Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-26
COMMENCEMENT AFTERMATH
Side1phts on Last Week at Bowdoin With Gossip
and Comment Abont Its Events.

will be a regular feature Of Commence
| ment week in the future.
The event of Wednesday evening,
about which little got into the news
papers, but which is Of intense interest
and thorough enjoyment to the return
ing alumni. was the fraternity -e-
| unions. There are eight Of these COL
lege Greek Letter fraternities at Bow
dom, the three Oldest being each over
60 years of age, and the youngest hav-
| ing been established half dozen years
ago. Seven of these each own a beautiful
chapter house. and the eighth will
doubtless erect house during the
coming year. Late Wednesday eve
ming after the various class dinners
| were over, and after everybody had at
tended the reception to President and
Mrs. Hyde at Hubbard hall. the alum
nj gathered at their respective fraterr-
| ity houses and spent good part OF
the rest of the night in such a reunion
IS only college fraternity men can
know. These occasions are thoroughly
| informal and are rnainly an oppOrtun-
| lty for the old grads" the recent
alumni and the undergraduates to re-
new cid and precious associations ara
to enjoy themselves generally. There
are light refreshments and no end OF
singing. and speech-making. At some
of the older fraternities, this year. over
| 100 alumni members were present, and
it was well towards morning in each
instance before the lights were put out
and quiet reigned in the chapter
houses.
One interesting feature in connection
with the fraternity reunions. this year,
was the fact that Alpha Delta Phi in
itiated James McKeen Of New York,
graduate of Bowdoin in the class of
1864. 1t was not a case of electing an
honorary member, but an actual initia-
ton of the man who was elected to
| membership as an undergraduate out
who on account of a feeling against
fraternities at that time did not accept
the proffcr of membership. Mr.. Nc
Keen is grandson of Bowdoin's first
president, and is a rich and distin-
guished lawyer of New York city. He
has been ever loyal graduate OF the
college, being a member Of the Board
Of Overseers. and having served as
president of the Alumni Association.
| OF the many class reunions held
this year, none attracted more atten-
ton than that of the class of 1875. OF
the 40 living members of the class about
rs were back to celebrate the Goth an
niversary Of their graduation, and they
put in lively and enjoyable week. A
house was engaged on Cleveland
street near the campus. as class head
quarters. and here they kept open
house and entertained their friends
throughout the week. The president
of the class is William J. Curtis. a
prominent New York lawyer. who has
demonstrated his loyalty to his Alma
Mater in many substantial ways. This
class has many famous members, who
are scattered far and wide throughout
the country A few years ago it pre-
sented the beautiful memorial gates
which stand at the foot of the long
central path leading from Main street
to the chapel. One member of this
| class. Professor Hall. for many years
at the head of the department Of ply
sizes at Harvard, was granted the de-
| gree of LII. d.
| Words of praise were heard on every
hand. Thursday afternoon. for the
speech Of Governor Cobb at the alum
nj dinner. 1t was classic of its kind
and it is a source of much regret that
| no Stenogra pher was on hand to take
it down verbatim for the papers. Gov
| ernOr Cobb has demonstrated on many
| occasions his possession of the happy
faculty of saying the right thing in the
| right way on occasions of this kind.
and he was at his best. Thursday.
when he addressed his fellow alumni
| and eulogized the college of which he
| is a loyal son.
1t would be difficult to say in whose
honor the assembled alumni made the
greatest demonstration at the dinner.
Thursday. They climbed onto their
seats then onto the tables and cheered
themselves hOarse in honor of the be-
| loved head of the college for the past
| 20 years. DR.. Hyde when he arose to
open the post prandial exercises, but it
seemed as though the enthusiasm was
even greater and more long continued
wien IONtTlor SoDD arose. linen the
| walls of the building fairly seemed to
rock with the demonstration when that
One-armed hero. General Howard of
| the class of so. concluded his splendid
speech. Then came General Hubbard,
| 81, of New York. the donor of the
Hubbard library and the Hubbard
grandstand. and many are willing to
make affidavit that the greeting given
! him surpassed anything which had
| gone before. Other speakers. notably,
Principal Purinton, rs. of Pennington
| Normal school and Congressman Alex
| ander. 10 of Buffalo. also received ova-
tiOns which no speakers ever received
save from a gathering Of happy and
enthusiastic college men. George B.
Chandler Of Chicago. who spoke for the
| class of 30 is remembered by the
| Bowdoin men of his time as the stu
dent who climbed to the top Of the