Echoes Strongand Clear

Auburn University then and now, portrayed in photographs

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www.auburn.edu

Produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing at Auburn University

Imagine engaging in a mock battle on the lawn of

Comer Hall, attending mandatory Sunday services in

the University Chapel, typing term papers on a manual

typewriter, searching for information in a card catalog,

or hanging out with friends at your university-provided

tugboat residence. No? Perhaps you’re more likely to

read about global peacekeeping efforts on your iPad,

listen to a podcast of that Sunday service or class when

you have to miss it, search for information on your laptop

while lounging in a hammock in Samford Park, and hang

out with friends on Facebook via your cellphone.

Many of Auburn University’s 270,000 graduates since

1859 have done some variation of one of these things.

Echoes Strong and Clear is a photographic

compilation that shows Auburn University’s historical

transformation its earliest days to today. You will often see

an image that is startlingly similar to another taken one

hundred years or more before it.

The task of progressing from a small, 19th-century

church college to become a nationally prominent land-

grant institution was not without obstacles. New fields

of research and new ways of teaching were explored

only to be replaced by still newer opportunities. The

faculty and staff attempted to preserve the best of the

college’s original liberal arts program while cultivating an

academic environment suitable for preparing students for

the emerging scientific professions. Three name changes

occurred in the 1800s before what was almost always

known as Auburn actually became Auburn University, with

its land-grant designation, in 1960. All the while the appeal

of the institution steadily grew it from an original enrollment

of 80 to today’s more than 25,000,

From an inspired idea in 1856 through a national

championship celebration in 2011, the stunning images in

Echoes Strong and Clear will give you a sense of what it

was like for those who went before, during, or after your

time here.

Yes, the images will show that Auburn has

changed dramatically, yet they also strive to capture

what has remained constant – the tradition, spirit and

belief in Auburn that connects all generations of the

Auburn Family.

On the rolling plains of Dixie

’Neath the sun-kissed sky.

Proudly stands our Alma Mater

Banners high.

To thy name we’ll sing thy praise,

From hearts that love so true,

And pledge to thee our

Loyalty the ages through.

We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow

To work for thy just fame,

And hold in memory as we do now

Thy cherished name.

Hear thy student voices swelling,

Echoes strong and clear,

Adding laurels to thy fame

Enshrined so dear.

From thy hallowed halls we’ll part,

And bid thee sad adieu,

Thy sacred trust we’ll bear with us

The ages through.

We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow,

To work for thy just fame,

And hold in memory as we do now

Thy cherished name.

— Composed by Bill Wood ’24

Word revision by Emma’ O’Rear Foy, 1960

Front cover: Samford Hall at dusk

Back cover: Auburn’s historic Main Gate featuring

the Toomer’s Oaks at the corner of College

Street and Magnolia Avenue.

THE ALMA MATER

Can you imagine engaging in a mock

battle on the lawn of Comer Hall,

attending mandatory Sunday services

in the University Chapel, typing term

papers on a manual typewriter, or

searching for information on a laptop

computer with a Wi-Fi connection in

the student center? If you’re an Auburn

graduate, the chances are good that

you’ve done at least one of those things

on campus. Relive the memories in

Echoes Strong and Clear, a 12 x 12-inch,

160-page photographic compilation

depicting Auburn University’s historical

transformation from its beginning to

the present.

If you are one of the more than 270,000

Auburn alumni, the images in Echoes

Strong and Clear will give you a sense of

what student life was like for those who

went before, during, or after

your time here.

Echoes Strong and Clear is

available for $39.95 per book.

Pre-order your copies directly

from Auburn University

Photographic Services.

www.auburn.edu/photo

or (334) 844-4560.

Auburn University then and now,

portrayed in photogr aphs

In 1870, the cost of tuition at the East Alabama Male College ranged from $25 to $80 depending on the chosen

courses of study, plus an additional $15 to $20 for board and lodging. In return, the East Alabama Male College

offered to “furnish as full and thorough a course of instruction as can be found in any institution in the country.”

When the original East Alabama Male College became Alabama’s land-grant college in 1872, it adopted the

name Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, a name it retained until 1899 when it became Alabama

Polytechnic Institute. Nineteenth- and early 20th-century male students at A&M of Alabama were called cadets

and required to buy and wear gray wool military-style uniforms and engage in military exercises as part of their

education. Women were not admitted until 1892.

The group photograph (upper right) is of President William LeRoy Broun, center, with faculty and cadets and

was taken about 1890 on the steps of Samford Hall. The faculty included professors John Jay Wilmore and Arthur

Dunstan. The other photos on this page depict the coat that was part of the cadet’s uniform or equipment, the East

Alabama Male College’s registration book from 1886, and a memorial sign from the Alumni Association dedicated

to the students who fought on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

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Even though a winter storm

brought ice and snow to the state on

Jan. 10, 2011, it did nothing to quiet the

cheers of thousands of Auburn fans

celebrating the national championship

win at Toomer’s Corner. The chant

“It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger,” was

heard well into the night.

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Above: Nova, Auburn’s six-year-old golden eagle, was officially

named War Eagle VII on November 11, 2006.

Right: Morning light falls on the Toomer’s Oaks.

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Inset: In 1931, James W. Boyd, left, and Jesse Stallings were

reported to be the first students at Alabama Polytechnic Institute to

own their own airplanes. The two came to Auburn to enter the new

aeronautical engineering program. The aircraft pictured is Boyd’s

180-horsepower Air-Bos biplane.

Today, air transportation is available through the Auburn University Regional Airport, in

partnership with the cities of Auburn and Opelika and Lee County. It is utilized for recreational

flying and corporate travel. The airport is home to a flight education program that enrolls

approximately 200 student pilots and plays host to various intercollegiate flying meets for the

university. In 2010, the airport completed a major renovation and expansion that included a

new 26,000-square-foot terminal.