Windom College

Windom College (previous names, Western Minnesota Seminary and Windom Institute) is a former American parochial school in Montevideo, Minnesota. It is the second school established in southwestern Minnesota by the Congregational church. It was founded in 1885 with the hope that its students would take more advanced courses in Carleton  College. Originally named "Western Minnesota Seminary", it became the "Windom Institute" in 1891 in honor of Hon. William Windom, United States Senator and Secretary of the Treasury, who was a member of the Congregational church in Winona, Minnesota, the  earliest of the Congregational churches in southeastern  Minnesota. The name change in 1912 to "Windom College" gave western Minnesota its first college. Windom College ended operations in 1923. Its building was purchased by and became the official home of the Masons of Montevideo.

Location
Windom College was located in Montevideo in the western part of Minnesota. The institute was situated on a high bluff overlooking the valleys of the Minnesota and Chippewa Rivers, about 0.5 miles from the confluence of the streams. It was in the center of a thickly-settled and  rich  farming  section  about 250 miles  in  diameter  if  the  nearest  colleges  were the  limits. This section was  to  contain  scores  of  small  cities  and  hundreds of  prosperous  villages,  a  large  proportion  of  which  could  look to  Windom  Institute  for  the  help  of  hundreds  of  young  people  who could not  for  one  reason  or  another  link  themselves  with  the  public High Schools. But the  great  mission  of  the  school was  to  the  boys  and  girls of  the  farm in the whose  awakening  to  the  value  of  an  education  came  too late  for  entrance  on  the  graded school curriculum. The students came largely from a Scandinavian and American population.

The large campus of 40 acres afforded opportunities for outdoor sports, such as tennis, baseball, football, boating, fishing, and during the winter months, skating, coasting, and skiing.

Background
In 1884, President Strong of Carleton College suggested  at  a  meeting of  the  State  Association  of  Congregational  Churches,  the  necessity of  Academies  or  Fitting  Schools  in  different  sections  of  Minnesota. There was  hardly  a  boy  or  girl  in  all  the Montevideo region  who  had  any  aspiration  for  a  "higher  education"  or  comprehension of  what  that  term  stood  for.

To create a new standard of culture for western Minnesota, and to link such an effort to the inspiring forces of religion, was the thought in the minds of those who founded the Western  Minnesota Seminary in 1885. A corporation of 26 members, with provision as to its relation to the churches and to Carleton  College, was organized to carry out the plans for this enterprise, and steps were taken for the raising of funds. The canvass of Montevideo and vicinity resulted in pledges of US$22000, face value. C. A. Strong was the first to pledge US$1000.

Western Minnesota Seminary, 1885
In the fall of 1885, the  school  was  opened with three boys and one girl. An old hotel on the hill was secured and fitted up as well as the poverty of the school's treasury  allowed. The office and parlor were recitation rooms, the  dining  room, an assembly  hall, while a little dingy  back room served as an art and music department. James Fairchild, of Oberlin College and Harvard University, was  the  principal, a man who inherited from his father, George Fairchild, an integrity and ability that were of great importance in this formative period of  the  school. Miss Julia V. Finney, from Carleton College, brought to the school exceptional teaching ability and a sympathy with its purposes which gave her patience under trying circumstances. Miss Lizzie Cady, of Oberlin, had charge of the musical instruction. Miss Minnie Bailey, from Carleton undertook art instruction in the school and village. Their salaries were small and often months behind.

In one of the school's most dire financial periods, Judge Edwin Smith Jones, of Minneapolis, came to Montevideo to investigate for himself. He assured the school's administration "... that the school is not going to give up, it is going to succeed, and you tell them that I say so." From that day, Judge Jones gave of his time and money to supplement the administration's other efforts.

