The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1907-10-03
COLLEGE OPENS
REGULAR SESSION
TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL SESSION
OF INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE
AND COLLEGE OPENED
LAST WEDNESDAY.
President Whitfield, Hon. j. G. Hardy
and Gen. >. ID. Lee and Other
Distinguished Citizens De-
liyered Addresses.

The twenty-third annual session o
the Industrial Institute and CoIleg
opened last Wednesday, the opening
exercises having occurred in the col
1ege chapel at 1920 o'clock Wednes
day morning. The exercises, whicl
were opened with the reading of the
Scriptures by j. J. Hill, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church, were tenn
porarily presided over by Prof. Dab
ney Lipscomb, of the department o1
English, who later transferred the
honor to Hon. H. L. Whitfield, the
newly elected president Of the college
The reading of the scriptures was fol
lowed by an invocation of Gods bless
ing by Rev. J. w. Shoaff, D. D., pas
tor of the First Methodist church,
and after a delightful piano solo by
Miss Wyndham, a newly elected in
strumental teacher in the department
of music, the care of the institution
was formerly transferred to Hon. H.
L. Whitfield, the newly elected pres
ident.
Prof. Whitfield was introduced to
the audience by Hon. T. B. Franklin,
chairman of the board of trustees of
the institution, who spoke in words
of glowing praise regarding the past
achievements Of the new incumbent
and predicted that he would accom-
plish still greater things in his new
field. After having acknowledged the
high compliment paid him by Mr.
Franklin, President Whitfield said
that not until he had looked into the
beaming faces Of several hundred
young ladies who sat before him that
morning had he realized the gravity
of the responsibilities he had assum-
ed in accepting the presidency of the
college, that the care and guidance
of so many Of the States noblest
young women, the culture of their /
minds and the shaping of their ca !
reers was a task which might well |
appa1I the strongest of men. He said |
that ne believed that as much thought /
and attention should be devoted to !
the moral and physical training of /
the young ladies as to their mental /
advancement, and that he would
make it the aim of his admfnistra-
tion to have a diploma from the In
dustrfal Institute and College mean
that the holder thereof had not only
perfected herself in literature and art
but had received the spiritual and
moral training which entitled her to
take front rank in that glorious band
of noble and true women which have
always been the mafnstay OF the
South He said that he had a num-
Der of new features which he desired ,
to introduce and perfect, chief among ,
them being a greatly enlarged and ]
more thorough normal department I
for the adequate training of teachers,
and that he intended to devote his I
best energies to the upbuiiding and !
general advancement of the college. ]
Following President WhitfeId's ad- i
dress scame a violin solo by Miss f
Wynne, of the department of instru- v
mental music after which there was Z
IN address by Hon. J. c. Hardy, pres s
dent of the A. and NJ. College at v
starkville. Prof. Hardy's address Il
vas somewhat ANOMALOUS, combining o
IS it did wit and humor with sound
ogie and words Of infinite wisdom. Q
lie began by saying that he was an ii
Id friend of the new president, and W
hat after several prominent men had 81
eclined TO speak at the opening of el
he college on account of previous en- N
agements or other conditions which al
revented their presence, Prof Whit D,
eld. in his dilemma, turned to his
ood old friend, and that he yielded
. a desire to help that friend, and at
ccepted the invitation. He stated ie
arenthetica1ly, however, that he in "
ended to be present at the opening az
ny way, declaring that he took an ce
biding interest not only in the splen-
III institution over which he presides
at in all the colleges and schools of -
le State. Prof. Hardy spoke of the =.
1lendid work which Mississippi is -
in the education of her
3ung men and women, and along :.
lis line said that the moral training S,
! the students should be looked af- III
+ as carefully in the boys schools
in those devoted to the education
girls and young women. He de- fol
ared good morals to be the prime go