The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-28
DIPLOMA AWARDS.
FEATURE OF WEEK
HIGH SCHOOLS
Class Plays And Enter.
tainments On Program
OF Events

Presentation Of diplomas to gradual
ing classes Of three Birmingham high
schools, class-day exercises, entertain
ments and the production Of class and
club plays will mark the activities
of seniors in the various high schools
during the remainder of commencement
week.
Diplomas were presented Tuesday
evening to students of Woodlawn High
school in a graduation exercise at the
Woodlawn M. u. church. Erskine Ram
say, president Of the board of educa-
ton, spoke at the exercises and DIR. @.
b. Glenn, superintendent of schools,
presented the certificates.
The same arrangement will prevail
during presentation exercises at other
schols, it has been announced.
Wednesday evening the graduating
class at Ensley High school will be
given their diplomas at the Ensley High
school auditorium. Phillips High school
students will hold their exercises Thurs
day evening at the Phillips auditorium.
Graduates of the Industrial High school
for negroes will be granted diplomas
Friday evening at exercises in the au-
ditorium of the new Industrial High
school building.
Glass Day Exercises
In connection with the presentation
of diplomas, students are holding their
annual class day exercises. These, in
all cases, are scheduled for 10 O'Clock
on the morning of the graduation day.
Woodlawn High seniors staged class
Ia
NEnsley students will hold theirs at 10
o'clock Wednesday.
Plays by the various dramatic clubs
Of the schools also are on the pro-
gram. Members of the Euterpean club
of Phillips High school Tuesday eve
ming presented Bellies of Beaujolais"
at the high school auditorium. With
the exception of the Phillips High club,
these plays are being presented on the
evening following the graduation exer-
cises. -
The Apollo club of woodlawn High
school, will present an operetta Wednes-
day at Phillips High school auditorium.
The Lyric club of Ensley High school
viii give play Thursday e:ening in
the Ensley High auditorium.
A joint commencement address for
the three high schools was given Mon
day evening at Phillips High audi
torium by DR.. William McAndrew, su-
perintendept of Chicago schools.
DR.. William McAndrew, superintend-
ent of the public schools of the city of
Chicago and described by DIR. G. B.
Glenn as one of Americas leading edu
Gators, pointed out the true meaning of
education and citizenship to the 546
boys and girls comprising the gradual
ing classes of Birmingham's three high
schools, in the annual commencement
at the Phillips High school auditorium,
Monday night.
DIR. McAndrew's address was the
outstanding event of the evening, being
preceded by several musical numbers
by the high. school orchestra and pre-
liminary remarks on the development
Of the Birmingham Public school sys-
tenn BY DIR. Glenn and DIR. Charles A.
Brown, assistant superintendent. DIR.
Brown presided and DIR. Glenn intro
duced the speaker of the evening.
People Pay
did you ever think who pays for
your education ?" DIR. McAndrew asked
the graduates who occupied several
them in the front of the auditorium.
you may think your parents pay for
it, but you are mistaken. They do not
pay even one per cent of the cost.
The whole city and community. pay for
it, including the thousands of men and
women who have no children of their
own. Everybody who pays taxes or
buys anything on which direct or in
direct taxes have to be paid contributes
to the Birmingham public school sys-
tenn and to your education. That means
that everybody has right to be inter
ested in. your schools and to demand
that they serve their purpose fully"
The speaker pointed out that the,
present system of free public schools
was one of the most typically Ameri-
can institutions. He quoted Washing
ton, Jefferson. Madison and other Amer
lean statesmen and the American con-
stituti0n to show educators places in
the esteem of the men who made the
nation in its early history.
You must not think you come to
school to get ahead of those who do
not come" he added. You should feel
that you are. sent to school in the
same way that you might be sent to
the army, for the good of the country.
Unless you wish to be in the same class
as paupers and others like them who
are regarded as objects of public chari-
ty, you must pay back to the city and
state and nation at least a part of
this debit"
Factor In South
/. DIR. MeAndrew paid tribute to edu-
cation as one of the most important
factors in the accumulation of
wealth. He spoke of France and Spain
with approximately the same area and
the same natural resources and yet
widely different in the matter of per
capita wealth, due, he pointed out, to
the difference in the educational sys-
TENS in vogue in the two countries.
A similar comparison was made be-
tween Mexico and the United States.
The schools and their pupils must
pay back their debt to the taxpayers
in better standards of citizenship and
a greater conception of patriotism" he
concluded. There has been in the
past much talk about patriotism, but
what we need is greater service to our
fellow-man and to the community and
nation.
In his preliminary remarks, DR..
Brown pointed out that the 1924 class
was the largest in the history of Bir-
mingham, representing 1T from the
Ensley, 90 from Woodlawn and PIT
from Phillips. Two solos were sung
by Leon Cole, being greeted by pro-
1anOAl aWNIatIua and daFnand f0p AN