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NEBRASKA BLUE BOOK, 1920

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APPROPRIATIONS, STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS, 1867-1921.¹

	Appropriation for Buildings				Appropriation for Maintenance
Year	Peru	Kearney	Wayne	Chadron	Peru	Kearney	Wayne	Chadron	Total
1867-68	......	......	......	......	$3,000.00	......	......	......	$3,000.00
1869-70	......	......	......	......	10,000.00	......	......	......	10,000.00
1871-72	$19,201.93	......	......	......	9,000.00	......	......	......	28,201.93
1873-74	5,875.20	......	......	......	24,632.00	......	......	......	30,507.20
1875-76	2,017.22	......	......	......	27,650.00	......	......	......	29,667.22
1877-79	274.23	......	......	......	23,175.00	......	......	......	23,449.23
1879-81	......	......	......	......	25,800.00	......	......	......	25,800.00
1881-83	......	......	......	......	23,500.00	......	......	......	23,500.00
1883-85	......	......	......	......	28,700.00	......	......	......	28,700.00
1885-87	25,000.00	......	......	......	31,238.60	......	......	......	56,238.60
1887-89	5,000.00	......	......	......	39,000.00	......	......	......	44,000.00
1889-91	13,000.00	......	......	......	38,700.00	......	......	......	51,700.00
1891-93	......	......	......	......	42,700.00	......	......	......	42,700.00
1893-95	......	......	......	......	42,400.00	......	......	......	42,400.00
1895-97	......	......	......	......	45,900.00	......	......	......	45,900.00
1897-99	20,000.00	......	......	......	49,842.36	......	......	......	69,842.36
1899-01	5,000.00	......	......	......	50,490.59	......	......	......	55,490.59
1901-03	4,800.00	......	......	......	63,273.00	......	......	......	68,073.00
1903-05	43,500.00	$50,000.00	......	......	72,299.49	......	......	......	165,799.49
1905-07	37,000.00	15,000.00	......	......	94,996.75	$71,200.00	......	......	218,196.75
1907-09	25,000.00	......	......	......	125,402.45	101,173.68	......	......	251,576.13
1909-11	40,000.00	50,000.00	$90,000.00	$35,000.00	147,900.00	106,700.00	......	......	469,600.00
1911-13	12,000.00	55,000.00	71,000.00	17,000.00	176,100.00	127,440.00	$100,100.00	$ 79,000.00	637,640.00
1913-15	......	......	100,000.00	50,000.00	2......	140,000.00	110,000.00	85,000.00	2485,000.00
1915-17	......	57,867.00	80,000.00	50,000.00	180,000.00	180,000.00	120,000.00	85,000.00	2 752,867.00
1917-19.	......	50,017.00	......	60,000.00	2......	185,000.00	150,000.00	125,000.00	2 570,017.00
1919-21	80,000.00	100,000.00	......	100,000.00	250,000.00	240,000.00	198,000.00	175,000.00	2 1,143,000.00
Totals	$337,668.58	$377,884.00	$341,000.00	$312,000.00	$1,625,700.24	$1,151,513.68	$678,100.00	$549,000.00	$6,013,700.86 (sic)

---

     ¹Legislature of 1913 made a levy of 85/100 of one mill to care for four normal schools. Money to be apportioned by state board of education.
     ²Incomplete. Exact figures not furnished by state board.

 

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, LINCOLN BOARD OF REGENTS

	Term Expires
John E. Miller, Lincoln	1921
Edward P. Brown, Davey	1921
Philip L. Hall, Lincoln	1923
Harry D. Landis, Seward	1901
Frank W. Judson, Omaha	1925
John R. Webster, Omaha	1925

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

John E. Miller	President
James S. Dales	Secretary

CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY

Samuel Avery, Lincoln

HISTORY

     The university was established by act of legislature, February 15, 1869. Its object was declared to be "to afford to the inhabitants of this state the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of literature, science and arts."

