Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-01-13
COLLEGE CHAPEL
OPENING ADDRESS
President Crooks Gives In
teresting Talk to Large
Student Body
SUBJECT IS WELL CHOSEN
development of Personally" II
Topic of Well Delivered
Address.

The first chapel service after vaea-
tion was held Tuesday morning at
8:45. President Crooks gave a very
interesting and beneficial address on
the subject Development Of Person
atty"
In the few minutes available, Presi-
dent Crooks clearly outlined what we
are to understand by the word per
sonality." Further he explained the
chief factors in the development and
growth of personality. By means Of
numerous examples and an interviewer
thread of humor he succeeded in close
ly holding the attention of his
audience and in clearly conveying his
conception of the subject
He opened his address by picturing
examples Of men who have risen in
the world, men who have succeeded
and won some OF earth's honors, not
by any particular outstanding physi-
cal or mental trait but rather by a
certain intangible and yet highly ap-
parent quality which seemed TO rad
late from the inner life, thereby at
tracing the good in the world and
dispelling the evil This quality which
at once is so intangible and powerful
in lifting a man is what we call per
sonality. From the examples of the
lives of many men we were lead 70
conclude that personality is after all
the most potent force in success. We
were lead to believe that as Lyman
Abbott says, "The greatest and most
vital power in influencing life is per
sonality. 1t is greater than law, in
, struction or example"
But if this be true what are we to
understand constitutes that which we
call personality and where and how
may it be secured? In the first place
is personality the direct product of
the physical. In answering this ques-
tion he pointed our attention to the
men to whom the world has given
t great honors and who have made it .
5 little better or worse by their ex-
istence" We recall from our history
, that Alexander, Napoleon, Louis XIV.
: and Caesar were men of uniformly
! small stature. And further they wers
a men who often were subject to sick
= ness. We are told that Paul suffered
:. during most of his life from "thorI
! in the flesh" that Caesar and Naps-
70 leon were often hindered in their WORK
by epilepsy. Down thru the ages the
: men who have accomplished most have
been men who were nearly always Of
G small stature and of only fair physi-
e que. Further we were lead to consider
physical attractiveness. Is this the re-
:; quisite that we are searching for :?
!" Again come TO our minds the images
= of people such as Cleopatra, Lincoln,
: Alexander, Stevens. Modern histor-
k ans confirm the fact that Cleopatra s
g charm was not due to physical beauty.
In the case of Lincoln and Stevens We
e may well say that their success was
not due TO their ugliness or lack of
stature. Coming down to moderr
|
|. strongest, most virile personality of
R American life today, Theodore Roose-
welt, would not adorn the fashion
plates of mems furnishings. Thi,
man, politician, hunter, soldier, presi-
dent, author and explorer is not at
\ tractive physically. Nor can we
is truthfully say that Woodrow Wilson
re is an example of masculine attractive
N ness. Again we are forced to tn,
ID conclusion that physical attraetivenes,
'e is not an essential of supreme per
RI sonality
Further he inquired whether healti
- is that essential which We seek after
- Undoubtedly health is much more of ,
? requisite than either stature or at
re tractiveness. But when we realiz,
w that Caesar, Alexander and Paul wer,
epileptics that Mrs. Browning wa
unable to do physical work and tha
Stevenson was compelled to write il
bed we conclude that health is not o
X prime Importance in the growth O
pei ooioAiNN+
When we consider mental ability w
na are forced to admit that to a degre
a this power is essential. From tn
at lives of "the departed great" we con
ma clude that memory and alertness ar
ms especially important.
After further analysis we decid
that personality is the sum total o
all mans qualities that indeed it
the "toot'en scramble" of mans abil
no tiles, especially spiritual.
.n If this be true can we improve on
"a personality? Without question "
- can. In the realm of mentality "
of- can improve.
l-c Although mentality is importar
Continued on Page Four.)