In January, 1849, two branches of the University and three Normal Schools were established. The branches were locatedone at Fairfield, and the other at Dubuque, and were placed upon an equal footing, in respect to funds and all other matters, with the University established at Iowa City. "This act," says Col. Benton, "created three State Universities, with equal rights and powers, instead of a University with such branches as public convenience may hereafter demand,' as provided by the Constitution."

The Board of Directors of the Fairfield Branch consisted of Barnet Ristine, Christian W. Slagle, Daniel Rider, Horace Gaylord, Bernhart Henn and Samuel S. Bayard. At the first meeting of the Board Mr. Henn was elected President, Mr. Slagle Secretary, and Mr. Gaylord Treasurer. Twenty acres of land were purchased, and a building erected thereon, costing $2,500. This building was nearly destroyed by a hurricane, in 1850, but was rebuilt more substantially, all by contributions of the citizens of Fairfield. This branch never received any aid from the State or from the University Fund, and by act approved January 24, 1853, at the request of the Board, the General Assembly terminated its relation to the State.

The branch at Dubuque was placed under the control of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Trustees never organized, and its existence was only nominal.

The Normal Schools were located at Andrew, Oskaloosa and Mount Pleasant, respectively. Each was to be governed by a board of seven Trustees, to be appointed by the Trustees of the University. Each was to receive $500 annually from the income of the University fund, upon condition that they should educate eight common school teachers, free of charge for tuition, and that the citizens should contribute an equal sum for the erection of the requisite buildings. The several Boards of Trustees were appointed. At Andrew, the school was organized November 21, 1849. A building was commenced and over $1,000 expended on it, but it was never completed. At Oskaloosa, the Trustees organized in April, 1852. This school was opened in the Court House, September 13, 1852. A two-story brick building was completed in 1853, costing $2,473. The school at Mount Pleasant was never organized. Neither of these schools received any aid from the University fund, but in 1857 the Legislature appropriated $1,000 each for those at Oskaloosa and Andrew, and repealed the law authorizing the payment of money to them from the University fund. From that time they made no further effort to continue in opera

tion.

At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, held February 21, 1850, the "College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Upper Mississippi," established at Davenport, was recognized as the "College of Physicians and Surgeons of the State University of Iowa,'

expressly stipulating, however, that such recognition should not render the University liable for any pecuniary aid, nor was the Board to have any control over the property or management of the Medical Association. Soon after, this College was removed to Keokuk, its second session being opened there in November, 1850. In 1851, the General Assembly confirmed the action of the Board, and by act approved January 22, 1855, placed the Medical College under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the University, and it continued in operation until this arrangement was terminated by the new Constitution, September 3, 1857.

From 1847 to 1855, the Board of Trustees was kept full by regular elections by the Legislature, and the Trustees held frequent meetings, but there was no effectual organization of the University. In March, 1855, it was partially opened for a term of sixteen weeks. July 16, 1855, Amos Dean, of Albany, N. Y., was elected President, but he never entered fully upon its duties. The University was again opened in September, 1855, and continued in operation until June, 1856, under Professors Johnson, Welton, Van Valkenburg and Guffin.

In the Spring of 1856 the capital of the State was located at Des Moines; but there were no buildings there, and the capitol at Iowa City was not vacated by the State until December, 1857.

In June, 1856, the faculty was re-organized, with some changes, and the University was again opened on the third Wednesday of September, 1856. There were one hundred and twenty-four students eighty-three males and forty-one females in attendance during the year 1856-7, and the first regular catalogue was published.

Article IX, Section 11, of the new State Constitution, which went into force Sept. 3, 1857, provided as follows:

The State University shall be established at one place, without branches at any other place; and the University fund shall be applied to that institution, and no other.

Article XI, Section 8, provided that

The seat of government is hereby permanently established, as now fixed by law, at the city of Des Moines, in the county of Polk; and the State University at Iowa City, in the county of Johnson.

The new Constitution created the Board of Education, consisting of the Lieutenant-Governor, who was ex-officio President, and one member to be elected from each judicial district in the State. This Board was endowed with "full power and authority to legislate and make all needful rules and regulations in relation to common schools and other educational institutions," subject to alteration, amendment or repeal by the General Assembly, which was vested with authority to abolish or re-organize the Board at any time after 1863.

In December, 1857, the old capitol building, now known as Central Hall of the University, except the rooms occupied by the United States District Court, and the property, with that excep

tion, passed under the control of the Trustees, and became the seat of the University. The old building had had hard usage, and its arrangement was illy adapted for University purposes. Extensive repairs and changes were necessary, but the Board was without funds for these purposes.

The last meeting of the Board, under the old law, was held in January, 1858. At this meeting a resolution was introduced, and seriously considered, to exclude females from the University; but it finally failed.

March 12, 1858, the first Legislature under the new Constitution enacted a new law in relation to the University, but it was not materially different from the former. March 11, 1858, the Legislature appropriated $3,000 for the repair and modification of the old capitol building, and $10,000 for the erection of a boarding house, now known as South Hall.

The Board of Trustees created by the new law met and duly organized April 27, 1858, and determined to close the University until the income from its funds should be adequate to meet the current expenses, and the buildings should be ready for occupation. Until this term, the building known as the "Mechanics' Academy" had been used for the school. The Faculty, except the Chancellor (Dean), was dismissed, and all further instruction suspended, from the close of the term then in progress until September, 1859. At this meeting, a resolution was adopted excluding females from the University after the close of the existing term; but this was afterward, in August, modified, so as to admit them to the Normal Department.

