New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-20
ANNIVERSARIES or WILLIAMS
COLLEGE
Correspondence Of The sprin,feId Republican.

The following officers of the Society Of AOmni for
the ensuog year were choen: President, Patrick
Boies Of Wesifed Vice President the Rev. Agsssiz
g. Oron Of Lsle, N. y. secretary, Prof. Griffin;
Extcu i've Committee, DIR. Henry l.. Ssbp, Prof. TGl
colt, Giles n. Kellogg.
How Henry Ward Beecher pulls the people out Of
their shells. One blast upon hIs bugle horn Is wOrh
thousand men, women aud babiss-in the smalles.
country village in modern Chrisiendom. Where those
all came from who crannDed the once lergest church
IN the Commonwealth last night, and sat and si0o1
and swehered through long hour Of youthful Col
lege rhetoric, that they might listen afterwHd to
the star preacher the value of Mirthfnness, Is
puzzle for census agent But there they we're,
the greatest crowd that ever gathered at Williams
town the day before commencement. Mr.. Beech
er's discourse was the same that he gave at Cam
bridge before the Phi Beta kapoa Society, and
with which your readers are partially acquainted as
much acQusinted as they can be without seeing and
hearing tre author deliver it. 1t is noble DISCOURSE
but none but Beecher would be suffer d to speak 1t
before such al orthodox audience lie cut night ana
left shocking The men Of eminent gravity one mo nent
to cOnyulse them with laughter against tnelr VIII at
the next moment. Alternately solemn and mirihful,
ever strong and earnest the speaker impressed HIM
self and his ideas most powerfully upon hls audience
great reiormer is Beecher, and the greater because
he gains TO hearts and minds otherwise smut to
him-because he Is n Beecher.
An interesting adjourned meeting of the Alumni was
held tins morning upon the beautiful ground where
Mills and his associates 49 years ago prayed about the
hsystock and through prayer founded the great sys
tenn Of foreign missions winch nov distinguishes mod
eIn Ch hbtianity. This GROUND, OILY positively located
last year. been purchased TO the extent of ten acres
TOR the college and Is to be consecr8ted as Mission
Park. 1t Is beautiful meadow and grove, some thirty
rods east of the center village and about forty rods
back Of the chapel. Where the haystack Stood 1t Is
proposed TO erect O monument to the memory OF Mills
and bis friends and in conmemoration OF the origin
of the mi,siOnary movement and then 10 make OF
the surrounding grounds a beautiful garden and
grove containing trees and shrubs and flowers from AL
parts of the world that will grow in this latitude
l.ndag nQr n
of arranging the ground has already been commenced
The purchase of the groundsl0 acres at $3.50 an acre
was made upon the strength of anticipated means
for its pay ment and these were nObly pledged oy
movement upon the ground this morning. Charles
SOdoard of Boston, +. &. Benedict of New York,
Professors Griffin and Tatlock of the College and Dr.
II. l.. Sabin of WinamstOwn, we're selected n com
mittee to procure the necessary funds, but directly
after Jon atban E. Woodbridge, formerly OF The Puritan
Recorder proposed that the matter be taken IN hand
by the several old classes, that each four OF them
should agree TO contribute $3.50, the price of one
acre and be pledged that for his four classes from
1915 to 1922 inclusive The idea was popular,
and great enthusiasm arose on the subject David
Dudley Field Of New-Y0rk, who had already
contributed $25O from his private purse for the
purchase Of the first acre, guaranteed another
acre from his class alone, tina. of 1925; William Hyde
of Ware went for his class, that OF 20 and so
the good woIk went on, l the Glasses OF 1918, 1885,
ls43 1852 and 1854 each responsby pledged for
$3.50 i'll addition. Numerous other classes agreed 20
come up TO the proposition of Mr. Woodbridge, $50
for four classes and several promised Sl0O each. Other
glasses not presented will probably add their piles,
and swell the over 50 900 already in hand pledged,
to enough not only to purchase the and-whose price
is already excteded-but TO build the monument aud
ornament the grounds proposed.
