GYMNASIUM

Located about 175’ west and slightly north of the south wing of Old Main. (Shown on 1883 map.)

In the fall of 1882 The Aurora reported: “A majority of the students have organized themselves into a stock company for the purpose of establishing a gymnasium.” Elsewhere in the same issue¹ it was stated that the students were aided by the faculty. The following April the paper was able to note that “Our Gymnasium Association …is getting ready as rapidly as possible to perfect its plans for active work.” Work on construction must have started very soon thereafter because in June the editor asked “Why isn’t the Gymnasium completed?” A couple of months later it was recorded that the gymnasium was “at last finished.” ²

In May of 1883 a committee of students requested funds from the Board of Regents, $25.00 for completion of the building and $200 for equipment. The Board stated that they could not legally appropriate any money for the building and that since the building was not completed they would defer action on equipment. At completion of the gymnasium in August the Board appropriated $75 for apparatus.³

The Gymnasium Association never received enough funds to pay off the indebtedness on the building and in March 1886 it was removed by Professor Mount to his property in payment of his aid in financing the construction.