The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-06-04
CLASS in THEOLOGY
Fisk University Finishes Years
Work.
GRADUATING CLASS HELD EXER-
ClSES LAST SUNDAY AFTER.
NooN-LARGE AUDIENCE PRES
EMIT splendid RECORD OF
DEAN HENDERSON.

The graduating class exercises Of
the Theological Department of Fisk
Uniersity were held Sunday after
noon at 2:3O o'clock in the Memorial
Chapel on the university campus. Four
diplomas were awarded and four con-
secrated, religious, sacrificing men go
out to fulfill the commission and carry
out the edict from the Savior: Go
ye into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature" Indeed,
the exercises were in every way be-
yond expectation The class was
larger than ever before in this par
ticular department of the university.
At 2:30 Miss Alice Grass played Aria
in d Flat" o. the mammoth pipe or
gan. The Mozart Society sang the
Doxology, after which came the invo-
cation and Scripture reading followed
by prayer. Songs-"He shall feed
His flock" by Mrs. j. w. Work, and
Come unto Me-" by Prof. ]. W. Work
were the productions of Handel.
A magnificent audience was pres
ent to lend encouragement to the
four ministers who were going forth
into the gospel work. The first ora
tion, "The Trial of Righteousness"
by William Bowie Vassar, was taken
, and described from the life of Job.
The speaker made an eloquent and
forceful appeal to his hearers, hav-
ing committed this lengthy Grafton to
memory, he delivered 1t in a befitting
manner. Two orations, Men of the
Hour" by John Charles Fields, and
"The Secret of Human Happiness"
| by Howard Wallace Warner, were eX-
cused. But the grafton, "The Touch
stone of True Christianity" by Scott
Washington Crosthwait, made up for
the two vacancies, and the audience
was amply paid in the class of the
delivery and production of the ora
tion, as the entire description was
mastery effort depicted from book of
Revelation. The speaker ayologized for
reading it, but it was done in such a
way that the audience was well
pleased The Glee Club sang, you
Hear the Lambs a-Crying." Then
Rev. w. S. Ellington, D. D., and Rev.
lG. w. Moore, d. D., spoke words of
&elicitation to the class Both speak
ers complimented the school and fac
ulty on such a class and admonished
them to go forth in the work of the
Lord, not faint-hearted, but with a
determination to push the battle to
the gate. The Dean of the Theolog-
| ical Department, Rev. G.. w. Hender-
son, D. D., is to be congratulated upon
the success of this department Five
years ago DR.. Henderson took charge
of the Theological Department of
| Fisk University, and at that time
there was not student in the depart
ment, as there had been no dean for
three years. Each year thereafter
the enrolment has increased until at
the present term twenty-seven stu
dents were enrolled, coming from the
States Of Arkansas, South Carolina,
Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
During this time eight students have
graduated, including the present
class. One of the graduates is doing
regular I6llSlOuS WOIh vi lOIG Gl5u
fields. An interesting feature is that
most of them are taking the Bachelor
of Divinity Course. Of the twenty
seven only eight are taking English.
1t seems that the Theological Depart
ment has caught the inspiration
and is making a demand for the best
scholarship. The present dean is a
man of wide experience, as he has
been in the educational work for
nearly a quarter of a century DR..
Henderson is a graduate of the Uni
ersity of Vermont, after which he
finished the Divinity Course in Yale,
receiving the Hooker Fellowship for
the highest mark in 1888 From
this scholarship he was able to take
one year postgraduate course at
Yale. He spent some time abroad,
finishing from the University of Ber-
lin in Germany. In 1889 he was as
sistant moderator for the Congrega-
tional Council, afterwards he came
South, pastoring in New Orleans,
later being given the head of the
Theological Department of Straight
University, which position he held for
fourteen years, and at the same time
he was pastor of the University