The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-06-15
COLLEGE
Alumni Day at Bethany,
Old and New Graduates Enjoy
Happy Reunion.
Quarter Centennial Anniversary

What Thanksgiving Day is to q
New England family of the old stock,
Alumni Day is to a College. The scat,
tered members OF the household come
home to greet the friends and compan,
ions Of their youth, to live Ger again
the happiness Of by-gone years, and
amid the scenes and companions OF
College life revive the half forgotten in,
cidents OF the past. Old and young,
the graduate OF fifty years ago and he
who stammered his maiden speech last
year, come back to greet each other aad
pay filial respect to the old mother to
whom they owe so much. The one
brings home with him the trophies he
has won in the fierce struggle of actual
life, and the other shows his still bright,
" FURNISHED arms, the gliding all in.
tact. The one is gray haired and with
corrugated brow, the other still in the
fresh vigor of young manhood. But all
are scholastic children Of a common
parent, a tie almost as strong as family
blood unites them in true fraternity,
and the bond of common memories
gives zest to their association.
Bethany College opened its first seS-
sion in November, lS4l, and its first
class was graduated in 1914, but it was
not until 1876 that the Alumni Associ-
alton was formally AMI permanently
organized. The present occasion is
therefore the Twenty-fitth or Quarterly
Centennial Anniversary of the assOci-
alton and is regarded with more than
usual interest on that account 1t also
deserves additional Importance from the
fact that the new buildings OF the
College, which have been in process of
erection during the past ten years, are
at last completed and the Grand Hall,
last work OF the whole structure, is now
occupied for the first time.
THE COLLEGE BUILDINGS,
and a noble pile they are, present a
front of 42O feet The central building
and the right wing were finished several
years ago and have been heretofore
described.
THE NEW HALL
occupies the extreme left and meas
ures 43 feet in front and extends back
ll2 feet. 1t is intended tor use at the
public exercises Of the College and will
seat comfortably between six hundred
and seven hundred persons. In front,
directly over the doorway is a large
mullioned window of stained glass,
donation by Mrs. Judge Mclean, of
Cincinnati. The colors are very beau
tiful, and it bears symbols appropriate
to the study of philosophy and the diff
fusion of knowledge The correspond.
ing window over the platform in the
rear of the hall was donated by Charles
w. Headlcy, Esq, of Kentucky. The
centre window representing symbolically
Proverbs, 10th chapter and ID verse, con
cerning Wisdom; In her right hand is
length Of days and in her left riches and
honor, Cor words to that ctlect). The
side lights represent Innocence and
sanctified literature. Each Of the side
windows, of which there are six on the
West and three on the East, were do
mated by ladies and bear an appropriate
symbol. One represents Hebrew
another Spectral Analysis; another
Astronomy; while others represent
Engineering, Geology, Chemistry,
Botany, Geometry, and the Classics
The effect Of the whole is excellent, and
the room is one Of the handsomest |
ever saw. Its acoustic properties when
filled by an audience are said to be very
good, and the friends Of the College con.
gratulate themselves greatly on the re-
suit.
The buildings as now completed and
the property OF the College are estima-
ted to be worth about S4OOO 900 The new
Hall cost about $4,000. Much credit
is due to Professor Allen, by whose in.
defatigable exertions the sum Of Sljj,-
900 has been collected for College pur-
poses during the past five years.
The College itself during the thirty
wears OF its existence has been steadily
doing a noble work Its alumni, in
cIudIng the present graduating class,
number over Four Hundred, and in
clude many gentlemen who are eminent
in the learned professions and honored
in all the walks of life OF these, about
one hundred and forty are ministers o:
the Gospel and are widely disseminating
the good influences Of the College to
which their usefulness is due. The re-
mainder are nearly all occupying prom
inent positions in society, some as ply.
sicians, some as lawyers and quite q
number as members Of the press. The
College NAV also be said TO have fur
nished several ofshoots, new hives OF
education supplied from the parent
stock. The Kentucky University OF
Lexington is one OF the most prosperous
and influential Of these. 1t now has an /
endowment OF over a million dollars
has about six hundred students, and !
four or five OF the Professors are grad /
yates Of Bethany College. The Hooker
Female Institute in the same place may .
be regarded as another. IL President,
Rev. Robert Graham il one Of the .
ablest scholars ever formed upon the .
Bethany course Of instruction, and the
school under his charge is doing a vast .
deal Of good. Several other Colleges ,
in the country are instructed in whole |
or in part by Bethany graduates, and /,
thus the influence of its teachings is
becoming every year more and more
widely disseminated.
ALUMNI.
Atthe present meeting Of the Alumni
Association nearly all Of the classes
that have left the College during the
past twenty-five years are represented. .
There are four members here OF the
class that was graduated twenty-five