Denison University - Adytum Yearbook (Granville, OH)

Page 32 text:

Sons and Daughters of Denison The Alumni of Denison Univei ' sity are hundreds strong and are of much importance to the institution. They, for their part, are always proud to claim Denison as their Alma Mater, and Denison, you may be sure, is proud of her alumni body. These Sons and Daughters of Denison, by their unceasing loyalty, have made and will always continue to make an inestimable contribution to that intangible something known as the ' Denison Spirit. ' It is this spirit which has placed Denison in her present position, and it will always remain an important factor in her progress. In proof of their loyalty, it is a significant fact that wherever a number of Denisonians are situated near each other, their love for their Alma Mater soon draws them together and they unite into a local association. These local associations are all joined together and are known as The Society of the Alumni of Denison University. In each of these local organizations, the members are endeavoring to bring honor and fame to their dear old Denison. ' A striking example may be cited in the fact that the best advertising for Denison has been done by these alumni. The alumni associations of some of the various sections are also plan- ning to secure the co-operation of the sectional clubs in the student body in entering upon campaigns by which they intend to interest in Denison many young people who have not made a final decision concerning the col- lege which they wish to attend. This is a splendid work which other organizations would do well to imitate. In this way the influence of tne alumni is beginning to count over a large territory. The support which our alumni have given to all of our college activities in the past has been greatly appreciated by all connected with Denison. But at the same time, we feel that, considering the number of our alumni, who they are, and what they stand for, this support has been relatively small. It is the result of the work of a few rather than of all. Each of our alumni should feel a sort of personal responsibility in arousing enthu- siasm among any of the friends of Denison and among any who may be considering the possibility of coming here to school, especially whenever the University Glee Club, Debate teams, or Athletic teams, come to his or her home town. Actual figures show that the students who have come to Denison, have received their incentive from only a small number of alumni. In some colleges, alumni athletic associations have been formed. Through this means, the alumni try to do all that is possible to encourage loyalty, enthusiasm and efficiency in athletics. Where can the student look for an example of loyalty to Denison unless it is among the alumni? Who can realize what they owe to their Alma Mater as well as those who have, through later experience, found out what she has done for them? When we consider that it is the finished product rather than the machine upon which judgment is passed, we are brought face to face with the fact that the alumni of the university are of as much, if not more importance than the student body. The alumni are also scattered over so much more territory and possess so much more influence in their communities than 26

Page 31 text:

S. B. Brierly Mrs. Lorena W. Burke W. H. Johnson The Society of the Alumni Officers of the Society President Vice-President Secretary-Treasurer Samuel B. Brierly, Chicago Mrs. Lorena W. Burke, Pittsburgh ...William H. Johnson, Granville The Society of the Alumni of Denison University is a powerful organ- ization which is supported by all the alumni and former students. It is a working force whose vital importance to the institution is increasing from year to year. In accordance with a new plan, Mr. Brierly endeavors to interest each Freshman class in the Association in order that when they graduate, its work may not be in the least strange to them. In this way the students are made to realize that upon graduation, their connection with Denison does not cease, — they merely enter a larger field in which they can work for their college. The purpose of the Association is to bind together all of those who have at any time been enrolled at Denison, in order that their labor, in her behalf, may be organized and their love for her may be strengthened and renewed. This is accomplished by means of the smaller organizations of state and town, which work with and for the parent organization with the same aim in view. In Boston, New York, Washington, D. C, Pitts- burgh, Cleveland, Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Mt. Vernon, Can- ton, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Colorado, Lower California, and China-Japan, there are Denison Clubs. It is here that the loyalty of those who know Denison and love her, arouses enthusiasm in others to learn to know and love her as their Alma Mater. The Society is deeply interested in the Endowment Campaign. Al- though it has been impossible to do much in the past, extensive plans are being made for future activity along this line. The Class Unit is to be used as the basis for this work, each class securing a pledge of as large an amount as possible and making its annual report at each Commence- ment. The aim of the Society is a high one but it is far from being unat- tainable. Denison owes much to this well-organized Society and Uncle Sam Brierly, and the indebtedness will undoubtedly be greatly increased in the future. 25

Page 33 text:

the student body, who are merely engaged in the preparation for the work which they are going to undertake and who are kept in Granville for practically nine months every year, that much more is to be expected of them than of the students. Although there is no organized alumni Athletic Association at Dayton, the Denisonians of that town have advertised and aroused so much enthu- siasm among their fellow citizens, that the Denison-Miami game has be- come an annual event which is of great importance to both colleges. This is only one example of what might be done by many other of the associa- tions. Concerning what the alumni have done as individuals, much can be said. A person who fulfills all the requirements of that Denison type, of which we hear so much, must possess a high degree of efficiency, high ideals and an agreeable personality. That the Denison alumni are the Denison type is the conclusion which is easily drawn when one glances over the record of their achievements. Many are in responsible positions in business life and in religious work and there are many who stand for progress along educational lines. It is impossible to name all those worthy of mention, so we will only endeavor to enumerate some of those who are representa- tive. Four of our alumni are College Presidents : Silas E. Price, ' 84, is President of Ottawa University at Ottawa, Kansas; Milo B. Price, ' 92, is President of Pillsbury Academy at Owatonna, Minnesota; the President of McMinnville University in McMinnville, Oregon, is Leonard W. Riley of the class of ' 94; and the President of our own University is Clark W. Chamberlain, ' 94. Others who are holding professorships in various uni- versities and colleges throughout the country, not including our own pro- fessors, are: Ernest D. Burton, ' 76; Francis W. Shepardson, ' 82; William B. Owen, ' 87; George A. Dorsey, ' 88; J. Stanley Brown, ' 89; Edgar J. Goodspeed, ' 90 ; William E. Wickenden, ' 04 ; and Justin N. Nixon, ' 05. In religious work there is Bruce Kinney, who is the Western Secretary of the American Baptist and Home Missionary Society at Topeka, Kansas ; Franklin W. Sweet, ' 99, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church at Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nathan W. Brown, ' 00, who is a medical missionary in China. In politics there is Judson Harmon of the class of 1866 who was at one time Governor of Ohio and Attorney General in President Cleveland ' s cabinet at Washington, D. C. In business there are G. Moore Peters, ' 67, of Cincinnati ; Charles A. Marsh, ' 78, Chicago; Robert J. Thresher, ' 87, of Kansas City; Harry B. Curtin, ' 88, Clarksburg, W. Va. ; Charles F. Burke, ' 04, of Pittsburgh, and Leroy Sargent, ' 09, of Minneapolis. There are many more which we are not able to speak of here. To quote the words of Uncle Sam Brierly, the President of the Society, — We may well be proud of our Denison men and women! 27