STAIRWAY OF STARS

 Once he was appointed as college's president Uel Lamkin got to work. He gained permission from the Board of Regents to award $50 toward travel for any member of faculty who was presenting papers at a national conference. He felt it was important because these individuals helped to showcase the college. Lamkin also saw a need to expand the campus, and he first built a female residence hall, now named Roberta Hall. The building would be used for young men during the WWII V-12 program as well. Lamkin was also responsible for the building of a gymnasium, the Horace Mann Laboratory School, and the Industrial Arts Building.

 

Lamkin became the president of the National Educational Association, and in 1935 he was elected to be Secretary General. This position required lots of travel and allowed him to promote Northwest, then called Missouri Teacher's College, and Maryville. Lamkin travelled to many different countries to recruit the college's first foreign exchange students. Japan, China, and Canada were a few of the places he travelled for this recruitment scheme.

 

During World War II, the government announced a need for more trained pilots, and Lamkin helped establish the V-12 pilot training program at the college. This program not only helped to train Navy pilots but also helped to save the college from financial ruin during the war. Lamkin also worked actively in other ways to protect the school's programs. One story says that Lamkin called President F.D.R. after the Head of Physical Education (Milner) received his draft notice. Lamkin supposedly explained to the US President that Milner was needed for the physical training programs at the college. Although the story is debated as true or not, Milner did receive a deferment and was able to remain at at the college.