Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-27

undergraduate students of college come
| from within a radius of a hundred miles;
| hence Vermont and northern New York
| must furnish most of the students for
| 'h's coiiege. We cannot expect any great
| number of students from tho schools
along the Hudson or from the great cities
| to como to Vermont. II the students
| come from a small area, We must expect
to be relatively small in size but that is
no reason to think we should be weak in
| anything but numbers. The Vermont
university should have the same CHAR
| acteristics as another of Vermonts typi-
| cal products. Like the Morgan horse IT
| should have toughness of fibre, a sur
passing beauty, symmetry and tempera-
| ment. In our ideal there is a place for
| conserva tism; to be sure, all things must
| grow or deteriorate, but there Is a happy
| medium in progress We must not ex-
pand ms too many directions but take
good care Of what we have. The speaker
| then emphasized the beauties of the loca-
| ton of Vermont as one OF the features
we should attempt to impress upon the
public, and as an important thing in edu-
cation.
| CHEERS FOR MCCULLOUGH.
Amid a round of applause, President
| Buckham exhibited the loving cup pre-
sented by Governor Mccullough, and
| briefly explained the idea of the giver
| He hoped that II would serve its purpose
| well in stimulating the interest of alumni
| In returning for commencement week. At
the close of President Buckham's remarks
| n hearty cheer was given for Governor
Mccullough.
JOHN II. CONVERSE
| Mr.. Roberts then introduced John II.
| Converse, who received an ovation. In Il
| short speech brlmful of quiet humor, Mr..
Converse related how he had attended
every commencement for 40 years, and
| spoke of the pleasure he experienced IN
noting the progress of the university. He
spoke of the new idea of increasing al
umni representation and congratulated
the university upon the addition of an
other fine building to its equipment
TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF G. G..
BENEDICT.
The Hon. Elias Lyman then paid an
| eloquent tribute to the memory Of q. O..
Benedict, saying that Mr. Benedict was
Il man who had filled with credit every
position to which he had been called
|
business man. His Views were nearly
always accepted because Of his sound
Judgment and sincerity. Mr.. Lyman
| spoke of Mr.. Benedicts honorable mill
! tary career and characterized his "Ver-
mont in the Civil War as the best his
tory of States part Of the war in ex-
tstenco. His connection with the univer-
slty was most intimate Coming from a
| ur,iN fo ha tod ~,
| tSi7. When the State agricultural college
was made a part of the university in
1866, Mr. Benedict was chosen n trustee
! on the part of the State. In 1889 he was
chosen on the part OF tho university and
| MS secretary Of the corporation did most
excellent work for the university as lone
as he lived So he was connected with
the university during the whole of It's
existence in its present form until the
time of his death He had a great know
ledge Of the university ard it's alumni
He was conservative In the granting Of
honorary degrees and often faced opposi-
ton in this respect: yet he would not
countenance the clieapening of degrees
by giving them to any one who was in
popular favor for the moment. AS a CO.
| worker with Mr. Benedict. tho speaker
| felt great love ard admiration for the
man. Happy IL the university in having
had such a son.
THE ENDOWMENT FUND.
DR. Bass secretary of the endowment
| fund. told what has. been done by tho
various classes toward raising the mil
lion dollar fund. Tho classes of 1881 and
1861 lead the list with S2,937 and $5o.175,
respectively. The total increase in the
fund during the fifteen and one-half
months which Or. Bass has workeed Is
SGT 90. The aggregate is now s347 900, in
! Guiding the Carnegie gift. The sum Of
| so0I on has been actually paid in and S205,-
| nm more Is needed to meet Mr. Carnegie's
| condition.
THE MEDICAL COLLEGE.
DR. Jerno spoke OF the progress of the
| Medical college. At present students
! must pass examinations before State
boards before they receive a license to
pra ctce. OF late years these examina-
| lions have become more difficult than
| formerly. Up to 1898 about 16 per cent.
| of Vermont men had failed in these ex-
aminations. while other col!.-es averag
ed n somewhat larger per cent. of fail
ures In 1906 only five per cent. failed.
| while the average for all colleges was IS
| per cent This year the fourth year class
did not lose man in the final examina-
tions, record equalled by no other
| class.
, Mr.. Roberts then called upon his
class-mate, Prof, +. c. Ferguson OF Y.
s. Grant University who spoke in a
| reminiscent vein of his college life.
In his time President Buckham was
professor of Greek and is the only man
of that time left on the faculty. Prof.
| Ferguson spoke of the value of Greek
in the college course and referred to
the progress of the university.
| Edmund c. Mower the newly elect
ed trustee. was given a lusty cheer,
but was not called upon for an ad-
dress.
COLLEGE SPIRIT
Speaker T. C. Cheney made stirring
speech taking for his subject college
Spirit" Mr.. Cheney showed an init
mate knowledge of present day COL
lege life and college needs He sug-
gested a moro frequent use of our coll
lege songs, and referred to the newly
organized college band as an aid In
stimulating college spirit. He has no
patience with the Vermont man who
sends his sons out OF the state for an
| oil &c Of, .