The Robesonian., 1917-06-11
Trinity's Quarter Centennial

vi ae1SbOrO- Daily News.
The report Of ~. William p. Few,
president of Trinity college, which
coverers in as brief style as possible
the 25 years of the college since it
was removed to Durham, is a paper
which will greatly stimulate national
thinking just at this time when the
local terms in which we have been
wont to express ourselves for more
than SO years work sharply against
the robust nationalism which is now
imperative.
The people of North Carolina will
be interested, Of course, in statistics,
and these are entirely thrilling.
When the college opend in Durham
for 1982-1893 it had a faculty of Is
tachers and officers and 164 students.
The first decade was a period of ebb
and flow, faculty and student body
decreasing and growing slightly dur
ing those years, albeit the tenth year
had a gain of only 8 students over the
first. The faculty increased more
rapidly than the students. There
were "a teachers and officers to di-
rect these 172.
From 1904 to 1917 has been a Pc
riod Of remarkable growth. Wheth-
er this is attributable to the peace
that followed the storms of 1898 and
1904, the president does not say but
those who stand for freedom of
thought must have something Of
pride in remarking the circumstance.
In 1904 Trinity had 245 students and
30 teachers and officers. Since that
time there has been barely year
when substantial increase was not
registered over the preceding fear
until $40 students and SO teachers
and officers make up the college COM
munity.
1t is interesting likewise to note
the growth among the women. The
first five years Of this quarter cen
tennial was marked by the registra-
tion of only 20 women. The next five
years 10 women attended Trinity.
The third five years showed 236; the
tendance for 1861 was 116. Pres
ident Few says that Trinity has been
primarily a college for men, but as
early as 1874 women were taught by
teachers of the college and in 1878
three received their degrees. Thus
while enemies Of Trinity have delight
ed to speak Of it as an unsouthern in
stitution which might just as we'll
have been set down in New Hamp-
shire, SO far as the redolence of the
North Carolina life about it, the col
lege has been wonderfully progress
sive and highly representative of
the North Carolina spirit in the pres
ervation of the native purity, charm
grace and beauty of the life of the
Old South, and North Carolina par
ticularly.
In growth and development Trinity
has become known of the world. Its
beginning 25 years ago was marked
by an endowment of $23,62994 and
a debt of $4,000. 1t has no debt now
and the total endowment is $780,
3O6.12. It's holdings amount to more
than S2,630,000. A group of the most
beautiful college buildings in thu
country forms one of the pleasing
4 views through section which tray
elers are not wont to praise for beau
= ty.
7 But such growth has been entirel,
Incidental. Trinity has not aspiret
to bigness as its steadfast refusal t,
restore football has once or twic
}. somewhat spectacularly demonstrat
: ed. It may not be able to disprov,
that the Battle of Waterloo was wo1
\ on the Fairgrounds of Eton, but
has been in times of peace more in
terested in advancing thi sgreat ex
: pertinent Of democratic governmen
}. which has been in the trial so Ion,
: and in sore distress throughout tn
: world now. Every alumnus must b
) interested deeply in every evidenc
), that this "place of education, plac
{ OF society, and place of religion" in
: dubitably has likewise place in tn
sun.