The money previously raised for the object consisted
of Slg3 In dollar subscriptions during the last year,
including Ss6 from the students at Andover; OF $3.50
from ID. ID. Field; lise amount from reuds OF tue
College aud Missions In Boston, Including $50 frov
John Tappap;l 500 from Mr. Baldwin of New-Yorki
ard $l34 from the present students in tho College
So grand mornings work was further stimulated
by proposition TO make the day before co onmence-
ment next year-whch would be the seml-centennal
auniversary of the inception of the missionary move
ment on this spot-the occasion of Grand Missionary
jubilee on this very ground, to invite here MISSION
aries fIom parts of the world TO gather the friends
of the cause by hundreds and thousands and under
huge tent have services appropriate to so Interesting
! ali occasion The proposition was enthusiastically
| carried, and the following committee appointed TO
/ carry il in'o effect David Dudley Field OF
| New. York, Martin /. Townsend Of Troy, Gov
| George n Briggs Of Pttsield, Professor Hop
kins of the College, and Dr. II. l.. Sabin
/ of Wllliams,own. The proposed meeting will be
an event of the generation The place the OCCASION
and the press nee of the whom will AL together
will unite TO give il deep character and WIDE re-
nown. The committee on the subject of the monu.
ment TO Col. Williams al the spot where he iell and
where his renaius lie buried, near Lake George, New
York reported that their work was complete and an
iron fence erected about H. all AT cost OF SiOO, OF
which $50 was yet TO be obtained. This was made up
before the day closed. Ths generous owner OF the
land about the spot thus commemo'ated, has oherei
10 give an area OF an acre about the monument aud
enclose il all with substantial fence, the possession
of Williams College.
The formal exercises of Commencement day have
psssCd very agTeeably aud satisfactorily under go-
/ rious sky and a coeng breeze. Twcnty-nine OF the
graduating class delivered orstons, and one OF the
/ class of 1852 master Grafton
Though the class, as d whole has not been account
ed superior one in ability, | never saw one that ap-
pesred so WELL every way as tbis did upon the stas
The degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon
| the following graduates in course: John McMynn,
1 Freceric w. Rankin, John ). Bachelor, Edward w.
! Frer ch Chauncey X Williams John w. Dickinson,
! A. David, l.. Jcwet Henry l.. Pratt Charles VI.
HIDE Charles Perry, Philip Nj. Senderllng, Alden Is
Wbipple Benjamin f. Phillips, James H. Reed, Geo.
/ l.. Squicr of Cnicopee Falls
The following honorary degrees were conferred al
Ibis commencement. Doctor of Laws: Luther Brad
ish and David Dudley Field of NewfOrk; Doctor ol
| Divinity: the Rev. Samuel Harms OF Pittsheld aud
the Rev. Henry l.. Hitchcock, President OF the West
ern Reserve College, Quo; Master Of Arts; James
| f. Robinson of North Adams, Bernsrd Blalr OF Sa-
lem. n y and Frederic Steele Of the United States
In place Of Dr.. Thomas Robbins of Hartford, re-
signed Erastus c. Benedict, President OF the Board
| OF Eoucation of NeN-York City, and o graduate IN
| 1921 was chosen trustee of the college.
commencement next year Is to be put forward two
weeks taking pace on the frst "Wednesday OF Au
gust or the week before. insteed OF the week atef
| Amherst.
been invited to Marietta College, Ohio, IT was sup
| posed he would accept and retire from Williams a.
This time but the Intervention OF his friends here, and
especially The pleadings of the students have induced
him 70 withhold his purpose at least for the present
| The classes remaining number 81, 90 aud - re-
srectively and the new Freshman class promise no y
to outsrip the highest Of these The list o Professors
nunb+ re- inc. including the President and oant o.