The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-15
AN0TABLE EVENT.
Washburn University Banquet Was an
Innovation.

Never in the history of Washburn
college has such q banquet been held
as was given at the Throon hotel last
night to nearly 500 guests 1t mark
tivities which celebrated the fortieth
anniversary Of the college, and was
the most characteristic college event Of
the week Not only were there dozens
of out OF town members of the alumni
assO ation present, including one
from Manila. but there were also all
the members of the present gradual
ing class, many undergraduates there
by special invitation, prominent citi-
zens OF the state. and leading business
men of Topeka. But the decidedly
new and unique feature of the evening
were the delegations representing
other Kansas schools and some of the
big universities of the country. Uni
versity of Michigan had the largest
number of representatives, about rs.
Harvard was a close second. and Dart
mouth, Yale, Cornell. Amherst, Will
liams, Kansas university. Baker uni
versity, Monmouth college and many
others were represented. Each col
lege or university had its portion of
the table decorated with appropriate
flags and colors. and most of the BAN
quetters wore the colors of their re-
speetive colleges.
Nominally this affair was the BAN
quet of the Washburn Alumni associa-
alton. but it had been Opened up this
year to include all the friends of WASH
burn.
In point of service. the banquet was
probably the best of any large banquet
ever given in Topeka. Every bit of
available space in the big dining room
of the Throop was occupied by the six
long tables. and a corps of nearly 50
walters managed the affair with as
much speed and thoroughness as
though there had been 80 guests in
stead of nearly 800. The tables were
beautifully decorated with American
Beauty roses carnations and ferns. At
each cover was a handsome menu and
programme. tied with Washburn blue
ribbons and illustrated with half tone
cuts of the college buildings. A SOU
Venir paper napkin bearing in colorS
the pictures of the banners of some of
the great universities, with large
Washburn 'fXY'' in the middle, was also
at each place. The walls and ceiling of
the dining room were draped with
Washburn blue, and long rows Of
Washburn banners fioated over the ta-
bles. While the guests were disposing
of an eight course menu, an orchestra
played in one of the alcoves. and be-
tween the courses the guests amused
themselves by singing college songs,
and giving college and class yells.
One of the features of the evening
was the singing by a male quartette
of Baker university students, who
had been brought down from Bald
win for the occasion by President l..
H. Murlin. The QuarteLCe sang three
selections, and was given a. warm well
come by the Washburn people.
President Norman Plass presided
over the toasts. There was no formal
| programme; each college selected
someone to speak for it, and usually
these speeches were extemporaneous.
But the speakers knew their business,
and the whole affair was highly en-
tertaining. The following were the
speakers:
Michigan university, H. C. Larimer.
Kansas university, H. L. Miller.
Baker university, President L. h
Murlin.
Amherst, L. D. Whittemore.
williams, DR.. Schaffer of Kansas
City.
Harvard. Dean conant.
Yale, Joseph r Loveweu.
The new Washburn. .. NJ. Fisk
Special cars were provided to take
the banqueters home when the affair
ended at about 1 o'clock this morn