The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-30
Big CLASS OF GRADUATES
ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT OF IN
DIANA DENTAL COLLEGE.
Exercises Held at EnEIish's Opera
House-Dr. Fishers Address TO the
CIass-List of Graduates.

CIass-List OF Graduates.
To the young doctors of dentistry who
took the first step in the practice of their
profession at the twenty-thiTd annual COM
mencement Of the Indiana Dental College
last night the Rev. d. NJ. Fisher. president
OF Hanover College. delivered some sound
advice. In his address on 1.-The Profess
sional Man of To-day DR.. Fisher voiced
emphatically two sentiments which. ha
held. should be ever kept in mind by pro-
fessional man.
Success" he said, "does not consist in
gaining a future" The other sentiment
was: THE success of the professional man
consists neither in money nor in fame, but
in the good that he does to those who COM
NIT themselves to his care" The enuncia-
ton Of these phrases by the eloquent pres
ident of Hanover called forth applause
from the large audience that was present
at the commencement exercises.
The commencement was held in English's
Opera House. Seated in tiers, the sixty
FIVE graduates presented an impressive APP
pearance. The stage was decorated with
palms and with purple banners of the Uni
versity OF Indianapolis and the Indiana
Dental College The speakers stand was
draped in the national colors. DIR. George
f. Hunt was in charge of the exercises,
and after the rendition of the first number
of the musical programme, Dolly Var
den" he introduced the Rev. Owen Davies
Odell, Of the Second Presbyterian Church.
DR.. Odell invoked eloquently divine inspira-
ton for the young graduates and prayed
that in the practice OF their profession
they might hold always TO truth, sincerity
and sympathy for the suffering. He asked
that this ideal might be kept pure and un-
broken.
After two more musical selections-''The
Little Duchess" and TschaikOwsky
Chants Sans Parolis'' -Messrs Van VIE,
Talbot. Nell and Laut sang I'm quartet the
'Serenade to Juanita." With the quartet
selection which came later in the pro-
gramme, the song was one of the charming
features of the commencement. DIR. John
y. Hurry then introduced as the speaker Of
the evening DR.. d. NJ. Fisher. In his intro
ductiOn Dr. Hurry said:
Down on the Ohio river. near Madison,
there is little college which has given TO
the world men who have shed honor and
luster -on the State. In conserving TO adj
dress us, DR.. Fisher. who has been at the
head of the institution for more than
TALK TO THE CLASS.
In part DIR. Fisher said:
1.-THE first thing which 1 desire to note
concerning the genus of the professional
man is the multiplication of the species.
Not only are the old kinds differentiated
into varieties that a short time ago were
not recognized. but also occupations that
once were excluded are now claiming and
receiving place among the learned pro-
LESSONS. OF old, theology, law and medi-
cine constituted the genus, and they still
continue TO be the largest and the most
conspicuous of it's species. But how many
az
Engineering, architecture, Journalism and
even agriculture claim for themselves this
dignity and by no means without show of
reason. Perhaps the most debate has been
over the question whether teaching is
learned profession. / suppose that the an
swer in this case; as IN others that are
more or less in dispute, must be yes or
no. according TO circumstances. What is a
learned profession? No exact or authOri-
tatiVe definition can be given. AT the same
time Ii can be broadly said that the title
elements-an occupation of such a char
aCter as to demand an advanced and Spe-
cial education to fit one for it; that in
some true sense is an art as distinguished
from a mere science, and so demanding
practical training; and the adoption OF TINS
the light of this statement one can easily
see why it is in so many cases problem
whether a given pursuit is or Is not a
learned profession. Does II necessitate IN
all ordinary instances an advanced educa-
this ought to be required of all teachers,
vet In practice we insist upon no such quail
ifcation. Is teaching an art, for which
a special training is needed? Our normal
schools are an affirmative answer 10 this
question. Nevertheless only fraction
even of our public schools have teachers
that can be said in any worthy sense ever
to have been trained I'm the art of their
great work. How few, also, of them really
intend to make this occupation anything
more than a convenience, until they enter
10
without attempting TO settle these subordt-
nate questions. as TO the justification OF
the claim of this or that particular pursuit
to a place among the learned professions,
safely say that the kinds have been
greatly multiplied in our times, and that
this tendency is on the decided increase.
MEMBERS OF PROFESSIONS.
"The next thing which 1 desire to note
is the vastness of the number of persons
who belong to the learned professions in
our country to-day. I went to the Census
Office in Washington a couple of weeks
ago and inquired for the figures as given
in the report for 1900. l was informed that
they would not be ready until about the
first of July. Under the circumstances
am compelled to fall back on the report for
1890 A few instances drawn from that
source will answer our present purpose.
The total number given under the head
OF the learned PROFESSIONS II tftf0oo. IO-udt
very considerably over 100000 of our pop
UlatiOn belong TO this class. They, ii Will
be remembered, are all adults. and the
great mass of them. excepting teachers.
are males; so that we may safely say that
they constitute somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of One-twentieth OF the voters. 1t
may interest YOU also to be told that of
this enormous aggregate $3.50 were law
yers. SS.903 were clergymen. 104. S05 were
physicians and surgeons. 17.49S were dem
fists and 34l.952 were teachers.
Everywhere in the professions the ad-
vance has recently been enormous. but in
none Of them perhaps has IL been so great
in that OF the medical branches. The
new surgery performs work that only a
few years ago would have seemed To be
miraculous. BacteriOlOgy reveals secrets
that had been hidden from man since the
mosquito and the malaria and the yellow
fever as we now know IL. Is as marvellous
as anything that was once supposed TO be
wholly fabulous. Progress in such matters
Is now so rapid and I'm so many directions.
and the truth needs to be stfted from such
a mass OF theory and speculation well
as fact. that no man can cover the whole
territory Of any of these branches OF med
iCine. He must select and specia lie. and
even then at times he must feel bCwildered
and discouraged and possibly Disguised
with his tremendous task. Life seems too
short. the utmost eNertiOn OF our powers
seems too feeble for the burden 10 be borne
and the work 10 be performed. / as
sured by men who stand high in the realm
of dentistry that all this is just as true of
their vocation as of any other of the great
branches of medicine
70 Gfr oil for owls &c inst rs