Union College - Stespean Yearbook (Barbourville, KY)

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The Stespean, Nineteen Twenty-Seven E. T. Franklin - , President He Did It Who is this mighty man we see, If mighty, mighty man he be, But one who dares not to be mad, Yet takes the credit, good or bad For all that others round him do In college, town and country, too? Why have a college president then, If you can ' t use him always when You ' re short on reasons, wherefores, whys, When asked by scolding men and wise Why school is bum, athletics slow, And add that you and all should know That something ' s wrong, the fault must lay At someone ' s feet. What do you say? With spirits low and half confessing, You then admit, though it ' s distressing, He did it. And when a fellow of long ago Comes back and struts and swaggers so, The boys and girls of this generation Are seized with wonder and admiration. They listen to the tales of yore, And how those men who ' ve gone before Have great things done, and greater too, Than last year ' s graduates will do — Your faculty ' s dumb compared with ours, Our teachers were giants, veritable towers — Self-pity and remorse go through and through Poor students; they know not what to do, Except to say: We ' re not to blame If history gives to us no fame, for He did it. If a freshman fails to do his work, Though he is always known to shirk, If lassie courts too much and falls To pass in Eng ' ish, French or Snails; If somebody is lacking sense and nerves And wants more backing than he deserves; If somebody thinks that he ' s quite superior And the records show that he is inferior — With idlers they come to grief and shame And look around for someone to blame, When suddenly they come with one accord, And render a verd ' ct with solemn word: He did it. The picture chang;s; when others vou greet, Who lay all honors at prexy ' s feet; He has credit for this, he has credit for that, He has done ever ' thing where we ' ve been at. Buildings, endowments, faculties, friends, To his achievements there are no ends; He preaches, he talks, he rides and he walks, He ' s sometimes hard-headed but he never balks. In pain or in sorrow, in joy or in fun, He never does stop till the task is done; Honor to whom honor, and due to whom due, If vou onlv knew it you ' d say too: He did it. If purpose you have and a plenty of it, With average sense and nerve to go with it, Just look to your work for your peace of mind, And leave such troubles all behind As ire and flattery, and temporary spells With fussing and fuming and sometimes yells, And do your very best to be useful and true, Forgiving all others as God forgives you. Then smile Good-morning and How do you do? And keep on working each whole day through With faith and prayer and honest heart, Remembering just how you got your start; But be ready to hear from every side Of good things and bad things both far and wide That you ' ve done and done and done and done To this one and that one and to everyone. Just keep on working, believing and praying, But do not get fussed or thrilled at their say- ing: He did it. (Each member of the faculty speaks for him- self this year. — Editor.)

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Mrs. Fanny Speed — Our Patron Saint During the first quarter of the nineteenth century, a beautiful child, Fanny Henning, was born into one of Virginia ' s best old families. She was a lineal descendant of Dr. Walker, who built, near Barbourville, the first house in Kentucky. While Fanny was yet in her girlhood, the Hen- nings moved across the Mountains into the Bluegrass. She was educated at Science Hill Academy, and in 1842 married Joshua Speed, a wealthy young business man of Louisville. Their life- long devotion to each other is now a tradition in the Speed familv. Mrs. Speed, strong in her religious nature, had e:.rly united with the Methodist Church, South. In 1865, she joined forces with the Loyal Eighteen and thus became one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Kentucky. Though Mr. and Mrs. Speed were slave-holders, they were Abolitionists at heart. With the coming of Emancipation, the Speed slaves were all retained as family servants, and if one of them was sick, or in need, he was cared for tenderly to the end of his life. Mr. Speed was the warm personal friend of President Lincoln, and his able adviser during the Civil War. Through the influence of her pastor, Dr. Daniel Stevenson, Mrs. Speed became much inter- ested in establishing a school of higher learning for the youth of our mountains, and Union Col- lege stands today, a monument to her loyalty to Dr. Stevenson. During his presidency at Union, she paid his salary and all deficits of the school until her death. Her gifts supported the fam- ilies of man} ' poorly paid mountain preachers, kept many a poverty-stricken but worthv voung man in school, and made Fanny Speed Hall possible. She never kept account of the money she spent in this way. By her will, $250,000 became the nucleus of our endowment fund. Mrs. Speed was a woman of rare beauty, with sympathetic brown eyes and refined features that were a constant benediction to all who knew her. Talent, influence, wealth were hers, and she used all to relieve suffering and hardship wherever she found them. A frail body never en- shrined a lovelier spirit. Her life of sweetness and consecration inspired all who knew her with a desire for higher things.

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The Stespean, Nineteen Twenty-Seven Faculty Abigail E. Weeks A.B., A.M. Englisli She is made up of complexes and hobbies — mostly hobbies: Being serious; expecting others to be serious; inventing easy work for her classes; hiking; good mixers; going to the stars ; loving wild flowers in the moun- tains without having to pick them ; etc., etc. ; ad lib. Daniel M. Hlmfleet a.b. Normal and Academy Science and Mathematics A.B., Union College, 1925; State Certifi- cate, Kentucky State Board of Education ; spe- cial student in Science, University of Ken- tucky Summer School; Professor in Normal Department of Sue Bennett Memorial School, London, Kentucky, 1910-12; Principal, Norm- al Department of Union College, 1915-20; Professor of Science and Mathematics, Union College Normal and Academy, 1920. — College Catalog. Grace Ralstox Franklin B.S., A.B. Academy English She didn ' t have Peter Pan ' s courage, so she stayed and grew up into an English teacher. That is, the outside grew up and imprisoned her. The shell is not attractive nor would you likely be interested in the shy dreamy child in pigtails who lives inside and still likes fairy stories and playhouses. Ira B. Peavy M.E., B.E., M.PD., M.S. Science Has as his motto: Try to find the good in everyone and then cultivate that good. He tries to teach the golden lessons of self-re- straint, self-reliance, of integrity, honor and true nobility, and to be a friend to every man that he may lead some to know the Great Teacher.