NEW COLLEGE HEAD COMES IN QUIETLY - President Raymond Pearson, the new executive head of Iowa State College, arrived in Ames this morning as previously announced. President Pearson did not wish any "fuss or feathers" and his entry into Ames and upon the campus was unheralded. He arrived on the 9:30 train from the east and was met at the station by Seaman Knapp and escorted out to Acting President Stanton's home, where he will probably remain for the next few days. His goods arrived this morning, and as soon as they can be unpacked he will take up his residence in "The Knole" which has been recently rejuvenated.
President Pearson was very much pleased at the interest that has been taken over his arrival and expressed himself as glad to be here as the Ames people were glad to have him here. "I shall make it my first duty," he said "and it shall be a pleasant one to become acquainted as well as possible with the institution, it's faculty, it's instructors and student body. I shall gradually learn the routine work of the college and shall know within a short time what most needs attention. Indeed, I find it a pleasant place to be, as I expected.
"While I have known of times and about her work and her results for a long time, it gave me particular pleasure, however, to hear experts in Europe, where I have been traveling the past summer, mention Iowa State College and say good things about Iowa and her institution at Ames. It was, of course, what I expected, for I have been acquainted with men from and of Ames for a long time and have known what was going on here. but nevertheless, it gave me pleasure to receive such words of praise from such a source."
Dr. Pearson is a man of rather slight build, clean cut and incisive. He will find here a hearty welcome from the people of Ames as well as those at the college with whom he will of necessity be more intimately associated.
The featured photo ("celebrating the new president's arrival") showing a crowd of ISC students getting their portrait taken at the corner of Douglas and Main during the dark of night does not match the news accounts of President Pearson entering on the 9:30 AM train coming into Ames and campus "unheralded." President Pearson arrived at the Chicago & North Western depot at the other end of Main Street. It is possible that the photo actually shows ISC students following the "riot" that took place the evening after Dr. Pearson arrived in Ames. Read the account of that "celebration" (bottom of page).
Ames Daily Intelligencer, September 23, 1912
NEW PRESIDENT ON THE GROUND - Dr. Raymond Pearson, former commissioner of New York, the new president of Ames succeeding A.B. Storm, resigned, arrived in Ames from Europe about 10 o'clock this morning to take the presidency of the Iowa State College. President Pearson will assume charge of the college in a few days and acting President Stanton will give his whole attention to the Junior college, of which he is dean and the secretaryship of the institution.
Dr. Pearson is about 40 years old. He is staying at the residence of Dean Stanton of the campus until "The Knole," the president's home, is ready for occupancy. His aged mother will live with him. He is unmarried.
Ames Daily Intelligencer, September 24, 1912
ARRIVAL OF DR. PEARSON AT AMES - The faculty of the Iowa State College tendered a formal reception to Dr. Raymond Pearson, the new president, in the reception room of the president's office, Central Hall, from 2 until 4 this afternoon. It was the president's first introduction to the instructors and the department heads.
President Pearson this afternoon met a delegation of eminent newspaper men of the country, prominent among whom were Lafayette Young of the Des Moines Capital, Allan Dawson and other members of the New York Globe syndicate, who are temporarily in Des Moines on a mission of business. The newspaper men were delighted with the State College and frankly admitted that it was one of the really big institutions of the country, measured by other and similar institutions of learning in the country. A number of the newspaper men were favored by personal acquaintance with Dr. Pearson. They were conducted thru the college and shown the bigness of things associated with it.
The new executive will have the first convocation tomorrow morning at 9:30 o'clock, in the agricultural assembly hall. This will be the first time that the student body has met the new president officially.
Ames Daily Intelligencer, September 24, 1912
NEW HEAD OF AMES GETTING ACQUAINTED - Dr. Raymond Pearson, the new president of the Iowa State College and former commissioner of agriculture of New York state, is losing no time getting acquainted with the men with whom he is to work. All yesterday afternoon he was touring the 1,200-acre campus, visiting the dairy farm, the stock barns, fields, etc. He's grasping the details so he may get down to work in the office as soon as possible.
He arrived in Ames on Monday morning about 10 o'clock yesterday morning. His coming was unannounced except to acting President Stanton, who has been in touch with him since he sailed for America. There will be no ceremony in connection with his inauguration; he doesn't want any.
Acting President Stanton, dean of the junior college and secretary of the whole college, will retire as president in a few days. It is not known whether the new president has considered any reorganization. Dr. Pearson is spending the first few days getting acquainted with the authorities and topography of the college...
Dr. Pearson has been in Europe for several months studying the agricultural colleges of the old continent, particularly those in Germany. It is expected that he will invoke at Ames the better of the advanced ideas of the European institutions.
His salary is to be $6,000 a year, $1,000 more than was ever paid to a president of Ames. President Storm resigned drawing $5,000 a year to accept a pulpit more remunerative than the presidency of the college.
He takes the chair of the college at the time of the school's greatest prosperity. The enrollment has reached 2,150, three hundred and fifty more than were matriculated at this date last year.
Ames Evening Times, September 25, 1912
WORDS OF PRAISE FOR DEAN STANTON AND PRESIDENT PEARSON FROM STUDENTS AND STATE - The coming of a new executive head marks an epoch in the life of any institution. It brings new opportunities to both the executive and the institution. How well those opportunities may be developed must naturally depend largely upon the surrounding conditions.