In September 1888, the  State  Association  of  Congregational churches  met  at  Owatonna, Minnesota. The school was in poor financial circumstance at that  time,  and  when  a  report  was  called  for  from  the  Academy, a  simple  statement  of  the  serious  situation  was  given. Wyman Elliot was  in  the  chair  and at  the  close  of  the  report,  he  started  a  movement  for  help  by  giving a  farm  outright. Carleton College  waived  its  right  to  time  while Pres. Strong and  Prof. Goodhue  made  effective  pleas  for  Montevideo. Messrs. Morley and  Evans  took  the  platform,  and  in  half  an hour  US$2500  was  subscribed  to  help  the school,  gifts coming  from  every  part  of  the  State.

About 1890, new  forces  began  to  enter  into  the  making  of  the  school. One of  the most  important  of  these  was  the  coming  of  Charles  W.  Headley,  with his  wife,  to  the  principalship  of  the  school. Educated in Ripon College  and  Yale Divinity School,  Principal  Headley  brought  to  the school  a type  of  force which  left  its  impress  upon  the  character  of the  graduates  for  the  next  decade. Headley stood  through  storm  and stress,  and  only  resigned  on  the  return  of  harmonious  and  prosperous days. For this  invaluable  service  he  is  always  honored  among us.

Windom Institute, 1891
In July 1891, the name change from the  Western  Minnesota  Seminary  to Windom  Institute  was  brought  about  by  a  petition  to  the  Windom family,  stating  the  desirability  of  making  the  monument  to  the  memory of  William Windom such  a  living  institution  rather  than  a  bronze tablet. The document contained the names  of  eight  governors. The dedication  of  Jones  Hall  in  that same year  brought  to  Montevideo the  highest  officials  of  the  state  and notable men in  business  and  educational  circles.

During these  years  the  school  was  fortunate  in  interesting  Mr. W. S. Benton,  of  Minneapolis,  in  its  future. His sympathy  with  the institute's purposes and  his  prophetic measure of the future of western  Minnesota led  him to provide  in his will an endowment of US$25000  as a basis for the permanence of the undertaking. After the death of Mr. Benton, his widow proved to be generous to Windom Institute as well.

Marion LeRoy Burton and his wife came to the school in 1900 and by their broad and deep interest, became the school's leaders. Miss Hannah M. Griffith, of Carleton and Wellesley College training, filled the position of preceptress-teacher. Harry S. Martin served as principal of the Institute in 1904-6, with Mrs. Martin. Rev. Frank King Singiser was the principal in 1907-09, with his wife as preceptress. Ralph Edwin Nichol was principal in 1910 and 1911. For many years, Nellie Moyer Budd served as head of the music department.

Windom College, 1912
Calvin E. Buswell served as principal in 1912. At the meeting of the trustees of the institute in June 1912, it was determined to  change  the  name  of  the  school  to  Windom  College, and  to  give two  years  of  college  work,  the  purpose being  to  develop  the  academy  into  a  college,  thus  giving  to  western Minnesota  its  first  and  only  college. The trustees  rightly  felt that  the  opportunities  for  the  development  of  a  great  school  in  this vast  agricultural  territory  ought  not  to  be  neglected,  there  being  no other  school  of  the  class  nearer  than  Minneapolis or Northfield, Minnesota. To support such  a  school,  it  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  endowment fund. James J. Hill offered US$50000 on the condition  that  the  school  raise  an  additional US$200000,  making  a  total  endowment  of US$250000. The people  of  Montevideo  and  the  surrounding region responded  liberally  to  the  call  for  financial  aid. The last few  thousands  were  raised  at  a  mass  meeting  held  in  the Minneapolis Opera House at which  more  than US$51000 were pledged. May 15, 1915 was set  as  the  time  for  completing  the  endowment.

From 1913 to 1918 was the  presidency of Rev. John  H. Morley, who  had  been  the  president  of  Fargo College in 1900-1906. Lycurgus Rose Moyer, of Montevideo, was treasurer of Windom College from  1896 until his death in 1917.

