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Show Not long after the recommendation was given to President Dixon and under his direction he formed some citizen's committees to promote the welfare of Weber College. I was chosen and appointed chairman of the committee to select a new site for Weber College. There were some wonderful men on this committee, two of whom had more to do than any others in promoting and building up Weber College from a Junior 2 year college with few students, to a four year State College with thousands of loyal enthusiastic students and a tremendous faculty; they were President H. Aldous Dixon and President William P. Miller. The site committee went to work to find a new place for the College. At our first meeting we discussed the size of the site that would be needed. We had a few offers, one was a 40 acre place at North Ogden, another one was the two blocks West of St. Benedict Hospital. We ruled against these offers. The place in North Ogden was a beautiful place but too small. We decided that Weber College should be in Ogden. We were sure that many of the students would need to work, which would be difficult for them if the school was at North Ogden. The two blocks weren't much better than the present place. The search began, I searched the records for vacant property. I knew that John M. Mills had some vacant property but I did not know how much. On learning the extent of his property I went and visited him. He told me that none of his property was for sale, that he intended to keep all of it. I knew Professor Mills in fact I worked for him during the time he was Superintendent of the State Industrial School. (1922) I knew of his great love for education. He was a public spirited man. I appealed to him. as a man who has always worked for the benifit of education and as one who had spent his life for the things which were benificial for the welfare of the young people; how that Weber College needed a new site where it could grow and expand. I explained to him the great blessing he would make to Ogden City and to Weber College, that many students would be blessed if he would part with his property or a large portion of it which would be needed, that his property would be a very beautiful place for Weber College. After this much persuasion he finally said, 'I will sell you seventy five acres on the North side of my property for the sum of $75,000.00. I asked him if I could inform my committee of his offer to sell? He gave me his word that he would sell the seventy five acres. I knew that he would keep his agreement as he was a fully trustworthy man. I went home and told my wife that I had found the place for Weber College. I took her to see the property in question. She agreed that it could be developed into a beautiful campus. She has always been a great help to me in all that I have been asked to do, a very wise counselor and companion. |