Evening star., 1933-03-26
C, j, FOUNDERS DAY
MARKED BY H0NORS
in NEW ACADEMIES
Dr.. William Holland Wilmer
and JugosIav Envoy Re-
ceive Awards.
DIPLOMATS AND LEADERS
IN EDUCATION ATTEND
Memories Of Cardinal Mazzella and
Great Astronomer Paid Tribute
in Rites for 144th Anniversary.

Founders day at Georgetown Univer-
sity was featured last night by the
awarding Of the first honors in two new
academies In science and philosophy
to DR.. William Holland Wilmer, for
merly Of Washington and director now
OF the Wilmer Institute Of Johns Hop
kinS Hospital In Baltimore and to DR..
Leonide Pitamic, Minister Of Jugoslavia
Diplomats Of score Of foreign coun-
tries, including the staff Of the Jugo-
Slav legation, the presidents OF local
universities and prominent regents and
alumni OF Georgetown were among the
invited guests at the formal academic
ceremony in CASTOR Hall. DR.. Cole
man Nevils, s. j., president of the uni
versity, proclaimed the two honorary
academies in commemoration of the
144th anniversary and presided at the
presentation Of the gold decoration Of
each Of the two men honored.
These two academies, the Angelo
Secchi Academy Of Science, and the
Camillus Mazzella Academy Of Philoso-
ply, honor the memory Of two Of the
tury, each Of whom taught at George
town. DR.. Wilmer. who is an honorary
doctor OF laws Of Georgetown and
served 10 years as professor of ophthal-
mology IN its medical school before ak
ing up his important work at Johns
Hopkins, received the medal Of the
Secchi Academy. Msgr. James H.
Ryan, rector of the Catholic Univer-
sity Of America, which made DR.. Pita-
mic a doctor of laws last year, pre-
sented him with the medal Of the MAJ
Zella Academy
Cardinal Mazzella, after whom this
academy was named, was probably the
greatest Catholic theologian Of his day.
He taught at Georgetown when he came
to this country. In 1867, and also was
studies at Woodstock. Md. Pope Leo
XIII called him to teach at the German
College and he became a cardinal in
1885. Before his death, In 1900, he was
made Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina,
the highest honor possible for a Roman
ecclesiastic. except the pontifical chair.
Took Place Here In l848.
Father Angelo Secchi. one of the
greatest astronomers and meteorologists
OF his day, taught at Georgetown for
several years, beginning in 1848. 1t was
at the Georgetown Astronomical OBJ
servatory that he learned astronomy.
Years later he was made director of
the observatory at the Roman College
in Rome, the late Father John Hagan
being the second Georgetown man to
hold that position.
This remarkable scientist was best
known perhaps as a meteorologist. BY
his invention of the meteorograph he
greatly advanced the science Of weather
predicting. This delicate machine,
working day and night. records curves
OF atmospheric pressure, temperature
rainfall, strength Of wind and relative
dampness Of the atmosphere
Father Secchi was the first astrono-
mer to investigate the spectra of Uranus
and Neptune and the first also to es-
tab1sh the existence Of the red pro-
tuberances from the chromosphere of
the eclpSed sun. The five Secchi types
OF stars, which he deduced from about
4,O0O spectra OF stars, are still so called.
Ambassador Debuchi of Japan was
one OF the guests on the stage. He
was the recipient of honors in the John
Carroll Academy of Diplomacy, pro-
claimed on the 1881 Founders day.
The exercises opened with greetings
from the president of the 1O3-year-old
Philodemtc Society of the college, Jo-
seph Grange Smith of Pittsburgh, Pa,
senior. Raymond Reiss Of New York.
regent Of the university, then read
the charter Of the university, and DR..
Nevils read the proclamation Of Foun-
ders' day.
At this point In the program there
was a pause. and Msgr. Edward Bucky,
pastor Of st. Matthews Church, read
the roll call Of the six founders. As
each name was read, a mellow note
was sounded from q bronze bell that
hung 800 years ago in the belfry of
the first Catholic church in Maryland,
at old st. Marys City. For nearly 100
years 1t has been preserved as q relic
in the archives of Georgetown.
Recalls Plan in 1884.
The appearance of this bell at
Georgetown assemblage was significant,
for it was at old St. Marys that the
Jesuit fathers Andrew White and John
Altman Gravenor, in 1884, conceived
the idea of founding Catholic school
of learning in this country. Enlisting
the aid Of Fathers Thomas Gervais,
Thomas Copley and Ferdinand Poulton,
they eventually secured a document
from Rome authorizing such school.
Due to many obstacles. they were never
able to achieve this ambition. although
they had selected site on the Potomac
River. Rev. John Carroll, who became
the first archbishop Of Baltimore and
was first cousin of Charles Carroll of
Carrollton, succeeded $50 years later,
where the early Jesuits had failed.
In 1889 he founded the Georgetown
Academic on the present site Of the
university in Georgetown.
After the bestowing Of the honors
upon the two distinguished guests, the
formal response was made by DR..
Pitamic. He referred to the helpfulness
of education in fostering international
good will and added:
II am glad to say that there is be-
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