Roanoke College - Rawenoch Yearbook (Salem, VA)

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society holding in its place an annual celebration-the Ciceronians on February 22d, the Demostheneans on Leels birthday, january 19th. In recent years this latter date has been changed to. a day early in March, about two weeks after the Ciceronian celebration. The junior Debate, which was for many years an import- ant public performance of the Demosthenean Society, has likewise been abandoned. The interest of the public and the members themselves has, however, been more than sustained by the prize contests in debate and declamation now held by each society shortly before commencement. Roanoke is one of the eight members of the State Oratorical Association. The much coveted medal of this Association was won by a Roanoke seniors in ' 1897, and was also taken by a Roanoke alumnus who was studying at the University of Virginia. At one commencement at this University, the final orators of the two literary societies were both Roanoke men Nothing in the student's life at Roanoke is so effective in maintaining the moral toneand in setting a high standard of Christian conduct as the Y. M. Many a graduate of the College looks back to a meeting of this association as the turning-point in his career. ln brief, its influence can not be measured or even estimated. ln every movement that aims at elevating the ethical tone of the student body, as the adoption of the Honor System in 1902, the members of the Y. Nl C. A. have taken the leading part. The people of Baltimore have recently pointed out with just pride that in the list of I,OOO most emi- nent living scientists, compiled by a high and disinterested authority, the johns l-lopkins University trained 144, or about one seventhw- a larger number than either of the older universities, Harvard or Berlin. The people of Salem may point out with similar pride that among the 554 alumni of Roanoke, many are now hlling positions of the highest importance to society and the State. Thus among this number there are 158 ministers, 26 college presidents, professors, and principals of seminaries, 58 teachers and school superinten- dents, 86 lawyers and judges, and 48 physicians and surgeons ln addition to its graduates, the College has trained in whole or in parttabout 3,5oo students, who, having gone from Roanoke either into the professional schools or into business, are now contributing much to the progress of the country toward the realization of higher ideals of thought and life. J. D. R.

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near Charleston. During the short period of Dr. lVIorehead's incumbency movements have been launched which, as will be seen later, are destined to be of the greatest importance in increasing the usefulness and widening the induence of Roanoke. In honor of the semi-centennial anniversary of the College, the graduates and ex-students resolved to replace the old main building with a newer and handsomer structure. The present well-equipped adminis- tration bnilding is one result of their efforts. 'lihe final results of this concentration of generosity and loy- alty remain to be seen, for this undertaking has proved the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Roanoke College. Such a movement had not escaped the notice of Mr. Carnegie whose systematic benefactions are known to all. Isle offered to give the College 525,000.00 as soon as the indebtedness of 310,000.00 on the new building and an additional f2f,,OO0.00 should be raised. NVith commendable resolution and unanimity the friends of Roanoke rallied to her support, and within a year the completion of the required sum was announced. In the meanwhile, as intimated above, the Virginia Synod resolved to establish a separate fund of 525,000.00 for the endowment of the chair of moral and intellectual philosophy. By means of the enlarged endowment, two new professorships can be added -a need now rendered imperative by the increased attendance of students. In a short sketch of Roanoke College it is impossible to dwell on the changes in the personnel of the liaculty or the Board of Trustees. Among the factors which have determined the character of student life at Roanoke, there are none, with the exception of the classroom instruction, that are more important than the literary societies. 'lihe present societies are the outgrowth of the Philomathean Society, which was organized at the old insti- tute in Augusta county. ln order to have the stimulus which springs from rivalry, the members of this par- ent society resolved to form two societies. Accordingly two of the members, Henry Anderson and john ul. Scherer were appointed to make the division, each to choose alternately. The former, with his support- ers, chose the name Ciceroniang the latter readily and appositely selectedthat of Demosthenean. For many years an annual contest between the societies in essay, oratory, and debate was held on the 22d of Febru- ary. But a supposed breach in etiquette having been committed, these contests were discontinued, each

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COLLEGE YELL I- Rah! Rah! Rah! R! O! A! Rah! Rah! Rah! N! O! K! Roanoke ! ! ! ll- Hobbly I l-lobbly ! Hobbly ! l-lobbly! I-lobbly! l-lah ! ! Roanoke ! ! Roanoke! ! ! Bo-o-o-o- !- ! ! VVah ! ! ! COLLEGE COLORS Yellow fllflandarinl and National Blue ATHLETIC COLORS Steel Cray and Maroon