Evening star., 1938-12-11
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
Commencements have not always
been synonymous with June days
at the George Washington Univer-
sity. In its time-dimmed annals,
which go back to the days when
our Capital City was very young,
as we'll as in the early files of Dis
trict newspapers in the Library of
Congress, one may read in the quaint
phraseolpgy of the era the color
full story Of its first commencement
exercises held 114 years ago this
coming Thursday.
To this institution which began
as Columbian College, later evolved
into Columbian University and sub
sequently into its present status as
George Washington University, be-
longs a distinction shared by no
other college or university in the
world. The Congress of the United
States and the Supreme Court ad-
journed their sessions on the dav
OF its first commencement to en-
able those of its membership who
w ASoAAC CA w dVCCllU.
In the Sunday Morning Chron-
icle, published in Washington June
70, 1862, a retrospective news COM
mentator of the day speaking of
college commencements says, "The
first commencement exercises Of Co.
lumbian College were held in the
year 1924 in Presbyterian Church
on F street, now known as Willard
Hall. Few of our citizens yet live
VINO remember its Importance. Both
houses of Congress and the Supreme
Court of the United States ad-
journed to enable its members to
attend. The President, judges of
the Supreme Court. Ministers from
foreign powers, the distinguished
Lafayette and other magnates of
Importance contributed to the all
absorbing interest of the occasion"
Lafayette Guest.
News articles of the period itself
IN the Daily National Journal and
the Daily National Intelligencer also
comment upon "the great of the
Nation" who "graced the exercises"
In addition to President Monroe.
John Quincy Adams, John c. CAL
houn and Henry Clay. "the vener-
able Lafayette then upon his fare
well visit to America, is listed as
"a beloved and honored guest" in
the account of the event carried bv
the Daily National Journal on De-
cember 18, 1924.
The George Washington Univer-
slty Of that period was not located
upon Its present site. It was then
situated upon what was known as
college Hill on Florida avenue be-
tween Fourteenth and Thirteenth
streets NV. near the boundary of
Washlngton's northwest city limits
1t Is interesting to note that its
location today is approximately that
designated by George Washington
himself as the site for the higher
institution of higher learning of
national significance which he hoped
10 see rise in the Capitals midst
In letter to the Commissioners
OF the City of Washington, now in
the Library of Congress, written
from Mount Vernon on October 81.
1875. with characteristic pains and
SPECIFIC detail, the Father of His
Country clearly expresses himself
on this point.
Minutes in Flowing Script.
upon the walls of the executive
office of DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin
president Of this institution 114
years after that December COM
mencement of another century
there hangs today portrait in oil
OF William Ruggles, its first secre-
tary, which Is contemporaneous with
the period OF his service,
From the yellowing pages of his
oook OF minutes, carefully written
IN the flowing script of his decade
one CLEANS that the exercises for
that historic first commencement
began precisely at half past 10
o'clock am" Under Mr.. Ruggles'
signature, "by order of the faculty."
Is listed the program of procedure
for the occasion.
Possibly. for the convenience of
the distinguished guests who honored
the exercises" and the general public
as well, they were not held in the
holdings of the institution upon
then remote College Hill, but in DR..
LoWrie's much more readily ac-
cesslble Presbyterian Meeting House
NAkH1 Ax>N r..