^ 1 ^* 73.40 3 ~ STltr H liamt HuUrtin Series VII OCTOBER, 1908 Number 5 February 17, 1809 June 12-17, 1909 The Miami Centennial Appropriate Ceremonies Commemorating The One -Hundredth Anniversary Of the Institution of the Miami University, Oxford, Ohio will be held throughout the Annual Commencement Season of the University June 12-17, 1909 A general invitation is cordially extended to all Alumni, Former Stu- dents, and Friends of the University, who are urged to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the contents of this and succeeding announcements Published Monthly by Miami University And entered at Postoffice , Oxford , Ohio, as Second Class Mail Matter PROPOSED PROGRAM Saturday, - June 12 7:30 P. M.— Students’ Night. Historical Pageants; Torchlight Parade; Cam- pus Concert. Sunday, - June 13 10:00 A. M.— Baccalaureate Sermon. 7:30 P. M. — Annual Sermon before Christian Associations. Monday, - June 14 2:30 P. M. — Annual Gold Medal Oratorical Contest. 4:00 P. M.— Reunion of Normal College Alumnae. 7:30 P. M.— Class Day Program and Play, Ohio State Normal College. Tuesday, - June 15 2:30 P. M. — Commencement Exercises, Ohio State Normal College. 4:00 P. M. — Class Day Program, College of Liberal Arts. G:30 P. M. -Campus Concert. 7:30 P. M. — Senior Class Play, College of Liberal Arts. PROPOSED PROGRAM Wednesday, - June 16 9:00 A. M. — Centennial Ceremonies. Academic Procession; Centennial Address ; Congratulatory Addresses by Representatives of State and National Governments and of Colleges and Groups of Colleges ; Addresses by Ex-presidents of the University ; Respon- ses ; Centennial Ode. 12:30 P. M.— Alumni Dinner. Roll Call of Classes; Business Session; Toasts by Representatives of each Administration of the University. 5:00 P. M.— Class Reunions. 7:00 P. M. — Annual Address before the Literary Societies. 8:30 P. M. — Reunions in the Literary Halls. 9:30 P. M. — Reunions of Greek Fraternities. Thursday, - June 17 9:00 A. M. —Commencement Processional. 9:30 A. M. — Annual Commencement Exercises of Miami University. 2:00 P. M.— Annual Reception by the President of the University. THE CENTENNIAL SITUATION INTRODUCTORY The present official seal of Miami University displays prominently among the folds of its realistic serpents the date 1824. This is correct enough in representing the year when the institution, under direction of Doctor Bishop, its first pres- ident, was opened to students of collegiate rank. But Miami University had been a corporate organization for fifteen years before; and during most of this time the pioneers of the Mi- ami Valley had been hopefully erecting their cabins about the established site of the new College. It was, indeed, 1824 be- fore the first rude college building was ready, and the funds accruing from the college township were sufficient to justify the beginning of academic activity. But on the seventeenth day of February, 1809, an act of the General Assembly of Ohio had formally provided for the institution of the Miami Uni- versity. During the Commencement season of 1906, preliminary action was taken regarding a celebration, in June, 1909, of the one-hundredth anniversary of this enactment. In a short time there was constituted a Joint Committee on Arrange- ments, representative of the several University interests, and full power was given it to complete and execute the plans of the celebration. The semi-occasional meetings and discus- sions of the first two years have resulted in a group of projects that give promise of the largest and most interesting college gathering ever held in southern Ohio. Regular monthly ses- sions of the Committee will be held during the winter to per- fect these plans. 