Eastern Kentucky University - Milestone Yearbook (Richmond, KY)

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The occasion served not only as the formal installation of President Donovan, but it likewise afforded a legitimate, dignified, and impressive means of displaying to the friends of Eastern and to the public at large the growth of an institution just now arrived at its majority. Visitors who had not been on the Campus for main years and others arriving tor the first time were outspoken in the surprise they felt at the size of the plant, the number and appearance of the buildings, the beauty of the grounds, and the size of the student body. Eastern was on parade, and no mean showing she made. Everywhere in every detail of the inauguration plans and ceremonies one had the conviction that a propitious era was at hand, made possible by the life and sacrifices of those who had gone before, that the institution over which President Donovan was called upon to guide had arrived at a place of dignity and worth, that it had justly earned the affection and respect of its constituency and its sister institutions, and that it was no longer in the experimental stage. The occasion was one of much value to the student body. They had an oppor- tunity of seeing the most brilliant and colorful procession in full academic regalia that Eastern ' s campus has ever witnessed. They saw the colors of the oldest uni- versities of Europe and America float to the October breeze, as the line of march proceeded from the Administration building to the Gymnasium between two lines of flanking students who stood at attention to form a guard of honor, with Eastern ' s banner and the American flag being borne by students at the head of the procession. Every department of the institution aided: students assisted in furnishing the music, in preparing and serving the two elegantly appointed banquets, that of the Alumni Association on the evening preceding the inauguration, and the formal luncheon to one hundred fifty guests immediately following the Thursday morning ceremonies, and in assisting President and Mrs. Donovan in the reception which they gave later in the day; they acted as ushers, pages and hosts. It is impossible to give here a detailed account of the formal ceremonies. W. C. Bell, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Kentucky presided and administered the oath of office to the President-elect. Addresses were delivered by President Bruce R. Payne of Peabody College on The Trend of Higher Education and by President Frank L. McVey of the University of Kentucky on Administrative Rela- tions in Colleges. President Donovan ' s inaugural address, The Duality of the Teachers College will long be remembered by those who heard it. After delivering a memorial sketch of those men who had preceded him in the office and setting forth in some detail the particular contribution of each, he outlined the history of Normal Schools and Teachers Colleges. He then proceeded to what he termed the two-fold ob- jective of the Teachers College of today: that it must lead the student to master subject matter and help him to acquire skill in teaching. His address was most stimulating, amounting as it did to a fronunciamento of his hopes, ideals, and ambi- tions for Eastern of the future. Nine

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■ T5he Inauguration One of the most important events in the history of Eastern is to be recorded in this Milestone: the formal inauguration of Doctor Herman Lee Donovan as Presi- dent of our institution, on the 25th of October, 1929. Following the death of our beloved President Coates, the Board of Regents met in Louisville, March 27, for the purpose of selecting his successor. Doctor Dono- van, Professor of Education at the George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee, was their unanimous choice. An editorial in the Courier- Journal of the following day, entitled A Kentuckian Reclaimed, pointed out in a singul arly felicitous way the rare good fortune of Eastern — and of Kentucky — in having been able to secure the services of a man, who by birth, training, and experience, is pre-eminently fitted to guide the policies of the Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College at this time. The editorial seemed to strike a responsive chord throughout the state; on all sides its sentiments were re-echoed. Naturally nowhere was the selection of the Regents more warmly applauded, or the value ot the man chosen more readily recognized than at Eastern. Faculty, students, Alumni, and friends of the institu- tion united in their approval ot the choice. Doctor Donovan was not coming to Eastern, or to Eastern Kentucky, for the first time; he was, as the Courier pointed out, only returning. A native of this section of the state, a graduate of the Uni- versity of Kentucky, he had served his state in various educational capacities, hav- ing gone to Peabody from the position of Dean of Eastern. A committee was appointed by the Board of Regents to take care of the formal induction of the President-elect. The members ot this committee were Dean Homer E. Cooper, Superintendent W. C. Bell, Regents Judge J. A. Sullivan and Honorable C. F. Weaver, and Mr. Paid Burnam. They were aided by various committees of faculty and students. The enthusiasm and interest which every one connected with these ceremonies exhibited served to emphasize the auspicious be- ginnings of President Donovan ' s administration. The official ceremonies brought to Eastern ' s campus a number of Kentucky ' s most prominent educators and citizens, together with others of high rank in the educational circles of the South and the states to the north of us. Representatives were here from the following institutions: Transylvania Col- lege, Centre College, Indiana University, Wake Forest College, University of Louisville, Marshall College, Berea College, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Indiana State Normal School, Alabama State Normal School, Peabody College, Johns Hopkins University, Union College, Asbury College, Ala- bama College, Western Kentucky State Teachers College, East Tennessee State Teachers College, Murray State Teachers College, and Louisville Normal School. In addition to the official representatives there were many other visitors present in an unofficial capacity. Eight

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