In October 1906, the Board of Trustees sent out a bid for a "new building of the Mission Style of architecture in a quadrangular form similar to Stanford University." [2] The State authorities desperately desired for a school building that would be both fire and quake proof. Not only this, but they wanted the architecture to be suitable to the local weather conditions, and to be an attractive structure on campus. The Board allocated $350,000 for the construction of this building.
Architects Nat Ellery and W. D. Coates along with a young French architect student named Demarri, an employee of Architects D. H. Burmham & Company of Chicago, developed a spectacular plan for a building structure. The architecture was described as a combination of the so-called Mission and Spanish styles. "From an artistic standpoint, nothing has thus far been developed in California to equal it." [3] This was to be the focal point of the California State Normal school campus, now known as the San Jose State University. However, a struggle ensued between the Building Trades Council who had control of the City Council, and a Los Angeles contractor named Engstrom. [4] Engstrom was a non-union contractor who had also won the contract to build the Agnews State Hospital. When he bid for the school job, he had originally planned to put a spur railway track from the Southern Pacific's main tracks on Fourth Street , to receive delivery of the building materials by railway. The City Council refused to oblige, and Engstrom had to truck all the materials from the depot. On June 23, 1909, the cornerstone was laid for the building. It was a desire on the part of the contractors to make it their banner job, and the entire construction was personally supervised by Mr. F. O. Engstrum, President of the F. O. Engstrum Company.
The completed building structure was quadrangular in shape, enclosing a court 303 feet by 156 feet. The concrete was poured by gravity from three high towers. 43,840 sacks of cement was used in a mixture of one to six - three parts river gravel and three parts crushed stone. A Lug bar was used for reinforcement, the weight of which was over 200 tons. 116,000 feet of wire fabric was used to reinforce the more than 365,000 square feet of concrete. The use of reinforced concrete for construction was fairly new at this time, and steel rods incorporated into cement becomes almost indestructible. For the interior finish, and other forms in the building, more than 1,300,000 feet of lumber was used. [5] On September 20, 1910 after just over a year of construction, the building opened for the school year with approximately 600 students and 39 faculty members.
The exterior color scheme was gray, red and green. Red clay tiles of uniform size was used for the roof. 20,076 square feet of inlay work with red bricks and tiles were used to decorate the entrances and towers. The entire building was equipped with gas and electric lighting facilities, and every room had its own telephone connection. Extending entirely around the quadrangle, on both floors, were open arcades. The main floor was laid in Welsh quarry tile, while the corridor floors were of colored cement. The classroom floors were covered over the concrete with 2.25 inches of maple. A total of 155 rooms were in the structure, and included 38 large classrooms, averaging 24 by 32 feet in size. The library was the largest room and measured about 6,000 square feet. It was two stories high, and had no columns or pillars. The ceiling was done in ornamental plaster, with panels and Corinthian pilasters in staff and stucco. It had room to accommodate 40,000 volumes of books, and was furnished with 44 reading tables.
The second floor had many large reception and society rooms where society banquets were held. It also held a large ornate music room where the walls were sound proof. Every room had large arched windows for natural lighting. One wing of the building was called the Science Wing, and consisted of laboratories on either side of the corridor, and the classroom seats were tiered. The basement alone was 13,000 square feet and had engine rooms, bicycle rooms, and store rooms. [6]
The imposing Tower also known as La Torre, was equivalent to five stories high, and exhibited a strong Gothic style in its construction. The building faced the Fourth Street, and was reached by an elm-shaped driveway. It was an enclosed building that extended from Seventh to Fourth streets and was known for its beautiful inner quad. Tower Hall immediately became a landmark for the University campus. It was declared to be the largest reinforced concrete school house, in ground area, in the world, and attracted the attention of architects and builders throughout the country. [7] The style of the building was described as "the art nouveau, and combined examples of the Moorish, Gothic, Spanish, Renaissance and Mission schools." [8] Total cost of the completed structure was $325,994.01.
The graduating class of 1910, wrote proudly in their Year Book about "The New Building" and begin with "...it is a pleasure to all Normal students, both past and present, that at last the Normal is to be fittingly housed." The article goes on to describe in meticulous detail what is housed where in the building.
Plans for an assembly hall that could seat 1,700 were included in the original specifications, and in 1917 $80,000 was allocated for its construction. In 1920, the assembly hall was completed and was named after San Jose State President Morris E. Dailey, who had died the preceding year. More additions to Tower Hall were built in 1929. The building housed almost all of the instructional classrooms, and all of the important administrative offices. On Commencement days its inner quad was the favorite spot for family graduation pictures, and on Founder's Day it was the site of the President's Convocation ceremonies. [9]
After an earthquake in September of 1955, several new cracks were reported in the Tower, and in the adjoining buildings. The State division of Architecture said in a report published in late 1958, that although the Tower Hall building did not measure up to current safety standards, in many respects it was a well built structure, that could last for many years with some renovation and retrofitting for earthquakes. The report concluded that all of the proposed work could be done for considerably less cost than constructing an entirely new structure. [10] However, serious questions began to be raised about the building starting in 1960 - whether Tower Hall should be renovated or demolished and replaced.
