The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-06-27
COMMENCEMENT AT WASHINGTON AND
LEE UNIVERSITY

administration of General Robert E Lee the at
tendance at Washington and Lee University the
past session has been the largest in its history
his may be the that an unusually LARGE
number of visitors have been present at the Com
mencement exercises this last week Many of
the alumni, especially of the recent classes, have
returned and there few of the large gradual
ing class who did not have relatives and friends
present to extend them congratulations Not a
little eclat well dignity was added to the ex
ercises by the academic caps and gowns There
has been occasional year in the past when a
single class has worn the costume, but this year
is the first that it has been made official for facu
ty as well as graduates. On Commencement
morning the rain had been falling in torrents but
1t ceased in time and the out just as the
procession OF faculty and graduates, over sixty
of the latter, all clad in the insignia of their va
r1ous degrees, moved the campus to the
chapel
On Sunday the Baccalaureate sermon was
preached by Rev. c. S. Mitchell, D. D. of Rich
mond College. His theme was The Purposeful
Life as Exemplifed in the Life of Christ The
address to the Young Mems Christian Association
in the evening given by Rev. Forrest J. Pref
lyman, of Baltimore, his subject being The Es-
sence OF True Greatness shown IN Abraham"
Both sermons were well suited to young men 60
ing out into the battle of life The same was true
of the address the literary societies. later in the
week. by Senator z. w. Carmack, of Tennessee.
Senator Carmack's speech was a powerful pOr-
trayal of the kind of a the world needs to-day,
and particularly the kind of a man needed in our
Southland.
Another strong address of the week was de-
livered by Col. Robert E. Lee Jr to the Alumni
Association He took for his subject The Truth
OF History" and pleaded with great elOquence for
the truthful presentation of facts i'll the history
of our country, often distorted by historians,
especially regarding the leading to the Civil
War.
An interesting incident of the Commencement
Exercises was the presentation of an oil portrait
of General G. w. c. Lee, president-emeritus of
the University. The portrait striking likeness
was painted by Benjamin West Clinednst of New
York, native of Virginia and a graduate Of the
Virginia Military Institute The presentation
speech made by Professor A. L. Nelson who
spoke most feelingly of the friend with whom he
associated on the University Faculty for more
than quarter of century. Hardly less interest
ing was the comforting of the honorary degree of
IL. d. on Professor Nelson, who this year his
signed from the Faculty, after ffty-three years of
service as teacher of mathematics The same de-
gree also conferred upon Senator Carmack,
Thomas Nelson Page, Helm Bruce, of Louisville,
President K. G. MathesOn, of the Georgia Insti-
tute of Technology and DR.. Howard A. Kelly, of
Johns Hopkins University. The degree of d.
ID. was conferred upon President ID. l.. Anderson,
of 500 Chow University, China, Arch-deacOn FL
liot H. Thompson, of Shanghai and Professor X.
K. Masse, of the Episcopal Theological Semin-
airy, of Alexandria; the degree of Lit. L. upon
Oswald Garrison Willard, Editor Of the New York
Evening Post and Professor Benjamin Franklin
Sledd, of Wake Forest College.
The annual boat North River presented
its usual attractions to the visitors, and was won
by the Harry Lee crew, as was the case last year
The Board of Trustees provided for the estab-
hShmcnt of School Of Commerce. to be modelled
after the Wharton School of Finance in the Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania and also took steps to
provide for special course Of instruction in the
building and the maintenance of public roads and
highways
H. Parker Willis was reelected professor Of
economies, and William Jett Lauck was elected
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