1912–13 Volume 37 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

332 THE SCROLLour Fraternity, more and more, certain that we will serve it betterand more broadly in the time to come. I think w€ may well partafter having heard this speech.THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAThe University of Minnesota was founded February 13, 1851through an act of the territorial legislature, and the following monththe first board of directors .was elected. In June of the same yearFranklin Steel of St. Anthony donated a site and $500.00 and thusthe first building was commenced. This. structure stood across Universityavenue from the present East High School and was built entirelyfrom private donations. This was the beginning of the presentFoLWELL HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAUniversity of Minnesota. At that time there were some twenty-fivepeople on the west bank of the river, where the business section ofMinneapolis now stands, and the present east side of Minneapolis,then known as St. Anthony, was a village of about 800 inhabitants.St. Paul was a thriving village but the rest of the State was wildand inhabited largely by Iiidiaiis.This first building was used only as a preparatory school, and in1854 27J4 acres of land were purchased where the campus is nowlocated, the original site having beeii recognized as entirely inadequate.In 1856 the Old Main was started with money borrowed on thecampus as security, but when the panic of 1856 came on the universitybecame involved and only part of this imposing building wascompleted. The regents were hopelessly involved, no faculty was