Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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his power. The name of our first president holds an honored place in the hearts of all who know our colleges history. Prof. R. H. Bishopfjunior, LL. D., of the class of 31, passed the greater portion of his long and useful life in the Latin chair of Miami. The Alumni of the school can testify to the affection that was Dr. Bishopis from every student who recited to him. He died in 1890. Among the long list of professors the name of Doctor McGuffey is per- haps the best known. Every smali person in this broad land, who has learned to read within the last hfty years, may be presumed to know who Doctor Mc- Guffey was. To the students of the growth of Education in the Middle West, ' however, Doctor McGuEey holds a place in the hrst rank of the able men without whose enthusiastic toil we could have had none of the development of which we are so proud. He was a professor at Miami between i26 and ,36, and the house in which he composed the famous series of readers which bear his name still stands to the south Of the campus. ' The new college grew and prospered. The rugged boys of the country side, fit descendants of the men of the Revolution, thronged to the college; eager for instruction. Poor as the facilities of education then were as compared with our own, they supplied the want with their enthusiasm. Among the men whohave gone from the class rooms of Miami to make their power felt in the stirring period of the mid-century and the great development since, can be named Robezt C. Schenck, Charles Anderson, William S. Groesbeck, Chauncey M. Olds, Samuel Shellabarger, Benjamin W. Chidlaw, David Swing, Benjamin Har- rison, Whitelaw Reid, Calvin S. Brice and many another who is worthy to rank with them. We are proud of them; proud of the fact that they have gone from our alma mater, and proud with a just pride. May the men of our . ' day approve themselves as well in their turn. Miami is the mother of fraternities. Three of the four now existing here were founded in this college : Beta Theta Pi, 1839; Phi Delta Theta, I848 ; and Sigma Chi, I8 5 5. These fraternities now are national, and to those of uswho belong to the Alphas of our respective brotherhoods, there is a quick sense of our positions and a pride in our relationship to the tifrat. The remaining chapter, Kappa of Delta Kappa Epsilon, established here 1852, is a worthy rep- resentative of the great fraternity to which it holds allegiance. We feel no hesitation in saying that not the least valuable portion of his college life to a fraternity man is his fraternity relationship. The ties then formed; the inti- mate knowledge of the hearts of men, not to be obtained in the world; the eX- change of close conhdence; the generous spirit of fraternity which is- fostered; all these are much. To the men Who hrst conceived the idea, as well as to those who planted our chapters, we look with fond gratitude and loyal tt broth- erly-feeling? . To the university the war was a blow, for it had long drawn much of its. I6

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support from the South. . So much was it felt that in 73 the Trustees decided to close its halls till a iit time to continue the work. The opportunity came in 1885, and now the old college is taking her former place in the ranks of the western schools. To the students of to-day the past of our alma mater is a constant inspiration, and the place that she holds we intend never to be lost. Her proud record will be increased as the classes go out, for Ohio has not lost the race from which. the men Who have made her name illustrious sprang, and we believe that many a future Sherman and Grant and Garfield and Har- rison is now learning his letters or wishing that the dead languages did not re- quire dissection at his hands, having his Whole soul centered on the base ball championship. Among the ttsmall colleges, for Which there is so important and honor- able a place in the development of our land, Miami, right in the midst of the best timber for men the world ever saw, will go on in the grand work that has been hers for so many years, having the best affection of Alumni and under-- graduates. - ' I7