Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The University we know today is a growing thing. From its gray stucco neucleus it is expanding steadily southward until someday Carolina Stadium might well be on campus. Things were not always this way, however. As recently as the administration of Admiral Norman M. Smith, there was a great student-supported movement to forget the "steeped-in-tradition" bit and move the Uni versity to a site near the Veterans HospitaL. Backers of the plan found ample ammuni tion in the appearance of the grounds and buildings. The lawns were cluttered and un kept and the older buildings shed their stucco in season. It was not uncommon for several students to occupy one shabby room and attend classes at all hours of the day in attics, basements and other previously unused quarters, Dr. Hollis writes in his boek "University of South Carolina." In the dark days shortly after the turn of the century, there were no building booms and each structure erected stood as a monument to victory over some state pitician's taxcut program. Among these buildings is Davis College, home of the English Department. Built in 1908 at a cost of $34,000 it was named in honor of Professor R. Means Davis. The.- year 1910 saw the construction of Barnwell College which was then known as LeConte. It housed the science department which had previously occupied the first floor of the old gymnasium. Shortly thereafter in 1912, Thornwell, the first dorm since 1848, was constructed directly behind the ageless DeSaussure. This was followed by Woodrow Dormitory qnd the (entral heating plant. Central heating, then a luxury, cost the Woodrow residents an additional 10 dollars. In 1919 the University changed architects and the result was the present Currell Col lege,, tibs arehitecturail misfit of the inner campus. The 1920's saw the construction of Sloan College to house the departments of mathe intim, phss, and' engineering.' Also, as a ft of Edwin G. Seibels, Melton Obserya tory was bit on what had once been the mid le of Bull Street. R# es~Isboom at the University occurred, paradozicail, during the Great Depr~ andPresdent Roosevelt's New Deal. As a result of a Publi Works Adminis 'ae~s~ E1 $980 )Maxcy College and t&.e McBryde and the Coker wing of Thornwefl * t 7tdat a total edst of $225,454. '.*. '7(Cemtinued on page 21) 4~ ~Ic, . ......... .... .... .7' 4 - .71' I 414. NvS Mi.A .,saw *