The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-07
FOR AMENDMENT
At THE UNIVERSITY
DR.. Denny Makes Strong
Speech in Favor of Edu-
catiOnal Amendment
BY TOM GARNER

I
The first university assembly for this
| season was held in Morgan hall Fri
| day morning at o'clock. The as
sembly is the one university meeting
at which faculty and students all meet
together. Never in the history of the
| university was there such a gathering
of teachers and students before, for
| never before has there been enrolled
SO many students. Morgan hall pre-
sented an inspiring scene with the
500 students massed in the auditor
ium, the sophomores and freshmen oc-
cupying the center section of seats
| the women students to one side, juniors
and seniors and posts on the other
| engineers and lawyers occupying the
| gallery.
| When President Denny finished a
| strong and convincing argument for
| the educational amendment the big au
dience rose as one to express its ap-
probation of the movement and its
Willingness to help in removing the
| obstacle to increased educational IA
cilities in the south. DIR. Denny thinks
| clearly and speaks clearly and his
| marshaling of the facts in favor Of the
|
l sible arguments against it were in
| teresting and irresistible in their
| force. He indicated that many people
| do not understand the amendment,
quoting many who still think that it
would mean an immediate assessment
| of a tax He also RET tied the idea
| that the amendment changes the con-
stitution, showing plainly that it is
| Just an addition. He stressed the fact
| that Alabama is the only state in the
union that prohibits it's people from
making proper increases in education
| al progress by local taxation. He
| showed how the funds from such taxes
are to be applied to increased school
terms and the betterment of buildings
and how better educated people will
make for the prosperity of the state
| to say nothing of the institutions The
audience listened with keen interest
and the response to DR.. Denny's I'M
answerable arguments was most graf
| flying. committee was appointed
with DR.. J. J. Doster at the head to
| further the amendment cause in every
way possible.
| Preceding the amendment address
| President Denny made interesting an
nouncements as to the institution of
| the reserve officers training corps to
be established at the university under
the direction of the United States gov
eminent. Captain Fitzhugh Lee Min
negerode. the army officer detailed by
the government to inaugurate the work
at the university, was expected to be
present at this meeting of the as
sembly, but was delayed and did not
arrive until today. He will at once
proceed to get in touch with the stu
dents who desire to take up this mill
tary work in connection with their
university course.
All details of the enterprise are not
yet completed, but at present one hour
week of classroom work and two
hours a week of drill will be the or
der, and the course is elective. The
student taking the course will receive
one hours credit for graduation in the
university. After two years have been
devoted to this study and drill the
work will be increased to five hours
and the student will then make his
contract with the government If he so
desires whereby he becomes a reserve
officer and receives from the govern
ment a certain regular amount for
subsistence. Uniforms will be furnished
at once to all taking the course in mill
tary science. Students taking the mill
tary course will be exempt from gym
nasium work, which occupies two hours
a week.
The University of Alabama is the
I
ing and it shows forward thought in
DIR. Denny and the board of trustees,
who made the plans for this reserve Of
ficers' corps last commencement. DR..
Denny will go next week to Washing
ton and confer with the presidents of
the other Is universities which will
inaugurate the system. The popularity
of the plan has been assured from the
start and when on Friday morning DR..
Denny asked all those interested in
taking UP the military science course
to rise over 400 students were on their
feet promptly
Captain Minnegerode is fortunate
choice of the government to institute
this system at the university. He is a
southerner and West Pointer and
will enter at once into the spirit and
life of an. institution like the Uni
versity of Alabama. He comes of the
best sort of stuff, as he is son of
the late DR.. Charles Minnegerode, the
rector of st. Paul's church, Richmond
Va, for many years st. Pauls is the
noted church where Jefferson Davis
General Lee and other great men of
the Confederacy worshipped during
/ their stay in Richmond.