COMMENCEMENT AT TALLADEGA COLLEGE.
BY PRESIDENT H. S. DE FOREST, D.D.
Talladega’s seventeenth Commencement began Friday, June 10th, with exercises of the lower grades from the Cassedy school, and ended with the oration, essay, and a wedding at the Alumni meeting the Thursday evening following. Between these dates were the sermon before the graduates; a missionary sermon by Secretary Powell, of New York; public examination of students in all grades, from secondary studies up to theology, including classes taught in Practice School by Normal Students; exercises of the three literary societies; an address by Dr. Powell on “Over the sea”; one by Dr. W. H. Ward on “The testimony of ancient monuments to God’s Word”; exhibition of industrial work, with orations and essays by graduates from the Normal and Theological departments. It was a large bill of fare, we thought well served, and many were at the table. The attendance all through was excellent, the house being usually crowded, and often the overflow was very great. The different examinations, it was conceded by all, gave evidence of thorough study and solid attainments. Certainly thoroughness is constantly sought, and those who visit the college bear witness to good success in securing it. Two, new this year, graduated from the Theological and thirteen from the Normal department. All are professed Christians, are exemplary in life, and go to their work with excellent preparation.
Tuesday afternoon was given to inspection of the industrial training. A display was made of the girls’ work in cutting, sewing and repairing; of what the young men had done in blacksmithing, carpentry and cabinet-making; while samples of cobbling were walking all around. Students were seen painting, wood-working, draughting; some were type-setting, form-making, and at press-work. The garden, farm, wood-saw and feed-mill, stock and barns were examined. All our visitors are impressed with the results already secured in industrial training, and some are relieved who feared that the brain, if it gets much of a start, will paralyze the hand, forgetting that the hand must be inapt till there is a trained head to give it cunning.
The mid-winter series of meetings, both at the college and the two mission chapels, were blessed to several conversions. Young people have been schooled in a vigorous Society of Christian Endeavor. Mission Sunday-schools and neighborhood prayer-meetings have been carried on with growing interest. The different benevolent societies have had their claims presented in turn; something has been given to all; and if the offerings have been small, they have, it is believed, been weighted with prayer.
Important repairs, so far as means are afforded, are to be made by industrial students. Board is now to be made cheaper, and, with, no less attention to fundamental branches, more is to be done in developing college studies; and theological training, a strong point from the beginning, is still to be kept in the foreground. At the close of another good year, the college looks hopefully towards the future.