View Photo Album

1930

Financial struggles worsened in the early 1930s, and by 1933 many bonds were coming due. John G. Hardin, also a major benefactor of Hardin-Simmons University, helped alleviate many of the growing financial pressures with a gift of $160,000 in bonds. Later the school borrowed $40,000 more from Hardin to retire some urgent notes.

Under Baxter's leadership and later, during the presidency of James Cox, the college survived the Depression.

1932

President Batsell Baxter resigned in order to become president of David Lipscomb College in Nashville.

Halfmiler Elmer Gray became the first Wildcat to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials in track and field.  He advanced to the semifinals in the 800 meters and finished fifth in Palo Alto, Calif.

1933

As the grip of the Depression tightened during the thirties, the school found itself struggling for survival. One young faculty member who taught during the summer of 1933 wrote that he did not receive a $50 paycheck for the last month of the summer until October, because the school simply did not have the money until fall tuition payments came in. "I was happy to get the money at all," he wrote.  "The school was happy I got it at all, too."

1936

ACC's first All Students Day, in which students took the place of faculty and administrators, began.

The Old Bean Bell was silenced after being cracked when students rang it when the Hardin gift was announced.

1937

Because of space constraints in the new Administration Building, it was decided that the Chemistry Department must move. A temporary frame building that was quickly erected after the fire at the old campus was moved to the new campus for use as the chemistry building. It was sawed into three sections, loaded onto flatbed trucks, transported and reassembled. It became, officially, the Chemistry Building, but was known, more affectionately, as the Chem Shack.

Chemistry instructor R. D. Tyler, who serves under department head Paul Witt, wrote the following description of the Chem Shack:

The exterior consisted of one inch by twelve inch (sic) boards running horizontally around the building; the interior was lined with one by twelves nailed on horizontally. There were no screens on the doors or windows. The roof was covered with black tar paper with a coat of tar to keep it from blowing off. Through all the years it was used it never had a paint job. It was hot in the summer, cold in the winter; no air conditioning and only open flame gas heaters. The wind seems to blow all the time. [. . . ] Although we had other classes in the new brick buildings, we were never envious of the other classrooms, and we were proud of our own Chem Shack. Dr. Witt kept us all busy and we were one big happy group; we had picnics, and Mrs. Witt had us over to their home.