The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-07
Depauw University.
CREENCAsTLE, Ind,
June "a, 1885.

CREENCASILC, lHu',
June "a, 1886.
EDS. TINES:
Thinking that a few lines des-
criptive of this, the 47th, Com
mencement of DePauw University,
which is situated at your old Indi-
ana home, might not be uninterest-
ing to you and to some of your
readers, take the liberty OF adj
dressing you this article.
The idea prevailed for a long
time and, to certain extent pre-
walls yet, that years, decades and
even centuries are necessary to
build up successful institution Of
higher education. We, of this
Western World, who are so thor
oughly permeated with the notion
of thrift, enterprise and rapid de-
velopement, are inclined to spurn
this widely accepted theory and to
believe in the possibility of estab.
fishing a great institution Of learn
ing in a few years, the same as we
have built up our other great free
institutions; but, while our coun-
try has furnished a few inc0ntesta-
BILE examples to substantiate this
belief, we must admit that the vast
majority of universities-practical.
ly all of them-now occupying rec
ognized position and influence in
the literary world have attained
their present rank by the slow pro-
cess of decades and centuries. The
same will be true of the majority of
universities which are yet to rise
into prominence and power in our
land.
Be that as it may, DePauw Uni
versity-until 1884 Indiana AsbAry
University-has just closed her 47th
year and has already attained a
position where she exerts a great
influence in the educational work
of the great West and where she
has perhaps only one peer in the
Methodistic education of the world.
Struggling with poverty, hers was
the feeblest Of beginnings;y yet with
a corps of professors earnestly de-
voted to the work of God and of
Methodism, and backed by the NOR
al support of the pioneers of the
Church in Indiana, she has come
steadily forward, always producing
the greatest possible results con.
sistent with her financial condition,
BY great sacrifice on the part
of the Church in general
and the munificence of
few individuals in it, a more rapid
development has, in the last few
years, been possible to the Univer-
sity, until, at the present, the rays
of her influence radiate to almost
every State in the Union and her
sons and daughters are scattered
over the whole world. The last
catalogue shows the considerable
number of AZ Professors, Sl2 stu.
dents and Al graduates, this latter
number, however, being twice sur.
PASSED within the last few years
once reaching 81, and, again, run.
ming into the sixties.
The Commencement which has
just closed to-day, has been one OF
considerable interest and profit
many of the patrons and friends Of
the University availing themselves
of this privilege to become better
acquainted with the workings Of
an institution which is shaping the
destiny of so many of the youth
not only of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, but also of the United
States; for, although nOminally q
sectarian school, it is conducted or
such broad, catholic principles tina,
students of other denominations
can and do frequent its halls with
out hearing their own faith de-
nounced and without having often
sive doctrines forced upon them.
The Commencement week open
ed on Friday evening, June
18th, with the first graduating