State building inspectors deemed the building unsafe in the event of a major earthquake. Mr. John E. Carr, the Director of Finance for the State of California, sent forth a request to President Wahlquist to permit the Division of Architecture to estimate the cost of demolishing the entire building, and replacing with a new eight or ten storied building that would house more students. In response to this request, President Wahlquist made a passionate plea in favor of remodeling, and retrofitting extensively the building instead of demolishing and replacing it with a building that would lack the esthetic appeal and the historical significance. He turned to the public, faculty, Alumni and the student body for support. He asked for people to send in letters to the State Board of Trustees expressing their support to salvage the ivy-draped building that was the symbol of the University. Tower Hall at this time included the Morris Dailey department offices, the auditorium, the Reserve Book room, Health and Hygiene, the Education Wing, and the Journalism Wing that was under construction. The interior of the Tower itself has been used since 1927 exclusively by Tau Delta Phi, San Jose State's men's honorary scholastic fraternity.
In a poll taken in February 1961, students voted 8-1 in favor of saving the Tower Hall, and the adjoining structures. [11] In the poll, proponents of progress felt that Tower Hall was unsafe, and that there was a need for a larger, multi-storied building that would house a number of classrooms and over 2,000 students. Supporters who believed in salvaging Tower Hall felt that the need for expansion and growth could be met outside of the main campus, around the adjacent area. Some students claimed that Tower Hall was the only building on campus that did not look like a cell block, and that the other buildings made the campus look like an institution with no character. The Alumni Association rallied aggressively with letters to State officials supporting the full renovation of the Tower. The State Board finally favored the preservation of Tower Hall in its entirety.
On April 11, 1963 Dr. Glenn Dumke, the chancellor of the California state colleges, authorized the closure of Tower Hall for renovation studies. [12] Tower Hall and the adjoining building were shut-down by State officials for safety reasons until further investigations. The renovation study was to be conducted by the College, State Division of Architecture, and the State Department of Finance.
The shutdown in the middle of the school year meant the immediate relocation of 11 major offices, including those of the Division of Business, Division of Sciences and Occupation, Television Instruction Center, Student Affairs, Business Office, and the Departments of management, marketing, real estate, insurance, and secretarial administration. The men's fraternity was also forced to move out of the Tower. Classes and faculty offices were rescheduled to the new education and engineering buildings and to the three-story center section of the library. Entertainment programs that were held in the Morris Dailey auditorium were abruptly canceled. "The auditorium was a place for the entire community of San Jose, where many traveling artists would stage shows." [13]
As the State Division of Architecture began to study the condition of the closed building, investigators considered the building seriously deficient for horizontal forces, such as an earthquake. The roof of the Morris Dailey Auditorium was found to be covered with a roof inadequate in resisting horizontal shocks. Almost all of the inspected 55 arched windows showed cracks that even extended into the concrete. In the Tower, the bell weighing two tons was found to be inadequately supported by timbers that were toe-nailed together but were not anchored against lateral forces posing great danger during an earthquake. According to the report, the architects estimated the total cost for refurbishing the entire building to be $757,724, far above the previous guestimation of $250,000. But, the cost for replacing the building was estimated at $2,000,000. [14]
In November 1963 the Campus Development Committee advised the Board of Trustees that in their evaluation, renovating the Tower, Tower Hall, auditorium, and constructing a new classroom building adjacent to the campus between South 9th and 10th streets would be feasible for the same cost as demolishing the old structure and then replacing it with the new building. [15] The administration and alumni of the college continued on their active campaigning to save the entire Tower Hall structure. The Metropolitan Associated Group consisting of the merchants of San Jose, added their support to saving the building. Al Limberatos, the president of the Associates wrote to three state officials to establish the tower "as the state's dominant historical monument in the field of education" and called it "a priceless asset both to California and San Jose in the face of the vast migration which is taking over scenic property at an alarming rate." [16] Through the ensuing months of the battle, the alumni and the administration focused their attention to saving at least the magnificent Tower. In a last minute rally, over 3,000 signatures were telegrammed to Governor Edmund Brown and to the California State Legislatures to save the building. [17]
Finally in January 1964, in a closed session not open to public, trustee members of the State College Campus Planning, Building and Grounds Committee voted to recommend tearing down the two wings of the Tower complex, but saving the Tower itself. All of the adjacent structures were to be demolished, and replaced with landscaping to give the campus an open, roomy feeling. The proposed demolition of buildings, renovation of the Tower, and the landscaping in the quad was estimated to be completed by the following September. Despite its outcome, people involved with this issue were relieved that a resolution was finally reached, after almost four years of hearings and conflict. This compromise was less than satisfying to the alumni, students, and faculty who had fought hard to keep the entire Tower Hall intact, but their main goal of preserving at least the Tower was achieved.
