Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Ag Building [PAGE 48]

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45 officially endorsed it in the State Institute and a campaign of education commenced throughout the length and breadth of the State By careful study it became evident that $100,000 would not be sufficient to provide what was needed and the estimate was raised to $150,000 during the campaign. It was supported by every agricultural organization of the state—I had almost said by every farmer and citizen of the state—and passed the General Assembly without amendment and with only one dissenting vote. When this vote was taken we had twenty-one regular and twenty-two short course students. T h e next year, although we abolished the short course, we registered a total of ninety, and this year a total of one hundred and fifty-seven. Then again, these same farmers in the name of their various organizations have just closed a campaign for increasing the funds of the experiment station by over $50,000 annually. This with the askings of the trustees for fur nishing the building and for increased support of the college, provides a fund for the college and station not exceeded by that of any single institution devoted to agriculture in the world. Wherefore, then we should all rejoice this day. What has been done we have done together -for nobody's good but that of Illinois. The University stands not only for industry but for all things needful and contemporaneous with this increase in agricultural funds it has received the largest appropriation in its history, showing that Illinois is large enough of pocket and of heart so that one thing need not feed off another, but that she is both ready and willing to do well whatever needs to be done for the good of all her interests and the benefit of all her citizens.