Weber State College Comment, January 1988, Page7 Weber State College Comment, January 1988 Page 6 The Weber State t hat almostias not | | By Murray M. Moler during this last century, but none was more vigorously fought with greater rewards than the “Save Weber” campaign of the 1950’s. Ogden’s only institution of higher learning was established in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It became Weber College, a two-year school, in 1923 after it moved from its Enter J. Bracken Lee, former Price (and later Salt Lake City) mayor who had been elected governor on an economy platform. “Brack” Lee opposed the Weber College request, contending the state could only afford the University of Utah and the Utah State Agricultural College as degreegranting, tax-supported schools. The 1949 House and Senate approved the study funds, but Lee vetoed the appropriation on Feb. 9. Two years later, he went further. He had supporters introduce a bill in the 1951 Legislature that called for the return of Weber College, Dixie College in St. George and Snow College in Ephraim to their former owner, the Mormon Church. Reaction in Ogden was unanimous in condemning the governor’s proposal. Chamber Secretary-Manager Ez Fjeldsted promised, “We will resist to the bitter end,” adding, “if this is done, our hopes for a four-year college, worthy of the community, are lost.” E. LaMar Buckner, president of the busy Ogden Junior Chamber of Commerce, called the transfer threat ‘a great mistake.” Mayor W. Rulon White predicted a Lee victory would lead to complete closure of Weber College and “throw higher education back a good many years in Utah.” He pointed out that 30 to 40 percent of the area’s prospective college students were not Mormons and predicted they would shun an LDS school. Lee, for one of the few times in his stormy career, vacillated. He vetoed a line-item appropriation for $882,000 to buy the Harrison Boulevard property and start construction of a new campus. The outcry was so loud that he rescinded his veto after eight days and told President Dixon to proceed. The state put up the $50,000 for the land and the community, under Chamber leadership, supplemented the tax money with generous contributions so additional land could be acquired for long-range expansion. The remainder of the state’s money went for buildings and utilities. Ground was broken for “new Webbe on March 5, 1952. President Di wielded one shovel. Fred Ball, & student body president and cuntll ice cream maker Ernest H. Balch, selected Glasmann and auto dealer John Hinckley to direct the drive. They hired Brigham H. Robinson, former newsman and currently owner of a taxi fleet, as full-time executive director of the Junior College Action Committee. By Feb. 12, six days before the deadline, petitions with 60,000 signatures were filed with the secretary of state. Ogdenites had a victory banquet. But there were more battles ahead in this statewide war. A majority of Utah’s voters had to be convinced of the justice of the cause before the November election. Businessman Harmon B. Barton was named by Balch to head the New Weber College Trust Fund Finance Committee. Robinson’s title was changed to director of the People’s Forum for Higher Education. There was a momentary lull Aug. 28 when Weber College left the 25th Street students received associate degreesi spring of 1952. i Was the way clear for Weber Coljeg to blossom? No way! Brack Lee hadN given up! The determined Republican gove called the Legislature into special st late in 1953. A vigorous Standard: iner editorial, written by Publisher Mi (Abe) Glasmann, warned that Lee wi again try to return Weber, Dixie andSmow colleges to church control. He nied) however, that LDS leaders were offic neutral on the controversy, although change was reportedly favored by Ogi born Ernest L. Wilkinson, presidet Brigham Young University. The governor did as predicted. 10 battle resumed. Weber Senator J. Fi al original Grant Avenue location to a modest campus on 25th Street between Adams and Jefferson. When the Great Depression of the early 1930’s struck, the church treasury was depleted and LDS authorities gave Weber College to the State of Utah. The gift included a provision that if the state sponsorship was withdrawn, the land and buildings would revert to the church. Weber College was so successful that in 1949 President Henry Aldous Dixon asked the Utah Legislature for $50,000 to plan a four-year college at a more desirable location. The Ogden Chamber of Commerce applauded the plan and helped obtain options on a former dairy farm east of Harrison Boulevard in the then sparsely-settled southeastern section of the city. Former WSC President H. Aldous Dixon surveys 180 acres of ground on 1 farrison Blvd. that was to become Weber State College. Former Utah Governor Bracken Lee at first attempted to stop the $50,000 appropriation to buy land | forthe new campus, but he later withdrew his opposition. moa? felled pole he Ogden Chamber of Commerce has waged many battles © ] mo oS On me WEBER COLLEGE sta So 2 Me Fowles asked for a full public hearing. Bernie Diamond, Feldsted’s successor as yxecutive manager of the Ogden Chamber if Commerce, called an unofficial meetmg at the Moench building