4 THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ARRANGEMENTS This committee is at present constituted as follows : A. H. Upham, Oxford, Ohio, Chairman. B. S. Bartlow, Hamilton, Ohio, Secretary. Guy Potter Benton, President of the University. Trustees — W. L. Tobey, T. R. Kumler, W. S. Giffen, J. E. Morey, W. F. Eltzroth. Alumni — C. H. Fisk, Parker Dickson, R. M. Hughes. Faculties — E. E. Brandon, A. L. Gates, J. E. Bradford, H. H. Carter, B. M. Davis. Certain permanent sub-committees have been appointed : Program — Tobey, Morey, Hughes, Gates. Publications — Bradford, Eltzroth, Fisk, Giffen. Advertising — Upham, Bartlow, Tobey, Dickson. Accommodations — Brandon, Benton, Kumler, Davis. CLASS SECRETARIES Some time ago, with this celebration in mind, Secretary Bartlow conducted an election for Class Secretaries among the Alumni. These Secretaries will be held largely respon- sible for arousing enthusiasm within class groups, for com- pleting the roll of former students once associated with their classes, and for the management of class reunions, luncheons, and the like. They are urged to communicate freely with the Committee on these matters. A list of the Class Secretaries is here published for the first time. CLASS SECRETARIES 1837 Rev. Charles T. McCaughan, Winterset, Iowa. 1838 John P. Reynolds, 4 Washington Place, Chicago, 111. 1840 Rev. Matthew M. Brown, Golden, 111. 1841 Dr. George L. Andrew, La Porte, Ind. 1842 Arnaldo F. Pack, Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, Colo. 1844 James E. Galloway, Xenia, Ohio. 1845 John W. Herron, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1846 Joseph B. Leake, 218 Cass St., Chicago, 111. 1847 Charles Stewart, Easton, Pa. 1848 Rev. Samuel S. Laws, Washington, D. C. 5 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 18S8 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 Andrew M. Brooks, Springfield, 111. George Crane, Dubuque, Iowa. Rev. Samuel T. Lowrie, 1827 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. Rev. J. P. E. Kumler, 304 Florence St., Washington, D. C. David W. McClung, Fern Bank, Ohio. L. N. Bonham, Oxford, Ohio. Rev. W. J. McSurely, Oxford, Ohio. Gen. Ben P. Runkle, Hillsboro, Ohio. James R. Patterson, Oxford, Ohio. Rev. Daniel H. Evans, Youngstown, Ohio. Walter S. Thomas, Troy, Ohio. Dr. Stephen C. Ayres, 4 W. 7th St., Cincinnati, Ohio. Hiram D. Peck, Atlas Bank Bldg., Cincinnati, Ohio. Charles H. Fisk, Covington, Ky. Rev. David S. Tappan, Circleville, Ohio. Clark B. Montgomery, Cincinnati, Ohio. Richard T. Durrell, Merchant’s Library Bldg., Cincin- nati, Ohio. George S. Bishop, Oxford, Ohio. Bruce Paul Jones, London, Ohio. Rev. James K. Gibson, South Charleston, Ohio. Phillip N. Moore, 611 Merchant’s-LaClede Bldg., St. Louis, Mo. Henry B. McClure, Carlisle Building, Cincinnati, Ohio. Horace Ankeney, R. F. D. No. 7, Xenia, Ohio. Francis M. Coppock, First National Bank Bldg., Cin- cinnati, Ohio. Kearney Prugh, 1342 R St., Washington, D. C. Orlando B. Finch, Oxford, Ohio. Elmer B. Finch, Oxford, Ohio. Hinckley Smith, Hamilton, Ohio. Robert A. Hiestand, Eaton, Ohio. Raymond M. Hughes, Oxford, Ohio. Carl R. Greer, Hamilton, Ohio. William R. McDonald, Wellsville, Ohio. George M. Shera, Oxford, Ohio. Alfred H. Upham, Oxford, Ohio. Emory L. Ferris, 35 Wall St., New York, N. Y. Lee O. Lantis, N. High St., Columbus, Ohio. Edward P. Pottenger, Seven Mile, Ohio. 6 1901 Henry G. Frost, First National Bank Bldg., Cincin- nati, Ohio. 1902 Hugh D. Schell, Hamilton, Ohio. 1903 Darrell Joyce, Hamilton, Ohio. 1903 (Normal) Margaret E. Coulter, Oxford, Ohio. 1904 Julia L. Bishop, Hamilton, Ohio. 1904 (Normal) Vida L. DeMar, Carthage, Ohio. 1905 Nellie Overholtz, Oxford, Ohio. 1905 (Normal) Mary McSurely, Oxford, Ohio. 1906 Abram L. Kaye, Knoxville, 111. 1906 (Normal) Mary D. Finch, Jamestown, Ohio. 1907 Omen K. Boring, Oxford, Ohio. 1907 (Normal) Mabel Briney, Oxford, Ohio. 1908 James Murray Sheehan, Paris, France. 