New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-03
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Commencement Exercises, 1870

The annual commencement exercises {
i the Louisiana State University of Learning
distribution of prize medals and certificate
of distinction, together with the conferrin
of degrees, took place on Wednesday last a
the building now partially used as the Uni
versity, and known IS the Asylum for tn
Deaf, Dumb and Blind, at Baton Rouge
The readers of the REPUBLICAN will remem
Der that the seminary of this institution wa
situated three miles from Alexandria, ant
was one Of the nobest structures in tn
State. In his report of the first o
January of this year, the Superintendent
| Colonel David F. Boyd,l says: "Durint
the year just closed, the STATE
Seminary experienced both good ant
| bad fortune. 1t was overcoming it,
pecuniary difficulties, extending its course
of study, enlarging its library, apparatus
and cabinets, adding to its buildings and i'm
proving its grounds. Its first graduates had
gone forth from its walls and the topograph
ical survey of the State was begun. In 8
word, the institution was doing much good
and for that reason, and the still greater
good it bid fair to do. it was attracting the
attention and securing the confidence of the
public, as shown clearly by the large mum
Der OF cadets with which it begun its session
in September last. Such was its general
condition on the morning Of the fifteenth oi
October, when the main college building was
entirely destroyed by fire."
At two o'clock in the morning, the in.
mates were startled from their slumbers by
| the terrible alarm of fire, flames having
| been discovered bursting through the
windows of the stOrer0om. NOtwithstand-
| ing that every effort was made by the su-
| perintendent, professors and cadets to ex-
| tinguish the fire, their efforts proved futile,
| and that once stately pile lay heap of
| charred and blsckened ruins. So rapid
vas the progress of the flames that nothing
was saved but the library, cabinet of min
erals, engineering Instruments and the
philosophical and chemical apparatus. The
| origin of the fire is mystery. The people
| OF Alexandria cheerfully came to the relief
of the sufferers and. by their kindness and
| lberality, soon removed pressing wants.
On the day following the fire, the
superintendent granted the cadets a
leave of absence for thirty days,
but owing to the prompt action OF Governor
Warmoth in recommending that the Board
of Administrators of the Asylum for the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind, at Baton Rouge,
tender TO the superintendent Colonel Boyd J
the use of u portion of that institution tor
their seminary, the cadets we're Individually
notified of that fact, their leave of absence for
thirty days revoked, and they re ordered
to assemble at the seminary on the first day
of September. The order was promptly
obeyed, all but two of the number who dis
persed from Alexandria being present.
Out of one hundred and forty-three. one
hundred snd forty-one assembled at Baton
Rouge.
The Legislature of 1856 first founded the
seminary Ongrants of land made by the gene.
raj government at various times, from 1906 to
1927. for the purpose OF establishing a
"Seminary of Learning" From this it OBJ.
tainedits name, which it retained until at
the request of the suprintendent, the last
Legislature changed it to the Louisiana
State University" The Louisiana State
Seminary of Learning and Military
Academy" being too cumbersome.
The seminary was first opened for
the reception of cadets on the second
day of January, 1860, under the super.
intendeIce of Colonel William T. Sherman
(now General-in Chief United States
army and continued in successful opera
ton till June 80, 1861, when its exercises
were suspended on account of the war, until
April l, 1862, when it was reopened under
the acting superintendent OF Colonel Viii
liam E. NJ Linfield, who was. succeeded in
Office April l, 1868, by professor William A.
Seay. Onthe twenty-third Of that month it
was suddenly closed by the Invasion of the
Red river Valley by the Federal army. under
General Banks. During that session there
were one hundred and Twelve matriculates,
but as the records of the seminary were lost,
It was impossible to make up an official
register OF tae session.
The losses sustained by the institution
during the var were very heavy, nothing
being left Of the prosperous seminary OF
1861, but tie bare walls, with but little
means for rettting and repairing.
This was its prospect when the announce
ment was made that the seminary would be
reopened on the second day of October,
1865. The engagement was fulf led, and
when the Legislature assembled, liberal re-
lief was promptly extended. Up to the day
of the destruction of the seminary build.
ing success marked the progress of the
institution, which bade fair to become the
great school of tie Southwest.
The report of the sunrise gun at Baton
Rouge had scarcely died away on Thursday
morning last than it was followed by Gov
ernor's salute of tvelty-oIe guns, and a few
moments thereafter, the following gentle.
men stepped upon the wharf at Baton
Rouge from the Frank Pargoud: His Ex-
celency Governor H. c. Warmoth, General
G. Mason Graham, Dr.. A. w. Smyth, Mr.. W.
C. F. Buck, J. D. Kenton. H. Hamburger,
Henry Dean Thompson, Joseph s. Pagaud,
and Charley Jaeger's band.
The Governor, Dr. myth and/the repre-.
sentatives of the press, were driven to the
Verandah hotel, andthe remainder to the
University, carriages having been sent by
Colonel Boyd for their ice.
At the hotel and university, the Governor
was visited by the leading citiz ns of Baton
Rouge, as well as other from almost every
portion of the State.
A building more admirably adapted for
a seminary or university, than the one
now partially used for that purpose, can
not be imagined. The a.yum for the deaf,
dumb and blind, is sitthtei upon the out
skirts of the city of Baton Rouge, and is
a commodious and magnificent structure.
It forms three sides Ct square, the
front facing the river. There are now
but thirty-fve inmates in the in
stitution that are deaf. dumb or blind,
and no such building as this should be used
for this purpose, as not more than one quar-
ter OF what it is able to accommodate has |
been there at one time, lor will there be |
probably for a hundred years hence. Be |
sides, it is inexpedient to Place in the same |
building the blind and deaf and dumb. |
They should be cared for separately ana in
different portion of the State.
When the energetic superintendent, pro-
fessors and cadets arrived at the asylum |
their condition was almost as hopeless as
when they turned with heavy hearts ron |
the smoking ruins of that seminary which |
they had SO dearly cherished. Now, as i
then, they had no furniture, no sleeping |
nothing to eat, crowded into |
the north half Of the asylum, no rooms Tor |
their library and apDaratns Thanks TO |