The Twin City star., 1916-05-27
PROGRESS NOTED
At WHEREFORE
Splendid Results Obtained at
Institution In Ohio.
OUTLINE OF FUTURE PLANS
State Auditor Pays High Compliment
to President w. S. Scarborough For
Efficient and Economic Management
of the University - Commencement
Exercises Will Be Held In June.

of the University - Commencement
Exercises Will Be Held In June.
BY N. BARNETT DODSON.
WilberfOrce. O.-The present scholas-
tic year at Wilberforce university has
been one of constant effort on the part
Of its president, DR.. William 8. Scar
borough, and the faculty to make 1t
the most successful In the long and
eventful history of the institution.
While not all has been accomplished
which the president desired nor have
all the plans for future development
matured, the results are highly crafty
ing. The students have made good In
their studies, and the commencement
exercises to be held In June will afford
q period of satisfaction and Joy to fac
ulty, students and the board of trus-
tees.
The slogan now is greater Wilber-
force university, and In keeping with
1t provision has already been made for
several new buildings, some Of which,
according to arrangements, Will be
erected this summer and fall. Among
the first buildings to be erected will be
q gymnasium, central recitation
building for all class purposes and a
hospital.
Buildings for other purposes which
are much needed and for which plans
will be perfected are science hall, a
college chapel, a conservatory OF mu-
sic and an administration building.
The fact Is not generally known among
the great majority of the cOlOred peo
pie that the first organized effort for
the education Of our people was per-
fected ut Columbus siXty-nine years
ago. At that time there was organized
and established what was then known
as Union seminary.
The establishment of Union seminary
crystalllzed nine years later In the es-
tablishment and incorporation Of VIII
berforce university, fittingly named aft
er william Wilberforce, who was Eng
lands greatest abolitionist, at Tawawa
Spring, now Wilberforce, o., just three
miles out from Xenia and flfty-fve
miles from Columbus, the point ut
which the first organized effort with
In the race was made for the educa-
ton Of the race in this country.
Thus, by this establishment Of the
Union seminary in 1S47 ut Columbus
and the establishment Of Wilberforce
university at Wherefore, Ohio be-
came the cradle Of Negro education IN
America. Union seminary long since
became a mere incident In the history
Of the race and the history Of educa-
ton in the United States, but Wilber-
force university stands today the pride
Of the race.
It is impossible to estimate how much
Wilberforce university has contributed
to race advancement. 1t has radiated
hope and aspirations and ambition to
every section Of the globe. 1t has been
the great conservator that has ameliO-
rated the condition Of the race in this
country and softened prejudice on the
part of whites to point where the
true American white man abandons
the idea Of restrictions for the Amer
lean idea Of swinging wide the door
Of hope for those who half century
ago were suffering slaves.
: Historical references become delight
full "reminiscences when the enlarged
present and the far greater future at
tract attention to some feeble effort Of
the long past that has materialized
into q great realization. Thus It Is
with Wilberforce university, once but
an acorn, that has grown to q great
oak, whose history is dear to the Ne
gro race. Inseparably associated with
Wilberforce university arc those who
composed its first board Of trustees,
among whom were Salmon p. Chase
and Bishop Daniel A. Payne, the most
famous Of all Negro prelates, who be-
came president of Wilberforce and
| served until his death.
WilberfOrce university is the only ex-
clusively conducted institution for the
education Of Negroes by Negroes in
this country, to which the federal gov.
ernment details regular army officer
to instruct its young men in military
training. BY reason Of this graduate
Of Wilberforce becomes eligible, ac-
cording to the rules Of the war depart.
ment at Washington, to take the exam
ination required by the government to
become IN officer I'm the United States
regular army. There are only two
schools in Ohio where military instruc.
tion is given under supervision of a
regular army officer detailed by the
United States government-the Ohio