The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-02
UNIVERSITY Of
FLA. IS OPENED
LARGE ENROLMENT ON FIRST
0AV or ScHooL-TWo NEW
HANDSOME BUILDINGS HAVE
BEEN COMPLETED = MANY
SPEAKERS At OPENING.


Gainesville, Oct. 1.-The formal
opening Of the University Of Florida
on Tuesday morning took place in the
chapel before . very large audience
composed Of ladies and gentlemen
from the city. the clergy, several Of
the leading city and government off,
cials, the entire faculty, and most of
the stan of the experiment station.
Students were present to an unusual
~ large number; so many indeed are
already on the grounds that every
room In the barracks is taken, In spite
Of the fact that many more rooms
have been made available for students
through the completion Of the two new
buildings. Arrangements for the &C.
commodation of still more students
however, can be made by renting
houses In the city.
During the summer many improve
ments have been made to the grounds
and buildings, the greatest consisting
in the completion Of the handsome ex-
pertinent station and science hall.
Several additions have been made to
the faculty and staff. A description
Of the improvements and sketches Of
the new men will be given at no dis
tant cate.
The opening exercises began at 9
o'clock with a Scripture lesson taken
from the fourth chapter of Paurs
Epistle to the Ephesians and read by
the Rev. DR.. Wilson of the Methodist
church. After the singing of Onward,
Christian Soldiers, President MUIR
phree made q short address, in which,
among other things, he said that this
was q day Of c0ngratulation, a day
OF rejoicing with one another, for we
are entering upon period Of great
er life In the university. He drew
attention to the improved condition OF
the campus, made mention of the
magnificent science hall just complet-
ed, and drew attention to the expert
ment station building. one of the few
buildings, II not the only building. in
the entire South devoted exclusively
to scientific research work. Through
the generosity Of friend $3.50 had
been given and expended in improving
the athletic field; $500 had been given
by a friend in Escambia county to
found scholarship. This scholarship
had been awarded to Mr.. Douglass
Of Pensacola. The president then re-
ferred to- the generous contribution of
$500 by the chamber of commerce
OF Pensacola, which sum had been
used In giving ten young men from
their county the benefits Of a ten
weeks course In agriculture. Similar
short courses would be given this
session. the first to begin on Novem-
Der 1, and which would probably be
attended by between fifty and sixty
young farmers.
The interest taken In the university
was becoming general throughout
the state. DR.. Murphree then gave a
short account of the educational his
tory Of Florida since the passage Of
the Buchanan bill. The great diff
culties were disappearing. The state
had done much OF which to be proud.
Ninety thousand dollars had been ex-
pended for an administration hall at
Tallahassee. Here science hall had
been erected at a cost Of $40 900. the
same amount had been spent in build
ing the experiment tsation. and $15,-
900 had been expended in their equip
ment. Another $4O.66O would shortly
be used for the projected engineering
hall. together with $4,000 for its
equipment.
The students had rallied around the,
best faculty in the South. Handicap
ped as the institution had been in the
past, somewhat handicapped as it still
was, such a great increase had been
made In the number Of students had
been made possible only by the loyalty
of our "old men," Already over 100
places had been reserved before the
end of the week 200 students would be
on the grounds. This was largely tn,
result of the work Of the students.
The life Of the school depended upon
the loyalty of the student body.
DR.. Murphree's address was follow
&C by talks by Mayor Matheson and
the Rev. Drs. Hay. Wilson, Cloar and
Johnson. These talks were witty, en-
couraging and uplifting.
The last speaker Of the morning
was the Hon. Frank Clark. member Of
congress from the Second district of