The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-06-04
THE COMMENCEMENT SPEAK Err

Charles Zueblin, the noted author
and lecturer OF Boston will deliver the
commencement address before the
South Dakota State College next Wed
nesday, upon the subject, democratic
Culture"
During the past nineteen years few
men have contributed more to the
civic awakening of our country than
has Mr.. Xucblin through his lectures
and writings. He is frank and out.
spoken in his criticisms, economic,
and social abuses, and scores of towns
owe to him their impetus toward high
er civic life, and thousands of indiVid-
uals have received from him a lasting
inspiration to clearer thinking and
more seful endeavor. Mr.. Iueblin is
now an independent lecturer Oh demo
cracy in literature and life, deVoting
a good portion of each season to the
discussion of the civic and municipal
problems in relation to the practical
needs of communities, being the
pioneer in the promotion of Civic Re
vivals.
In 1902 Mr.. Zueblin's first book vas
published, american Municipal Pro,
gress." and in 1905 his Decade of
Civic Development" was issued by the
University of Chicago Press. In the
latter, he sketches with a few bold
strokes what he calls the culture his
tory" of the American people since
the Civil War; the industrial expan-
sion, vast but without order; the grad
ual change of ideals from the theolo-
g'cal an dindividualistic in the seven
ties to the ethical and social at the
end of the nineteenth century. I'VE are
working out" says the author, "a new
application of the old French motto, in
that we demand liberty for the worker,
equality for the citizen, fraternity for
the man" The Civic Renascence,"
as he calls it, is shown to be a great
movement, comparable to the
Civil Wal and the reconstruction per
iod. In 1908 was published his Re
ligion of a Democrat" which is a frank
discussion of the demands made upon
by the spirit of true demo
cracy. In 1910 appeared democracy
and the Overman," a consideration of
various aspects of the effort to make
master of the mob, the servant of
the people. Mr.. Zueblin's analysis OF
the national campaign of 1908 outlined
the Progressive Movement of today.
Mr.. Zueblin has been identified with
the American League for Civic I'M
provement (of which he was president
n 19O1-2); the School Extension Com
and the Vacation School Board
Chicago; and the Vocation Bureau
Boston. In addition to his timer
ant %lecturing, he edited the Twentieth
Magazine, in Boston, during
the year 1911-12. When the Univer-
sity of Chicago was founded in 1892,
was made instructor in sociology
md by 1902 he had been advanced to
4 professorship, a position he held
until his resignation. During the six
zen years he was at the University
as an instructor, his main work was
in the larger field of public life. A
of each year was devoted to
Iecturing for the Extension Depart
of the University. His expert
of American cities is large
" the result of these lecture journeys,
which, involving as they did more than
$50, 900 miles of travel in the sixteen
years, furnished an. unusual opportun'
for an exhaustive study of the civic
and municipal problems of cities, large
and small, in all sections of the United
States and abroad.