Evening star., 1938-03-02
HOWARD j. MARKS
71ST ANNIVERSARY
AT ALL-DAY FETE
Tales of First Three-Man
Graduating Class Told
at Celebration.
COLLEGES PROGRESS
DESCRIBED BY HUNGATE
Talk by Secretary Ickes Tonight
From New York to Provide
Climax to Affair.

The founding of Howard Univer-
sity in 1857 and tales of the first
three man graduating class of Howard
College in 1874 were described to
students and alumni of the university
in opening ceremonies of an all-day
celebration of the institutions list
anniversary.
The celebration will be climaxed at
1890 o'clock tonight, when Secre-
tary Of Interior Ickes makes a radio
address from New York to the 10000
alumni of the university all over the
country.
Gathered in Rankin Chapel this
morning, the undergraduates and
alumni were entertained by stories
by F. D. Wilkinson, registrar of the
university, of the Turing of Arthur
c. O'Hear, James NJ Gregory and
Josiah T. Settle from Oberlin Col
lege in Ohio to form the first col
lege class at the university.
Original Documents.
Mr.. Wilkinson described from orig
inal documents the early days OF
the college, when industry and ap-
plication were the sole credentials.
Declaring that possession of a pick
and a shovel was generally regarded as
desire to learn, he went on to tell OF
the first "credential racketeer." stu
dent who purchased the pick and
shovel and rented them to applicants
at 25 cents each.
The principal address was delivered
by Thaddeus L. Hungate, controller
of Teachers College at Columbia and
chairman of the Howard Board of
Trustees.
After tracing the social, political
and economic trends of the period
during which the university was
founded, Mr.. Hungate called attention
to the place the university now holds
in the field of education.
Natural Study Center.
Howard University occupies a
unique position among higher educa-
tional institutions for the training of
Negro leaders for public service" he
said. ut is located in a natural study
center for national affairs. The edu-
cational resources of the departments
of the Federal Government, including
the Library of Congress, are close at
hand.
An independent board Of trustees
the ajority of which are Negroes, ane
a Negro faculty insure the develop.
ment of its services in accordance with
the needs of the Negro people"
Development of the idea Of such 6
university from the original conception
of a theological school to the granting
of the charter as a university II years
ago was read to the audience by Wen.
dell Lucas, honor student of last year!
freshman class, in excerpts from G
biography of Gen. Oliver Otis Howard
one of the founders, and for whom the
university is named.
25th Anniversary Account.
He also read from an account o1
the 25th anniversary of the univer.
sity by the Rev. D. B. Nichols, an in.
terested clergyman, that the origina
intent was that Howard Universit,
was to be available to students of al
races and colors. This idea, he con,
tinued. was later abandoned
The invocation was given by the
Rev D. Butler Pratt, dean emeritu:
of the School of Religion at the uni.
versity.
Representatives of classes of each
10-year period in the history of the
school will make brief speeches at g
dinner in the gymnasium at 8:1s
O'clock tonight. Miss Julia Brooks
dean of women at Dunbar High School
will preside.
DR.. Mordecai w. Johnson, president
of the university. presided this morn
ing and is scheduled to broadcast with
Mr.. Ickes this evening. He told the
audience the original idea of how a
university grew out of prayer meet
ing in the Columbia Law School Build
ing in 1856.