Mississippi College - Tribesman Yearbook (Clinton, MS)

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I J. C. Hardy, ’89 rT HAS been said that the standard of the schools of a community is a true index to the character of its citizenship. This is equally true of the State. The nature of an institution of learning is not dependent on buildings, equipment, nor enrollment, but on the character of the men at its head. Missis- sippi, with one exception, expends more money proportionally on the education of her youth than any State of the Union, and the four largest institutions of learning within her borders are presided over by graduates of Mississippi College. Our Agricultural and Mechanical College has for the last eight years been under the able direction of John t rumpton Hardy, and under his wise super- vision, the enrollment of that excellent insti- tution has increased from three hundred to over one thousand, and the value of the college property from two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to over eight hundred thousand dollars. ... Born on Christmas eve, 1864. near Newton, ' lssl ssippi, the subject of this sketch, after a very meager education in the rural school entered Mississippi College in 1885. He served for two years as captain ot the M. C. Invincibles, was anniversarian of the Hermenian Society, winner o the Junior Medal, and was valedictorian of the Class of 1889, the first honors having been divided with Doctor F. L. Riley. ,t • At ' U “ r a S eneral postgraduate course at the University of Chicago and Cornell telTchinfhU 7 S ? Faduated in J law from Millsa P s College, but, deciding to make in l88Q g A Pr0l T: m ' acce P ted the pnncipalship of the Carrollton Male Academy • • year later he was elected principal of the Jackson High School and eanacdv 7 ' ' T ' su P eril tendent of the Jackson City Schools, in which capacity he served until 1900, when he succeeded Governor John M. Stone as president ot Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. President Hardy is a most ardent athletic enthusiast. Understanding that a student must have physical strength to supplement his mental powers, he organized athletics at the A. and M. on its present clean basis, and has since given his hearty cooperation and support towards maintaining it. This explains in some degree Ins remarkable popularity with his students, the athletic field at Starkville being called Hardy Field . 99 h Governor A. H. Longino appointed him one of the Commission to ui d the new million-dollar capitol, hut he resigned on his election to the presi- r wi an Jul y °f the same year he was married to Miss Kate t . Whitfield, the youngest daughter of Chief Justice A.. H. Whitfield. Their home has since been blessed with three beautiful little girls. 23

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A MONG the many whom Mississippi College has sent out to bless the world, there is not one to whom we point with more pride than to President B. G. Lowrey, of Blue Mountain Female College. He is one of the six sons of General M. P. Lowrey, being a younger brother of the presi- dent of Mississippi College. He was born just at the opening of the war between the States, near the village of Kossuth, in Alcorn County, Mississippi. His early life was spent on the farm, where, under the guidance of wise and noble parents, a spirit of industry and unselfishness was developed in him, which has characterized his entire life. He attended the public schools of Tippah County and was then prepared for college at B. M. M. A., entering Mississippi as Sopho- more in 1884 and graduating in 1887. As a student, he took his place among the leaders, not only in his class work, but in whatever he undertook, being especially active in the work of the Philomathean Society, to which he still remains loyal. He enjoyed the rare distinction of being elected to a place on the anniversary program for each of his three years in college, serving as anniversarian in his Senior year. After leaving Mississippi College, he taught one year as principl of the Pitts- boro High School, at the close of which he was reelected for a term of five years. Having made up his mind, however, to teach English, he did one year’s special work at Tulane University, receiving the M. A. degree of that institution. He then went to Blue Mountain as Professor of English in that college until called to the presidency in 1898. Under his administration the prosperity of Blue Moun- tain College has been remarkable, having become the largest private female college in the South. With the modesty so characteristic of the man, he insists that his success is due to others, but those who are in a position to know, realize the greatness of the work and the greatness of the man. Wherever is found a Blue Mountain girl, is found an ardent and loving admirer of “ Professor B. G. ” Being an eloquent and powerful speaker, his services arc always in demand, and are never refused where there is a good work to be done. He has always been active in the cause of Prohibition, and to him is due a large share of the credit for the wholesome sentiment now existing over the State against the liquor traffic. He is also a very popular lecturer, though he claims that he only “talks. ” He is prominent in every religious work undertaken by the Baptist denomination, and holds many positions of honor and trust in the local and State organizations of his church. He was married to Miss Mary Lee Boothe, and their home life is an ideally happy one. If giving up one’s entire life to the unselfish service of God and humanity constitutes greatness, the name of B. G. Lowrey should stand near the head of the list of the great men who claim Mississippi College as their alma mater. 22 B. G. Lowrey, ’87

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T HE magnificent work done by the Mis- sissippi Historical Society during the last ten years is not only the just pride of every true Mississippian, but the subject of much favorable comment throughout the Union. In 1898, Doctor Franklin L. Riley, of University, Mississippi, was elected secre- tary and treasurer of that worthy organization, and it was through his efforts that it was re- vived from its state of five years’ inactivity. In this capacity he procured the first legislative appropriation for historical purposes , and to him is due the establishment of the State Department of Archives and History. Born August 24th, 1808, near the present town of New Hebron, Mississippi, he was prepared in the rural schools of that and neigh- boring counties for college, entering Mississippi College in 1885, and was graduated with first honors with the Class of ’89. While here, he was first lieutenant of the M. C. Invineibles; winner of the Price Medal; editor in chief of the Mississippi College Magazine. After receiving the degree of Master of Arts from his alma mater, he took a three-years graduate course in Johns Hop- kins University, with history as major subject. He was fellow in history in Johns Hopkins during the session 1895-9(5, and received the Degree of Ph. D. in June, 189(5, his doctor’s dissertation of “Colonial Origins of New England Senates” having been published in the Johns Hopkins Studies in Political and Historical Science. After a most successful session as president of Hillman College, he resigned to accept the chair of history in the University of Mississippi, which position he has since filled with honor to himself and State. Realizing that the South has been and is still grievously misunderstood because its internal history is largely unpublished and unknown, Doctor Riley is devoting his life to historical research in this field. Besides being the author of Riley’s School History of Mississippi, which has been adopted for use in all of the public schools of the State, he has ably edit( d nine volumes of the Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, and is at present directing special lines of investigation in the local history of reconstruction inMissis- sippi. As assistant literary editor of the Library of Southern Literature, he is now helping to direct the work on the literary history of this State, and is also engaged with others upon the preparation of an elaborate work of several volumes to be entitled “The South in the Building of the Nation,” being associated in this under- taking with President Alderman, of the University of Virginia; President Houston, of the University of Texas; and Doctor J. A. C. Chandler, of Richmond, Virginia. In addition to the above works, Doctor Riley is the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles and monographs of a historical nature. F. L. Riley, ’89 24