Harry Brey Sennott
After graduating from Waterloo High School on May 30, 1906, Harry prepared to attend the University of Missouri at Columbia where he studied Civil Engineering. In September Harry and his cousin Dwight Parker, who also attend Mizzou, traveled to Jefferson City on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. From there they took the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad to Columbia.
When Harry got there he found out that since he only had three years of High School he didn't have enough credits to enroll. He had to make up credits by attending the University High School for a year. He was allowed to enter the University conditionally at the end of the first semester.
Harry enrolled in the military school so he could join the band as a trombone player. The Morrill Act of 1862 created institutions that cooperated in the National Defense program, by obligating all male students to take a basic course in military tactics. MU was one of the first universities to participate, they created the Missouri Military School in 1870. According to Harry, there were at least 300 students enrolled in the military school while he was there. The first university band was formed in 1885. This organization was the predecessor of the Reserve Officer's Training Program (ROTC). This explains the military connection that Harry included on his WWI Draft Registration card where he wrote that he spent two years in the Missouri National Guard. The state agency had no record of his service when I inquired after I found the draft registration card.
In 1907 the military and band represented Missouri at the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown at Sewall's Point, Virginia. The group traveled by train to the exposition and after spending a week at the exposition they took a side trip to Washington, D.C., Norfolk, Richmond and Williamsburg.
The Jamestown Exposition was held from April 26 to December 1, 1907. The exposition was a private enterprise that ended up loosing money.
The average attendance was 13,000 visitors per day which was below the expectations of the organizers. There were many famous visitors to the exposition including President Theodore Roosevelt who opened the exposition.
Harry was active while he attended the University. He pledged the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and served as the treasurer of the Engineering Society in 1910. He was a charter member of the Illini club which was formed in 1908 to "promote the interests of the University of Missouri in Illinois, and to promote the social relations of the members who are already here."
Harry was elected head yell leader in 1910. The Mizzou Tigers played the Kansas University Jayhawks in Kansas City on Thanksgiving Day. Harry and his fellow rooters painted 80 megaphones black in preparation for the game. The rest of the megaphones were painted yellow. The black ones were used to from a black "M" on a the yellow background. The game was a tie: MU 5, KU 5. The Thanksgiving Day football game took place every year between 1893 and 1910 in Kansas City, between KU and Mizzou. KU was the victor for all but 4 of the annual games. Beginning in 1911 the games were played at the two universities.
Harry attended the University through 1910. He learned that Dr. John Sennott, his father, was having financial difficulties so he went to work instead of returning to school in 1911 with the intention of finishing later, but he never did.
Harry enrolled in the military school so he could join the band as a trombone player. The Morrill Act of 1862 created institutions that cooperated in the National Defense program, by obligating all male students to take a basic course in military tactics. MU was one of the first universities to participate, they created the Missouri Military School in 1870. According to Harry, there were at least 300 students enrolled in the military school while he was there. The first university band was formed in 1885. This organization was the predecessor of the Reserve Officer's Training Program (ROTC). This explains the military connection that Harry included on his WWI Draft Registration card where he wrote that he spent two years in the Missouri National Guard. The state agency had no record of his service when I inquired after I found the draft registration card.
In 1907 the military and band represented Missouri at the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown at Sewall's Point, Virginia. The group traveled by train to the exposition and after spending a week at the exposition they took a side trip to Washington, D.C., Norfolk, Richmond and Williamsburg.
The Jamestown Exposition was held from April 26 to December 1, 1907. The exposition was a private enterprise that ended up loosing money.
Share of Preferred Stock of the Jamestown Exposition Company Preferred Stock
There were thirty-eight buildings planned on the 340 acre site but only fourteen were completed when the exhibition opened. All but two buildings were completed before the exposition closed. The exhibits included a model of the Panama Canal, a wild animal show, a wild west show, a recreation of the San Francisco earthquake and a recreation of the Civil War battle between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, two ironclad warships. The cutting edge technology that was on display included automobiles, autoboats, and electric and steam engines.
Birds Eye View of the 1907 Jamestown Exposition
The average attendance was 13,000 visitors per day which was below the expectations of the organizers. There were many famous visitors to the exposition including President Theodore Roosevelt who opened the exposition.
Harry was active while he attended the University. He pledged the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and served as the treasurer of the Engineering Society in 1910. He was a charter member of the Illini club which was formed in 1908 to "promote the interests of the University of Missouri in Illinois, and to promote the social relations of the members who are already here."
Harry was elected head yell leader in 1910. The Mizzou Tigers played the Kansas University Jayhawks in Kansas City on Thanksgiving Day. Harry and his fellow rooters painted 80 megaphones black in preparation for the game. The rest of the megaphones were painted yellow. The black ones were used to from a black "M" on a the yellow background. The game was a tie: MU 5, KU 5. The Thanksgiving Day football game took place every year between 1893 and 1910 in Kansas City, between KU and Mizzou. KU was the victor for all but 4 of the annual games. Beginning in 1911 the games were played at the two universities.
Harry attended the University through 1910. He learned that Dr. John Sennott, his father, was having financial difficulties so he went to work instead of returning to school in 1911 with the intention of finishing later, but he never did.
Sources
1. Sewells Point and the 1907 Jamestown Exposition website http://www.virginiaplaces.org/parktour/jamestownexposition.html
2. "The Life of Harry Brey Sennott" a memoir written by Harry Brey Sennott in the Spring of 1968. The original is in the collection of family documents of the author.
3. University Missourian, newspaper digitized on the Library of Congress Chronicling America website.
1. Sewells Point and the 1907 Jamestown Exposition website http://www.virginiaplaces.org/parktour/jamestownexposition.html
2. "The Life of Harry Brey Sennott" a memoir written by Harry Brey Sennott in the Spring of 1968. The original is in the collection of family documents of the author.
3. University Missourian, newspaper digitized on the Library of Congress Chronicling America website.
