000. The gymnasium served as an armory.

A simulated battlefield, complete with trenches and foxholes, was constructed north of the Conservatory in the area near the new science building and Kirkland.

Â鶹ԼÅÄ University sent greetings and support to its student soldiers on a regular basis. An example of one of the cards is shown on the right.
	May Fete The annual May Fete took place beginning in 1909. It included the wrapping of the may pole, and the crowning of a queen.
Decatur String Quartet The Decatur String Quartet was established 1912 by Professor Edson Morphy, violin professor and conductor of the Conservatory of Music Orchestra. Members of the group are (L to R): Edson Morphy, George Schwartz, Dr. J.H. McDunnough, and Mary Hemenway, instructor of violin and 1911 graduate of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Conservatory of Music. The picture was taken for their first performance together in January 1912.

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	The New Gymnasium, 1913.

Student Exhibitions
Annual shows of student projects, open to the public, were an opportunity for students to showcase their creations. Dresses made by the domestic economy classes are featured in 1913. These annual exhibitions were held through 1913.

Dr. Louis E. Holden
Â鶹ԼÅÄ's third president was appointed in February 1920 and served in that capacity until 1923.

This page created Feb. 20, 2002,
Copyright 2001: Â鶹ԼÅÄ University Board of Trustees