Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-04-04
OPEN CAMPAIGN
At BIG BANQUET
Announcement Made Of $1,000
Pledge TO Fund by Frank
w. Ruggles.
GREEN GAVE A FINE ADDRESS
Memorial Idea for Gymnasium is
Credited TO w. A. Bahlkc
by Crooks.

Owing to the big interest in
the election today little work
has been possible. Many work
ers are highly interested in the
election and did not get in re-
ports at noon, while Others inter
estcd could not be seen at their
homes when workers called on
them.
Workers in the Alma College En-
dowment Campaign, who attended
the opening banquet held Friday
evening in Wright Hall had every
reason to feel clated over the won
derfu start that has been given in
the campaign in Alma and Gratiot
county for $4,000 for a memorial
auditorium and gymnasium to the
service men Of the county and the
college in the late World War, an
nouncements by Carl H. Washburn
showing that S25,282 Of the $4,000
being sought in the county had been
pledged as campaign starter.
This amount includes the sum Of
S6,075 pledged by the faculty mem
bers Of the college, and the $8.157
pledged by the students of the col
lege in the record breaking campaign
that was put on at the institution
two weeks ago, when a new Ameri-
can record for colleges and universi-
ties was set with every student and
faculty member making pledge TO
the fund, the average pledge being
$4,000.
1t also included the fine pledge
from Frank W. Ruggles, a pledge OF
S5,00OO0, which greatly cnthused the
workers and brought to them visions
Of successful, even though hara
campaign, and also brought to them
a knowledge of the deep interest that
Mr.. Ruggles has in Alma, which has
grown from small buddcd plant,
since he came here ten years ago, to
flower in full bloom.
Fifteen other pledges for q total
of S6,050 were also spoken Of by Mr.
Washburn, who then announced that
these pledges together with the fund
raised in the college campaign made
total of $25,2S2 of the $4,000
sought.
The announcements by Mr.. Wash
burn, chairman of the preliminary
gifts committee, were made immed-
lately following the banquet, which
started at 6:15.
President II. NJ. Crooks then spoke
of the conditional pledges, one from
the Presbyterian Board of Education
for $4,000. conditional on the bal
ance of 100000 being raised before
the end of the present month, ana
one from the General Board Of Edu-
cation for $4,000 conditional upon
the balance Of 100000 being raised
this year for endowment. Money
used for buildings, ne said, would
not count towards the latter pledge
Because of the way that the pay
ments are spread over a period of
20 months, the making of pledges to
the fund are rot as difficult as one
might think, he intimated.
He also called attention to the fac
that when memorial building foi
the college service men was firs.
thought of that it was due to Mr.
William Bahlke that this idea was
enlarged and the gymnasium made a
county service mems memorial.
The Rev. Joseph Greene Of Mt
Pleasant, one Of the best known
speakers in this part Of the state
was the final speaker of the evening
He made a glowing appeal for sup
port of the campaign, and called at
tention to the fact that the auditor.
ium ana gymnasium was a memoria
TO che service men, He asked what
more fitting memorial could be built
than one that will operate to improve
the moral and spiritual welfare Of
hundreds of young men and women
and also aid in the development of
manhood and womanhood. It Is
doubtful if single one of the cam
paigners who was present enter
tanned the slightest doubt, at the
conclusion of the address, as to the
advisability of such a memorial for
the service men Of Gratiot county
and Alma College. II is doubtful
il single one considered, when Rev.
Greene closed his address that any
other form of memorial could be de-
vised, which would be as fitting a
one as the one that Alma Collepe