An "Act for the Government and Regulation of the State University of Iowa," approved December 25, 1858, was mainly a reenactment of the law of March 12, 1858, except that changes were made in the Board of Trustees, and manner of their appointment. This law provided that both sexes were to be admitted on equal terms to all departments of the institution, leaving the Board no discretion in the matter.

At the annual meeting June 28, 1860, a full Faculty was appointed, and the University re-opened, under this new organization, September 19, 1860 (third Wednesday); and at this date the actual existence of the University may be said to commence.

August 19, 1862, Dr. Totten having resigned, Prof. Oliver M. Spencer was elected President and the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon Judge Samuel F. Miller, of Keokuk. At the commencement, in June, 1863, was the first class of graduates in the Collegiate Department.

The Board of Education was abolished March 19, 1864 and the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction was restored; the General Assembly resumed control of the subject of education, and on March 21 an act was approved for the government of the University. It was substantially the same as the former law, but

provided that the Governor should be ex-officio President of the Board of Trustees. Until 1858, the Superintendent of Public Instruction had been ex-officio President. During the period of the Board of Education, the University trustees were elected by it, and elected their own President.

The North Hall was completed late in 1866.

The Law Department was established in June, 1868, and in September following an arrangement was perfected with the Iowa Law School, at Des Moines, which had been in successful operation for three years, by which that institution was transferred to Iowa City and merged in the Law Department of the University. At a special meeting of the Board, on the 17th of September, 1868, a committee was appointed to consider the expediency of establishing a Medical Department. The committee reported at once in favor of the proposition, the Faculty to consist of the President of the University and seven Professors, and recommended that, if practicable, the new department should be opened at the commencement of the University year, in 1869-70.

of

By an act of the General Assembly, approved April 11, 1870, the Board of Regents" was instituted as the governing power the University, and since that time it has been the fundamental law of the institution. The Board of Regents held its first meeting June 28, 1870.

The South Hall, having been fitted up for the purpose, the first term of the Medical Department was opened October 24, 1870, and continued until March, 1871.

In June 1874, the "Chair of Military Instruction" was established, and the President of the United States was requested to detail an officer to perform its duties. At the annual meeting, in 1876, a Department of Homopathy was established. In March, 1877 a resolution was adopted affiliating the High Schools of the State with the University.

In 1872, the ex-officio membership of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was abolished, but it was restored in 1876.

The Board of Regents, in 1881, was composed as follows: John H. Gear, Governor, ex-officio, President; Carl W. Von Coelln, Superintendent of Public Instruction, ex-officio; J. L. Picard, President of the University, ex-officio. C. W. Slagle, Fairfield, First District; D. N. Richardson, Davenport. Second District; H. C. Bulis, Decorah, Third District; A. T. Reeve, Hampton, Fourth District; J. N. W. Rumple, Marengo, Fifth District; W. 0. Crosby, Centerville, Sixth District; T. S. Parr, Indianola, Seventh District; Horace Everett, Council Bluffs, Eighth District; J. F. Duncombe, Fort Dodge, Ninth District. John N. Coldren, Iowa City, Treasurer; W. J. Haddock, Iowa City, Secretary.

The Regents are elected by the General Assembly, in Joint Convention, for six years, one-third being elected at each regular session, one member to be chosen from each Congressional District.

The present educational corps of the University consists of the President, nine Professors in the Collegiate Department, one Professor and six Instructors in Military Science; Chancellor, three Professors and four Lecturers in the Law Department; eight Professor demonstrators of Anatomy; Prosector of Surgery and two Lecturers in the Medical Department, and two Professors in the Homopathic Medical Department.

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

By act of the General Assembly, approved January 28, 1857, a State Historical Society was provided for in connection with the University. At the commencemeat, an appropriation of $250 was made, to be expended in collecting, embodying and preserving in an authentic form, a library of books, pamphlets, charts, maps, manuscripts, papers, painting, statuary, and other materials illustrative of the history of Iowa; and with the further object to rescue from oblivion the memory of the early pioneers; to obtain and preserve various accounts of their exploits, perils and hardy adventures; to secure facts and statements relative to the history and genius, and progress and decay of the Indian tribes of Iowa, to exhibit faithfully the antiquities and past and present resources of the State; to aid in the publication of such collections of the society as shall, from time to time, be deemed of value and interest; to aid in binding its books, pamphlets, manuscripts and papers, and in defraying other necessary incidental expenses of the Society.

There was appropriated by law to this institution, till the General Assembly shall otherwise direct, the sum of $500 per annum. The Society is under the management of a Board of Curators, consisting of eighteen persons, nine of whom are appointed by the Governor, and nine elected by the members of the Society. The Curators receive no compensation for their services. The annual meeting is provided for by law, to be held at Iowa City on Monday preceding the last Wednesday in June of each year.

The State Historical Society has published a series of very valuable collections, including history, biography, sketches, reminiscences, etc., with quite a large number of finely engraved portraits of prominent and early settlers, under the title of "Annals of Iowa.'

THE PENITENTIARY.

Located at Fort Madison, Lee County.

The first act of the Territorial Legislature, relating to a Penitentiary in Iowa, was approved January 25, 1839, the fifth section of which authorized the Governor to draw the sum of $20,000 appropriated by an act of Congress approved July 7, 1838, for public buildings in the Territory of Iowa. It provided for a