Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-25
UNlvERsITy OF NASHVILLE.
commencement Exercises ln the
Medical Department.
List of Graduates.

List of Graduates,
The commencement exercises of the Med
ical Department of the University of Nash
vile were witnessed last night at Masonic
Hall by a very large audience. The spa
cious room was crowded to its utmost ca
pacity.
At half past o'clock the Professors of
the Medical College entered the hall, and
walking down the aisle, took a position on
the stage.
The exercises were opened with music
by the band, after which the Rev. DR.. Baird
followed in prayer.
After music by the band, DR.. ]. B. Limbs
ley introduced to the audience DIR. John s.
SHIRLEY, of Arkansas, who had been Sc
lected as valedictorian of the graduating
class.
He commenced by saying that ''We feel
honored by the attendance of so large and
intelligent an audience on an occasion like
this. and it is with the utmost pleasure that
we welcome you here to witness the exer-
cises of the hour. He thanked the
audience for such mark Of appreciation,
and the interest felt in the cause of medical
education-the cause of the highest science
and the broadcast philanthropy. The limits
of our profession are co-extensive with
those of suffering humanity itself. The
rich, the poor, the learned, the ignorant,
the viItuous and the vicious, in every ma
ton and in every cline, are alike the OBJ
iects of its care and the recipients of its
benefits.
Addressing his fellow-students, the
speaker referred to the honor he had re-
ceived in selecting him as the valedictorian.
This honor, said he, with the many other
tokens of friendship, will be garnered up
while life shall last, amongst the dearest
treasures in memory's sacred casket, re-
ferring in eloquent terms to the relations
existing among the students, and the
| friendship about to be broken by separa-
ton. He spoke of the arduous duties de-
volving upon those who aspired to
| knowledge of the science of medicine.
''Having with great labor laid the founda-
| ton, shall we fail to rear thereon the su-
| perstructures? Or shall we not rather,
having planted the good seeds, cultivate
the young plants, and with assiduous care
bring them up to maturity and rich and
| joyful harvest"
He referred to the hospitality of the citi-
zens of Nashville, and the cordial welcome
| the students had received. Continuing his
remarks to the citizens present, he said:
"In your midst is located an institution of
learning of which you may well be proud
her stately buildings of the several de-
| partments an ornament to your beautiful
city, her growing fame an honor to this
noble State, and her mighty influence a
tower of strength to science, to freedom
and to morality-an institution that is des-
| tined to WELD mighty force in the future of
this great nation, and to send forth living
stream of knowledge that shall wash away
the dark stains of ignorance and crime, and
bear on its broad bosom priceless blessings
to generations yet unborn
The speaker devoted portion of his ad-
dress to the professors, of whom he spoke
in terms of praise, and thanking them for
the interest taken In their welfare.
His concluding remarks to his fellow
classmates were very affecting, and his ad-
dress throughout was highly creditable to
the Young speaker. At the conclusion of
his remarks, aud while the band was play
ing, several of the Professors approached
him, and congratulated him upon his very
eloquent address.
Prof W. L. Nichol, NJ. D., then stepped
forward, and made the address on behalf of
the faculty, welcoming into the brother
hood of medicine, the graduating class.
His words of advice were very appropriate,
and most beautifully expressed, and the adj
dress throughout was couched in elegant
language, and very handsomely delivered.
| Addressing those who were about to re-
ceive their diplomas he said: ''On yester-
| day your opinions would have misled no
one Tonight you speak from a different
| stand point You have taken the helm of
the vessel of life in your own hands, and it
becomes your duty to learn all of the
shoals upon which shemay be wrecked, and
the currents by which she may be drifted
| from her vital course. Amere cursory glance
at the chart of disease will not suf-
| fee to accomplish this end; but
| you must study its most intricate
passages, note its most hidden dangers, as
well as make yourselves familiar with the
machinery of the vessel, so that when the
storms come and the tempests rage, you Will
| prove yourselves good pilots and worthy
| seamen, competent to anchor her safely in
! the haven of health. When you cOntem
plate how terrible the position must be in
| which ignorance of your profession may at
| any moment place you, | feel confident that
| YOU will need no other motive TO urge you
to study For moment, imagine your
selves seated by the sick couch of an
only child Of fond and loving
| parents, i'll with some serious
malady, requiring prompt action to
| STAY the hand of death. That mothers
tear-filled eye, that fathers anxious look,
| speaking to YOU from the far down depths
Of misery: This is our all-in you we
place our earthly trust Can you picture
| to yourselves a situation more agonizing
than to feel and to know that through ignO-
| rance. the result of idleness and devotion
to pleasure, you are totally incompetent to
stay the fast ebbing tide Of life ? How
damning would be your remorse when you
reflected upon the many misspent hours
| in which such knowledge might have been
gained. The wall of that mothers
| anguish. that fathers deep-tOned
curses would ring in your ears
throughout all time. Would you avoid
such feelings, do not pass the early years
of your professional life in idleness and the
pursuit Of pleasure, but devote them to the
| ACQUISITION of that knowledge which will
enable you to feel that although you may
not be the greatest among the great, you
have neglected no opportunity to make
yourselves fully equal to the task you have
undertaken-the care of human life
After the address of Prof. Nichol, Prof.
| J. B. Lindsey then bestowed upon the
graduating class the diplomas. The gradu-
ates are as follows:
LIST OF GRADUATES.
| Felix Monroe Allen, Tennessee.
William Mathew Bailey, Kentucky.
Alexander ]. Baird, Tennessee.
Charles Porter Baird, Tennessee.
James Mortimore Bowling, Tennessee.
William Hill Bunch, Tennessee.
William Henry Harrison Caldwell, Ten
nessee.
Davis Elmore Cason, Alabama.
Stephen J. Cobb, Tennessee.
William Cowden Cook, Tennessee.
Michael Jefferson Eley, Alabama.
Samuel Henry Freas, Tennessee.
Robert Newton Fryer, Tennessee.
William Smith Fryer, Tennessee.
James Wiley Grisard, Tennessee.
Walton Bradford Hale, Mississippi.
Alfred Head, Missouri.
EIkanah Bush Head, Tennessee.
George Pomeroy Henry, Tennessee.
Robert Thomas Hooker, Kentucky.
William Adam De Witt James, Missis-
sippi.