The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-11
THEIR ALMA MATER.
Harvard Graduates i'm Honor of
the University.
THE STORY OF ITS FOUNDING.
An Address Before the Harvard Climb
on Friday Night by Joseph Ship
pen, Its President.

WIN twenty members present
After the reading OF the minutes and eoustf-
'ution, and reports informally rendered by COM
mi''ees, among which was reference to the re-
cent meeting OF the Northwestern Harvard Club
al iacoma, the secretary, Mr.. George H. Preston
reported that he had letter OF CONGRATULATIONS.
with accompanying documents, from the secre-
tary OF Harvard college. Proceeding to the lit
erary exercises of the evening, Vice President c.
+. Iyler In the chair, Mr.. Joseph Shipper gave
an address, in substance as follows:
Your attention is asked to the subject of
founding of colleges, and especially of the col
iege In which our interest and LOYALTY especially
centers. The fayorite aphorism of Sir William
hamilton was: That in the world there is
hotning great but man; and in man there is
nothing great but mind" Our brilliant novel.
est, Cable, paints graphically a scene in an
Arcadlan village, where the schoolmaster, Bon
az the children assembled to ring the bell, re-
strained their impatienee until the moment
arrived, then cried: "Ringl ringl children, for
GOD. truth, liberty, education!"
w bile Ruskin is quoted as saying that he could
never be content tolive in a land without castles
ana cathedrals, we find little difficulty in being
Isconclled to our lot of living under the shadows
OF the Cascade and Olympic snow peaks in view
vi me placid Puget sound. Yet who OF us will
iot reel increased interest in our citizenship of
!" washington and this Seattle in view OF the col
a tcge mat crowns one OF our hillsl We would
eApress our interest in that young institution
anu iend our earnest efforts 20 put it on a new
anu larger basis. When located anew in sight
% .ne lakes, Washington and Union, 1t may
sstlli however, be ranked as q "fresh water COL
Ieee until the ship canal is built Moreover,
we nave read with interest of the dedication.
G Iast week, 81 Stanford university at Palo Alto,
Cai., with its /, 100 applcants-young men and
women, OF whom 40 have been admitted and
began their collegiate work. The benefactions
oi stanford and of Clarke in founding a COL
lege al worcester, Mass, in a measure relieve
our minds from apprehension regarding the
soclai system which renders possible the acquisi-
time. ~
The home of my boyhood and early wears wa.
III village of Northwestern Pennsylvania,
overlooked by Allegheny College on the hill.
hnis eoiiege was founded early in the century
through the efforts of Rev. Timothy Alden a
harvard graduate OF 1884, the son of a Harvard
graduate, lineal descendant of tie Puritan,
vonn Aiden, connected also with John Fox, OF
p par memory; he secured assistance from
Rev; Bentley, liberal clergyman, of Salem, and
OF Dr. winthrop, of Cambridge, Harvard
graduate, who gave 5000 volumes, worth as
MANY dollars. The laying of its corner stone in
Ihe Wiid woods OF Harvest Pennsylvania was a
notaDie occasion on July 5, 1870 The exercises
consisted OF orations in Hebrew, Greek, Latin
ana German, on war, on independence, on the
t IAN OF julius Caesar, special poem appropriate
for the occasion, and flowers, music and rejoic-
ings. Thus we see the beginning of an institu-
Ilon emanating from Harvards influence, and
Wnicn IN turn has proved useful seat of learn
ing and has contributed much to founding
the Chautauqua movement and the Chuutau-
qndn Magazine, published in the town OF Mead.
vile, Pa.
Referring to the Old World. the first fnstitu.
ZION OF learning seems to have been established
AT Bologna, the relic of an imperial school, of
when little Is known until the twelfth century,
Wnen, after the discovery of the Pandects at
Amalphi in 1137, 1t won under Irenius great
celebrity, and attracted attendance of thousands.
Tradition says 1t was Charlemagne that founded
tnat University of Paris about the beginning of
the Holy Roman empire, but it remained of lit
Tie Importance until about the twelfth century.
such was also the case with Oxford, which
took origin traditionally from monastic influ-
emlnence in the DAYS OF Wyckliffe, the translator
OF the first English Bible. Cambridge uni
yersity too had monastic origin, which was
succeeded by the strong Puritan influence that
made Itself known and felt before and during
the days OF Cromwell. All these universities
were venerable before the renaissance, when
perhaps Dante visited them six centuries ago.
