The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-09
JOHN RANDOLPH
0|| ROANOKE. | ! !
a Splendid Picture of the Great.
Statesman Un-
,s yelled.
ADDRESS Adj. BY REV. B e I G. 3. BRYAN.
IN Behalf Of His Brother, Mr..
Joseph Bryan, the
Donor.
A Splendid Picture Of the Great
ADDRESS ADD BY REV. Y c. 3. BRYAN.
Especial to The Times-Dlspatch.)

Especial 10 SIne eIlmeS-OlSpatch.)s s8 ia
ASHLAND, VA, June s-Randolph-
Macon College has afforded this year at
Its commencement ceremonies a. rare
treat in the programme OF its addresses.
The gem Of eloquence and sublime rhe-
5toric came this al ter rEoseyin the speech
OF DR.. c. Braxton. Bryan, in the unve1l-
ing OF the life-size portrait Of John RAN
dolph, OF Roanoke, in the chapel. After
Miss Virginia Fitzgerald had unveiled
the fine painting DR.. Bryan presented
the picture.
College Name.
His description OF Randolph was worthy
q place in literature, and was listened
to with utmost interest. In regard to
the reason for the name Randolph Macon,
the distinguished minister said:
Our thoughts this evening" go back
full three-quarters Of a Gentry, to the
time when this institution was yet an
una ccomplished purpose in the minds OF
good men interested In the education OF
1.-THE youth Of their country, and espe-
cially Of their, own Church. The concep-
ton which resulted In this college was
first formed, 50 I am told, In Petersburg; !;
and would expect to find that the good
man into whose mind It. came had lived
on Halifax Street. that long southwest
road running down into North Carolina, to
the town from which the street and road
takes its name; and that as, week after
week, he saw that sturdy but Ill In
structed population Of the southern coun-
ties Of Virginia, and the northern counties
OF North Carolina, driving their tobacco
ladened wagons along that Hallfa.xs sroeu
into his town, and go back with their
homely provisions. he longed TO set betore
them better opportunities and higher
ideals. And there would come into his
mind the fact that in the very sections
of the two States to which that road
led, there lived two old men, then ap-
proaching their last days, who were pre-
eminent types OF personal integrity, In
tellectual culture and civic virtue, John
Randolph, Of Roanoke, and Nathaniel
Macon, OF Warren county, North Caro-
lima, names which. for gen1atlon shad
been linked in inseparable friendship ana
In unflagging devotion 70 IN services
of tk6lr country, and fidelity TO thelr
own high ideals
Perhaps the historians OF the college
have been disposed to make short work
OF tho origin Of the name. have seen
It described somewhat rs blunderlng
attempt to avoid denominationaA name.
or perhaps n futile attempt to ellclt
patronage, But am sure that when, IN
1880, the college was authorized by cfar-
ter. and. two years later, began its
work. a more credltable motive prevailed el
with Its founders. It Is certainly no.
}ticeable that neither OF the men whose
names the college bears were Metho-
gdists, and that 1t never received a dollar
from either Of them, hut this very fact
suggests that the motive lies deeper than
either OF the very Obvious ones OF money
or a mere denominational interest. Ger
tainly the names of Randolph ana macon
money hut they did emphatically stand
TOR. great principles, personal. .intelleoc-
tual and political, and In 1ying this
name to their college. destined for the
education educ Of young yrsln,lans and North ), y, h
Carolinians, I believe the founders neither
blundered nor made futile attempt,
It must be remembered that az Inns o'u