Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-04-08
DR.. GORDON AT THE HEAD OF
HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
The Inaugural and Other Addresses
Letter Read From President
Roosevelt.

sentative of the executive and legisla-
tive branches Of the national govern
ment and of the District Of Columbia; !;
educators, representing prominent in
stitutions; judges Of the higher courts,
the leaders of organized labor, law
yers, doctors and q host Of other pro-
fessional men gathered In the First
Congregational church, at 10th and G
streets northwest, last evening. in at
tendance upon the concluding exer-
cises incident to the inauguration of
Rev. John Gordon, formerly president
Of Tabor college, Iowa, as president of
Howard university Of this city. The
presence of so many distinguished
men was signal tribute to Howard
university and it's new president.
The auditorium of the church edi-
fee was we'll filled with the represen-
tative residents, and the student body
of the institution occupied the CALLER
les, which, were filled to their utmost
capacity. s....
Seats on the platform were occupied
by Representatives Burkett of Nebras-
ka and Dalzell Of Pennsylvania; Mr..
Henry B. F. Macfarland, president of
the board of district commissioners;
Mr.. Samuel Gompers, president OF the
American Federation Of Labor; JUS
tices Pritchard and Anderson of the
district supreme court, Justice Peelle
of the court of claims, Gen. H. V.
Boynton of the board of education OF
the district, Admiral Watson Of the
United States navy, Mr.. William V.
Cox, president of the board of trade;
President Gallaudet of Gallaudet col
lege, Prof. Lacey of the Iowa college,
Iowa; DR.. Mayor of Boston, Mass;
President Crogman Of the Clark Uni
versity of Atlanta, Ca; Mr.. B. H.
Warner, William " Dunnell, DR.. Fran
els H. Smith, Gen. George w. Balloch,
Rev. F. j. Grimke, Bishop Benjamin
w. Tanner, J. H. Merriweather, Ellis
Roberts, United States treasurer, and
others, including the deans of the
various departments and the members
Of the faculty of Howard university.
President RooseveIt's Greetings.
1t had been expected that President
Roosevelt would be in attendance.
Pressure Of business prevented his at
tendance, however, and he expressed
his regrets In a letter received by DR.
Teunis Hamlin, president OF the board
of trustees of the institution, which
was read from the platform. The
letter of President Roosevelt follows:
Permit me to extend to President
Gordon and to Howard university my
congratulations on this occasion.
wish could be with you In person,
for I appreciate to the full all the
work that Howard university has done
for the education and uplifting OF our
colored fellow-Americans, whose strug.
gle for spiritual and intellectual devel.
opment is of necessity SO difficult and
often so painful"
Letters of regrets for their absence
and congratulating President Gordon
upon his inauguration were also re-
ceived from Senators Hoar, Allison
and Millard, Admiral Dewey and Gen.
Oliver o. Howard, founder OF the uni
versity, and Booker r. Washington.
The Inaugural Address.
Dr.. Gordon replied in an eloquent
manner to the remarks of the speak
ers and discoursed at length upon the
education of the negro race. He said
in part:
IN accepting this trust, which the
president of the board of trustees has
| SO gracefully placed in my hands.
must express my appreciation of the
honor done me. You have placed in
my hands the keys Of Howard univer
sity, which were carried, in turn, By
the Rev. Charles B. Boynton, D. D.;
1.-The Rev. Byron Sunderland, D. D.;
that soldierly founder of schools and
colleges, Gen. Oliver o. Howard: Ed
ward P. Smith; that able executive
Dr.. William w. Patton. and that grace
full scholar and poet, DR.. jeremiah
Eames Rankin, my predecessors, men
lall notable for faith and achievement
There have been only two logica'
positions as to the relation Of thu