Fire of 1915
On Friday  evening,  January  25,  1915,  fire  started  in  the  roof  of Jones  Hall. The hydrant  near  the  building  was  frozen,  and  the  water power  was  insufficient  to  raise  any  considerable  stream  of  water  to that  elevation. Owing to insufficient water pressure it was impossible to use the standpipe and hose in the building which were always kept ready for emergencies. The flames spread so rapidly that there was a loss of nearly everything on the upper floors.

President Morley  was  on  a  train  coming  from  Minneapolis  at  the time  of  the  fire,  and  when  a  telegram  reached  him  carrying  the  news of  the  fire,  and  that  Windom  College  was  burning,  he  said:— "Jones  Hall  may  be  burning,  but  Windom  College  cannot  burn". On the following Tuesday morning,  chapel  was  formally  held  at  the  Congregational church,  and  from  that  time  forward, school  went  on  almost uninterruptedly, the  several  classes  being  heard  in  the  various churches and in  the  public library.

There was US$9500 insurance. The trustees met at once and ordered plans drawn for the remodeling of Jones Hall into a science hall, with rooms for chapel, library and music, and the gymnasium lengthened to 70 feet.

The new Jones Hall was erected in the summer of 1915, the whole building cemented in gray. Ample accommodations for recitation rooms was furnished, and the laboratory was better equipped for work than previously. There were also practice rooms for music, which had been lacking. In all, in this modern three-story and basement building with its facilities for laboratory, musical and recitation purposes there was little to remind anyone of the old building except the tablet dedicated to Hon. Mr. Jones, which was placed in a conspicuous place in the entrance, for the new building, like the old, was named Jones Hall. The contract price for the new building was about US$25000. Besides this, the foundation and walls of the old building, which were used, were worth about US$5000. Thus the new building was worth over US$30000.

The trustees wanted to erect a US$30000 ladies' dormitory as soon as funds were in hand for this purpose. Besides their endowment campaign, Windom became engaged in raising a building fund of US$50000. Mr. Hill promised US$10000 of this. The endowment campaign was temporarily stayed because of the fire. Mr. Hill extended the time for its completion one year.

Closure
For the  outlook  of  this  College  at  the  beginning  of  the school  year  1920-21,  we  may  quote  its  announcement  by  the Montevideo  News,  September  30,  1920:— "The  fall  term  at  Windom  opened  Tuesday  with  a  promising  enrollment of  new  students.  A  teaching  staff  of  seven  members  has  been secured  for  the  various  departments.  All  of  the  members  of  this year's  faculty  are  graduates  of  standard  colleges  and  they  come strongly  endorsed.  While  the  full  four-year  course  is  offered  at  Wdom  the  trend  is  toward  business  education,  as  is  shown  in  the  training offered. R.  G.  Walker,  a  graduate  of  the  University of Nebraska,  is  a  new member  of  the  faculty,  in  charge  of  courses  in  bookkeeping,  banking, and  allied  subjects. John  R.  Rowe,  Beloit  College,  will  act  as principal  and  also  teach  classes  in  mathematics  and  science. Miss Alice Roosevelt,  Grinnell  College,  is  again  at  the  head  of  the  music department,  and  will  also  teach  languages. Mrs. Bayard Taylor, Beloit College,  is  preceptress  and  teacher  of  history  and  civics. New equipment  for  the  business  courses  has  been  installed  during the  summer. Among the  modern  appliances  available  for  the  use  of students  are  dictaphones,  a  bank  posting  machine,  and  an  electric mimeograph."

The directors of the college put it up for sale in July 1922, offering it to the Montevideo, Minnesota school district for US$35000, but later in the month, the citizens of Montevideo defeated the proprosition to purchase the property and make it a part of the public school system. In August, the Montevideo Masonic Association purchased the property for US$5000 with the intent to remodel it into a Masonic temple. Windom College ended operations in 1923, and the Masons moved into the school's building in February, when it became the official home of the Masons of Montevideo.