The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-05-03
BEREAS GREAT DONORS


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ends ii.
But an institution. a corporation,
j. a partnership which reaches down
from one generation to another.
There is task Of the day but il Is
a part Of the task that reaches on
and ON and ON. one member of an
institution or corporation may re-
sign or die, two or three or all, but
their places are filed with new re-
cruits. So the army is ever full, and
the task l. ever performed.
Such is Bcrca College. The trus-
tees who a quarter Of a century ago
welcomed me to Bcrca have all save
one passed out Of this world, but
the number Of trustees is full,
Berea's task is being performed to-
day. and its work will be perform
ed for your children and theirs for
uncOuntcd generations.
Now in order to have an institu--
lion there must be four kinds Of
contributors, founders and donors
and teachers and students. The
founders are the seed. they are the
graft that determines what kind OF
a thing shall grow; and there must
he a succession of founders, men
who agonize over aims and ideals,
If an institution is to continue to
grow. And the donors supply the
sap. the material which that growth
can appropriate and use: and the
teachers are the branches which
carry that material and sap out to
the place where the real work is
done: and the students are the
leaves and the fruit for which all
the rest exists, and in which we can
Judge what kind of a tree is grow
ing.
There is a quotation in the New
Testament from a heather writer
saying. MANY are called and few
chosen and that quotation turns
up in one of the oratiOns Of Demons
themes as belonging to the old Eleus-
lnian mysteries. MANY walk in the
procession. but few worship God"
Now there are founders who are not
true founders. They start an insti-
tuition because they want to start
something. and without consecra-
ton or divine guidance they begin
something that has the semblance
and the form Of an institution. And
So there are unworthy donors, those
who do not appreciate any founders
aims. those who do not think Of the
good that is To be accomplished, and
who give that they may be seen OF
men, And there are teachers who
are not true teachers, but who de-
sire To get living and to be called
Rabbi" Professor" and who in
worldly and commercial spirit
sit in the teachers desk and go
through the motions of education.
And there are students who are stu
dents only in name. They are enlisted
in catalogues. they march in the pro-
cessions, they wave banners, but
they have no conception of the i'm
portance of their education, they
have no burning desire to make the
most of themselves, TO honor their
parents and To glorify their country
MANY are called and few chosen
Many march in the procession, but
few are enlightened
Now we are not speaking to-day
of Berea's founders except incident
ally, or of its teachers, or Of its
pupils. but of its donors. Probably
more than any other living man
know the people who have given
money to Berea. And ! believe that
can show reason for belief that
our donors are the most pure
minded. unselflsh, devoted, patriotic
Christian people that ever support
ed an institution. No donor has ever
given 10 Berea College to be seen OF
men. No donor has ever given to
Berea College expecting to receive
something back. That could not be
said of an eastern university, that
could not be said of the northern
colleges, that could not be said OF
the state universities. do moi
know any other institution called
a college which has had so little to
give to its donors except the bare
satisfaction of feeling that they are
serving God and their country. The
Berea donors ask nothing Of us,
probably III one of them knows that
We are celebrating this day. We
celebrate il for our own sakes, be-
cause we should be degraded il we
| forgot.
We have not done enough to COM
memorate the faith. courage, gener-
osity and nobility of those who have