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ROCHESTER ALUMNI REVIEW 117
meled by preceden ts. It holds itself ready
to adopt every improvement which the
activity of the future shall unfold . . . . .
In four years our i nst itut i on has attained
a solidity and vigor almost without parallel
in the history of education. But the
bread th of i ts foundations, and the vigor
which has hitherto marked the administration
of its affairs, impose the necessity of
a continued ex pansion and growth in the
fu tu reo Not to become strong and able
with such a beginning is to fail. Our
work is bu t begun .'"
Tuesday even ing was devoted to the anniversary
oration and original poem by
prominent men before th e Delphi c and
Pithonian literary societies. Again the immense
hall, it was sa id, would not contain
the thousands who desired to listen, and
many were co mpelled to leave, unable to
find room even to stand.
Another Commencement Day
On commencement d ay ( Wednesday ),
the "ladies began early to flock to Corinthian
H all, and before 9 a. m. the raised
seats were rad iant with beauty and gay
with the rich array of dresses" ; or, as another
report had it, the ladies were admitted
to the hall p rev iou s to the arrival of
the procession, and they occupied, in a
compact hody, the elevated seats at the
sides, the effect of such "a gay bordering
of ' l iving grace' en closing the graver part
of the audience" being scarcely describable.
The procession from the University building
"was long and quite imposing-a larger
turnout than on any previous occasion of
the same kind." Record was also made
that the "morn ing rose upon the city calm
and cool, a great desideratum when a
crowd is to be en dured through six long
hours." The l ength of the exercises was
owing largely to the number of orations
delivered by membe rs of the graduating
class, with music at intervals.
Included in the grad uating class of nineteen
were Galusha An derson, who became
president of the old or first University
of Ch icago ; Josep h Mead Bailey,
who became a j ustice of the Supreme
Cou rt of Illinois ; and Henry Strong, who
en tered the legal profession and afterwa rd
became the president of the Atch ison , To-
'M. B. Anderson, The E1ld a1ld Mea1ls of A
Liberal Educatio1l (Rochester: William N. Sage ;
New York : Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman,
1854) ; �Iilliam C. Morey, Paprrs a7ld Addresses
of Marti1l B. A1lderso7l, LL.D., I, 3ff.
peka and San ta Fe Railroad Company.
Another of the graduates was Robert
Hughes Fenn, of Rochester, who, it was
stated, in perform ing some chem ical experiments
in private, at the close of his
junior year, lost his eyesight from the effects
of an explosion. S till, through his
own perseverance and the aid of a bro ther,
who was a member of the same class, together
with the help of other devoted classmates,
he was able to complete his college
course with cred i t.
Message to Graduates
President Anderson, in addressing the
graduating class, said, after referring to
the rush of human thought, affection and
will of the age, "With this mass of thought
and emotion, your future life will bri ng
you into contact, with a closeness proportioned
to you r activity and grasp of mind.
Your power for guidance will be the measure
of your practical force of character.
This contact i mposes upon the scholar an
obligation to infl u ence his own age for
good ; to remove ignorance from the mind,
sorrow from the heart, and bring the living
movement of his time into greater harmony
with the laws of God, and thereby
promote the well-being of man.
1"'he highest aims of a moral being under
the government of God, must be external
to himsel f . His h ighest law o f action is
to make all personal improvemen t and
gratification subordinate to the good of
those to whom he stands in relation. This
is the basis of the hero ic character. It is
the basis of the Christian character as
well. The man of learn ing
has no right to withdraw from the issues
of the age, and from contact with the
world. The moral laws under
which we are placed are stern ly intolerant
of these 'lookers-on .' As your
experience enlarges, you will have more
confidence in iron determination than in
genius . Aim not to be great
or d istinguished , but to be useful. . . . .
Reputation follows those w'ho are greatsou
led enou gh to despise it, and walk in
the light of a loftier purpose . . . . . Write
your history in the mental and moral elevation
of mankind, an d mankind will take
care of your good name. . There
is no failure to the single -hea rted laborer
in God's vineyard."
First Meeting of Alumni
Last on the commencement program was
a meeting of the alumni of the University,
appoin ted to be held in the chapel at four