Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-06-24
YEARS END AT NORMAL
Commencement Exercises at Mon
mouth Attended by Hundreds
of People.


( Normal School, at Monmouth, cam
to a close Wednesday night. Th
{ attendance Of old students and alumni
( was the largest in the history of tn
i school, and the exercises were of
high order of excellence throughou
the week.
The commencement began Satur
day evening, when the Junior clas
presented the drama, 'Esmeralda'
before large audience in the chapel
The cast of characters was we'll choser
and the play was highly successful.
Rev. Henry L, Bates, of Tualitir
Academy, preached the baccalaureaUt
sermon on Sunday morning at II
O'Clock. His text was John K: 10: 81
am come that they might have life
and that they might have it more
abundantly." He said in part that
the only true life is one fully de.
veloped in all its capabilities to the
fullest extent That life Of education
is only not desirable but the moral
as we'll as the intellectual nature
should be fully developed. That the
true aim Of life is to get broad,
clear view OF the relationship of God
and man and strive to reach it."
The Field Day exercises were held
Monday afternoon and were enjoyed
by large crowd who witnessed a
very close and exciting game of tennis
between the team from Dallas and a
team from the State Normal. The
game was won by the State Normal
team by an exceedingly close score.
Immediately following was baseball
game between the Alumni and the
State Normal team which was won by
the latter in the score of to 6. It was
a spirited game In the evening a
literary programme was given by the
societies, followed by an open.air con-
cert and promenade in the grove.
The closing assembly for the year
was held at 9 O'Clock Tuesday morn
ing. President Ressler made re-
view of the work for the year which
was very fiattering.
The annual meeting Of the Board of
Of Regents was held in the afternoon.
Pre- 5ident Ressler and the entire fac
ulty were reelected with the exception
of Mrs. Forbes and Miss Nash, who
had resigned. Governor Chamber
lain was present at the meeting and
expressed himself as we'll pleased
with the condition ana work of the
school,
Resolutions were passed in memory
Of the late Judge Finn, who was
member Of the board. The former
members of the executive committee
were elected.
The class-day exercises were held
this afternoon. The papers and
addresses were excellent and we'll
received by the audience. The second
part exercises consisted of the plant
ing of the vine at the front of the
building, dedicating a marble slab
bearing the inscription of "June,
1904" let into the old maple and weav-
ing floral chain.
A classical concert was given in the
evening. Prof. Glen, of the Univer-
sity of Oregon, and Miss Dorothea
Nash were the artists and all the num-
bers were of high grade and given in
a manner bespeaking a high order Of
talent.
The graduating exercises were held
Wednesday morning in the assembly
room, which was filled to the overflow
ing. Miss Ruth A. Cooper, of Tilla-
nook, gave the salutatory, "The Mis-
sion of Genius, and w. r. Ruther-
ford, of Huntington, the valedictory,
"a Land of Many Peoples" Papers
were presented by Miss Gertrude Ver-
non, of Lakeview, archaeological
Field Work in Oregon;" Miss Con-
stance Whealdon, of The Dalles,
Learning for the Light 1t Sheds"
Miss Olga Boatman, of Puyallup,
WASH, 1.-The Little Child PsychoIo-
gically." All the papers showed care
,ul preparation and the delivery was
given in most pleasing manner.
This class consists of 81 members,
whose average age is above 23 years,
and it is one of the best prepared and
most matured classes ever graduated
lere. The address to the class was
made Ex-senator William Kuykendall,
If Eugene.
The alumni association gave their
annual reunion in the evening.
"reminiscences were given by Judge
Burnett. The address was given by
DR.. o. A. Thornton and the oration
oy Superintendent J. w. Kerns. Miss
Collins gave a recitation. The
June class of 1904 was presented to
5he association by President Ressler
and was received by President McCue,
The literary programme was followed
oY the annual banquet given at the
gymnasium.