title:
The Fourth Annual Commencement of Berea College
subject:
Berea College -- Commencement
subject:
Rogers, John A. R. (John Almanza Rowley), 1828-1906
description:
Text of an article for The American Missionary, September 1870, describing Berea College's fourth commencement
description:
Transcript: [checkmark] ARR to Am. Mass. Sept 1870 Berea growing in respect Biog. Goodloe Family No. 3 Berea College The Fourth Annual Commencement of Berea College occurred on the 29th of June and was attended by a large concourse of people. The exercises of the morning consisted in orations by members of the present Sophomore and Freshman classes, and essays my young ladies of the Ladies' course. The most striking characteristic of the exercises by the students was their straightforward and practical character. The young people evidently had something to say, and spoke to most attentive listeners. Among the subjects were, "A Plea for Education," "Purification of Politics," "Mission of the Ungifted," and "The White Man's Party." A gentleman who had attended many Commencements elsewhere, said he had never before been so heartily interested on any similar occasion. To see in the heart of Kentucky an audience of between one and two thousand, composed of about equal numbers of white and colored, intermingled without constraint, was in itself enough to kindle the enthusiasm of a lover of liberty. Several of the students had been slaves. When one of them, a young lady of such beauty and complexion too, as many a belle might envy, alluded to her former condition, she sent such a thrill through the audience as is rarely witnessed. In the afternoon addresses were made by a member of the faculty, and Judge Goodloe, of Lexington. The former showed that as all the ends of the College were intimately related to the truth, the College from the nature of the case must be Christian. Judge Goodloe referred to the deep interest he had taken in the institution from the first and rejoiced that it had lived to see its principles triumphant. The College is growing continually in public estimation. The outward opposition has ceased and many who looked upon the school with contempt are beginning to enquire "Whereunto will this grow." . . . The value of the College is in the earnest Christian character of its students. . . Eight Sunday schools in the region about Berea are successfully conducted by them and hundreds taught every Lord's day of the Savior's love.
description:
Original Size: 6.25 x 6 in. Description of fourth annual commencement of Berea College by JAR Rogers
publisher:
Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College, Berea, Ky
date:
1870-09
date:
type:
image/jp2
format:
jp2
identifier:
BC-1100-00006
identifier:
identifier:
source:
Berea College Records: RG 11/11.15: Commencement Ceremonies. Berea College Special Collections and Archives
language:
en-us
relation:
Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College, Berea, Ky
rights:
This resource is provided for educational purposes. Please cite all references to this item.