     The congressional act of July 21, 1862, provided all endowment of land for the several states for the maintenance of at least one college in each, where branches related to agriculture and the mechanic arts should be the leading subjects of instruction. By the terms of this grant instruction must be give. in military science, Nebraska's share of this land endowment amounted to 90,000 acres. The enabling act of April 19, 1864, set aside seventy-two sections of land for the support of a state university. By legislative act of February 15, 1869, the government of the university was vested in a board of regents of twelve members, nine of whom were to be elected by the legislature, three from each judicial district. These, with the governor, superintendent of public instruction and the chancellor, constituted the board. The constitution of 1875 included the university for the first time in the organic law of the state and provided for a board of six regents elected as other state officers are elected, for terms of six years. By a constitutional amendment adopted September 21, 1920, the regents are elected from six districts instead of at large.

     The school was opened to students on September 7, 1871. There were eight regular and twelve irregular collegiate students and 110 prparatory (sic) students the first year.

     The university act provided for a model farm on two sections of agricultural land or on saline lands. In his message of 1871, Governor Butler recommended the sale of some state land and the purchase of half a section of land near Lincoln. The lands set aside were sold, and on June 25, 1874, Moses M. Culver and his wife, in consideration of $6,050 in cash and $11,500 payable in four years, deeded to the regents the farm of 320 acres which is known as the university farm. This farm is about two and one-half miles from the main campus. The 90,000 acres in the original government grant were selected in Antelope, Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, L'Eau qui Court (afterwards Knox), Pierce and Wayne counties.. The proceeds of the sale of these lands and the lands still held constitute the permanent endowment funds, now amounting to $896,989.31 (November 30, 1920). The other revenues of the university are derived front special annual funds front the United States, a one mill levy on the grand assessment roll of the state, and additional appropriations made by the legislature.

     In addition to the various colleges of the university established on the main and farm campuses in Lincoln, and the medical college in Omaha, the university maintains experimental substations at North Platte, Valentine and Scottsbluff.

NEBRASKA BLUE BOOK, 1920

211

and agricultural high schools at the university farm and at Curtis. The legislature of 1919 made provision for an irrigation school at Scottsbluff. During the year 1919-20, 6,663 students registered at the university.

     In addition to the usual and necessary activities of an institution for higher education, the university has been made, from time to time, the custodian of certain instrumentalities for the furthering of scientific and scholarly research and public welfare. These include farmers' institutes and farm demonstrators, geological survey, botanical agricultural work, hog cholera serum distribution, state entomologist, legislative reference bureau, the conservation and soil survey.

EXPERIMENT STATION

     1. The agricultural experiment station fund was established by the United States government under authority of all act of congress known its the Hatch bill, approved March 2, 1887. This act was supplemented by what is known as the Adams bill, approved March 16, 1906. The funds appropriated are to be used for experimental agricultural work only. There is, however, this difference between the Hatch and the Adams funds: the Hatch fund may be, and is, used in case of sudden local emergencies, such as an outbreak of some new disease, to determine the nature of such disease and advise as to its treatment and quarantine. On the other hand the Adams fund is for research work only. It makes a study of disease with the hope of finding a cure. The Hatch bill provides for an annual payment of $15,000 to the state; this appropriation began with the fiscal year of 1887. Five per cent of the annual appropriation may be used for the purchase or rental of land, and the construction of buildings. The Adams bill appropriated $5,000 as an additional sum to that named in the Hatch bill, for the year ending June 30, 1906. This $5,000 was to be added to at the rate of $2,000 per annum until the sum of $15,000 per annum was reached. The combination of the Haten and Adams funds gives the state of Nebraska the annual start of $30,000 to be expended by the university in "conducting original researches or experiments bearing directly on the agricultural industry of the United States."

     2. The aricultural (sic) college endowment fund, known as the Morrill fund, was established by an act of congress approved August 30, 1890. The appropriation therein made is to "be applied only to instruction in agriculture, the mechanic arts, the English language, and the various branches of mathematical, physical, natural and economic science, with special reference to their applications in the industries of life, and to the facilities for such instruction." This act was supplemented by a further net approved March 4, 1907, known as the Nelson bill. The Morrill bill provided all appropriation of $15,000 for the first year, to which was to be added $1,000 each year until the sum of $25,000 was reached, which would then remain the fixed annual appropriation. The Nelson bill provided for an appropriation supplementary to this.. For the first year $5,000 was appropriated and an annual increase of $5,000 until the sum of $25,000 was reached, which would remain the. fixed annual appropriation. A combination of the Morrill and Nelson funds gives the state of Nebraska the annual sum of $50,000 to be expended by the university in giving instruction in agriculture and the mechanic arts. The four funds combined, namely, the Hatch, Adams, Morrill and Nelson funds, make available for experimental and instructional work in agriculture, the annual sum of $80,000.

