National University - Docket Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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the face JUNIOR: THE SCHOOL OF ECOI AND GOVERNMENT The panel below consists of a page from the Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book the First, by William Blackstone, Esq. a scene of the interior of a modern United States Court with a trial in progress; and a section from the original of the Constitution of the United States, now carefully preserved in the Library of Congress. Truly, without such guides as Black- stone’s Cdfinmentaries and our Constitution modern court trials in the United States would portray an entirely different at- mosphere. BOOK VI FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES ADVERTISEMENTS BOOK VII ? .. • . -■ ' c ■ ' , :-v . A. V -u ZXtivcU

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National University Historical Sketch Al UNIVERSITY for the assimilation of the principles, opinions ' and manners of our countrymen by the common education of a portion of our youth from every quarter” — these words embodied in George Washington’s eighth annual message to Congress directing the attention of that body to the advisibility of establishing at the seat of the Federal Government a National University, were the inspiration of Professor W. B. Wedgewood, Arthur Mac Arthur, Eugene Carusi, Richard H. Alvey and their eight associates. The school was first incorporated in 1869 under the General Incorporation Law of the District of Columbia, but some time after- wards the Congress of the United States by a special act (29 Statutes at Large, 194) granted a broad charter to the original incorporators, with full power to grant and confer diplomas and the usual college and university degrees.” Although at no time officially connected with the Federal Govern- ment, at the time of its first organization the National University was formed as a nucleus around which it was hoped a governmental institu- tion might spring up. During the first part of its existence it had the honor of having, as ExOfficio Chancellors, five of the presidents of the United States — Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and Cleveland. The diplomas awarded during their terms of office bear their signatures and, in most instances, were personally conferred upon the recipients at the public evercises held in the National Theatre. Some of the other Chancellors of the University were Associate Justice Samuel F. Miller, of the Supreme Court of the United States and Bishop John Fletcher Hurst, Donor of the Gold Medal for the Highest Class Average. The present Chancellor is Hayden Johnson, LL.D.