Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-30
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Something About the States Great Home
Of Higher Education.
GROWTH IN ATTENDANCE AND RESULTS
Two radua Twenty-Four Years
Ago and One Hundred nnd
Sc~ycnty-Fiye Degrees to lie
Given This Year.

LINCOLN, May 29.-CSpecialj-The time
for the commencement exercises Of the class
OF 1897 Of the University OF Nebraska ia
near at hand. There will be a series Of
meetings, reunions, addresses, b~anquets and
concerts. ending on June 10 with the CON-
mencement grafton by Edward Everett Hale.
the comforting Of degrees. certificates and
commissions, alumni banquet aud reunion,
and the chaucellor's reception. to DR.. Hale,
and the public. Preparations for the great
annual events cause a tremor Of hustle and
excitement to run through all departments
of Nebraska's great school, more marked
than in any previous year.
The graduating class OF this year Is a
strong one, in numbers. in mental and physi-
cal makeup and in every way. or the 1l5
in the senior class. nearly 10 will graduate,
and it will be the strongest average class
ever sent out from the university. Among
the number are some who have had to work
their WY through. fighting a double bat
tie for q higher education. and against the
deprivation and want that sore!y pressed
them, but winning the fight. to the very
end, showing their great strength, which
cannot but grow and expand In future life.
There are a number who have been success
full teachers, but who came back 10 the uni
yersity to finish up a liberal education IN
order that they may be still better equipped
for their life work. Several already held
the degrees Of A. b. and y. NJ. but came to
the Nebraska school feeling that its degreu
would add greatly to their education. In
several cases there are Il brother and 9 sister
in the cless, az well as representatives oil
families which have already furnished two
and three members to the graduating classes
of past years. One member Of the class is
the grandson Of the schools first chancellor
and son q the first graduate, showing the
faith Of three generations in the university.
ALREADY IN DEMAND.
It is a notable fact that even before the
close Of the class year a number of the mem
bers Of the class have been called to NIL I'M
portant positions as teachers in other schools,
both in Nebraska and in eastern states,
proving that the fame of the University OF
Nebraska Is abroad in the land, and that its
influence Is not confined to the borders ot the
state.
Among the strongest students in all the
classes are the forty-six from Douglas county.
or these. four are in the senior class ana
will graduate on June 10.
One proof Of the intense interest of this
senior class may be mentioned. Several OF
the students finished the required course
several months ago. and instead of resting
from their labors as II there were no more
to be learned, went on with advanced studies
in the graduate school with as much earnest
ness and as hard work as they had evinceo
in the regular courses.
In no way can the growth OF the univer-
sity work be better illustrated than in show
ing the number of academic graduates, veal
by year from the beginning, or from the
summer of 1873, the year that the first clast
was graduated. The two who finished the
course that year were James Stuart Dale;
and William III. Smell. Mr.. Dlles has evel
since 1875 been secretary OF the Board o.
Regents. and Mr.. Smell is a successful law
yer in Lincoln. The attendance of the uni
versity and the number of graduates in tn,
academic course each year are shown by tn
following table, the dates given being tn
end Of the school year: