Echoes Strongand Clear
Auburn University then and now, portrayed in photographs
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www.auburn.edu
Produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing at Auburn University
Imagine engaging in a mock battle on the lawn of
Comer Hall, attending mandatory Sunday services in
the University Chapel, typing term papers on a manual
typewriter, searching for information in a card catalog,
or hanging out with friends at your university-provided
tugboat residence. No? Perhaps you’re more likely to
read about global peacekeeping efforts on your iPad,
listen to a podcast of that Sunday service or class when
you have to miss it, search for information on your laptop
while lounging in a hammock in Samford Park, and hang
out with friends on Facebook via your cellphone.
Many of Auburn University’s 270,000 graduates since
1859 have done some variation of one of these things.
Echoes Strong and Clear is a photographic
compilation that shows Auburn University’s historical
transformation its earliest days to today. You will often see
an image that is startlingly similar to another taken one
hundred years or more before it.
The task of progressing from a small, 19th-century
church college to become a nationally prominent land-
grant institution was not without obstacles. New fields
of research and new ways of teaching were explored
only to be replaced by still newer opportunities. The
faculty and staff attempted to preserve the best of the
college’s original liberal arts program while cultivating an
academic environment suitable for preparing students for
the emerging scientific professions. Three name changes
occurred in the 1800s before what was almost always
known as Auburn actually became Auburn University, with
its land-grant designation, in 1960. All the while the appeal
of the institution steadily grew it from an original enrollment
of 80 to today’s more than 25,000,
From an inspired idea in 1856 through a national
championship celebration in 2011, the stunning images in
Echoes Strong and Clear will give you a sense of what it
was like for those who went before, during, or after your
time here.
Yes, the images will show that Auburn has
changed dramatically, yet they also strive to capture
what has remained constant – the tradition, spirit and
belief in Auburn that connects all generations of the
Auburn Family.
On the rolling plains of Dixie
’Neath the sun-kissed sky.
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
Banners high.
To thy name we’ll sing thy praise,
From hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our
Loyalty the ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
Hear thy student voices swelling,
Echoes strong and clear,
Adding laurels to thy fame
Enshrined so dear.
From thy hallowed halls we’ll part,
And bid thee sad adieu,
Thy sacred trust we’ll bear with us
The ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow,
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
— Composed by Bill Wood ’24
Word revision by Emma’ O’Rear Foy, 1960
Front cover: Samford Hall at dusk
Back cover: Auburn’s historic Main Gate featuring
the Toomer’s Oaks at the corner of College
Street and Magnolia Avenue.
THE ALMA MATER
Can you imagine engaging in a mock
battle on the lawn of Comer Hall,
attending mandatory Sunday services
in the University Chapel, typing term
papers on a manual typewriter, or
searching for information on a laptop
computer with a Wi-Fi connection in
the student center? If you’re an Auburn
graduate, the chances are good that
you’ve done at least one of those things
on campus. Relive the memories in
Echoes Strong and Clear, a 12 x 12-inch,
160-page photographic compilation
depicting Auburn University’s historical
transformation from its beginning to
the present.
If you are one of the more than 270,000
Auburn alumni, the images in Echoes
Strong and Clear will give you a sense of
what student life was like for those who
went before, during, or after
your time here.
Echoes Strong and Clear is
available for $39.95 per book.
Pre-order your copies directly
from Auburn University
Photographic Services.
www.auburn.edu/photo
or (334) 844-4560.
Auburn University then and now,
portrayed in photogr aphs
In 1870, the cost of tuition at the East Alabama Male College ranged from $25 to $80 depending on the chosen
courses of study, plus an additional $15 to $20 for board and lodging. In return, the East Alabama Male College
offered to “furnish as full and thorough a course of instruction as can be found in any institution in the country.”
When the original East Alabama Male College became Alabama’s land-grant college in 1872, it adopted the
name Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, a name it retained until 1899 when it became Alabama
Polytechnic Institute. Nineteenth- and early 20th-century male students at A&M of Alabama were called cadets
and required to buy and wear gray wool military-style uniforms and engage in military exercises as part of their
education. Women were not admitted until 1892.
The group photograph (upper right) is of President William LeRoy Broun, center, with faculty and cadets and
was taken about 1890 on the steps of Samford Hall. The faculty included professors John Jay Wilmore and Arthur
Dunstan. The other photos on this page depict the coat that was part of the cadet’s uniform or equipment, the East
Alabama Male College’s registration book from 1886, and a memorial sign from the Alumni Association dedicated
to the students who fought on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
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Even though a winter storm
brought ice and snow to the state on
Jan. 10, 2011, it did nothing to quiet the
cheers of thousands of Auburn fans
celebrating the national championship
win at Toomer’s Corner. The chant
“It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger,” was
heard well into the night.
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Above: Nova, Auburn’s six-year-old golden eagle, was officially
named War Eagle VII on November 11, 2006.
Right: Morning light falls on the Toomer’s Oaks.
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Inset: In 1931, James W. Boyd, left, and Jesse Stallings were
reported to be the first students at Alabama Polytechnic Institute to
own their own airplanes. The two came to Auburn to enter the new
aeronautical engineering program. The aircraft pictured is Boyd’s
180-horsepower Air-Bos biplane.
Today, air transportation is available through the Auburn University Regional Airport, in
partnership with the cities of Auburn and Opelika and Lee County. It is utilized for recreational
flying and corporate travel. The airport is home to a flight education program that enrolls
approximately 200 student pilots and plays host to various intercollegiate flying meets for the
university. In 2010, the airport completed a major renovation and expansion that included a
new 26,000-square-foot terminal.