From England, passing through Holland,
mention may well be made of Leyden. estab-
lished in 1875, by William the Silent. No pic
ture in the Gallery of Fine Arts. in Phiatel.
phia, made an impression on my boyish mind
so strong as the representation of the siege of
Leyden, showing the ships bringing relief and
1000 to the suffering, emaciated and starving.
AS a reward for heroism and loyalty almost un-
paral eled IN history, Leyden was asked what
reward she would accept 1t was not exemp-
ton from taxation, nor public adornment, nor
but university, which was inaaug-
urated, as described by Motley, with
most imposing ceremonies, and through
centuries of usefulness, this institution has
stood, giving to the world many prominent in
government, art and literature, such as Grotius,
Describes and Goldsmith. 1t was under the
shadow OF this institution and under the liberal
influences it diffused that the pilgrims of Eng
land sought refuge, and thence again sought
refuge in the New World and founded the COL
ony at Plymouth in 1870. Such first settlement
of New England WIS speedily followed by the
colony of Massachusetts, bay, establishing the
towns of Salem, Charlestown. Boston and New.
town. few years thereafter the impulse
which had driven these high-minded men to
establish in the wilderness OF America a king
dom Of God upon earth, impelled them to found
an institution of learning. An illusory, that of
the Puritan hierarchy, with the Old Testament
to guide in every detail of social and political
life. 1t was beset with the perils OF fanaticism,
austerity and biyotry, vet we recognize the
herolsm, the loyalty to duty and the recognition
that cherished faith was threatened more by
increase of ignorance than by increase OF learn
ing.
It has been said that God sifted three king
doms 70 make New England.
1t was IN November, 1886, that the general
court of the colony of Massachusetts, bay passed
the following vote: 81 he court agree to give
200 toward school or college, whereof goo
shall be paid the next year and goo when the
work is finished, and the next court to appoint
where and what building" The young and
brilliant Henry Fane, graduate OF Magdalene
college, Oxford, was president of that court, and
John winthrop, a graduate OF Trinity college,
Cambridge, was an active member. Soon after
Nape, friend OF Ann Hutchinson, named IN
Milton sonnet as
"vane, young in years, but In sage counsel DID,"
returned to England to pursue his historic
career for the liberty and emancipation OF his
race and end that career by being beheaded on
Tower hill, leaving a name that stands on the
roll of Lberty's martyrs with Raleigh, Russell
and sydney. The name of Newtown was soon
changed TO that of Cambridge in affectionate re-
memprance of the Alma Mater OF many OF those
emigrants OF their number lO1 were grad
yates OF Oxford and CAMBRIDGE, seventy
being from Cambridge, OF whom thirty
were from Emmanuel college. IL was in
1858 that the non-eonforming clergyman, John
Harvard. died at Charleston, leaving half of bis
whole property and his entire library, about 800
Classic volumes, TO the proposed college and, ms
you well know, the name which our university
bears from that day to this was MS. Al the
celebration of the 2o0th Anniversary the unuer
graduates in merry mood, displayed Johnnie
Harvard's Papas' in their torehhght process
sion, representing in appropriate costume,
butcher, cooper ana grocer, tW9 2. WHO'LL 10y oy
tradition. were step-fGthers, aud II was from
them that the estate was inherited through
his mother, that rendered John Harvard
the wealthy clergyman OF the young colony.
q graduate of Emmanuel college, cambridge
monument was erected TO his memory with
appropriate exercises, including an Grafton by
Edward Everett At ChsfiestoWh- among the
few books that were preserved from destruction
OF the library in 1904 but one OF John HasVard's
go volumes remains, entitled, christian var
fare Against the World, Flesh ana Devil"
In the grateful remem brance OF mankind how
many names in all the annals OF light and
learning il sure TO hold SO firm placer
While the college was founded, ss before said,
on November 7, 1875, now recognized as Foun-
dation day, il was in 1850 that the permanent
charter was granted. creating II q corporation
with rights and franchises that have remained
to the present day Substantially unchanged.
Under the name of "The President aud Fellows
O; Harvard college," minor statutes Gave been
pasSed however contOrmable to the original
rights ana franchises with the consent OF the
----.n-a.-nra Ii Iha mode of selecting over.