The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-29
COL0RED
GRADUATES
OF the Howard School Re-
ceive Their Diplomas
Last Night.

II there Is any one event of the year of
more interest to the colored people Of Will
mington than another, it is the commence
menL of the Howard school. 1t Is some
thing looked forward to with eager inter
est for weeks; 1t ls an occasion that call,
for fine costumes and happy faces, and
both arc equally to be seen In force.
Scenes at the annual commencement o
the school held last night at the Grand
Opera House, indicated III ore general in
forest in the event than ever. Tho house
was packed from gallery to pit aad SCORES
| OF men and women, not fortunate enough
to have cards of admission, found evident
entertainment in standing on the pave
ment outside and talking about what was
transpiring Within The program was
bright and the affair was a creditable con !.
| clusion of week of entertaining CON-
mencoment exercises.
The interior of the building presented an
animated scene. Relatives and friends
of the pupils were out in their finest
clothes and an amazing feature was tho
number of apparently new hats, gay with
all the colors of the floral world, worn by
tho female portion of the au lienco The
graduates occupied seats on thes ago which
was decorated with palms and forms
Above was the design "Ciasl of '93" en-
blazoned In ruby.colored electric lights.
Many prominent men were seated ON the
stage, including members Of the Board of
Education.
The exercises were opened with prayer
by the Rev o D. Robinson, and the an
nual address was made by Kccly Miller,
professor of mathematics in the Howard
University at Washington, d. c. Ho said
the perfection of the individual is the
chief end OF man on earth. One aim of
education is to develop practical efficiency.
This Is Dewey age of the world. Mon
want to know what you can do and how
to do 1t. The incompetent must be elimi-
mated from the industrial world He also
held that one development of educ ,ion Is
patrio' ISM which he considered next to
religion.
Tho diplomas were awarded to the grad.
uated by Dr. Shortlidge Those who re-
ceived tho parchment were Miss Mabel
Elizabeth Anderson, Miss Theresa Endora
Anderson, Harvey Webster Ash, John
Luther Hubert, Miss Lavinia Gamalia
Queen. and Miss Abbie Lillian Williams.
The Board of Education prizes of Web
ster's d dictionaries, were awarded to Miss
presentation speech was made by the Rev.
o d. Robinson.
Tho Dr. S. G. Elbert and Dr.. H. c. Ste
vens' prizes, Of s. and ~ 80 re pectively,
wero presented by Curtis A Ward, '97,
who made neat speech. Miss Lula Smith
was awarded the first prize and Elwood
Hubert second. They attained the utmost
diligence in tho industrial department..
Miss Lillie Clark and Harry Thomas re-
coivcd honorable mention.
The essays read during the evening were
on "Frcderick Douglass, "by j. L. Hubert;
industrial Schools" by Miss L. G.
Queen; Harriet Beecher Stowe" by Miss
NJ +. Anderson; and Parallel: Toussaint
and Napoleon" by H. w.
Ash.
The singing of the evening was particu.
larly fine. Under the able direction Of
Miss Lavnia A. Haywood, the pupils en-
joyably sang no Thee, o Country" and
a selection from Faust" Their conclud.
ing selection, amedley Of national airs.
was loudly applauded. From the stirring
strains Of Yankee Doodle" the chorus
was diverted to several bars of "Dixie." q
fife aud drum accompaniment being
played The crack of rifles also was In.
with the martial airs.
Miss Elizabeth Seeney, Miss Grace Ban.
tam, Miss Rosalie Watson, George Ryder
Roy Elias, Harry Harrison and Joseph
Post!es sang ''Let Us Seek the Placid
Seenoy's solo, 'Happy Days" with violin
loudly appauded that Miss Sceney was
obliged to respond to an encore, Miss Alb.
bic l., Williams was accompanist of the
evening.
After the exercises Miss Eiwina B.
Iiruse, principal of the Howard School.
yave reception to the graduating GLASS,
and the members Of the Board of Eiuca
ion. at her home No. 2O6 East Tenth