The morning call., 1891-06-04
ALUMNI REUNION.
Graduates Reception at Santa
Clara College.
Banquet and Literary Exercises = Patriotic
Toasts- History Of the Growth and
Progress of Alma Mater.

Last Monday was the occasion of very
enjoyable reunion of the alumni at Santa
Clara College. who met at their alma mater
to renew the happy associations of student
life. Among them the most prominent on
account OF their number were the San
Francisco delegation, who came in body,
and had their strength largely augmented
by the arrival of pOst-graduates from nearly
all parts of the State and Coast.
At the banquet acquaintance ripened into
friendship as the toasts in regular order
net with happy responses. These were in
trOduced with brief address by the toast
master, D. C. Neaon, S.B., "a, of San Fran
cisco, and were as follows: "The Faculty
of Santa Clara College," responded to by
Rev. j. Pinasco, Sd, President of the col
lege; "Our Sister Colleges" responded to
by the Hon. j. F. Sullivan of San Fran
cisco; Tine State Of California, response
by f A. Meyer, S.B., 'S3, OF Petaluma;
"Our Alma Mater" response by L. l. Dill
lon, S.B., a. of San Francisco; -" The
United States Of America, response by the
Hon. Z. I. Ryland of San Jose.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Succeeding the banquet the executive
meeting of the Alumni Association was held,
and the following officers were unanimously
elected for the coming year: President. ID.
c. Nealon, S. b., '64 San Francisco; Vice
President, j. +. Smith, M, rs, San Fran
cisco; Secretary, g. A. Sedgley, S.B.. '68,
Santa Clara College; Treasurer, c. NJ. Lori
mittee-Rev. j. Pinasco, Sd. Dr. G. w.
Seifert S. B., 10. Santa Clara Joseph w.
Ryland, 3D., II, San Jose; l.. Archer,
5. B.. 80, San Jose; W. A. Sexton, B., 81,
San Jose.
The evening reception was inaugurated
wifi "a hraCS hand
ing the large asSemblage at Exhibition Hall
with an Instrumental selection, which was
succeeded by others during the evening.
that added greatly TO the attractiyenesS of
| the programme.
The Introductory address of the Hon J.
| NJ. Burnett, a. NJ, 'jS. San Francisco, was
| specially interesting, as the orator detailed
| a summary of events which occurred from
| the time when the Pueblo. now the city of
| San Jose, was founded by Don Jose Muraga
| in 1777. under the sanctioned authority OF
| the King of Spain. According to his &C
count, the original settlement was made
! about one and half miles from the present
location, but an unusually heavy rainfall III
! 1890 flooded the Pueblo, and the present
| city was permanently established by those
| who were compelled to seek spot more
| elevated than at first selected.
HISTORY OF TOWN AND COLLEGE.
! In 1876 San Jose became a military post,
| and, shortly afterward, when the gold fever
of 1919 caused large emigration to I'LL the
| State San Jose was made the State Capitol
and Peter III. Burnett formally inaugurated
| in the now rapidly growing city. The
natural advantages of soil and climate soon
won for San Jose the title OF q" The Garden
| City," and at present the saubrity of the
! climate aud prOductivenesS OF the soil
make the city prominent for the inyig-
Grating and health-glying qualities OF Its
| surroundings.
F. A. Harrison, S. b, rs, of San Fran
cisco, followed with an historical sketch of
" Our Alma Mater" being an outline Of
| incidents occurring in the vicinity Of San
| Jose, more especially confined to Santa
| Clara. and including history OF the college,
which las been so closely connected with
| the early history of the State.
In 1851 Father John Nobiii, Sd, with a
capital of S150 furnished by Archbishop
| Alemany, began the erection Of several
| ado be buildings, which were the nucleus OF
| the present Institution. Sixteen boys from
/ the Sparsely settled country, together with
few pioneer JeSuits, composed the school
in lis infancy.
THE FIRST ALUMNUs.
In 1856 Santa Clara College was incorpo-
rated by the Legislature of the State and
empowered to confer degrees, the first stu
dent TO be IGNORED being I. |. Bergn, now
| a prominent lawyer in San Francisco, who
| in 1857 received the degree CT Bachelor Of
for the Fathers aud students during the
heated term, was built and, as encouraging
results followed the religious and scientific
instructions under the direction Of the Jes
nit Fathers, in 1874 the large building known
as the College Theater was erected.
RecollectIOnS Of the early struggles for su
premacy on the base ball diamond, the Holt
day rambles, the routine of class duties ant
the associations of students were revived
with many pleasant anecdotes interSpersed.
and a contrast drawn between the college o
1851 and the present time. In conclusion
the speaker portrayed glowing future fol
his alma mater that met with a warm an(
sympathetic response.
| CLOSING EXERCISES
a poem by S. Haskins 4. NJ, 80, of Sal
| Francisco, entitled The Last Painting,
was then delivered by the author, and thel
J. F. Smith, AN, rs, of San Francisco, de
livered the fnal Grafton of the evening" en-
titled " Oar Might" in which after dwelling
upon the pleasure of renewing old aequanI
anee and the forming Of new ones betweel
the gray-haired graduate and his brothe
alumnus, the speaker paid glowing tTibut
to the self-sacrfcing Fathers under who's,
guidance they had travelled on the road I
knowledge.