FARMERS' INSTITUTES AND AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

     The first appropriation for farmers' institute work by the university was lands in 1897. Succeeding legislatures have increased the appropriations for this purpose, and the work has widened in scope and become an organized department of university activity.

     By an act of congress passed on May 8, 1914, a permanent appropriation of $10,000 annually was made to each state which was receiving the benefits of the first and second Morrill acts, for the purpose of furthering co-operative extension work in agriculture and home economics. This co-operative work consists in the

 

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"giving of instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics to persons not attendant or resident in 'the designated colleges' in the several communities, and imparting to such persons information on said subjects through field demonstrations, publications and otherwise." In addition to the fixed sum of $10,000 a. year, a graduated apportionment of money, amounting to $92,155.17 for Nebraska in 1920-21 was provided. upon condition that the state appropriate an equal sum.

 

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

     The state vocational education board has designated the university as the teacher training school for the training of Smith-Hughes teachers. Additional funds from the Smith-Hughes fund will enable the university to enlarge its facilities for teacher training.

STATE ENTOMOLOGIST.

Myron H. Swenk, Professor of Economic Entomology.

    The legislature of 1893 provided that the professor of entomology in the University of Nebraska should be acting state entomologist. The legislature of 1911 repealed this law and empowered the regents of the university to designate a member of the teaching staff as state entomologist. It further provided that "such extraneous services shall not be permitted to interfere with the prime duty" of a university teacher. It is the duty of the state entomologist "to seek out and suppress pernicious insect pests and injurious and contagious plant diseases destructive to the horticultural and agricultural interests of the state, and conduct experiments when necessary to that end." An act of 1913 provides for nursery inspection by the state entomologist or his assistants. They are empowered to collect fees for such inspection. The legislature of 1907 provided for a bureau for the "investigation, control and extermination of insect pests and plant diseases," which should be in charge of the state entomologist and the state bontanist (sic).

STATE GEOLOGIST.

E. H. Barbour, Director of Nebraska Geological Survey.

     The legislature of 1893 designated the professor of geology in the University of Nebraska as state geologist. The art of 1911 empowers the regents to appoint a member of the teaching staff to be state geologist.

NEBRASKA CONSERVATION AND SOIL SURVEY.

George E. Condra, Director.

     In 1908 Governor Sheldon, upon his own initiative, appointed a commission which was called the Nebraska conservation commission. The legislature of 1904 gave this commission a small appropriation, and the next legislature increased this appropriation, making it payable to the conservation and soil survey and requiring it to be expended by the director under control of the regents of the university. An act of 1913 legalized this survey and defined its work. This law was repealed by all act of 1919, which defines the duties of the survey in the following words:
    The Nebraska conservation and soil survey shall serve the following purposes for the state.
     a. Make a survey of the natural resources and accurately describe them for use in state development. Among the resources to be surveyed and investigated are soil, water, water power, potash, forests, and road materials.
     b. Study and describe the operations, production, and importance of the leading industries of the state.

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     c. Investigate and report upon special conservation problems of the state.
     d. Gather and compile the records of wells drilled in Nebraska and secure and preserve samples of the various formations encountered in drilling said wells.
     e. Take, prepare, and publish or show still pictures and motion pictures of the state's resources, industries, and development, these photographs and films to be used for educational purposes within the state and for publicity without the state.
     f. To serve as an information bureau with reference to the state's resources, industries, and development, and when called upon to do so by an interested part], invest" 'gate foreign real estate sold in Nebraska, and when fraud is found in such bale or sales, report the same to the attorney general of this state for his action.

 

APPROPRIATIONS, NEBRASKA CONSERVATION AND SOIL SURVEY.
1915-1921.

