The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-28

| has no other and whose labors and love
| for the University of Alabama will never
| be forgotten. OF course. / refer to Mrs.
Amelia Gorgas and I suggest as fitting
memorial to this beloved woman, a great
| Gorgas library.
| "Of course I realize that the 100000
needed for such library cannot be sup
piled by the alumni, but the alumni can
/ band themselves together and scatter a
| sentiment over the state SO that when
| the legislature meets the next time we
| can have a bill passed by which the state
can help the alumni by appropriation to
| erect this library
| motion was made and adopted that
the legislation committee of the society
| be instructed to prepare bill to be acted
/ upon by the next state legislature for this
purpose.
| Debate on the question of asking for
| federal appropriation to restore buildings
to the university which were destroyed
by fire during the civil war was opened
| by II. F. Reese of Selma a we'll known
| alumni of the university.
| Some time ago while in Washington"
said Mr.. Reese, IT heard Senator Dupont
make a speech on the floor of the Sem
| ate in which he plead for a federal ap-
propriations to restore to the Virginia
military institute the loss that, that in
| stitution received in the ravages of the
civil war.
That was some time ago and the fact
| that a northern senator had championed
cause of that kind has been. stirring
/ in my mind ever since. At that time we
| did not have nearly SO much representa-
| ton in Congress as we have today, when
| as a matter of fact Alabama wields prob
| ably more power in Congress than any
other state, and for that reasons appears
| to me that we could obtain a federal
/ riat IN IN Ia hq ma 10
buildings which were burned during the
| civil war"
Walter d Seed. lieutenant governor
and a candidate for governor, took the
floor and stated that he merely wanted
| to warn the society that when consider
ing such action 1t would be well to bear
| in mind that appropriations already had
been made to the university which were
In part a payment of the losses received
| during the war
Especially the money secured by United
States Senator John Il. Morgan. Hill
Ferguson of Birmingham also spoke of
this feature and a motion was then passed
| by which the new President and the two
new vice presidents were instructed to
| inquire into the appropriations which al
ready had been made and see III the
university was entitled to anything more.
Then If so the committee was authorized
to form a plan of procedure by which it
might be obtained.
| A. S. Vandegraaff of Tuscaloosa at this
time made a ringing appeal for more en-
couragement to be given to the intellec-
tual features of the university. He stat
| ed that at the oratorical contests last
year for the trustees prize there was
not trustee present and at the same
! contest this year there was one trustee
present and that the greatest handicap
| any speakers ever had to face had been
presented to the speakers on both occa-
sions in the nature of a very small au-
dience
| 1T Is all right to encourage and develop
| the athletic features of the university
and we have done So" he said amid
cheers. Mr.. vandegraaff has had four
sons on the football team. But in the
zeal over athletics do not let us forget
the higher side of the institution"
| Alumni OratOrical Prizes
| Mr.. Vandegraaff made a motion that
the alumni society set aside certain
sum to award five prizes of S25 to each
speaker from the senior class every year
at the annual oratorical contest. The
motion was adopted and 1t was decided
| to raise a fund of $1,000 which, when
placed on interest would provide the fund
| of $125 each year.
| A hot debate was launched by Treas
urer Fits when he suggested that $500
| which had been raised by the class OF
| '96 be loaned to the educational fund un-
| til there was some other use for it, as
| 1t was lying idle at the present time.
| Thisk fund of $500 was raised for gym
nasilfm at the university and was to be
duplicated by every succeeding class. In
stantly Hill Ferguson, Robert Jemison,
| Sr, Mr.. Reese and many others were
on their feet, some opposing and others
| favoring the motion. After lively de-
bate the motion was finally tabled and
a substitute adopted by which the educa-
tional fund treasurer was authorized to
loan the gymnasium fund of $500 on
per cent or larger interest and that it
| should be kept intact as a nest egg for
what in time will become fund large
enough to build a badly needed gymna
| sum.
J Educational Fund Increased
| Treasurer Fits then made an appeal
for the increasing of the educational fund
of the society by $1,000 and stated he
would be the first of 10 to contribute
sl00
Within a few minutes the, money had
been raised, the following being among
| the subscribers W. F. Fits, 800; j. X.
Bell of Cordova, 500; DR.. Alston Fits
| of Tuscaloosa, 500; Hugh Morrow of
Birmingham, 500; J. e. Willoughby, 500;
W. W. Brandon in the name of X. Z.
| Nabors $50: w. S. Keller, $50; E. Perry
Thomas. Eufaula, $50; C. II. Young, $50;
Dr. Thomas Manassas, $50; DR.. George
Denny, $25; d. II. Brown, s25; John Nc
| David, $25; Sam Friedman. S25; W. P. G.
Harding. Ss5: J. C. Dubose of Birming-
ham, s25; Class of '93, 500; Jack Abb
| bott, $685. A. l.. Tyson of Montgomery,
SIS. and Robert Jemison, Sr., 500.
Plan to Protect Fund
After the money had been raised Ron
ert Jemison, Sr., of Birmingham took