The Cornerstone: Wickersham Selects Site
The Cornerstone: Wickersham Selects Site
On July 4, 1915, Judge James Wickersham placed a cornerstone on vacant land where the Bunnell Building now stands at Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines (University of Alaska Fairbanks).
Wickersham was facing strong opposition in the Alaska Territorial Legislature against
the establishment of the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines in Fairbanks.
Although there were no plans to attach the stone to a building, Wickersham wanted
a physical location established before the Legislature convened. He had no legal right
to dedicate anything, since the college didn鈥檛 exist, but Wickersham recognized the
need for a symbol in those early years of the university.
Originally the stone had the word Cornerstone engraved above the A.A.C.-S.M., July
4, 1915. However, some of the letters broke before the dedication and were filled
in with mortar. It may have been a disappointment, but Judge Wickersham reportedly
said, 鈥淚f they are smart enough to go to college, they鈥檙e smart enough to know it
is a cornerstone!鈥
The Main Building, a two-story frame building, was built next to the Cornerstone in
1918, but it wasn鈥檛 occupied until 1922. When Old Main Building was demolished in
1960, the Cornerstone was moved to its present location between the Bunnell Building
and the Duckering Building.
When Delegate Wickersham wired the Second Territorial Legislature, in session in Juneau,
to approve his selection of the site, the legislature concurred and with that the
congress voted favorably on his measure. President Wilson signed it into law on March
4, 1915. Wickersham returned to Fairbanks and with the help of several of his friends
arranged for a ceremony, which was held on the Fourth of July.
Alaskans, with the exception of the Fairbanks business and civic leaders, were less
than enthusiastic about establishing the college: the population was too small; Fairbanks
was too remote; agricultural possibilities were negligible and mining had passed its
heyday; Alaskan youth needed a change of scene after finishing high school and going
to college 鈥渙utside鈥 was good for them.
Despite such arguments, legislators from the Fourth Division (interior Alaska) managed
to put through a bill accepting the land grant offer by the federal government and
provided $60,000 to build and staff the Alaska Agricultural College and School of
Mines. Governor J.F.A. Strong signed the letter on May 3, 1917.
Sources:
A Salute to Academic Tradition. University of Alaska Fairbanks, circa 1981
Cole, Terrence. The Cornerstone on College Hill. University Relations Tour Script, 2002.