The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-31
F. H. CROCKARD DELIVERS
OBLIGATORY ADDRESS
ION Is Principal Speaker at Open =
ing of New building of Geo.
logical Department
BY WALTER HARPER


weather brought out a large attendance
at the formal dedication of the two new
buildings of the Alabama university this
morning.
| Frank II. Crockard. vice president and
general manager of the Tennessee Coal,
Iron and Railroad company, delivered the
dedcatory address at Conner hall, the new
| building Of the engineering department.
| DR.. Joseph Austin Holmes of the United
States Geological survey delivered the adj
dress at Smith hall, the new building of
the geological department and museum
of the Alabama Geological survey.
Both speeches were timely and scholar
ly and were listened TO with close atten-
tion by those present.
The dedication exercises at Conner hall
were held in the main lecture room of the
building.
In introducing the speaker President
| John W. Abercrombie expressed regret
| that Governor Conner. for whom the build
| ing was named, could not be present on
account of a recent accident. President
Abererombie reviewed briefly the history
| of the university from its earliest organ
| !zation. He reviewed the many Difficult
| ties and failure that attended the early
establishment of the school, its financial
struggles through and following the war
and its later struggles with insufficient
support from the state which had become
| debtor to the institution through the we'll
! known land grant transaction.
Liberal support of state
| He called attention to the more liberal
support that had been granted the insti-
tuition by the new state constitution,
which increased the annual Interest on
the admitted Indebtedness from $4,000 to
S36000 per annum and the liberal appro-
priations that had been made by the last
legislature. He also referred in compli-
| mentary terms to the valuable support
that is being given the university by the
present state administration.
when the trustees and officers of the
university, with the liberal appropriations
for new buildings and equipment looked
| about for suggestions and plans for the
enlargement of the work of the institution
| they called upon the industrial and bus-
ness interests of the state for practical
! suggestions" he said. I'VE wanted to
make the university more vitally practical
for the boys and girls of Alabama.
Among others In the Birmingham dis
trict Mr.. Crockard of the Tennessee COM
pany suggested an engineering depart
ment. This building with its various
branches of engineering instruction and
utility is the result of that suggestion.
I'VE are proud of the building and tho
new department and I am glad that one
| of the leading industrial men of Ala
bama, one of those who suggested and
has encouraged the organization of this
department, is here to assist in the dedi-
cation of the building.
| II take pleasure in introducing to you
Mr.. Frank II. Crockard."
Mr.. Crockard spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gent men-
We are here assembled for the purpose
of participating in one of those import
ant events which later become epochal
as marking the birth of new era.
'"The University of Alabama, through
its splendidly equipped engineering build
ing-Comer hall-now takes rank with
other leading state universities which
| have long since recognized the engineer
ing branches as part OF their curricula.
| Il know not why DR.. Abercrombie has
| honored me with an invitation to deliver
the dedlcatory address. unless it be my
| connection as an engineer with import
ant mining and metallurgical work and
as a representative of industrial organ
| ization. AS such, l desire to congratulate
the president. the trustees and the gradu-
ates. upon the realization of what has
been one of their fondest hopes. and to
offer hearty good wishes, in which ex-
preston I know the engineering profess
sion of the south desire to join.
LAS Alabamians. we contemplate with
pride this imposing structure of the
architects conceit; this substantial hall
of the artisans skill; this symbol of
modernism-an engineering school.
| Firmly builded in response to the re-
| cuirements of commonwealth now pull
sating with development work COM
mensurate with its fabulous natural
wealth. It stands In the dignity and
beauty OF its almost classic simplicity.
| Designed and equipped for a special
work, 1t bids welcome to the youth of
the southland. believing that under its
protecting dome the ambitious student
will find every facility for acquiring that
preliminary knowledge and skill so essen
tial in his engineering career.
| But marble hall gilded minaret
never made an engineer. 1 would. there
| fore, speak of the substance. rather than
| the shadow. and have taken as my sub
ject the engineer and his relation to
| society.
LAS society is undergoing successive
changes. we are at once interested in its
present state and early future.
Until recently the United States was
pre-eminently an agricultural country, but
gradually we are becoming manufactur-
| Ing nation: steadily we are consuming an
increasing proportion of the products OF
the soil leaving less and less for export.
and just as steadily the balance of trade
has been going against us.
| "If we are not to become and remain
debtor nation, we must preserve our
credit by sales abroad of our securities
or our manufactured products: and III
doing so, we meet not an army of Euro
| pean soldiers, but an army of skilled ar
| tisans, trained in part In the trade school
and offcered by engineers.
Time. that ruthless equalizer. steadily
brings us face to face with another Inn
portant factor. viz: the gradual diminu-
tion of our raw materials and the estab-
|