The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-13

end Doctor +. l.. Ferguson, the Reverend
w. r. Dobvn and 7. S. McPheeters
HELD PRESIDENCY FOUR TEARS
Doctor MacCracken has been president of
years. When he was inaugurated he was
the youngest president of a reputable col
lege in the United States, being but "a
years old. Under his administration one
new building has been completed, another
contracted for, and the attendance of the
college raised to the largest in its history.
1t is now the representative Presbyterian
educational institution of the country.
Doctor MacCracken's resignation takes
effect September l, but it is thought that he
will remain in Fulton to take part in the
semicentennial exercises of the college in
October.
1t is thought the committee Will select
some Eastern university man of acknowl-
edged ability to take the vacated place.
The faculty of the institution are all oder
men. and the experiment which has proved
SO successful in the case of Doctor Mac
Cracken will again be tried.
BANQUETED BY ALUMNI.
The st. Louis Alumni Association of
Westminster College last night rendered a
dinner to Doctor MacCracken at the Mer-
camille Club. which was attended by more
than sixty members.
4 resolution was introduced by r. NJ.
that Doctor MacCracken reconsider his
resignation. S m!lar resolutions have
reached him from the Kansas ely alumni,
and the Sedalia alumni. Doctor MacCrsck-
en- again explained his position and an
nounced that lie was fully decided.
The tables were decorated with college
a printed list of the yells and traditional
songs was at each plate, and
each was sung with gusto.
The was the Reverend Doc
tor f. L. Ferguson. president of the asso-
citation. Perry Post Taylor spoke on "The
College Man a Manly Man. The Reverend
the Denominational College on American
Life and Doctor MacCracken on Found
ers' Day" Other speakers were Lee Mont
gomery and c. Orrick Bishop.
DOCTOR MacCRACKEN'S ADDRESS.
Doctor MacCracken said in part:
"Our own age presents a curious paradox.
Side by side with an intense materialism.
an Incompatible power. lives and fiourishss
an equally strong idealism-a belief in the
power of thought, of ideas. to transform
ut is this materialistic age of ours
which has seen Kitchener attempt that
most idealistic of educational enterprises.
the plsnting of a college at Khartoum-
within the decade the home of the bowling
dervish. 1t Is our W age and in a re-
gion where We should expect to find ma
the jumping off place of the world. that we
see spring up a scheme of education which
some call visionary. and some the fruit Of
consummate insight and wisdom.
Here is a man who has been an En-
pire-builder, who has handled nations as
a child does his blocks. who has changed
III HAP ia lie hullbys NuIO ulu u .SCTuptt
to use armies to accomplish his ends when
other means failed. And when he comes to
die. and is concerned for the carrying out of
the great dreams for which his own life
time Is all too short, what instrument does
he call to his aid? Not armies. not COM
mercial industries, not brute force, not
wealth as such. but the apparently inef-
fective school teacher.
THE great man of affairs. the man who
that. after all. the mightiest forces in civil
ization are the forces of education. and
Cecil Rhodes t~estiles by his will that his
dream of worldwide empire and worldwide
peace is to be realized. II at all. through
the shaping of the ideals and lives. while
still in a plastic period. of the young men
who are to be the intellectual leaders of
their respective races
How and where shall such minds be
trained on these rich ~prairies. inviting to
intellectual Incidence and earthiness of life
and thought? In large part, gentlemen. they
wiiY be nourished in the small colleges like
Westminster.
Escaping the curse Of riches, idealism will
there abound. the life will still be held
more tina meat. and man of more i'm
than the complicated civilization
Here may young feet stunning the sor-
did paths of low desire and worldly ambi-
ton walk humbly in the steps of the illus
trious dead. the poets, artists. philosopher
and statesmen of the past: here may fresh
minds explore new fields and increase the
sum of knowledge: here from time to time
may great men be trained up to be leaders
light of genius sometimes flash out to re-
joice mankind: above all. here may many
generations of manly youth learn righteous