Archives

Mel Doering '53, Editor

100 Years Ago, 1907

Entrepreneurial President Henry Baker Brown had grown his school from 35 students in 1873 to 5,141, making it the second largest university in the country, second only to Harvard (5,343). Thereafter Valparaiso became widely known as “the poor man’s Harvard.” The largest state university at the time was Michigan (4,800).

75 Years Ago, 1932

President Oscar Carl Kreinheder, in the midst of the Great Depression, proudly presented 70 young men and women for graduation. Baccalaureate service and commencement exercises were held on successive Sundays, June 5 and 12. The baccalaureate sermon was delivered by the Rev. Paul Lindemann of Minneapolis, the commencement address by 1896 alumnus Judge Arthur Lacy of Detroit.

50 Years Ago, 1957

President Otto Paul Kretzmann reported on development of East Campus. Excavation for Deaconess (Huegli) Hall had begun. Chapel construction was progressing rapidly. Plans were complete for a new men’s dormitory (Wehrenberg). The architect for the first unit of a new library (Moellering) was appointed. A central heating plant (Domke) for the north complex of East Campus was approved. A classroom-administration building also was contemplated.

45 Years Ago, 1962

President Kretzmann disclosed plans to construct a new law school building at a projected cost of $550,000. Today that building, plus additions, serves as the administration center, known as Kretzmann Hall.

40 Years Ago, 1967

Reflecting on the start of his presidency, O.P. Kretzmann observed, “Twenty-seven years ago we were unaware of the coming of the atomic age and the space age, astrophysics was a comparatively new science, the shadow of communism was a small cloud on the horizon, ….”

35 Years Ago, 1972

President Albert G. Huegli, on Sunday, May 21, presided at the university’s 98th annual commencement ceremony, presenting degrees to a record 920 graduates.

30 Years Ago, 1977

Under President Huegli’s administration, while operating expenses had doubled from $8 million to $16 million, the university’s endowment had grown from less than $2 million to nearly $10 million.

25 Years Ago, 1982

President Robert V. Schnabel reported that Valparaiso had joined with seven other midwestern schools, Cleveland State, Eastern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Northern Iowa, Southwest Missouri State, Western Illinois and Wisconsin-Green Bay, to form a new athletic conference, the Association of Mid-Continent Universities.

20 Years Ago, 1987

President Schnabel announced the establishment of the John Eckrich Chair in Religion and the Healing Arts, endowed by a $750,000 grant from the Lutheran Charities Foundation of St. Louis.

15 Years Ago, 1992

President Alan F. Harre visited India to recruit students and explore further opportunities for internationalization of the curriculum.

10 Years Ago, 1997

President Harre explained the rising cost of college, “When I went to school, the cost of my education at a private school was equal to the cost of a low-priced Chevrolet. Now look at your costs today. Tuition is about the cost of a low-priced Chevrolet.”

5 Years Ago, 2002

After President Harre addressed student concerns at a series of “Fireside Chats,” senior Jessica Lindbloom commented, “It’s nice to get genuine personal interaction, and I think I got some good insight.”