The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-06-20


that date he stood on the banks of the
iceclad lake and pointed the place out
as the seat of the present great in.
stitution of learning.
There was on the spot where are
now the walls and towers of the uni
versity but one little log hut, through
which the winter winds whistled
shrilly. One-half of this structure was
set apart for residence for Father
Sorin and the seven brothers of the
order of St. Joseph who accompanied
him, and the other was set apart for
a chapel.
a few years before the founding of
Notre Dame society known us the
Congregation of the Holy Cross was
formed in the city of Mans, France.
There were two societies at first, one
formed of priests who conducted
retreats for the people, and another
made up of men who We're to teach.
The latter were known as the Broth
ers of st. Joseph. Rev. Father Sorin
became one of the earliest members
of the Brothers of st. Joseph and
came to this country as a missionary.
He offered himself for the work will
ingly and was Joined by Il devoted
little band that sought the wilds OF
Indiana, then inhabited by Indians
and sparsely settled.
The little band left the mother house
at Mans August s. 1871. They sailed
on the packet ship Iowa and came
across in the Storage, as there was
little money among them. They re-
NAMED in New York for three days
and then took boat and finally reached
Vincennes, Indiana. after a circuitous
route on many rivers.
The spot selected was one on which
Marquette had probably been i'll the
past and Ii, Sale no doubt had visit
ed in his jOurneyings. No sooner was
the spot seen by the French mission
airy than he selected it and cOnsecrated
it to the use of humanity and to the
honor of his religion.
The early years of the institution
were years of privations. of loneliness
and hardship. There We're about 200
Indians in the vicinity and the few
white Catholics near We're all clamOr-
ing for attention from the new mis-
siomries The year of the founding
is mentioned as one of the coolest in
the history of the country, and the
suffering in consequence was intense.
There was Il little brick church at
Bertrand. the only one in the Country,
but even at that St Mary'S of the
Lake had begun to be known as the
center of Catholicism in that whole
region, Il place that it has held and
still holds.
The first student of the institution
was Alexis Coquillard, who later be-
came the wealthy and influential
wagonmaker of South Bend. He was
the lad who acted as Il guide to Rev.
Father Sorin upon his arrival in the
country.
In June, 1913, an addition was made
to the little colony on the banks of
the beautiful little lake when Rev.
Father Cointet arrived with two
priests. one brother and four sisters.
He had been warm friend to Father
Sorin in his school days and he was
a firm friend and a great aid to the
Fl missionary in the new field. AS an
instance of the poverty OF the mis-
sionaries it is related that the two
missionaries had but one pair of boots
and one hat between them and when
the one was visiting in the parish the
other was compelled to remain in the
college and teach.
The corner stone Of the university
was laid on the feast of st. Augustine
August 2S, 1S43 The charter was
granted the institution January 10,
1874. The beginning of the act grant
ing the charter reads as follows:
Be it enacted by the general assem-
bly, of the state of Indiana. That Ed
ward Frederick Sorin. Francis Lewis
Cointet Theophilus Jerome Mnrivnult,
Francis Gouesse and their associates
and SUCCESSORS in office be, and are
hereby, constituted and declared to be
a body of corporate and polite, by the
name and style of the university Of
Notre Dame du Lac" and by that
name they shall have perpetual success
sion, with full power and authority to
confer and grant. or cause to be con-
ferred and granted, such degrees and
diplomas in the liberal arts and scien-
ces and in law and medicine as are
usually conferred and granted in
other universities in the United States,
provided, however. that no degree
shall be conferred or diplomas granted
except to students who have acquired
the same proficiency in the liberal arts
and sciences and in laws and medicine
as is customary in other universities
!. in the United States.
The first commencement ut the col
y lege was held in 1915. One Of the
queer features of this was the fac1
that the boys who won honors were
crowned with wreaths much after the
fashion of the victors in the ancicn
Olympian games.
From the first commencement TIT