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A 1925 photo of the south side of the complex is shown in Plate 14. The small wooden sheds just south of the building were for food deliveries, support for the building and grounds, and storage.
The October 1929 collapse of stock-market prices on the New York Stock Exchange was followed by three years of a steady fall of asset values, which by 1932 had dropped to about 20 percent of their 1929 levels. Banks were forced into insolvency, confidence in the economy sagged to all-time lows, and unemployment rose to nearly 30 percent. This Great Depression had a huge impact on the nation's colleges and universities, none more so than privately financed smaller institutions in semi-rural areas such as Logan Female College. The College was bankrupted and forced to close its doors by the spring of 1931.
The predecessor to the College was Russellville Collegiate Institute, headed from 1858 - 1864 by Rev. Edward Stevenson. In 1867, its name was changed to Logan Female College under a charter written by Rev. David Morton and quickly passed by the state legislature. Rev. Morton was its president from 1864 to 1868. He was succeeded by Dr. R. H. Rivers (1868, served less than a year), N. H. Lee (president 1868 - 1874), Dr. A. B. Starks (1874 - 1883). At the time President Starks began his term, there were about one hundred students at Logan Female College. He was succeeded by Prof. H . K. Taylor (1883 - 1889), then by A. G. Murphy (1889 - 1890). At the end of the 19th century the number of students had risen to about one hundred and fifty. W. H. President was president in 1900-1901, followed by S. A Steele (1901-1902), E. B. Atkins (1902 - 1909), J. L. Whitesides (1909-1910), Dr. J. W. Repass (1910 - 1915), George H. Crowell (1915 - 1918), Dr. A. P. Lyon (1918 - 1925), Edward Goodson (1925 - 1928), then E. R. Naylor (1928 - 1930). The last president of Logan Female College was Dr. Alderson, 1930 - 1931.
Russellville Elementary School
In 1931 the Russellville Board of Education purchased the Logan Female College facility and converted it to the Russellville Elementary School for grades Kindergarten through 8. The three-story public school building across the street, built in 1908, became the Russellville High School classroom building. By 1935, grades 7 and 8 had also been moved into this building. In 1935, a new Auditorium Building was also constructed. It included a 160-seat study hall, a stage, and additional rooms for the library, cafeteria, and instructional labs.
In 1939, a new stadium was constructed under auspices of the Works Public Administration, and was located just south of the Russellville Elementary School . It was named after local Democratic leader and politician Thomas S. Rhea. The first football game in brand-new Rhea Stadium was played in September 1939 (Plate 15).
From 1935 through 1952, the Russellville Elementary School building (the old Logan Female College) housed Kindergarten through grade 6. Each grade had two sections and rooms. Kindergarten and 1st through 3rd grades were located on the first floor, with grades 4 through 6 on the second floor. The old kitchen-dining room (Plate 10) areas in the East Wing were converted into three classrooms.