Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/88

72, of the Christian College at Monmouth, Doctor Warren, of Albany, Professors Arnold and Martin, T. G. Hendricks, J. H. D. and E. P. Henderson, of Eugene.

Another visitor at the brick church during this meeting was Mr. B. F. Dorris, one of the directors of the district school, who was especially interested in the establishment of a high school. It seems that a few men, among whom was Mr. Dorris, were attracted by the Baker City plan of securing a high school. That town had gone before the legislature at the. preceding session and gained the right to borrow $10,000 of the school fund with which to erect their building. The directors and teachers of the Eugene school had discussed the plan somewhat, and a meeting to further it was called immediately after the close of the Teachers' Association. At this meeting others were present, notably J. M. Thompson. In the course of the evening, Mr. Dorris remarked that he had heard Professor Campbell say the question of locating the State University would be settled at the approaching session of the legislature. This statement immediately brought Judge Thompson to his feet with the suggestion that Eugene enter the fight for the university instead of trying to borrow money to erect a high school.

From this point the interests of the leaders were absorbed in the university project. The story of that effort—the organization of the Union University Association, the successful work before the legislature, the struggle to raise the promised bonus, the triumphant opening of the institution in the fall of 1876—will be the subject of another chapter in the educational history of Oregon. Here we only wish to point out that the university movement grew out of a high-school agitation,