Tree Day was established in 1902 by Buchtel College President Augustus B. Church. On May 12th 1902 classes were cancelled and everyone met at Crouse Gymnasium at 11:00 a.m. for an address delivered by Professor R.G. Moulton of the University of Chicago. At 1:25 p.m. the student body assembled at Buchtel Hall and paraded to Buchtel Academy where each class planted a tree and took turns presenting stunts, skits, songs and poems. To read about that event here are the April 24 1902 and the May 22 1902 Buchtelite articles that describes the event. Tree Day became an annual event with the crowning of the May Queen replacing the tree planting. Eventually Tree Day became May Day which in turn evolved into the current Springfest.
University History Books available that may be of interest :
Summit’s Glory: Sketches of Buchtel College and the University of Akron by George W. Knepper
New Lamps for Old: One Hundred Years of Urban Higher Education at The University of Akron. A centennial publication by George W. Knepper LD51.A62 K6
Fifty Years of Buchtel (1870-1920) Alumni Association Akron, Ohio: Buchtel College Alumni Association, LD661 .B52 1922
The First Hundred Years are the Hardest: the Story of the University of Akron by Norman P. Auburn LD51.A62 A93
Archival Services also has:
University of Akron photograph collection on-line finding aid available at
http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/OhAkUAS0001.xml;query=;brand=default
The Tel-buch yearbooks 1908-2008
The Buchtelite 1889-present
To learn more about Archival Services visit http://www.uakron.edu/libraries/archives/