The Gymnasium

Secretary Wade was sitting in lus office at the University, Monday morning, discussing the sketcn plans of the new gymnasium, which had recently been submitted, when who shouid walk in but E. W. Arnold, of Detroit, the architect who had drafted the plans? He was accompanied by the chairman of the building coinmittee, Regent Charles R. Whitman. "Is Dr. Angelí in bis office?" asked Mr. Whitman. "No, Dr. Angelí is in Detroit." "That's unfortunate. Mr. Arnold has come out to see hiin." "And Dr. Angelí has gone to Detroit to see Mr. Arnold," replied Secretary Wade. ïhesituation wassomewhat ludicrous, and all joinedin the laugh thatfollowed. Through a misunderstanding as to the place of meeting, Mr. Arnold had come to Ann Arbor to confer with President Angelí respecting the gymnasium, at the same time that President Angelí had gone to Detroit to soe him. Dr. Angelí was telephoned to at once, and a meeting appointed for that evening in Detroit. "Yes," said Mr. Arnold," when all the arrangements bad been made, "I've been waiting for President Angelí to return from Europe in order to arrive at a better understanding with him and the building committee, and to see if they can devise means for carrying out what they want. The fact of the matter is, $40,000 will not build such a gyainasium as you need here. The regents must obtain more money, or else reduce requirements, which they ought not to do." "How do the dimensions of the proposed gymnasium compare with those of others, Mr. Arnold?" " Why, if these plans are accepted you will have the largest gymnasium in the country. After obtaining the dimensions desired by the University authorities, I took a trip through the East in order to visit all the large gymnasiums, secure some of their advantages, and avoid their errors. I found that no other gymnasium in the United States has the floor space that these plans show. The floor of Yale's new gymnasium, not quite completed yet, is 78 by 136 feet; that of Harvard'sis 80 by 113; and that of the Manhattan Athletic Club, of New York, is 91 by 110. The gymnasium floor of the Southern Athletic Club, of New Orleans, which I did not visit, is 80 by 121. Our plan calis for a main gymnasium room, 90 by 150 feet, with another back of it, 58 by 80 feet, for the ladies." "Do the other gymnasiums you have seen have separate rooms for the ladies?" "No, they don't. At Harvard, for example, I saw the ladies of the Annex using the room at the same time with the gentlemen, all in their abbreviated costumes. They weru supposed to have different hours, but they came just when it was convenipnt." "Now, the quebtion is just here: Will the regents raise the other $20,000 which will be required to build a gymnasium of these dimensions, or will they prefer to have the plans so altered that the building can be erected for the $40,000 already obtained?" ',There isn't much doubt in my mind," said Regent Whitman, at this point, "tbat the board will raise the other $20,000. The plans are economical. Harvard's gymnasium, I understand, cost $100,000, and Yale's will cost 8omewhat over that. Harvard's is now cramped. If we do not make extra efforts to get what is necessary, not only for our future wants, but for our present needs, I think a time will come when we will regret it. If the ladies of the U. of M. were obliged to use the same room with the gentlemen, not one-fourth of them would take advantage of tbe opportunity." The side elevation in the drawing, shows a handsome brick structure, tvvo stories in height. In all probability, it will ornameat the northeast corner of the campus, for the southwest corner is needed for the Art Building and the southeast corner may be required for additions to the Mechanical Laboratory. President Angelí expressed himself as much pleased with the neatness and economy of the designs submitted by Mr. Arnold, but did not care to offer an opinión as to what action the Board of Regents would take.