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Show doubled. The classes in science geology, chemistry, physics, and botany often took field trips to local sites including the mountains surrounding Ogden. The field trips gave the students a chance to observe nature at first hand, to become caught in the rain, and to become close to their instructors. Many of the classes prepared exhibits to show their classmates, the community, and the state. A physics class exhibit was sent for display at the St. Louis Worlds Fair in May of 1904 and was viewed by the people of Ogden at the Carnegie Library on Washington and 26th Street prior to its departure for Missouri. The Commencement program of June 1904 included Governor Heber Wells as speaker as well as an Academy field day at Glen-wood Park on the Ogden River where a track and field meet was held with competition between the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes. As the number of students and activities at the Academy grew, more space was needed. Yet by 1904, 5000 was still owed on the old debts of the Academy including the Academy building. The Weber Stake Board of Education during Principal McKays administration continued to press the Church Board of Education for assistance in paying off the old debts and for new monies to construct another commodious building for the Academy on the vacant lot adjoining the Academy on the south. The 1904-1905 Church contribution to the Weber Academy was increased to 8,500, the 1906-1907 appropriation was 11,775, and the 1907-1908 appropriation was increased to 12,000. As in previous years, appropriations were usually paid in quarterly installments, and often one quarter of the appropriation was paid to the Academy in produce. In February of 1904, the Church Board suggested to the Weber Stake Board that the Stake Board needed to pay off the 5000 old debt and agree to raise the money to put up the new building, but not to go into debt on the new building. If the Weber Board agreed then the Church Board would advance the 2500 needed to purchase the property for the new building. On behalf of the faculty of the Academy McKay accepted the challenge to raise the needed monies for the building. Over the next two years with McKay the key figure in the campaign to raise funds, church authorities, the faculty, local businessmen, and some community leaders in other areas of the state began to raise the needed funds for the building. In this campaign for funds for the erection of an annex the Weber Stake Board of Education noted: The Academy must keep abreast of the times and hold its own in all educational advancement and be fully prepared to meet all educational competition of this city and county. The county and the state were canvassed for donations both small and large. Samuel Newhouse, noted Utah mining entrepreneur who resided in Salt Lake City, donated 5000; Jesse Knight of Provo, another mining man, 1000; Fred J. Kiesel, Ogden businessman and former Ogden Mayor, 500; Heber Scowcroft, Ogden businessman, 1000; and David Eccles, Ogden businessman, 1000. The wards of the Weber Stake donated 14,457. Construction on the annex began with the laying of the corner stone on October 19, 1906. Jackson and Lovedale were the contractors for the new building and they pushed construction of the exterior of the building to be able to work on the interior of the building during the winter months. Construction continued through the 1906-1907 school year and into the 1907-1908 year, and although the building was generally completed and put to some use during the 1907-1908 year, the dedication did not take place until the end of the school year. The new building, sometimes called the west wing of the Moench Building or the annex, had come about through the hard work and leadership of David O. McKay. In this beautiful new building which joined the original building on the west were three floors including the basement. In the basement were rooms which housed the band, botany, zoology, chemistry, and the physical science laboratories as well as the manual training department. On the first or main floor was the Principals office, the Commercial Department and six classrooms, while the second floor housed three classrooms and the Lecture Hall with a seating capacity for 1,500 people. The Lecture Hall was a much needed facility for the Academy and was used for a number of academy functions as well as being used widely by community and church groups. As originally constructed the lecture hall or auditorium had a balcony or gallery installed along the east, south, and west walls. This gallery was in use from 1907 until it was removed at the request of the Academy Board during the 1917-1918 school year. The original Academy building at this time now housed the Domestic Science and the Domestic Arts Departments on the first floor while the library, the study hall, and recitation rooms occupied the second floor. The cost of the new facility including the land purchase came to 40,192.55 by the spring of 1908. The Spring of 1908 was a momentous occasion for the Academy, not only because of the new building, but because Principal McKay who had guided the school since 1902, had decided to dedicate full-time service to his calling as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. McKay had received his call as an Apostle in April of 1906 but he continued to serve as principal of the Weber Stake Academy for the next two years pushing construction of the new building and working to move the Academy out of debt. A surprise dinner and social evening was held on May 26, 1908 at the Academy in honor of Principal McKay. About 400 people students, teachers, and patrons of the school attended the dinner and testimonial in honor of McKays diligent efforts for the Academy. Joseph F. Smith, Mormon Church President and his wife were in attendance along with H. H. Cummings, superintendent of Church Schools. The banquet room was decorated with red, white, and blue flags and bunting and McKays successor as principal, Wilford M. McKendrick, directed the activities of the evening. Food was served, speeches given, and congratulations offered relating to McKays leadership and dedication. Near the close of the evening, McKendrick noted that the school still carried a debt of 6,000, and that over the last two weeks of May, contributions had been arranged to retire the debt. These contributions and pledges included 1,050 from the faculty and students, 1,500 from the bishops of the Weber Stake, 2,000 from the first presidency of the Church, and a pledge of 1,500 from the bishops of the wards in Ogden. The contributions which amounted to 6,050 would retire the Academy debt, |