on the old wampus for the evening of Dec. 15, 1953. Many arguments were voiced against wie transfer. Ogden attorney Ira Huggins, orexample, warned that changing Weber (ollege from state to church financial ipport would merely “shift the burden to he tithe payers from the tax payers... grave injustice.” Banker Frank Browning predicted the Jiee plan would “do away with the beauhful feeling of peace that had existed” { = Mormons and non-Mormons a ince the church gave Weber to the state years before. However, the Legislature followed iiee’s lead. The Senate approved the @mnsfer, 14 to 9, and the House, The Ogden Chamber of Commerce led the campaign with Huggins, Browning and David J. Wilson in charge. Diamond set up a trust fund supervised by Frank Francis, Jr. at Commercial Security Bank, J.W. Hatch at First Security Bank and Dee Earls at Bank of Utah. Mayor White and retired railroad worker Edward C. Maw made the first “Save Weber” contributions. A panel was organized to appear Jan. 3 on KDYL-TV. Stating the Weber College case were Diamond, Browning, John Elzey, new Weber student body president, and Mrs. John Lewis, president of the Ogden Council of Church Women. Observers called their presentations “tolerant, friendly, fair, kindly and force- ful.” The Ogden Chamber’s new president, campus and moved into a quartet of new, low buildings (now known as Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4) at the new site. The Rotary Club donated a rock wall “Weber College” sign, leaving room for eventual addition of “State” in the middle. Huggins remembers meetings “every morning, except Saturdays and Sundays,” in the Chamber offices to plan strategy. Huggins, at his own expense, toured the state, addressing civic clubs and other forums. On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the StandardExaminer published the most extensively distributed edition in its history. Copies were sent by truck, car and plane to every community in the state — most of them rarely reached by the Ogden daily. A lead editorial on “Utah’s Educational Crisis” asked, “Are we losing the American way of life?” Dr. Dixon left Weber College to become USAC president in the early stages of the campaign and was succeeded by Dr. William Miller. And when Utah’s GOP representative, Douglas Stringfellow, re- signed in disgrace after admitting he had falsified his war record, Dixon went to Congress — although he continued to support the Weber cause. The last few weeks before the critical election were hectic, but well worthwhile. When ballots were counted that fateful Tuesday, Weber College had been saved as a State institution. So had Dixie and Snow. The winning margin was more than 40,000 votes! Weber, with continued substantial support from the Ogden Chamber of Commerce, has gone on from there. Governor George Dewey Clyde signed a bill, sponsored by Senators Browning and Fowles, on March 19, 1959, that elevated the Ogden school to four-year, degree-granting status as Weber State College. Worthwhile? YES! Thousands of Utahns and hundreds from other states and foreign lands have earned a life-improving education at WSC. The economic return to the community has been tremendous. The impact from all expenditures is estimated at more than $128 million a year. At last count, WSC had an enrollment of about 12,000 students, a faculty of 550 and a staff of 525. And — if nothing else — the glowing ‘success of the Weber State College Wildcats on the nation’s basketball courts, seen and heard frequently on network television, has taught countless Americans that the name is pronounced “Weber,” not “Webber.” Mr. Moler, now retired, is the former associate editor ofthe Ogden StandardExaminer. 34 to 23. feet e governor signed the measure into law The Moench Building on the old campus in downtown Ogden was dedicated in 1892 when Weber State was only three years old and still belonged to the Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints. The Church gave Weber State, then known as Weber Stake Academy, to the state during the 1930's. Approximately 20 years later, after WSC had becomea four-year institution and had moved tothe current campus, the state tried to return the school to church ownership. ili i lite —— a aT a8 Ogden Chamber President G.T. Hone hlled the governor to advise him that “the ightis far from over.” Another Glasmann ditorial declared that “Weber can win this ulight although we are stunned and sick of , mind and spirit.” The only way the transfer could be ulted was to force a referendum at the Nov.2, 1954 general election. This would equire signatures on petitions by 10 o of the voters in a majority of Utah unties — at least 33,000 signatures, luding 10 percent in each of 15 counks. It would have to be filed by Feb. 18 ) prevent Weber and its sister junior iolleges from reverting to LDS ownership on July 1, the start of a new fiscal year. vnat didn’t leave much time. Buildings 1,2,3,and4werethefirst buildings on the Harrison Blvd. campus, constructed inthe early 1950's. Shortly after they were built then Gov. Bracken Lee introducted legislation that would havereturned the fledgling school to the LDS Church, amove that critics said would have resulted inthe eventual closure of Weber State.