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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1898)
& fy \\ i] Q # : ee AN a Y\Ah A) 7 i \\4 ay “a5 ; é ae . | Y : Vout. VII. No. 40. NEW HAVEN, CONN., TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1898. Price Tren Cenrs. SPLENDID COMMENCEMENT, An Imposing Procession—How Mc- Kinley’s Name Was Received. ‘Yale had a great Commencement Day. The procession in the morning was the most impressive one of any since the new order of Commencement exer-- cises was established. Yale gave ap- proximately six hundred degrees this year, and nearly every one who re- ceived his diploma marched through Phelps Gateway and across the Green and back behind the old Brick Row to Battell Chapel. And besides these six hundred, as many more of the grad- uates fell into orderly line behind the long black-gowned companies of candi- | dates. And the members of the Yale Cor- poration and the distinguished guests who were to receive honorary degrees from Yale that day closed up the long line very impressively. But that isn’t mentioning the most interesting, if not the most important incident, of that procession. Professor Schwab, the now veteran marshal of these exercises, planned and executed all very well, but did nothing quite so satisfactory to nine out of ten who watched this stately ceremony, as the placing together at the head of their classes the Academic and Scientific Seniors who wear the uniform of the army and navy of the United States, and who were near enough to New Haven to reach it in a twenty-four hours’ leave of absence. The uniforms made a happy contrast with the somber Academic gowns, and the meaning of it all, the thought of what these boys were doing, was par- ticularly clear and impressive under these circumstances. The American Band, leading, played “Onward Chris- tian Soldiers” to slow marching time, which was as it should be. There was nothing of the ordinary dress parade show about it. The oc- asion rather emphasized all the deeper the significance of patriotic service. Men spoke -.of it afterwards in the ‘Chapel. There was more or less bustle -and inattention at the opening prayer, ‘but those who looked about saw that ‘most of those coats of blue were on ‘forms in attitude most reverent. Naturally enough, even in the exer- ‘cises themselves the note of country was struck again and again. President Dwight very happily referred to the response of Yale to the call of the country, in his address reviewing the principal incidents of the year, and he was again and again interrupted when his language meant the Yale Volun- teers. PRESIDENT MCKINLEY’S : PLAN, The crowning illustration of this feel- ing came just at the end of all the exercises in the Chapel. For two or three months a very few who were in the secret had been looking forward to Commencement Day as a day when Yale would have peculiar opportunity to honor one who deserved well of the Republic. It was known that the Presi- dent of the United States had been in- vited to attend the Yale Commence- ment and to receive from the Univer- sity the degree of LL.D.: and that he had very readily and gratefully accepted the invitation, and had made all plans to allow himself even the briefest ab- sence from Washington, so that he might receive in person this honor. As the troubled times grew more troubled, and the prosecution of vigor- ous war went on all the more vigor- ously, it of course grew doubtful that it would be within the possible that Mr. McKinley could leave the National Capital. He himself, however, cher- ished to within two weeks of Com- mencement the hope that he might carry out’ his long planned trip to this city. At that time he was obliged re- luctantly and finally to abandon his object. Despite the very strict r-le about the conferring of degrees in absence, the Corporation . decided that his should | nevertheless be given as the reasons for his absence were entirely beyond his control. The secret was well guarded, however, until the very last, and it was only on the day of Commencement that here and there you met men who had heard of the projected action. As the conferring of honor degrees proceeded from the A.M’s. to the D.D’s. and finally to the LL.D’s., those who were in the secret began to whisper to their neighbors to be on the lookout. A very few of the Seniors, by their very close attention at this time, seemed to be in a special mood of anticipation. Nothing, however, had been said, and only a very small fraction even guessed what was to be done. Of course, nothing whatever was planned except the mere presentation of the name to President Dwight, with a brief statement.of the reasons for the conferring of the degree. It was about half-past twelve when Professor