Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - 30 Year Master Plan (Tilton & O'Donnell) [PAGE 89]

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History of Campus Plan

more than the highest pre-war registration. The increase had been predicted late in the summer, and the Trustees, realizing that the University was far behind in its building program, felt that they should take preliminary steps to meet the situation. With an assurance of an increased enrollment they considered it only reasonable to press upon the Legislature the need for additional University buildings, even though there were many urgent post-war demands upon the State. Faced with the necessity of an early resumption of building activities on the Campus, the Trustees, as a measure of preparedness, voted on August 15, 1919, authorizing their Executive Committee to retain, until further notice,Messrs. Holabird and Roche as Consulting Architects for the University. This firm had previously served in this capacity on the Education Building, which had just been completed. In conformity to this action President Carr reported at the October meeting of the Board of Trustees that the firm of Holabird and Roche had been engaged to act as Consulting Architects on the plans for the proposed McKinley Memorial Hospital, the Horticulture Building, and the general development of the Campus. These two buildings had been proposed before the War, and this action was the first official step, after the War, to resume building projects. These buildings and many others, particularly a new Library, were needed immediately, but, unfortunately, there was very little money available for building purposes. The appropriations made by the General Assembly for the years 1919-1921 provided the very moderate sum of $300,000 for the purchase of land and the erection of buildings. In view of the imperative needs of the University and the excessive building costs which prevailed after the War, this amount was pitiably inadequate. It was scarcely enough to erect a single new fireproof unit, while the demands for additions to existing buildings were alone sufficient to exhaust the entire appropriation. The only way that the University officials could hasten the time when more buildings could be made available was to have plans prepared in advance, so that,