Loyola University Maryland - Evergreen / Green and Gray Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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of them deliver the commencement speeches. They were thrilled again when they heard the Archbishop declare that if Loyola had so trained her sons that they would take their place as leaders in the world, “then thank God for Loyola and for the Class of 1922.” His Grace in his address to the graduates spoke upon the necessity of higher Catholic education. He congratulated the students upon enjoying such advantages. He referred humorously to the fact that the college had awarded a prize to a young man for his ability to impersonate a woman. He referred to George R. Gibson, who was awarded a medal for his splendid imper- sonation of Lady Macbeth in the annual college play. The ceremony of breaking the ground took place before the commencement exercises. Preceded by St. Mary’s Industrial School Band, the graduates and pro- fessors of Loyola, and the Archbishop, accompanied by the Rev. Joseph A. Archbishop Curley, Fr. McEneany and the Class of 1922 McEneany, S. J., rector of the College and Father McDonnell, S. J., marched to the site of the new Science Building. There a small patch of earth with a grass cross in the center had been marked out. Int o this earth, while every one looked on, me Archbishop plunged the spade. As soon as His Grace had tossed the earth aside, the spade was handed to Mr. George C. Jenkins, the donor of the building. Mr. Frank O’Brien, president of the Alumni Association, delivered a speech in which he visualized the new Loyola with its new buildings including the $200,000 Gymnasium, which is to be the gift of the Alumni Association. The proposed Group of Buildings, which will include a Chapel will go to make up a beautifu architectural monument. At the commencement exercises the A.rchbishop, the members of the faculty and the graduates sat on the portico of the beautiful Garrett mansion, v;hich is now being used as the administration building. The audience sat beneath a tent on the lawn. William Joseph Sweeney was salu- 11

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vision of a greater Loyola. The ceremony of the breaking of the ground for the new building was held in connection with the first commencement held by the college at Evergreen. There was something that thrilled the hearts of every son and friend of Loyola at the ceremony. For long years Loyola men had dreams of a new and greater Loyola. They wanted it to be to Baltimore what Georgetown is to Washington, Boston College to Boston and Holy Cross is to New England. Their slogan at banquets and Alumni meetings had been, “On to Guilford.” Loyola men felt that when once Loyola College moved, the advance to greatness would be rapid, that there would arise on some new site a group of buildings worthy of the reputation of Archbishop Curley Breaking Ground for the New Science Building that institution, worthy of the efforts and struggles and energy and zeal of the Jesuit fathers who toiled in season and out of season to make that dream come true. With the help of God, that dream came true when Loyola moved to Ever- green and those who were present at the ceremony realized that what was once a dream became a reality, that they did not have to rub their eyes to make sure that they were not dreaming dreams that many men had dreamed before. When they saw Archbishop Curley turn the earth, when they saw sixteen young men in cap and gown who formed Evergreen’s first graduating class, they felt that the dawn had come and the sun was shining. After the ceremony of the breaking of the ground they saw these sixteen young men receive their degrees and heard two 10

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tatorian and he took as his subject: Cardinal Gibbons, Priest and Patriot.” John Jacob Coniff was the Valedictory speaker who used as his theme: “Pope Benedict XV, Pontiff of Peace.” Those who were graduated and who received the degree of Bachelor of Arts were Roger Joseph Blankfard, Robert Emmett Bradley, Clarence Joseph Caulfield, John Jennings Clark, Arthur Adams Coniff, John Jacob Coniff, Robert Aloysius Coolahan, Frank Rosario Di Paula, Kenneth Leo Graham, William Davenport Hodges, Edward Aloysius Kerr, Thomas George Marcin, Andrew Paul Menton, Carroll Albert Read, William Joseph Sweeney and Ferdinand Cornelius Sybert. The First Commencement Was Held in Front of the New College The coveted diplomas were awarded amidst the cheering and applause of the graduates’ friends and fellow students and then came the distribution of the medals and prizes which were awarded to the few fortunate. Immediately after the ceremonies, the Alumni held a reunion at which the newly graduated were welcomed into the Alumni Association. Edw. J. Brannan, 1924. 12