Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-29
ADDRESS BY D. P. KINGSLEY
Honorary Degrees Conferred on
Nine-COrporatiOn Dinner,
with an Attendance Of 200,
Brings Exercises of Week to
Close.

With the comforting of degrees on a
class of o. young mon and young
women. and the exercises incident and
subsequent thereto. the 1l2th com
menccmcnt of the University of YER
mont and State Agricultural College
passed into history. The commence
ment speaker was Darwin p. Kingsley
LII. D.. of the class of 1881, president
of the New York Life Insurance com
pany, who handled his timely theme in
the forceful and eloquent manner
Characteristic of the man.
Following the exercises at tho gym
nasium the corporation dinner was
. served to 200 guests at the Van Ness
House, followed by brief speeches.
At $50 p. m. the senior boatridc was
held on the steamer Vermont, the
party going to Bluff Point whore there
was dancing from 500 until 1870
o'clock. after which there was n ban
quet at Hotel Champlan. The Chat
eaugay brought the merry-makers
home in the small hours of the morn
| ing.
The academic procession formed in
front Of the Billings library shortly
before II o'clock and marched across
the college green and around the
statue of Lafayette to the front of the
gymnasium. At the gymnasium ranks
were broken and President Benton and
Lieut.. S. A. Howard. L. S. A., chief
marshal. led the line to the platform
and to seats reserved in the center of
the hall The floor was filled to over
| flowing and many found seats in
the running track above.
AS befitted the times. many large
| flags were suspended from the running
track and from the wall at the rear
! of the speakers platform. the State
flag also having a place Of honor. The
platform was banked with many palms.
on the speakers platform were the
deans of the several colleges. members
of the board Of trustees. distinguished
guests and the chaplain Of the day,
the Rt. Rev. \. c. \. Hall bishop of
the diocese of Vermont. who was asked
by President Benton to open the exer-
ciscs with PRAYER. The speaker of the
day was then introduced Mr.. Kingsley
gave as his subject. The United Eng
lish Nations" He said in part
on the 1st of March, 1891, George Wash
ing,on, then serving the first term of the
first presidency of this republic, by proc
ted States to meet in special session at
Philadelphia on March 4th, and on that
date he presented for confirmation his
appointments to federal office in the new
State of Vermont.
Vermont had then teen an independent
republic for fourteen wears Her intre-
pid sons had won the first important vic
tory in the struggle for Independence
Oft ba irrht 7 ayi CyO IN
Common and at Concord, Ethan Allen
had thundered at the gates of Ticonder-
oga in the name OF the Great Jehovah
Paul Revere had scarcely completed his
immortal midnight ride before Lake
Champlain had been cleared of the Brit
ish by Allen and his associates
These were great days: great as a rec.
ord of passing events but. greater as in.
Producing a new and noble era.
The founding of this university date.
from the same year: but. as an express
sion of purpose. It goes back TO l777. tc
tho remarkable fundamental law whict
the pioneers OF the New Hampshire grant,
then wrote for the Renubl,c Of Vermont
a law that as clearly called for ono unI
versity in the state as II clearly inyeigheo
, against tho crime of human slavery
Through the intervening vears-17-7 n
17q,-when the easterlv and westerl,
boundaries of Vermont were undetermin
od yben n nersistent effort was mad,
IN dismember the republic. when it's fin,
service 10 tho colonies during the revolu
tion vera flouted and ignored. when Dart
mouth Co,lepa was ora dav within Yer
mont and tho next dav within New Uamp
shira tho educational ,deals and stan
dords 90 .,o ,,oo,,o u,oro ra,o,. ,oworea