Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-02-12
HIS SILVER JUBILEE
DR.. FelPs 18th Anniversary as
President OF St. Johns College
Hailed With Delight.
ENTHUSIASM AT BANQUET.
St. Johns Alumni Hold Baltimore
Banquet and Select Testimonial
Committee.

St. Johns Alunni Association held
its annual banquet on Saturday night
in Baltimore at Hotel Belvedere. Ii
was felicitous occasion, marked by
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the
presidency Of Dr. Thomas Fell, head
of the old historic college, and Presi-
dent Fell received the hearty congrat-
ulations of the alumni present, in.
cluding all those who now live in Bal
timore, and the Annapolis alumni as
we'll
The fluctuations of the New York
Alumni were presented by James A.
Fechtig, Jr., of New York, and EN-
bodied in joint resolution which will
be preserved by the entire associa-
tion of the graduates of the institu-
tion.
Upon the motion of Mr.. z. Fl. Tuck.
a resolution was adopted creating "a
committee which will select a testi-
monial to he presented the president
at the next commencement as a token
of the esteem of the Baltimore
Alumni Association. Judge Walter /.
Dawkins presided as postmaster.
DR.. Fell was among the first speak
ers
Declaring that the college had ar
rived at ''ths parting of the ways, 8"
President Fell pointed out that the
time had come when decided steps
must be taken to perpetuate the
ancient prestige of the college and
hinted that radical measures must
be taken to insure its development.
Outlining his stand in years gone
by for a Maryland State University
DR. Fell told of the contract of
alliance created in 1907 between St.
Johns College and the University of
Maryland, which, he declared, was
about to expire. This affiliation he
declared to be beneficial to the co.,
lege, giving it strength.
In closing he referred to the military
department of the college and called
attention to the number of graduates
who had recently entered the Army
He also expressed his great regret
that the detail of Lieut.. r. E. Fisher
would expire in June inasmuch as this
most difficult phase of instruction in
connection with academic work had
been performed with the utmost sat
isfaction to all concerned. The great
danger confronting the college was
the possibility of its drifting from
high collegiate standing into a simple
military academy, and, it was ques-
tionable whether the strain put on
the students to obtain rank in the
distinguished class was an actual ad-
vantage to them.
Senator Blair Lee, who followed.
pointed out that if St. Johns was IN
need of State aid the proper thing to
DO was to appeal to the Legislature.
Politics for your college" he said,
"is not such bad thing after all.
When the Maryland Agricultural Col
lege came to the Legislature and ask
ed for an appropriation of ! cent on
the taxable basis it drew our atten-
tion to that institution.
The Senator's counsel was that St.
Johns "keep at it, and make it's
wants known to Maryland's General
Assembly.
Declaring that neither physical nor
mental development alone made the
well-balanced man, Rev. R w. Hogue,
rector of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the Ascension, empha
sized the Importance of fostering
the college spirit and of welding to-
gether the lesser qualifications with
the strength of spiritual personal
ity, which he said, was the most i'm
portant of mans possessions.
While college men laid stress upon
physical development, he pointed out
that some of the most dangerous of
men were possessed Of almost per-
feet physique, giving for example
Jack Johnson and the maniac raving
in his cell.
On the other hand. he said, mere
mental development was just as dan
gerous. unless guided by morali ly,
pointing out that without education
the Mcnamara brothers might have
been mere petty criminals. instea5 !
of enmies to mankind. His call was
for dissemination of the education
which the alumni had acquired, and q
plea that they do all in their power
to urge the State to supply better ia.
ciIities for the boys and youths.
whether by passing the compulsor,
education bill of the child labor bill. .
Declaring that the small cole yes
were the nurseries of character, Mr.
Allen S. Will said that MARYLAND
owed for this reason to st. johns
and to DR.. Fell. debt which coult
never be repaid. 1t was through
the close personal association O
| the student of the institutions witt
smaller attendance, he pointed out
| that the greatest advantage wa
derived. In emphasizing this point
Mr.. Will recalled th7 fact that man,
of the prominent leaders toda,
throughout the State were graduate
| of St. Johns.
Prof. B. v. Cecil, vice-presiden
of the college, offered resolution tha
St. Johns get into the field to oppos
the Johns Hopkins University as
candidate for the proposed school o
technology. This motion was adopte
without discussion.
Among the other speakers wsr
[ Msssrs. George A. Frick and Ridgsl