On this day, October 30, in 1925, the University of Idaho football team faced an unfortunate loss of 7-51 against the University of Southern California. Thanks to the efforts of our predecessors, football films from historical games were preserved in Special Collections and Archives and made available online in the University of Idaho Library’s Vandal Video digital collection.
Early football films, such as this game from 100 years ago, show community and campus scenes that highlight the everyday lives and happenings of the community. Many of the University of Idaho campus buildings seen in the video still stand on campus today, 100 years later, while others that no longer exist are remembered by locals and alumni alike.
Built in 1904, the current Art and Architecture South building was once the second gymnasium and armory, later the Women’s Gym after the construction of the Memorial Gymnasium in 1928. In the film, this building can be seen with a large queue or crowd of people standing in front of it on a large lawn.
Another current Art and Architecture building is visible in the video, but at the time it served as the Mines Building. It was built in 1906 and has had a variety of purposes. Alongside it is the current Life Sciences building (Science Hall), built 1923-1925.
Mines Building | Life Sciences Building
The film also shows the (then) new Administration Building, which was completed in multiple phases, starting in 1907. Here, the North and South wings have been completed. Many students are walking to and from the building in contemporary clothing for the period. Perhaps they were on their way to prepare for pre-football game antics?
Next is the Engineering Building, once home to the School of Mines. It was razed in 1951 and replaced by the Niccolls Building.
The film continues panning across the lawn in front of the Administration Building, capturing both the Spanish-American War Memorial, which was constructed in 1901 to honor students who died during that conflict, and two cannons that were donated to the university by the US Secretary of War in 1907 and were present on campus through the mid-20th century. Beyond the cannons in the foreground is the Kappa Sigma house.
Campus Landmarks | Kappa Sigma house
A well-known campus building, Ridenbaugh Hall, is seen next to the Engineering Building. Ridenbaugh Hall, named for Mary E. Ridenbaugh, who served as vice president of the Board of Regents, was built in 1901 and occupied starting in 1902. It was first used as a women’s dormitory and for domestic science classes; in 1927, it became a men’s dormitory. The building now houses the Art and Architecture gallery and music practice rooms.
Next is Forney Hall, constructed in 1923 and named for Mary E. Forney, wife of University of Idaho President James E. Forney. Originally a women’s dormitory, the building now houses offices and a guest residence.
Next are the sorority and fraternity houses. While many remain standing near campus today, albeit with some modifications in a few cases, others no longer exist, having been demolished and replaced by the Lionel Hampton Music Building (previously the Music Building) in the mid-20th century.
Gamma Phi Beta house and Sigma Nu house
Kappa Sigma house and Beta Theta Pi house
2:35 - Delta Gamma house and 2:45 - Phi Delta Theta house
Delta Gamma house and Phi Delta Theta house
After a tour of Greek row, the film gives us a glimpse of the Moscow passenger train station and downtown Moscow.
Moscow train station and downtown Moscow
Finally, the film turns to the main attraction of the weekend - football. The first game shown in the film, which took place on Friday, October 30, 1925, saw the University of Idaho Vandals lose in epic fashion to the University of Southern California Trojans, 7-51. They played on MacLean Field, the site of local U of I football games until Neale Stadium was completed in the 1930s.
The next day, October 31, 1925, the filmmaker took their gear to nearby Pullman, Washington, to see the game between the University of Idaho and Washington State College on Rogers Field. The Cougars lose 0-23 against the Huskies.
In this digitization, the film reel’s contents have been doubled, so this 11-minute film then starts again from the beginning.
We hope that the Vandals have a more fortunate result in their game against the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks this Halloweekend!
We would like to express our gratitude to CDIL Fellow Shelley Walker-Harmon for her ongoing project of updating the University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection, from which we gathered much of the historical information on the buildings and events noted here.