HON. P. L. SPOONER, HON. H. S. ORTON, LL. D., J. H. CARPENTER, Esq., WM. F, VILAS, LL. B. R. B. ANDERSON, A. M. ROBERT H. BROWN, PH. B., MRS. D. E. CARSON, MISS LIZZIE S. SPENCER, PH. B., MISS SUE R. EARNEST, MISS AUGUSTA BUETTNER, HISTORY. The State University was founded upon a grant of seventy-two sections of land made by Congress to the Territory of Wisconsin, as shown in Chap. ter 110, U. S. Laws of 1838, entitled: "AN ACT Concerning a Seminary of Learning in the Territory of Wisconsin. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress Assembled, That the Secretary of the Treas. ury be, and he is hereby anthorized to set apart and reserve from sale, out of any of the public lands within the Territory of Wisconsin, to which the Indian title has been, or may be, extinguished, and not otherwise appropriated, a quantity of land not exceeding two entire townships, for the sapport of a University within the said Territory, and for no other use or purpose whatsoever; to be located in tracts of land not less than an entire section, corresponding with any of the legal divisions into which the public lands are authorized to be surveyed." The Territorial Legislature, at its session of 1838, passed a law incorporating the "University of the Territory of Wisconsin," locating the same at or near Madison. At the same session, a Board of Visitors was appointed, consisting of the following persons: The Governor, and Secretary of the Terri tory, the Judges of the Supreme Court, and the President of the University, ex-officio, and B. B. CARY, MARSHAL M. STRONG, BYRON KILBOURN, WM. A. GARDNER, CHARLES R. BRUSH, C. C. ARNDT, JOHN CATLIN, GEORGE H. SLAUGHTER, DAVID BRIGHAM, JOHN F. SCHEMERHORN, WM. W. CORYELL, GEO. BEATTY, HENRY L. DODGE and AUGUSTUS A. BIRD. Nothing, however, was done by this Board, although they legally remained in office until the organization of the State Government in 1848. In 1841, NATHANIEL F. HYDE was appointed Commissioner to select the lands donated to the State for the maintenance of the University, who performed the duty assigned him in a most acceptable manner. Section 6 of Article 10 of the State Constitution provides that "provision rhall be made by law for the establishment of a State University at or near the seat of government. The proceeds of all lands that have been or may hereafter be granted by the United States to the State, for the support of a University, shall be and remain a perpetual fund, to be called the 'University Fund,' the interest of which shall be appropriated to the support of the State University." Immediately upon the inauguration of the State Government, an act was passed incorporating the State University, and a Board of Regents appointed, who at once organized the University by the election of JOHN H. LATHROP, LL.D., as Chancellor, and JOHN W. STERLING, as Professor. The first Board of Regents consisted of the following gentlemen: A. L. COLLINS, E. V. WHI TON, J. H. ROUNTREE, J. T. CLARK, ELEAZER ROOT, A. HYATT SMITH, SIMEON MILLS, HENRY BRYAN, RUFUS KING, THOS. W. SUTHERLAND, CYRUS WOODMAN, HIRAM BARBER and JOHN BANNISTER. The University was formally opened by the public inauguration of Chancellor LATHROP, January 16, 1850. The Preparatory Department of the University was opened, under the charge of Chancellor LATHROP and Prof. J. W. STERLING, in part of what is now known as the Madison High School Building, February 5, 1849, with twenty pupils. In 1849, the Regents purchased nearly two hundred acres of land, comprising what is now known as the "University Addition to the City of Madison," and the old "University grounds." In 1851, the north dormitory was completed, and the first college classes formed. In 1854, the south dormitory was erected. These buildings were erected from the income of the University Fund, without any appropriation on the part of the State. The rapid settlement of the State at this period, induced a heavy speculation in lands as well as heavy purchases for actual occupancy, so that the income of the University was comparatively large, amounting in 1861, to $18,307.70. The State has always pursued an unfortunate policy with regard to the lands donated to the University, apparently considering them as granted to the State absolutely and not in trust. The lands were appraised so low as to come into competition with government lands, and large tracts were bought up on speculation for $3 an acre, which to-day would readily bring $25. Owing to the fact that the lands comprising the original grant had produced a fund wholly inadequate to the support of the University, in 1854, a further grant of seventy-two sections of land was made by Congress to the State, for the use of the University. The act granting such lands is chapter five, U. S. Laws of 1854, and is entitled, "AN ACT to relinquish to the State of Wisconsin the lands reserved for Salt Springs therein. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in lieu of the 'twelve salt springs with six sections of land adjoining to each,' heretofore granted to the State of Wisconsin for its use by the fourth clause of the seventh section of the act, entitled 'an act to enable the people of Wisconsin Territory to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union,' approved the sixth day of August, in the year eighteen hundred and forty-six, there be and hereby is granted to the said State of Wisconsin, to be selected by the legislature of said State out of any public land subject to private entry, and to be sold in such manner as the legislature may direct, for the benefit and in aid of the University of said State, and for no other purpose whatever, seventy-two sections of land: provided, that any selections of land heretofore made under the act, entitled' an act to extend the time for seiecting land granted to the State of Wisconsin for saline purposes,' approved the fourth day of May, eighteen hundred and fifty-two, and which shall not have been sold by the United States, and is not legally claimed by pre-emption or otherwise, shall be, and hereby are granted and confirmed to said State for the use of the University of said State, as a part of the seventy-two sections hereby granted. These lands were located and offered for sale upon the same terms as the previous grant. The lands granted by Congress up to this date amounted to 92,160 acres, of which there had been sold prior to September 30, 1866, 74,178 acres, for the net sum of $264,570.13, of which sum there was taken by chapter 268, general laws of 1862, the sum of $104,339.43 to pay for the buildings, the State having previously allowed the University to anticipate its income to that amount. This reduction of the University Fund so reduced the income of the University that it became seriously embarrassed, and a reorganization became imperative. The institution had failed to secure public confidence, and the project was at one time seriously entertained by the Regents of abandoning the attempt to maintain a State University. The following