1920s

Tornado damage to a building on the Nevada square, 1920.

1920

Tornado

March 12: A tornado strikes Nevada, damaging multiple buildings in the town square, but Cottey is left unharmed. The girls gather in Rosemary Hall, then down in the basement gym.

Vera Dies

May 15: Student Vera Neitzert is severely burned in Main Hall during a chafing dish party, and dies two days later in Amerman Sanitarium.

Students Expelled

Two boys are caught visiting girls on the second floor of Main. Virginia Alice Cottey puts the girls on a train home that night.

Cottey Joins College Organization

Cottey joins the American Association of Junior Colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa

Cottey becomes a charter member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for junior colleges.

Neale Hall with the original third story, c. 1926.

1921

No Suites for Neale

The Board of Trustees votes to postpone building a dormitory on the third floor of Neale Hall.

1922

Harmon Becomes President

Dr. J.C. Harmon is appointed president of Cottey College. He resigns a year later.

Representations of Hermann from the 1947 and 1965 yearbooks.

1924

First Senior Skip Day

The first officially recognized Senior Skip Day takes place.¹

Duck Mascot Adopted

The senior class adopts Hermann the Duck as their mascot, beginning the "duck tradition" at Cottey.¹

First P.E.O.-Cottey Stunt Night

P.E.O. hosts a stunt night in Rosemary auditorium to raise money for their Educational Fund. This marks their first partnership with Cottey.

Neale Hall pool, c. 1940.

1926

Neale Hall Finished

Neale Hall is finished, housing the gymnasium, domestic science facilities, science labs, classrooms, and swimming pool.

Alice Withdraws Offer to Church

V.A.C. Stockard withdraws her offer to donate the college to the Southern Methodist Church after they fail to make a decision.

1927

Cottey College Given to P.E.O. Sisterhood

V.A.C. Stockard donates Cottey College to the P.E.O. Sisterhood on the condition that the organization endow the college with $200,000 (nearly $2.5 million in 2009 dollars). The college itself is worth $300,000 at this time.

First Local P.E.O. Scholarship

The first local P.E.O. scholarship given to a Cottey girl is presented by Nevada, Missouri chapter DW.

Stockard is Woman of the Year

March: V.A.C. Stockard is named Missouri's Woman of the Year.

Missouri Hall, c. 1910.

1928

Missouri Hall Purchased

Missouri Hall (the former Cockerill mansion) is purchased by the Missouri Chapter of the P.E.O. for use as Cottey faculty housing.

1929

Prosser Becomes President

Dr. Mary Rose Prosser is appointed president of Cottey. Alice has nothing more to do with the general management of the college.