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	Term Expires
John R. Webster, Omaha	1931
Earl Cline, Lincoln	1931
Frank J. Taylor, St. Paul	1933
Stanley D. Long, Cowles	1933
Fred A. Marsh, Archer	1935
Marion A. Shaw	1935

John R. Webster	President
James S. Dales	Corporation Secretary
L. E. Gunderson	Finance Secretart

     The University of Nebraska was founded by act of the legislature of February 15, 1869. Its object was declared to be "to afford to the inhabitants of this state the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of literature, science and art."

     The congressional act of July 21, 1862, provided an endowment of land for the several states for the maintenance of at least one college in each, where branches related to agriculture and the mechanic arts should be the leading subjects of instruction. By the terms of this grant instruction must be offered in military science. Nebraska's share of this land endowment amounted to 90,000 acres. The enabling act of April 19, 1864, set aside seventy-two sections of land for the support of a state university. By legislative act of February 15, 1869, the government of the university was vested in a board of regents of twelve members, nine of whom were to be elected by the legislature, three from each judicial district. These, with the governor, superintendent of public instruction and the chancellor, constituted the board. The constitution of 1875 included the university for the first time in the organic law of the state and provided for a board of six regents elected as other state officers are elected, for terms of six years. By a constitutional amendment adopted September 21, 1920, the regents are elected from six districts instead of at large.

     The school was opened to students on September 7, 1871. There were eight regular and twelve irregular collegiate students and 110 preparatory students the first year.

     The university. act provided for a model farm on two sections of agricultural land or on saline lands. In his message of 1871, Governor Butler recommended the sale of some state land and the purchase of half a section of land near Lincoln. The lands set aside were sold, and on June 25, 1874, Moses M. Culver and his wife, in consideration of $6,050 in cash and $11,500 payable in four years, deeded to the regents the farm of 320 acres which is known as the agricultural college farm. This farm is about two and one-half miles from the main campus. The 90,000 acres in the original government grant were selected in Antelope, Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, L'Eau qui Court (afterwards Knox), Pierce and Wayne counties. The proceeds of the sale of these lands and the lands still held constitute the permanent endowment funds, now amounting to $951,981.11 (June 80, 1980.) The other revenues of the university are derived from special annual funds from the United States, appropriations made by the legislature, fees paid by students, and cash paid for products or services.

     In addition to the usual and necessary activities of an institution for higher education, the university has been made, from time to time, the custodian of certain instrumentalities for the furthering of scientific and scholarly research and public welfare. These include botanical agricultural work, hog cholera serum distribution, legislative reference bureau and the conservation and survey division.

     The University of Nebraska today is one of the great universities of the United States. The grand total enrollment for the year 1929-30 was 11,813 students. Up to August 1929, it has granted 17,414 degrees.

     The university embraces ten different colleges: graduate, arts and sciences, agriculture, engineering, law, teachers, medicine. (at Omaha), pharmacy, business administration and dentistry. There is a school of fine arts and a school of journalism in the college of arts and sciences, and a school of nursing in connection with the college of medicine at Omaha: also the teachers' college high school, the Nebraska school of agriculture at Curtis, the Nebraska agricultural experiment station, the experiment substations at North Platte, Valentine, Scottsbluff and Alliance, the agricultural extension service. The university extension division, and the Nebraska engineering experiment station are also under the supervision of the board of regents of the University.

     Besides its actual instructional work, the university is a great service institution. The medical college hospital reports, 1929-30, 58,236 patient days. Thus patients from all parts of the state, who would not otherwise have been able to secure treatment or who would have become charges upon their respective counties were cared for. The university places nearly a thousand students each year as teachers in the schools of the state.

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

     The agricultural experiment station was established by act of congress approved March 2, 1887, known as the Hatch act. This act was supplemented by the Adams act, approved March 16, 1906. Through each. of these acts, the university receives $15,000 each year for agricultural experiment purposes. The Adams appropriation is limited strictly to investigation of projects approved by the office of experiment stations, which has charge of that work for the United States department of agriculture. The work of the experiment station was supplemented further through the passage of the Purnell act, approved February 24, 1925. This act appropriated $20,000 to each state for the year ending June 30, 1926, and $10,000 additional for each succeeding year until the appropriation shall have reached $60,000 per annum.