Fisher began with the usual words: “Mr. President, I have the honor to present for the degree of LL.D., in absentia’—these. last two words gave the key—“His Excellency, William”’—and the rest” of it was drowned. As unanimously as if by pre- concerted arrangement the entire audi- ence, young and old, men and women, Every pair of. jumped to their feet. hands clapped its loudest, and from clapping the applause went into a shout and then into a roar. The great audi- ence stood on their feet, it seemed, for several minutes, clapping and shout- ing. But that didn’t seem to satisfy, and it was in response to pure instinct that out of nowhere in particular the first sharp notes of the Brek-ek-ek-ex were heard. From everywhere in gen- eral: that yell was taken up and swept through the entire great assemblage. It was one of Yale’s great cheers, and worth coming to New Haven to hear. No one would hardly have dared prophesy up to noon that day that he would ever live to hear the Brek-ek- ek-ex in chapel, and it probably never will be heard there again; but it has been given and everyone is glad who heard it that day. The Yale Volunteers were quite as much pleased with that part of their Commencement as with their own degrees. THE OTHER EXERCISES. As to the other exercises of Com- mencement morning, they were all ex- cellently carried out. The music by the Symphony Orchestra, led by Professor Sanford, was unusually good. The first number was the Overture to Ruy Blas, and the second orchestral piece was Walther’s Preislied from Die Meister- singer. The postlude was the Corona- tion march from Die Folkunger. As usual, after the opening prayer, the first hymn was the 65th Psalm to the York tune, and the exercises closed with Mar- tin Luther’s Ein Feste Burg. ~ The address by the President was much briefer than usual. He merely rehearsed a few of the important events of the. year, dwelling particularly on - the Sheffield Semi-Centennial and em- OTHNIEL CHARLES MARSH, PROFESSOR OF PALAZONTOLOGY IN YALE UNIVERSITY. phasizing the success of that school as demonstrated by these exercises. Most of the rest of the talk was. an exhorta- tion to make the Bi-Centennial celebra- tion of Yale an auspicious beginning of the new century that is so close at hand. After that the President, as already said, dwelt on Yale’s part in the war, and paid a very beautiful tribute to the Yale Volunteers. In closing, he gave his blessing to all those who were going out from the University that day. When it came to the presentation of degrees for Bachelor of Arts, Norman Buckingham Beecher one of the Philo- sophicals of Ninety-Eight, and a mem- ber of the Yale Battery, was the first of the Class marshals to receive the de- grees for the Class. Of the applause given to the different men, that for Edward Carter Perkins, Captain of the Track Team, was’ particularly notice- able. Henry Wright, son of Dean Wright, was also received with unusual demonstration. NINE WOMEN TAKE DEGREES. The giving of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to nine women. was, naturally enough, the occasion for en- thusiastic demonstration. This was al- most too enthusiastic. The announcement of prizes brought forth very liberal applause. The names of those receiving honorary degrees, with the address of Professor Fisher in each case in presenting them for the honor, and the list of prizes, fellowships and scholarships, are given elsewhere. Of the second session of the great exercises of Commencement Day, the Alumni Dinner, .a full. account is printed elsewhere. The order of the procession was as follows: Chief Marshal, Prof. J. C. Schwab. Aides, Prof. R: N. Corwin, Dr. L. W. Bacon, Mr. Roger S. Baldwin. Second Regiment Band. The High Sheriff of the County of New Haven. Candidates for the Degree of B.A. Mr. T. F. Archbald; Marshal. Thirty Class Marshals. — Volunteers from Light Battery A, Conn. Volunteers. The Academic Senior Class. ° Candidates for the Degree of Ph.B., Prof. F. E. Beach, Marshal. Class Marshals. Fifteen Volunteers from’ Light Battery A, Conn. Volunteers. | The Senior class of the Sheffield Scienti- fic School. 7 Candidates for the Degree of B.F.A. Mr. O. G. Bunnell, Marshal. — Candidates for the Degree of LL.B. and LL.M. Prof. G. E.. Beers, Marshal. Candidates for the Degrees of M.A., Coho ane. 2, Dr. R. R. Boltwood, Marshal. Candidates for the Degree of M.D. Prof. H. B: Fernis, Marshal. Candidates for the Degree of Ph.D. Mr. C. M. Lewis, Marshal. The President and Corporation, Prof. H. W. Farnam, Marshal. The Faculty and Invited Guests. _ The graduates in the order of their graduation together with the graduates of other colleges and universities and with the friends of the University. 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