The record-union., 1897-12-13

i iS toO CAPCilSiNC. CStH L alltid
it." As he grew older. he grew phil
anthropic, however, and he spent thou
sands in promoting worthy projects
where he would refuse to spend dollars
for his own qualification. He formed
a great liking for DR.. Deems, partly
in consequence of the latters aggres-
sive independence. He offered to build
a church for DR. Deems, and the latter
in accepting the offer suggested that
the church, which was to be the Church
of the Strangers, should be vested in
Trustees. Not at all; not at ar,'' said
the Commodore. Il am going TO give
the church to you personally, and 1
want you to keep it in your own
hands, few days thereafter the
doctor received from Commodore Van
derblt package containing $50, 900 in
currency.
Vanderbilt University was opened in
1S15-the year before the Commodore's
death-under the Presidency of L. c.
Garland, who held that office until 1898,
when he was succeeded by J. II. Kirk
land, the present official head of the
school. There are now fully thirty
buildings connected with the institu-
ton. about 200 students and seventy in
structors. Admission is by examina-
ton. Negroes are excluded. There
| is tuition fee of $50 for the year,
| which lasts from September 18th to
June 10th. Incidental expenses bring
the total annual cost up to S125. An
active spirit of honorable rivalry is
stimulated among the students by the
offer of various prizes by the corpora
ton. Eleven medals are given for ex-
4 III
scholarships yielding $50 each, ten
scholarships of from 5000 to $500, nine
scholarships equivalent to tuition, and
two prizes of $50 and 500. There is
loan fund, carefully restricted, in the
! hands of Trustees, which enables stu
dents to borrow as much as $3.50 year.
In the Biblical department three-hun-
dred- dollar fellowship and two prizes
are offered; in the law school two schol-
arships each equivalent to tuition, and
| in the medical college a Founders
Medal of gold is annually awarded.
| Eighty acres of land are included in
| the university grounds, and they are
| laid out in most attractive fashion
The buildings are substantial, modern
| in style, and imposing in appearance.
Residents of Nashville justly take
pTluo III tIlc utle dI e SCN
eral noteworthy structures in the uni
versity group. There is a large and
| handsome university hall and a science
| hall, which contains interesting muse
ums ard laboratories of geology and
engineering Then there is Wesley
| Hall, the seat of the Biblical depart
ment; fine astronomical observatory,
| a gymnasium, dining hall, and eight
4
| inclose a number of cozy dwelling
| houses for the professors. In recent
| years there have been occasional con-
tributions for special building purposes
| from members of the Vanderbilt fam
| lily
One of the urgent stipulations of
Commodore Vanderbilt when the first
work of construction of the university
| buildings was under way was that
! there should be a good gymnasium
He believed in plenty of physical exer-
| else, and said the muscles of the stu
dents should be disciplined as well as
| their minds. Consequently a good
gymnasium is one of the features of
the university. and regular attendance
there is compulsory, as is attendance
at chapel with certain restrictions.
| There is a collegiate curriculum with
courses in the sciences, engineering,
mechanical arts, law, medicine, dem
tistry and pharmacy. Proficiency in>
| these studies leads to the usual collie
giate degrees, besides masters and doc
| tors degrees, after graduate study.
There is a distinctive college spirit
among the young men who acknowl-
edge Vanderbilt University as their
| Alma Mater. The alumni association,
which now numbers about 5000 mem
bers, Is constantly increasing and ex-
| tending, and uniting new and infiuen-
| tial iterests with those of the univer-
sity. Their publications are now con-
Quoted by the students. THE Hustler
| is d weekly, The Observer is a.
monthly, and 'The Comet an annual.
| The literary societies at Vanderbilt are
| the PEi1osophic and Dialectic, both of
| which are recognized as supplemental
| to the university course. There are
also a numerous variety of social, ed
| ucational and chafngdish clubs, be-
sides two Christian associations, a mis-
sionaly society and an athletic associa-
| ton, under the fostering care of which
are maintained football team, a base
ball rine and other athletic teams.
Nearly all Of the college fraternities
! flourish here.
Commodore Vanderbilt's cherished
WISH that he might live to see the uni
verSity bearing his name opened was
| gratlf1ed, and the fact contributed
greatly to the pleasure of the closing
year of his life. One of the last re-
marks that he made to his wife was
that ne was glad that he had been in
t-fa-l @AoI
tuition. Earl d. Berry in New York
| Times