Instilling Spirit: Students and Citizenship at Washington State, 1892-1942

Many students at Pullman’s newly opened Agricultural College, Experimental Station and School of Science of the State of Washington were simply grateful for the opportunity to earn a college degree, but they received another benefit. Despite an international trend toward sequestering professors, the country’s small institutions provided personal attention. From 1893 to 1916, third president Enoch A. Bryan held to that philosophy, believing the best education came through experiences. He deliberately hired active learning advocates who were willing to be accessible, and campus spirit and involvement–whether in music, sports, politics, or debate–became an essential part of learning. As they participated in mascot antics, the Greek system, upheavals in student body politics, and the 1936 strike, the young scholars also deeply influenced faculty and administrators. Instilling Spirit traces the university’s early decades, offering a unique perspective on the state college experience.