The Bismarck tribune., 1924-05-23
DIPLOMAS ARE
GIVEN TO 78
SENIORS HERE
Largest Graduating Class in
History of Bismarck High
) School Finishes
ADDRESS is GIVEN
Justice Birdzell Emphasizes
Duties of the Educated
Toward the Nation
ADDRESS is GIVEN

Seventy-eight Seniors of the Bis
marck High School, comprising the
largest graduating class in the his
tory of the institution, were present
ed with their diplomas at the city
Auditorium last night amid plaudits
of an audience which almost filled
the big structure. The diplomas were
presented by President A. P. Len.
hart of the school board and Super.
intendent H. O. Saxvik. The grad
yates, during the commencement ex-
ercises, were seated on the Auditor
ium stage, the girls neatly attired
in uniform white dresses and miudie
hlouses.
Award of the 1924 F. A. Knowles
scholarship was made to Rose
mary E. Lomas by Superintend-
! ent Saxvik, who announced that she
led the class with an average of 94
1-2 percent. He presented Myrtle
Edith Engelking, as winner of second
place.
Justice Luther E. Birdzell of the
supreme court, delivering the COM
mencement addresses, discussed cGu-
cation in it's broad aspects, taking
as his theme, "Education Fitting for
Citizenship"
"The very word education implies
that we have within US God given
powers which we may develop to
make us useful citizens" said JUS
tice Birdzell, adding that "education
will serve that purpose if it is pro-
perly developed
knowledge But Part
knowledge, he said, is but part
of education, for, he said, 1--WE must
acquire ability and willingness to
apply that knowledge in such way
that it will be benefit to humani-
ty." There are, he said, ethical quail
tiles that must go with knowledge.
"We are educating people for life
not a short journey" said Justice
Birdzell, "and life is compleX-life
has its religious and ethical side"
Emphasizing the need of a religi-
GUS life to make knowledge effective,
the speaker said that the moral law
which must be followed is too we'll
known to need repetition. Turning
to education as it affects citizenship
he said
'Did you ever stop to think that
in democracy education means
much more than it can in a govern
.nent of any other kind. 1t means
more because there is more respOn-
sibility on the individual than in Il
government where the people are not
required to govern themselves"
Education Is Foundation
Education, he said, lies at the
foundation of democratic inst:tu-
tions. He pointed out that democra-
tic institutions are the growth of
thousand of years of human endea"or.
This growth and appreciation of their
rights was necessary before the
American forefathers could assert
the independence of the nation, he
said. 1t was after all, he said, the
power of truth, expressed by means
of education, that make this nation
free, for the continental army was
inferior in military power. The
truth Of the position of the colonists,
he said, was driven home to many
leaders in the mother country, and
it was their opposition to oppression
that aided materially in the final
victory. The colonists, he said, were
we'll educated in the principles OF
human liberty, adding that this il
Illustrated "the value of education en-
abling a weak people, successfully to
assert rights which had been trampl-
ed on"
Education enabled the country to
pass over the critical period follow
ing independence, the United States
constitution is the result of growth
of educated men of the time, and
, many leaders, among them Thomas
Jefferson, constantly preached "the
value of education in the pertetuity
of democratic institutions"
While many people take the pub
lie school system merely as a matter
of course, it is a system which has
enjoyed remarkable growth, Justice
! Birdzell said. Billions of dollars are
}spent for education in the nation,
and in North Dakota, he said, more
money Is ScHI IOT cOuCdLlOn now tndI
was spent for all functions of gov
ernment ten years ago. He cited
these to illustrate "the effective way
the idea popular education has taken
root"
Demands On Educated
Demands are made by the nation
upon the graduates of the high
school class, he said.
1.-The first demand is of course an
unswerving loyalty to the government
without the aid of which we could
not have the privileges these young
people enjoy" said the speaker.
Loyalty, he said, means that 1--WE
shall have an understanding of
American institutions. 1t means that
we shall understand these as our
forefathers understood their rights.
II, means that we shall respect the
viAstrumentalities through which we
enjoy these privileges"
Every educated person., he said, is
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