extract from the Annual Report of the Secretary of State for 1866, graphically sets forth the condition of things at the time when the present management took charge of the Institution: "Although the fact may seem startling and contrary to general impression, yet it is no less true, that the State of Wisconsin has never made an appropriation of one dollar towards the support of its own University. But it has nevertheless charged the University Fund Income with the expenses of taking care of its lands, and keeping an account of its funds. By reference to the disbursements of this fund, which may be found in the several reports of the Secretary of State for years past, it will be seen that a sum amounting to over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) has thus been withdrawn from a fund too small to meet the necessary expense of sustaining the Institution as the credit and good name of the State demand that it should be sustained. But In addition to this, under the provisions of chapter 268, laws of 1862, onehalf the University Fund itself, upon the interest of which the support of the University depended, was sunk into oblivion; thus reducing the income from $18,297.70 in 1861, to $13,005.56 in 1862, and to $11,540.90 in 1863, which has since been about the average. The amount of University Fund Income on hand September 30, 1866, was $5,501.47. This, with $144.93 belonging to the Income of the Agricultural College Fund, constitutes the whole amount at the disposal of the Regents for defraying the current expenses of the University for the year commencing October 1, 1866, and ending June 30, 1867.” REORGANIZATION. In 1862, Congress passed what is known as the Agricultural College Act, of which the following is the text: "AN ACT donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That there be granted to the sev eral states for the purposes hereinafter mentioned, an amount of public land to be apportioned to each state, a quantity equal to thirty thousand acres for each senator and representative in congress to which the states are respect ively entitled by the apportionment, under the census of eighteen hundred and sixty: provided, that no mineral lands shall be selected or purchased under the provisions of this act. SECTION 2. And be it further enacted, That the land aforesaid, after being surveyed, shall be apportioned to the several states in sections or subdivisions of sections not less than one quarter of a section, and whenever there are public lands in a state subject to sale at private entry at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, the quantity to which said state shall be entitled shall be selected from such lands within the limits of such state, and the secretary of the interior is hereby directed to issue to each of the states in which there is not the quantity of public lands subject to sale at private entry at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre to which said state may be entitled under the provisions of this act, land scrip to the amount in acres for the deficiency of its distribution share; said serip to be sold by sald state and the proceeds thereof applied to the uses and purposes prescribed in this act, and for no other use or purpose whatsoever: provided, that in no case shall any state to which land scrip may thus be issued be allowed to locate the same within the limits of any other state or of any territory of the United States, but their assignees may thus locate said land scrip upon any of the unappropriated lands of the United States, subject to sale at private entry at one dollar and twenty-five cents or less per acre: and provided further, that not more than one million acres shall be located by such assignees in any one of the states: and provided further, that no such location shall be made before one year from the passage of this act. "SECTION 3. And be it further enacted, That all the expenses of manage ment, superintendence and taxes from date of selection of said lands previous to their sale, and all expenses incident to the management and disbursement of the moneys which may be received therefrom shall be paid by the States to which they may belong, out of the treasury of said States, so that the entire proceeds of the sale of said lands shall be applied without any diminution whatever, to the purposes hereinafter mentioned. "SECTION 4. And be it further enacted, That all moneys derived from the sale of the lands aforesaid by the States to which the lands are apportioned, and from the sales of land scrip hereinbefore provided for, shall be invested in stocks of the United States or of the States or some other safe stocks, yielding not less than five per centum upon the par value of said stocks, and that the money so invested shall constitute a perpetual fund, the capital of which shall remain forever undiminished, (except so far as may be provided in section fifth of this act,) and the interest of which shall be inviolably appropriated by each State which may take and claim the benefit of this act to the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts in such manner as the Legisla tures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life. "SECTION 5. And be it further enacted, That the grant of land and land scrip hereby authorized, shall be made on the following conditions, to which as well as to the provisions hereinafter contained, the previous assent of the several States shall be signified by legislative acts: First-if any portion of the fund invested as provided by the foregoing section, or any portion of the interest thereon shall by any action or contingency be diminished or lost, it shall be replaced by the State to which it belongs, so that the capital of the fund shall remain forever undiminished, and the annual interest shall be regularly applied without diminution, to the purposes mentioned in the fourth section of this act, except that a sum not exceeding ten per centum upon the amount received by any State under the provisions of this act may be expended for the purchase of lands for sites or experimental farms whenever authorized by the respective Legislatures of said States. Second-no por tion of said fund nor the interest thereon shall be applied directly or indi rectly under any pretense whatever, to the purchase, erection, preservation or repair of any building or buildings. Third-any State which may take and claim the benefit of the provisions of this act shall provide within five years at least, not less than one college, as described in the fourth section of this act, or the grant to such State shall cease, and said State shall be bound to pay the United States the amount received for any lands previously sold, and that the title to purchasers under the State shall be valid. Fourth-an annual report shall be made regarding the progress of each college, record ing any improvements and experiments made, with their costs and results, and such other matters, including State, industrial and economical statistics |