The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-27
NEW ERA AT
UNIVERSITY
Commencement Marks
an Effort.
GREAT DEVELOPMENT AHEAD
Future Of Great School at Tusca-
loosa Is Bright.
Annual Exercises Begin With Splendid
Address by bishop ses-
sums of Louisiana--Mont-
gomery Students Rank
High.
GREAT DEVELOPMENT AHEAD
BY WILL T. sHEEHAN.

Tuscaloosa, May 26.-(Special Cor
respondence. THE University. seven
ty4six years old. began today the COM
mencement exercises which will mark
the era of the greatest development in
all it's history.
The commencement exercises which
began today are iliustrious not so
much for the distinction of their speak
ers, nor for the crowds which will at
tend the gatherings, but for the real.
actual beginning of the Greater Uni
versity for which so much dreaming,
planning and working has been done.
The commencement began this morn
ing with a splendid address by that
scholarly and devoted churchmap Of
Louisiana, Davis Sessums. Episcopal
Bishop of that state. He came to Tus-
caloosa with the standing of an elo-
quent and gifted preacher and hfs SER
mon this morning In Clark Hall more
than maintained the reputation his
fame had brought.
A large audience assembled In Clark
Hall to hear the distinguished speaker.
The members of the college commu-
nifty. at the University and the town
people of Tuscaloosa. who take such
an Interest in the AFFAIRS of the Uni
versity. filled the old chapel with the
which the memory of so many Ala
bamians fondly turns. In cap and
gown the senior class marched in and
took it's seat and In so doing gave to
the service it's true academic charac-
ter.
Mumps and Measles.
There will be but few undergrad
yates present at this commencement
and in their absence a picturesque fea
ture of college life will be missing to
the visitor. Nearly all the students,
with the exception Of the senior class
have gone home.
Mumps and one case of measles have
appeared near the University. The
University authorities deemed 1t wise
to use every precautioI 70 prevent the
introduction OF those diseases In the
barracks so, as soon as the students
finished with their examinations. they
were given permission to return home
Two ON Honor Roll.
Montgomery bore of the honors at
the university. During the year only
five students attained the high stan
dard required for. the honor roll and
two of these were froSl Montgomery.
For student to be placed upon the
honor roll, he or she, must throughout
the year have made an average OF over
ninety in everything.
In the Junior class, Miss Helen Wick
ers was the only one to attain that
honor. She is. moreover. the only
young lady of those at the Univer-
sity to secure that distinction this year.
Miss Vickers is the author of the song
Alma Mater" which is sung in every
program by the Glee club.
Virgil Griffin, Jr., is the other Mont
gomerian, who distanced his fellows
and won the only place on the roll of
of honor which went to the Sophomore
class. He made a splendid record at
Starke's school and he is maintaining
1t at the University.
Future Looms Bright.
The future for the University looms
big and lsight. 1t Is in a state of
transition. 1t is passing from the per
iod of the lean and hard years which
were the dreadful after math of the
war into the Promised Land, for which
its sons and well wishers have en-
joyed. The time has come when the
University Is to be invested with the
grace, the strength and the power,
that should have been hers in other
years. but will not because of the mis-
fortunes which dragged her footsteps
through the years.
Her youth even was unfortunate. 1t
was unfortunate for those she trust
ed took her wealth Those who should
her. word of the State OF Alabama,
her friends were lost by the officials
who were commissioned as her guar
dams
The story of the State Bank, old now
for many years and almost forgotten,
is one of the blacklist chapters In the
story of Alabama. The present Is not
the only day of the GetRich scheme
1t flourished in pioneer days and dis
hOna9t diSnOf1aH THAR 70
their University in the mad days when
speculation ran riot and when there
were Flush Times In Alabama"
The story is seventy years old now.
but IT Is due the university that mod
-ern-AlabaR4a should know that funds
which the University trusted to the
State were by the State lost.
HIisfOrtunes of University.
A new and a greater misfortune
came generation later The torch
of a vandal soldiery robbed the Uni
versity of all but her traditions, for
the land she owned then had no vaule
while war was at his bloody work
The Albanian knows that the FEEDER
al soldiers burned to the ground the
pride of his State for that has beeen
kept before his eyes and his memory.
he knows of the unspeakable vsndal-
ism which put the torch of the incen-
diary to the States oldest and chief
seat of learning.
The years that followed were years
Of gloom. The State itself was power
ty stricken. The University was a
memory and a pile of ruins. Out of
the ruins 1t staggered slowly upward
through the years, with hopeful peo-
pie helping. They were lean and scan
ty years.
Dut that period is ended. 1t has end
ed with this Commencement The
hour has struck for the University to
come int otis own PREPARATION has
been partially made In past years for
early wrCngs.
Now For improvements.
But this year has seen full justice
done to the University. It's income has
been increased and most important of
all. a building found. a large and ade-
quate building fund. has been estab-
lished--a fund which will give the I'm
iversity an annual sum OF $125,00O to
be spent exclusively on buildings. For
four years the University will receive
this amount and splendid improve