1908 (Normal) Mary Eleanor Stork, Oxford, Ohio. LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES Enthusiasm grows by association. The most thoughtful of men have been known to delay responding to Commence- ment invitations, and to grow peevish afterward when accom- modations were bad. The necessary “personal suggestions” are to be provided for this time by a chain of Local Represen- tatives, one in each community where there are Miami men, — a sort of “Boosters’ Association,” indeed. Theirs is the job of talking Centennial on all occasions, of overcoming apathy, circulating advertising matter, and — hardest of all — seeing that every prospective guest announces his intentions at the appointed time. The list follows: LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES Cincinnati, Ohio, David H. Fottenger, ’73, Johnson Bldg. Cleveland, Ohio, David E. Platter, ’71, 312 Lennox Building. Columbus, Ohio, Lee O. Lantis, ’99, N. High St. Dayton, Ohio, George R. Eastman, ’94. Eaton, Ohio, Henry C. Hiestand, Ex-’02. Hamilton, Ohio, J. Paul Scudder, ’02, Rentschler Building. Hillsboro, Ohio, Granville Barrere, Ex-’Ol. Oxford, Ohio, Edward P. Robinson. ’93. 7 Indianapolis, Ind., Chas. D. M. Houghton, Ex-’95, Indiana Pythian Building. Liberty, Ind., Everett R. Beard, '93. Chicago, 111., W. K. Richer, Ex-’97, 1763 Kenmore Ave. New York, N. Y., Walter C. Harris, ’91, 1588 E. 19th St., Brooklyn. Washington, D. C., George H. Van Buren, ’95, 2111 19th St., N. W. (This list is subject to revision and extension.) SPECIAL FEATURES The Centennial Program, in general outline, appears else- where in this Bulletin. It seems best to withhold the names of all speakers at this early date, though many places have already been filled in a most satisfactory manner. Practically all of Miami’s distinguished living alumni expect to be present, and from them the speakers are being chosen, making the exercises distinctively Miami’s own. The entire celebration extends over six days, but the aim has been to concentrate in Wednesday and Thursday those events which appeal most to the busy alumnus. Wednesday is especially crowded, but the entire evening has been left free for the Literary Societies and Greek Fraternities, and remin- iscences may flow unchecked from 8:30 until sunrise. The ceremonies of Wednesday morning will be an innovation for Miami. Representatives of the state and national govern- ments and of various colleges and groups of colleges through- out the land will be present with words of greeting and con- gratulation to the century-old Miami. The Alumni Dinner, at noon, will be the greatest thing of its kind ever held in Oxford; limited, indeed, only by the floor space we can find for it. After-dinner speeches will be representative of the various University administrations, and will naturally include much of tradition and anecdote. Every program during the week will be too valuable to miss, even the one on Saturday night. Student spirit and loyalty will find expression at this event, partly in the form of certain quaint historical pageants in appropriate costume — an old “Burning of the Calculus,” for instance. Excellent music 8 will characterize this and all other of the events. The Miami Glee Club, already widely famous, will sing frequently throughout the week, and a first-class concert band will be secured for most of the time. A revised program for the en- tire week, with complete list of speakers, will be published in May. HISTORICAL COLLECTION It is proposed to use the old Bishop Chapel, during these exercises and afterward, as an Alumni Memorial Hall ; so that it is highly desirable to put on display there all that can be collected of Miami antiquities, or of miscellaneous relics rep- resentative of early days in the Miami Valley. Some requests have already been circulated on this matter, but the response so far has been anything but enthusiastic. There is an excel- lent nucleus for such a collection already here. The McGuf- fey Table, the Bishop Bust, the old stone astronomical pier, some of Doctor Stoddard’s primitive apparatus, and a few old-time straight-backed chapel benches, together with our collection of portraits and tablets, constitute a first-rate basis for such an undertaking. There is plenty more material, just as valuable for our purposes, to which no doubt various of our friends have access. Please get it into our hands, for this occasion, at least, and let us hear from you at once regarding it. We are sadly deficient in Miami literature. The only collection of old programs in the archives is the private prop- erty