Cornell College - Royal Purple Yearbook (Mount Vernon, IA)

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WILLIAM S. HIGLEY

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William S. Higley The news of t.he death of William S. Higley, which occurred at Nevada, Missouri, August 16, 1904, came as a terrible blow to his many Cornell friends. William S. Higley was born on a farm near Dow City, Iowa, November 23, 1882. The rural schools, Dow City High School, and Denison Normal and Business College, supplemented by a year's teach- ing gave him a thorough preparation for college. He entered Cornell as a freshman in the fall of 1902 and carried extra studies for two years. Thus when he left for home last spring his work was so far advanced that he was planning to finish with this year's class. He was not well when he left for home and his health was but partly regained when the dread typhoid attacked him late in July proving fatal after twenty-two days of sickness. The funeral services were held at Dow City, Iowa, August 19th, with Rev. Varley of the M. E. church in charge. Principal Van Ness of Denison Normal, Professor H. H. Freer and Edgar Beechley, '04, of Cornell spoke in tribute to William Higley's memory. Prof. Freer was able to bear to his sorrowing family and friends the united testimony of the Cornell faculty, that Mr. Higley had taken the fullest advantage of his opportunities in Cornell, had performed his duty as a student and had lived a life beyond reproach. Mr. Becchley paid tribute to Will's life among us as friend and society brother. Probably nothing portrays so completely what a man really is, as his daily life and contact, and the way in which he meets his fellow men. The characteristic with which Mr. Higley most impressed those who came into his most intimate contact was his truly kindly spirit. No one could know him without feeling that he had made the acquaint- ance of a good and lasting friend. His disposition was cheerful, his sympathy profound. All things that affected his friends affected him also, be the occasion joyful or sorrowful. He possessed those qualities which make a man win in spite of opposition. These same qualities marked his ambition for his life work, for it was his ambition to get as soon as possible, into active life. While in Cornell Mr. Higley was a member of the Star Society and he had been chosen to lead the Star team in the fall inter-society debate. As a literary man he was keen and brilliant and could always be depended upon as a ready speaker. His happy wit and rare repartee won for him many friends among the Star alumni at the reunion banquet last June. William Hlgley was an active member of the M. E. church and the Y. M. C. A, As a Chris- tian he was never demonstrative, but always fearless, sincere and earn- est. He was taken in the very flower of his manhood, when he was almost ready for what would assuredly have proven a most useful and successful career. He was a leading student, a true friend, a noble Christian, a man whom his friends, his college and his country could ill afford to lose, for he always stood for the true and right as against the false and wrong, in truth, he was that type of man who makes the state the best it can be in his generation. 30 1 l-Am.

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