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$100,000 gamble of 1866 was winner

This image, courtesy of the Darwin R. Barker Museum, shows the Fredonia Normal School in 1867

It is a lesson that Fredonia and its residents must never forget. As told — and documented — by one of the village’s most prominent deans of the past and present in Sam Drayo Jr., the start of the State University of New York at Fredonia was not humble at all.

It was a major gamble that was taken 150 years ago — and cost village residents $100,000.

Drayo, longtime municipal attorney who retired from his Fredonia post in December, recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Fredonia about the endeavor and also wrote a piece, published in the OBSERVER in 2014, about that history. It was an effort that was driven by courage and foresight.

Fortunately for current north county residents, those local leaders and residents had both. It began in 1866 when Fredonia’s Willard McKinstry organized a public meeting after reading the state was looking to establish four more Normal schools and seeking proposals from its communities. At a September gathering that year, residents decided to move ahead.

“A community decision was then made, approved by 90 percent of the village taxpayers, to send a delegation in November of 1866 to Albany to convince the State to choose Fredonia as the location for one of the new State Normal and Teachers Training Schools,” Drayo wrote in the 2014 article “A college is born.”

At that time, Ripley native and former Fredonia academy student Reuben Fenton was state governor. Through his leadership and Fredonia’s major offer, the state approved the proposal.

“The Fredonia commitment was the largest made by any community competing for one of the four schools. For a small community of 2,500 people, this commitment was very significant,” Drayo wrote. “The $100,000 would be needed to acquire the land and construct the building.”

When it opened in 1868, Fredonia’s Normal School was located at Central Avenue and Temple Street. It housed classes, offices and living quarters for those from out of town. Its first class graduated 15 in 1870.

Today, 150 years since the school’s opening, our community and its guests for the weekend in terms of parents and family are on the cusp of witnessing another set of SUNY Fredonia graduates on Saturday. This year’s class is 100 times the size of the first on a campus that remains a strong part of the village on a much larger scale.

Its budget is near $107 million — a far cry from the $100,000 needed then to get the college started. Student numbers top more than 4,600. Its main campus has grown from one building then to numerous learning facilities, fields for athletics and living spaces on 256 acres.

Also included is one building, where university President Virginia Horvath maintains an office: Fenton Hall, which is named in honor of the county native and then governor who probably had some leverage in granting this community the institution.

“Village residents have good reason to be proud of the State College,” Drayo wrote in 2014. “It was their forefathers, residents and officials of this village, who 148 years ago through their farsightedness, hard work, persistence and financial commitment were the moving force in bringing a State College to the village of Fredonia. We owe much gratitude and honor to these forefathers and citizens of the village.”

For the complete history by Drayo, here is the link: http://www.observertoday.com/opinion/publishers-notebook/2017/05/a-college-is-born-in-fredonia/

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.

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