Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-11-29

at least one or two years of the best
type of professional training"
c. L. Starr, exHSecretary of the
board of normal regents, created a
sensation when he applied the term OF
.'the grandest old educator in the
State of Oregon" to Mayor Hawley.
Among the other speakers were #.
e. Chambers, of Toledo, joint Repre-
sentative from Polk and Benton coun-
ties, and G. Z. Hawley, Of Mccoy Joint
Senator from Polk and Benton. The
Invocation was offered by Rev. Duns-
more, of Independence, and there were
vocal solos by Mrs. George Conkey, Of
independence; Mrs. Allen Clark, OF
Monmouth, and Rev. Mr.. Davis. A re-
ception followed the programme.
Banquet Is Served.
In the morning sumptuous BAN
quet was served by the Monmouth
Women's Reading Club in the historic
old gymnasium of the Normal
grounds Nearly 500 people sat down
at the tables. The hall was prettily
decorated and at each table were cards
bearing the inscription, welcome the
o. S. N. s.; 10S61; Multnomah 6012;"
indicating the majorities received for
the Monmouth bill from the state at
large and from Multnomah County.
Following the banquet the guests
adjourned to the assembly hall of the
school, where the programme was
given.
Monmouth Normal Schools history
extends back to 1856, established pri-
marily for the purpose of educating
the children of the pioneers who re-
sided in this immediate neighborhood.
Mrs. Elizabeth Lucas is probably the
only living person who aided in orig
inally establishing the institution, her
husband, A. w. Lucas. now dead, do
mating some of the land which now
constitutes the Normal School grounds.
Grandma" Lucas was unable to be
present at the celebration, owing to
her advanced age, but she appreciates
School as much as any.
During the COS the Christian denom-
nation took over the Monmouth Uni
versity and the school was rechristen-
ed Christian College. In 1869 T, f..
Campbell became president of the
school. His son, p. L. Campbell, is now
president Of the University of oregon.
President T. F. Campbell was law
yer, a minister and an educator. In
all he ranked high, but he was best
known as an educator, and in the
early days, under his influence, Christ
ian College became one of the most
powerful educational factors in the
Northwest.
Prominent Men Graduates.
During his time Christian College
graduated men who are now prom
inent in the affairs of the state. Fed
eral Judges Bean and Wolverton are
both graduates of the school. Judge
George III. Burnett, recently elected as
Justice of the Supreme Court; United
States Senator George H. Mcbride and
many others who have attained prom
inence were included among the grad
uates. President Campbell presided at
the cornerstone laying of the present
college building.
In 1882 J. ID. Lee. of Dallas. pre-
sented a bill at the Legislature which
became a law and which created the
Oregon Normal School from the
Christian College. For 10 years this
normal was conducted without appro-
priation of any kind from the state,
but in 1898 the school received it's
first appropriation and was fostered
and developed by the state until the
Legislature saw fit to wipe out the
normal schools by refusing to further
money for their existence.
Once more the people of this vicinity
showed their loyalty to the historic
and nearly $4,000 was
raised.
For two years the school was finan-
ced by private subscriptions. There Is
still little money in the treasury.
It is the hope of Monmouth people
to see the school reopened next Sep
tember. Whether this will be possible
is a question of some doubt, inasmuch
as the bill provides for a normal
school fund and It is not fully decided
whether the levy will come from this
years taxes or next, and there is a
bare possibility that the school can
not open until 1912. although Mon
mouth people believe IL possible for
the Legislature to avoid this conting-
ency by an appropriation. The state
board of normal regents will have
control of the school. Monmouth peo-
pie seem to be universally in favor of
the reinstatement Of E. ID. Ressler,
president Of the school.
The committee that promoted the
for the Monmouth Alumni
consisted of William d.
Judge Burnett, j. c. McCue.
J. B. v. Butler Ira c. Powell and A. c.
Hampton. Mr.. Butler stated satur-
day that the committee is desirous of
extending its most heartfelt thanks
to the press OF the state for the al
most unlimited assistance given I'm
promoting the work Of the association
in it's fight for the bill.