New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-28
COMMENCEMENT SEASON.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
JAMES RUSSELL LowTLLs ARTICLE on CLASS DAY
AND IT'S HISTORY. '


yard has acquired It's present prominence among col
ege snnivessaies within the last third Of century
James Russell Lowell In his very entertaining article on
Class Day and its history Just published In Vaille and
Qark's The Harvard Book" says that 'no Cambridge
hoy of fifty years revive any vivid impressions
" the Glass Days OF bs boyhecd" During the first two
,eatures OF Haryards history II was customary to Gel
sassie in some fitting way the separation OF the grad
mating Glass; but Mr.. Lowell says, the earliest authentic
trace OF any organization Of the Senior Class having in
Class Day. begins in I76a, and nifty years later al
though portion of the exercises corresponded with
those Of to-day the leading feature u the occasion aside
from the literary exercises, simply lc0veakng or
those who had spent tho past four years In common tolls
and common pleasures. Mr. Lowell quotes from sibey
Harvard Graduates the following Interesting account
OF Glass Day. such as II near the close OF the
sevcntcenh century 1t is extract from the journal
Of John Read who was In 1886 Senior sophster at
harvard:
ANA several others went COLLEGE 10 attend the Exer
cses where were two Prayers made by two aniSers
tke n THO Afternoon and then Mr. Tory stood up and
sose to Regret and could have gladly heard him
an Hour longer.
The writer OF this extract must have been worthy son
Of Puritan sire, and it illustrates IN very striking
manner the contrast between the solemn and austcc
manner in which Che graduates OF that early day took
leave OF their Alma Mater and the joyous b.5lty of
Class Day IN 1878.
Previous 10 1921. learn from Mr LOweis article
the Glasses at Harvard toe small to admit OF any
very extensive celebration About l744, and ut various
times within the next ten years the overseers OF the col
lece attempted Ia improve the eoG0n Of the students
nv recurring them rece, in public dialogues trans
listed from LATIN English and to this effort may DC
traced origin Of the literary exercises OF Class Day
The Class Day oraOns began in 1776 and the first poem
WIS read ten years "Before this Q7s6 the cere
monies seem to have restricted TO Grafton in
Latin sandwlched between two prayers by the President
lise criminal between two peace officers. and can
scarcely have betrayed hc most hOughess to any ex
Co.'s OF hilarity"
The custom Of having oraons In English about the be-
ginning OF the present century did not meet the aplc
hzion Of the college authorities and in lSO2 1t was voted
tat on Class Day there should DO performance but
yaledctory Grafton in Latin except music adapted W the
occasion In spite of prohb ton Class Dag exercises
began gradually be tolerated after fow years. and
even b. be encouraged and within the last 80 years have
grown rapidly in popularity. few additional extracts
from MIR Lovcrs article cannot fail to be interesting.
member Of the Class OF 1921 wrote in his diary:
Al 10 ate ded chapel Grafton by Barnv9ll taftcr
wsad President OF south Carolua Coiege aud OhIt'si
ersu's ptein was what superior to The general eX-
hS se.a '"'' ''''' D''''' o. ''''' '
The Glass Of 1926 was escorted to the chapel by the
Harvard MashiBgtOn Co ps famous military org9uaa-
tios ccpsng n college legend the Thcban Phaarx anu
{he Laundering Legion" ran-sOrIn, the day before,
secured for the graduating class This distinguished honor
So early certainly rs 1884, the cstOln had begun Of
te senior class treating all com Rs 10 leet punch uu M
fAe OF Class Day. Tbs beverage was brought
in buckets NBaIs Tavern tnog the horse railway
saton and servrd ont in the shade on the northern soc
~ Harvard Hall In 1886 the college jantoI IN vain
rrotes yet not without hilarious COLLISION on his Ow
lxTt, was borne in wsvering tri'unpA on % door the
eaaBc1-sc.cced symbol al his ONCE. Nor Was IL an TN
leg thing bankrupt topeTs OF the Niclnlge to err
euate among the heedess crowd g.ke those
revolving armies on the stagel, assuming an an
air Of srrnngeDess at each return; thus repeatedly
tso OF All the wear whose waste was not scored against
them beAsnd door TIL II grew nexOrabe Those wore
es ~ te b ssD tTcd at Ing he aneG path
way t. then chambers, with two poor fet they were
SHad,ietssR of Tie med, avail uniVelsi'ts rs
pam that the college authorities could NOT sit quietly by
and il become recognized part OF the curriculum
At length, in 1892 when three young men lost
stop was PUT 10 tbes6 Scsses the secret Compound
ing puBca t4at 1t should DO 10 Intoxicating lquor
having been unbapply Lost since FIesident hOyOAes
dzy.
After quoting from the diary Of tie Late Rev George
Whitney of Roxb,ny Mr.. Lowell
The diarist gives us glimpse at the Class Day Of
1629 anil On note or Two O. me lively preirdngs
one whe has since added TO the gayety OF nations
Can tbis the Holmes listening TO yesteI
fyf Can il d. possible that this OF wit aud
tiuient and wisdom has flowed through the WIDE
dscooration no slackening speed it gathered vol
pne but stih clear. rapid, singing and pratuns
ioas sonrcei "is29, July Ia Tuesday Al 10 / was in
University Chapel for the vsledotoy exercises OF me
young Holmes, OF Rev DR. Holmes OF this town. lie
Son XSsg @ m be- conn ed S 20 cns some good
Jokes lis poem very happy and abOunded in W.T.
instoad OF spiritual muse. he invoked ior lie goddescs
lie lad o. present. in doing sang very amusing
~ of bis 'h4iess amour win TOO tall maid Ater
snd sang suug TO the tune OF Aud Lang
ByLe.' al the .jass joining IN the chorus"
he dSy was Of Subsequent nstit utou, we here fnd
the lae Mr. Angler a, ns IN that capacity But tls Was
ever heard that truly angelic VOICE thai gear nIwrin
~ lis si si 0I w was not sene aat S ss the fur
fiji 81 from hatDut II was simple, sweet ana pathetic,
such music is pensi1o Win farewell 1t had penelIat-
lag melancholy thai trenbled ia the fbrcs Of Tie BRAIN
tad ceased. And 1t las ceased NON among US for
"But what fair Dell -ruvc he sings in now,
1bat rs ~ Hs uDknOwn"
".How poor these paid phrases seem,
How weak tiis linking hae;
AS SsrIle s. ,h , a. my &, %s; ~ Dream
--rDr Holmes (Poe1n on the death Of MI Angler.
Among the Cluss Day orators and poets who have
sne distinguished themselves the following selected
from the complete hss appended to Mr. Lowels article
,zss fStt $ o., 1870 i , %5,s
II sY K K ". H BSr%Wen 1917 q Ban c1
ie5S 5 ossc S'' ISL. R. ". Emerson.
ls2s Q " Holmes Holmes
11sss ! ! 5 + ESsSlh
ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES AND ALUMNI DINNER.
fFRon SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBCSE.l
CANTON, N. Y, June 24.-Commencement sea-
CON st. Lawrence University was fairly begun yester-
day and ended to-day At a. yesterday the grad
eating exercises of the Theological School took place
There five graduates and two postgradades. The
following are their and the subject OF their gradu
stng theses: