Catoctin clarion., 1917-02-08
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8. 1917.
5Oth Anniversary Near.
Its Sons And Daughters From
Far And Near Expected TO
Gather For Notable Re-
union In June.

Next June Western Maryland College
will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary and
preparations for an elaborate golden Ju-
bilee are already under way.
tits expected that graduates and friends
of the institution from far and wide will
flock to Westminster at that time to take
part in one of those whole-souled reunions
that make such affairs in Maryland long
to be remembered.
The celebration is planned to be one OF
three fold nature. Among the features
to be given special attention will be: A
special endowment fund of $50,OO to
add to the colleges present endowment,
will be raised in comemoration OF the oc-
casion; handsomely illustrated book,
containing a history of the college and an
account of the events of the jubilee year,
will be issued, and it is planned to make
commencement week, June 1913, one
round of class reunions and jubiations.
Other colleges, college authorities and
educational interests will be invited to
have some part in the commencement
celebration. 1t is expected to be more
of Maryland affair than an affair OF
one institution. The first session OF
Western Maryland College opened Sep
tember 4, 1867. The Rev. DR.. }. l..
Ward was president of the college and
John Smith and Issac G. Bale, we'll
known Carroll county men in their day,
were its most influential financial back
ers. To John Smith belongs the honor
of having given the college its name; no
doubt his vision at that day did not reach
beyond Western Maryland.
1t is curious fact that the Eastern
Shore has always furnished a large per-
centage of students of the college; that
Or. W. r. Mcdaniel, its first vice.pres-
dent, is Talbot county man, and Presi-
dent Thomas H. Lewis missed being a
Caroline county man only mile, having
been born just over the line in D laware.
The charter of the college was granted
in March, 1868. 1t has become kind of
habit for the papers, specially the ath-
letic writer's, to designate i'll very recent
years it's students as "Methodists. The
college enjoys the care Of the Mary
land Annual Conference of the Methodist
Protestant Church, its charter designat-
ing that IL of its 33 trustees shall be
chosen from members of that conference;
but its charter goes on further to say:
1.-THE youth of every religious denomina-
tion shall be freely admitted to equal
privileges and advantages of education
and to all the literary honors of the col
lege without requiring or enforcing any
religious or civil test, nor shall any pre-
ference be given in the choice of presi-
dent, master, tutor or teachers on ac-
count of his or her particular religious
profession.
AS matter of fact, half dozen relig-
ious denominations are represented in its
board of trustees, while there are Meth
odists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and
Lutherans represented in it's faculty. 1t
might be mentioned in passing that the
college is proud of the personnel of its
faculty, regarded as very strong one.
In looking down on its list, one sees de-
grees held from Hopkins, Columbia, Yale,
University of Chicago, Dickinson, Uni
versity of Virginia and so on.-Sun.