New-York tribune., 1906-06-02
PRESIDENT TO NEGROES
PLEA FOR HIGH IDEALS.
ADDRESS to the Students of Hozcard
UniUersity

washington. June l.-President Roosevelt was
present and delivered address to the students
~ tIio tnirty-hinth annual commencement tonight
OF Howard University at the First Congregational
Church The President received hearty greeting
trom the large audience of negro students and
others He made a characteristic address In which
ne o"elt on the Importance OF fixed purpose in
surviving Tor the accomplishment of high ideals in
the work Of life. The address to the graduating
class was delivered by Representative Theodore E
burton OF Ohio, who set the evils of super
fcality and the achievements of honest faithful
and thorough work.
President Roosevelt spoke in part as follows:
We must insist upon high ideals. If there is not
such a nigh standard set before us, then indeed
viii our fall be miserable. We are never going to
that the standard should be raised aloft My plea
make us fei the moi mr1 e rsed @ SO taI aloit & as 10
ourselves practically that there is any of
striving after it at all. 1 in the breast
of each man and each woman here on the stage
OF each man and each woman here in the audience,
the hrm purpose to strive after what is high and
honorable. and at the same time a practical
realization of the difficulties be encountered
mhIch M VIII make you have before you something
10 wnicn @ you hope you can measurably attain.
girl here who is nff w0 10 fss is m & eaen %s
pace, ne or she must be able to keep himself
into medicine. you who are going to teach~your
nrst M duty is TO achieve SO much Of material sue
cess as VIII enable each of you to keep himself
ana TO be help and not burden TO those closest
of your number to whose families Your college wears
have meant considerable seIf-denial SO that the
man to whom much of practical family affection
has been given owes it not only to himself but to
achieve the material that will justify their
self-sacrifce we'll as his effort. would for
ole iloteht say 10 any man tldt ne must not re-
gard material success On the contrary. ne must
foundation his career: he must pun his own
weight first before ne be of use to any one
fixed upon the that he fOrgets that he has got
TO walk on the ground.
The President said there must be. in the first
place, the foundation of successful effort the abil
ity to a little more than ones keep. before
one can count for anything else in life. He con-
tinued:
ia If m man builds i'll on the foundation. then IL, it
power achieve material success at all AS soon
as you have achieved that measure of success
you are false to the teachings of your alma mater
you are false TO every worthy tradition of the social
10 with the resolute effort to make those who are
of the exrentionaI onnortunities that Won have en-
joyed
The President told the graduates that the first
and most important field in which to show their
fealty a high ideal in the field of the family.
He said in closing:
Each of you has additional responsibility to
bear beyond the responsibility that every college
graduate in this land must bear. You are those
addition 10 the burden Of honorable obligation rest
Ing upon you educated American citizens TO do
your duty by the commonwealth rests the burden
of honorable obligation to carry yourselves
that your lives may be a guide and inspra-
tion 10 all the people of your that lives
may justify your race in the eyes Of the Ameri-
can people.
The rights Of each man are important. but his
duties more important still. If the duties are
well done sooner later in a time 10 be meas
ured only by the ncrutable working of Providence,
the rights Will take of themselves. And oh, my
fellow citizens, / ask each of you the fullest and
most generous performance Of duty In accordance
with the highest sense of obligation toward your
Creator and toward your brethren, not only for
the sake of nation whole. but Tor the
sake OF that portion of nation which belongs
TO your race in particular.
Seventy-nine graduates received degrees The
honorary degree Of Doctor of Divinity was con-
ferred on the Rev. Sterling n. Brown. pastor OF
Lincoln Temple Memorial Church OF this city. and
the Rev. J. F. MoOrland. one of the secretaries or
the international committee OF the Young Mems
Christian Association, and the honorary degree or
Master of Arts was conferred Dr. Marcus +.
Wheatand. OF Newport, r. l.
The Rev. Dr. Wilbur p. Thirkield. OF Cincinnati,
secretary of the Freedmans Aid and Southern
Education Society of, the Methodist Episcopal
Church. has accepted his recent election to the
presidency OF Howard University. 10 take effect on
Septernber !