Northrop Collegiate School - Tatler Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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Dr. Cyrus Northrop tSEPTEMBER 30, 1884-- APRIL 3, 1922y nTwilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; h'For thoi from out our bourne of Time and Place The Hood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar. -Tennyson. Cyrus N orthropls Creed For myself, I feel that I should know very little about God if Jesus Christ had not come into the world and revealed God to us, as he said he did, and as I believe he did. And I should have very little confidence in immortality from all the arguments from analogy or human longings, if I did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead, as he said he would rise, and as we are told he did. I feel as Paul did, llIf Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain? nBut now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept? Believing this as I do, I recognize in Jesus not a mere man, however remarkable, but a messenger from God who had power to lay down his life and power to take it up again, a being fitted in all respects by character and power to be the light of the world and to reveal God to us as He really is. This, that and the other, may disappear or change or perish, but Jesus Christ remains the. same yesterday, today and forever, Son of Man and Son of God, the Divine Savior of the XVorld. A History of Dr. Northropls Life Cyrus Northrop was born on a farm near Ridgefield, Connecticut, on Sep- tember 30, 1834. In spite of poor health he persevered, in his studies, and in 1857 received his BA. degree from Yale University. Two years later he finished his law course, and was admitted to the bar. He became interested in politics, however, and was soon elected to the Connecticut Senate. In the same year he 6

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To the Memory Of Dr. Cyrus Northrop whose name we all revere and whose ideals we shall always cherish

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was married to Miss Anna E. Warren. He began his teaching career in 1863 upon accepting the chair of rhetoric and English literature at Yale. It was from this University that he received his doctorls degree in 1886. In 1884 a delegation of regents from the University of Minnesota Visited Professor Northrop. Although they pretended to ask his advice regarding can- didates for the presidency of the University of Minnesota, it soon developed that Professor Northrop himself was the man whom they wanted. He declined the offer, but, after looking over the iield, he decided to reconsider the proposition. Dr. N orthrop took up his duties as president of the University in 1884. At that time there was an enrollment of only two hundred and eighty-nine students and. a faculty of only thirty members, and there were but two buildings on the campus. During the twenty-seven years of Dr. Northropls presidency the number of students was augmented to five thousand, and the faculty to two hundred and twelve. At the time of his resignation there were twenty-nine buildings. He was dearly loved by all his students. Their feelings are perhaps best shown in the following lines composed by a student as one of the stanzas of the University song, 8Minnesota, Hail to Theelil. HHail to thee, our Prexy Sire, Thou hast made us all thine own, And our hearts one boon aspire, That our love may be thy throne. Throughout our future years Naught can e,er thy memory mar, We will guard thy fame, And adore thy name, Thou shalt be our Northern Star? Although after his resignation in 1911 he lived the life of a private citizen, he was always extremely much interested in public affairs. Doctor Northrop was one of the most remarkable men of the Northwest. He was of brilliant mind and wonderful character, a man whose ideals we rejoice to have inherited directly. I say lidirectlyf for, in 1915, when the question of naming our school was up for consideration, it was thought that it could not be better named than for' Dr. Northrop, and with his consent it became Northrop Collegiate School. His unfailing interest in our school was shown by the several Baccalaureate and Commencement addresses which he delivered. His last appearance before us was on June 5, 1921, when he delivered our Baccalaureate sermon, a beautiful sermon whose keynote was service, and the last words of which were :ettlt is to such service of. humanity that I summon you, young ladies of N orthropfl 7