The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-28
THE GOVERNOR ENTHUSED
We Want One Thousand Such Young
Women Here.
YOU SHALL HAVE. NEEDED FACILITIES
Thiriy-Four Young Women in Graduating Glass;
Glass Poem bv h Jerome Stock
ard. Presentat f Bibles and
Constitutions.
Especial to News and Observer)

Greensboro, n c., Ma, 21.-In DR.. Nc
Iver's report. which was read today he
dwelt at some length on the very inter-
esting history of the State Normal and
Industrial College, and he predicted
that it would become a Welles-
ly, a Vassar, a Smith, Brynn- Mawr
Since its foundation, ten years ago, more
than 2.20O young women have matricu-
lated here: fifteen hundred of these have
been heard from recently by President
McIver, and about 1000 of these fifteen
hundred are teaching or have taught in
other schools; FIVE hundred of them are
comfortably ensconced in homes of their
own More than 100 are at work at
good salaries in manufacturing enter
prises, commercial, financial and other
business institutions. From the faculty
have been taken men and women to fill
most prominent positions in other fields.
Among these are President Alderman,
now president of Tulane University
Prof Joyner the present able and popu-
lar State Superintendent of Public In
struction: Prof Claxton. now of Knox
willie. Tenn, and others. while thirty per
cent of the graded school teachers in
North Carolina are daughters of this
careful and ever watchful educational
mother.
The report of the President was one
of the most entertaining and interesting
chapters in our current educational life,
and should be printed in full to be read
by all for the great lessons it teaches,
in the history it reveals.
The class poem written and read by
Prof II. Jerome Stockard was a gem,
and the speeches by Governor Aycock
Attorney General Gilmer and Rev. w. c.
Newton were beautiful tributes to wo-
mans work and to tho great work. that
the Normal and Il-1dstrial College is
doing This years graduating class was
composed of thir -four young ladies,
representing twenty-four counties of the
State, and it wa announced that their
average ages was 20 years. this announce
ment was perhaps made without their
consent. Among other announcements
were the very interesting facts that IL
per cent OF this graduating class had
wholly. Or in part. worked their own
way through college, earning their own
expenses; that 3S per cent of them were
daughters of widows.
A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION.
The college is strictly a democratic in
stitution I don't mean democratic in
a political sense, but in every social and
economic feature, it is democratic.
This fact was demonstrated in the state
ment of DR.. McIver, that a large num-
Der of the marshals of this and other
like occasions and a number of others,
who were elected by the two societies to
honorary and most responsible positions
were young women who were working
their way through the college by wash
ing dishes in the students dining room
and by doing other work in the institu-
tion.
l don't blame Governor Aycock for de-
claTing that he would rather see any
other institution in the State closed than
this. He loves the University, but il
it should close the women of North Car
olina would see to it that it was rebuilt
and reopened again in less than a half
score of years, while ii had taken the
men of the State 100 years to erect THIS
State aided women's college, and they
might wait another 100 years before re-
building it If by any way it should BE
destroyed. There was a mighty cheer
that was heard away out on the campus
when Governor Aycock, turning to DR..
Mclver. said: You speak of inadequate
facilities, and that nearly as many are
turned away as are admitted because of
this fact. Go along sir" the Cover
nor said. "and bring here one thousand
such young women as these, and I'll
pledge you sir, that you shall have ia
cilities for their accommodation, and
know that these young women before
me and all those who have gone out
from this institution heretofore, will
help me redeem that pledge"
The presentation of copies of the State
and United States Constitution to each
member of the graduating class by At
torney General Gilmer was a feature OF
today's exercises. as was also the pre- |
scntation of a Bible to each member OF !
the class by Rev. w. C. Newton. of !
Greensboro. The diplomas were deliv- |
cred 10 each by the President, DR.. MeIver |
THE GRADUATING CLASS.
The following young ladies composed |
the graduating class. The graduates rep |
resent twenty four countless Sarah |
Allen, Anson: Cora Asbury, Burke; Eliza |
h. Austin, Edgecombe; Annie Beaman,
Sampson; Susie Bowling, Durham: Vir- !
ginia Land Brown, Guilford; Daphne !