The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-19
UNIVERSITY THE THEME
Speeches at the Annual Banquet Gen.
tered Around the UNIVERSE
ty as Main Thought.

tered Around the Universi-
ty as Main Thought.
1t was a great and grand gathering
of supporters of Dakota Wesleyan
University who surrounded the ban
quet board Monday night in the base
ment of the Methodist church when
they met in the annual affair. These
functions have grown to be a desira-
BILE thing of commencement week and
are looked forward to with much
pleasure. The guests were compos-
ed of men and women who were
heavy contributors to the endow-
ment fund of theinstitution, which
was completed last fall at the session
of Dakota Conference. 1t was the
idea to make this banquet center
around, through and over the insti-
tuition, and the actresses of the even
ing were all pointed that way.
The guests gathered in the church
auditorium about 8 O'Clock and after
visiting among each other for three
quarters of an hour the march was
taken up to the banquet hal. in the
basement below. There were about
115 people present at the affair. The
banquet was served by the ladies of
the Methodist church and they pre-
sented a very fine mem that was
served nicely. The long tables were
decorated with flowers, and while the
guests were partaking of the viands,
the Kappa orchestra of the Universe
ty discoursed some very choice music.
1t was nearly IL O'Clock when
Toastmaster Hitchcock called the
guests to order for the speeches of
the evening. He commented With in
terest upon the theme which had been
selected for the evening--Dakcta
Wesleyan University; that che occa-
sion was one where we meet il. good
fellowship and look over the past,
take cognizance of the present and
forecast the future, in which three
capacities the University would be
treated by the speakers of the even
ing. The invocation was delivered
by Rev. j. NJ. Brown, Of Sioux Falls.
To Lewis Shuster was delegated
the honor of speaking of the past of
the institution. He is a graduate of
the University, receiving his degree
in 1899. Mr.. Shuster presented a
very interesting historical sketch Of
the college, going back to the time
when the enterprise was first project
ed and coming down through the sue
cessive years and telling Of the
achievements of it in narrative form.
He reviewed the administration of
President Brush, who was the first
head of the college after it was COM
pleted in 1885, referred to the great
disaster which came to the institu-
ton shortly after its completion
when it was destroyed by fire. He
touched on the administration of
President Merica, who remained a
year and of that of President Gra-
ham, who carried it through the very
trying years when the times were
hard, and who started the movement
for Memorial Hall, that is now COM
pleted and is a necessary adjunct to
the college. He referred to the
achievements of the college in the
literary and oratorical fields, in which
it had made a magnificent record in
winning eleven oratorical contests.
He paid a fine tribute to the work of
Prof. T. A. Duncan, who was for so
long a member of the faculty and
secretary Of the institution, whose
work he thought could v be esti-
mated /.
DR.. Samuel Weir, the vice presi-
dent of the University, spoke of the
present of the University, the condi-
ton of which he said was exceeding
ly good, for it was located in a pleas
ant environment, and there is some
thing coming out of the institution.
He felt that the success of the COL
lege depended to a certain extent
upon the success Of its alumni, for as
they entered the broader and more
important fields of life their presence
could not help but attract attention
to the college. He said that the
alumni of Dakota Wesleyan was TAX
ing high positions in the world, where
they will be found in legal profess
sion, business, ministerial and other
avenues. DR.. Weir referred to sever
al instances where the graduates have
been sent and where they have made
exceeding good. The speaker refer
red to the student body as being a.