St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-10-11
INAUGURATION AT 0. v. NJ.
Great Gathering of Educators to
Witness the Installation of Pres.
Benton.

Benton.
Burlington in all her history new
er saw such an assembly of dis
tinguished men and women as were
there Thursday to attend the inaugu
ration of DIR. Guy Potter Benton as
president of the University of YER
mont. One hundred or more of the
prominent colleges of the United
States and Canada sent their repre-
sentative scholars to do honor to
the man selected to succeed the late
President M. H. Buckham and to
carry the policies of that distinguish
ed educator to their supreme fulfill
ment; some of the foremost scienti-
fic and learned societies of America
sent distinguished delegations; al
umni, who have made their mark
in business and professional circles,
returned once again to bid god
speed to alma mater on the academ-
ic journey she is about to make
under new guiding hand Alto
gether it was a most memorable day
in the annals of a historic town and
historic university.
The program of the day
began with an address of
welcome by Mayor Robert
Roberts, followed by the presen-
tation of messages of greetings
from the many educational institu-
tions represented When these for
malities were concluded the assem-
blage listened to brief addresses de-
! livered by a number of the noted
educators present. Prof. Norman
w. Dewitt of the University of To-
ronto, spoke for the foreign univer-
stiles, and President William o.
| Of iaS fob mi Nv
presented the greeting of the state
universities. Among the other
prominent speakers were the fol-
! lowing: President Arthur T. Hadley
of Yale, for the Association of Amer
lean Universities; w. w. Jordan, for
the agricultural and mechanical col
! leges and experiment stations; DR..
Andrew F. West of Princeton, for
the universities of the East; Presi-
dent Edmund J. James of the Uni
versity of Illinois, for the univer-
sites of the West; President John
N. Tillman of the University of Ar
kansas, for the universities of the
South President William A. Shank
lin of Wesleyan University, for the
/ universities of New England; Pres
ident John H. Finley of the College
of the City of New York, for city
colleges and universities; President
Mary A. Woolley of Mount Hol-
yoke, for the woman's colleges, and
President L. H. Murlin of Boston
University, for UNCONVENTIONAL col
leges and universities.
Other speakers were heard in be-
half of the United States bureau of
education, the Carnegie foundation
for the advancement of learning, the
educational and religious press and
of
Baker University, Upper Iowa Uni
versity and Miami University, three
of the institutions with which DR..
Benton has been associated in his
career as an educator, were specially
represented.
The Inauguration exercises proper
took place in the afternoon in
Strong theatre, with the Hon. Elias
Lyman, who has been acting presi-
dent of the university, presiding. An
academic procession across the
campus preceded the exercises. The
bishop of Vermont opened the cere-
! monies with prayer. Darwin P.
Kingsley of New York spoke for
board of trustees. Other speakers
represented the alumni, the faculty
and the student body. Governor
Mead administered the oath of Of
fee, following which the new presi-
dent delivered his inaugural adj
dress.
President Benton's inaugural.
After paying deep tribute to his
predecessor, Matthew Henry Buck
ham, President Benton took up his
subject, Education and the State"
saying:
1.-THE state university is the con-
summation and the elimination of
no T1 +
clear, then, representing as it does
the highest possible achievement in
public education, that the state uni
versity owes certain inevitable OBJ
legations for service? There is an
obligation owing first of all to the
country at large. State lines are
only imaginary, and the state is
useful in largest measure only as it