In 1915, an opportunity for higher education for St. Joseph citizens became available when the predecessor to Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph Junior College, opened its doors.<\/p>\n
That same year, St. Joseph, Missouri could boast of having two hospitals, St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital on 10th<\/sup> Street, and Noyes Hospital, which had just opened at 24th<\/sup> and Frederick Ave. The city, with a population of approximately 77,000, was also home to State Lunatic Asylum No. 2, which was called \u201cthe most important public charity in Buchanan County and one of the most important in the entire west.\u201d The Home for Little Wanderers (later the Noyes Home) was 21 years old in 1915, and the Social Welfare Board free clinic was just two years old. There were seven parks, a YMCA, a YWCA, Lyceum and Orpheum theaters and the Tootle Opera House.<\/p>\n Dr. Frances Flanagan \u201935, professor emerita of English, researched circumstances behind the founding of the Junior College for her book, \u201cMissouri Western State College: A History 1915-1983.\u201d<\/p>\n She noted that the idea for a Junior College may have been around for a while, but didn\u2019t gain serious traction until an Aug. 6, 1915 joint meeting between the school board and the Commerce Club in St. Joseph, now the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. At that meeting, the Commerce Club brought up the idea of a two-year junior college which would be an extension of the high school.<\/p>\n The school board agreed that it would be a good idea and something that they would look into in the future, but impossible at the time with the funds that were currently available.<\/p>\n However, by the Aug. 23 school board meeting, the minutes read, \u201cBy unanimous vote a committee was ordered appointed to confer with the Commerce Club and others to see if some method can be found to finance the junior college plan for the coming year and report back to the board.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll the business had to take place in a coffee shop or on a street corner,\u201d Dr. Flanagan said with a laugh. \u201cThis was August and it opened in mid-September. No bond drive, no hunt for teachers (they all came from Central High School), no worry, no bother, there it was.\u201d<\/p>\n At its Sept. 4 meeting, the school board voted that the \u201cJunior College Course outlined by the special committee be established in Central High School, and the arrangement of details be left to the committee, subject to approval of proper authorities of the State University (University of Missouri-Columbia) and that requirements for entrance to the course be the same as those for the State University.\u201d Tuition was set at $40 per year for St. Joseph residents and $60 for non-residents.<\/p>\n By Sept. 9, a committee had come up with plans for the curriculum, with courses including English literature, composition and rhetoric, Cicero\u2019s Essays on Friendship and Old Age, European history, French, inorganic chemistry, trigonometry, college algebra, and education courses and electives.<\/p>\n Classes began on Sept. 20 with 35 students. The city\u2019s new Junior College was just the second junior college in the state (Kansas City had one at the time) and the eighth in the nation.<\/p>\n Interestingly, the Junior College came about with no guidance or approval from the state. It wasn\u2019t until 12 years later, in 1927, that a state law was passed permitting the startup of a junior college in a public school district with a fully accredited high school \u201con the approval of and subject to the supervision of the state superintendent of schools.\u201d<\/p>\n The first top administrator of the Junior College was Frank C. Touton, who was the principal of Central High School at the time.<\/p>\n Dr. Flanagan said it is important to remember that the Junior College was started because of the interest and encouragement from the community, and the institution has continued to respond to the needs of the community throughout its entire history.<\/p>\n Excerpts and information for this article are from <\/em>\u201cMissouri Western State College: A History 1915-1983,\u201d by Dr. Frances Flanagan. <\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0F<\/strong>un Fact: School Board members 1915-1916 The St. Joseph Junior College opened its doors on Sept. 20, 1915. What was life like 100 years ago? <\/strong><\/p>\n President \u2013 Woodrow Wilson <\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 1915\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2015<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Population of U.S. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0100 million +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 300 million+<\/sup><\/p>\n Avg. Household size \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a04.5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.54<\/p>\n Number of people<\/p>\n in U.S. 65 years or older\u00a0 \u00a04.5 million\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.1 million<\/p>\n Life expectancy at birth \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a054.5 years \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a078.11 years<\/p>\n Percentage of population,<\/p>\n age 25 and older, which had at least<\/p>\n a high school diploma \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a013.5%\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 90%<\/p>\n Most popular baby names John and Mary \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Noah and Sophia (2014)<\/p>\n Number of motor vehicle<\/p>\n registrations \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.5 million\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0246 million<\/p>\n New in 1915 Jan. 12 \u2013 The U.S. House of Representatives rejects a proposal to give women the right to vote.<\/p>\n Jan. 26 \u2013 Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado established.<\/p>\n Feb. 12 \u2013 Cornerstone laid for Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Feb. 18 \u2013 Germany begins a blockade of Britain.<\/p>\n March 19 \u2013 Pluto photographed for the first time (although unknown at the time).<\/p>\n May 7 \u2013 SS Lusitania sunk by German submarine; 1,198 lives lost.<\/p>\n June 10 \u2013 The Girl Scouts Organization is founded.<\/p>\n Aug. 5-Aug. 23 \u2013 Hurricane Two of the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season over Galveston and New Orleans leaves 275 dead.<\/p>\n Sept. 20 \u2013 St. Joseph Junior College opens.<\/p>\n Oct. 12 \u2013 Ford Motor Company under Henry Ford manufactures its one millionth Model T automobile.<\/p>\n Dec. 16 \u2013 Albert Einstein publishes \u201cGeneral Theory of Relativity.\u201d<\/p>\n Dec. 25 \u2013 WWI: British and German forces declare an unofficial Christmas truce, get out of the trenches and have a free-for-all kick-around football game in no-man\u2019s land.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 1915, an opportunity for higher education for St. Joseph citizens became available when the predecessor to Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph Junior College, opened its doors. That same year, St. Joseph, Missouri could boast of having two hospitals, St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital on 10th Street, and Noyes Hospital, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1219"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4245,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219\/revisions\/4245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>The president of the Commerce Club at the time of the Junior College founding was William E. Spratt, who had served as St. Joseph\u2019s mayor. He is the father of Missouri Western benefactors Elliott C. Spratt and Leah Spratt.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Orestes Mitchell, President
\nSamuel Motter
\nJohn E. Dolman
\nDr. F. P. Cronkite (Walter Cronkite\u2019s grandfather)
\nW. P. Fulkerson
\nFrank E. Vancil<\/p>\n
\nVice President \u2013 Thomas R. Marshall
\nSpeaker of the House \u2013 Champ Clark from Missouri
\nAverage price of a new home\u2013 $5,651
\nAverage cost of a new car \u2013 $490
\nAverage annual earnings for workers (excluding farm labor) \u2013 $687
\nUnemployment \u2013 8.5%
\nWorld Series \u2013 Boston Red Sox defeated Philadelphia Phillies 4-1<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Aspirin in tablet form
\nGas masks
\nLong distance phone line from New York to San Francisco
\nMechanical pencil
\nMilk carton
\nNeon tube advertising sign
\nProcessed cheese
\nPyrex glass
\nRaggedy Ann
\nThe round Quaker Oats package
\nSkeet shooting
\nU. S. Coast Guard
\n1915 Notable Events
\n<\/strong>January \u2013 While working as a cook at New York\u2019s Sloan Hospital under an assumed name, \u201cTyphoid Mary\u201d infects 25 people, and is placed in quarantine for life.<\/p>\n