of the Bishop family. Several sporadic college periodicals were published during the early years, and the files of these are very incomplete. The library does not contain a copy of The Miami Student published before the reopening in 1885. Early volumes of The Oxford Citizen, if they could be had, would also be of great historical value. Will you not regard this as a personal appeal to every devoted alumnus to assist in these matters as far as he can? A few have already re- sponded, but the work has hardly begun. CENTENNIAL PUBLICATIONS Several important publications are under way, in connec- tion with this Centennial project. The Centennial Volume is 9 under the direction of Professor Bradford and certain of his colleagues. It will contain an account of the Centennial pro- ceedings, a concise historical sketch of the University, a dis- cussion of the development of courses of study in the institu- tion, and a bibliography, as complete as possible, of all the books written by Miami men. The whole will be handsomely illustrated. Another book, perhaps appealing more to the general reader, will develop the inner life-story of Old Miami, gathering and retelling the mass of legendary material that has grown up with the student community. Another edition of the Alumni and Former Student Catalogue — the first in ten years — is also under way and destined to appear about this time. During the spring a Miami Song Book will be published for the first time ; not as a Centennial feature, but taking new interest from this event. The Miami Student will devote much space to alumni material throughout the year, and will issue a special Centennial number. The Recensio, also, the college annual, will make a special feature of this anniversary occasion. ACCOMMODATIONS There is every reason to expect an immense crowd in Oxford during Centennial Week. People remind us of this nowadays as if we didn’t enjoy it. Still, the Committee feels reasonably confident of finding suitable accommodations, at fair prices, for all guests who give us timely assurance of their coming. Oxford is going to co-operate with us to the last of her resources. Oxford College and The Western have kindly consented to provide for as many visitors as possible. The fraternities expect to lodge many of their alumni in the Chapter houses. As a last resort, it would be possible, as at Oberlin last spring, to transfer men from the dormitories to tents on the campus, and open these time-honored rooms to guests. Many visitors will be unable to secure meals at their places of lodging; but a competent caterer will be installed, probably in the Gymnasium, who will furnish excellent meals at nominal rates throughout the week. If necessary, branch dining and lunch rooms may be established in the village. Application blanks — for accommodations and for tickets to 10 the various exercises — will be widely distributed early in May ; and every prospective guest is urged to fill these out and return them without delay. Reduced rates will be secured on the railroads tor this occasion, and it is hoped that several special trains may be run — particularly on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. This will enable many who so desire to take advantage of hotel accommodations in Hamilton, and will afford great con- venience to those visitors who can attend for only one day. This ought to be enough to set you thinking. Make up your mind today to shape business affairs in such a fashion that you can get away in June for a glorious period of yam- spinning and youth-renewing among the familiar haunts of college days. Bring your family back to enjoy the occasion with you. Meet old comrades and pay tribute to Alma Mater. In the meantime ponder and chat about the celebration. Con- sider carefully what you would want it to be. Write us about it if you have a criticism or suggestion, or any bit of precious old tradition in need of perpetuation. If the sons and friends of Old Miami work together enthusiastically to make these festivities a success, there is no limit to the possibilities. 11