The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-06-03
Penn COMMENCEMENT
Baccalaureate Sermon Delivered BY
Pres. David M. Edwards.

! On Sunday evening the Friends
church was well filled with fine
audience when the opening service
of the Commencement season at
Penn college was held. The large
auditorium on Penn campus was to
have been used, but there was stlli
chilliness In the air even though
the weather was pleasant and IL was
thought that the risk would be too
great At the hour of opening the
service, Warren Cadwallader Of the
Junior class, acting as marshal, led
the Senior class in their caps and
gowns to their places In front of the
| platform. These were followed by
the graduating class of the Academy
and the two classes together made
up a total of about forty-eight of the
brightest young people that this
country affords.
The invocation was given by Rev,
&C.. d. Loehr of the First Reformed
church and this was followed by a
vocal trio, comprising Misses Marie
Kalbach. Esther Fallberg and Susie
Edwards. The Scripture lesson was
reat by Dr. l. o. Kemble of the M. Il.
church and prayer was offered by
Rev. Alexander Mckerran of the
First Presbyterian church. Follow
ing the prayer, was vocal response
by a mixed quartet consisting OF
Misses Kalbach and Edwards and
Messrs. Donald Russell and John
Whitaker. The young lady mem,
bers of the Junior class served as
/ I.,e
enberger was given place on the
platform.
The Baecaiaureate" Sermon.
DR.. ID. M. Edwards in his prelimi-
nary remarks stated that this was
the third opportunity that he had en-
joyed in preaching the baccalaureate
sermon to graduating class from
! Penn college. He congratulated the
class ON the event OF their reaching
the goal of their course and bespoke
for them a bright and glowing fu.
| ture. AS the basis of his remarks
DR.. Edwards spoke from st. John
S:32: 'Ye' shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you Free" and
his subject was Truth, the Guiding
Principle of Progress He opened
his discussion by giving a glimpse OF
st. Pauls idea of Truth and then
took up in order the obstacles that
man has to contend with, in order
to gain a true knowledge of Truth
and its value to mankind.
AS generation succeeds generation
its knowledge becomes wider and
broader and so in our search for
truth we are today more advanced in
our Investigations than were our
fathers. Mon to large extent ia
controlled by his surroundings and
existing conditions and yet in spite
4 OF the complex conditions of society
i man has the power of choosing hii
own life and destiny. All about al
is the realm of evil and it is mani
place to overcome evil and difficulty
and so succeed in life.
Science is organized knowledge
and the soul of man is his true life
There are no closed doors to thought
and as we develop character and in.
telfect in life, the possibilities of our
usefulness are almost limftless. The
various phases of physical life, intel
lectuai life, moral lite and religious
life were fully discussed and how we
gain Truth through Gods revelation
to man. Practically all of the lead
ers of thought and investigation and
craftsmanship are today college men
and women. Problems are to be
solved and they must be solved right
III order that we may achieve the
best for ourselves and for others.
Service Simple and Pleasing.
The address as a whole was a fine
production and although dealing
largely with philosophical and socio-
logical Investigations, was given the
closest attention by the large audi
ence present. The entire service
was simple and pleasing. Very lit
tie attempt was made at decorations
and in fact this seemed unnecessary
| as the quiet beauty OF the church
itself was sufficient. The audience
filed both the audience room and the
ttransept and it was a representative
one for Oskaloosa. Penn college
has passed the half century mark OF
its existence and today it stands
higher in the esteem of the people
than ever before, and all will rejoice
in the congratulations and feiicita!