Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-27
University of Vermont Sends Out
Glass of 102 Young Men
and Women.
COMMENCEMENT DAY
Orntions and Essays at The Strong
Theatrc--DcErees Conferred in All
Departments - Commencement
Dinner mt the VAN Ness
House, with Speeches.

The 103d annual commencement exer-
State Agricultural College were held yes
terday in The Strong Theatre in the
presence Of an assembly of friends and
alumni which completely filed the build
ing. The baccalaureate degree was con-
ferred upon "A candidates, the masters
degree upon three and the degree Of
doctor of medicine upon "A. Four honor
airy degrees were also conferred
The procession formed at 1O;3O o'clock
from the old college building and moved
down College street. to Union. from
Union to Main and down Main to the
theatre in the following order sherman's s
band, Marshal Charles T. Allen. and
Captain Harry II. Tebbetts. President
Buckham and Mayor Bigelow, trustees
and other officials, the medical faculty
tho academic faculty, members Of the
graduating classes. visiting alumni.
The exercises In the theatre began n
little after II o'clock and were carried
out according to the following order:
Music.
Prayer .................R Rev. George I. Bard
Music.
"A Dream Mt Twilight. ..............W Wirz
The Middle Course" .... Guy Milton Page
"The Legend Of the Holy Grail"
Helen Lavina Allen
America, the Embodiment of an idea
Ferdinand Henry Pease
Music
Waltz. The Lion and the Mouse. Bendx
The Development of Specialized Plants d"
Richard English Vaughan
"Homer's Women" "..........H Helen Douglas
The Hellenic and American Citizen ship"
Charles Chase Wilson
Typhoid, Its Prophylaxis."
Samuel Thatcher Hubbard
Music.
Tho Caress ,.....................,..Ba Barre It
Degrees conferred.
Music
'Agudwun' .......... .............,.S .Shipman
Be1ediction.
On the stage with President Buck
ham were seated Mayor Bigelow, the
chaplain. the Rev. George Ingersoll
Bard, 1887, Hon. T. c. Cheney, the fac
ulties, trustees and some of the older
alumni. Excellent music was furnish
ed BY Watermans orchestra.
THE MIDDLE COURSE.
After the opening exercises. Presi
dent Buckham announced as the first
speaker Guy Milton Page, who had
chosen for his subject. The Middle
Course" Mr.. Page said In part: Ev-
istence as we know existence IS per-
petual conflict, The ethical idealist
heholds the contest and cries, Struggle
uncompromisingIy the ideal sought
that alone is real" But the Ledonist
who would mould conduct to circum
stances. cries. peace; this is a world
of mechcanical forces. Happiness is the
only thing YOU can gain or lose,
Neither of these theories will we'll
serve mankind: continual suffering
and moral hysteria on the one hand
moral inertia on the other. character
lie them. But between them must be
a middle course: to such a course has been
given the name maximum sustained pro-
gress" the conception of tho greatest
moral advance one may persistently con-
tinue. II predicates an idealsm as
sublime as human nature can permanent
~ aCnlPNc, IL ~ IdTSc an
adaptation of self to conditions will
best sustain US In our striving. In its re
suits II stands for balance Of progress
and happiness, for sanity and moral
health, for realization of self as a creature
Of plea sure and pain, and as creature
Of moral aspiration In whom ideals are
the essentials, but IN whom they are
mere vain shadows unless actualzed.
THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY GRAIL
Tennyson and many other English and
German poets received much Of their
inspiration from the Celtic and Germanic
legends, said Miss Allen. Among these
the best known is the cycle OF story
clustering about King Arthur and his
Round Table OF this cycle, the most
spiritual is the story of the Holy Grail.
the ohalice used by the Saviour in his last
supper wath his disciples This cup.
originally entrusted to Joseph of
Arimathea, was later in the evil days
caught up 20 heaven. Cialahad received
the call to go in quest OF this when It
was given back to earth. 1t was a visible
manifestation Of the living Christ and a
reminder of spiritual things. In all the
stories of the twelfth century, the Holy
Grail is prominent The idea of ascetic-
ism comes with the thirteenth century.
Then came the quest Of the Grail. In
these stories chivalry was idealized. The
various types of men are represented by
the characters of the story Altoge ther
these stories are an expression of the
English earnestness, which seeks to fnd
the right and do II for the sake OF God.
| AMERICA, THE EMBODIMENT OF AN
IDEA.
Mr.. Pease's Grafton showed large
! amount of study and thought. He said
| In part:
! AMERICA, THE EMBODIMENT OF
AN IDEA.
Mr., Pease said that America is unique
as born essentially from practicability
1t is the development of the individual
| He briefly reviewed the stages of civi
liza ton and the points wherein othel
nations have been found wanting. O.
all the ancients, Socrates alone under
Vctn n<>A he 4