The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-10-16
WHO'S WHO
IN
SOUTH
DAKOTA
BY o. w.
President Dakota Wesleyan

Said the Reverend DR.. Jenkins in
his introductory address to the stu
dents OF Dakota Wesleyan at Mitch
ell, at the opening of the school a
year ago.: THE committee to whom
was assigned the responsibility of Sc
curing a new president for you, es-
tablished their headquarters at a no
tel in st. Louis; and Oh. my, but it
was hot. | never suffered s. with
heat in all my life, etc, etc, etc. etc.
but out of it we brought the right
man, your new president, DR.. Will
liam Grant Seaman, of De Paw uni
versity, who will now address you"
Jumping to his feet to acknow-
ledge with polite bows the hailstorm
of applause which he was receiving,
DIR. Seaman, with a broad grin on
his face, said, as soon as the excite
ment had died down; Yes, L remem-
Der now, the story of a man who
went to hell U guess / shall have
permission of the younger members
OF the faculty, at least to say hell
if 4 wan to-. AS soon as he got there
he sent back to ST. Louis for hi5
~oYercoat.'
prolonged applause.)
This was a superb hit. Right then
and there the students of Dakota
Wesleyan saw that they We're not to
be presidentalized by a dead head;
but rather that a miXer-a give and
take fellow-a real live wire, if YOU
.please-had been selected to lead
them on. In other words, as DR..
jenkins had said, they had gotten
the right man. for the place.
DR.. Seaman is a mon of strong
democratic tendencies-a common,
everyday fellow whose position does
not swell his head but merely enlarg-
es his heart. He is iovial, keen and
witty; yet, pious, deep, reverent,
grand and good. He's a companion
able fellow-one that you like to
snuggle up to as your personal friend
one who makes you feel at home in
his presence; in fact, just the kind of
a man by temperament and training
that is needed for such a job as he
now holds.
President William Grant Seaman.
Nicholson come to Dakota Wesley
an as president when he was forty
four years of age. Kerkoot followed
at forty-three. DR.. Seaman took hold
of the reins, one year ago, at the age
of forty-six. The little village of
Wakarusa. in northern Indiana, was
honored with his birth on a calm No
vember morning in 1866. DIR. Seaman
therefore, entered life with the adj
vent of a new age. The civil war had
closed. Lincoln had passed from his
stage of action to a marble tomb in
Illinois. The South was to be recon-
structed. Men who had won distin-
ction on the field of battle and extin-
gushing the Confederacy, were
shrewdly seeking political %recogni-
ton. Grant, Garfield, Hayes and 9TH
erS had to be cared for AS yet a
Southerner sat in the presidential
chair. The recognized writer's of the
nineteenth century were all getting
old and leaving their literary works
behind them as a lasting heritage for
future generations. Science. art and
invention were daily revealing new
things. If the boy should catch the
progressive spirit of his age, make
suitable preparations for life and
plunge III, ne mao every cnanc 10
win. He did it,; the result is upon
us. Dakota Wesleyan never had a
more vigorous president nor a better
organizer than she has today in DR..
Seaman.
Developed Young.
AS a boy he was abnormally bright
He passed a creditable teachers eX-
animation at the g of fourteen and
taught his first school at fifteen.
Most boys at that age are just en-
tering the high school. He therefore
developed young. In actual expert
ence it will be seen that he is at least
ten years in advance of his age.
Trained Singer.
After his teaching experience he
prepared for college at Fort Wayne
Academy. From there he went to De
Pauw where he took his full college
course. While at DePauw he also
specialized in music. He has a sweet
we'll trained voice. And after his
graduation he at once became a mem
Der of the famous DePauw Male
Quartet. which sang from one side
of the continent to the other. After