     The work of the experiment station has grown until the expenditures from, state appropriations materially exceed those from the federal government. The thirty-eighth annual report of the Nebraska agricultural experiment station, published in 1925, gave the expenditures from state university appropriation and cash receipts from sales as $178,808.05, in addition to the $30,000 received from the federal government. These expenditures are used to conduct original research or experiments bearing directly upon the agricultural industry of the state. In addition to the central station at Lincoln, the state legislature has established experimental farms at North Platte, Valentine and Mitchell in cooperation. with the United States department of agriculture. The central station has two outlying farms, one for crop study, about three miles from the central station, and one for the study of orchard management at Union, Nebraska.

     The first appropriation for farmers' institute work by the university was made in 1897. Succeeding legislatures increased the appropriations for this, purpose until 1914 when farmers' institute work was merged into agricultural extension work in 1914.

By-an act of congress, approved May 8, 1914, a permanent appropriation of $10,000 annually was made to each state which was receiving the benefits of the several Morrill acts. The purpose of this appropriation was to further co-operative extension work in agriculture

and in home economics, and "giving instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics to persons not in attendance at the agricultural college." This work was to be done in the several counties of the state through field demonstrations, special agents, such as county and home demonstration agents, publications, and otherwise. In addition to the first sum of $10,000, a gradually increasing appropriation of money was made to the several states on condition that the state should appropriate an equal sum for the same purpose. In Nebraska, this additional appropriation now amounts to approximately $100,000 per year from the federal government, which is matched by an equal amount appropriated by the state legislature and by various counties in the state.

     The state vocational education board has designated the university as the teacher training school for Smith-Hughes teachers. There are now about seventy-five students enrolled in vocational education, and additional funds from the Smith-Hughes fund will enable the university to enlarge its facilities for this teacher training.

     In 1908 Governor Sheldon, upon his own initiative, appointed a commission which was called the Nebraska conservation commission.
     The legislature of 1909 gave this commission a small appropriation, and the next legislature increased the appropriation, making it payable to the conservation and soil survey and requiring it to be expended by the director under control of the regents of the university. An act of 1913 legalized this survey and defined its work.
     A new law enlarging the scope of the work was enacted in 1919, and supplanted by a still more comprehensive law in 1921. Under the existing statute the conservation and survey division of the university includes the following state surveys: soil, geological, water. and water power, forest, road materials and industrial.

The conservation and survey division is required to
     1. Survey and describe the natural resources of the state.
     2. Study the climate, physical features, geology and mineral resources of the state.
     3. Study and describe the operations, production and importance of the leading industries of the state.
     4. Investigate and report upon conservation problems.
     5. Study the water bearing formations and assist the citizens in locating water supplies.
     6. Appoint a member of the division to act as state forester to assist In developing the forest resources and parks.
     7. Secure and preserve the logs of wells drilled in the state.

     8. Prepare and show lantern slides or pictures, including motion pictures, of the state's resources, industries, institutions and development, within and without the state.
     9. Compile and record or publish information with reference to the state's resources, industries and development, and serve as an information bureau concerning them.
     10. Investigate and report on foreign realty, oil, gas and mineral properties offered for sale in Nebraska.

     The Nebraska legislative reference bureau dates its official beginning May 10, 1906. On that day the executive board of the state historical society authorized the organization of this new department of its work.
     The work of organizing the new department was assigned by the historical society board to Addison B. Sheldon, director of field work of the historical society, and was to be carried on in connection with his other duties. Only $850 was available for the beginning of the work.
     The service rendered by the department was recognized by the legislature of 1911 by the passage of a law establishing the Legislative reference bureau under the government of the regents of the university.
     The bureau maintains an office and library in the library building on the university campus, and an office and bill drafting service at the capitol during the sessions of the legislature. The library consists of pamphlets, clippings, manuscripts, periodicals, reports and books, numbering probably more than 35,000 pieces. The collection is restricted to material on government, public welfare, civics and related topics. Loans of material are constantly being made to citizens in all parts of the state.
     The bureau is authorized by law to " carry on research in subjects of special public, interest, to publish the same and in every way to promote the diffusion of accurate and reliable information upon questions connected with the development of civic life in Nebraska."
     The regular publications of the bureau are the Nebraska blue book, the subject index to bills, and the Legislative manual, every other year. Special bulletins are issued from time to time. A "Nebraska taxpayers' handbook" was issued in 1928.

