The morning times., 1895-09-30

President Rankin, of How ard University
! preached a special sermon on The i'm
| provement of opportunities" at O'Clock
yesterday afternoon in the college chapel
! 1t was the first of a series of sermons to be
delivered by Dir. Rankin at the beginning
of the academlcal year.
Qr Rankin read as bis text part OF the
| tenth verse of the sixth chapter OF Galatians:
LAS we have opportunity He began his
remarks by saying that mans career de-
pends both upon himself and upon circum-
stances. Providence places most young
people amid opportunities and these must
be improved. TIE tide must be taken at
the flood.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IMPROVED.
The word opportunity implied that. its
| duration is limited, and hence one must
seize il while it is here. Tie Improvement
of his surroundings is what makes man.
The hand of God is given to man just as the
opportunity warrants. The exigencIes
are arranged and prepared by God him.
self
The great secret of school life, said the
president, is the Improvement Of oppor-
tunities. A student may multiply his own
in such amer as to open new ones for
himself and cause his teachers to place
still others in his way.
Failures in life often come from the
sighting of single class, the neglect of
an opportunity. In Heaven nep will be
judged as they have made use of the chances
thrown by God in their way.
President Rankin was listened to by an
audience of about $50 persons, the ma
jority of whom were students. The audi
ence filled the cosy little chapel to hardly
a fourth its seating capacity. There are
over 500 students enrolled this year, and
.,
ment has been made that DR.. Rankin
would preach a special sermon the chapel
would be filled.
PROF. GREGORY'S DISMISSAL.
Whether this decrease in attendance
was due to the feeling that has arisen
between the head of the faculty and the
students over the dropping of Prof. Greg
ory the Latin teacher, is not known.
The students treat the president with
every mark of Difference and respect.
but it is apparent that there is silent
feeling lurking in the breasts of many.
Prof Gregory is pparently beloved by all.
He and Prof. Kelly Miller, instructor In
mathematics, were the early teachers in the
preparatory and college departments, 1t is
said, whoare members OF Howard University
alumnae. For this reason above all Others
they were dea to thu students hearts because
they feel that their preceptors are 'of their
kidney. " Prof. Miller is still in the
university.
Before Prof. Gregory was dropped from
the faculty Prof Brownbough was let go alta
meeting OF the board of trustees last May.
He was teacher of elocution and is this year
occupying a chair in Western college.
THEIR AFFECTION UNCHANGED.
Prof. Moore of the University of Penn
sylvania, is teaching some of the classes
taught last year by the two teachers now
dropped from the list, itissaid. Thestudents
considerh rhim good odLatnprofessor, theysay,
but that fact does not diminish their love
for Prof. Gregory and the desire to see him
reins tated.
Some of the students say that the reason
Messrs. Gregory and Brownbough were
dropped is because they dared oppose at
times the orders of President Ran kin,
who, it is said, is regarded as oftentimes
tyrannical. 1t is related that last spring
the Eureka Debating Society desired TO
temporarily change its name to the Doug
las Debating Society. in memory of the
late distinguished statesman. When the
announcement of a meeting OF the society
was given to the president to be read at
chapel, it Is said, he told the students that
only under the old name could the society
hold its entertainment.
The students say that President Rankin
also vigorously opposes gymnasium, and
that the only athletic exercise the stu
dents get is baseball and football In the
limited autumn season.
THWARTED BY THE PRESIDENT.
1t is claimed by some of the students that
petition was circulated among themselves
during the summer months with q view to
having Prof. Gregory reinstated. This pc
tition was sent to each member of each
class affected or to be affected, at his
home and bis or her signature was OBJ
tained. 1t was then their object to address
the petition to the board of trustees at the
opening of the school year.
1t is asserted. though, that there was no
meeting then but that President Rankin
has called for special meeting of the board
in November. The boys say that some of
the trustees wanted a meeting. but that