Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-23
The First Set of Graduates Bid Adieu
to Duquesne College.
BRIGHT YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
Thirty-SiI of Them Receive Diplomas at the
Grand Opera House.
An INSTITUTION WITH A GREAT FUTURE

friends, the result being that there was no
room to spare on the main floor and but
little in the balcony. All the private boxes
were filed, and many well-known citizens
who had been invited had seats on the
stage The stage was set as a forest scene,
and the only attempt at decoration were
two big ferns in the orchestra at either side
of the stage.
There has never been a more charming
sight on the stage of the Opera House than
that of last night when the curtain as it
rolled skyward revealed the members of the
Duquesne Conservatory chorus. The ladies,
of course, occupied the front of the stage,
while the men were in the rear. The ladies
were IN simple, cool dresses, and were per-
fectlv self-possessed. When Carl Retter,
the director, stepped to the front and the
first chords of the piano were struck, and
the chorus began the famous 'Song of the
Vikings" it was quickly seen that there
was body of truly trained singers The
song was rendered with vim which called
forth much applause. This was followed
with prayer by Rev. d. Jones, of the First
Methodist Protestant church.
Clever Essays by the Graduates.
The programme as then carried out en-
braced an essay by L. Lewis Todd, of the
classical course, upon the Assimilation Of
Races" "Craze for Nobility" by Miss Ola
RH. Hotham, of the normal class; ''Our
Commercial Importance" by Ransom M.
Dav, of the business college; "Leaves
From the Sketch Book of Life" by Miss
Kathryn Carney, of the ladies' literary
class: ''What Is to Become of Home?" by
Miss Agnes Carspecken, of the normal
class; 1.-The American Epitomized, by
Miss Maude Bishof, of the classical; Sex
ponents of Political Fame" by John ii.
Hutchinson, of the scientific class; "Un-
crowned Royalty" Miss Mary A. Sallade,
of the normal; "Are We Charitable" by
Miss Matte H. Before, of the shorthand
class: "The Young Lady's Opportunity"
bv Miss Grace Eakin, of the classical; Dis
guise of Anarchy" by George H. Kane, of
the classical The oraiions were in
terspersed with vocal and instrumental
music, the participants being Miss Bessie
Blackburn, Morris Stephens, Alfred
Rosser. Miss Sadie E Ritts, and Misses
Sadie E Ritts, Julia E Beach, Morris
Stephens and Louis W. Critchlow, rem
dering a beautiful quartet from rig
oletto."
At this point E. M. Wood, D. D., L. L.
D., President of the college, arose to confer
the degrees and award the diplomas.
Three Important Parties Concerned.
In the course of his address to the gradu-
ating class DR.. Wood called the attention
of the students to the fact that there were
three parties Intimately concerned in the
distribution of the diplomas, the State
which granted the charter to the college,
the Board of Directors and the faculty act
ing together while the third party are the
graduates themselves In conclusion DIR.
Wood said: "And when you succeed We
shall cheer YOU: and when you shall fail We
shall sympathize with you; when you shall
fall we shall pity you, but when you rise |
again we shall rejoice with you.
President Wood reviewed the history of |
the college and among other things said: |
"For number of years past there has been |
needed in this community a good and thor |
ough collegiate institution. Our college |
opened September with students |
enrolled IN every department of the |
institution Had some of the departments |
not been opened at all during the first of |
the year it would not have been an unusual
thing. We had full corps of teachers |
ready to take charge of the work. On |
January IL, 1892, charter was |
granted to the corporation, a charter as |
full and complete as can be granted to any |
institution in the State. The faculty has no |
superiors and few equals in Western Penn |
svlvania The success that has attended the |
labors of the first year has been most graft
fying, having enrolled over 600 students.
As to the question of honors, We expect to
act with great caution, believing that this
privilege has been often greatly abused.
Seeking for New and American Ideas.
Speaking exactly, we do not believe in
conferring anv strictly honorary degrees.
We do not desire an ancient, but a modern
college-an American college. We do not
care to use imported and now largely obso-
lete terms or ideas We believe that it is
true, and it would be shame if it were not
true, that this is the brightest, strongest |
and grandest age of the worlds
history. L utter it conscientiously
when l saw that there is vast amount of
driftwood that has come down to us through
the channels of our college and university
curricula Out with the drittwood and let
US put in the fresh lumber of the natural
sciences and literature, these sciences which
have unfolded their secrets so wonderfully
at the magic touch of modern science"
The graduates as their names were called
stepped forward and received their diplo-
mas in the following order:
ClaSslcal-George H. Kane, AlleTneny City;
/. Lewis Todd, Braddock: Maude Bishof,
Braddock; L. Grace Eakin, West Bridge
water; Cora A. Harris, Pittsburg.
Scientiic-John II. Hutchinson, Pittsburg;
Walter o. Amsler, Pittsburg; Hettie Schultz,
New Brighton.
Ladies' Literary-Kathryn Carney. Pitts
burg.
Normal-ona B. II. Hotham, Pittsburg;
Agnes T. Carspecken, Allegheny; Mary A
Sallade. Sharpsburg
Short and and typewritirg - Matte H.
Before, Pittsburg; Sarah NJ. Martin, Belle.
vUe; NJ try Campbell, PittsDurg; Ella Ros-
borougn, Beech Cliff; Barbara Hetzline, Nc
KEGS Rocks; Ellen NJ. scully. Pittsburg;
James n. Long, Allegheny.
Commercial school-William E. Mitchell,
Williamsburg; John Ii. Hutchinson, Pitts
c. Miller, Port Perry; Charles r. Weigle,
Elizabeth; George J. Weigle, Elizabeth;
John w. Richev. Woodlawn; Samuel L. Pang-
burn. Elizabeth; Robert NJ. Jamfson, Irwin;
Amelia NJ. L. Pracht. Toronto, O.: Jennie
McAleese Pittsburg; Elizabeth NJ. Howells,
Braddock; Ella Rosborough, Beech Cliff;
Ransom NJ. Day, Washington; Mable I. WILL
iams, Pittsburg; Charles G. Donnell, Jr.,
Allegheny; c. DeRoi Thompson, Allegheny;
James NJ. Corboy, Williamsburg.
Bachelors of Arts and Sciences.
The degree of Bachelor of Arts was con-
ferred upon George III. Kane, L. Lewis
Todd, Miss Maude Bishoff, Miss L. Grace
in course, and upon William T. English,
NJ D., pro merito. The degree of Bachelor
of Science was conferred upon John III.
Hutchinson, Walter o. Amsler and Miss
Hettie Schultz, while Miss Kathryn Carney
was made Bachelor of Literature,
There was a noticeable feature about the
commencement of Duquesne College-there
was neither salutatory nor valedictory. This
is in keeping with the spirit of the institu- |