The forum., 1917-02-17

Trustees Decide to Enlarge Plans For
the Erection of Auditorium In Honor
of the Late Robert C. osden--Dr.
H. 3. FrisselI Tells of Hampton's
Achievements and Present Needs.
The rapid growth of the Hampton
school has been made necessary by the
fact that hundreds of applicants have
been refused each year for lack of
room and by the insistent demands
made upon the school for Industrial
and agricultural leaders, as well as for
teachers for the rural schools, says Dr.
Ii. b. Frissell, principal of the Hamp
ton (Va.) institute. The enlarged num-
ber of students has filed the dining
rooms to overfowing, and the in
creased interest which the community
takes In all the activities of the school
has brought so many to the lectures
and the Sunday evening gatherings
that the present assembly room in
Cleveland hall is very much over
crowded.
For this reason it has seemed best to
the trustees to enlarge the plans Of the
Ogden Memorial auditorium so that it
will seat 2,400 instead of the 1000 orig
inally provided for. The new audito-
rum will make it possible to use
Cleveland Hall chapel for an addi-
tional dining room and so solve an
other serious problem. The increased
size and the rapid rise in the price Of
materials, however, will almost double
the cost of the building. One hundred
thousand dollars has already been
raised, and at least $4,000 more will
be needed for its completion.
The building is to be erected as me-
mortal to Robert G. Ogden, for many
years president of the schools board of
trustees and a lifelong friend of the
founder of Hampton institute and of
the Negro and Indian races. The audi
memorate Mr. 0gden's service to
Hampton, but is also to be monu-
ment perpetuating the appreciation of
the south for his assistance in develop
ing its educational resources. The
southern education board in its Ogden
memorial booklet said
Through the conference for educa-
ton in the south he touched the great
hearts of the north and south and put
upon the nations conscience uni
versal need. Not by persuasion, not by
fanatical insistence, but by the conta-
gion of his own personal devotion, he
rallied men from every section, from
every walk and station In life, rich
and poor, high and lowly, white and
black, to the cause which he advo-
Gated"
Thus the Ogden auditorium at Hamp-
ton is to be a national monument, and
people of all classes, races and sec
tions have already contributed gener-
ously toward its building. Here the
Negro and Indian young men and wo-
men who are preparing for their life
work win have an opportunity not only
for lectures and concerts, but for the
visual instruction, now SO valuable,
through stereopticon and moving pic
lures.
Large choruses of the people from
the community will gather here. About
10000 visitors pass through the school
grounds each year, and this building
will speak to them of Hampton's eff
forts at race adjustment through mu-
tual understanding, sympathy and
helpfulness. Here will gather people of
the white and African and Indian
races to talk over their problems,
which, after all, are worldwide prob
lens, and educators who come from
every continent and climate to study
Hampton's methods will meet with
them.
In the center of Hampton's campus,
where beautiful trees as old as the
school itself have been sacrificed for 1t.
great excavation makes a mute ap-
peal to the friends of Mr.. Ogden, of
Hampton. of the races represented
there and of the south, to meet this
great need of the present and future.
All who wish to help may send their
subscriptions to Clarence H. Kelsey,
176 Broadway, New York city.