New-York tribune., 1903-06-29
FOUNDER OF METHODISM
Leading americans to Honor the
Career of John WesLeu.

The bicentennial Of the birth of John Wesley
founder Of the great Methodist denomination is
being celebrated in an especial maner by Wesleyan
University. This college which bears the dis
tinctive name of the eminent religious teacher is
the oldest educational institution Of its rank
founded under the auspices of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church. 1t regarded. therefore. as emil
nently ht TO devote the commencement exercises
this year in an especial degree 10 commemorate
Of the man whose work has shown such signal re-
suits.
Although in its early days in this country the
Methodist Church promoted by men whose
education in many cases was comparatively meagre,
John Wesley. himself. well as his brother
Charles. who was So clasely associated with him
in his church work. a graduate of Oxford
University. The who de famous the phrase,
The world Is my parish always regarded
educated ministry the prime factor in the work
Of evangelizstion. and while the early circuit
riders in the backwoods of this country had not
the advantages Of college education. they always
carried books in their saddlebags. and one was
ever ordained to the regular Methodist ministry
until he had pursued the studies prescribed by the
conference TO which he sought admission. and had
successfully passed the examination
AS a the funds could be secured. schools
were esta blished under Methodist control in the
early part Of the last century in the Middle and
Eastern States. and 81 was in 1881 that Wesleyan
University was founded at Mddletown. Conn.,
where the property which had been used for a
military school was secured for the college with
DR.. Wilbur Fiske. graduate Of Brown University,
the first president. The name Wesleyan TO
designate higher institutions of learning. became
so popular that less than seven other colleges
in Western and Southern States are known as
Wesleyan universities or colleges. each with an
especial local designation. like the Ohio Wesleyan
the Iowa Wesleyan University, each of which
was founded in 1914. There are no less than fifty
six institutions of collegiate rank in this country
under Methodist auspices. with tens of thousands
of students, Of which the pioneer the one
founded on the banks of the Connecticut River,
which opened its doors seventy-two years ago.
WESLEY ANNIVERSARY.
The present week was chosen for the commence
ment exercises at Wesleyan University, it was
precisely two hundred years ago yesterday that
John Wesley born at his fathers parsonage in
T1pporrh, England. June IS being June Il. old
style The anniversary commernorated in the
baccalaureate sermon yesterday and other exer-
cises at the college devoted TO the ecclesiastical
and the religious significance Of the Wesleyan
movement
This evening the Wesley bicentennial will be
observed by address John Wesley, the
Man" by Professor Caleb Thomas Winchester, who
has filed the chair Of literature at the college for
thirty years. poem on John Wesley" will be
read by Richard Watson Glider. Editor of THE
Century Ma gazne.' whose father Methodist
minister The exercises will be presided over by
Bishop Eugene r. Hendrix. OF the Methodist Church
Society. who was graduated at Wesleyan in 1867.
Tomorrow Will be the alumni and fraternity day
commencement exercises.
luncheon at which Colonel Stephen Henry Olin, of
this city who was raduated at Wesleyan in 1866
and whose father the second president Of the
college is to be the toastmaster. Among those
expected to speak President Eliot. of Harvard;
President Carroll D. Wright of Clark's College;
Bishop Hendrix. 81; ex-Judge George G. Reynolds.
81, president Of the board of trustees; Dr. James
N Buckley. Editor of The Christian Advocate
and II. D. Leonard IS.
Tomorrow evening Governor Chamberlain is to
preside at the Wesley meeting, at which President
Woodrow Wilson Of Princeton is to make the ad-
dress John Wesley's Place in History DR.;
Wilson filed the chair OF history and political
economy a Wesleyan from 1888 to 1890, before he
became professor OF jurisprudence and politics at
Princeton His studies and writings in history are
ment OF of the most notable religious teachers
in the last two centuries. if not in much longer
WESLEYAN COMMENCEMENT.
The exercises of commencement day, Wednesday,
at AIiddletown will possess especial interest There
will be two innovations: academic gowns will be
worn for the first time by faculty, candidates for
degrees and others in the procession. and there will
be no orations by undergraduates as in former
years. Instead there will be addresses by these
eminent representatives Of different denominations
Bishop Chauncey Bunce Brewster, of the Protestant
Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut: Bishop Edward
Gayer Andrews. Of the Methodist Episcopal ChHrch
and DR.. William Jewett tucker presldeilI OF Dd5t
mouth College. Hampshire The honorary de-
grees 10 be conferred will be bestowed upon a num-
Der Of men eminent in various walks of life
While many obserVances OF the blcentennlal OF
The birh OF John Mesieg aNt pee iter ~ VILE
President Roosevelt spoke none possess more sig
M M 20 =. IL -tt - Tbe Protestant denonafna-
10 John Wesley and his brother Charles ana tnelr
stricfness Of fe and devoutress OF character This
years before. when 'Anabaptists and plain pack
staf Methodists' We're spoken OF me name me "Ss d
also applied 10 Nonconformists IN the time OF
Annesley. generation before Wesley. and to some