In October of 1964 after more than a year of its closure, Herwig of California, a Campbell construction company won the bid for demolishing the magnificent building, save the Tower, and the Morris Dailey Auditorium. Thirty five construction men working eight hours a day, seven days a week, for the estimated ten months ran into lot of difficulties, trying to destroy the venerable wings of Tower Hall. The San Jose Mercury News said that the state engineers might have made an "unforgivable mistake in tearing down the beautiful buildings, because they appeared to be sturdy yet." [18] Hammers and bulldozers pounded away the ancient walls. Dr. Johnsgard who witnessed the destruction says that it was a struggle to pull down the super-strong walls, and the wrecking crew were surprised at their resistance. Bulldozers had to pound over and over for the walls to come down. In his opinion the reinforced concrete building, the only beautiful building on campus would have withstood earthquakes for many more years.
Inevitably, the walls yielded to the pounding iron ball, and to the bulldozers. What once was the crowning glory of the campus, was now reduced to a pile of debris. Tractors piled the tons of debris into heavy construction trucks and hauled them away. The Tower stood in solitude, stripped of its wings, and the surrounding quad. The demolishing and the clean-up took almost a year and in September 1965, the reconstruction of the Tower began.
The cracks in the Tower were repaired, and the structure itself which was originally built to withstand 800 lbs. of pressure was retrofitted to withstand 3,000 lbs. of pressure. The auditorium was also repaired and retrofitted, particularly the ceiling. The old electrical panels and equipment were replaced with modern fittings and additional exits were added in the building. The leveled bare expanse of ground around the Tower, was landscaped with lawn and shrubs. Dr. Seto believes that the campus looked better without "the walls crowding the space." [19] In his opinion, the walls surrounding the quad was too restrictive and served no purpose in particular. He prefers the landscaping, and the green lawn to the brick walls that were originally there. The Board of Trustees have promised that no structure will be built in this area for a long time to come, in order to afford the students and faculty a place of serenity.
Today the small building is still the crowning glory of the campus. Its brick walls are richly draped with ivy, beneath the arched windows, and its ancient balconies. The ornate mosaic work is still visible around the arches, and the entrances. The Morris Dailey auditorium is still filled with beautiful wooden chairs, and is still used for lectures. The banister in the staircase, and the doors in the building are of mahogany wood that were originally installed, and have now been restored to its former beauty. The ceiling on the second floor is still made of rich wooden panels, and the corridors are filled with oil paintings by a Mexican artist. The Tower is still home to the Tau Delta Phi fraternity, and one can still see the wooden plank sticking out of the Tower that they put out every year for initiating their new members. A small number of offices are still housed in this building.
I took my usual spot on the bench across from the Tower Hall, as I have done almost daily this summer. It was a beautiful September day in San Jose, and a number of "artists" were capturing the beauty of the Tower on paper and canvas. The bell on top of the Tower marked 12:30, and continued chiming an old song "Catch the Falling Stars". It evoked memories of long ago. I remember this song as a little girl, hearing it play from the Grundig that my father cherished so much. I walked toward the Tower, and scrutinized the walls, the ornate arches, and the mysterious looking balconies. On the wall was an old plaque, barely visible through the shrouding ivy leaves, commemorating the work of the poet Edwin Markham, one of San Jose State's famous alumni. If only these walls could speak, how many stories would we hear - of the famous society people hosting banquets in its rooms, the excitement of the 15,000 people present at its opening in 1910, and the still on-going strange initiation ceremony of the fraternity. I sighed and breathed a blessing for the Tower to stand here forever, so majestically framed against the blue sky.
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References
1. Charlene Cook, Spartan Daily, dated November 7, 1995. [back]
2. Spartan Daily, dated April 17, 1963. [back]
3. The Architect and Engineer. August, 1910 (pp. 38-40). [back]
4. Dick Barrett, San Jose Mercury News, dated February 5, 1961. [back]
5. The Architect and Engineer. August 1910. pp.38-40. [back]
6. Normal Year Book of 1910. [back]
7. Jones, F. W. (Sept. 1910). Cement Age. (pp. 147-149). [back]
8. San Jose Mercury News, September 21, 1910. [back]
9. Letter dated October 17, 1960 from President Wahlquist to Carr. [back]
10. Spartan Daily, dated February 20, 1961. [back]
11. Spartan Daily, dated February, 1961. [back]
12. San Jose Mercury News, dated April 11, 1963. [back]
13. Dr. Johnsgard, Personal interview, dated November 17, 1998. [back]
14. Spartan Daily, dated April 18, 1963. [back]
15. Spartan Daily, dated October 30, 1963. [back]
16. San Jose Mercury News, dated October 5, 1963. [back]
17. Spartan Daily, dated January 15, 1964.[back]
18. Article by Kent Wiedemann, Spartan Daily, dated January 18, 1966. [back]
19. Personal interview, dated November 11, 1998. [back]
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