Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-10

citizenship. To the growth and deve-
lopment the faculty have contributed
the greatest share. They had high
ideals towards which they we're con-
stantly striving. They are men each
with his own peculiar strength who
have willingly united to promote any
cause which promised to help the
College In the great work that was
before It. The development and
growth of the College is the result
Of their patient persistence. You,
Mr.. President in public address on
former occasion have spoken of
the Soul Of the Community / have
endeavored to show you through their
work the Soul of the faculty. They
are the men whose thoughts, whose
dreams, whose aspirations have
shaped the internal workings of the
College. / bring to you the message
that you can surely count upon the
loyal and hearty support OF the facul-
ty In every measure OF policy that
looks towards the upbuilding of De-
laware College. May ! be permitted
to express to you personally my
| confidence in you as q leader who
will clearly express the aspirations
of the College and who will wisely
direct its energies into wider use
! fulness"
Mr. Ridgely Lauds College.
Henry Ridgely, president of the State
Board of Education in his address said;
1T is not for Delaware College alone
that this day and this event are rich
with promise. Il is not for an indepen-
dent institution of learning that this
ceremony has its fullest meaning. Be
side and beyond and infinitely more, is
/ the fact this college is part an integral
part, of the educational system of the
entire State.
"When Just short Of half a century
ago, Delaware College became, under the
acts of March Ia, 1867, an institution of
the State in fact, there was no public
school system in Delaware. There were
public schools there were more than
three hundred school districts within our
boundaries, but they represented more
than three hundred individual units, UNI
related and unfederated. There was no
State Board, no State Commissioner of
Education There was no county sup
intendent, except nominally, an unremu-
nerated official whose authority did not
extend to the teacher, and whose duty
stopped short Of the school room. There
was no body OF official to determine or
test the qualifications of teachers. The
law enioined upon the local committee
that they should employ No teacher
whom they shall not have Just ground 20
believe to be of good moral character,
and well qualified to teach reading, writ
ing, arithmetic and English grammar,
but provided that for female teachers,
mark the special favor to the SEX
the qualifications of reading and writing
may be sufficient Out ia total popu-
lation of l25Ol5 there were 1895 per-
sons over ten years of age who could
not read, and 23,l00 who could not write.
school population between and Is
years. of 4O,sO7 only 1895 were attend
ing school. .
"The years between-from then until
nOw-have been years of progress. They
have not been marked by quick achieve
ments. There have been no forcd
marches in the movement for school re-
form. Our people are not prone to i'm
pulsiEe enthusiasm. They are like theiI
own soil, which yields to time, TO labor
and to patience, its kindly fruits. The
progress has been real It has been a
growth, essentially a growth through the
people It has not come from one side.
lie has come from the bottom up and
from the top down. and yet that growth
is still incomplete. Il is to the future
that we must look for full fruition."
Delaware College has played part
I'm the evolution of our schools, but
hence forward I predict that part
shall be predominant. Already
through the Summer School, es-
tablished in 1918, she has begun to
mould the teaching in the State.
Soon through her Woman's College,
she shall become increasingly the
mother of them that teach. / see
for her an opportunity shot with
promise for the State. She shall set
the standards of education. She shall
not come down to the standards OF
the schools, but they shall build up
to her. She shall become the key
note of the arch which is education.
"And yet II Is not as a source of
technical instruction nor of cultural
studies that she will play her greatest
part, but as the centre Of inspiration
for finer things, for better citizen
ship, for truer manhood.
"'Fo you, Mr.. President, I bring
the greeting of a thousand teachers
of more than $4,000 pupils Of our
schools. It Is a good work which
has such numbers for its object, and
these are but a part. Your influ-
ence shall extend throughout the
State. Il shall reach every man.
every woman. every child in Della
ware. You build not for today, nor
for tomorrow, but for all time. We
pledge you our faith and our aid
We count ourselves happy to be with
you i'm such work and you who give
and we who receive snail be blessed
in its doing"
Installation Address.
The short installation address was
made by Chancellor Curtis as fol
! lows: ION behalf of the Board OF
Trustees of Delaware College, and in
its name, I hereby install you, Sam
: uel Chiles Mitchell. Phi. d.. as Presi-
, dent of Delaware College and bestow
on YOU all the rights and powers OF
} the office and impose on you all its
! duties and responsibilities. In token
whereof I give into your hands the
KEYS of the college, a smybol of your
responsibility TO keep watch that
none enter here unprepared, or de-
I part hence untitled. / also deliver
to you the charter and bylaws 81
the corporation, the source of your
authority and your guide in the use
} of II. Having full confidence that
! your powers will be exercised with
: wisdom, courage. and patience. anC
g. your duties performer with fidelity
zeal and efficiency, and p,edging YOU
the support and cooperation of the
Trustees and Faculty, the Alumni