The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-08
THE GROWTH AND WORK OF
OUR STATE UNIVERSITY
DR.. Kingsbury Returns to Subject That Appeals to
the Patriotic Feeling of the Sons
of the State
BY THEoDoRE BRYANT KNGsBuRY. Ill. D.

! notice with interest the growth
and usefulness of the University OF
North Carolina. 1t is decidedly pro-
gressive, and full of activity and bless
ing I have been looking over the
October number of its Record.
and find it both interestin~ and bene-
fetal. University Day was held on
October 18th. The address of Presi-
dent Venable was reminiscent and
historical He has been connected
with the University for the past
twenty-four years. His account OF
the conditions OF the famous old
school then and now is interesting
it was really then the dav of small
things as compared with the present
although the University had been
operating them for quite eighty-five
years. Today, in the 109th year OF
aggressiveness. usefulness and popu-
larity, it is second to no other Uni
versity in our Southland. When he
Z came there were but eight professors
and two instructors. Then my dear
friend, Prof. A. w. Mangum, ID. d.,
held the chair of philosophy history
and English. The chairs of that de-
partment are now held by seven pro-
fessors and two instructors. And so
With other schools and branches DIR.
Venable said of the faculty there:
OF this faculty, DR.. Battle and myself
are the only two left in the service
".
is president of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College in Raleigh. and
Professor Simonds is at the University
of Texas. The rest are dead; the
courtly Hooper, the eloquent Man
gum Graves with his real genius for
mathematics and rare sense OF numor,
and Grandy, loyal friend and high
toned gentleman. the first to lay down
his work in the very beginning of it's
promise. Two others were nominally
connected with the University. DR..
Thos. w. Harris and DR.. Chas. Phil
lips, for both of whom the struggle has
lone been over. There were l91 stu
dents and many of them have not only
been useful, but several have become
distinguished. A number of these have
been members of the legislature, and
one was Speaker of the House. There
are four trustees of the University,
one judge, one member of Congress.
one attorney general of North Caro-
lima. one Superior Court Judge of the
State of Washington. one assistant
district attorney of New York City,
and one director of the North Caro-
lima experiment station. The present
State Superintendent of Public IN
struction was among those students.
and from their number have come
six college professors and four college
presidents including Alderman, Presi-
dent of the University of Virginia.
and McIver, president of the State
Normal School for women. One artist
and explorer of Irrational reputation was
furnished for the Klondyke, and
strong body of lawyers. physicians.
ministers and business men who have
played their part we'll in the work
of the State. The University is proud
of these her sons"
DIR. Venable pays a touching and
we'll merited compliment TO the then
uracidanf Dr Rattle. who GER
tainfy rendered most faithful services
in behalf of the neglected and Strug-
Cling University during fifteen years
the most trying years of its exist
ence. He it was who first impressed
upon the people of the State the great
fact that this is the peoples school
and it must be supported by the people
for the sake of the people. For in all
the ninety preceding years of Its
history the State had never made a
single direct contribution to its sup
port nor given it a building. Amid
poverty, misrepresentation and bitter
opposition he laid the foundation for
the present University and at last
when worn down by struggle, turned
over the latter building to younger
hands,
Until then it had only some six
buildings, now it has thirteen. It has
additional equipment valued at $500,
600, with an income seven times as
large, with a faculty seven times as
numerous, and with $50 more stu
dents. 1t will probably reach in
numbers by the end of the regular
scholastic year some 700. 1t is notice
able how much older the average
freshman leaves than it was fifty
seven years ago. It will average
year by year-over 10 years. Thirty
three per cent. of the students are
from North Carolina. but thirteen 9th
or States, and the District of Column
bia. are represented. Virginia leads
with 10. There are AZ students out
side of this State. Orange, Wake
Guilford and Mecklenburg have each
81. New Hanover has 16. There are
fourteen denominations represented
The Methodists lead largely with 197
Then next are the PreSbyterians with
III. the Baptists with 141, and Episco-
spalians with SO. OF the class that was
graduated in June the most of them
are actively engaged already IN bust
ness-sxteen in schools and colleges
of the State, and five as assistants II:
the University taking graduate courses
at the same time. There are six 9th
ers pursuing graduate studies. Foul
are law students: three. practising
lawyers. Six are in business. bank
ing, tobacco. merchandise. etc sly
are engaged in manufacturing
cotton factories, electrical works, dye
works. etc. Two are theological stu
dents, and one secretary of the Y. M
C. \. Two are studying medicine. One
Z is a farmer, one a Journalist, and the
occupation of one is unknown.
OF the seven who received the Mas
ter's degree, five are teaching. one
studying theology, and one farming.
There have been seven additions to
the faculty. My distinguished and ac-
complished personal friend. the late
Hon. Montford McGehee. an alumnus
of the University. has a son of marked
gifts in the faculty-Prof. Lucius Polk
McGehee. He is one of the professors
in the Law Schools. and was born in
North Carolina. He is a grandson OF
that really great lawyer, orator and
statesman, Hon. George q. Badger
United States Senator, Secretary OF
Navy and JUDGE of the Superior Court
of North Carolina. 1.-THE Record
saws OF him:
Mr.. McGehee is very distinguish
ed graduate of the University of North
Carolina of the class OF 1887. He arr
forwards took the course of law under
the late DR.. John Manning and grau-
H. e hi a1.o