Evening star., 1909-03-12
HONOR THEIR ALMA MATER
ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY GRAD
YATES AT BANQUET BOARD.
Forty-First Anniversary of Found
ing of State Institution Celebrated
With Feast and Speechmaking.

Celebrating the forty first anniversary
of the founding of the University of IL
lnois, about fifty loyal graduates gather
ed around the banquet board at the Tea
Cup Inn last evening and toasted the
history and progress of tine institution
and its leaders
Officers of the University of Illinois
Club were elected al a business meeting
which followed the banquet and resulted
as follows: President DR. S. w STRAIT
ton, director of the bureau of standard :;
vice president, Mrs John NJ Gregory.
widow of the first president of the un-
versity; secretary. George r. Samson:
treasurer, John w. MacLane.
Maj. Herbert Sargent, one of the prin-
cipal speakers. predicted defeat for the
United States in the next war unless it
wakes up to the fact that it must be pre-
pared for war at any time.
when war comes in the future, he
said, lit will be decided suddenly. in Il
few months. II the United States wants
to be successful it must be prepared 1t
behooves every young man in the United
States TO realize that the time has come
when to win battles the nation must be
prepared for war.
IF we are ready to fight, We will prob
ably not have to fight
DIR. 5. w. Stratton acted as the toast
master. The guests were met by George
X. Samson. secretary of the association.
ana he make every one feel at home by
introducing the strangers to the other
guests and personally seeing to it that
every one was having a good time. over
In one corner of the reception room were
Col w. L. Wood, Col. Charles Mcclure
and Maj. Herbert Sargent, all of whom
had been appointed to the West Point
Academy from Illinois and all of whom
had been professors of military science
in the University of Illinois. They swap
ped campus tales throughout the even
ing.
Toasts to the four presidents of the uni
versity were the first on the program:
and the eulogy of the first president DIR.
John NJ Gregory, was given by Capt.
Charles Stewart. He outlined the early
history of the university. The institution,
which was located at Champaign was
opened in 1868 with seventy-sevcn stu
dents. 1t has now grown to have over
$500 students.
DIR. Stratton spoke of the second presl-
dent. DR.. S. Peabody. In speaking of DR.
Andrew S. Draper. the third president
DIR. j. B. Scott declared that his success
of the people of Illinois and the confidence
of the legislature of the state. which re-
suited in the upbuildng of the institution
r. d. Marsden, member of thea last
graduating class from the university,
spoke of the work of DIR. f. J. James.
His work has been said the speaker, to
bring the various departments into proper
relation and in developing some depart
mentS that needed Strengthening The
university is now, he said, in good hands.
Representative p. Il. Chapman of Iii
nois responded to the toast THE Pro-
priety of the State Running University"
Mrs. Alice A. Abbott. a former member
of the board of trustees. spoke of the be-
binning of the policy of having women on
the university board, and declared that
their influence had been a good one.
DIR. D. W. Shea told some humorous ex-
periences at the university. When he re-
ceived a letter inviting him to become a
professor at the university. he said, it was
postmarked "Champaign." The same
mail brought similar letter. postmarked
"Coldwater." He chose Champaign.
John w. MacLane and Mrs. Gregory
also spoke briefly.
Among those present were S. w. STRAIT
ton, Mrs. John NJ. Gregory. E. r. Allen,
Miss Sarah Amber, Mrs. Alice A. Abbott.
Miss Sarah Abbott. Miss Acres. Mr.. and
Mrs. Harlow Bacon, Mr. and Mrs. B. o.
Brown, Miss Jane E. Cook, Mr. and Mrs.
r. w. Braucher, Mr.. and Mrs H. E.
Derr, Torstein JOhr. Col. Charles Mcclure.
Mr.. and Mrs. John r. MacLane, Miss
Klager Miss Julia Maths, Miss NJ. Alice
Mathews. John ]. Rutledge. Mr.. and Mrs.
James b. Scott, A. D. Shamel, Capt.
Charles Stewart, George r. Samson DR..
D. w. Shea, c. P. Van Gundy. w O.
Waters. K. J. Williams, Robert A. Wood,
Mrs Arthur T. Woods, f. X. Nelson w
u. Maisden, Representative and Mrs p.
7. Chapman, Maj. Herbert Sargent and
w. D. Morriston.