OCR Text |
Show , . - - - y i - f -'" - t New Block U to be completed for Fall '69 The University's Block U was the center of a political storm during dur-ing the spring-summer quarter break when Sen. Frank E. Moss (D-Utah) charged Department of the Interior Solicitor Mitchell Melich's actions in the Block U land transfer were "politically oriented." The property where the Block U rests belongs to Salt Lake City Corporation, and the Department of the Interior had previously ruled it could be used only for a park. After the change in administration, administra-tion, the new solicitor ruled the land could be used for the new Block U. However, prior to his announcement about the block letter, let-ter, Mr. Melich notified the Republican Re-publican members of the Utah delegation but not the Democrat, Sen. Moss. "I have written to Mr. Melich stating that I consider this an overt act on his part to bypass me in order to give publicity to the Republican members of the Delegation," Dele-gation," said Sen. Moss on June 6. Mrs. Lee Ence of the Alumni Association Monday said, "Certainly "Cer-tainly all of our senators have worked on the project, and it is a shame that it happened (that Sen. Moss wasn't notified)." Presently, the construction bids are still out on the Block U. The cement and electrical work must be bid for separately. Mrs. Ence said construction would begin as soon as possible, and she projected The old block U a completion date of Homecoming fall 1969. The project to rebuild the Block U was started 18 months ago. The construction will replace the crumbling cement foundation of the present U and add an electrical system so the U can be lit after ahtletic events and on special occasions. oc-casions. The U was first lit for Homecoming 1967. Cost was figured at $10,000 with students contributing $2,500, the administration adding $2,500 and the alumni financing $5,000. Mrs. Ence said latest estimate indicated it may cost more. Block U finances were the center of a controvesy in the fall, 1968, when the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU) Executive Council added 25 cents admission fee to the Utah-Brigham Young football game. The project was also financed from a stomp and button drive. The Block U was first constructed con-structed in 1906 when the class of 1907 sodded " '07" in the hillside. The following morning the class of 1908 changed to number " "08." A decision to build the Block U was reached the following spring. It was the first school block letter in the nation. |