Mississippi College - Tribesman Yearbook (Clinton, MS)

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T O LEARN the meaning of success, and then to meet the full measure of its requirements, should be the prime motives to actuate the activities of one’s entire life. This thought has in it graceful charm, and he who yields himself to it will surely find in its demands a serious moral purpose, far outweighing any airy or irresponsible frivolities. Virtue founded on truth, and fortitude based upon virtue, form the only piers upon which a trustworthy ark of character can be constructed. These great principles were early in life im- bibed by the subject of this sketch, who was born in Brandon, Mississippi, May 28th, 1870. He was the only child of Joseph and Elizabeth Frances Hudnall. His father died when Henry was only six years old, but, under nurturing care of the fond and wise mother, he grew to man’s estate, possessed with a steadi- ness and fidelity with which he was ever able to successfully battle against the insidious temp- tations which so persistently assail youth, and the integrity which he has maintained throughout the years of his active life will forever stand as a testimony to the moral greatness of his mother’s influence, as well as to the innate worth of his own nature. He received his early education in the public schools. In September, 1886, he entered Mississippi College, from which institution he was graduated with second honors, with his B. A. degree. He was an ardent Philomatliean, and took a promi- nent part in all things looking to the welfare of his society, which was not neglectful nor ungrateful, for as a meed of his faithfulness he served as president and was chosen First Orator, whose privilege it was to hang on the Phi the picture of the Anniversarian, T. B. Dodson, his friend and fellow-townsman. After his graduation, he was assistant in the preparatory department in M. C. one year. He then entered the University of Virginia, where he was graduated with the M. A. degree in 1894. From this great university he went to Germany, and in 1898 at Leipsic he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Immediately on his return to America, he was elected to the Chair of English in the Virginia Poly- technic Institute. He is now a member of the Modern Language Association of America. Doctor Hudnall was married to Miss Lillian Peters, of Lynchburg, on December 30th, 1903. He is a man of deep religious convictions, is a deacon in the Baptist Church, and a teacher in the Sunday school. The natural abilities of Doctor Hudnall are exceedingly vigorous, and to these he has added almost unparalleled educational advantages, so that he easily ranks among the most scholarly men who have graduated from Mississippi College. His gentle nature and scholarly attainments make him at once companionable with his associates and an inspiration to his students. R. H. Hudnall, ’90 25

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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

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H OW often is hardship the foster-mother of greatness! Born and reared on the farm, his mind yearning after know- ledge and obtaining only so much as could be had in a two-months term each summer, roaming his native hills and searching nature in his youthful quest for truth and knowledge, the life of O. M. Johnston reads like a veritable romance. Ilis career is deservingly wonderful; brilliant, but accurate in its scholarly acquire- ments ; meteoric but characterized by a pains- taking thoroughness and permanence hardly implied in the description. The two great experiences of his may be associated with two hills. The first of these hills was on the old farm in Louisiana, where his father and mother, unable to give him any material assistance, expressed theirwillingness to liberate him from all the cares of home and give him an opportunity to educate himself. The second of these hills was also in his native State, and to be remembered, because there he accepted the Savior of mankind into his life. This influence and support has ever been the guiding principle of his life. He entered Mississippi College in 1885, and was graduated five years later with the B. A. degree, being at that time twenty-four years of age. His college life was one continual struggle. Without any means of consequence, for five years he did manual labor sufficient to support himself and pay his tuition, economizing by supplying and cooking his own meals. Notwithstanding the hardships and reverses of his course, he received the first honors of his class, leaving a record as a man and a student unsurpassed in the annals of the institution. Three years after the completion of his college course, he entered Johns Hopkins University, choosing French and Italian as principal and first subordinate, and history as second subordinate. During his stay at this great center of learning, he obtained a scholarship and a fellowship, and received his Ph. 1). degree in 1896. While at the university, his summers were spent in France and Italy, and, since his graduation, he has several times returned to Europe, spending altogether two and a half years in travel on the continent and in study in the great libraries of the Old World. In August, 1897, he was married to Miss Florence Boggs, of Urbana, Illinois. He taught for one year in Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, and went from there to Leland Stanford, Junior, University, where he has been ever since, being at present associate professor of Romanic languages. During the eleven years that he has been in California, in addition to his constant duties as a teacher, he has done considerable research work, having published about thirty original studies along the line of his special work. These studies have appeared in the different American journals for the Romanic languages. Doctor Johnston is preeminently a scholar, and whatever success he has achieved as teacher may be attributed to effort, a hunger for knowledge, and a love of his profession. 26 O. M. Johnston, ’90