Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1918 [PAGE 725]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

I9I8]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

719

used in the cantonments in immediate juxtaposition to the Y. M. C. A. Building. The following letter from the Commandant states his attitude on the matter: March 8, 1918 From: The Commandant, School Military Aeronautics, University of Illinois To: The President of the University

SUBJECT :

1. I have carefully inspected University Hall with a view to this building being taken oyer for use as barracks by the School of Aeronautics. It is not at all suitable for the purpose. I do not feel that I could authorize men to live in a building where the fire risk is so great. As a matter of fact there is only one building on the campus that is entirely suitable for our purpose, both because of its interior arrangement and of its location. I refer to the Woman's Building. If this building could be turned over to the School of Military Aeronautics for use as barracks we could accomodate over one thousand men, using the Y. M. C. A. as at present. 2. May I suggest that some definite steps toward obtaining new barracks for the School of Aeronautics be taken in the very near future? No matter what building is turned over to us for our use, certain alterations would be necessary which would take some time. Also additional facilities for mess would have to be provided. 3,. • I request early action on this matter due to the fact that the first increased class is due to arrive today. I would deeply regret being obliged to notify the War Department that we could not accommodate the increase in number which has been ordered for this school.

WILLIAM F. PEARSON

Major, Signal Corps The Government is very anxious that the members of the School of Aeronautics should be barracked as closely together as possible. It would much prefer it if we had a single building which could house 1,000 or 1,200 men, but as such is not the case, the Government is willing to give up the Woman's Residence Hall and accept the Woman's Building. If this change were made, it would involve moving the Department of Domestic Science, the Girls' Gymnasium, the Office of the Dean of Women and the social rooms, and certain music rooms to some other building or buildings on the campus. For this purpose the Woman's Residence Hall and the School of Education Building may be utilized. The Commandant agrees that certain rooms in the Woman's Building might be excluded from use by the School, notably the two or three laboratory rooms which are equipped with permanent and expensive furnishings, including the kitchen of the cafeteria. According to the plan suggested by the Commandant a mess room might be located in the basement of the Woman's Building, using the room in the southwest corner of the Building as a kitchen and serving in the rooms along the east front of the building and the west front of the building. Professor White's estimate is that it would cost about $15,000 to put the Woman's Building in a condition to be utilized by the School. This arrangement will seriously discommode University work. It will increase very greatly