The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-01-27
GEORGE r. SMITH COLLEGE.
Tho Colorcd Educational Instifpti,n
Erected At Sedaiia by the FREQ dm,n ,n's
Aid and Southern Education Society
of the NJ. f. Church Formally Opened.

--Ao NohoHcu Cuucutiohht
Erected At Sedaiia by the FREQ DIN ,n's
Aid and Southern Education Society
OF the NJ. E. Church Formally Opened.
At Sedalia, on the afternoon Of
Thursday, January Is, the George L.
Smith college, magnificent three
story Structure of brick and stone that
was erected and furnished at cost of
$4,000 by the Freedmen's Aid and
Southern Education society of the NJ.
+. church, was opened TO the students
with appropriate ceremonies, in the
ptesenee of d large audience, several
OF whom were distinguished gentle
men from abroad. The exercises were
held in the chapel, and upon rthe
platform sat Rev. pr. Jesse Bowman
Young, of StsLouis, editor of the Cen
tral Christian Advocate; Rev. DIR. 7. ii.
Hagerty, chaplain Evangelical ALT
ance, st. Louis; Rev. ]. Will jackson,
p. E., st. Louis; Rev. J. W, Hughes. 7.
f., Kansas City; Rev. R. Z. Gillian,
Mexico; Rev. William Jones, D. d.,
Lib. d., Sedalia, Rev. Charles NJ. Bish:
6p, Lexington NJ. L. church; the
mayor and council and college faculty
and building committee, clergy of the
city, officers of the two G. A. r. posts
of Sedalia and prominent citizens.
The exercises were opened by sing
ing the Doxology, Praise God, from
whom all blessings fow,n after which
Rev. 4 W. Hughes, of Kansas City,
offered an invocation. Rev. A. r
Cronce, pastor of the First NJ. E. church,
then read n portion of the first chapter
of St John, at the conclusion of which
Mayor E. W. Stevens made brief adj
dress complimentary to the college and
the society that built it. Music by the
Queen City band and by the choir fol-
lowed, after which the address of the
day was delivered by Rev. Jesse Bow
man Young, of St Louis. He spoke
three-quarters of an hour in eulogy of
the services of the Union army. which,
he said, had made George Il. Smith col.
lege possibility.
Rev. J. Will jackson. of st. Louis,
spoke briefly in behalf of the education
of his race, and closed by reciting
"Tfiack Boys in Blue" Rev. J. w.
Hughes, of Kansas City. delivered
brief address ON the Possibilities of
the Race" and was followed by Hon:
J. E. Smith and DIR. J. W. Trader on
behalf of the two G. A. r. posts of Sc
dalia. Rev. DIR. William Jones, p. E.,
delivered short address, in which he
stated that through Christ and not the
Union army or any other cause was
this great institution of learning
founded. A hymn composed by Rev.
T. ii. Hagertv, of St Louis, especially
for the occasion was sung, at the close
of which the aged divine delivered a
short address in which he paid warm
tribute to the &. A. X.
Hon. B. q. Wilkerson spoke briefly
in behalf of Mesdames Smith and Cot
ton, who donated twenty acres Of
ground for the college site, and the
closing address of the afternoon was
delivered by Rev. p. A. Cool, president
of the school, A beautiful portrait Of
Gen. George Il. Smith, in whose honor
the college is named. was then unveiled,
and President Cool announced that the
college was open for the reception of
students.
At night a mass meeting was held at
the college chapel, at which addresses
were made by Reverns Hagerty,
Hughes, and others, good portion of
the remarks being addressed to the
colored old settlers who were given n
start in life by the late Gen. Smith,
after their liberation from slavery.
Work was first commenced upon the
building in 1889, but the cornerstone
was not laid until last June. The coll
lege is open to both white and colored.