Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-06-05
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
In Rome viii Hold Golden Jubilee
Next Week-America Shows Up
Well at Celebration.
(Herald Special.)

Rome, June 5.-Wnen the members
of the Italian royal family looked out
of the windows of the Quirinal pal
ace today they could not fail to see
the intermingled Stars and Stripes
and the Papal flags which decorated
the group of buildings occupying the
entire square between the Via dell
Umilta and the Piazza DELI Pillotta,
bordering the Quirinal Hill. The
buildings were those of the North
American College and the decorations
were in honor of the golden jubilee
of the famous institution which has
educated many of the most brilliant
members of the Roman Catholic
hierarchy and priesthood in the Unit
ed States.
The religious exercises and festivi-
ties attending the jubilee celebration
will begin tomorrow and will = con-
tinue through the entire week. More
than one hundred members OF the
alumni association have come over to
take part in the celebration. Includ-
ed among the number are Mgr Fal-
COMO, the Papal delegate at Wash
ington; Archbishop Farley of New
York, Archbishop O'Connell of Bos-
ton, Bishop Kelley of Savannah
Bishop Mcdonnell of Brooklyn,
Bishop Hoban of Scranton, Bishop
Burke of st. Joseph, and Bishop Cor
rigan OF Baltimore.
A weeks program of religious,
business and social duties has been
prepared. The chief event of the
program will be private audience
with Pope Plus X, at which the Rev.
Francis H. Wall, president of the
alumni association, will read at Latin
address and present the Pope with
jubilee offering of Peters Pence A
visit to the cemetery of st. Law
renee, where several of their men,
bers are buried, is planned by the
opening of the new baseball field at
Villa Goncolfo, which has succeeded
the Grattaferata as the summer home
of the students At the initial game
an immense American flag, the gift
of Rodman Wanamaker of Philadel-
phia, will be raised
One of the principal matters to be
considered by the gathering is the
proposal to change the name of the
North American College to the Unit
ed States College. 1t urged in be-
half of the propose Aanly resi-
dents of t.hG - spd the
= ssss.sllss The Canadians having a
college of their own, and the Mexi-
cans attending the South American
College, where their native tongue is
spoken.
The American College has had an
interesting history It's establish
ment was due largely to the earenst
efforts of Archbishop Bedini, secre-
tary to the College of the Propaganda
Eide, who in 1853 had been Papal
Pro-Nuncio to the United States. In
promoting the project Archbishop
Bedini had the hearty cooperation of
Archbishop Hughes of New York and
other American prelates For the
home of the college an edifice was
acquired on the Via DELI Umilta, the
history of which dated back to 1903
and which had been used in 1854 by
the French army of occupation Here
the college started its career in 1859
with thirteen students on its roster.
1t soon outgrew its original home and
from time to time additional build
ings were acquired. The buildings
and grounds now occupy an entire
square bordering on the Quirinal
Hill.
Dom Bernardo Smith, o. S. B., pro-
fessor of Dogmatic Theology at the
Propaganda, was the first pro-rector
Of the new institution. Pope Plus TX,
in a practical manner, early showed
his interest in the welfare of the in
stitution, and each of his successors
on the throne of ST. Peter has shown
his interest in the American College
del Nord" in every way possible
The American College is incorpo-
rated by the legislature of Maryland.
The present trustees are Cardinal