The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-09-21
OXFORD CELEBRATES
1,00OTH ANNIVERSARY
Ancient English University Takes Day off to Cele-
brate Its Founding.

Oxford, most venerable of English.
speaking colleges, has just celebrated
it's one thousandth birthday in
pageant of singular interest.
Founded before the time that Will
lam the Conquerer first brought his
hordes of Normans into the island to
bring death and defeat to the gallant
Saxons, the venerable college has dur
ing the long intervening centuries
been the very center of England's in
tellectual life.
Here have been educated the states
men, scholars, writer's and leaders of
thought who have enabled the nation
to preserve it's all powerful place in
the worlds counsels.
The United States has no institution
that fills a corresponding place to Ok
ford. Oxford was hundreds of years
old before Columbus made his epoch
making trip across the unknown At
lantic, and Harvard and Yale, oldest
of American educational institutions,
are but infants compared to the Eng
lish university.
The foremost men of English letters
therefore took part in the recent cele-
bration. Stanley Wyman, the novel
list; Walter Raleigh, professor of Eng
lish at the university, and direct de-
scendant of the famous courtier of
Elizabeth's day; Prof. Oman, Law
renee Houseman and A. D. Cooley
contributed dialogue for the historical
scenes. Sir Hubert Perry prepared
the incidental music, and two of the
foremost of English managers, Beer
bohm Tree and H. B. Irving, superin.
tended the pageant.
On that beautiful stretch of turf
that has the Magdalen. tower for a
background, the scenes of the pageant
were enacted.
In series of pictures the life of
Oxford was traced from the days in
the tenth century when it first came
into existence, all the way down to
the historic visit of George II. in 1885,
when he was received in notable
state.
Not less than 5000 men, women and
children took part in this wonderful
series Of spectacles, the entire costum-
ing being under the supervision Of D.
G. Calthrop. The king Of England was
numbered among the interested throng
who applauded literally and more
striking incidents, including the arriv-
al in 727 of st. Frideswide, the Saxon
saint around whose little convent clus-
tered the little homes that were final
ly to be the foundation of Oxford.
The coronation of King Edward, son
of Canute, was another notably i'm
pressive feature; $50 was the state en-
trance of Henry IT,, for the notable
visit, in which he presented to Oxford
the famous charter that is still treas
ured in the archives of the city.
Uncle Sam was not without repre-
sentation, for in addition to the many
tourists who trooped in from the Con-
tinent, were a number of American
boys who were studying at Oxford.
This number is far greater than many
persons have an idea. Rich Ameri.
cans given to travel are always deeply
impressed by Oxford with it's wonder.
full old buildings, it's famous schools,
it's noted professors, and above ALL the
fine quality of those who study there
They conceive the project of having
their sons graduate from Oxford, and
in consequence there is always a fair
sprinkling Of students from the Unit.
ed States. The unique will of Cecil
Rhodes, in which for the avowed pur.
pose of bringing the United States and
the mother country closer, set aside
enough money to give every state in