The legislature of 1907 made an appropriation of $1,500 for an investigation of malarial or swamp fever in horses, and $1,000 for an investigation of tuberculosis in hogs. This work was under the direction of the Nebraska experiment station. The legislature of 1909 made an appropriation for the investigation of hog cholera to be expended by the regents of the university. In 1911 the legislature established a plant for the production and distribution of hog cholera serum under

Colleges--
     Literature, science and arts, 1872 to date.
          Since 1909 called College of arts and sciences.
     Agriculture, 1872-1876, 1909 to date.
          Included in the industrial college, 1876-1909.
     Industrial college, 1877-1909.
          Reorganization of colleges in 1909 subdivided this group into colleges of agriculture and engineering.
     Medicine, 1888-1888, 1902 to date.
          No courses in medicine were given between 1888-1902.
     Law, 1892 to date.
     Teachers' college. 1908 to date.
     Graduate college, 1909 to date.
     Engineering college, 1909 to date.
          All engineering courses grouped in this college in 1909.
     Pharmacy, 1915 to date.
     Business administration, 1919 to date.
     Dentistry, 1919 to date.
Schools--
     Latin school (two-year preparatory course), 1872-1901.
          This school was discontinued in 1895, but registrations were made in a preparatory school under university auspices until 1901.
     Graduate school, 1896-1909.
          Graduate college established in 1909.
     Sugar school, 1896-1900.
     Mechanic arts, School of, 1896-1909.
     Agriculture, School of, 1895 to 1929.
     Domestic science, School of, 1898-1906.
          Since 1906 these courses were included in the industrial and agricultural colleges.
     Fine arts, School of, 1898 to date.
     Music

            Affiliated school of, 1898-1911.
            Connection with the university terminated in 1911.
      Department of university extension, 1908.
      Pharmacy, School of, 1908 to 1915.
            College of pharmacy established in 1915.
      Teachers' college high school, 1911 to date.
      Commerce, School of, 1913 to 1949.
            College of business administration established in 1919.
      Nebraska school of agriculture, Curtis, 1914 to date.
      Education, Graduate school of, 1914 to 1919.
      Nursing, School of, 1917 to date.
      Dentistry, School of, 1918 to 1919.
            College of dentistry established in 1919.
      Nebraska school of irrigation, Scottsbluff, organized, 1920. Discontinued, 1923.
      Trades school, 1921-1925.
      Journalism, 1923.

Courses
      Classical, 1872-1909.
      Scientific, 1872-1908.
            After 1896 called General scientific.
      Agricultural, 1873 to date.
           In 1898 divided into general and technical courses.
      Latin, scientific, 1873-1880.
      Greek,. scientific, 1873-1878.
      Literary, 1877-1909.
      Civil engineering, 1877-1898.
            Given in engineering group after 1898.
      Medicine, 1884-1888, 1902 to date.
      Law, 1892 to date. English, 1896-1898.
      Philosophical, 1896-1898.
      Biological, 1896-1898.
      Chemico-physicaI, 1896-1898.
      Electrical and steam engineering, 1896-1898.
            Given in engineering college after 1898.
      Mathematical-physical, 1896-1898.
      Special professional courses, 1896-1899.
            Preparatory to teachers, law, journalism, medicine.
      Sugar, 1896-1900.
      Mechanic arts, 1896-1909.
      Graduate, 1896-1909.
      Language, 1896-1897.
      Practical science, 1897-1898.
      Municipal engineering, 1897-1898.
      Agriculture (School), 1898 to date.
      Special classical, 1898-1899.

© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller