The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-11-21
A
KAMAA|NA

An interesting celebration in connec-
tion with the eightieth birthday of Mrs.
$. L. Mills, president of Mills College
and Seminary of California, will be
held at that institution today. Mrs.
Mills wide circle or friends and &C.
quaintances throughout the Territory
of Hawaii will rejoice in the event, for
her friends and admirers assert that but
| few women in the world at so advanced
a period of life can be found at the
head of SO important and promising an
educational institution as Mills Semi
nary.
Mrs. Mills and her late husband, DR..
c. t. Mills, were at one time at the
head of Oahu College. Since then Mrs.
Mills has been at the head of the semi
nary bearing her name, and scores of
young women from the Hawaiian
Islands have been educated under her
direction.
As an expression Of the high esteem
in which this noble woman is held in
Hawaii, the trustees of Oahu College
have forwarded to her congratulatory
letter signed by the members of the
Board.
In addition, former friends and pu-
pills of Mrs. Mills in Hawaii have for
warded beautifully engrossed and H.
Illuminated testimonial framed in Ha-
waiian koa, artistically ornamented
with representations of our island fora.
with the seals of Mills College and
Oahu College, and the suggestion in a
scroll beneath of the early institution
in Ceylon over which DIR. and Mrs. Mills
presided in the earlier part of their
careers.
Rev. Frank Damon, head of Mills In
stitute in Honolulu, and who has been
closely in touch with the Mills Semi
nary of California in recent times, SAYS
that Hawaii owes, in peculiar man
ner, great debt of obligation to this
estimable woman, who has proved a
guiding force and inspiration to scores
of her sons and daughters. "May the
years which we trust still remain to
her, said Mr.. Damon yesterday, "be
frightened by the fullest realization of
those high ideals which she has ever
followed so faithfully
Back of this anniversary are many
years of important educational service.
Mrs. Mills, Of good New England stock,
was early associated, both as pupil and
constructor, with Mary Lyons, who
gave the impetus to the higher educa.
ton of women in the United States.
Mrs. Mills in her active life thus
bridges the long period between the
early initiation of higher educational
work for women and the present-day
attainment of advanced education.
Under the auspices of the American
Board Mrs. Mills and her husband went
to Ceylon more than fifty years ago,
where they had successful charge for
some years of the Batticotta College.
Failing health necessitated their return
to the United States. Later they were
called to the principalship of Oahu Col.
iege, where, for some years. they la
bored with conspicuous success. Mum.
bers of the men and women most promi-
nent in the public and religious life of
the Hawaiian Islands were, as young
men and women, pupils of theirs.
Later, going to California, they
united with Mrs. Atkins, pioneer Of
woman s education on the Pacific slope, |
IN seminary for young women at
Benecia, where also number of young
ladies from Hawaii joined them as pu-
pils. Still later, having assumed |
charge of this seminary, they removed |
to the suburbs of Oakland where an ex-
tensive tract of land was purchased for
seminary purposes. From the first, this i
important educational movement was
with great success, and it has
attained position second to no
woman's college this side of the Rocky
Mountains. 1t is situated in a park of |
exceptional beauty, and its students
hail from all parts of the United States,
Hawaii, Mexico and South America.
AT the present time beautiful add.
ton to the campus is being erected in a
library, for which Carnegie has Just
given $4,000, and through the efforts
Of Mrs. Mills and the trustees, another
s2O,0OO has been donated by another
ndmirer of the Seminary.