Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-07-21
A GREAT DAY FOR
FISK UNIVERSITY
Charles {, Stowe Delivered
Annual Address to the
Graduating Class.
MANY PROMINENT VISITORS
FlFTY.sEvEN GRADUATES RE.
cElVED THEIR DIPLOMAS At
THE NASHVILLE INSTITUTE.

Nashville, Tenn.-The commence
ment exercises at Fisk university this
year were as interesting as any the
famous old university ever had. Thou.
sands attended the several celebra-
tions, and many could not gain en-
trance to the hall on the day that
Charles E. Stowe. son OF Harriet
Beecher Stowe, delivered the annual
address. President Gates, who Is
making a determined effort to raise
100000, needed to put the university
on good footing, was highly pleased
with the enthusiasm manifested by
both the visitors, students and citi.
zens of Nashville,
PromiH.nt Visitors.
Many prominent visitors were pres
ent during the week. Booker r.
washington, who stopped over on his
way to Wilberforce, occupied seat
on the platform on commencement
day. Others present included Hon. j.
C. Napier. register of the United
States treasury; D. r. Lin Cave, who
made a comment upon the address
delivered by Mr.. Stowe; Clinton j..
Galloway, one of the commencement
orators. and many Of the distin-
guished townspeople,
Every effort will be put forward
during the summer to make a sue
cessful campaign among colored PEG.
pie all over the country to raise a
large part of the money that the
school needs. Several wealthy friends
of the university are willing to lend a
helping hand, but they want to see
what the colored people themselves
will do for their greatest university.
Or. Stoves Grafton.
Chief interest centered in Mr..
Stowe. not only because of his rela.
tionship to Harriet Beecher Stowe,
but also because he has made first.
hand investigation OF conditions in
the south, and has reputation as an
observant student In the course OF
his address he made many interest.
ing statements and gave altogether
an address out Of the ordinary
At the conclusion of his address
Mr.. Stowe read two letters. one from
ex-President Roosevelt and the other
from President Taft. The president
said after a long study of the matter
he IS Convinced that 1t is necessary
to have a few high-class negro uni
versities for those who are to be the
leaders of the race" and further
that nothing can do so much toward
establishing real nucleus for lead
ership among them as the mainten
ance Of such university as Fisk"
Mr.. Roosevelt sent the following
letter:
'T most earnestly commend your
work You do not need to he tod
how emphatically I favor Industrial
education for the colored man, no less
than for the white: but cordially
agree with Booker Washington in his
support of Fisk. because 1t is emf
nently undesirable that the negro
! should have only chance to re,
technical education in industry anG
agriculture.
| with the negro, as with the white
| Whllt SuCli u lIIdt OF VINCE
there is fundamentally the creates,
| need for the greatest number, it Is
yet imperative for the sake Of the
race that there shall be opportunity
for furnishing a different tyne Of
training for a certain proportion Of
the race.
Fisk has behind it a long record
I of proved efficiency and its present
work is of high merit, not only from
! the standpoint of the colored man
but from the standpoint of the good
citizen generally"
Fffty-seven graduates all told re
ceived diplomas, % receiving the de
gree of bachelor Of arts. 9 the degree
OF bachelor of science. 20 diplomas
from the normal department, 4 from
the department Of domestic science
and l from the department of music
Fisk never enjoyed a finer year.