From Academy to Junior College by Drs. Richard W. Sadler and Richard C. Roberts* WSC Professors of History 1920-1921 school year, the first year of high school work was discontinued, and by the end of the 1922-1923 he advent of the 1910’s at Weber State saw the complete phase out of all preparatory classes. From the end of the 1911- school year, the high school program was entirely discontinued. At the end of the first world war in 1918 the name of the Weber Academy was changed to Weber Normal College. The Board also approved changing the title of principal to president. Thus Owen F. Beal served as both the principal of the Weber Academy and the president of the Weber Normal College without a break in his service. The name Weber 1912 school year until the beginning of the 1916-1917 school year only high school courses were offered at the Academy. Beginning with the 1916-1917 school year, the curriculum was expanded as the first year of college work was added. This new curriculum was called the Fifth-year Normal Normal College remained with the institution until 1922 when “Normal” was dropped and the name became Course, and during the 1917-1918 school year the second year of college curriculum was added as the Sixth-year Normal Course. During the 1908-1909 school year, Ben E. Harker was hired particularly to serve as an athletic coach, the first full-time coach for the Academy. Harker was hired at a salary of $800 to coach basketball, wrestling, baseball, and track. Faculty members were expected to be involved in the ongoing discipline of students as well as the regulation of student activities. A Faculty Discipline Committee was established and in September of 1910 recommended to the general faculty the following concerning student conduct: “A good moral conduct is required of every student. Teachers will report to the discipline committee all students who are observed to use tobacco or liquor, who visit pool halls, saloons, disreputable places of any kind or excessively attend public entertainments. Profanity is also strongly Promenading the streets, loafing, loitering, congregating in the: halls, crowding, gossiping, wrestling in the halls, hazing, and any kind of unruly conduct is discountenanced, and the students observed frequently indulging in these things will be Early basketball teams wore longlegged baseball pants. "I can under- stand why they did, because there was no heat in the buildings," said Academy coach Malcolm Watson, pictured above with his 1907 team. tested on an ongoing basis by the students. On March 15, 1911, 50 students of the junior class decided to take a holiday from school and spent the day up Ogden Canyon, and all were suspended from school. The students were able to get some revenge, however. The Academy basketball team defeated the faculty of the Academy in a game that month, 61 to 4. In February of 1915, the Weber Academy Board of Trustees addressed a letter to the General Church Board of Education requesting the establishment of a two-year college Normal Department at the Academy as well as funds to maintain the new curriculum. It was anticipated that the additions of 125 light globes, $100 worth of and changes would cost about $15,000. Superintendent John M. Mills of the Weber campus with David O. McKay. Ogden public schools also wrote a letter to the Church Board “urging the advisability of the Weber Academy taking up normal work.” The General Church Board was in favor of the proposal but did not authorize it until January of 1916 when the new department began at the Weber Academy with Henry Aldous Dixon as its first existing facilities and then pointed out activities brought more attention to the school. Weber would move completely away from high school courses to be a junior college early in the decade of the 1920’s.H 1908 eMay 1908 eAug. 1910 ©1916 01917 *Feb. 13, 1918 °1918 William J. Critchlow (1910-11), McKay took Grant on a tour of parcels of land adjacent to the College and suggested that with growing aA 5 a ; Extra-curricular 5 ae oe a 7 This was an era of growth and focus at Weber. At the close of the Purple and White adopted as school colors at the suggestion of instructor Jeanette McKay. David O. McKay appointed principal. WSA name changed to Weber Academy. Wilford M. McKendrick becomes principal. William W. Henderson appointed er 1902 eSept. and had moved from an institution Sp eApril 14, school events. Student body presidents such as Aaron Tracy (1906-07), principal. College work added, Weber Herald first published. Weber Academy becomes Weber Normal College. Owen F. Beal chosen principal, his title was later changed to president. a ERR pcanote sre ata lee ate te eeea 1902 leaders and often participating in and improved. head. 13, faculty, working closely with student In August of 1919, the Church Board adopted a policy permitting football teams to be organized at Church schools. In September of 1919, Coach Malcolm Watson announced that the College would field a team that fall, and 27 players began to practice. Weber played its football games on a dirt playing field at Glenwood Park (later known as Lorin Farr Park). During this first football season Weber played eight games, winning only two games that year, both at home. : By 1920, Weber had been in existence as an educational institution for slightly more than three decades, President Heber J. Grant visited the change for the Academy. College work would quickly become a major eDec. knowledge of both the students and the Salt Lake and get a check for it.” In September of 1919 three pieces of property on the north side of 25th street between Adams and Jefferson Avenues were purchased. A gymnasium would eventually be constructed on the 25th street property, but a much needed classroom building would not be constructed. Harvey L. Taylor (1914-1915), and Emest L. Wilkinson (1916-17 and 1917-18) would often recall the influence that the Weber Academy had on them as they moved forward to make contributions in education and other fields. On April 9, 1919, Mormon Church students themselves were able to show The rules of the Academy were chemical supplies for the Chemistry Department, and an order of coal. The Board also had an intimate negotiations, he should “‘come down to offering preparatory and high school education to an institution offering high school and college courses. The new higher level courses required better trained faculty. The Weber Academy had survived and prospered while many other Mormon Church Academies had been closed. Enrollments at Weber continued to climb, buildings had been built, remodeled, “satisfactory repentance” for their actions. tion became Weber State College at the direction of the State Legislature. Early trustees of the school were often involved in overseeing every aspect of Weber. In September of 1917, the Board approved the purchase The property under inspec- tion included the Ellis property and the Burt property on 24th street. McKay was encouraged by Grant to negotiate for both pieces of property, and after aeRO sitemap nmcmasciiteaiititetattiactte reported to the discipline committee.” Students who “voluntarily absented” themselves from classes (or “bolted” from school) were to be suspended until they were able to present a written request from their guardians for readmission and until the The latter name remained until 1963 when the institu- advisable. Science laboratory class taught by John G. Lind (standing on the far right). = = forbidden. Weber College: enrollments, such land purchases were