Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-12-15
MIDDLEBURY'S CENTENNIAL.
Program Arranged for This Very Inter
esting Occasion.

Program Arranged for This very Inter-
esting Occasion.
A Mddlebury special to the Free Press
contains the following: The great topic
of interest and one which has aroused
great expectation, Is the coming com
mencement, when Mddlebury college
will celebrate the completion of her first
century.
Most of the details are as yet undecided,
but In the main the programme of the
commencement will be as follows, it be-
ing observed that it has been made one
week later than usual in order that there
may be no conflict with other college
commandments.
Sunday, J,lv /, will be observed In the
usual way as Baccalaureate Sunday with
sermon by the President in the morning.
In the evening will be the customary ad-
dress before the Christian associations.
Monday. July 2, will be class day with
the usual exercises on the campus. This
will he followed by the dedication of the
new library. In the afternoon there will
ssbly be ball game or other athletic
contest. In the evening will come the
Merrill and Parker prize speaking, fol
lowed by the usual fraternity reunions.
Tuesday is the regular commencement
day. In the morning will be the annual
meeting of the Associated Alumni and
Immediately following will be the
exercises Of the graduating class. In the
afternoon the corporation dinner and
class reunions will be held. The usual
concert will come in the evening.
Wednesday, July 1. will be educational
day. 1t viii be mostly taken up with an
educational conference at which will be
present practically all Of the presidents
of the New England colleges. They and
other leading educators will read papers
and take pa't in discussions on educa-
tional topics. Aft,r it will he the usual
presidents reception. In the evening
will come the browning feature of the
conference. the Roman drama. The pro
duction os the drama last spring was
considered only as rehearsal of a
grand,r and more accurate production
on this occasion.
On Thursday, July >. will be the real
Centennial celebration. 1t will consist
of The centennial Grafton, poem, etc, and
will be the climax Of the weeks festivi-
ties. Honorary degrt $ will be conferred
at that time. Following 1t will be the
centennial banquet. The concluding
event will be the grand promenade
concert.
The different centennial and other
speakers have not yet been decided upon,
but will be men Of distinguished ability.
Hon. f. j. Phelps is mentioned as the
centennial orator.
1t is but right that the celebration
should he upon grand scale as fl ting
close of one hundred years of continuous
and prosperous life. In connections
with it the college can boast Of the
largest number of students since before
the war. The present senior class is the
largest in ever half century.
The event is of interest also from the
fact that in one sense Middlebury is the
oldest college in the state. The Univer
sity IF Vermont received its charter in
1901, but for various causes no Organizl
iIon was made or instruction begun till
1900 within few days of the time when
Middlebury college opened her doors.
Middlebury, however, held the first
college commencement, it being in 1902
The Middebury Mercury Of that year
gives full account of it. For many
years thereafter M'd1lebu was the
larger institution. In 1888 her gradual
ing class even surpassed in size that of
Harvard University.