Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-27
.COLUMBlAN'S ALUMNI
They Testify to Their Interest in
Their Alma Mater.
an IMPORTANT BUSINESS MEETING
Subscriptions to the Fund Desired
by Dr.. Whitman.
LIST OF CONTRIB UTORS

next Monday IL Dr. Whitman of Colby Is to
be the next president of Columbian. Other
subscriptions were made to the fund. and
announced at the meeting, that raised the
grand total to date to $4S.lOO.
The meeting was attended by several
hundred alumni of both sexes. Fully half a
hundred ladies were present, taking a deep
interest In the proceedings. President ]. H.
Wilson called the meeting to order after
prayer had been offered by Rev. Dr. Gram
mar of Baltimore, shortly after 8 o'clock
Among those who occupied seats on the
platform were Postmaster General Wilson,
Justice Harlan of the United States Su-
preme Court. Mr.. Gardiner Hubbard Gen.
A. w. Greedy. Rev. DIR. Grammar. Mr.. 8.
w. Woodward DR.. Theodore Gill. Treas
urer Martin and several members of the
faculty of the university. President Will
son said that the alumni had never before
been called together on such important
business. He went on to speak Of the ex-
c. ptfonal advantages offered by this city
as the site of a great national university
and asked the question: Shall Columbian
which has pre-empted this field. and has
earned the title to 1t by years of possession
go forward in the fulfllment Of the great
undertaking, or shall 1t allow some other
enterprise to come into the District and
build up the great institution that Is des-
tined TO be grown here? He said that Co
lrmblan Is no beggar. and that her affairs
are tOudy IN better shape Cndn ever DeIOTe,
both in the matter OF money and educa-
floral success.
The Simple Problem.
The problem, said Mr.. Wilson, was SIM
pie DR.. Whitman has seen the great pos
sitilities of the field thus opened to him.
but he is unwilling to undertake the
responsibility Of the presidency without
fund from which to draw for five years to
build up the collegiate department. which
is the backbone of the whole institution.
There are two sources of revenue in such
an emergency, the trustees and members of
the corporation on the one hand, and the
alumni on the other. The trustees had al
ready subscribed about $40 900 of the S75, 600
required. and they now looked to the alumni
to do their share. 1t was a great oppor-
tunity for the graduates.
Rev. DIR. Greene's Remarks.
Rev. Dr.. Greene explained still further
the needs of the case. He declared that the
day of the alumni had come, and spoke
briefly Of the glorious record of the uni
versity. But, however proud Colur bian
might justly be of her past. she cannot af-
ford to depend altogether upon her record,
for progress is the watchwor1 of the day,
and the educa tional Institution that aspires
to attain and TO hold prominence in the
world OF learning must be forever at work,
widening its field and increasing its means.
He spoke of the years search for a success
sor to DR.. yelling. and told how gladly the
committee had at last centered DIR.
Whitman, president of Colby University, in
Maine. The mention of the name of the
prospective president of Columbian evok ed
say that he had received kilograms from
number of noted educators in different
parts of the country since the announce
ment of DIR. Whitman'S selection was made.
CONCENTRATING him and the nnivarsItV
upon the choice.
DIR. Whitman, he said, is fully aware of
all the facts in the case. He and the trus-
tees recognized the need Of a reor, aniza-
ton of the college and the university DR..
Whitman has told the trustees that he is
ready to assume the charge if the people
of Washington believe sufficiently in the
university to make a reasonable subscrip-
ton to a fund with which ne proposes to
strengthen the collegiate department. He
wants to know what kind of men are on
the board of trustees, and what kind of
men have been gradual ted from the uni
versity. In other words, what kind of men
ere to be behind him when he takes the
wheel.
CoIumbian's Future.
Mr. VIM. L. Wilson, Postmaster Cen
eral Of the United States, a graduate of
of its faculty, then spoke briefly of the flu
ture that is before Columbian, endowed as
she is with opportunities that can be given
no other institutions in the country unless
they are located in the midst of the facil-
tiles afforded by the seat of government.
A great university, he said. is not made up
of large and beautiful buildings, of fine Ii
braries, but of a corps of the best teachers;
and Mr. Wilson told how, here at Wash
ington, there are some of the best inStruc-
tors in the various branches of learning
that can be found anywhere in the country
or the world. Columbian, he declared, has
a great future assured, If only because of
the fact that she has lived for seventy-five
years, and has overcome obstacles in that
time that would check the course of any in
stitution but one destined to become
great power.
The sum Of $4,000 a year. he said. is
pitiful. beggarly sum. when compared with
the great good that can be done with it,
and especially in the light Of the present
emergency. 1t Is particularly small when
compared with the enormous endowments
Of some Of the other universities of the
Harvard has an income of three
quarters of a million dollars annually,
and yet, after each year, she passes the
hat around among her alumni and raises
about one hundred thousand more to bal
ance up the years expenditures. There
is not of the great universities that
does not spend more than $4,000 every
year on the improvement of single depart
ments. Mr.. Wilson spoke of President
Whitman as one who infused others whom
he met with belief in him and in his power
for success, and who ihstilled enthusiasm
into them. He believed that he would
prove the right man for the place
A Series of Resolutions.
The Postmaster General then read a Sc
ries of resolutions that, he sail, had been
handed to him by a committee. They eX-
pressed approval of the selection of Mr..
Whitman and of the plan to raise s75. 600
as a new college endowment. and pledged
to President Whitman the enthusiastic
support of the alumni in his efforts to up
build the university. In the course of the
resolutions the phrase golden opportunity"
occurred Mr.. Wilson hesitated as he read
this, and, turning to DIR. Greene with a
quizical smile, asked:
Shall 1 say gold and silver opportunity"
1 do not want to rule anybody out from
you know" This raised a
general laugh, and paved the way to a
generous acceptance of this platform of
bmetallism later by the graduates The
resolutions were unanimously adopted and
DR.. Grammar made a short talk some
what reminiscent of the old days of Co.
lumbar and of the attachments and
achievements of the late President Well
ing. He spoke especially of the splendid
opportunities afforded today to wealthy
men for the achieving of everlasting fame
by the endowment of institutions of learn
ing. and alluded with enthusiasm to the
good works of the late Mr.. W. w. Corco-