Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-04-19

Aiey ana Sec. IoWner Address
Gathering - Plans to Boost Uni
versity
For it's always fair weather when
Maine fellows get together" runs the
Maine" song and Saturday eve
ning's get-to-g ethcr of Maine grads
lived truly up to the spirit Of the re-
frain.
The first annual banquet of the
newly formed kennebec County
Alumni Association Of the University
of Maine was a marked success. BY
seven o'clock a loyal. enthusiastic
band of Maine men old and young
assembled in the banquet hall of the
Augusta House to dine together and
greet DIR. Robert J. Alley, President of
the university and the new alumni
secretary, Pep" Towner the old
track man of the class of 1914.
A delicious menu interspersed with
jokes. quips and college songs, was
hugely enjoyed and the appearance
of cigars with miniature Maine colors
attached was the signal for the push
| ing back of chairs for the post pran-
dial exercises.
At this point Alumni Secretary
| Towner explained the purpose of the
meeting called for the formation of
! the kennebec County Alumni Asso-
citation of the University of Maine.
Bylaws were adopted and officers
chosen for the ensuing year as fol-
lows:
President: VIM. r. Pat.angall '84;
vice president, Roy H. Flynt ,04; sec
rotary treasurer Arthur w. Abbott
IA. Executive committee: Melvin H.
Simmons, Everett H. Maxcy )" and
the president. vice president and Sec
rotary treasurer.
Mr.. Pattangall, officiating of toast
master then introduced President
Alley who delivered a most remark
able and Illuminating speech of abb
sorbing interest to his hearers. He
traced briefly Names part in the
great World War when the Univer-
sity had 100 men in uniform: of
/ their fame and achievements, their
bravery and splendid fortitude. SO
men gave their lives for democracy
and it is hoped great union building
may be erected on the campus soon
to commemorate these heroic dead.
At a meeting of the trustees re-
School Of Law at Bangor and VIM.
Atwood, Esq. of Boston, Dartmouth
1899. was elected Dean.
1t was estimated that 900 students
would register last fall and over 1900
appeared on the campus. They were
accumulated but quarters are cramp-
ed, lecture halls over-crowded, the
faculty over-worked and a deficit has
been accumulated. The appropria- =
ton provided annually for two years
by the legislature of 1919 is many
thousands of dollars short Of meeting
. simple maintenance to say nothing of
buildings.
Either the University of Maine
must refuse education to more than
a limited number or the State of
Maine must provide adequate funds
to carry on it's work. Aroostook
County alone estimates that the COL
lege save that county more than a
million dollars a year in helping the
growers fight potato diseases in their
crops.
Not only will the Legislature of
1921 be asked to take care Of the de-
ficit, but to greatly increase it's an
nual appropriation.
DR.. Alley said there were 5000
graduates of the University of Maine
residing in Maine and 200 living out
side of the State. The great number
of men outside of Maine being large
ly occasioned by the big Call for en-
gineers from other states
Whereas Maine used to enroll three
hundred or more engineering and a
dozen agricultural students, today
finds about three hundred engineer
ing and three hundred to three hun
dred and fifty agricultural students
and the most hopeful :hirg abou.
this is that practically all of the
three hundred agricultural students
remain in the State, and about seven
ty per cent of these students go back
to the farms to improve the land and
raise better crops and live stock.
DR.. Alley painted a hopeful and Opt.
mistic picture of Names future and
was accorded an ovation at his close.
Pep Towner said he had come back
to the University of Maine to represent
the alumni and to report conditions on
the campus as he found them. He was
! working with the president in forming
alumni groups and associations through.
out Maine and other states. Four asso-
Citations have already been formed in
| acknowledgements Cumberland. Ken
nebec and Cumberland-and he expected
about Is more associations would be
shortly formed in the state.
The success of the occasion was due
in no small part to the activities of Ar
thur w. Abbott II. who was in charge
of all details of arrangements. The
banquet was graced by the presence OF
Mrs. Robert ]. Alley, to whom the presi-
dent referred as his superior officer
Mrs. Alley is most popular with the stu.
dents and is hepmeet to Presiden,
Alley in his social relationship with the
students.
Among those present were the fol-
lowing: President Robert j. Alley
Orono; p. w. Monahan IA. J. s. Wad.
leigh IA, E. l.. Newdick Is, J. T.. Beck
rs, Max L. Wilder IA, r. c. McGould.
rick 20, Brooks Brown Is, Herman R.
Mansur 'O5, Roy II. Flynt 'O4, r. 7. Tai.
bot 'O7, Neil l.. Violette 'O3, VIM. NJ
Black 'O9. Don Metcalf 10, w. r. Pat.
tangall "a, Paul d. Sargent 49, A. w
Abbott IA, all of Augusta; j. w. But.
! man '02, Readfield; Melvin II. Simmons
Hallowell: Everett II. Maxcy II, Gar.
diner: j. W. Randlette 80, Richmond