The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-10

of teaching of experimental investiga-
 tion and of extension work and the car
 rying of the findings in the laboratory to
 the men and women on the farm.
 W. K. Terry of Birmingham acted as
 toastmaster at the enthusiastic gathering of alumni today. A number of promi- nent Alabamians were present and re- sponded to toasts. Among the number being John T. Ashcraft, Florence; Dr. H O. Melee. Marion; T. s. Frazier. Union Springs, President T. W. Palmer, Mon tevallo; D. J. Meader. Marengo county; J. c. Street, Opelilxa; T. c. Locke. Mont gomery; A ". Bell, Anniston: Walton, Auburn; L. N. Duncan, Auburn, and President Thach. Dr. Drake and Dr. R. c. Pearsons.
 After the luncheon short business
 meeting of the alumni association was held, at which the old officers were re-
 elected
 President, Thomas Bragg. Auburn; sec
 retary and treasurer, R. D. Webb, Au-
 burn; orator for 1915 Walter C. Whitaker Nashville, Tenn.
 Betterment of Rural Conditions The great problem calling for solution in Alabama today is the betterment Of
 rural life conditions" declared the Rev. Thomas Mangum, Union Springs, who de- livered the annual alumni oration at Au- burn this morning.
  ton of the Polytechnic to the rural life of the state. For many years" said Mir. Mangum, we have been made phil anthropists; have contributed wealth to remove vice, crime, sin and want But until very recently we have neglected the great homogeneous rural popula- ton of the nation and as consequence thousands from the rural districts have moved to the cities, thus making more serious the great problem of life In rural communities. Especially undesir- able are the conditions which prevail in country communities in the south
 '"rhe social life of the rural com munities all demand attention. trans portation facilities, methods of com munication, the great need of the rural districts is education along social lines and to attain that the country superin- I tendents must be capable and must CO.,
 operate with the state department of education"
 1 MT Mangum urged the making of the school a social center where the young people could have amusements and en- tertainments as well as receive in-
 structions.
 q glory in the announcement made today" said MT. Mangum, that Monte
 vallo and Auburn are joinings hands in
 the great work of extension which will
 carry information from the colleges
 direct to the people on the farms" The speaker urged local taxation for
 educational purposes as the only method
 of securing good common schools, and
 at the same time making it possible for the state to properly support the higher Institutions of learning.
 Auburn has done great work" said
 MT. Mangum. flor 40 years she has
 stood true to the objects for which she
 was founded. and today her influence
 Is felt in every field of activity in tho state."
 Ross Portrait Uns eiled | A feature of the alumni exercises was
 the unveiling of partrait of pr.
 Charles Hunter Ross, formerly profess
 sor of modern languages at Auburn, which was presented to the college by 1 his friend, A. s. McKissick of South Carolina.
 In the unavoidable absence of MT Mo- Kissick the presentation speech was
 made by T. D. Sanford of Opelika- Pres
 ident Thaoh accepted the memorial in
 the name of the college.
 l The portrait Is an artistic work and
 was painted by a Birmingham artist,
 Mrs. E. K. Smith.
 Award Diplomas Today l President Thach will Wednesday
 morning award diplomas to the follow | ing graduates:
 l Bachelors of Science | Ernest Clifton Adkins, Jefferson; Odis Dennitt Allbritten. Marshall; Porter Weakley Allen, Florida; Andrew Hill
 Barnett, Bullock Cleburn Ammen
 Basore, Jefferson; James Edward Baze-
 more, Coosea Robert Ferdinand Angelo Benson. Mobile; Benjamin Paul Blasen- game, Lee; Otto Brown Choctaw; John
 Luther Bryan, Lee; Peter DeMarkus l Burks, Jr., Georgia; James Reid Camp l bell, Jr., Macon; Henry Gray Carter, Georgia; William Taylor Cheney, Ma
 rengo; Charles Hadley Cooper Georgiaa
 John Marvin Davis, Jefferson; Martin Mc- 1 Clenon Davis, Georgia Harry Price I Dixey, Louisiana; Benjamin Ellsworth I Evans, Lee; Herbert Houston Farr Jef- ferson; William Bernie Farrar, Marshall; | further Trezevant Feaster. Jr Jeffer- son; Willard Woodfin Fendley Blount; I Enoch Dortch Fly Jefferson; Roger Je-
 rome Franklin, North Carolina; Edward | Lawrence Glider Montgomery; Homer l Henry Gossett, Georgia: Cecil Stewart l Grimes. Georgia; Robert Lawrence | Groover Georgia; Gustave Adolph Han son, Florida; Arthur Sellars Heard, | Lee; John Jesse Heard, Lee; Charles Levi Hollinsworth, Talladega; Louis Holbrook Howard. Mississippi l Lemuel Jasper Howell, Marion; Andrew | Ragan Jackson, South Carolina; Percy | Lee Jones, Lauderdale; James Coleman Lee, JenerSon; John huSn Lester, GeOr- gia; Lester Hickman Lewis, Bibb; Eugene
 Mason Lindsay, Georgia; James Jackson Lovelace, Eseambia Robert Morris Mar | tin, Marion Hugh Lester Mayors La mar; Manley Foster Meador, Marengo; | Ivan Wilfred- Miller, Walker: Paul Min his, Mobile Porter Nixon, Houston; Charles David Moon, Coosa: Alexander
 Edwin Morrow, Tuscaloosa; Roland Hall Neel, Georgia; Charles Stott Noble, Cal houn; John Williams Pace. Jr., Lee;
 Loomis Gay Pearson. Randolph; Law renee Whetstone Rainey, Talladega:
 John Enoch Riley. Jefferson; Otto Kar- thaus Seyforth. Madison; Chester A. Stewart, Fayette; Bedding Stancill Sugg, North Carolina; Charter Howard Taylor, Autauga; Annie Elizabeth Terrell, Lee; Arthur Joel Thigpen, Lee; Henry Asa Vaughan, Marengo; George Sidney Waits,
 Covington; James Sebastian Watts. Wal