 
Iif not for the quick thinking and actions of a group of five freshmen
in 1938, Old Main may have been lost. On September 18, 1938, while walking
about campus at about 10:25 p.m., the five freshmen heard a window break
in the Little Country Theatre seminar room and saw flames in the interior.
Three of the freshmen rushed over to Ceres Hall, where they notified Catherine
Brandes, who turned in the alarm. The other two climbed a fire escape,
broke another window, and held the fire in check until the firemen arrived.
Paint soaked rags, left in the seminar room, may have started the fire,
either by spontaneous combustion or through contact with a hot radiator,
firemen believe. Damage was estimated at $300. (The Spectrum,
September 23, 1938, p. 1)
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On one morning in the early 1960s, the phones began to ring in Old Main
and wouldn't stop. Earlier in the day, someone at the downtown offices
of Bell Telephone found a bag hanging from the building's front door.
The bag contained plastic disks from the receivers of telephones. Apparently
the night before, a group of pranksters removed the disks from all of
the phones in Old Main. It was thought that they might have entered the
building through a ventilator. (Courtesy of Jerry Richardson,
former Director of University Relations and Professor Emeritus of mass
communications, NDSU)
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In the course of renovations in Old Main during the early 1970s, an elderly
Scandinavian cabinet maker was employed to make the new counters in the
Registrar's Office and the Business Office. He did meticulous work, and
on the day of the open house for the newly renovated Old Main, this gentleman
took his wife, who was blind, on a tour of the new offices so that she
could run her fingers over her husband's fine cabinetry. (Courtesy
of Jerry Richardson, former Director of University Relations, NDSU)
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Over the years Old Main has housed many different departments and offices.
In 1909 the History Department's room was remodeled and a large safe was
placed in it. In 1910, in addition to History and Commerce, the Departments
of Modern Languages, and English were also housed in Old Main, as were
the executive offices and the Post Office. By 1923, the Little Country
Theatre was the dominant department in the building, although the executive
offices and the post office were still housed there. By 1939, the Alumni
Offices and the bookstore were also housed in Old Main. In 1971, remodeled
out of the old building were the original Little Country Theatre and the
Log Cabin Theatre, offices for the theater staff, and a classroom. Remodeling
included acoustical ceiling board, wood paneling and carpeting for both
old and new offices. The entire entrance area and building stairways were
remodeled and carpeted. The second floor was completely air conditioned
with most of the other offices in the building individually air conditioned.
(Its Happening at State, March 17, 1971)
Funny Incident in the Little Country Theatre Attic
      
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