Year	Maintenance	Publicity Bureau	To Check Frauds	Total
1915-17	......	......	$2,000.00	$2,000.00
1917-19	$25,000.00	......	7,500.00	32,500.00
1919-21	25,000.00	$17,500.00	7,500.00	50,000.00
Total	$50,000.00	$17,500.00	$17,000.00	$82,500.00 (sic)

STATE PLANT PATHOLOGIST.

George L. Peltier, Plant Pathologist Nebraska Experiment Station.

     An act of 1893 required that the professor of botany in the University of Nebraska should be acting state botanist. The act of 1907 provided that the botanist of the experiment station should be state plant pathologist. This act also provides for a bureau for the investigation, control and extermination of insect pests and plant diseases, under the control of the state entomologist and the state botanist. The appropriations for botanical surveys are spent under the direction of the state plant pathologist.

LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU.

Addison E. Sheldon, Director

HISTORY

     The Nebraska legislative reference bureau dates its official beginning May 10, 1906. On that day the executive board of the state historical society authorized the organization of this new department of its work.

     The work of organizing the new department was assigned by the historical society board to Addison E. Sheldon, director of field work of the historical society, and was to be carried on in connection with his other duties. Only $350 was available for the beginning of the work and with this sum the head of the department, after spending six weeks in study of the methods in use at Madison, Wisconsin, assembled a small library of material to meet special legislative needs and with one stenographer as assistant met the legislature when it convened..

     The session of 1907 was one of the most important and remarkable in the annals of Nebraska legislatures. At least a dozen public questions of first rate importance were fought to a conclusion that winter and many more of minor rank, The demands upon the small force of the reference library for information upon all sides of these questions were incessant and imperative. As an expression of its interest in the new line of work, the legislature added $5,000 to the appro-

 

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priation of the state historical society, During this session, Mr. W. E. Hannan, then a graduate student of the university, began his efficient service as assistant which continued until he accepted the direction of the legislative reference section of the New York state library in 1915..

     The legislature of 1911, following a report of a committee appointed to investigate the "present and future needs of the legislative reference department' established the legislative reference bureau. While all members of all parties in the legislature united in this work of placing the reference bureau on a secure foundation, especial credit is due to Representatives S. C. Bassett of Buffalo county and I. H. Hatfield of Lancaster county in the house, and Senators W. H. Reynolds of Dawes and J. A. Ollis of Valley in the senate. Their disinterested efforts at this time made them the real founders of the present legislative and municipal reference library..

     Three new features of the reference bureau work became established parts or its regular program at the session of 1913:.

     (1) The Nebraska Blue Book and Historical Register, designed to be a general reference book on all Nebraska. subjects..

     (2) Publication of research studies in Nebraska subjects, carried on in cooperation with the university departments and the Nebraska Academy of Sciences..

     (3) Investigation and report on special phases of legislation, and public questions in co-operation with special standing committees and commissions..

     Under its present charter (the act of April. 7, 1911) the Nebraska legislative and municipal reference bureau is placed under the government of the state university regents, provided with a permanent home on the university campus and a temporary home in the state house during the legislative session. It is by statute affiliated with the department. of political science and sociology and the college of law at the state university. It is authorized "to carry on research in subjects of special public interest, to publish the same and in every way to promote the diffusion of accurate and reliable information upon questions connected with the devlopment (sic) of civic life in Nebraska.".

     The reference bureau library and collections now occupy rooms in the basement of Library Hall. They include at present the following:

LIBRARY MATERIAL

Bound volumes	500
Pamphlets	12,000
Mounted clippings	2,000
Manuscripts	200
Total	14,700

HOG CHOLERA AND OTHER ANIMAL DISEASES

      The legislature of 1907 made an appropriation of $1,500 for an investigation of malarial or swamp fever in horses, and $1.000 for an investigation of tuberculosis in hogs. This work was under the direction of the Nebraska experiment station. The legislature of 1909 made an appropriation for the investigation of hog cholera to be expended by the regents of the university. In 1911 the legislature established a plant for the production and distribution of hog cholera serum under direction of the regents. The legislature of 1917 discontinued this appropriation, but in the summer of 1918 the governor requested the regents to reestablish the work to meet the emergencies that had arisen. The legislature of 1919 provided funds to reopen the serum plant. Suits having been brought against the regents in the summer of 1920, the activities of the serum plant. by court order, must be confined to manufacture and distribution.

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