Show U U History Shows Humble Beginning Steady Progress I By NATHAN More than a thousand miles from the frontiers of civilization the provisional government of the State Stats of Deseret composed of a few hardy har har- dy pioneers drew up a bill providing providing providing provid provid- ing for the incorporation of the University ty of Deseret That was wason wason wason on February 28 1850 About 2 years later on Oct 4 4 1851 the proposal was ratified by the legislature legislature legislature legis legis- i lature of the Territory of Utah After he had affixed his signature signature signa signature signa- signa ture to the bill Governor Brigham Young appointed Orson Spencer to the and Daniel Spencer Spen Spen- Orson Pratt John M III At Bernhisel Bernhisel Bernhisel Bern Bern- hisel Samuel W W. Richards W. W W W. Phelps Albert Carrington William WilliamL L L. Appleby Daniel Wells Robert L. L Campbell Hosia Stout Elias Ellas Smith and Snow to the Board of pf Regents At the first meeting of the Board of Regents March 13 1850 three men t tog together o g e t h er with Governor Young were appointed to choose the site for the University These men chose approximately 50 acres of land on the east bench of Salt Lake City exactly where the uni um- university university uni- uni now stands It was planned to enclose the place with a rock rockwall rockwall rockwall wall and to place beautiful trees and shrubbery on the grounds Within three years one hundred and thirty thirty five five rods of this wan watt was completed The establishment t of Fort Douglas prevented I t thet the completion of this project Classes were begun Nov 16 1850 in in the home horne of John Pack at West Temple and 3rd North Streets under the supervision of Orson Spencer On February 17 1857 i i the school was moved to to th the basement basement basement base base- ment of the Old Council House I which occupied the site where the Deseret News building now stands stand Toward the close of the year 1857 instruction was discontinued and not resumed until 1867 1967 Two years later Dr John Rocky Park a New York University graduate was as appointed president of the uni university uni- uni T TIe The e s school hool was then removed removed removed re re- moved to a Uniting factory situated situated situated situ situ- across from where the West High School now is is The first catalogue issued by the university in m the tame fame year listed the following as members of the faculty John R R. R. R Park Orson Pratt Bernhard H H. H Bergman William Reiss Louis F F. Harmel Pratt W W. C C. Johnson Joseph Rawlins Rawlins Raw- Raw lins hns King and M MH H Hardy The school grew with great rapidity ra ra- A normal school was established established established es es- in 1869 while engineering courses were inaugurated in m 1891 and 1892 In 1901 the state legislature legislature legislature legis legis- lature formally established the state school of mines as part of the university The Salt Lake Literary Literary Literary Liter Liter- ary and Scientific Association had already tready endowed the chair of the Deseret of Geology Geology gy in April 1894 with Subsequently Dr Park presented his personal library of thousands of volumes to the university In 1892 Dr Joseph T. T Kingsbury Kingsbury Kingsbury Kings- Kings bury then professor of chemistry i was appointed acting president which office he held until 1894 when Dr John Talmadge was appointed ap ap- pointed Three years later however however however how how- ever Dr Kingsbury reassumed the duties of l Vee e presidency The newly newly new new- ly ly appointed executive urged that the university be V i j pm ved to Ste ally sele ted Selected ted by Cover a- a or Brigham Yount and the members of the board of regents Obtaining an appropriation of f from the state slate the university university university uni- uni uni uni- began in in 1899 the construction construction construction con con- of the Physical Science Liberal Arts and Industrial Education Education Education tion buildings Funds from this appropriation appropriation ap ap- defrayed the expense of planting lawns and trees on the grounds The Ile work was completed in in 1900 For five years 1916 to 1921 Dr John Andreas Widtsoe guided the destinies of the university Upon his resignation he was succeeded by President George Thomas Kingsbury Hall Hall Hallwas was was completed in m the spring of 1930 at a cost of while the Union building was completed approximately four years ago at a cost clo close e to half a million dollars A new library the George Thomas Thom s is is now under construction construction construction con con- I and will cost approximately approximately |