Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1910-08-05

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GURATI0NS|
OF, FRANK s. McvEY's ADMIN
sTRATloN. AT STATE. UNIvER.
sITY, SEPT. 27-2s.
The coming September, the 9th,
2Sth, and 10Th, the University Of North
Dakota will formally inaugurate the
administration -Gof its new President,
Frank l.. McVey, Phi. D., LID. During
the first six years, three men success:
siyely guided the destinies of, the Uni
versity. The first, Rev. William M,
Blacburn, D., D., LID, was a graduate
Of Princeton, and for a number of
years held different pulpits in eastern
cities, during which time. he also &C
quired national reputation as lectur-
er and author. The year 1862 Dr.
Blackburn spent in Europe, devoting
himself to Ecclesiastical studies, re-
turning to become pastor of large
church in Trenton, N. J. Princeton
and Worcester conferred honorary de-
grees in recognition of his services
and scholarship.
From 1868 to 1881, Dr. Blackburn
was on the Faculty of the Theological
Seminary of the Northwest, resigning
to accept passionate in Cincinnati, o.
A trip to Devils Lake brought him in
the summer of 1884, to the notice of
North Dakota educators, and he was
proffered and accepted the presidency
of the State University then just start
ing. He served the. institution dur
ing it's initial year.
President Montgomery was grad
uate of Victoria University, for three
years student in the Medical Depart
ment of Toronto University, and later,
some time student in John Hopkins.
He was Science Master in the Toronto
City Collegiate Institute and, for five
years, on the medical staff of Toronto
University. In 1884, Professor Mont
gomery became Professor of Science
and Vice-President in the new Univer-
sity of North Dakota. Here he labored
for five years, the last two as acting
head of the institution. He conducted
scientific explorations in the Black
Hills country and his collection of
minerals and fossils ranked among
the finest.
The year of 18S9-90 he spent in the
New York State Normal School at
Cortland, accepting call thence to the
new territorial University Of Utah.
Here he conducted many invaluable
scientific expeditions, and labored his
recall in 1894 to the University of
Toronto. -- - ..-.,,....,,... .-,
The next president was a Yale man.
President Sprague had been prin'
cipal in New England schools, law
yer, veteran of the Civil War, a col.
lege president, editor, and lecturer
and was the founder of the first sum.
mer school in existence, located at
Marthas Vineyard, Mass. The period
1859, he was at the head OF the
University of North Dakota. We car
best speak of his labors here by quot
ing from the resolutions passed by
the Trustees on his designations:
"Resolved, that we accord to hin
a great measure of praise for the pres
ent high position which the Univer
sity has attained. and are impressed
with the belief that his connection
with this institution will be brigh
page in its history of all time to come.
To the next president, Webster Mer
rifield, is to be ascribed much cred1
for the success Of the institution. He
too, was a graduate of Yale and TO
some time instructor in that Unive1
sity. He, too, came to North Dakot'
e and, as the story goes, he walked tn
distance from Fargo to Grand Forks
there being no railroads connecting
/ Coming to Dakota to seek his fortune
he found lure too tempting and, tfu
to his instincts, became part Of tn
new University. During the few year
he served on the Faculty, he taugh
classics and economics, was genera
officer, dominic, and universal comics
sor to the boys-and it was only natu1
al that, in time, he should come to b
regarded as suitable presidential tin
Der. During his administration, prt
gress was steady and, in spite of n
verses, the new Institution grew i
strength, numbers, and prestige. TIL
teaching force increased to more tina
forty and the student enrolment ros
to more than eight hundred. In add
ton to unstinted services, Presider
Merrifeld gave generously of hi
means. It was in sincere appreciatio
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