Why everyone thought this haunted Kansas university was doomed – until Quakers stepped in

Garfield University’s Abandonment and Rebirth as Friends University

The grand Garfield University building in Wichita stood as the largest school west of the Mississippi when it opened in 1887.

Named for President Garfield, it drew over 1,000 students but shut down by 1890 due to money troubles.

A rich Bostonian tried to save it in 1892, yet crop failures forced its doors closed again in 1893. For five years, only owls and bats called it home.

Then in 1898, businessman James Davis bought the massive structure and gave it to Kansas Quakers, who turned it into Friends University.

Today, the Davis Administration Building stands as a testament to educational resilience against all odds.

Kansas Churches Dreamed Up a Grand University in 1885

In 1885, Christian Churches across Kansas voted to build a college named after President James Garfield.

Rev.W.B. Hendryx from Wichita’s Central Christian Church led the project since Garfield was his friend and fellow church member.

The college team got $100,000 from Wichita and promised to raise another $100,000 from churches. On May 29, 1887, they signed a deal to build the university on 23 acres in southwest Wichita.

The Building Was Bigger Than Any School West of the Mississippi

Wichita hired new architects Proudfoot and Bird to design the school in 1885.

Workers built it between 1886 and 1887 using red brick with stone trim in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The huge building had more floor space than any other school west of the Mississippi River.

The T-shaped, five-story structure featured a 150-foot central tower and stretched 150 feet westward, standing out on the Wichita skyline.

Students Flocked to Garfield’s Halls When Doors Opened

Garfield University welcomed its first 500 students in September 1887. The school grew fast, reaching 1,070 students in just its second year.

By 1890, the university added a law school, medical college, and business school. Twelve teachers taught this growing student body.

Students from across the region came to study at what looked like a promising educational institution.

Money Troubles Shut Down the School After Just Three Years

After graduating its first and only senior class, Garfield University closed in 1890 because it ran out of money. The real estate market crashed that same year, and the city stopped helping with funds.

Two crop failures across Kansas forced the 380 Christian Churches to pull their support. The local economic slump made it impossible to keep the university running.

A Wealthy Bostonian Paid Off the Massive Debt

Rev. Hendryx talked Edgar Harding, a rich man from Boston, into taking on the outstanding debt of $125,000.

Harding paid off all the creditors in February 1892. The school got a new charter and a new board of trustees took over.

Harding’s generosity gave the struggling school a second chance.

The School Tried Again With a New Name in 1892

The school reopened on March 28, 1892, as “Central Memorial University” while keeping “Garfield” as part of its name. They called it Garfield Central Memorial University.

As crop failures continued and supporters died, people couldn’t pay their promised donations. The university struggled with money despite its fresh start.

Edgar Harding eventually took ownership of the property but failed to support.

A St. Louis Businessman Spotted an Ad and Kept His Promise

James M. Davis, a businessman from St.Louis, saw an ad in a paper and bought the building and nearby lots.

Davis, a Quaker, had once said he would “buy a college and give it to the Quakers with his first million dollars.”

After visiting the building three times, he started buying the land. Davis finished the purchase on March 31, 1898.

Davis Told the Quakers: Raise $50,000 or No Deal

Davis right away offered the property to the Kansas Society of Friends if they could raise $50,000 for a permanent fund.

Representatives called a special meeting in May 1898 because Davis wanted classes to start that fall.

The Friends voted to accept his offer. They recruited Edmund Stanley, clerk of Kansas Yearly Meeting, to serve as Friends’ first President.

Friends University Opened With Just 52 Students

Friends University opened in September 1898.

The first fall enrollment was just 52 students, but grew to 102 during that first year. The Quakers raised the required $50,000 fund Davis had asked for.

In 1923, they renamed the building to Davis Administration Building to honor James M.Davis and his wife Anna.

The Abandoned Building Became a National Historic Landmark

The Richardson Romanesque-style building serves as a Wichita landmark and remains the center of Friends University’s campus.

The government added it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

In the 1930s, leadership turned over to an independent board of trustees with some Friends representation.

The university operates today with a friendly but independent relationship with the evangelical branch of Society of Friends.

Visiting Friends University, Kansas

You can visit Friends University at 2100 W. University Ave in Wichita to see the historic Richardson Romanesque building that was once abandoned Garfield University.

Call 316-295-5103 to schedule campus tours Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. The building made the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Check out Alumni Auditorium on the third floor with its huge Rose Window and 20 stained-glass windows.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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