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Douglas Smith Anderson

 
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wckirby



Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 355
Location: New Orleans

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:42 pm    Post subject: Douglas Smith Anderson Reply with quote

From his plaque in Boggs:

"Douglas Smith Anderson was a member of the original faculty of the College of Technology. He was named dean in 1919 and acting president of Tulane in 1935. Anderson was a champion of the school when early critics sought to eliminate it. "


That last part is VERY interesting. Does anyone know anything more? There's nothing on the internet, New Orleans Public Libraries are shut down, and Tulane's Library is closed for a couple of weeks. There is a two volume, very detailed history of Tulane out there. I've got the second volume that covers 1945-1980. Does anyone have the first part?
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Clay Kirby
11th generation New Orleanian
4th generation Tulanian
Mechanical Engineering Class of '06
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cenla alum



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got Dyer's book - Tulane The Biography of a University - it covers the years 1834-1965.

There are several mentions of Anderson. The School of Engineering began as The College of Technology and achieved a separate status for itself in 1894 when it moved from Common Street to the present uptown location. At the time the department was divided into the College of Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences. Brown Ayres was the dean and was a professor of physics and electrical engineerings. John Ordway - industrial chemistry, W. H. P. Crieghton - mechanical engineering, John Caldwell - chemistry & geology, William Woodward - drawing and architecture, Douglas Anderson - physics and electrical engineering, William Cooper - experimental mechanics and shopwork, William Brown - workshop and Tudor Hall - mechanician in physics laboratory were the faculty.

After separation it developed more rapidly than any other department, except medicine.

When Craighead became president, he wanted to have the university declared a public institution and receive funding from the state. This was shot down. The school was in an extremely poor situation. At the same time the board made changes to make the President work directly for them, not the faculty and saught to have a Board of Visitors make recommendations regarding faculty and staff. This created problems. In 1910 Anderson was exchanging angry notes with Craighead regarding the College of Technology faculty. Craighead implied they were philistine and uncultured and it was rumored that he has said the engineers were opposed to literary societies.

As a result of this and several other things Craighead caused problems with the Board of Visitors was disbanded. Changes were made at the Board level, but Craighead remained on as president until 1912.

At this same time it may be important to note that the College of Architecture was inside the College of Technology.
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