The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-18
ALUMNI BANQUET GIVEN AT H|LLMAN Professor AbercrOmbie Spoke on Needs of University OFFICERS WERE ELECTED Local Alumni Association VIII Take on New Life-Many Wel-known
 Men Around Banquet
 Board.
OFFICERS WERE ELECTED

The Birmingham alumni Of the ohiNer- sity of Alabama held banquet Tn the ball room of the Hillman last night mat was a successful and highly en1oyaoie affair. Fully two hundred enthusiastic alumni from the Birmingham district anu other narts of the state marched Into the banouet hall at o'clock. The festivities were continued until past midnight when the guests finally dispersed, conhdeht thae the Alabama team would have victory over the Auburn eleven this afternoon at West End park.
 The object of the meeting was primarily to stir up enthusiasm for this afternoon contest on the gridiron and to form nermanent alumni association in Birming- ham for the purpose of keeping the grad l,ated students in close union from year to year. This was accomplished.
 A Birmingham Alnluni association was formed in short business meeting heio just before the banquet was begun. Hlii Ferguson. president of the alumni asso- citation, presided. J. O Smith was unant mously elected president of the local or ganization, John S. Kennedy, vice presi- dent; M. M. Baldwin. secretary, and E. C. Grove. treasurer. All these elections were unanimous.
 At the conclusion of the business meet ing the alumni were addressed for few minutes by Capt. NJ M. Steel of Avon dale. one of the oldest surviving almuni. His "reminiscences were listened to with marked interest.
 After the guests had been seated at the tables a blessing was envoked by the Rev. pr J. w. Stagg An appetizing menu was served and then the programme for the evening was begun. The first ad- dress of the evening, on Alabama, was to have been delivered by Governor Jelks' but he was unable to be present and 1t was omitted. B. B. Conner and Lieuten- ant Governor R. M. Cunningham were also invited to be present but were una ble to attend
 President John w. Abercrombie of the University of Alabama was next on the list of speakers. He delivered talk or the needs of the university, It's lack oi funds and plans under consideration te place the school on plane befitting It's dignity as a state institution pr. Aber- | crombie made a striking comparison oi the university and other colleges In the land showing that the university ha: reached the limit of It's growth with tho | funds and endowment now available. Dr l Abercrombies address was of vital inter est to all alumni who have the future o the university at heart and was In par | as follows:
 | Abercromble's Address. While the faculties and the courses oi | study at the university have at all times | been such as to produce results of whici any institution might boast, financial con ditions have been and are such as tt | retard progress in one very important al rection. It's national growth has not, regret to have to acknowledge. kept pac' with that of similar institutions elsewhere | Lack of funds has made 1t necessary tS | sacrifice either material development ol academic effectiveness. It was decided and wisely l think. that If 1t were ab | solutely necessary for either to lag. | | should be the former.
 But unless the income be increased considerably increased, the limit of de
  reached. The lecture rooms are overcrowd | ed, the laboratories are overrun, the dor mitories are taxed beyond their capacity the library room Is inadequate, the gym nasium is too small. the geological mu scum, which is invaluable and could no | be replaced Is in constant danger of de | struction by fire, the lighting and heating | systems are run down and antiquated, tn class sections are too large. and severa of the professors are overworked. Yo, l will be surprised when I tell you tha | there Is not q single vacant room in an! of the buildings. Even the private offc | of the president is utilized as a stor | room.
 With material equipment at Tusca | loosa adequate for about 200 students only the registration today is over 300, the lar gest in the history of the institution l Counting the registration in the depart ments of medicine and pharmacy, whicl are located at Mobile, the registration t date for the current session Is 4S6 If tn summer school be included, the enrollmen for the current year Is S22. Into the dormi | tories which contain only sixty-nine bed | rooms are crowded about 200 students | While they are permitted to board else where. on account of the distance of tn | university from the town of Sruscaloosa and on account of the higher cost of livin | in the town, practically all of the board ing students prefer to live in the dormi l tories. Quite number now in attend8nc are anxious to move into the dormitories and would do so Immediately if room could be provided for them. There is n
 way of ascertaining how many are pre-
 vented from entering the university be
 cause of this inadequacy of living accom-
 modations. but we know that the numbe
 is large.
 There may be those who are under tn
 impression that the university is fabu
 lousy rich that it received all of tn
 financial assistance needed. and that tn cost of maintenance Is too great; for sue ' assertion has been made. The claim 1
 not well founded. I assert, and withou
 the slightest fear of successful contradic
 ton. that no institution of like grade
 doing more with the funds provided. In
 deed, know of none that uses it's in
 come so effectively.
 Pressed for Funds.
 For twenty years the University ha
 been so hard pressed for funds that nc
 q single college building has been erect
 ed. l know of no other state universit
 that has made so little material progres
 in that period. The material advance
 ment has not equalled that in the wor
 of instruction. We have been compelle | 70 use every available dollar for instruC
 ton purposes.
 Within the net few years in orde
 0 meet the needs of the university, whic | re but the needs of the state. it wi
 ,e necessary to provide an academi | luilding, laboratories for the dt ,artments of biology and geology, a
 engineering building, building for tn