Dean Stanton steps out of the presidential chair which he has occupied three times as acting president, with a remarkable record. During his incumbency the college has reached the highest point of enrollment in its history. Great improvements have been carried out, and the institution as a whole has attained to high achievements. Many intricate and perplexing problems have arisen during his administration, all of which have been settled in a manner such as to only accelerate the growth of the institution. As Dean of the Junior College his influence and counsel will still be retained in the affairs of the institution.
Dr. Raymond A. Pearson comes to Iowa State College with the highest recommendations that any man could bear. He has carried out some great missions and is noted for his sharp, decisive judgment and performance of duty. Intellectually and practically he is well fitted for this, one of the greatest honors that can award true merit. He comes full of youth and enthusiasm and for such strength there can be but one result, the building up here of the greatest institution of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in the world. Dr. Pearson will find the people of Ames always working for the best interests of the institution and ready to cooperate with him at all times.
Ames Evening Times, September 25, 1912
PRES. PEARSON HOLDS FIRST CONVOCATION - President Pearson held his first convocation in the Agricultural Hall assembly room at 9:30 this morning. Over 1500 students gathered to hear for the first time their new "Prexy." Many of them saw him this morning for the first time, and the general feeling was that "he's all right." Dean Stanton introduced the new president, telling of his training and the executive positions he has occupied. He is very much interested in industrial education and Dean Stanton said he had found him to be a very enthusiastic man.
President Pearson was greeted with loud and prolonged applause as he took the floor. He paid a tribute to the past presidents and to the past and present faculties. An especially high tribute was paid to Dean Stanton, whom he says has thousands of admirers all over the world. "He is a man among men and has probably done more for the college than any other man connected with the institution has done," said President Pearson. "He has served in more positions from the lowest to the highest than any other man. He will not be replaced by my coming but will be merely aided and I expect that we will make a good team," continued the president.
Dr. Pearson referred to himself as a freshman and said that the first thing he did was to ask for the freshmen rules, which request was met with a reply from Dean Stanton that no freshmen rules existed except that all freshmen should be gentlemen. He went on to say that there is an army battling against ignorance. This army is composed of workers, shirkers and others not classified. The fight at Ames is mostly on the offensive and the new president is here to fight with the students.
"I have never found a place better than Iowa for a spirit of hard work and co-operation," he continued. "Iowa is noted for that and Ames is as well along as any other place in the state. The honor placed upon me is great but every one has a part in it, and the work and the help of the students is indispensable."
In closing he stated that he expected to carry out the constant policies of the school and that "I pledge with God's help that it shall be my earnest purpose to meet and deal with the new conditions in a manner that will be a credit to the Iowa State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts and the state of Iowa.
College yells and songs closed the convocation. President Pearson was in Des Moines yesterday returning at four o'clock for an informal meeting with the members of the faculty.
Ames Evening Times, September 25, 1912
COLLEGE STUDENTS MAKE RAID ON DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS MONDAY EVENING - If there was ever any doubt in the last few weeks as to the presence of almost two thousand active college students in Ames, such doubt would have fled before the evidence of Monday evening. Through some unknown cause, natural or otherwise the lights went off at the college shortly after seven o'clock, and within a few moments a small army of students had gathered for a night of revelry. The band was practicing in one of the buildings and to enlist the support of the members of that organization was but the work of a few moments. The college car refused to wait for the crowd at West Gate, and the more homely method of coming to town in and on a box car which was standing nearby was chosen.
Unmindful of the dangerous results which such action might produce the car was cut loose and sped down the track to the Squaw Creek bridge where it was abandoned, and the crowd proceeded to town on foot headed by the band. The waiting room at Grand avenue was overturned on the way. The Princess theater was the objective point of the snake dance which wound down Main street.
Managers Sears and Narvis refused to allow them to enter until the first show was over and then turned the house open to them. In their haste to get in one of the beveled plate glass in the doors was broken. A collection was taken but only partially paid for the damage. Following the show a raid was made on the loose wagons, machinery and city light street outfits and attempts made to pile them up on Main street. Marshal Ricketts took a hand in the game at this stage and nabbed one of the fellows out of the crowd and took him to the city jail. This display of authority seemed to quell the enthusiasm and the crowd was willing to submit to a proposition for the release of their comrade, upon the return of the property to its proper place.
Mayor Sheldon and Marshal Ricketts both made speeches in which they signified their willingness to aid in all celebrations, but also made it plain that they would not stand for any violations of the law and would arrest all offenders when ever necessary to preserve order.
Earlier in the evening a fellow was nabbed by the authorities while in the act of helping cut loose a coal car. He was kept in secret confinement to avoid any trouble with the crowd, and was only released after arrangements had been made with him for a meeting between Mayor Sheldon and representatives of the different classes on Saturday to come to an understanding as to just how far such proceedings may go in the future.
The exact cause of the lights going out can not be ascertained. One of the transformers on Boone street was burned out but whether it resulted from natural causes or from a malicious short circuit is not known today. All appearances, however, seem to point to a short circuit and a vigorous hunt is being prosecuted for the guilty parties. The transformer was of a special type and will take at least six weeks to replace, at an expenditure of almost $200. This leaves the college service somewhat crippled, but the juice will be delivered in some way, and light furnished as long as the other transformers will hold out.
The crowd seemed to be chiefly underclassmen, who were away from home for the first time and felt called upon to celebrate the occasion. The demonstration certainly failed to reflect any credit upon the school or themselves.
The total damage was two arrests for the cutting loose of freight cars, the burning of a stack of straw, breaking a costly glass door, scattering vehicles over the streets and upsetting the waiting room at Grand avenue, in addition to the heavy expense thrust upon the city for the transformer burned out which may or may not be attributed to malicious actions.