Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

Page 10 text:

The Inauguration. j|EFs.FECT as a day in June. October 27. 1904, dawned upon our beautiful city. !t was auspicious of the great events to transpire. Monmouth was that day to honor herself and Dr. T. H. McMichael by publicly installing him as her fourth President; Doctors Wallace. McMichael, Lyons, and again Dr. McMichael, fordoes not the noble father live again in the worthy son? These were all great and good men, but we believe not one of them was more fitted by nature, education and grace to fill the high position with credit to himself and profit to the institution than he who is now our pilot, Dr. Thomas Hanna McMichael. No man is perfect and a fallible being will err occasionally; but where could we find one whom we could more safely trust? With confidence we put in his hands the precious interests of an institution whose prosperity and permanence is of vital importance to the United Presbyterian Church and through her to the cause of God in the world. Heaven has endowed him with a physique calculated to bear the immense strain, and a mind broad and deep and reverent. A man in such a position should be a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, as well as a thorough scholar, with a practical and impressive personality. The conviction that he was such a man led to his choice and every student and friend of the college rejoices in the advent. The installation services were in the Auditorium. About 2 p. m. the citizens, visitors, schools, students, faculty and Alumni gathered on the Campus. A spirit of joy and con- gratulation animated the throng The procession formed in front of the main college building in the following order: Student classes, the President, Chaplin and speakers of the day. College Senate and Trustees, the Alumni, Faculty and Ladies ' Advisory Board. Schools and High Schools. Ked and White was everywhere. Artistic banners waved at the head of classes. The line of march was to Broadway, east to the President ' s house, then to the Audi- torium. The mcst picturesque and pleasing scene was near the Auditorium, where the student body formed into two lines an avenue through which passed the rest of the preces- sion into the building The bright pageantry and class yells were a typical exhibition of college enthusiasm. The inaugural exercises began a little later. The audience packed the spacious auditorium. Prcf. J. N. Swan. Ph. D.. presided. The faculty, the officials and the conservatory choir occupied seats behind the speakers. Prof. Austin at the giand organ, rose to the occasion, and a ficcd of melody entranced the audience. The invocation was given by Prof. J. C. Hutchinson and all joined in Old Hundred. The first speaker was T. C. McCracken. who brought greetings from the student body. His well chosen words were a credit to himself and voiced the feelings and sentiments of every student. Prof. Russell Graham next spoke in behalf of the faculty. This was followed by Kev. H. F, Wallace, brother of the first president, who expressed the greetings of the first administration. He was followed by T. P. Shontz, class of ' 76, who brought glory to the Alumni, as well as congratulations to the present working force. That he was interesting and practical, the

Page 9 text:

Introduction. CHANGE IS THE ONE IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE MODERN COLLEGE ANNUAL. CONFORMITY TO THE PAST IS INTOLERABLE; SOMETHING NEW MUST BE HAD THE EDITORS TRUST THAT THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF THIS FACT WILL BE NOTICEABLE IN THE PAGES OF THIS VOLUME. OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INCONVENIENT AS WELL AS UNWISE TO IGNORE CUSTOM IN ALL MATTERS. BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT ALL CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE ATTEMPT TO MORE CLEARLY APPROACH THE ANNUALS OF THE OLDER AND MORE ADVANCED INSTITUTIONS OF OUR LAND. AS TO THE MEASURE IN WHICH THIS ATTEMPT HAS BEEN REALIZED THE READER IS LEFT TO JUDGE. THE EDITOKS.

Page 11 text:

walls of the Auditorium might testify, the bright floors of Eccritean hall prove he is also a generous soul. The choir then sang the anthem, Praise the Lord, Oh Jerusalem. There were fur- ther greetings from the College Senate by Dr. Kyle and from sister colleges by Dr. Thomp- son of Tarkio. They expressed hearty good will and Dr. McMichael feelingly responded. Hon. J. rVoss Hanna, after a short but eloquent address, then formally invested the new president with the insignia of his office, the college seal. Dr. McMichael accepted the em- blem with thanks for the confidence reposed in him. After the anthem 1 Will Extol Thee, Dr. McMichael delivered his inaugural address on the Mission of Monmouth College. We can only give a few thoughts from the excellent address. He spcke with deep feeling of those whose brains and hands had builded what we to-day enjoy, of the faithful- ness and self-sacrifice, not only of the founders, but of the multitudes who gave her aid by their means, services and prayers. He spoke of Monmouth College ' s noble history and fol- lowed with the question, What of her future? Is it not throbbing with possibilities? Monmouth is one of a great Sisterhood who manufacture power. Her mission is that of the small college and judged bypractical results is more important than thatof the university. Monmouth is a Christian college. She furnishes the brand of education for which the world is to-day crying—reverent, unselfish, self-sacrificing: Its ideal the Man of Galilee. The evening exercises began with the rendition of Elisa ' s Dream by Prof. Austin at the organ and invocation by f ev. W. J. McMichael. President McMichael then introduced the speaker of the evening, Pres. Stanley A. McKay of ShurtlifF College, who spoke on